Happy Feast of St. Joseph the Worker!

A happy and most blessed feast of St. Joseph the Worker! Today we honor the good St. Joseph in his capacity as a workman and as the patron of laborers. Pope Pius XII instituted this feast in 1955 as a counter to the Communist “May Day” celebrations, the feast offering a far superior way to honor workers by honoring their model and patron. We especially wish a happy patronal feast to St. Joseph the Worker Parish, our apostolate in Tyler, Texas!

A carpenter by trade, St. Joseph passed on his knowledge and skills to his foster-son, Jesus, and side-by-side they labored together for countless hours, days and years in the woodshop in Nazareth, living a humble, holy and most hidden life in the company of Our Lady. Though St. Joseph speaks not a word in the Gospels, how easily we can imitate his example! Whatever kind of work we do, we can do it in the company of Our Lord and Our Lady, inviting them to sanctify even our most trivial tasks so that they might become a source of great grace for us.

During this time when many businesses have been forced to close and lay off their staff, let us pray for those workers who suddenly find themselves without a livelihood and face difficult circumstances. So many of those laid off are low-income workers who can least afford to be without work. Let us pray to St. Joseph the Worker to grant them their necessities, renewed work prospects, and a hopeful future, and let us help one another in whatever ways we can.

In view of the ongoing pandemic, today the U.S. Bishops will join those of Canada is reconsecrating their respective nations to Our Lady. His Excellency the Most Reverend José Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and president of the USCCB, will lead the reconsecration of the United States at 3pm Eastern time. You can join the livestream of the event at the USCCB’s Facebook page, and you can find the text of the prayers here. +

Omne quodcúmque fácitis in verbo aut in ópere, ómnia in nómine Dómini Jesu Christi, grátias agéntes Deo et Patri per ipsum.

All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. 

– Colossians 3:17, from the Epistle for today