“Joseph, her husband, being a just man.* * * was minded to put her away privately.” — Matt, 1: 19

St. Joseph, whose feast we celebrate to-day, is a dear Saint, who shows us by his example, how we all, and especially those of us who must labor constantly all our life, can work out our salvation. His sanctity cannot be doubted, for if he had not been holy in an eminent degree, God would not have chosen him to be the virgin-spouse of Mary, and foster-father of his Incarnate Son; neither would Holy Writ call him a just man, for only those are just, in the sense of the Sacred Scripture, who conscientiously observe the commandments of God and perseveringly walk in the path of virtue. But how did St. Joseph become a just man? Did he, perhaps, perform extraordinary works? Did he, like the Apostles, preach the Gospel? Did he work miracles? Did he die a martyr for the holy faith? No, the Gospel relates nothing of him in regard to such things; he was simply a tradesman who spent the greatest part of his life in the shop working hard to gain an honest livelihood for himself, and for Jesus and Mary. It was by work principally that Joseph became holy and secured his salvation. Thus, we also can become holy and be saved, if, according to the example of St. Joseph, as I shall show you to-day, we work,

I. With God, and
II. For God.

Part I

1. St. Joseph worked with God in the proper sense, because he worked with Jesus, his divine Foster-Son, and in His presence. Joseph lived under the same roof with Jesus at Nazareth, up to the time of his death. There can be no doubt that the Child often came into the shop, watched Joseph at his work, and when He became older He Himself assisted His foster-father. For this reason the Jews of Nazareth believed our divine Saviour to be the son of the carpenter Joseph. — Matt. 13: 35. We can easily imagine that Joseph, through reverence for Jesus, whom he knew to be the Son of God, worked with great diligence, preserved patience in all the hardships incident to his state of life and, in general, so conducted himself, that God looked down upon him with pleasure and rewarded his labors with heaven. Herein you must imitate St. Joseph. Although you do not see God with your corporal eyes, as Joseph saw Jesus, He is, as faith teaches you, invisibly present and sees all you do. You must, therefore, have God before your eyes in all your works, and remember His presence; this without doubt will be an effectual means of working diligently and of preserving patience. If the presence of an earthly employer banishes indolence and animates your zeal, will not this be done the more effectually if in all our employments and labors we vividly represent to ourselves the presence of God, the Lord of heaven and earth. How could a Christian be negligent in his occupations when he considers: God is near me, He sees all my actions, He desires me to work diligently. This thought is the strongest incentive to zeal in our vocation, and, as it were, the power that puts the wheels of our activity in motion. Therefore, God Himself said to Abraham : ” Walk before me, and be perfect.” — Gen. 17: 1. Because Abraham conscientiously complied with this commandment and always had God before his eyes, he fulfilled all his duties most zealously and was perfect in his conduct. In all your works and business transactions often think that God, your Lord and Father, is near you. Place yourselves in His presence, particularly when you are obliged to do some disagreeable and laborious work, say even then: God sees me, it is His will that I do this. Certainly this earnest representation of God will banish every temptation to indolence and impatience from your heart and urge you to perform all your works with zeal, patience and perseverance.

