Mary’s Husband, the Carpenter

Leo XIII wrote, "Joseph, of royal descent, united in marriage with the most sublime and saintly of women, the putative father of the Son of God, nevertheless spent his whole life working, and, by his industry and skill, provided everything that was needed to sustain his family. [...] The work of the laborer, far from being demeaning can be quite the reverse when combined with virtue, and can become highly ennobled" (Leo XIII, "Quamquam pluries" 1889). "Jesus, the Son of God and God Himself", wanted to be seen and thought of as a craftsman, more than that, He did not shrink from spending a large part of His life on manual work. "This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary...?" Mark 6:3. (Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 1891).