Friday, May 1, 2015 - St. Joseph the Worker

To read the texts click on the texts: Gen 1:26-2:3 or Col 3:14-15,17,23-24; Mt 13:54-58

Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955 and to be celebrated on May 1. The relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers has a much longer history.

In a constantly necessary effort to keep Jesus from being removed from ordinary human life, the Church has from the beginning proudly emphasized that Jesus was a carpenter, obviously trained by Joseph in both the satisfactions and the drudgery of that vocation. That Joseph’s trade was carpentry is clear from the Synoptic Gospels and today’s Gospel in particular.  Matthew {unlike Mark who identifies Jesus as a carpenter (Mk 6:3)} identifies Jesus as the “carpenter’s son” since he is interested in showing Jesus as Son of Joseph and so Son of David. In response to their negative attitude to him, Jesus speaks of himself as a prophet and identifies himself with the true prophets of Israel.

Work is an extension of the human person and we give expression to our creativity through our work. However, we must also remember that we are much more than our work and all that we do. Jesus was a carpenter by trade but he was much more than that. He was also a prophet and a messenger of God. We too like Jesus and Joseph though ‘workers’ of one kind or another are more than our work. We too are prophets and messengers of God.