A COLLECTION OF RESPONSES FROM THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

PARISH IN CAMPBELLFORD WHEN ASKED WHAT CAME TO MIND WHEN THE TITLE:

 

“JOSEPH THE WORKER”

  • an ordinary family – the father works hard to make a decent living – when Jesus grows up, he learns the trade as a wood worker from his dad

  • honesty – dedicated – helpful – selfless giving of self to others – loving father

  • diligent – caring contributor – role model – the “just Man” – industrious – the example to follow

  • provides for Mary and our Lord during their journey through life

  • a carpenter and kept his family safe – he saved our Lord

  • good man – honest – spiritual father – family leader

  • strong – skilled – compassionate – patient – stability – consistent – insightful – reliable – resilient – protector – provider

  • hardworking – perseverance – patience – obedience

  • father of Jesus – hardworking

  • humility – serenity – calm – foster father of Jesus

  • provider for the Holy Family - Jesus’ model for hard, physical, and honest work – holy foster father of Jesus

  • loved people with passion – honesty – hard worker – caring for other people – great teacher

  • self-sacrificing, patient – strong – worked hard – prayed hard – did not shy away from the hard tasks

  • strength + perseverance

  • helped Mary give birth to Jesus – walk with Mary to go all the way to Jerusalem

  • an honourable man – protector, honest – dedicated the basic truths

  • dedicated husband and father – an inspiration

  • humble – hardworking – supportive – steadfast

  • repairing items in his workshop to support his family

  • unselfish – caring father – supported his family through hard work – dedicated to his family

  • carpenter – provider - helpful – a kind soul

  • builder – protector of Jesus – carpenter – Blessed Mary’s husband – a man of God

  • a carpenter - he worked for his family and cares for all us workers

  • our family tradition of including Joseph in the boy’s names

  • not all workers are physical – most work is supervised, and the work is learned and “passed on” to share and learn in future generations

  • quiet - respectful – obedient – unquestioning – our Lord’s earthly father

  • patron saint of hard-working people – should be a role model for all trades people, farmers and of all the world – his humility, and trust in the Lord without question should be one to look up to and follow in our daily lives

  • quiet – diligent – committed – respect for self and others - used God’s gifts passed these things on to Jesus

  • always there – working with his hands and his mind to help his blessed wife and child in all ways

  • working with the child Jesus and teaching Jesus his trade – a kind and loving father and husband

  • must have “worked “, at being a father to Jesus

  • a carpenter by trade but being the foster father of Jesus was a complete change for him and he accepted – thank you St. Joseph

  • builder of families – love – protection – security

  • a good heart – worked hard with an open heart to accept God’s grace, blessings, and commands – a good follower of God

  • custom builder- family man

  • sacrificing – hard worker - provider – man of the people and among the people – forgotten

  • dedicated – trustworthy – honest - reliable – caring

  • a loving servant of God – he listened and was blessed to with Jesus to love and protect him – a loving stepfather, and husband

  • earthly father of peace

  • he is working hard to heal family relationships – is being call upon for a peaceful death

  • a good man – a good father to Jesus – a good husband to Mary

  • a good saint – a good family man

  • carpentry and how he passed his trade to Jesus as both a father and a worker

  • advocates in family matters – provider – concerned for the well-being of his family – human – understands our everyday worries with respect to job, finance, and development – mature

  • loving foster father – taught our Lord how to work and that work is important and beautiful

  • represents those of us who are working “behind the scenes” and make things happen in the church without getting the main spotlight and was happy not to get the spotlight, as we are happy not to get it!

  • earthly spouse of Mary – part of the plan to bring Jesus to earth

  • strong work ethic – available to the average working person – responds to our concerns with empathy and understanding

  • caring for Mary - watching Mary raise Jesus while he provided for them

  • carpenter – wonderful husband – loved Jesus – loves us – helps us in every way he can

  • carpenter of the soul

  • all for the glory of God – humble – contributing to community – hard working – creative – strong – supported his family

  • kind – calm – humble supported his family

  • help mold Jesus into a man from a child

  • patient – hard work

  • my aid a labourer

  • working to build + protect the church – look after others – help them praise God

  • fatherhood – seek spiritual advice

  • understanding – kind – an inspiration to step-parents – humble servant of God

  • patience – teachers – provider – used his hands to create/build

  • hard worker - a father who looks after all the needs of his family – spiritual – physical – emotional – one who never stops giving/doing

  • a saint beyond saints

  • gave selflessly to his work for God – said yes to becoming Jesus’ step-father even though he would be open to ridicule – work of a parent is tireless and never ending – we are all asked to do God’s work – yet sometimes we “miss” the request, but He always forgives

  • like any dad: always busy

  • smiling – soft spoken guidance – strong arms for lifting – soft voice for correcting – always respectful

  • a model of a conscientious, hard, working man who supported his family with the work of his hands 

  • a supporter

  • morally strong – listened to and followed the Word of God – an example to Jesus and us of dedication to his craft, his wife, his son

  • a very blessed man in God’s eyes