It was a wonderful image for the parish
as most of the people in the parish worked for the steel industry. They worked
in the many steel mills that ran long the rivers of Western Pennsylvania. It
was a blue collar town, a town of families, a town of workers. The ethic of family
life and working hard was a daily part of my world growing up. This is not to
say that I lived in “Camelot,” that everything was perfect and life for
everyone was wonderful. There were struggle, problems, heartaches and sadness
along with the joys, hopes and the good times of life. But St. Joseph the
Worker as the patron of the parish spoke to a simple vision of life that the
people of Port Vue and many other town tried to live out.
I returned to my hometown many years
later. The church building was still there and so was the statue of St. Joseph.
However, like in many places it was no
longer St. Joseph’s Parish; it had been merged with another parish in the area
and was now called St. Mark’s. The statue was in disrepair do to years of neglect,
much like my hometown which was now struggling because the steel industry was
long gone. It was still a blue collar town; it was still a town of families but
also a town struggling to find hope and a vision for the future. Perhaps more
than ever my home town needed St. Joseph’s spirit.
The feast we celebrate today honors the
spirit of St. Joseph, a simple man who in a quiet, yet strong way, responded to
God’s invitation. His skill as a worker and a father was not always honored or
valued as we hear in the Gospel reading today. Yet he lived on, he said “yes”
to God’s invitation. He lived his life with honor, hard work and love for those
around him. He was a blue collar worker, a family man, an ordinary person who
let God do extraordinary things with his life.
As a Church we sometimes let his image
fall into disrepair. He becomes an afterthought in a world of glitz and glamor
saints. Yet, St. Joseph will always remind us that everyone is created in the
image and likeness of God which makes each of us special and important to the
work of God in the world!
Daily Prayer: Loving God,
today we honor and remember Joseph, who by the work of his hands and the sweat
of his brow, supported Jesus and Mary, becoming an image of a loving father,
husband and faithful worker in your kingdom.
Teach us through St. Joseph’s spirit to
work as he did, with patience and perseverance, for you and for those whom you
have given us to support and love in our lives. Teach us to see in all workers,
Christ, that we may always be gracious and forgiving towards all.
Help us to look upon the work of life with
the eyes of faith and hope, so that we can recognize in it our share in your own
creative activity and Christ’s work of our redemption, and so find joy and
meaning in all the work we do.
When our work is satisfying and
productive, remind us to give you thanks. And when it is burdensome, teach us
to see beyond the struggles and hardships to the hope of a world made new that
our work through you can bring. In St. Joseph’s spirit make us workers for your
kingdom. Amen! (Adapted
from a Prayer to St. Joseph)
Runner’s Thought: Remember
running is not just conquering, hills, distance, weight, injury, illness or
pain. Running is most often conquering ourselves. We can try to do it alone but
it is so much easier when we let others journey with us and we are always at
our best when we run with God!
Happy Wednesday, “Hump Day,” everyone! I
hope your day has started out well, with a little sun and warmth. If not hang
in there and I will pray that it gets better! May has arrived so have the
colors and the pollen! For those of you suffering with runny noses, itchy eyes
and sneezing I am with you. I have never had spring allergies this bad in my
life. Thank goodness the Claritin has finally kicked in. Oh well, I guess I
should not complain life is good these days in many ways!
Many blessing today everyone, enjoy this
first day of May where ever you are and let all your work, all your labors, all
your ministry today be a gift to God, others and yourself. Peace in Christ’s
Passion and Hope in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul
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