Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

    These accusations made by the jealous religious leaders were actually true. Jesus did think that He knew 

everything better than others (and He was right); Jesus did frequently disagree with the teachings of the 

Pharisees (e.g. Mt 23; Lk 6:1 5). And, though His public ministry had not yet begun, He had a group of 

followers of about His own age or younger, whom He taught to a limited extent. The religious leaders heard 

about His teaching and how He was admired by many, and they were jealous and angry. 

    As it was when Jesus was a teenager, so also when He was in His twenties. He continued to teach a group of 

people about His own age, but did not yet teach publicly. Many of the Jewish leaders persecuted Jesus. 

 Unspeakable was the love with which Jesus in His youth bore the jealous persecution of the Jews. 

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    Jesus had followers even in His early adult years, but He did not appoint Apostles or other leaders among 

them. Jesus even knew some of the persons whom He later chose to be among the Twelve Apostles, but they 

occupied no special position at this point in time. Indeed, Blessed Anne Catherine says that some of the future 

Apostles, though they knew of Jesus at that time, did not take much of an interest in Him, until His public 

Ministry began.

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The Death of Saint Joseph 

     As the time drew near for Jesus to begin His mission of teaching, I saw him ever more solitary and 

meditative; and toward the same time, the thirtieth year of Jesus, Joseph began to decline. 

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     Joseph had of necessity to die before the Lord, for he could not have endured His Crucifixion; he was too 

gentle, too loving. 

390

    Blessed Anne Catherine tells us that Joseph died shortly before the public Ministry of Jesus began. The 

death of Saint Joseph occurred during Jesus' 30th year, counting from conception.

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 Blessed Anne Catherine 

gave the years as God told them to her. These years must be counted from conception, because life begins at 

conception. So the first year of Jesus Christ's human life began with His Holy Conception, the Incarnation, on 

Feb. 25 of 15 

B.C.

 And the 30th year of Jesus' human life began in Feb. of 

A.D.

 15 and was completed in Feb. 

of 

A.D.

 16. In 15 

B.C.

, then, Jesus completed 29 years since the Incarnation and began His 30th year of human 

life. Saint Joseph died during the year 

A.D.

 15, early in Jesus' 30th year. He could not have died late in Jesus' 

30th year, because he died before the Ministry of Jesus Christ began in fall of 

A.D.

 15. 

    Shortly before describing the Baptism of Jesus, Blessed Anne Catherine tells us that some people 

commented about Jesus that   `Three months ago, His father, the carpenter, was still alive.'  

392

 This comment 

was made some time before the Baptism of Jesus in early October (see below). So, if the comment was made 

in August or September, then Joseph was still alive in about May or June of that same year (

A.D.

 15). Again, 

the death of Saint Joseph is placed before the Ministry of Christ began, at about the time when John's ministry 

began. 

    According to Blessed Anne Catherine:  Joseph was about thirty years older than Mary. 

393

 Since  Jesus was 

about 15 years older than the Virgin Mary (see chapters 4, 5, 8, 9), Joseph must have been approximately 45 

years older than Jesus. Joseph was about 45 years old when Jesus was born, and Joseph died at about the age 

of 75 years.

394

The Beginning of the Ministry of John the Baptist 

    After describing the burial of Saint Joseph, Blessed Anne Catherine says that Jesus and the Virgin Mary 

moved to a place between Capernaum and Bethsaida. Soon after her description of Joseph's death, she 

mentions that John the Baptist was traveling about the countryside and preaching.

395

 Based on the order of 

events in her description, Saint Joseph died shortly before, or at about the time of, the beginning of the 

ministry of John the Baptist. Joseph died in Jesus' 30th year (after the completion of 29 years since the 

Incarnation, but before the completion of 30 years). The ministry of John the Baptist began that same year, 

A.D.

 15. 

    John was called  the Baptist  because one of the main duties of his ministry was to administer the baptism 

of repentance that prepared for the Divine Ministry of Jesus Christ.

396

 Now the baptism of John occurred 

outdoors, in the waters of the river Jordan (cf. Mk 1:9). According to Blessed Anne Catherine, the person to be 

baptized stood in the water up to about their waist, then John baptized them by pouring water over their 

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