Feast of St Joseph the Worker

Today we celebrate the feast of St Joseph the Worker. The feast was established by Pope Pius X11 in 1955 to bring a religious aspect to International Workers Day. Joseph, the carpenter, supported Mary and Jesus by his honest work and taught Jesus his trade, thus teaching us that work is a gift from God by which our lives and the lives of our families are supported. One writer says that work is where we ''lay down our lives'' for our families. Yesterday we remembered how Jesus laid down his life for us as our Good Shepherd. I am sure that when Jesus described himself as a good shepherd he was influenced by the example of Joseph. Like a good shepherd, Joseph protected the tiny flock of his family from the murderous intentions of Herod by leading them into Egypt. His dedication to his work was surely a strong example to Jesus when he began his mission of service. As Joseph was a good shepherd to his family, may he watch over all workers that they may be well treated and paid justly for their work. May he especially help those solo parents who try to balance a heavy work load with the care of their children. May he help those who are out of work to find a fulfilling job. St Joseph the Worker, bless our daily toil, AMEN