1 May 2018
Feast of St. Joseph the Worker
When I think of St. Joseph the Worker, I often think of my late Uncle Greg. He was not a man of many words (critical for any image of St. Joseph), but was a very caring individual. At the top of the peg board by his workbench in the garage was a Crucifix. In the midst of any of his projects, he was always able to look over at Jesus. Few words, hard-working, and with Jesus—St. Joseph the Worker in a nutshell. In this way, he did the labors God set before him, and helped bring about the Kingdom in his own small way.
When Paul exhorts the disciples in the first reading, he commends them to Jesus. Their hard work will be sustained by looking over at Jesus and being with Him. All of us are called to labor, sometimes in difficult conditions, in order to bring about the Kingdom of God. All of us are called to be like St. Joseph the worker—few words, hard-working, and with Jesus. In this way, we can endure difficulties, and accomplish the labors God sets before us in our own small ways.