The Life and Glories of St. Joseph

By Edward Healy Thompson, Antonio Vitali, José Moreno

Book Overview

"The Life and Glories of St. Joseph" is a comprehensive and devotional exploration of the life, virtues, and unique privileges of the foster-father of Jesus. Written by Edward Healy Thompson, this work draws upon the traditions of the Catholic Church and the writings of historical theologians to present a detailed portrait of the Patriarch of the Universal Church. The narrative delves into Joseph's hidden life in Nazareth, his unwavering faith, and his pivotal role in the mystery of the Incarnation.

Thompson provides a profound theological reflection on St. Joseph's dignity, examining his relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary and his paternal care for the Christ Child. The book explores the various titles and honors bestowed upon him throughout Christian history, emphasizing his status as a powerful intercessor and a model of humility and obedience. This work serves not only as a hagiographical account but also as a guide for spiritual reflection, inviting readers to deepen their devotion to one of the most significant figures in the Christian faith. "The Life and Glories of St. Joseph" remains a significant work of Catholic literature, offering timeless insights into the man chosen to protect and provide for the Holy Family.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 102580211X
• ISBN13: 9781025802114
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 522 Pages
• Weight: 1.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Poignant, effective, and well researched

Originally from 1888, THE LIFE AND GLORIES OF SAINT JOSEPH deserves to become a classic of devotional literature. Not only does the (English) author, a convert from Anglicanism and an uncle of Francis Thompson, write with effective - often poignant - eloquence; but when he is making a conjecture, he gives reasons for his conjecture by revealing his researches and citing eminent theologians from St. Jerome onwards. In other words, readers who merely want to be lulled by a trashy quasi-religious novelette should avoid this. Regrettably, the appearance of the book's pages in this reprint, with the original typesetting, is not all it might be - the margins are extremely narrow - but other than that, every Catholic should study Thompson's book.

Review from the Publisher

No words of St. Joseph are recorded In Scripture. In fact, little mention is made of him there. Yet, despite these seeming limitations, the Church nonetheless possesses an indescribably rich knowledge of St. Joseph and of his cultus. This book will astound most readers both with its scope and with its profundity. Based mainly on Scripture, but supported also by Tradition and the depositions of saints, it is a carefully reasoned analysis of the entirety of that great saint's role in the history of Salvation and the life of the Church. Here we find discussed the age, appearance and occupation of St. Joseph; his character, spiritual life and noble lineage - he was a son of David and therefore by rights a king; how he was prefigured in the Old Testament; his relationship to Mary and Jesus; why he has been named by Pope Pius IX "The Patron of the Universal Church;" and so forth. Many beautiful insights are contained here, for example: St. Joseph can be truly called the father of Jesus in that he served as the model for the formation of the Divine Humanity of Our Lord. Because Mary and Joseph were closely related, Jesus looked like St. Joseph, thus concealing from the world Jesus' true identity until His Public Life. Joseph's work became the work of Jesus - that of a carpenter or builder - probably the most demanding work there is from a combined mental and physical standpoint, thus teaching all people the value of their own type of work, however hard it might be. The book contains all this, plus much, much more. But only a reading will do justice to the amazing riches of The Life and Glories of St. Joseph.