St. Joseph was “of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4). Because of this ancestry, St. Joseph is the linkage between the old covenant made with Abraham and Moses, and the new, …

Indeed, the portrayal of St. Joseph also is conflicting. For example, Guido Reni’s “St. Joseph and the Child” depicts a gray-haired elderly man holding baby Jesus, whereas Jose de Ribera’s …

White vestments are also worn on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, and the Feasts of All Saints, St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, the Chair of St. Peter, and the Conversion of St. …

However, as mentioned in the question, Mary, St. Joseph, St. Elizabeth and St. Zechariah (the parents of St. John the Baptist), St. Ann and St. Joachim (the parents of our Blessed Mother) …

Also, during the octave before Christmas (from Dec. 17 until the 24) our preparation intensifies with the Gospel passages for daily Mass recounting the genealogy of Jesus; the …

In 988, the icon came into possession of Princess Anna, the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II and the wife of St. Vladimir of Kiev (c. 975 – 1015), who had converted and became …

Interestingly, our Blessed Mother Mary and St. Joseph offered a sacrifice of two turtle doves for the presentation of our Lord (cf. Luke 2:22-24). Known for their beauty and rarity, the three …

By this time, St. Joseph had died. Since Jesus, the first born, had no “blood brother,” He entrusted Mary to the care of St. John, the Beloved Disciple. Interestingly, the Orthodox Churches solve …

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. While the number of weeks and days of Advent preparation varied in the early centuries of the church, St. Gregory VII (d. 1095) set the …

Were all saints canonized, even St. Joseph & Mary? Prior to the year 1234, the church did not have a formal canonization process as such. Also, one must consider the life of the church …