Love Your Work

St Joseph the Worker 

01 May 2019

First reading                                                                       Genesis 1:26-2:3
God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth." God also said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food." And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, God rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation. 
Gospel                                                                     Matthew 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

"Love your work", an aunt once advised me. True, one has to love what they are doing. From that love, loyalty and passion to one's job follow suit. One's quality of work reflects how much love the worker puts into it.

But where does this love come from? Perhaps it's the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile. Perhaps it's the benefits the job could offer for the worker and their family. For me, love for one's work comes from God who, in the Book of Genesis, entrusted the care of the earth to us. 

St Joseph was fully aware that his work as a carpenter was his way of caring for the earth. His love for his work became much deeper when God entrusted to his care someone dearer than the earth: Jesus, God's only begotten son. 

Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet once wrote: "Picture yourselves a poor artisan. His hands are his only inheritance. He has no wealth beyond his workshop, no income beyond what his labour provides. He is forced to go to Egypt and to suffer a troublesome exile, and why? Because he has Jesus Christ with him. Does he complain about this difficult Child, who tears him away from his homeland and brings torment upon him? On the contrary, he counts himself happy to suffer in his company; all that troubles him is the peril of the divine Infant, more dear to him than his own life."

As we celebrate the feast of St Joseph the Worker, let us ask him to help us put on love in whatever work we are engaged in. Having put on that love, may we be inspired to work for the good of our family who, more often than not, we consider more dear to us than our own life. Above all, if we put on that love, we will be working for the Lord.

Prayer

Loving Father, we thank You for entrusting the care of the world to us through the gift of work. Through the example and prayer of St Joseph, may we always give ourselves generously for Your glory and in the service of Your people. Amen.

St Joseph, Patron of Workers, pray for us.