Happy Feast of St Joseph The Worker…
Today’s Feast of St Joseph The Worker welcomes in the Month of Mary, so we have a double celebration to mark 1st May.
It’s good to take time out to reflect on the lives of our greatest saints, as we do from time to time on this blog.
St Joseph is one of the most powerful saints in Heaven: one of his titles is Protector of the Universal Church, so let’s unite in praying to him today for special graces for the Pope and Bishops, as we witness a worsening of the crisis afflicting the Church in our times.
Prayer intentions, especially for those who are struggling either to find work or to cope with their employment, are welcome on this thread. Also, feel free to share your favourite prayers, hymns and stories about this great saint. Tributes, too, to Our Lady, please, as we enter the Month of Mary.
St Joseph the Worker, pray for us … Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, pray for us.
Comments (33)
Saint Joseph seems to be the forgotten saint. He is also the patron of departing souls, alongside the title of Saint Joseph the worker.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE24AM152qY
Alongside this particular feast day, May the month of Mary, is also the month we could well be reminded of the family.
Thanks for that Theresa Rose
Perhaps we could all remember to pray for the repose of the soul of the teacher in Leeds, England, murdered at her place of employment, sadly, a Catholic school, and ask St Joseph the Worker to intercede for graces for the student who killed her.
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That is such a shocking case of the murder of a teacher in a Catholic school. It’s good to pray to St Joseph to help the young boy who murdered her. He’s supposedly a bright pupil but seems to have a dark side, going by his Facebook page and the picture of the Grim Reaper. He’s a senior pupil so it’s a pity this wasn’t picked up on earlier, especially this being a Catholic school. May Ann McGuire rest in peace.
Editor
I’m glad to see that you mention the young boy that has been charged.
This poor soul must be having problems that no one outside his family understands.
I feel they need our prayers even more so than the victim since they will be treated like lepers in the community in which they live.
Our Lady and St Joseph pray for them.
Theresa Rose,
That’s a really lovely novena prayer on the video. “The most loving father in all of history” is a description of St Joseph I never heard before yet it’s so obvious. I’ve started the “never fails” novena for a special intention this morning. Thank you so much for posting it.
I took St Joseph as my Patron on my recent confirmation. The reason I chose St Joseph was because of his unconditional love for Our Lord, his obedience to God’s will and his protection of the Holy Family. St Joseph should be a model for all men in terms of their family life, and if God wills that I should get married, I pray that he will grant me the same grace to love my wife unconditionally.
As for the Blessed Virgin Mary, I need not say much, but love and devotion to Mary is a must for all Christians, not just Catholics. I personally believe Catholic devotion to Mary is evidence of supernatural faith, as we should love the unblemished vessel that brought the Redeemer into the World, as much as we love Christ Himself. Marian devotion is also evidence of the truthfulness of Catholicism. When Mary recites the Magnificat and says: “henceforth all the generations will call me blessed”, I like the witty comment by Bishop Challoner, where he says “let us examine whether protestants entertain this prophecy”. For Bible believing Christians they sure don’t believe in the Bible.
That is a beautiful post, Catholic Convert, a really beautiful post.
God bless you Fidelis. I do my best. I come across as over-zealous sometimes, as Ed will vouchsafe, but really I’m a big ol’ softy.
Er… “over-zealous is one way of putting it !
I agree with the others, Catholic Convert, your post here is really edifying. Thank you for it.
I’m glad you took St Joseph as your Confirmation saint. He is such a powerful saint and “Joseph” is such a beautiful name.
Fidelis,
I agree. I found Catholic Convert’s comment of 10.36 am very edifying. In fact I’m finding this whole thread very edifying!
Happy Feast!
Happy Feast of St Joseph the Worker to everyone!
I’m glad this thread is also to mark the beginning of the month of Mary. I found this video of one of my favourite hymns to Our Lady which I thought I’d share. Unfortunately, it’s only one verse, but it is really lovely IMHO
I love the picture of Our Lady in the video, Josephine, and the hymn too! Thanks for posting it.
I always love these devotional threads. They are a welcome break from debating, although I love the debates as well and learn so much from them.
I wish that singer had sung the whole of “I’ll sing a hymn to Mary” as she has a beautiful voice.
Could I ask bloggers to pray to St Joseph the Worker today for a young relative of mine called John who needs to find a good job. He is also lapsed, so I’ll start the novena that never fails, from Theresa Rose’s video, to get him back to his faith. Then the job might follow.
Happy feast day to all CT bloggers!
MM, I love these devotional threads too!
I will join you in the novena to St. Joseph, for your relative. 🙂
A very happy Feast of St Joseph the Worker to all.
I’d be very glad of bloggers’ prayers for a close relative of mine, a niece, who is sitting exams right now and is very nervous. Her nerves let her down in exams before, so it is a big worry. If she doesn’t get her certs she won’t get to do the job she wants to do so I guess St Joseph the Worker is the best saint to invoke!
Nicky, praying for your niece. 🙂
I’m praying for your niece as well, Nicky.
Thanks Jobstears and Michaela and all who prayed for my niece to St Joseph the Worker. I greatly appreciate it.
Happy feast of St. Joseph everyone.
Here is just one of the beautiful thoughts Pere Binet offers in his excellent little book, “The Divine Favors Granted to St. Joseph”, ” Joseph, pure as crystal, and constantly exposed to the rays emanating from Jesus and Mary, was as if transformed into a most excellent copy of the celestial beauties of both”.
Jobstears,
Beautiful quote – I need to add that little book to my growing list of books I need to read, and soon!
