Today the Church celebrates St. Joseph the Worker. Outside the US, many countries today celebrate Labor Day. St Joseph was hand-picked by God to teach Jesus how to work. There was so much Jesus learned from his father Joseph. So much of Jesus’ character and mannerisms came from Joseph. And the virtues that came along with it: intense hard work, customer relations, honesty, patience, kindness, savviness, etc. In the carpenter’s workshop is where our redemption took shape. Each splinter Jesus would get (as undoubtedly he would receive many throughout the course of his work) played a part in our salvation. How everything Jesus did was done with infinite Love!
We too can learn to offer up our work with great Love of God throughout the day. Let us ask St. Joseph to teach us how to work daily in the presence of Jesus as he lovingly did: intensely, honestly, patiently, kindly, etc, in the “splinters” throughout the day.
