Strong reasons why Aaron’s rod that budded was a miracle reproduced for God choosing St. Joseph as the Blessed Virgin’s Most Chaste Spouse

February 16, 2022 • 2 min

From The Life and Glories of St. Joseph, page 125
By Edward Healy Thompson, M.A.

It is true that critics are not wanting who reject these traditions altogether, gathered, as they allow, from very ancient legendary writings, but writings which are apocryphal, that is, unauthentic and doubtful.

But is this sweeping condemnation of all that is found contained in such writings reasonable? Hardly so. We have here to deal with a pious tradition, not gathered merely from these apocryphal sources, but handed down among the faithful.

It has been alluded to by saints and doctors, and adopted by devout and diligent historians of St. Joseph in later times. Moreover, from the earliest ages of the Church it has been depicted on tablets and sculptured in marble.

Joseph, therefore, has every right not to see himself despoiled of his flowering rod, the sign and testimony of the miraculous choice made of him as the spouse of Mary.

Many, indeed, have seen therein the literal fulfilment in symbol of that prophecy of Isaias: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root”. [Isaias xi. 1.]

Was it difficult for God to cause a dry stick to blossom, and did not the importance of the choice seem to call for a supernatural sign, that all might acknowledge the Divine will in this election?

And because this incident is related in some apocryphal books, which contain other matter doubtful or undeserving of credit, its presence there ought not to suffice to invalidate its claim on our acceptance. If these books offer no guarantee of the truth of any particular affirmation contained in them, neither, on the other hand, is everything they relate to be necessarily condemned as false.