Saturdaym May 1, 2021

 Memorial of Saint Joseph, the Worker

(Genesis 1:26b-2:3; Matthew 13:54-58)

Most Catholics know that the Church has singled out two days to honor St. Joseph.  The first, March 19, highlights Joseph as husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  As a child, I looked forward to this day because the pastor of our parish, whose name was Joseph, always declared it a school holiday.  Now as an adult, I anticipate the day because as a solemnity, it calls for suspension of Lenten penance.  This may sound laxist, but I think it shows how joyful God wants us to be.

The second annual “remember St. Joseph” day is, of course, today, May 1.  It emphasizes St. Joseph as a worker.  Unlike March 19, which has roots in the Middle Ages, this feast was added to the liturgical calendar only in 1955.  It has been seen as a way to support the dignity of labor while checking the influence of atheistic communism.  This year Pope Francis has exalted both feasts as well as December 18 when the gospel reading treats of the angel’s “annunciation” to Joseph and the Feast of the Holy Family.  Early last December he designated this “the Jubilee Year of St. Joseph” because 2020 marked the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of St. Joseph being declared “Patron of the Universal Church.”

Today’s gospel states that Jesus was Joseph’s son and that he was a carpenter.  Joseph did not father Jesus physically but morally.  As Mary’s husband, he took responsibility for Jesus’ upbringing as a faithful Jew.  Himself being called “a righteous man” at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, Joseph likely brought Jesus to the synagogue to head the word of God.  Even more significantly, Joseph probably impressed on his son the virtues of fairness and respect for all people, Jews and non-Jews.  Above all, he would have exemplified to Jesus gratitude to God for all his family achieved.

In Mark’s gospel Jesus is said to be a carpenter.  Very likely then, Jesus did his apprenticeship with his foster-father.  Instruction no doubt went beyond how to ply saw and hammer.  In all probability Joseph taught Jesus mindfulness in preparing the job at hand, diligence in pursuing its excellence, and patience in finishing a product.  Jesus, it can be said, was a more capable preacher and leader because of Joseph’s tutelage.

These lessons apply to our lives as Dominicans.  We too must attend to the word of God, especially as it is presented in our liturgies.  We too must prepare our proclamation of the word, who is Jesus himself, with contemplation, study, and attention to the dynamics of speaking.  Not for nothing did God choose Joseph as the preliminary formator of His Son.  And not for nothing does Joseph make a fitting model for our work as preachers.