Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

“Is he not the carpenter’s son?” – Matthew 13:55

I was in a meeting with a man whom I perceived to be disorganized. He didn’t come prepared for our meeting. As I continued to judge him, I hit the pause button. I searched deep inside: Did I hate my own disorganization? And my answer was yes!

       There are many times when I lack planning and don’t sit down and think things through. So my irritation wasn’t about this man. It was about me!

       When you meet a stranger, in the first four minutes, you form an impression of that person, just like what the people did to Jesus in today’s Gospel. You decide in four minutes what you like or don’t like. These decisions are based on facial features, tone of voice, cologne scent, and most important, your own past experiences stored in your memory bank.

       Your reactions to other people say more about you than they do about others. So, the next time you’re irritated by someone else, ask yourself: What does this irritation tell me about myself?

       If you don’t accept your own weaknesses, if you don’t accept the validity of all your emotions, positive and negative, if you don’t respect yourself, you won’t respect others. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)

Reflection: What is it in others that often irritates you? Look within; it says something about you.

Grant me, Lord, the grace to accept my weaknesses.

St. Joseph the worker, pray for us.

In Catholic theology, Joseph reminds us of the dignity of work. A person without work lacks something important to his own humanity. It is in working for a living or as a volunteer that we participate in God’s creative work, and being creative is part of how God has designed us. One way we express our love for others is through our willingness to work.

Acts 5:27-33 (or Genesis 1:26-2:3 or Colossians 3:14-15, 17, 23-24)

27 When the court officers had brought the Apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, 28 “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the Apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.

Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-18, 19-20 (or Psalm 90:2, 3-4, 12-13, 14, 16)

R: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

1 [2] I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. 8 [9] Taste and see how good the Lord is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. (R) 16 [17] The Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. 17 [18] When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. (R) 18 [19] The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. 19 [20] Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the Lord delivers him. (R)

We should never consider one type of work better than another. A doctor has no more human dignity than a cleaner. Both jobs are essential to society. Some people get paid more for the work they do than others, but this is largely the result of sin. I believe that in a world without sin everyone would do their job, their part for the smooth working of society. We would not need money as everyone would be happy doing what they do and receiving what they need to live. Life would be a lot simpler than it is today.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!

John 3:31-36 (or Matthew 13:54-58)

31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

think: One way we express our love for others is through our willingness to work.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Numbers 34-36

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT JOSEPH?

The answer to the above question is simply that we know very little. However, the tradition of the Church has ascribed to him the title, “The Worker.” This title took on greater importance in the Church’s struggle with communist ideology in the 20th century. Ultimately, this struggle is over the meaning and place of work or human labor in relation to the dignity of the human person. In a day and age of underemployment and even unemployment, this is a crucial notion to explore. We need to ensure that we respect the right of all people to a decent job with decent conditions and decent pay. If we fail to do this, we fail those who have the least capacity to defend their rights and dignity — the poorest of the poor. We fail in one of the most fundamental aspects of our Christian calling.

       As we celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph, let us remember those who do not have gainful work, whether through their own fault or not. Let us do more than remember them and see what we can do to help right the wrongs that prevent them from having work and so express their personal dignity in and through it. Let us work for justice in the workplace as best as we can and go the extra mile to help others find a job.

       Joseph is traditionally believed to have taught Jesus the trade of  carpentry, thus giving Jesus the experience of manual labor. He was like us in all things but sin. Reflecting on the meaning of Jesus’ learning a trade is essential to situating the human person correctly at the heart of God’s creation. Human work is not just an option for us; it is essential to our self-dignity.

       In honor of St. Joseph, let us reflect on the role of work in our lives and deepen our understanding and experience of our humanity. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How often do you reflect upon the dignity of work? Have you ever done this?

Lord, help me to understand the role of work in my life and help me to appreciate any work opportunities that come my way.