St Joseph. Patron Of Workers

Acts 11:1-18
John 10:11-18

The first of May is called May day or Worker’s Day. On May 1st 1955, Pope Pius IX instituted the Feast of St. Joseph The Worker. In his address, he says that St. Joseph personified the dignity of human labour in ordinary and daily living. The Holy Family lived a common and a basic life. Jesus was called the Carpenter’s son. Sanctity and holiness does not mean the extraordinary but the practice of virtues in the ordinary life daily.
Being a patron of all working people, we would feel a deep connection with St. Joseph because we spend a substantial amount of time at work. And we could relate with him in what was told of us in the scriptures. We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man. He is a model and an intercessor, when we cannot practice the virtues of ordinary life. When we cannot go on, when all hope is lost, when sin becomes the worldview, let us ask St. Joseph helps us with the grace to practice virtues in life and grants success to the good works of our hands.

In today’s first reading, Peter is being criticized for his association with the uncircumcised. He defended himself by saying that He was instructed by God. Clearly put, the message of God concerns everyone regardless of their culture background. We need to help others understand clearly the path of salvation. In today’s gospel, the Lord chose this image of the Good Shepherd to tell us that without the Shepherd the sheep is directionless for it is not noted for intelligence or powers of reason. The sheep listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd, our religion focuses us clearly on heaven as our goal and it provided the means to assist us to get there-The Sacred Scriptures, the Sacred Tradition, and the Sacraments. Yet numerous Catholics ignore these means of salvation, dabbling instead in the superstitions of the day: horoscopes, Tarot readings, fortune telling, crystals, “feng shut” our Lord issued quite clear warnings about the perils beset us, and the temptations the Devil sends our way.

The readings today tell us that we must continue to carry on the mission and work of God. We can make that mission and work successful when we obey God first. That is when the labour of our hand is dignified. That is when we begin to practice the Holy and moral life We too must be docile to the dictates of the Holy Spirit through prayer before taking our decision like St. Joseph did. May St. Joseph continues to intercede for us. Amen.

St, Joseph, Patron of Workers. Pray for us.

Happy New Month

Fr Joseph Osho