Sunday: Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker Date: May 1, 2004 Year: B The readings: [Acts 9:31-42; Jn. 6:58, 6:60-9] The message: Loyal and honest to one another. Prepared by: CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY Total words: 1187 |
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Welcome my brothers and sisters in Christ to today's celebration of the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. Over and above the celebration of this Feast, we are celebrating another event that is called the "International Workers' Day." In its wisdom, the Holy Catholic Church deemed it proper to combine these two celebrations because in the person of Saint Joseph is found the holiness that all workers as employers and employees should strive to achieve in their Christian lives.
When we review the life of St. Joseph who was beyond any doubt a model worker worthy of imitating, we are left with no choice but to condemn many of the sinful practices that go on in today's work places.
During the past twenty to thirty years, we members of society have become more and more aware of the international abuses of employers towards their employees. I am sure that most of you have heard of countries that use child labour in the manufacturing of their goods. Others, although denying it, use slavery as their means of gaining wealth. Some foreign manufacturers employ underpaid women who are required to work extremely long hours, they barely making enough to support their hungry families.
Over and above this, there are the big companies from some wealthy nations that take advantage of the poor nations. They drain their resources. They close their eyes to the mistreatment of workers or the usage of child labour, as long as they are making a dollar. And let us not forget our own continent and its mean wealthy employers who pay minimum wages to its workers when it can afford to pay more. They place their personal comfort above all, closing their eyes to the poverty of their workers.
All of these practices result in ongoing work accidents, poverty, hunger, poor health, sickness and even death in some cases. The impact of such practices not only affects individual workers who may be the sole bread winner, but it also affects every member of their families.
Another area of abuse that we frequently hear of is when employers sexually harass their workers and situations where they expect sexual favours from them in return for compensation. And that is not restricted to men sexually harassing women. There are women in management positions who sexually harass their male workers. And there are male employers who sexually harass their male workers and female employers who sexually harass their female workers in order to satisfy their sexual deviancies.
When we consider the role of Saint Joseph as the God chosen head and protector of the Jewish holy family, we wonder how it is possible for some human beings to debase themselves to the extent that their worldly desires have overcome their spiritual obligations towards their God given families.
When God the Father entrusted the Infant Jesus to the care of St. Joseph, was it for the purpose of child labour? Certainly not! When God the Father entrusted the Virgin Mary to the care of St. Joseph, was it as a sexual object? Certainly not!
As a carpenter, Saint Joseph could have taken advantage of the free labour of Jesus as a child to increase the family production of goods which consequently would have increased their wealth. It is obvious that this did not happen because the Holy Bible tells us that Jesus was well educated in the Scriptures. While the Lord Jesus may have spent time with Saint Joseph to learn the worldly trade of carpentry, He also had to spend lost of time with His mother who taught Him the spiritual, the Mosaic Laws, as was the Jewish custom.
As the spouse of the Virgin Mary, where the two became one through marriage, Saint Joseph had the right to demand from his spouse the marital obligations to which he was entitled. But no, embracing a spiritual mind in obedience to the Divine Will of God, through self-control, Saint Joseph took it upon himself to preserve the virginity of the Mother of God. Because Saint Joseph embraced the praiseworthy virtue of chastity during his marriage to the Virgin Mary, the Lord God blessed him and elevated him among the most popular saints.
Until now, most of what has been said has been in condemnation of the unacceptable practices of employers in their workplaces. But what about the employees? Are they all beyond reproach?
Are the employees practicing all the desirable qualities that an employer expects of them? Surely, loyalty and honesty stand in the forefront. An employer who pays the wages of his employees, does he not expect his employees to respect him versus bickering at everything all the time? Does he not expect them to work as a team versus causing division within the workplace? Does he not expect in the manufacturing of goods that his workers will produce quality versus defective material? And does he not expect his workers to give a day's work for a day's pay?
On the subject of honesty, does the employer not expect his employees to be honest? How often do we hear of someone helping himself freely to small little objects such as the company's pencils and pens? Do they not know that taking a pencil from the workplace without permission from the business owner is theft? The employer has to disburse money to replace this item! And what about when it comes to dealing with customers? Do the workers attend to the customers with integrity?
And let us not forget the sick leaves and the coffee breaks. How many employees advise their workplace that they will not report for work because they are sick when in reality, they are not sick, but they wish to use up their sick leaves? Is this not the abuse of a privilege provided by the employer? Do the employees stretch their 15 minute coffee breaks to 30 minutes? Are these practices, of abusing sick leaves and coffee breaks, not stealing from the employer when one is being paid for time that has not been worked?
The message in what has been said until now is that if we remain faithful to the fruit of the Holy Spirit, [Gal. 5:22-3] God rewards us for our faithfulness. God is pleased with those who have the Spirit of love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. God takes no pleasure in punishing those who are selfish, those who abuse or neglect their rights as employers or employees.
As Christians, we have an obligation to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ as true brothers and sisters. God did not create us in this world to be tyrants or thieves. He created us to love one another as Jesus loved us, to support one another, to encourage one another and to spiritually grow together. Then, one day, we will all rejoice in the eternal Kingdom of joy and peace that awaits all the faithful children of the Lord.
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The readings...
[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]
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First Reading...
Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
Now as Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!’ And immediately he got up. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord." [Acts 9:31-42]
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Gospel Reading...
This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.’
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’ Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’" [Jn. 6:58, 60-9]
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