St. Joseph the Worker

BD has been reminding me of his upcoming birthday, such as "Remember it's my day, not Joseph's." He believes that Joseph should only have one feast day. I suppose that he has a point. May Day, or International Labor Day, was instituted in 1889 in recognition of the basic rights of workers. The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker was promulgated by Pope Pius XII in 1955. This feast was added to the calendar on May 1st to counter the Communist May Day celebration that day, by offering a Christian view of labor, and prime example in the husband of Mary. By commemorating St. Joseph as a carpenter, we exemplify the working people who are dignified by their labor and who bring Christ into their workplace. It aims to inspire all workmen by giving them a model and a protector. Pope John Paul II said, “The Church regards St. Joseph as the patron of workers because of his hard manual labor to provide for his family. His solemnity is an occasion to reflect on the importance of work in the life of man, the family, and the community.”

Last Sunday BD asked outright what I was making for his birthday. I laughed and then asked what he wanted. He has not stated any preference, so I'm free to do what I want. First he says surprise me, then he asks me to tell him. At one point he questioned whether he'd eaten anything I'd baked before. I reminded him of Pi Day, and he said "Oh, yeah, that was good." Guys can be so odd--asking me to bake, then questioning my skills. Sheesh. He'll have to wait until tomorrow when we can celebrate belatedly. Cake for breakfast, yum.