Happy feast of St. Joseph!:)
Here’s my favorite hymn-
fryderykfranciszekchopin
That’s one of my favourite hymns as well, it is so beautiful. Thank you for posting it, because now I’ll be able to locate it when I want to spend “Month of Mary” time.
Happy Feast!
Chopin – superb!
Our Prior gave a brilliant sermon this morning at our school Mass, about St. Joseph and why he is called “The Worker.” He reminded us that God’s response to Adam’s sin in the Garden was: “…cursed is the earth in thy work; with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life.” He then exhorted the students to work and study, at school and at home, as St. Joseph did: with humility, with joy, in obedience, embracing all suffering willingly, without complaint.
My favourite Marian hymn:
I have had a devotion to St Joseph ever since I was 17 – and that wasn’t yesterday!! I was given the novena and started using it for a special intention and do you know what happened? Nothing. Or at least so I thought. Several weeks passed and then out of the blue my prayer was answered in the form of a letter. It plopped through my door on 19 March, St Joseph’s day. Ever since then I take every opportunity to promote St Joseph – hence my posting this now.
St Joseph, pray for us.
Laguna2002,
Well, if that doesn’t take the biscuit.
What the blankety blank did the letter SAY 😯 ?
Kidding!
I’ve just popped in to see who’s moving up the pay scale, since the devotional threads are notoriously – and un-edifyingly – unpopular with the bloggers here. So, all ye who have entered here at time of this writing, will find your pay has doubled when the next pay cheque/check arrives. Any chancers coming on now, MAY receive a Christmas bonus – a tiny one! I said “maybe” – just maybe…
Nicky,
I did mean to put in a reminder to pray for students sitting Highers right now in Scotland – I have two nieces who presented for Higher English today, so I told them that it was a very healthy sign that their exams begin on the Feast of St Joseph the Worker and end on the 13th, Feast of Our Lady of Fatima!
St Joseph, pray for them. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for them, for the grace to use all of their achievements for the greater glory of God.
Do I sound holy to you? Me neither 😥
PS thanks for all the prayers and hymns – I LOVE the videos.
As I need a pay rise….Happy Feast of St. Joseph to you all! I heard today on a political programme on BBC 2 around 12.30 pm that the origin of May Day being the day of workers originated with some union or other!!!! Not one of the panel knew that it is the feast day of St. Joseph the worker.
No chance! You’ve been lounging around all day and pop in here at 9pm looking for a pay rise – you gotta be kidding me 😀
Happy Feast!
A very happy Feast of St Joseph the Worker to you all. I am ashamed to be so late in the day marking this glorious saint’s feast.
Crofterlady, it’s not surprising that nobody on the political programme knew about this feast day, but it’s their loss.
“…Ward off from us, O most loving Father, all taint of error and corruption; graciously assist us from Heaven, O most powerful Protector, in our struggle with the powers of darkness; and as thou didst once rescue the Child Jesus from imminent peril to His life, so now defend the holy Church of God from the snares of here enemies and from all adversity.” – taken from the Prayer to Saint Joseph, recited after the Rosary
“Just as Mary, Mother of the Saviour, is spiritual mother of all Christians…Joseph looks on all Christians as having been confided to himself…He is the defender of the Holy Church, which is truly the House of God and the Kingdom of God on earth.” – Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Quamquam pluries
Never have the prayers and aid of the glorious patron of the Universal Church been more needed. We can be absolutely certain, at the same time, that our great Protector is close at hand.
“Some Saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron Saint Joseph has the power to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking.”- Saint Thomas Aquinas
It’s also worth recalling the words of Isidore of Isolanis, a pious Dominican of the 16th century, who prophesied that “the sound of victory” will be heard in the Church Militant “when the faithful recognize the sanctity of Saint Joseph”.
He continues: “The Lord will let His light shine, He will lift the veil, and great men will search out the interior gifts of God that are hidden in Saint Joseph; they will find in him priceless treasure, the like of which they had never found in other saints of the Old Testament, We are inclined to believe that toward the end of time God will overwhelm Saint Joseph with glorious honour. If in the past ages, during the storms of persecution, these honours could not be shown to Saint Joseph, we must conclude that they have been reserved for later times. At some future time the feast of Saint Joseph will be celebrated as one of the greatest of feasts. The Vicar of Christ, inspired by the Holy Spirit, will order this feast to be celebrated in the Universal Church.”
We should recall the testimony of Saint Teresa regarding the great efficacy of praying to Saint Joseph.
“Would that I could persuade all men to be devoted to this glorious Saint (Saint Joseph), for I know by long experience what blessings he can obtain for us from God. I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and honoured him by particular services who did not advance greatly in virtue: for he helps in a special way those souls who commend themselves to him.”-
Saint Teresa of Avila, Autobiography, VI, 11-12
Leo,
Many thanks for putting together all those marvellous quotes in one edifying post.
Hope you enjoyed the Feast.
God bless
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this Feast Day thread. All beautiful and edifying comments.
I’ve posted one of our own Catholic Truth videos on the website and thought I’d also post it here to mark the beginning of Our Lady’s month. My Great Niece is the singer but I spoil it by joining in the chorus, thinking it would make a little variation in volume. Disappointingly, my voice spoils it. My Great Niece is a properly trained singer so you can spot the difference without any problem. We actually did a re-recording with me notably and deliberately absent, but for technical reasons we’ve never managed to get it finished and online. Hopefully, we will do so by next May! So enjoy – but steel yourself for the chorus!
Again, thanks to everyone who participated in this tribute to St Joseph and Our Lady.
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