Thursday, May 1, 2008

Sister Nealis' St. Joseph the Worker.........May 1





Today we also celebrate the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. This feast day was instituted in 1955 in response to "May Day" celebrations for workers .




This is a holy card repeat. However I think it is most appropriate for this feast.

Good St. Joseph, teach us how to work with others with love.

8 comments:

Easter Almuena said...

Hello Dearest Micki,
How wonderful it is to be here!

Our dear Sweet St. Joseph! I love that card! I love the way St. Joseph bends his body and his head as he gets from Jesus one of the wheels to the wagon. I relish the moment when a parent bends to the eye level of the child to acknowledge the child's words. It is a precious moment when parent and child connect this way. That is what Joseph embodies here, a loving connection with Jesus when he was fathering him here on earth. Simply beautiful!

Thank you, dearest Micki! Hello to all! :-)

Anonymous said...

Hello, always-cheerful Easter A.!

The card says, "Ite ad Joseph." This is Latin for "Go (all of you) to Joseph."
For Christians, it is a reminder that St. Joseph will be a great intercessor. He is "Patron of the Universal Church."

I think that the phrase is adapted from Genesis 43:13, where the elderly patriarch Jacob (Israel) sends most of his twelve sons to Egypt for food, for a second time. Jacob says, "Go again to the man," not knowing that he is referring to his long-lost dear son, Joseph (who is now second to the pharoah in power and in charge of distribution of food).

John

Micki said...

Easter - You always make me smile. I love your image of bending down to our children's level. Unfortunately I'm at the
get me a ladder so I can look in their eyes stage. :-)

John - Yes, St. Teresa the Little Flower also told us to go to St. Joseph...he never fails to help. He is my favorite male saint... How interesting to think that those words go back to Jacob talking about Joseph in Egypt (one of my favorite musicals "Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors." Thanks again for keeping us informed.

Unknown said...

I know it is not very accurate for a good Jewish home of the era...

But this is my favorite piously-over-devotional image of the Greatest Foster Father & Christ for the simple fact it has the little dog looking on. I like to imagine the Christ Child having a dog (again, probably not realistic) as I think every boy should have a dog.

Anonymous said...

I came really close to posting this same favorite image yesterday also. I love the tenderness between St.
Joseph and Jesus. Mother Nealis caught a lot of details that may or may not have (but easily could have) been part of their experience.

Of course I love the dog. Surely pets were part of the family even then. The bird on the window sill is pretty neat. I also think it's just so much like a child to have one sandal sort of falling off His foot.

Thanks so much for posting this.
Kay

Anonymous said...

I loved this card when you posted it before, Micki. I love to see depictions of St Joseph teaching the child Jesus something of his earthly skills; and Jesus' pleasure and peace in interacting with the man who stood so well as His earthly Father. It's lovely. Thank You.
Best Regards, Lynneda

wendybirde said...

Hi Micki,

This has always been one of my favorite of your cards, and i'm so grateful youve shared it. Such warmth there, such a true fatherness...and it also shows the healing side of work too. There is just something SO healing about this image...and even more so about St Joseph : )

Peaceful Weekend, Wendy

Micki said...

To ALL posters - I'm running late and have too much to do so I'll leave a generic post, even though each and every one of you means so much to me.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. You are the source of encouragement. Blessings to you all.