May 1 - St. Joseph the Worker
Very few saints have multiple feast days. The Church commemorates the feast of the Birth of John the Baptist, as well as the feast of his beheading. Our Lady has multiple feasts celebrating her various titles and apparitions. The main feast of St. Joseph is celebrated on March 19, yet we also celebrate him on May 1st. The feast of St. Joseph the Worker is a relatively recent addition to the Church’s liturgical calendar, instituted in 1955 by Pope Pius XII.
At the time, the world was still recovering from World War II. An iron curtain stretched across Europe, and communism, socialism, and fascism continued to leave their marks on the people of the world. May 1, for the communists, was “May Day,” a celebration of the proletariat and the working class. By instituting this feast, Pope Pius XII reminded the world of the true model of work - St. Joseph.
While we have no recorded words of St. Joseph, his actions provide a clear example of holiness. His obedience to the angel in marrying Our Lady, and then again during the flight into Egypt shows his humility. He worked as a carpenter, what we would today term a “blue-collar worker.” He taught Jesus this same craft and lived quietly with Mary and Jesus in Nazareth. Joseph’s fidelity, humility, and hard work serve as an excellent example for all workers. While Joseph is the patron of the universal Church, fathers, the dying, and social justice, on May 1, the Church celebrates his special care of workers.