May 1, 2012 St. Joseph, The Worker

Today, May 1, 2012, is the solemnity of St. Joseph, The Worker in the liturgical calendar. He is also  venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and in the Anglican and Lutheran faiths. In 1870, he was declared Patron of the Universal Church. Pope Pius IX later attributed to him the honor of Patron Saint of Workers because of his qualities of patience. persistence and hard work. In addition, he is also invoked as the Patron of the Dying and Departed Souls. Many saints, like St Teresa of Avila and St. Andre Bassett of Canada had a strong devotion to St. Joseph for "healing" and did much to spread worldwide recognition and love for him. Numerous churches, hospitals, schools and religious organizations have been named in his honor. St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal is the largest church in Canada and was built through the efforts of the then Brother Andre Bassett whose St. Joseph's Oil effected thousands of healing.

 As depicted in the Bible, he was a man of integrity and character and was a "just" man. Considered a model for contemplation, he was a quiet man, one with very few words but rather a man of action. Tradition states that St. Joseph did not doubt the purity of Mary but doubted his worthiness in the Divine Plan. When an angel appeared to him in a dream, the angel gave Joseph the assurance that it was God's will. He did not question but totally put his trust and hope

 on God's Word. Neither did he question instructions he received for the immediate flight to Egypt in the middle of the night nor of the return of the family to

their hometown. He bore in silence the rigors of the trip and the problems of livelihood in a strange land.

 St. Joseph was the foster-father of Jesus. To fulfill his role, he must have carried Baby Jesus in his arms, fed him, clothed him and would have done the many things associated in caring of a child in his growing up years. He must have taught Jesus the satisfaction of doing work and the rudiments of his trade as a carpenter. He may have taken him to work even in Sepphoris, a nearby town which was a more industrialized place with a lot of construction work at that time. Lamentably, St. Joseph did not have the chance to see Jesus perform any of His miracles!

A traditional prayer to St. Joseph which has been used for more than a thousand years is the following:

"O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interest and desires. O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son, all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord, so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power, I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most loving of fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of Departing Souls, pray for us.

(Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail.)

Fatherhood is a unique vocation that requires a lot of patience and discernment. Hence, I would definitely encourage all "fathers" to have a special devotion to St. Joseph !!!