May 1st - St. Joseph the Worker
On May 1, 1955, Pope Pius XII granted a public audience to the Catholic
Association of Italian Workers, whose members had gathered in Saint
Peter's
Square to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their society. They were
solemnly renewing, in common, their promise of loyalty to the social
doctrine of the Church, and it was on that day that the Pope instituted
the
liturgical feast of May 1st, in honor of Saint Joseph the Worker. He
assured
his audience and the working people of the world: "You have beside you a
shepherd, a defender and a father" in Saint Joseph, the carpenter whom God
in His providence chose to be the virginal father of Jesus and the head of
the Holy Family. He is silent but has excellent hearing, and his
intercession is very powerful over the Heart of the Saviour.
We can conclude from the role for which Saint Joseph was chosen and named
by
Heaven that he was a man of tried virtue and consummate holiness. No other
mortal man would ever hold a higher office. Saint Joseph surpassed all the
Saints of the Old Law in sanctity; in him the virtue of his ancestors
reached its culmination and perfection. Like Abraham, he was a man of
faith
and obedience; like Isaac, one of prayer and vision; like Jacob, he was
patient and self-sacrificing; like Joseph of Egypt, his chastity was
inviolable. And like David, of whom he is the direct descendant, he is a
royal intercessor according to the heart of God. Ite ad Joseph - Go to
Joseph; to Joseph of Egypt, the pharaoh told the needy to go for
assistance
to receive the grain that would save their lives. To the new Joseph, the
just man to whom the Son of God Himself was subject as to a father, all
Christians can go with confidence, and he will see to their spiritual and
tem****al needs with paternal goodness.
Source: Heavenly Friends: a Saint for each Day, by Rosalie Marie Levy,
(Saint Paul Editions: Boston, 1958).
Saint Quote:
He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and
protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary,
Joseph's wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until
at
last God called him, saying 'Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy
of your Lord.'
-Saint Bernardine of Siena
Bible Quote:
If seven times in the day your brother sins against you, and seven times
in
the day turns back to you, saying, "I repent," forgive him. St. Luke 17:4
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This is the prayer to Saint Joseph, Patron of Workers
O glorious patriarch, Saint Joseph, humble and just craftsman
of Nazareth, you gave to all Christians, but particularly to us,
an example of a perfect life of assiduous work and of
admirable unity with Mary and Jesus. Help us in our daily
work so that we might find in it an effective means of
glorifying our Lord, of sanctifying ourselves and of being
useful to the society in which we live. Obtain for us from our
Lord, O beloved protector, humility and simplicity of heart,
attachment to work, benevolence towards those who work
with us, compliance with the divine will in the difficulties of this
life and joy in bearing them, consciousness of our specific
social mission and the sense of our social responsibility, a
spirit of discipline and prayer, docility and respect for our
superiors, fraternity towards our equals, sup****t in times of
stress, charity and indulgence for our dependents. Help us to
follow your example and to keep our sight fixed on Mary, our
Mother, your gentle wife, who wove silently in a corner of your
humble shop, smiling sweetly. May we never avert our eyes
from Jesus, who worked with you at your carpenter's bench,
so that we may in like manner lead peaceful and holy lives on
earth, the prelude to the eternally happy one which awaits us
in heaven for ever more. Amen.
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Prayer For the Spread of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Heavenly Father, increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son,
Jesus
Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We are obliged to adore Him, to give Him
thanks and to make reparation for sins. We need Your peace in our hearts
and
among nations. We need conversion from our sins and the mercy of Your
forgiveness. May we obtain this through prayer and our union with the
Eucharistic Lord. Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples to
give
them the love, courage, strength and willingness to respond to the
invitation to Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.
We beseech You to spread perpetual exposition of the Most Blessed
Sacrament
in parishes around the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament help us to spread the glory of Your
Son through perpetual exposition of the Holy Eucharist.
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