St Joseph the Worker

At present, I am spending a week helping out in my home parish. It is dedicated to St Joseph as is the neighbouring parish where I will also celebrate tomorrow's feast of St Joseph the Worker The feast was established in 1955 by Pope Pius XII to counter the Communist celebration of May Day. But the great value of the feast is to remind us of the dignity of work. When Jesus was rejected by his own people in Nazareth, they asked, ''Where does he get such wisdom? Is not this the son of Joseph, the carpenter?'' Joseph taught Jesus his trade, to teach us an amazing lesson. The Son of the Creator continues and perfects the work of his Father by shaping the wood of created trees for human use. All workers are co-creators, While this is so clear in the case of gardeners and farmers working directly with nature, it is equally true to all whose work is a service to others. But we know unfortunately, that many workers throughout the world do not receive adequate recompense for their labour. As we contemplate Joseph and Jesus working together, let us remember and pray for the unemployed and those forced to work in conditions close to slavery and the suffering of those whom the pandemic restrictions have denied the chance to work in order to support their families. St Joseph, patron of workers, guide and protect us.