Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Kit Ramirez SVD – Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City
Feast of Saint Joseph, the Worker – May 1
Image source : Wikimedia Commons
Introduction
For many of us from Tagbilaran City, returning home on May 1 for the town fiesta is more than just a celebration. It is an experience of reunion, of going back to our roots, to the primal references of our growth as persons. This perspective also helps us see our Patron, St. Joseph the Worker, in a fuller light — not merely as a symbol of labor, but as one who worked faithfully to provide for his family.
St. Joseph the Worker
May 1 is often reduced to a secular celebration of workers. Yet the Church’s intent is deeper: to help us see work in the context of relationship, especially within the family. Separated from the Holy Family, St. Joseph loses his meaning. But as the guardian of Jesus and Mary, he becomes the patron of laborers precisely because he reminds us that dignity in work is inseparable from responsibility to family and community.
Jesus and the Return to Roots
This realization helps us understand why Jesus often brings us back to where we started. Even if “no prophet is accepted in his native place” (Luke 4:24), the Incarnation teaches us that the transcendent is rooted in the immanent. The simplest way to grasp life’s complexities is to return to the beginning, to its seed form. That is why after the Resurrection, Jesus told the woman to instruct His disciples to meet Him in Galilee — back to the place where it all began.
Faith as Light
The beginning is where we first opened our eyes and saw the light of day. Faith is precisely this: allowing the light of God’s Word to enter us, so that His light enables us to see the meaning of everything from His perspective.
Conclusion
St. Joseph the Worker reminds us that work is not just about productivity, but about fidelity to relationships. Jesus reminds us that to understand life, we must return to the beginning, to the light of faith.
“Lord, help me to remain rooted in You, to see life from Your perspective, and to work faithfully in love.”
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