The son of David will live for ever. — Psalm 89:37

Mass readings: 2 Samuel 7:4-5,12-14,16 / Romans 4:13,16-18,22 / Matthew 1:16,18-21,24 or Luke 2:41-51 

More Than a Carpenter 

Last year, I went through a phase when I read several books about life in the time of Jesus. Among other pieces of trivia, I discovered that Jesus would never have eaten a tomato because the plant didn’t yet exist in His land. My friends weren’t at all interested in my discovery of a tomato-less Jesus. 

They were, however, interested to learn that a carpenter in Jesus’ day was far more than a wielder of a hammer. A carpenter, like St. Joseph, was indispensable to a village. One author explained that a carpenter built houses and cabinets and wheels and ploughs and yokes. These men might use an ax, hatchet, saw, adze, plane, square, and clamp. Joseph and Jesus must have been both busy and strong to keep up with their workload. 

Prayer: St. Joseph, pray for us, your fellow laborers.