As I reflect on the feast of St Joseph the Worker on May 1, I am encouraged to write this reflection as I felt how timely it is that I too am going to celebrate my 1 year of working full time. There have been experiences and struggles that I went through in work but I won’t go in-depth into what I have been through but rather focus on what carried me through it, which was my faith.
Firstly, I thank God for giving me a job, a full-time job for that matter. Secondly, I thank Him for the daily opportunities given to me to challenge me to be a better person in my work. It is easy to fall into the norm of just doing the work in mundaneness but when we have a deeper purpose in work, then does the work bless and reward.
Quoting from Catholic Company, “God intended work to mature the varied gifts and talents He gave each of us, not just intellectually, but personally and spiritually. Work and its sacrifices should help us learn to respect authority. It should allow us to participate in something greater than ourselves. Daily work provides for growth in virtue and encourages us to gain mastery over our own weaknesses as we seek to conform ourselves to Him." St Joseph has been chosen to be the Patron of Workers because of the laborious work he had to do not only as a carpenter but as the Protector of the Blessed Virgin, Christ and Church. He teaches us that this work, no matter how ordinary it is, can be used to sanctify. This is also the spirit of Opus Dei whose founder is St Josemaria Escriva, a saint who has a great devotion to St Joseph, which you can read more about here.
Sanctification of Work
I’ve learnt that work is actually a privilege. It is an opportunity that God has given us to serve. In anything that we do, he gives us this chance, to do work—doesn’t even have to be religious/spiritual work, our simple ordinary work is already enough. We need to know that when we offer up our work, we offer it in a way where we thank God for giving us the work, we offer up our struggles with the work. And with this, it too gives us a chance to sanctify ourselves in a way where we know that this work may be hard, but we are offering it all up because we know it is for the greater glory of God—Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. Once we know this and acknowledge this meaning, then we can truly offer up our work intentionally and allow God to use it to sanctify our mere humble selves.
I've had many friends who ask me how I do manage to work full time and yet balance my faith, family, social and rest life, I guess all I can say it is through the grace of God. That if I truly depend on my faith and bring a deeper purpose to the work that I do, Faith abounds and God will take care of the rest.
St Joseph, has been a big help to me whenever I struggle with the demanding work in the hospital, and I only look for him for strength. May we ask St Joseph, to intercede for us as we face the difficulties. Ite Ad Ioseph!
St Joseph, Ora Pro Nobis.
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