2. Because he united prayer with labor. ” Ora el labora.” Pray and work. There is no doubt that Joseph not only worked diligently, but that he also prayed with great fervor and constancy. How could the Gospel call him a just man, if he had been slothful in prayer? A man who will not hear of prayer is not just. The fact related of him in the Gospel that he annually went to Jerusalem at Easter to pray there in the temple leads us to infer that he loved prayer and consequently performed his daily devotions with great fervor and perfection. I imagine I can see him on his knees early in the morning, praying with ardent devotion, and frequently during the day raising his heart to God in pious ejaculations, and again in the evening casting himself on his knees to conclude the day with a devout evening prayer. Thus St. Joseph sanctified his work by prayer, drew God’s blessing upon it and rendered it meritorious for eternity. You also should unite your labors with prayer, for on prayer depends your success and the blessing you wish for your labors. He who believes himself able to accomplish everything by his own power and ingenuity, is greatly deceived, for ” unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” — Ps. 126: 1. Many Christians are zealous and active in their calling, they perform everything with prudence and circumspection and are busily occupied from morning till night. One would suppose that everything prospered with them; but such is not the case; on the contrary nothing succeeds, untoward circumstances frustrate all their labors and pains. Whence comes this ? Perhaps, from a neglect of prayer. They say no morning or evening prayers, they neglect to hear Mass on holydays, at their work they never raise their hearts to God, they do not value prayer much under any circumstances, and when pressed by the cares of business they find no time for it at all. Thus it happens that God withdraws His blessing from them, giving them an unmistakable proof that without Him they can do nothing. Do not act like these slothful, lukewarm Christians, but always unite your work with prayer. Say not only your morning and evening prayers, but frequently during your work raise your heart and mind to God and ask His blessing. If you have a task of importance before you, do not fail to recommend yourselves to the Lord in prayer that He may bless your undertaking and grant you a favorable issue. If you observe this rule, God’s blessing will never be wanting to you, and, what is more important still, He will look with favor upon your work and reward you hereafter in heaven.

3. Because he labored in the state of grace. As already mentioned, the Gospel says that Joseph was a just man; but justice in the sense of the Gospel excludes at least every mortal sin. Joseph, therefore, was free from every mortal sin, and it is also a pious belief that by a special grace of God he also preserved himself from every venial sin. Hence he always worked in the state of grace, for which reason God looked down upon his labors with pleasure, blessed them and rewarded them eternally in heaven. You should also be solicitous to perform all your labors in the state of grace. He who lives in the state of sin is an enemy of God and has every reason to fear that his undertakings will prove a failure. As an evidence of this see the history of Saul. When he had sinned and apostatized from God, prosperity and glory departed from him, and his end was one of misery. Add to this, that Christians who live in the state of sin need not expect the least reward hereafter for all their labors and exertions; they are separated from Christ, and resemble a branch severed from the vine, which can bring forth no fruit. How deplorable the state of such Christians! They labor early and late in the sweat of their brow, and never enjoy any comfort as long as they live. If they would walk in the fear of God and preserve their conscience at least free from mortal sins they would daily have opportunities of acquiring treasures for heaven; but spending, as they do, the years of their life in sin, they labor in vain, and whatever they accomplish is of no value for eternity. Their lot is a hard one in this world, but a sadder one awaits them hereafter; for unless they be thoroughly converted they will be delivered to eternal perdition. Guard, therefore, against every mortal sin, and if unfortunately you should commit one, make a sincere confession immediately in order to recover sanctifying grace, and thus enable yourselves to render your labors and concerns meritorious for heaven.

Part II

1. St. Joseph also gives us a beautiful example, teaching us to labor for God. As foster-father of Jesus, St. Joseph considered it his most important duty to take care of the Divine Infant, and to provide all that was necessary for His support. All his labors and pains were devoted to his divine Foster-Child. When he was busy in his shop from early morn till late at night, and as carpenter planed boards and performed all the labors incident to his trade, he did all for the love of Jesus; when he became fatigued at his work, and the sweat rolled down from his brow, he thought of Jesus, and said to himself: For the love of my Jesus. When he was obliged to perform perilous jobs, as is often the case with carpenters, he went to work with calmness and courage, because he labored for Jesus, and for love of Him feared no danger. We find St. Joseph in different places: in Bethlehem, where the divine Infant was born; in Egypt, whither he had to flee in order to place the Child beyond the reach of Herod; and finally at Nazareth, where Jesus grew into youth and manhood and remained to His thirtieth year. In all these places Joseph devoted himself to the fulfillment of his duties as foster-father of Jesus, everywhere laboring for Jesus his Lord and God.

