St. Joseph’s Lilies/One Father in Heaven

Q Many statues and artwork depicting St. Joseph show him holding a staff with white lilies blossoming from it.  Is there any significance to this?

A Tradition indicates that when Mary was three years old, she was sent to live in the Temple in Jerusalem. This was to fulfil a promise Mary’s parents had made to dedicate their child to the service of God because God had ended their childlessness after many years.  

According to visions received by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich from Our Lady, this is how St. Joseph was chosen to be the husband of Mary: When Mary was 14, she was to be dismissed from the Temple and be married.  Even though she had betrothed herself to God and did not want to be married, she agreed after receiving a revelation from God. Before potential spouses were presented to Mary, a priest had a vision that pointed to this passage in Isaiah, “And here shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse; and a flower shall rise up out of his root” (Is 11:1).  

As a result, messengers were sent out to bring all men of the line of David to be presented to Mary in the Temple. Each was handed a branch and commanded to inscribe their name on the branch and hold it during prayer and sacrifice. The branches were then laid on the altar and they were told that the one that blossomed was destined to be married to Mary. None blossomed.  

The priests in the Temple researched the ancestral tables again and found one man had been overlooked – Joseph. They brought Joseph into the Temple and gave him a branch to hold during prayer and sacrifice. As he was about to lay the branch on the altar a white flower, like a lily, blossomed from it. Joseph was now recognized as appointed by God to be Mary’s husband.  

Even though we are not obliged to believe private revelations such as those presented to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, there is no reason not to believe them. Why would Mary tell someone an untruth? But, it is up to you if you want to believe this story about St. Joseph and the lilies or not.

The story above about Mary’s betrothal to St. Joseph came from The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary” from the Visions of Ven. (now Blessed) Anne Catherine Emmerich by TAN Books. It is an interesting read. I recommend it, if you want to learn more about our Blessed Mother.  

Q In Matthew 23:9 Jesus says “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one father in heaven.” How then can we call our priests “father?”

A When Jesus said call no one “father” except God in heaven, he did not mean this literally. Jesus’ point was that we must not confuse the type of fatherhood God has (which is ultimate and unlimited) with other forms of fatherhood (which are limited and conditional).  Otherwise, we could not call our biological father by that name, which would be absurd. Not to be able to use the biological term “father” would erase the earthly analogy of God’s divine fatherhood.  

Limiting the use of “father” would also contradict many scriptural passages. “Honor your father and your mother” (Commandment #4). Jesus criticized the Pharisees and scribes for not honoring their “fathers” and mothers in St. Mark’s Gospel. Furthermore, calling spiritual leaders “father” was common in the early church communities.  

St. Stephen addresses “my brothers and fathers” in the Acts of the Apostles. St. Paul uses the same terms in Acts.  And St. Paul states “I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel” (1 Cor 4:15). St. Paul calls himself “father” because he recognized his cooperation with God in leading the spiritual life of the communities entrusted to him.  

Jesus uses this type of language to make a point in a striking, memorable way.  Biological and spiritual fathers bear the authority of God and participate in the one fatherhood of God. Biological fathers are responsible for raising their biological children; spiritual fathers (our priests) are responsible for raising their spiritual children. 

Deacon Hooper is a deacon assistant at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. He can be reached at [email protected].