Each year in many countries, people begin the month of May with a celebration of International Workers’ Day. This year, the festive mood will be dampened for all those who lost their jobs because of the pandemic. But it’s still possible for all of us to call on the protection of St. Joseph.
In 1955, St. Pius XII wished to dedicate May 1 to this saint, who had consecrated most of his life to humbly and lovingly working as a carpenter and fulfilling his role as a head of family, and offer him as a model for all those working or looking for work.
Here’s a prayer to St. Joseph composed by Fr. Yannick Bonnet (1933-2018). It will be very useful to all those looking for work or to all those who are currently worried about their professional prospects:
Blessed St. Joseph,
your task as a guardian of the Redeemer
and a protector of Virgin Mary
made you the head of the Holy Family
and the administrator of its material possessions.
Three times,
your obedience to God’s will
forced you to change the place of residence
losing contact with those providing
work for you.
Three times,
in Bethlehem, in Egypt and when you came back to Galilee,
you were forced to look for new construction projects
to exercise your trade as a carpenter.
St. Joseph,
you never lost your faith in God
and sought his help.
Today, I am also looking for work,
and I am calling on you,
as a powerful mediator who, with the help of your spouse,
will defend me before your Son,
to help me find a way to live off the fruits my work.
Teach me how to be active in my search,
open to new opportunities, honest in my relations,
reasonable in my demands,
determined in fulfilling all of my obligations.
St. Joseph of Good Hope,
pray for me, protect me, guide me
and keep my hopes up.
Amen.
Read more:
10 Ways being a dad can help you grow closer to God through the example of St. Joseph
Read more:
3 secrets to finding truly meaningful work
And today we celebrate...