This work is the private revelation of a 17th century nun that has been approved by the doctine of the faith to be free from doctrinal error. So by no means on par with scripture or other official tradition (dogma) but certainly a higher authority than some 21st century yahoo writing about what he thinks about St. Joseph.

A few things where quite different than I had heard before from other extra biblical sources. For example this book said that Mary and Joseph wed at the ages of 14 and 30 respectively. Most of what I've seen before had Mary at like 16-18, and Joseph sometimes as old as 80 with Mary being a second wife after he had fathered other children. This story gave a better example of why he would willing wed a young virgin who had made a life long vow of chastity as he himself had done similarly, and it made it sound like such folks getting married to each other was not so uncommon in those days.

What really got to me was the strife and pain that Joseph went through when he realized Mary was pregnant. The way it had been going it thought she was going to completely gloss over his "desire to divorce her privately" as it says in the new testament. However when the time came as he picked her up from St. Elizabeth's it was clear Mary knew but it was not her place and to tell her husband. He loved her too much to say anything, yet it hurt him so to see it to be true and still she didn't say anything. Eventually he decides he will just disappear in the night and that night is when it is reveled. St. Joseph gives me great hope that even a sinner as I can love and care for a wife as dear as mine. ( )

La autora narra lo que le fue dictado por el Señor sobre la vida del Santo de los santos. Libro altamente recomendable. ( )

Title: The life of Saint Joseph as manifested by Our Lord, Jesus Christ to Maria Cecilia Baij /
Uniform Title: Leben des heiligen Joseph. English
Author(s): Baij, Maria Cecilia.
Kröpfl, Ferdinand.
Mark, Hubert J.
Publication: Asbury, N.J. : The 101 Foundation,
Year: 1997, ©1996
Description: xviii, 418 p.; 22 cm.
Language: English
SUBJECT(S)
Named Person: Joseph, Saint.
Class Descriptors: LC: BS2458; Dewey: 220.92
Responsibility: translated from the German of the Rev. Ferdinand Kröpfl by Hubert J. Mark.
Document Type: Book
Entry: 19970610
Update: 20080616
Accession No: OCLC: 37040613