Joseph the Worker

"Furthermore, if we go back to the time of Christ, we can see another probable reason why the pope chose St. Joseph for this role. In those days in the Roman Empire, manual work was looked down upon by the ruling classes as being something only fit for slaves. Part of the mission of Jesus, in living the life of a simple workman, a carpenter during His life in Nazareth, was to restore manual labor to its rightful dignity. And in doing this His teacher was His [virginal] father, St. Joseph."- Blue Army

While this commentator eschews making an assertion one way or the other, I do very much favor the view of Joseph as a man in his prime rather than a man in old age. Even if he was in his prime, he was older than his betrothed and would have been her custodian, but that doesn't mean he had an old gray beard. He was a blue-collar, working man and utterly religiously devout. 

Let's never embrace the heresy of the Antidicomarites. 

Let us pray:

O Glorious Saint Joseph,

model of all those who are devoted to labor,

obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance
for the expiation of my many sins;

to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations;

to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and
develop by means of labor the gifts received from God;

to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience,
never shrinking from weariness and trials;

to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self,
keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of
time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success,
so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example,
O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death. 
Amen.

(Composed by Pope St. Pius X)