AJR135: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-2830/1

CMH:emw

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Assembly JOINT RESOLUTION 135

February 23, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives Wichgers, Myers, Behnke, Donovan, Gundrum, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez and Stubbs. Referred to Committee on Rules.

AJR135,1,3 Relating to: recognizing May 1 of each year as St. Joseph the Worker Day in Wisconsin and recognizing and appreciating the dignity of all working men and women in Wisconsin.

AJR135,1,7 Whereas, Pope Francis, in his apostolic letter entitled Patris Corde (With a Father's Heart), describes St. Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father, a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, and a father in the shadows; and

AJR135,1,10 Whereas, in a much more sublime and supernatural way, Joseph found favor with his heavenly Father and was entrusted with the Father's greatest treasures, his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, and Mary, the mother of Jesus; and

AJR135,1,12 Whereas, the Gospel of St. Matthew attests to the holiness of Joseph when he is described as “a righteous man" (Matthew 1:19); and

AJR135,2,3 Whereas, as head of the family, Joseph's responsibilities would have included leading the family in common prayers before meals, gathering the family for synagogue services on the Sabbath, and leading the family on annual pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate “The Festival of Unleavened Bread," “The Festival of Weeks," and “The Festival of Shelters" (Deuteronomy 16:16) and “The Passover Festival" (Luke 2:41); and

AJR135,2,6 Whereas, three times in scripture, Joseph heard the word of the Lord in a dream (Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 2:22), and each time, Joseph arose and “did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him" (Matthew 1:24); and

AJR135,2,10 Whereas, Jesus and Mary needed housing, food, and clothing; it was Joseph who provided for these necessities through his manual labor as a carpenter and who taught Jesus to work, and Jesus himself was referred to as a carpenter: “ Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary?" (Mark 6:3); and

AJR135,2,14 Whereas, when the angry King Herod ordered the massacre of all male children two years old and younger, it was to Joseph as protector of the family that the angel of the Lord was sent; Joseph took heed and fled into Egypt with the child and Mary and thwarted the attempt on Jesus's life (Matthew 2:13-15); and

AJR135,2,17 Whereas, Christians for hundreds of years have invoked Joseph for his great chastity in taking Mary into his home and for respecting the fact that she belonged exclusively to God; and

AJR135,2,20 Whereas, during turbulent times in 1870, these truths inspired Pope Pius IX to once again “Go to Joseph," and on December 8, 1870, to proclaim Joseph as St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church; and

AJR135,3,4 Whereas, in 1909, Pope Pius X approved the Litany of St. Joseph, highlighting Joseph's titles, privileges, and heroic virtues as follows: noble offspring of David, light of patriarchs, the spouse of the Mother of God, chaste guardian of the Virgin Mary, foster father of the Son of God, zealous defender of Christ, head of the holy family, Joseph most just, Joseph most chaste, Joseph most prudent, Joseph most courageous, Joseph most obedient, Joseph most faithful, mirror of patience, lover of poverty, model of workmen, glory of domestic life, guardian of virgins, pillar of families, comfort of the afflicted, hope of the sick, patron of the dying, terror of demons, and protector of the Holy Church; and

AJR135,3,6 Whereas, Pope Pius XII, in 1955, established the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1 of each calendar year; and

AJR135,3,11 Whereas, on May 1, 2021, Pope Francis added seven new titles to Joseph in the Litany of St. Joseph, as follows: custos redemptoris (guardian of the redeemer); serve Christi (servant of Christ); minister salutis (minister of salvation); fulcimen in difficultatibus (support in difficulties); patrone exsulum (patron of exiles); patrone afflictorum (patron of the afflicted); and patrone pauperum (patron of the poor); and

AJR135,3,17 Whereas, in a time of trial and distress, when all of Egypt and the entire world became hungry and begged for bread, Pharaoh told the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do" (Genesis 41:55); while Pharaoh was referring to Joseph the son of Jacob, who was sold into slavery because of the jealousy of his brothers (Genesis 37:11-28) and who subsequently became a viceroy of Egypt (Genesis 41:41-44), popular trust in St. Joseph is seen in the expression “Go to Joseph"; and

AJR135,3,20 Whereas, our situation in the world today is not unlike the situation of God's people during the great famine in Egypt; we recognize our need for heavenly power to safeguard and steer us through the many trials of our day; now, therefore, be it

AJR135,3,23 Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the Wisconsin Legislature does hereby recognize May 1 of each year as St. Joseph the Worker Day in the state of Wisconsin; and, be it further

AJR135,4,3 Resolved, That the Wisconsin Legislature does hereby recognize May 1 of each year as a day to be observed to honor the working men and women in Wisconsin, who get up every day and work hard to provide for and lift up their families, their communities, the state of Wisconsin, and the United States of America; and be it further

AJR135,4,7 Resolved, That the Wisconsin Legislature does hereby urge and request the executive branch of the State of Wisconsin to cause an appropriate celebration on May 1 of each year to bring recognition and appreciation to the dignity of all working men and women in Wisconsin.

AJR135,4,8 (End)