Saint of the Day: St. Joseph the Worker

(First Century)

+ The commemoration of Saint Joseph the Worker was established in 1950 by Pope Pius XII as a Christian response to communist celebrations of “May Day.”

+ Pope Pius hoped that this special day, honoring the life of labor and service of Saint Joseph, would inspire Christian laborers to recognize the value and dignity that come through working to support families and communities.

+ Pope Saint John Paul II celebrated Saint Joseph’s service to Jesus and Mary in their home at Nazareth in his encyclical Redemptoris Custos (“The Guardian of the Redeemer”) and, in the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”) Pope Francis proclaimed a special “Year of St. Joseph” which was celebrated in 2021.

+ The Commemoration of Saint Joseph the Worker is also celebrated as Religious Brothers Day, a time to honor the contributions of religious brothers to the life of the Church. For centuries, Saint Joseph has been considered a patron saint of religious brothers and a model for their lives of humility and service.

For prayer and reflection

“It is good to think about the fact that Jesus himself worked and had learned this craft from Saint Joseph. Today, we should ask ourselves what we can do to recover the value of work; and what contribution we can make, as  Church, [to ensure] that work can be redeemed from the logic of mere profit and can be experienced as a fundamental right and duty of the person, which expresses and increases his or her dignity."—Pope Francis, General Audience of January 12, 2022

Spiritual bonus

On this day, the Church also honors the memory of Saint Peregrine Laziosi. This Servite priest is honored as the patron of those suffering from cancer. Saint Peregrine died in 1345 and was canonized in 1746.

Religious Life

To learn about the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker in Walton, Kentucky, visit: www.ssjw.org/

Prayer

O God, Creator of all things,
who laid down for the human race the law of work,
graciously grant
that by the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage
we may complete the works you set us to do
and attain the rewards you promise.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.