St Joseph the Worker

An aspect of St Joseph that the Church has emphasised for quite some time is St Joseph’s relation to work. Saint Joseph was a carpenter who earned an honest living to provide for his family. From him, Jesus learned the value, the dignity and the joy of what it means to eat bread that is the fruit of one’s own labour.

Work – and in our case, school! – is a means of participating in the work of salvation! When we develop our talents and abilities, and when we put them at the service of society, our work becomes an opportunity for the fulfilment not only of ourselves but also of our families and of the society which we live in. 

A family without work is particularly vulnerable to difficulties, tensions and problems. It is therefore important to pray for all those who would like to work but who for one reason or another – such lack of opportunities, health problems and so on – cannot work. It is also important to think of all those workers who were heavily impacted by the pandemic and are experiencing great distress.

St Joseph teaches us that all workers cooperate with God himself in creating a better world. St Joseph’s work reminds us that God himself, in becoming man, did not disdain work. Let us pray that, following St Joseph’s example, we all learn how to make the best use of our talents and time to help create a happier world.

Saint Joseph with Jesus Puzzle