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Summary
- The 1928 Book of Common Prayer has three short prayers that suit the start of work: “A Collect for Grace,” “Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings” and “For Every Man in his Work.”
- Orthodox Christians say a short prayer before any work that recalls Christ’s words in John 15:5, “without me ye can do nothing.”
- Catholics pray to Saint Joseph as the model of workers; Pope Pius X attached an indulgence to the prayer “O glorious St. Joseph! model of all those who are devoted to labor” in 1906.
- Short prayers cover a husband’s, son’s or wife’s work, career decisions, honest dealing, a difficult coworker, overwork, failure, safety and the end of the workday.
- Scripture links success to faithfulness (Joshua 1:8; Genesis 39:3, 23) and warns against the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10).
- Pope Pius XII added the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, kept on May 1, in 1955.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (1611), text of Project Gutenberg eBook no. 10 (Genesis 39:3, 23; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 90:17; 104:23; 121:8; 127:1–2; Proverbs 3:5–6; 11:1; 16:3; 22:29; Ecclesiastes 2:24; Matthew 6:24; 13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 16:10; John 15:5; Galatians 6:9; Ephesians 4:29; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:23; 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; 1 Timothy 6:9–10; James 1:5). https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10
- The Book of Common Prayer (Protestant Episcopal Church in the U.S.A.), Standard Book of 1928. Morning Prayer, “A Collect for Grace,” p. 17; Prayers and Thanksgivings, “For Every Man in his Work,” p. 44, and Collects, “Direct us, O Lord,” p. 49; Family Prayer, “A General Intercession,” pp. 599–600. PDF facsimile: https://www.artisticdailyprayers.org/uploads/3/0/1/6/30164961/bcp1928std.pdf
- Lasance, Francis Xavier. The Blessed Sacrament Book. New York: Benziger Brothers, 1913. “Prayer to St. Joseph for all Those who are Devoted to Labor,” p. 55. https://archive.org/details/BlessedSacramentBook
- Orthodox Church in America. “Common Prayers: Before and after any Work.” https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/prayers/before-and-after-any-work
- Franciscan Media. “Saint Joseph the Worker.” Saint of the Day, May 1. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-joseph-the-worker/
- “Careful (adj.).” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/careful
