Saint Joseph the Worker

Title

Working with God

Outline

Having you noticed how our culture has a divided set of values

On the one hand, we value material things and comfort, value them over the spiritual

On the other hand, we value people who actually produce material things the least

Our scriptures deny this bifurcation, and we see in St Joseph the unity

Our first reading presents God as the producer of creation and creator of human beings to maintain and extend it

God has found chaos and speaks his Word into it, first forming it and then filling it

In other words, God creates a balanced ecological unity

Then God creates the human beings to keep the world ordered as his viceroys (his image)

They rule or order the creatures

They multiply so as to rule over the whole earth (and in the next chapter, extend Eden)

They eat from the form (plants, possibly sea creatures) and order what fills the earth (but not what fills the skies)

And in Gen 2 there is the theme of communion with God, where the viceroy communes with the Great King and God

While sin has distorted this work and messed up the ecology, the human job and therefore the human fulfillment remains

Joseph, of course, built dwelling places for human beings and did other labor fulfilling the purpose of God, probably without thinking about it

Jesus unites this creational work with being the Word of God, the prophet

In other words, God again entered into the creational mandate

Jesus was despised for this: son of or (in Mark) a technos, a worker, part of a family that is fulfilling the multiplication side of the mandate

The workers were needed, but were to be silent in synagogue and listen to the rabbi. While every rabbi was supposed to have “a cleanly trade,” they did not expect to actually work at it.

Workers were tools of the upper classes; but Joseph was father of the Messiah, who never denied his worker origins

Today we celebrate Joseph the Worker

He silently did God’s will in the world - and, at least in his dreams, he communed with God

He headed God’s family, so to speak, completing David’s line (the multiplication mandate)

He worked at whatever job he could get for a living, providing for the needs of others as he did so (the ordering mandate)

But his Son, while identifying as a worker and never denying it, became (in the human sense) the creative Word of the new creation in which human beings work together with God and under God for the re-creation of the world

Think on these things

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings Saint Joseph the Worker

FIRST READING

Option A

Genesis 1:26–2:3

26 Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.

27 God created mankind in his image;

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and God said to them: 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 crawl on the earth. 29  God also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; 30 and to all the wild animals, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the earth, I give all the green plants for food. And so it happened. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.

CHAPTER 2

1 Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. 2 On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

OR

Option B

Colossians 3:14–15, 17, 23–24

14 And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.

17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

23 Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, 24 knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.

RESPONSE

Option A

Psalm 90:17b

17 May the favor of the Lord our God be ours.

Prosper the work of our hands!

Prosper the work of our hands!

OR

Option B

Text

PSALM

Psalm 90:2–4, 12–14, 16

2 Before the mountains were born,

the earth and the world brought forth,

from eternity to eternity you are God.

3 You turn humanity back into dust,

saying, “Return, you children of Adam!”

4 A thousand years in your eyes

are merely a day gone by,

Before a watch passes in the night,

12 Teach us to count our days aright,

that we may gain wisdom of heart.

13 Relent, O LORD! How long?

Have pity on your servants!

14 Fill us at daybreak with your mercy,

that all our days we may sing for joy.

16 Show your deeds to your servants,

your glory to their children.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

(Proper)

Psalm 68:20

20 Blessed be the Lord day by day,

God, our salvation, who carries us.

Selah

GOSPEL

(Proper)

Matthew 13:54–58

54 He 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? 55 Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56 Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” 57 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.” 58 And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings Saint Joseph the Worker

MAY 1 | OPTIONAL MEMORIAL

SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER

The Gospel for this memorial is proper.

YEARS 1 & 2 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Genesis 1:26–2:3 or Colossians 3:14–15, 17, 23–24

Response Psalm 90:17b or Text

Psalm Psalm 90:2–4, 12–14, 16

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 68:20 (Proper)

Gospel Matthew 13:54–58 (Proper)