Friday of the 4th Week of Eastertide

John 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am
you may be too.
You know the way to the place where I am going.’

Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said:

‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.

No one can come to the Father except through me.’

Today we are past the halfway mark of our journey to Pentecost and the Gospel is very much focused on how the apostles should deal with the time after Jesus’ death on the cross.

Jesus knows what is about to happen, and knows how hard it will be for his disciples. But he also has complete trust in the Father and knows that after death comes victory.

Unlike the disciples we know how the passion ends, but we too need to be reminded that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. We come to that place by knowing Jesus – by listening to his voice and by living our lives as He has told us and through that coming to truly know our Heavenly Father.

It can be a scary journey though. We live in a world beset by troubles, by evil, by war and violence. Often perpetrated by people who claim to know God and be following his wishes.

Pope Leo, quoting scripture, reminds us that God does not hear the prayers of those whose hands are covered in blood. Indeed, Jesus calls us to love and forgive, to pray for those who curse us. This is the mission we inherit from the apostles who faced great danger from the authorities of their day.

Let us trust in God, trust in Jesus and come to our home with the Father by living our lives as Christians should, showing the world a path of peace and love.

St Joseph the Worker

Matthew 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offence at him. But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honour except in his native place
and in his own house."
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.

Today is the feast day of St Joseph the worker, recognising the important role St Joseph played in Jesus’ life, and also his role as patron Saint of workers.

St Joseph is mentioned relatively rarely in the bible. We know that he was married to Mary and that he was a carpenter, but we don’t know much more than that. We don’t know how old he was or when he died.

Joseph was certainly Jesus’ earthly father and Jesus was known as his son to people who knew the family.

Joseph stepped up in a remarkable way, keeping Mary as his wife when she was found to be pregnant, as the angel told him.

Joseph provided a home for Jesus through difficult times, having to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s massacre of the innocents.

Beyond that there is a presumption that Joseph died before Jesus ministry began – he’s not mentioned as being at the wedding in Cana and Jesus would not have needed to entrust Mary to John if Joseph had still been alive.

Joseph stands as a dignified man, who followed God and provided a loving home to his family. Patron of the Church and Workers and a great example to all men.