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Pope Pius XII established the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and determined that it be celebrated on May 1st. In so doing, our Holy Father placed an emphasis on the dignity of work. With that in mind, the Sisters of St. Joseph have prepared this novena.
A novena is a nine days' private or public devotion in the Catholic Church to obtain special graces. This novena leads up to the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. We invite you to join the Sisters in making this novena as they, too, honour St. Joseph the Worker.
We know of St. Joseph as a carpenter, a man skilled in the shaping of wood. This is how he supported his family. He had expectations to meet, agreements to make, prices to set for his labour. Bent over his task, he would have taken pride in his work and perhaps prayed for the people who had commissioned it. Anyone who creates knows the bond that forms with the new creation. But then he had to let it go.
How does this aspect of Joseph's work speak to me? Do I take an honest pride in my work? Do I think to pray for those whose lives will be touched in some way by the work I do? Am I able to let go of my work and even give it to others to continue as they see fit?
O gracious God, thank you for the witness of Joseph as a workman. Help me to be like Joseph who valued the dignity of work. Give me the freedom to enjoy my work and to give it to others, if asked. Take under your care all those who have no work and keep hope alive in them.
Joseph, with Mary, must have made preparations for the birth of Jesus. But whatever plans they had were set aside in response to the edict to be registered in Bethlehem. Joseph surely did not expect Jesus' birth to take place in a stable. But he was a practical man and he did what he could. He accepted help from people he probably had never met. Then, as all families do, he welcomed guests to see the newborn child. Always, he attended to his primary responsibility: to care and protect Mary and Jesus in their new surroundings.
Have you ever made careful plans that, in a shot, needed to be changed? How does it feel when everything you have planned falls apart in front of your eyes? Does it take you a long time to adjust to the new reality? Often having a family means learning to trust God and letting go of your expectations.
O gracious God, help me to be like Joseph, who doesn't hesitate. He does what he must do for his family. He makes them first in his life. Help me to let go of expectations and to trust in you.
We learn from the bible that Joseph had dreams that guided his actions with Mary and the child. Joseph was attentive to his dreams. He set aside his own, possibly, hurt feelings, wed Mary and then took her to a place of safety when the time came to flee. He might not have totally understood the forces around him, but he had faith in Mary and in the inner voice that told him what he should do next.
Have you been attentive to the dreams in your own life? Have you followed the goals that called to you, or have you left them behind? Take the time now to remember an important vision you once had for yourself. Has it come to be, or is there still a part of that vision that you can bring into reality?
O gracious God, thank you for showing me through the story of Joseph how to learn from my dreams. Give me the courage to walk Joseph's road and follow the paths you have set out for me. Give me his faith!
Many influences in our lives come from the political dimension of society. Joseph was no stranger to political demands. Both his trip to Bethlehem and his flight into Egypt were the outcome of decrees or edicts on the part of a political ruler. These edicts were hard on Joseph and his family. But, in this way, God's will was expressed through the actions of political rulers. Today we are somewhat jaundiced about political life in general and politicians in particular. Yet the focus of our politicians is to ensure care for the structures of society through which the rights and privileges of individuals are protected.
Have you ever been in the position of refugee, in a situation of flight? What enabled you to move through it? What strength was given to you then? Take some time today to be grateful for the ways in which God has been with you in difficult moments, sustaining you.
O gracious God, thank you for the witness of Joseph in those times when he had to travel, even to flee for safety. Help me to remain faithful in times of difficulty, like Joseph. Protect refugees, find them safe places to live and countries that will fully accept them.
Through the Church's respect for Joseph and recognition of the different roles he had in life, we have such public names attached to him as Joseph the Worker, Patron of the Universal Church, Patron of Canada, etc. but one role that does not have a specific public name is that of Protector of the Child.
Respect for the child is a universal need today. From the scriptures we know that in becoming the spouse of Mary, Joseph became the protector of her as yet unborn child. We know he gathered the family together to flee to Egypt that the child might be safe. We know that Joseph observed the Jewish rituals of the time and, with Mary, took the child to the Temple to be publicly received into the believing community.
Take time today to reflect on your relationship to children. Are you a child-protector? Do you see the beauty and potential in the children you are responsible for or in children you encounter?
O gracious God, help me to be open to the goodness and innocence of children. Give me the grace to defend children from harm whenever I can, and to do all I can for the children in my life.
We know from the Scriptures that St. Joseph was aware of the gentlest murmurs of the Holy Spirit. Joseph had a way of accepting each grace as it came. He said his own "Yes" to God's desire for him in becoming the husband of Mary. That first "yes" included the role and implications of becoming the foster-father of Jesus. Each role had its own complexities: Mary was already pregnant with Jesus, who would be known throughout all of history as the Son of God. When Jesus was twelve, he stayed behind in the Temple without telling Joseph or Mary. When they found him, he was teaching in the Temple. Joseph trusted the movement of the Spirit and walked in faith.
As you reflect on your own life, are you aware of the times when you said "Yes" to a request and only afterwards realized all the other "yes" moments that would follow that initial affirmative response? What did you learn from your experience?
O gracious God, thank you for the trust with which you gifted Joseph. Grant me the grace that I may grow in Joseph's ability to know the Spirit's action in my life and that I may have the generosity to say "Yes" as he did.
Many people, events and circumstances have shaped us in becoming the persons we are today. We can only guess at such influence in the life of Joseph. But we do know that he was a caring man. We know he was a man who could trust in the face of mystery. We have only to reflect on the events at the birth of Jesus to realize that he could hold mystery in his heart and trust that it was of God.
How have the people, events and circumstances of your life influenced you and formed you? Have you been able to see these as expressions of mystery in your faith development, rather than as problems to be solved? Do you recognize the aspect of mystery in your relationship to God? It is lovely to see all of your life as mystery when you look beneath the outward happenings and ponder.
O gracious God, thank you for giving us Joseph who, in the circumstances of his life, showed us the way to look deeper into the occurrences of our lives where we can find your influence, your touch, your protection, your love for us. Grant that I may come to see in the ordinary events of my life Divine Mystery at work in me.
The picture we have of Joseph is a simple one. He was not a builder of great temples. He did not create structures that have lived through the centuries. He created a safe and loving space for his family. Through Joseph, Mary and the child had a home.
Sometimes we reflect on what we have done in life, and we conclude that it isn't all that much. We have not been "written up" in the papers. The world doesn't know our name. And yet, perhaps by our actions, we are contributing to great good. We are creating a safe space for our family and helping them grow up and to want to continue our tradition. We sometimes plant seeds for much good that is to follow us.
O gracious God, help me keep some perspective on the meaning of my life. Help me be like Joseph, who did not continually question every circumstance. Help me see the value of simply living a good life, day by day. Bring me to gratitude for all you have given me. Give me the strength I need to do what I can every day for your greater good.
Holy Saint Joseph, spouse of Mary!
Be mindful of us, pray for us, watch over us.
Guardian of the Child Jesus,
take our affairs, spiritual and temporal,
into your hands
and obtain for us
the grace to know
and lovingly to accomplish
the holy will of God.
O glorious Saint Joseph!
Hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
Amen.
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Last updated: January 15, 2010 -- 02:23:51 pm