St Joseph the Worker – the foster father of Jesus

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Good morning. And happy May Day! This is traditionally a day dedicated to workers, in which we give thanks for the hard toil of those whose work – though often unseen – makes our world a better place, and enhances our lives. In the Christian tradition, today is the Feastday of St. Joseph the Worker – the foster father of Jesus. St. Joseph has frequently been depicted in art and history as a carpenter, patiently working with his hands to carve things of immense beauty. The Greek word, used in the New Testament is tekton, which we usually translate in our English bibles as a carpenter. But the scholars tell us that a better translation, might be as an artisan. I was never any good at woodwork when I was at school. I would marvel as other students would make coffee tables, chess boards, houses for their dogs, and other useful works. All I could ever seem to manage at the plane and the lathe, was a few wonky keyrings – which I still have. I wonder how many of those coffee tables are still standing? We live in a time when the future of work is uncertain. Economic challenges bring fear of unemployment, but the growth of Artificial Intelligence – AI – with confident predictions that we will all be replaced by robots one day, brings with it fresh anxiety. The artisans of old, like St. Joseph, put their intelligence at the service of others – crafting beautiful items, for people to enjoy. This morning I pray that intelligence – whether that of my fellow men and women, or Artificial Intelligence – will be at the service of the common good, and our whole human family. Amen.