Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker

May 1st is the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker.   Saint Joseph has two feast days on the liturgical calendar. His first feast day is March 19th, which is Saint Joseph, the Husband of Mary and his second feast day is May 1st, Saint Joseph the Worker.

Image: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: The Holy Family with a Bird, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955 to extend “the long relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers in both Catholic faith and devotion.”  The feast was also a response to “May Day” celebrations that were sponsored by the Communists.

For our family, Saint Joseph and both of his feast days are very important.  First, our little love is named after this great, silent Saint, who cared and watched over the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus and now watches over the Catholic Church. 

Saint Joseph was a carpenter by trade.  Before Jesus pursued His ministry as preacher and healer, he, too, was a carpenter and learned the trade from Saint Joseph. 

Image: Gerard van Honthorst: Childhood of Christ, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

"No worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by [the spirit] than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work,”  ~Pope Pius XII  ​

As a family of “workers”, we appreciate and look to Saint Joseph for holy inspiration and as a model “for the dignity of human work.”
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Below is a fun activity to celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker with the entire family;  bonus points for the fact that it will take less than 15 minutes and it involves prayer!

Image: Georges de La Tour: Joseph the Carpenter, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

​Celebrating Saint Joseph the Worker

This past March, 2018, I attended the Diocese of Providence’s 51st Annual Diocesan Faith Formation Convocation.  One of the workshops that I attended, Our Family Prays: Fostering Prayer in the Home, was presented by Mary Sellars Malloy, Senior Editor of RCL Benziger Publishing, LLC, a Roman Catholic book publishing house offering services and resources for Catholic parishes and schools.   Mary gave us a wonderful activity to celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker.

The activity is called “Saint Joseph’s Table.”
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After dinner, each member of the family is to bring an item that they use in their vocation and display it on the kitchen or dining room table.  Children may also be involved in this activity by bringing an item from school or even a favorite toy or game.   Stay-at-home parents may bring something like car keys, band-aids, a measuring cup, tissues, etc.  Young children may bring their favorite toy or stuffed animal.  For even younger children and babies, a parent can place an item on the table.  For a baby, a bottle, rattle, pacifier, etc. will work just fine.

Then, each family member will talk about how they use the “tool” in their work and how it helps them.  After each person is finished, one person will lead the family in The Litany of Saint Joseph.   This prayer can be said over the tools.  The family asks Saint Joseph for his intercession that God will always watch over and protect each member of the family and especially in their vocations.
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Click the link below to download the Litany of Saint Joseph.

Litany of Saint Joseph
File Size:	110 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Saint Joseph, pray for us!

​As always, thank you for reading.  God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always! 

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Image: Alonso Miguel de Tovar: San José y el Niño Jesús, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Sources:
“Litany of Saint Joseph.” EWTN, www.ewtn.com/devotionals/litanies/joseph.htm
“Catholic Community Service | RCL Benziger.” www.rclbenziger.com
Franciscan Media. “Saint Joseph the Worker.” 27 Apr. 2018, www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-joseph-the-worker

Images:
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: The Holy Family with a Bird, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
​Gerard van Honthorst: Childhood of Christ, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Georges de La Tour: Joseph the Carpenter, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Alonso Miguel de Tovar: San José y el Niño Jesús, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons