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Joseph, Worker, Nurturer
St. Joseph, the man whose vocation was second only to that of his wife, the Virgin Mother of his divine Son, is the quiet saint who fulfilled his vocation simply by doing his job, plying his trade as the village carpenter in the backwater hillside town of Nazareth. Joseph is mentioned in the New Testament only in the Infancy Narratives. After that, we learn only that Jesus returned with him and Mary to Nazareth and there was subject to them.
The boy Jesus grew in age, wisdom and knowledge, much of what could be said of any child of His age and background. Joseph, we can imagine, lived the life of any craftsman of his day. To be a carpenter in the age of the Holy Family was to have a trade and thus have a certain prestige in the town. We can think of Joseph as a quiet middle-aged man, staying clear of the constant political turmoil, which plagued society in occupied Galilee.
Joseph must have been the quiet man. He is surely the quiet saint. The long-standing conjecture is that he died during the Christ Child’s youth. For that reason, he is depicted as an older man, although, if we recall that he was betrothed to Mary before the Annunciation, we have reason to believe that he was about Mary’s age. That makes his silence and the silence of the Gospels about him all the more remarkable. Again, he is the quiet saint working out his vocation as a carpenter, doing his work and living quietly.
It is only recently that the Church has added a second feast of St. Joseph, the worker, to coincide with the May Day celebrations of the workingman of the Communist era. Joseph is indeed “the worker,” the patron of husbands and fathers working outside the home earning a living, using their strength and skills, protecting and providing for their families. Indeed, these modern day Josephs are often overlooked or taken for granted especially in these days when work is located far from the home and can be as varied as white collar or blue collar, factory or office, manufacturing or sales. But always it is work, not to be romanticized, but recognized and acknowledged.
While we recognize the contribution of the working man on this feast of St. Joseph, we also pay tribute to the foster fatherhood of Joseph. It was Joseph who helped nurture and raise Jesus. If children are a reflection of the homes in which they are reared, then Joseph and Mary did a pretty good job.
We also take note of the many women Religious who have labored through the years and still teach and nurse among us while living under the patronage of St. Joseph. Theirs is a long, and largely quiet heritage building the Church in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, educating the young and caring for the sick and indigent. They follow the example of the quiet saint in many ways. It is appropriate for all of us to acknowledge those whom we might overlook in the work of building the fabric of the Church community. Perhaps, they did not make the headlines, but their job was always done with quiet dedication.
May the daily work and dedication of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, be our model and example whether we are teachers, craftsmen, men or women working in our own quiet way. Let us recognize the dignity of work because it is done by a human person, always beloved of God
Ready to Bloom
Spring is here – at least the calendar tells us that it arrived on March 20. Hopefully, the ice storm of the past weekend will be the last we see of whiteness falling from the sky.
The calendar will win out as buds begin to appear in our gardens and we can look for the hint of green in the trees.
The rebirth of spring is always a religious time for the Christian for it speaks to the rebirth for which we all hope and believe in.
As the snow shovel is replaced by the lawn mower, let us take hope in the sure fact that Easter is coming; rebirth is the key to our Christian belief. Let us greet the birds that wake us in the morning and pray that the spirit of hope will bless us with the grace of rebirth in our lives.
This spring also marks a time when many parish communities will be holding parish assemblies which will determine their future. Again, it is a sign of new life and rebirth after a winter of chills in the air.
Before we celebrate the fullness of the Resurrection, we will once more be reminded of the total giving of Jesus in His suffering and death. The events of Holy Week will be opportunities for us not only to renew our own faith, but also to remind others of the sacredness of life. We urge all parishioners to participate in some way in the Holy Week liturgy as well as in the outdoor pageants that have become cultural fixtures in our neighborhoods.
We have almost concluded our observance of Lent. The strength of our renewal will depend somewhat on the power of our Lent. But it is never too late to get on board and make the most out of what is left of this holy season. The rewards you reap will be lifegiving.
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