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As general popular devotion to St. Joseph has been almost mysteriously slow in developing, liturgical recognition has come even more slowly. This is natural, since by their very nature liturgical calendars and texts are official formulations which come into existence in response to an already developing spirituality, theology, and devotion, which in turn always grow out of the needs of the times.

Primitive Christianity seems at first to have rendered cult only to the martyrs, who were the most apparent first fruits of Christ's resurrection. Devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus, helped respond to the early challenges to the humanity of Christ. Under the title "Mother of God" (Theotokos), this devotion at the same time responded to denials of Christ's divinity. Perhaps St. Joseph remained in the background to emphasize Mary's virginal conception by the Holy Spirit, against the confusion over the Gospel phrases regarding Jesus' "brothers" which led some to question her virginity.

St. Joseph is seen as a decorative figure in some early Church art. The Lateran Museum, for example, has a third century tombstone, from the catacombs of St. Priscilla, portraying Mary seated while the Magi adore the child in her lap, and behind her stands St. Joseph with his hand above her head, perhaps in protection, or perhaps pointing to the star seen between Mary and the Magi.

In time chapels and churches came to be dedicated to St. Joseph. Relics of him were sought and honored. His virtues were preached. Titles were given him, and litanies and prayers recognized him as the model of various groups of people. His patronages were appropriated by workers' guilds, by religious orders, by countries and finally by the universal Church.

This chapter deals specifically with the development of St. Joseph's place in the liturgy, and a few other pronouncements of Church authority regarding devotional (not properly liturgical) prayers to St. Joseph. Liturgy is the official public worship of the Church, and is comprised of the seven sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, and the Liturgy of the Hours. The chapter will be divided into two parts: Part A will be organized principally around the various feasts honoring St. Joseph, following somewhat the chronological order of their origins; Part B will deal with other official recognition of St. Joseph devotions, less intimately connected with the liturgical celebrations.

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