St. Joseph and The Meaning of Work

Unlike the US, many countries celebrate Labor Day (or the Workers’ Day) on May 1. The Catholic Church, too, designated May 1 as the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker. In St. Joseph, the Church sees someone whose work was centered on serving the Lord, the family, and the community. He is a model of worker that we call can imitate.

Glorious St. Joseph,
model of all those who are devoted to labor,
obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously,
putting the call of duty above my many sins ...

So begins the beautiful prayer to St. Joseph the Worker by Pope Pius X. In just a few short verses, the prayer gracefully sums up what the Catholic Church teaches about work using St. Joseph as a model.

In St. Joseph, we see a perfect example of someone who integrates faith, family, and work. One of St. Joseph’s titles is Filii Dei Nutricie, meaning “Nurturer of the Son of God.” As the head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph was responsible to provide for Jesus’ and Mary’s daily needs, and he did that by working dutifully and diligently throughout his life.

to work with thankfulness and joy,
considering it an honor to employ and develop,
by means of labor,
the gifts received from God;

St. Joseph understood that work was a gift from God (Genesis 2:15). Holy work allows us to honor our talents and energies (which are free gifts from God) and use them to make positive contributions to our community.

This Christian meaning of work was under attack in the mid-20^th century as communism spread all over the world like a wildfire. In the mid-19^th century, May 1 (or May Day) used to be a secular holiday to celebrate the return of spring, but gradually it became associated with the labor movement. The Soviet Union and the other communist countries then embraced it, staging big parades on May Day to show off the “glories” of Communism.

To counter the influence of communism and its atheistic ideals that separated work from faith, Pope Pius XII established May 1 as the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955. His action built upon those of his predecessors. Earlier, Popes Leo XIII, Pius X, and Benedict XV had pointed to St. Joseph as the Church’s “labor leader.” Pope Pius X also approved of the Litany of St. Joseph in 1909, and Pope Pius XI proclaimed St. Joseph the patron against atheistic communism in 1937.

to work with order,
peace, prudence and patience,
never surrendering to weariness or difficulties;

Pope John Paul II called St. Joseph “a just man, a tireless worker, the upright guardian of those entrusted to his care.” As an ordinary craftsman in the poor little town of Nazareth, St. Joseph certainly worked hard and had his share of hardship. Nevertheless, he found the balance necessary to engage in holy work. He wasn’t a workaholic; he gave proper time for God, family, and rest, and under his care, Jesus increased in wisdom and knowledge (Luke 2:52).

to work, above all,
with purity of intention,
and with detachment from self,
having always death before my eyes
and the account which I must render of time lost,
of talents wasted,
of good omitted,
of vain complacency in success,
so fatal to the work of God.

St. Joseph’s work was centered on God and service; this purity of intention is crucial in separating distracting busyness from intentional work. He worked to serve Jesus and to produce useful things for his fellow citizens. His action reminds us that as we work, we become God’s co-creators and fellow laborers in the work to build His kingdom. Whether through brain work or manual labor, we ought to use our talents to the best of our abilities and “work heartily for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).

Glorious St. Joseph,
may my labors be all for Jesus,
all through Mary,
and all after thy example.

“St. Joseph was an ordinary man on whom God relied on to do great things,” said St. Josemaria Escriva. We can be, too, if we follow his holy example in life and work. St. Joseph, model of workmen, pray for us!

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This article was originally published on the website and bulletin of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Frisco, TX on April 27, 2021. It is reprinted here with permission.

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References:

1. Pronechen, J. (2018, May 1). St. Joseph the Worker on May 1 and Every Day. National Catholic Register.
2. Compass Catholic Ministries. (2017, June 16). Work is More Than A Job.
3. Kosloski, P. (2017, May 1). Why is There A Feast for St Joseph the Worker? Aleteia.
4. Pope Francis. (2013, May 1). Pope Francis Celebrates St. Joseph. Saint Joseph Parish in San Antonio, TX.