By TWE News Desk
Catholics around the world joined millions of workers on May 1 to mark St. Joseph the Worker’s Day, a celebration that brings together the Church’s teaching on the dignity of labour and the global observance of Workers’ Day.
The Catholic Church chose this date to honour Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and a humble carpenter, as a model for all workers. The feast highlights the value of hard work, the dignity it brings, and God’s ongoing work in the world through human labour. It is also a time to reflect on fairness, justice, and the protection of workers’ rights.
At St. Theresa’s Parish in Jos, Rev. Fr. Dennis Dayok used the occasion to speak directly to the youth. He encouraged them not to wait endlessly for white-collar jobs but to consider learning practical skills that can empower them. “God doesn’t call the idle,” he said, citing Biblical examples like Moses, David, and the first disciples, who were all working when God called them.
Fr. Dayok reminded the faithful that work is not only a means to earn a living but a way to cooperate with God in continuing His work of creation and redemption. “From the beginning, God worked, and He continues to work through us,” he said, referencing the Stations of the Cross and the Acts of the Apostles, where God’s work continues through the Church and the Holy Spirit.
He urged parents to use holidays to engage their children in learning skills and advised young people to explore vocational and technical training. “Education should equip you to work with your hands,” he said. He also called on the government to revive technical schools so that more youth can become self-reliant.
Father Dayok concluded by invoking the intercession of Saint Joseph, praying that young people would value all forms of honest work. “Whatever your job is, do it with passion. God will bless the work of your hands,” he said.
TWE Media Network 
Leave a comment