In Communist countries throughout Europe, May 1 was traditionally celebrated as the Day of the Worker. To put the worker in the context of our Christian values, Pope Pius XII established the feast of St Joseph the Worker in 1955, which we celebrate on May 1 in our liturgical calendar to this day. We also celebrate St Joseph on March 19 in our liturgical calendar as the spouse of Mary. We know that Joseph was a carpenter, that he probably taught Jesus this trade as well. The Church teaches that no matter what work we undertake in life, we are to do so with dignity 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 that work up for the glory of the Lord.
It is easy for us to see our work and our lives as our own, to see what we do in life as our own efforts. But Pope John Paul II, who was canonized several years ago and is now a saint in the Catholic Church, used the poignant expression “the Gospel of Work.” He explained in his encyclical “On Human Work,” that in the industrial age, men and women were often reduced to instruments in a society that emphasized "productivity" over the dignity of the worker. The technological age of our modern world promised something different but failed to deliver. Human beings are still reduced to human doings rather than human beings.
In the Gospel today, we hear how Jesus is dismissed in his hometown because he is known as the boy who grew up in their community. There vision of him became distorted. John Paul II declared that our vision of work "has been profaned by sin and contaminated by egoism," that it is an activity that "needs to be redeemed" in our world today. He reminds us that "Jesus was a man of work and that work enabled him to develop his humanity". Jesus’ work in Nazareth allowed him to dedicate himself to the affairs of his Father. Through God’s providential plan, man, by working, can realize his own humanity and that of others.
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.
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