GO TO JOSEPH
A Reflection on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker
Do you believe in coincidence? I don’t. I believe that coincidence is when God performs a miracle and chooses to remain anonymous. Others call coincidences “God-instances” or “God Winks.” This became clear to me, perhaps for the first time, in October of 1983.
In August of 1982 I was let go from Xerox Corporation, where I was employed for three years, when the division I worked for downsized. Like most people when they are laid off, I was angry but resolved. “I’ll show them,” I thought. “In a matter of weeks I’ll have a better job, with a better company, for a better salary!” It didn’t quite work out that way. And the weeks turned into months, and the months turned into over a year.
It was during that time that I developed a strong devotion to St. Joseph. Throughout my life, I had always been drawn to St. Joseph. I even felt sorry for him. To me, for such an important person in the life of Jesus and Mary, he was the forgotten saint. And although I had always admired St. Joseph, I never felt inspired to pray to him.
That changed as I endured the long months of unemployment. As today’s feast indicates, St. Joseph is the patron saint of workers, so what better saint to intercede, to plead my case, to God on my behalf. “Please, St. Joseph, PLEASE help my find a job. But more than a job, help me find a career . . . something that I would be good at . . . something which would allow me to use whatever talents God might have given me for his glory and in the service of his people.”
Every day, for literally hours on end, I prayed through the intercession of St. Joseph. Finally, after fourteen months, after sending out hundreds of resumes and receiving back only polite responses that “my resume would be kept on file,” (if even that) I decided I needed something . . . anything, to alleviate my boredom and depression. One of my neighbors was a teacher at St. Mary’s School in Wharton, NJ and I inquired of her if her school ever needed substitute teachers. She told me no, but she would but she would mention me to her principal.
A few days later, around noon, I got a call. It was my neighbor asking me if I was still interested in substituting. I responded, “YES! Is something available in your school?” She replied no, but that a friend of her principal, a member of the same religious order of sisters, was principal in another school and was in need of a long-term substitute for the seventh-grade. She apologized that she didn’t know the name of the school, but the name of the principal was Sister Mary Ripp and gave me her phone number.
Immediately . . . nervously . . . hopefully . . . anticipatingly . . . I called the number. A quick prayer to St. Joseph . . . One ring . . . Two rings . . . Three rings . . . Finally, a cheerful voice answered . . . “Hello, ST. JOSEPH’S. May I help you?”
Coincidence? Maybe. But not to me. St. Joseph had heard my prayer! . . . He had interceded for me! . . . He was calling me to himself! . . . My prayer was being answered!
Thus began my career as a Catholic educator.
GO TO JOSEPH! St. Joseph as been my “go to guy” ever since. He has, at times, demonstrated his love and presence in my life in dramatic and miraculous ways. And so, on this Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, I sing of Joseph! I sing songs of praise, of admiration, of love, of thanksgiving to him, the silent one, who spoke not a word in Scripture, but speaks volumes through his example, to him who proves “actions speak louder than words.”
Do you have a motto for your life? Here’s mine:
ALL FOR JESUS;
ALL THROUGH MARY;
ALL IN IMITATION OF JOSEPH!
This shall be my motto in life and in death.
