What did the carpenter, Joseph, have in his tool box that made him the chosen foster father of Jesus? On this Feast of St. Joseph, we honor him and draw inspiration from him.
As a builder, Joseph built a house to shelter the members of his family, but more importantly, as a husband and father, he created a home for his Holy Family to thrive in. Joseph had a profound faith in God and became a model of unshakable hope for his family and for us today. He filled his life with generous love and shared in the ups and downs of family life.
Think about your own family. What tools (characteristics) are necessary to create a loving and peace-filled home? What about in your work? Invite your family to talk about this. Let us know what you all come up with in the comment space below.
Let us close our time together with a simple prayer to St. Joseph:
St. Joseph,
Following your example,
teach us to love our own work.
May we welcome God’s Son into our homes
and wherever we find ourselves at work.
May we do our work with justice and honesty.
May we see a job well done
as an expression of our love for God.
May we take pride in what we do
through the power of God’s love.
For additional reading: The birth of Jesus, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24A and The boy
Jesus in the Temple, Luke 2:41 – 51A.
