Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. This date is also International Workers’ Day, a fitting day on which to reflect on St. Joseph as the patron saint of workers.
St. Joseph has sometimes been called “the silent saint.” He was given, however, the noble task of caring for and watching over the Virgin Mary and Jesus. He now cares for and watches over the whole Church and models for all the dignity of human work.
In Pope Francis’ 2020 Apostolic Letter entitled Patris Corde, he wrote, “In his relationship to Jesus, Joseph was the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father. He watched over Him and protected Him, never leaving Him to go His own way. We can think of Moses’ words to Israel: ‘In the wilderness … you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled’ (Deuteronomy 1, 31). In a similar way, Joseph served as a father for Jesus throughout His whole life.”
For more on St. Joseph the Worker: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/feast-of-st-joseph-the-worker-471
Let us pray. “St. Joseph, by the work of your hands and the sweat of your brow, you supported Jesus and Mary, and had the Son of God as your fellow worker. Teach us to work as you did, with patience and perseverance, for God and for those whom God has given us to support. Teach us to see in our fellow workers the Christ who desires to be in them, that we may always be charitable and forbearing towards all. Grant us to look upon our work with the eyes of faith, so that we might recognize in it our share in God’s own creative activity and in Christ’s work of our redemption, and so take pride in it. We lift up this prayer to our Heavenly Father, through Christ our Lord, and through your generous intercession. Amen.”
