Overview

In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we read brief snippets of the early life of Jesus and the actions of His parents Joseph and Mary. These stories are proclaimed during the Advent/Christmas season each year from the Pulpit and have become very familiar to all, Christian and non-Christian alike. It may come as a surprise to the modern reader that much more detail is available to anyone who wishes to take the time to do some digging. These details are the conclusions that were reached by holy men and women as they meditated on the Nativity narratives in the Bible and also on the oral tradition that was passed on and debated early in the history of the Church. Who were these men and women? Men like St. Irenaeus, St. Athanasius, St. John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine. Holy women like St. Birgitta and even the mystic Venerable Maria d' Agreda. The book takes the form of a diary that may have been kept by Joseph and Mary during the events that marked their lives and profoundly changed ours. The hope is that the reader will feel they are an eyewitness as Joseph and Mary's lives are touched by God in a unique way. Their reality was one of living in an occupied land with a tyrant on the throne The story begins with Joseph as a child. Modern readers may be unaware that Joseph was a direct descendant of King David and as the first-born child was heir to the throne. This placed him and his family in constant danger from the paranoid and murderous Herod. We then proceed to an entry by Mary as a young child. Tradition holds that Mary went to live in the Temple at the tender age of three. Her stay in the Temple during these young years has been the subject of prayerful meditation. It provides details of the flight to Egypt and their stay there. On the way, they encounter robbers, the leader of whom tradition says is Dismas, the Good Thief who is guaranteed salvation by Christ while both hung on the Cross. It adheres to a tradition of Mary's visit to Elizabeth, a tradition that states Joseph went with her and remained with her there for three months. Nothing about the Nativity story in the Bible is changed, rather the settings and the backgrounds are illuminated. In addition, there is an appendix, 101 Questions and Answers About Saint Joseph.In this section, the reader learns more about the man chosen by God the Father to be the guardian of His Son and His Son's Mother. For those wishing to adopt Saint Joseph as their Patron Saint, this section is a treasure trove of insight. Finally, as a bonus for the second edition, a sneek peek to the sequel, The Diaries of Mary, is provided.

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From Elaine Lyons Bach: When you love someone, you want to know everything you can about what formed their lives. Dennis P McGeehan commendably describes the events of the hidden life of Christ using writings of early church fathers, Saints, and doctors of the church. The technique of writing the story as journals of St. Joseph and St. Mary is what gives The Diaries of Joseph and Mary its edge. I read this book a few pages at a time as a meditation and am glad I did. The reader feels allowed to listen in on the secret intimate thoughts of the Holy Parents and thus is drawn close in their circle of love. I wish I had had this book long ago to give to a student who told me he always felt sorry for Joseph because he married Mary expecting a very different life. I was able to give him an answer at the time, but this book delves a lot further into Joseph's story and gives clear, sensible reasons formed in the contemplations of the magisterium. I will share this book with my family, but I will want it back next advent to walk the ancient journey again with the Beloved and His earthly parents.From Larry Petersen: Dennis McGeehan has given all people; Catholic/Christians, Jews, Fundamentalists and even Nones, a fascinating, unconventional look into the lives of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, aka The Holy Family. Mr. McGeehan, besides using the well-known Bible references about the birth and childhood of Jesus, also researched oral tradition and writings from the early Church to accomplish his goal of writing this book. People like St. Irenaeus, St. Athanasius, St. John Chrysostom and even St. Jerome were researched so this book might be put together. The result of Mr. McGeehan's efforts is a unique and mesmerizing narrative allowing the reader to take a look into the to the very hearts and minds of the Members of The Holy Family . In diary form, Joseph and Mary each write about their lives together as husband and wife and parents to the God-man. As the days and months turn into years we are taken inside their possible thoughts as they journal about the deep love they have for each other, the anxieties they feel as they realize who the Child in Mary's womb really is and how He must be protected at all cost. They write of their journeys to Bethlehem for Jesus' birth and then to Egypt to escape the maniacal Herod who wants to kill Him. What I really loved were the parts where they were just living their simple lives together, day after day, week after week, year after year, in Nazareth, just like other hard working, average folks do. The journaling continues up and through the death of Joseph. An appendix with 101 Questions and Answers follows the narrative. I call St. Joseph the Shadow Saint because so little is known about him. Yet he was the man who cared for The Son of God and His Mom and protected them and fed them and housed them and was the best husband and dad ever. Dennis McGeehan has done us all a great favor by capturing the true essence of Joseph the man, the perfect feminism of Mary and their union together in raising the Redeemer of all of us. Treat yourself to a beautiful and unique read about The Holy Family. It is a wonderful experience. Thank you Mr. McGeehan---Well-Done!

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