Join Autom today as we celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker!
SAINT JOSEPH
THE WORKERFeast Day: May 1
Patron of Workers
As you may recall, we celebrated the feast of St. Joseph, husband of
Mary, on March 19th. But he is so important, the Church wanted to honor him more, and they found a
way.
For decades, May Day was the occasion for Communist countries to parade their military power. On this day in 1955, Pope Pius XII inaugurated the celebration of St. Joseph the Worker. It seemed comical, even absurd, to raise up Joseph to challenge the Communist military machine on its May Day march, but look at what happened! The disintegration of Communism is often attributed to the Lord working through the prayers of His people, and especially in response to the apparitions of Mother Mary at Fatima in 1917, urging all to pray and do penance for the conversion of Russia.
That being said, it is also true that the Lord has transformed the world through Joseph and through simple, common, obscure workers like him--like us!
As St. Paul exhorts us, "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being. Do it for the Lord rather than for men. ... Be slaves of Christ the Lord". (Colossians 3:23-24).
Our obscure lives and routine work can change the world if we have faith as did Saint Joseph. The Lord is speaking to us: "Take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts". (Haggai 2:4)
For decades, May Day was the occasion for Communist countries to parade their military power. On this day in 1955, Pope Pius XII inaugurated the celebration of St. Joseph the Worker. It seemed comical, even absurd, to raise up Joseph to challenge the Communist military machine on its May Day march, but look at what happened! The disintegration of Communism is often attributed to the Lord working through the prayers of His people, and especially in response to the apparitions of Mother Mary at Fatima in 1917, urging all to pray and do penance for the conversion of Russia.
That being said, it is also true that the Lord has transformed the world through Joseph and through simple, common, obscure workers like him--like us!
As St. Paul exhorts us, "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being. Do it for the Lord rather than for men. ... Be slaves of Christ the Lord". (Colossians 3:23-24).
Our obscure lives and routine work can change the world if we have faith as did Saint Joseph. The Lord is speaking to us: "Take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts". (Haggai 2:4)
A Prayer to Saint Joseph for
Workers
O glorious Joseph! Who concealed your incomparable and regal
dignity of custodian of Jesus and of the Virgin Mary under the humble
appearance of a craftsman and provided for them with your work, protect with loving
power your sons, especially entrusted to you.
You know their anxieties and sufferings, because you yourself experienced them at the side of Jesus and of His Mother. Do not allow them, oppressed by so many worries, to forget the purpose for which they were created by God. Do not allow the seeds of distrust to take hold of their immortal souls. Remind all the workers that in the fields, in factories, in mines, and in scientific laboratories, they are not working, rejoicing, or suffering alone, but at their side is Jesus, with Mary, His Mother and ours, to sustain them, to dry the sweat of their brow, giving value to their toil. Teach them to turn work into a very high instrument of sanctification as you did. Amen.
You know their anxieties and sufferings, because you yourself experienced them at the side of Jesus and of His Mother. Do not allow them, oppressed by so many worries, to forget the purpose for which they were created by God. Do not allow the seeds of distrust to take hold of their immortal souls. Remind all the workers that in the fields, in factories, in mines, and in scientific laboratories, they are not working, rejoicing, or suffering alone, but at their side is Jesus, with Mary, His Mother and ours, to sustain them, to dry the sweat of their brow, giving value to their toil. Teach them to turn work into a very high instrument of sanctification as you did. Amen.
Saint Joseph,
pray for us.
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