Daily Catholic Reflection: May 1, 2021, Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker, Year B
Gen 1:26-2:3 or Col 3:14-15, 17, 23-24;
Ps 90:2-4, 12-14, 16-17;
Give Success to the Work of our hands Lord.
Brethren, today the mother church celebrates the optional memorial of St Joseph the worker, a humble servant of God through his faith and obedience to carry out the Mission God had entrusted him, that is, to take care of the Holy Family. St Joseph is a good example and a role model of all workers. This year’s celebration gives more emphasis and meaning to the year of St Joseph which Pope Francis declared on 8th December 2020. May St Joseph continue to pray for us.
The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was established by Pope Pius XII in 1955 in order to Christianize the concept of labor and give to all workmen a model and a protector. By the daily labor in his carpentry shop, offered to God with patience and joy, St. Joseph provided for the necessities of his holy spouse and of the Incarnate Son of God, and thus became an example to all laborers. "Workmen and all those laboring in conditions of poverty will have reasons to rejoice rather than grieve, since they have in common with the Holy Family daily preoccupations and cares"(Leo XIII).
St. Joseph the Worker
"May 1'' has long been dedicated to labor and the working man. It falls on the first day of the month that is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Pius XII expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labor and would bring a spiritual dimension to labor unions. It is eminently fitting that St. Joseph, a working man who became the foster-father of Christ and patron of the universal Church, should be honored on this day. This day was also taken up civilly and it was honored internationally.
Brethren, work us Divinely Instituted by God from the beginning of the world as God himself worked for six days in creating the world as we see in the first Reading of Genesis and later ordered man to till (work) the Earth and protect it (Gen 2:15). Thus God divinely instituted work and every one is to work so that he or she may sustain himself or herself, his or her family and also for the good of the society.
When we work, we participate in the creation and Divine plan of God and we are doing his will. If we don't work, we are against God’s will and that's why many evil deeds like stealing, robbery, redundancy, take, bribes, corruption, embezzlement of funds and many others exist in the society because of those who don't work. An idle mind is the devil's workshop. Since it is through that we all earn our living, those who don't work have to use evil means to earn the living which is against God's will. St Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians 3:10, states it clearly that those who do not work should not eat, and so orders everyone to go quietly working for his or her own living.
St Joseph is the model of hard work. He worked very hard as a carpenter not for his own benefit but to take care of Mary, mother of God and Jesus, her Son, the Son of God. Joseph should inspire us all but more especially family heads to exercise our duties and responsibilities by working hard to take care of our families and teaching our children to work as Joseph taught Jesus. Additionally, Joseph's work was not only for his family but also for the good of the whole society. Are our works aiming at serving society or they are of selfish interests and sometimes at the expense of society? God gave us this earth to till and care for it, are we doing it through our work or our work is destroying it?
The alternative first Reading from Colossians encourages us that whatever we do, we do it in love and do it to our perfection, all should be done in word and deed and in the name of Jesus Christ. When we work with love, that work is not only useful to us but also for the whole society and when we do to our perfection we promote the development of everyone. Sometimes we have a tendency of just doing because we are just employees and we want money, we end up working anyhowly, even out of jealousy thus ending up not doing our responsibilities well and efficiently. This is not working in the name of Jesus.
Brethren, today's feast invites us to embrace any work because it is from God. We should try by all means to work even the least work because many of us like white collar jobs and we think we can't do technical work. Brethren, there we are wrong, If Jesus who was God did carpentry with his father, why not us? Let us not despise other people's work but always encourage them. Who knew that Jesus, a carpenter, was a saviour of the world, no wonder the Pharisees questioned his authority as we see in the Gospel today. Brethren, God can lift you from your small work to the greater heights. Let us not be discouraged especially when people talk bad of what we do provided we are serving humanity in the way of God.
Reflect today on your attitude towards work. What do you do for a living? Are you doing it in the name of God and at the service of humanity? Who enjoys the fruits of your work; are they for the good of you and the whole society or just squandering them? Do you have love for what you do; if you don't have love, there is no success and efficiency? Do you despise other people's work? How do you treat your employees? As an employee are you doing your work out of jealousy or out of love? Is your work contributing to the Growth of the church and the community? Is your work God centred? You can also reflect on more aspects of work and know that it is Divinely Instituted. At last pray to the Lord with today's responsorial psalm "Lord Give Success to the Work of our Hands."
Let us as the intercession of St Joseph that we may have love for work in and doing so we are participating in God's work of creation and that our work may build and protect the earth not to destroy it. As we start the month of Rosary may Mother Mary intercede for us to regain our peace and health as we heal from this pandemic virus. May the Lord bless and give success to the work of our hands forever.
Let us pray.
O God, Creator of all things, who laid down for the human race the law of work, graciously grant that by the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage we may complete the works you set us to do and attain the rewards you promise. Amen.
Blessed Labour day and Easter season
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