When I was in college, I remember that Beth had the courage to stick with her boyfriend back home. Tommy was a plumber. Her friends at Marygrove were all meeting us “college guys” from U of D – engineers, architects, accountants. Beth wisely stuck with Tommy.
Our society recently went through a marketing cycle with WWJD bracelets, t-shirts, cards, even graffiti: What Would Jesus Do? Today it’s the Feast of St. Joseph, the Worker. In a story where the Kid grew to know Himself as the Son of God, there in the background was his father, the carpenter. When Joseph the carpenter found out that his betrothed was pregnant with God’s Kid, he didn’t do what the high and mighty would do, divorce her quietly or with arrogant flourish. He married her and supported her and found workmanlike ways to be daddy to the Son of God.
We sleep under roofs built by voiceless carpenters, and wake to hot showers piped by silent plumbers. We plug coffee pots into outlets wired by mute electricians and wait for our coffee while we think, perhaps noisy thoughts, noble, professional, Christian thoughts, perhaps thoughts about what Jesus would do.
Today, let’s add a “D” to WWJD and think about the silent workers of our world, the ones who make things work, who stand not for things, but behind them. WWJDD: What Would Jesus’ DAD Do?
Let's take a moment, well slept and showered, with our steaming cup of coffee, and consider how we can silently serve, can do something tangible that rests and warms and stirs others.
Let's take a moment, well slept and showered, with our steaming cup of coffee, and consider how we can silently serve, can do something tangible that rests and warms and stirs others.
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteThanks, as always, for your sharing. For my part, the important emphasis for this feast is on the word "worker," not on the word "dad." You have paid special tribute to the silent dignity of work (which is not the unique vocation of dads or men) -- work that we too often take for granted, yet depend on for so much in our lives. This dignity of work/worker is under so much pressure and oppression these days...from Madison, WI to Lansing, MI. and beyond. And the sad thing is that the Catholic church used to be in the forefront of speaking out for the dignity of work and the worker. Now we whimper, if we say anything at all.
Bill