May 1, 2026 Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter / Saint Joseph the Worker Gospel: John 14:1–6
Today is Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter. The Church commemorates Saint Joseph the Worker today. The text from the Gospel of Saint John uses the dialogue between Jesus and His disciples to depict the ultimate end of each one of us.
In our daily lives, we often feel sorrow. For example, when we embark on an unknown journey, we often feel anxious. What makes us anxious is: where will we live, what will we eat, and how will we get there? Another example: we get into college, but the college is not local, it is in another province. We also feel sorrow. What makes us sorrowful is: will I be unable to adapt to the life in this college? Is this college really suitable for me?
In our life of faith, we also feel anxious and restless. The reason we feel anxious and restless is that we do not believe in God. In our view, God seems to be somewhat real and somewhat unreal. If we offer prayers to God and, under certain circumstances, obtain the grace we asked for, we will think: “The reason we succeeded is because we worked hard and we paid the price, not because God bestowed all these graces upon us.” If we ask God for a grace that exceeds our ability, while waiting for God to bestow this grace upon us, we will feel anxious and restless because we cannot be sure whether God will actually give it to us.
Jesus says: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” (cf. Jn 14:1) The meaning is: I am almighty. Only I can stop your hearts from being troubled. Only by being in communion with Me will your inner hearts return to peace. Therefore, you must believe in God and also believe in Me. Thomas replied, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (cf. Jn 14:5) This is actually the voice of each one of us, because, like Thomas, we cannot face the path Jesus points out to us directly, and we dare not summon the courage to follow in Christ’s footsteps.
Here, we must look back at the journey of faith of Saint Joseph, the Patron of Workers. Pope Francis teaches us: When Saint Joseph faced the fact that the Virgin Mary was with child by the power of God, he also felt uneasy. However, he did not respond with conflict or punishment, but sought a way that both respected Mary, whom he cherished, and fully preserved her dignity… After the angel of the Lord intervened, he believed in God completely, obeyed the angel’s words, and took the Virgin Mary into his home. It is precisely this unshakeable trust in God that enabled him to accept a situation that is unbearable for humans and, in a certain sense, difficult to understand. (cf. Pope Francis: Angelus, December 22, 2019) Saint Joseph was faithful to God. In the Bible, no words of his are found. He silently accompanied Jesus and the Virgin Mary, thus setting an example for us.
Dear brothers and sisters! God has called us from the dust of the earth. Our choice to receive the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit is precisely a choice of the path Jesus points out to us. This is destined to be a rugged and bumpy road; it is destined to be a path where few people tread. Because this is completely different from the choice of the world. However, when we use the eyes of faith to look at the choice made by Jesus and adopt a contemplative attitude to watch all that Jesus does in our lives, we will see the truth of God hidden within all these things. If we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, abide by His teachings, and walk on the path He points out for us to take, we will be able to go to eternal life through Jesus. At that time, our inner selves will become clean, and just as Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” (cf. Mt 5:8) To see God means to be with God, and the God who created the world will surely give us eternal life.
On this Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker, let us offer our prayers to God together:
O God, Creator of all things, who laid down for the human race the law of work, graciously grant that by the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage we may complete the works you set us to do and attain the rewards you promise. Amen.
全属于祢 
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