Spiritual Communion – St Joseph the Worker
There are times when people are unable to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, through illness or due to their personal disposition. Even though some may not receive ‘sacramental’ Communion, all are united in some way by the Holy Spirit. The traditional idea of ‘spiritual’ Communion is an important one to remember and reaffirm. A deep spiritual communion is possible even when we do not share together the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. (cf. Celebrating the Mass 212)
Glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labour,
obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my many sins; to work with thankfulness and joy,
considering it an honour to employ and develop, by means of labour, the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, prudence and patience, never surrendering to weariness or difficulties; to work, above all, with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, having always death before my eyes
and the account which I must render of time lost, of talents wasted,
of good omitted, of vain complacency in success so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all after thy example,
O Patriarch Joseph. Such shall be my motto in life and death. Amen.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (13:54-58)
Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
The Gospel of the Lord
Joseph, by the work of your hands
and the sweat of your brow,
you supported Jesus and Mary,
and had the Son of God as your fellow worker.
Teach me to work as you did,
with patience and perseverance, for God and
for those whom God has given me to support.
Teach me to see in my fellow workers
the Christ who desires to be in them,
that I may always be charitable and forbearing
towards all.
Grant me to look upon work
with the eyes of faith,
so that I shall recognize in it
my share in God’s own creative activity
and in Christ’s work of our redemption,
and so take pride in it.
When it is pleasant and productive,
remind me to give thanks to God for it.
And when it is burdensome,
teach me to offer it to God,
in reparation for my sins
and the sins of the world.
Let us praise Christ the Lord, as we celebrate the memory of Saint Joseph.
In Praise of Saint Joseph
Joseph, patron saint of workers,
blending skill with charity,
silent carpenter, we praise you!
Joining work with honesty,
you taught Christ with joy to labour,
sharing his nobility.
Joseph, close to Christ and Mary,
lived with them in poverty,
shared with them their home and labour,
worked with noble dignity.
May we seek God’s will as you did,
leader of his family!
Joseph, inspiration for workers,
man of faith and charity,
make us honest, humble, faithful,
strong with Christ’s true liberty,
Make our labour and our leisure fruitful to eternity!
Prayer
Good Saint Joseph, ever watchful guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ, keep us free from the blight of error and corruption, and be our ally in the conflict with the powers of darkness. As of old you rescued the child Jesus from the plots of Herod, so now defend the universal Church from all harm. Keep us one and all under your continual protection, so that by your help and example, we may lead a holy life, die a happy death, and come to possess eternal life in heaven. Amen.
My Jesus,
I believe that you are present in this Holy Sacrament of the altar.
I love you above all things
and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
come spiritually into my soul
so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.
based on a prayer of St Alphonsus Liguori
At the Saviour’s command
and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.