2. We also must labor for God, for two reasons: (a) Because all works, even the best, which are not done for God, are without value in his sight. For this reason many Christians labor in vain; the sufferings and hardships which they undergo, do not merit for them the least reward hereafter. We find citizens, laborers and farmers who work hard in the shop and in the field from week to week: and why? Only to obtain a small earthly possession or temporal prosperity. We find servants who labor diligently; why? In order to please their employers, to be praised and rewarded. What shall we say of these and all other laborers who do not work for God? What benefit will accrue to them from all their pains and labors! At most a temporal, but in no case an eternal, gain. As a master will not pay wages to those servants who work not for him, but for some body else, so God will not reward those endeavors which one makes not for God, but from worldly motives. When such laborers appear before the judgment-seat of God they will hear to their terror and consternation that all they have done merits not the least reward. A noble descendant of the throne of Poland, who had labored long and zealously for the welfare of his country, but who in all those long years had done nothing for the honor of God or the salvation of his own soul, one night had a most remarkable dream. He seemed to be in a beautiful country peopled with a great number of heavenly spirits who were all writing very rapidly. He approached one of them and asked him what he was writing down so carefully. He replied: We are angels of God, and upon these leaves we write the merits of men. Whereupon the man hesitated not to ask, if he could see what was written upon his leaf. ” Certainly,” replied the angel, and searching among the many leaves he showed him the page which contained his merits. But what terror seized him when the whole leaf was almost entirely unwritten, when he had labored and toiled so long and zealously. “How is it possible,” he said, “that I have almost no merits for eternal life?” ” My friend,” replied the angel, “on these leaves, which form the book of life, nothing is written, except what men do for God and for love of Him.” This dream made a deep impression upon the man, and from that time he labored earnestly not for himself or for the world, but for God and the honor of His holy name.

(b) Oh, that the dream of this nobleman would produce the same effect in you. Never forget that only those works, which are done for God and for the love of Him, will be rewarded in eternity. How happy, therefore, will you be if in all your works you think of God and perform them for love of Him. Not the smallest action, however insignificant, will then be lost; each one will find its reward before the throne of the divine Judge. In heaven there are many Saints who belonged to a lowly state, and who during their whole life could do nothing great in the eyes of the world. St. Isidore was a farmer, St. Deodatus a shoemaker, St. Florus a mason, St. Onesius a servant, St. Nothburga a servant. How did these, and with them millions of others of low extraction, save their souls and become Saints? Chiefly, through the good intention with which they labored, it ennobled their most menial and insignificant works and rendered them meritorious before God. Here, then, is an easy way for you to labor with fruit; do all for God. “A good intention,” says a renowned spiritual writer, “is a heavenly alchemy by which iron is changed into gold, that is, by which the most insignificant and lowly actions, such as eating, sleeping, walking, working, are changed into the purest gold of holy love, which acquires for us the joys of heaven. Because so much depends on a good intention, the Saints were all intent upon it with the greatest zeal. St. Benedict, St. Ignatius, St. Magdalene of Pazzi. A pious hermit had the habit of standing still and looking up to heaven as often as he began a work. On being questioned, he said : ” I must take good aim, that I may not miss the mark.” For, as the hunter, before he shoots stands still and’ aims at the object, that he may not miss it, so before every work you must direct your thoughts to God and make Him the end of all your actions.

PERORATION

Take St. Joseph for your model, and like him work with God and for God. Work with God: in your occupations at home, in the shop, in the field, often think of God; guard against every mortal sin and pray fervently; especially begin and end your work every day with a devout prayer. Work for God, and have a good intention in whatever you do. Never begin to work in the morning without praying: “Lord, all that I do today, I do for the love of thee, for Thy honor.” Renew this intention frequently during the day, especially at the beginning of a new and important affair, that you may always preserve patience and bring everything to a good end. In the evening, before you retire to rest, offer all your labors and hardships to God and ask Him graciously to receive them in union with the merits of Christ. O how fruitful and blessed will your labor and toil thus be! God, with whom, and for whom you work, will look down upon you with pleasure; He will make your days happy here on earth and reward you hereafter with the everlasting joys of heaven. Amen.

 By Johann Evangelist Zollner, 1884