1 May 2023 – Reflection on St Joseph the Worker – Monday of the fourth week of Easter

Many Communist countries throughout Europe had officially abandoned Christianity during the Cold War era. May 1 was traditionally celebrated as the Day of the Worker in those countries.  To put the life of the worker in the context of the values of the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, Pope Pius XII established the feast of St Joseph the Worker in 1955.  We celebrate this feast on May 1 in our Church’s liturgical calendar each year.  We also celebrate St Joseph on March 19 in our liturgical calendar as Joseph, the spouse of Mary.  We know from Tradition that Joseph was a carpenter, that he probably taught Jesus this trade. The Church teaches us that no matter what work we undertake in life, we are to do so with dignity and humility and in a manner that allows us to contribute to both God’s kingdom and to human society. We can find dignity in all human work, no matter what kind of work it is. We can lift up any work we do to the glory of the Lord, for the glory of our faith, rather than our own self-interests and selfish glory. It is easy for us to see our work and our lives as our own, to see what we do in life as the result of our own efforts.  However, our faith challenges us to look at our work in a wider context that goes even beyond our earthly existence.  

As I thought about the Cold War that had the countries of the US and Western Europe on one side, and Russia and the countries of Eastern and Central Europe on the other side, I thought about the tensions that the world is facing today in the war in the Ukraine.  Not so long ago we were hearing about war in places like Syria and Iraq and the oppression doing on in places like North Korea. With the current world political climate, it is hard to predict what is going to happen next. Many thought that after the fall of Communism in Europe and the rise of the European Union and global trade, that maybe some of those tensions would be behind us.  

We are all called to work for peace and the values of the Gospel, values which St Joseph exemplified in his life and in his humble work. As we reflect upon St Joseph the Worker today, may we lift up our work and our efforts here on earth to the glory of God. May we pray for peace and fulfillment for all workers and all human beings.