Dcn. Tom McClelland's Homily:
        Tuesday, 4th Week of Easter, May 1, 2007

Saint Joseph the Worker.  It seems only a short while ago (on March 20^th this year) that we celebrated the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary.  But Joseph is the faithful father figure in the Holy Family, and it is entirely fitting that we venerate him a second time each year.  So my homily today will be entirely on him.

The first thing we Christians must recognize about Saint Joseph is that he was a man of huge faith — incredible faith.  Sacred Scripture says very little about him.  In fact, the Bible does not contain even one word that he spoke.  And yet, even without words, we see the depth of his faith, his greatness, because he listened to and acted on the words of the Living God.  He listened in silence and acted in obedience.  And his heart was constantly ready to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God.  His faith is evident in the way he responded perfectly to God — for example, in accepting Mary as his wife even though her unborn child was not his child, and again, upon God's direction, in leaving Bethlehem in the dark of night for Egypt, after the Magi's visit, to protect the child from Herod.

Joseph was chosen by our eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of His greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph's wife.  Joseph had to be a provider, a diligent worker, a loving and caring husband and foster father.  He was the male role model for Jesus.

If you had to say which man spent the greatest amount of time with Jesus during his lifetime, who would you guess?  One of the apostles?  No!  Jesus' public ministry, during which he selected his apostles, was no longer than three years, maybe less, so the apostles were with him no more than three years.  In Luke's gospel, on the other hand, it says that Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover when he was twelve.  So that means that Joseph was the earthly father to Jesus for at least four times longer than any of the apostles knew him.  And Joseph was father to Jesus during Jesus' formative years, when he lived and ate and no doubt played and worked with Mary and Joseph.

Joseph was clearly a man chosen and set apart by God.  Through him and under him, Christ was fittingly and honorably introduced into the world and the hubbub of Mediterranean men.  Second only to the Blessed Virgin Mary, we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph.  He carried out his vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: "Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord."

For those of us who have completed our Bible Timeline scripture study, we can easily see that it is in Joseph that the Old Testament finds it's fitting end.  Joseph brought the noble line of patriarchs and prophets to its promised fulfillment.  What God himself had promised to King David and to Isaiah and the others, Joseph held in his arms.  It is precisely for this reason that our first reading today is the creation story in Genesis — to stretch our minds to understand that from the beginning of time God is our Father and creator of all.  We are made in his image and likeness, to love and serve him and each other.  When Adam and Eve got off the track, God did not abandon mankind but put in place a plan for our salvation, and that plan led to Jesus through Mary and Joseph.  How could we not venerate such a noble saint?

For 2000 years, we have recognized Joseph as a worker and dependable provider for Mary and Jesus.  He is the patron saint of many current occupations, including: bursars, cabinetmakers, carpenters, confectioners, craftsmen, engineers, laborers, pioneers, wheelwrights, and all working people in general.  It is because of this nature of Joseph (that is, his occupation) that the people of Nazareth in today's gospel reading identify Jesus as "the carpenter's son."  Part of a man's identity, I think, is expressed by what he does, especially if he is good at it.  He is a farmer, a truck driver, a policeman, or a fisherman.  I've heard several men in Saint Ignace say that a certain relative or friend was a "fireman on the Chief."

Joseph was a carpenter.  He was faithful to God's word.  He had a singular, unique role in salvation history.  He should be one of our most favorite saints, and we should pray to him often.

I would like to conclude by sharing with you now this prayer to Saint Joseph:

Glorious Saint Joseph, you are the pattern for all men and women who work.  Obtain for us, please, the grace to work conscientiously and to put devotion to duty before our selfish inclinations.  Help us to labor in thankfulness and joy, for it is an honor to employ and to develop by our labor the gifts we have received from almighty God.  Grant that we may work in orderliness, peace, moderation, and patience without shrinking from weariness and difficulties.  We offer our fatigue and perplexities as reparation for sin.  We shall work, above all, with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before our eyes the hour of death and the accounting which we must then render of time ill-spent, of talents unemployed, of good undone, and of empty pride in success, which is so fatal to the work of God.  For Jesus, through Mary, may all our actions be in imitation of you, good Saint Joseph.  Amen.