Meditation
for Memorial of St Joseph the Worker
(Gen
1:26—2:3; Mt 13:54-58)
Happy Workers Day! The Church entrusts all workers to the
patronage of St. Joseph the Carpenter. We thank God for the gift of creativity
and inventive skill. God created man with the inherent capacity to work, and gave
him the mandate, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and
subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the
air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” That is why for a
person not to have work or to lose the capacity to work through sickness, old
age, etc, is never a good experience. Hence, it is popularly said that THERE IS
DIGNITY IN LABOUR. The human person is dignified in the outcome of his labors;
there he finds joy and fulfilment, and derives meaning in life. That is why we
pray for workers, for those looking for work, and for those facing all sorts of
challenges in their work.
Therefore, let us meditate on St. Joseph the Worker, the
patron of workers. This feast was instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955. St
Joseph was so dedicated in this work as a carpenter that it became his
identity. To be so recognized and identified in that singular work is a sign of
lifelong persistence and perseverance in the business. This enduring capacity
of St Joseph is an example for us to emulate today. St Joseph was known to be
an UPRIGHT man (Mt 1:19). An ‘upright’ man can be described as ‘one who is
standing right before God.’ WITHOUT HONESTY THERE IS NO DIGNITY IN LABOUR! We cannot
derive meaning and joy if we are dishonest in our work.
Meditate on how Jesus was identified through the work of
Joseph as the Carpenter. They said, “This is the Carpenter’s Son, surely?” (Mt
13:55; Mk 6:3). As the chosen one of God for the Holy Family, Joseph was chosen
even in his work as a carpenter. Thus, his humble labors became means of
serving God, and contributing to the work of our salvation. In the same way, if
we ‘stand right before God’ in our labors, they will become means of serving
God. That means we can win grace for ourselves and for others through our
work. In this way, Jesus can be ‘recognized’ in our labors. That is why our
great patron St Joseph was a silent man, but spoke eloquently through his work.
Let us reduce the noise that fuels laziness and embrace the committed silence
that fuels creativity and productivity. Our labors shall never be in vain, for
through St Joseph, God has given a deeper meaning to the work of our hands as
means of working out our salvation in Christ Jesus (cf. Phil 2:12-13).
May St Joseph the Worker intercede for us as we work. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Monday May 1st, 2023.
