a couple of thoughts

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 I have a couple of random things that are on my mind today.

Years ago, when Fr. Charles Watkins was introducing me to the "circus world," I was learning various words and phrases that people in their business would use as part of the everyday conversation.  One of those was the term "a first of May."  I fit into that term as it is used to describe someone who is new to the business.  Others might refer to it as someone who is "wet behind the ears."  It really was a fascinating world to be involved with serving as a chaplain to performers who make their living on the road.  Many of those families simply own campers or RVs of some sort as a primary shelter.  They don't have a permanent place of residence.  Every night is a new adventure to the next show.  I think that is a lesson I won't forget.  Please pray for "people on the move."  Some people refer to them as migrants, but the reality is that they are citizens of our nation, born into a different lifestyle.  Even their children come to understand the life and they embrace it whether they become performers or not.

A second thought for today comes because today, May 1st, is the memorial celebration of St. Joseph the worker.  While we have St. Joseph's feast on March 19th, today we look to the celebrate the ways he helped to raise Jesus -- giving Him a great work ethic and teaching Him necessary skills.  But I had a second thought too about the day.

St. Paul teaches us about how Jesus is "the New Adam."  He is the person who is created perfect.  As Adam was created from the dust of the earth and without sin, this descriptive phrase makes sense.  With the Blessed Virgin Mother referred to as "the new Eve," we are told that she became mother of all of the living.  Well, also in the book of Genesis, Adam is told that the soil would no longer put forth vegetation and produce on it's own.  He is told that He would need to WORK for it.  Thus, St. Joseph takes up the hard labor that Adam was charged with and giving work dignity.  Did Jesus work?  Of course, and St. Joseph's "job" was to teach Jesus the value of a work ethic.  I'd say that if anyone might doubt that Jesus learned that lesson, I'd say they should look at the corpus on the Cross.  Battered and bruised and bloody to the bitter end of a day's work.

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