The Exalted Dignity of St. Joseph
An excerpt from the writing of Very Rev. Archdeacon Kinane

We now come to examine what was the dignity of St. Joseph. With the above fundamental principles before our mind we hesitate not in asserting that St. Joseph was exalted in dignity above any Saint of the Old or New Testament:  of course the Blessed Virgin alone excepted. And why? Because his heavenly appointed mission was of a higher order; because his relation with the Redeemer of the world was more close and intimate; and, finally, because he played a more important part than other Saints in the scheme of man's Redemption.

Let us first try to conceive, and to realize the exalted dignity of St. Joseph from his relation to the Blessed Virgin, that is, "Husband of Mary."  The Blessed Virgin, by the title of Mother of God, is exalted unspeakably above all beings created, or that ever will be created, by the Almighty; St. Joseph, by the inspiration of heaven, was chosen to be the spouse of the Blessed Virgin; and therefore in a certain sense he shares in all her glories and dignity.  Mary, as real wife, was the flesh of his flesh and the bone of his bone; and, as the husband is head of the wife, so St. Joseph in that sense was the head of the Blessed Virgin.