May 1. St Joseph the Worker.   Year of Joseph.    Workers’ Day SA.  Joseph Perelli,  proudly shared in his family group.   “My own family do know why I feel proud of my name and proud of my parents for giving me the name, Joseph.  I can say I feel proud of Pope Francis too for instituting a YEAR OF ST JOSEPH  (8 – 12 – 2020 to 8 -12-2021) and recognizing the importance of St Joseph as a model for both fathers and workers. Joseph was a foster-father and today we recognize that role and sometimes call it “social fathering.”  How often do we men put those two roles together?  They do give value and meaning to a man’s life.” 

At that time, Jesus, coming to his own country, taught in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?  Is not his mother called Mary?” Matthew 13:54-58. Pope Francis:   Extract from Patris Corde – With a father’s heart, 6.   Saint Joseph was a carpenter who earned an honest living to provide for his family. From him, Jesus learned the value, the dignity and the joy of what it means to eat bread that is the fruit of one’s own labour. In our own day there is a renewed need to appreciate the importance of dignified work, of which Saint Joseph is an exemplary patron.  Work is a means of participating in the work of salvation, an opportunity to hasten the coming of the Kingdom, to develop our talents and abilities, and to put them at the service of society and fraternal communion. It becomes an opportunity for the fulfilment not only of oneself, but also of that primary cell of society which is the family. A family without work is particularly vulnerable to difficulties, tensions, estrangement and even break-up. How can we speak of human dignity without working to ensure that everyone is able to earn a decent living? Working persons, whatever their job may be, are cooperating with God himself, and in some way become creators of the world around us. Saint Joseph’s work reminds us that God himself, in becoming man, did not disdain work.   St Joseph, labouring for the welfare of your family, Pray for us.

For an overview of the MAY theme go to. http://marfam.org.za/2021/05/01/family-year-planner-overview-april-may-june/