Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AJR135 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTIO N 135
5	5	February 23, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives WICHGERS, MYERS, BEHNKE,
6	6	DONOVAN, GUNDRUM, O'CONNOR, ORTIZ-VELEZ and STUBBS. Referred to
7	7	Committee on Rules.
8	8	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
9	9	Relating to: recognizing May 1 of each year as St. Joseph the Worker Day in
10	10	Wisconsin and recognizing and appreciating the dignity of all working men and
11	11	women in Wisconsin.
12	12	Whereas, Pope Francis, in his apostolic letter entitled Patris Corde (With a
13	13	Father's Heart), describes St. Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father,
14	14	an obedient father, an accepting father, a father who is creatively courageous, a
15	15	working father, and a father in the shadows; and
16	16	Whereas, in a much more sublime and supernatural way, Joseph found favor
17	17	with his heavenly Father and was entrusted with the Father's greatest treasures,
18	18	his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, and Mary, the mother of Jesus; and
19	19	Whereas, the Gospel of St. Matthew attests to the holiness of Joseph when he
20	20	is described as “a righteous man" (Matthew 1:19); and
21	21	Whereas, as head of the family, Joseph's responsibilities would have included
22	22	leading the family in common prayers before meals, gathering the family for
23	23	synagogue services on the Sabbath, and leading the family on annual pilgrimages
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42	42	to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate “The Festival of Unleavened Bread," “The
43	43	Festival of Weeks," and “The Festival of Shelters" (Deuteronomy 16:16) and “The
44	44	Passover Festival" (Luke 2:41); and
45	45	Whereas, three times in scripture, Joseph heard the word of the Lord in a dream
46	46	(Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 2:22), and each time, Joseph arose and “did as the angel of the
47	47	Lord had commanded him" (Matthew 1:24); and
48	48	Whereas, Jesus and Mary needed housing, food, and clothing; it was Joseph
49	49	who provided for these necessities through his manual labor as a carpenter and who
50	50	taught Jesus to work, and Jesus himself was referred to as a carpenter: “Is this not
51	51	the carpenter, the son of Mary?" (Mark 6:3); and
52	52	Whereas, when the angry King Herod ordered the massacre of all male children
53	53	two years old and younger, it was to Joseph as protector of the family that the angel
54	54	of the Lord was sent; Joseph took heed and fled into Egypt with the child and Mary
55	55	and thwarted the attempt on Jesus's life (Matthew 2:13-15); and
56	56	Whereas, Christians for hundreds of years have invoked Joseph for his great
57	57	chastity in taking Mary into his home and for respecting the fact that she belonged
58	58	exclusively to God; and
59	59	Whereas, during turbulent times in 1870, these truths inspired Pope Pius IX
60	60	to once again “Go to Joseph," and on December 8, 1870, to proclaim Joseph as St.
61	61	Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church; and
62	62	Whereas, in 1909, Pope Pius X approved the Litany of St. Joseph, highlighting
63	63	Joseph's titles, privileges, and heroic virtues as follows: noble offspring of David,
64	64	light of patriarchs, the spouse of the Mother of God, chaste guardian of the Virgin
65	65	Mary, foster father of the Son of God, zealous defender of Christ, head of the holy
66	66	family, Joseph most just, Joseph most chaste, Joseph most prudent, Joseph most
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95	95	courageous, Joseph most obedient, Joseph most faithful, mirror of patience, lover of
96	96	poverty, model of workmen, glory of domestic life, guardian of virgins, pillar of
97	97	families, comfort of the afflicted, hope of the sick, patron of the dying, terror of
98	98	demons, and protector of the Holy Church; and
99	99	Whereas, Pope Pius XII, in 1955, established the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker
100	100	on May 1 of each calendar year; and
101	101	Whereas, on May 1, 2021, Pope Francis added seven new titles to Joseph in the
102	102	Litany of St. Joseph, as follows: custos redemptoris (guardian of the redeemer); serve
103	103	Christi (servant of Christ); minister salutis (minister of salvation); fulcimen in
104	104	difficultatibus (support in difficulties); patrone exsulum (patron of exiles); patrone
105	105	afflictorum (patron of the afflicted); and patrone pauperum (patron of the poor); and
106	106	Whereas, in a time of trial and distress, when all of Egypt and the entire world
107	107	became hungry and begged for bread, Pharaoh told the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph;
108	108	what he says to you, do" (Genesis 41:55); while Pharaoh was referring to Joseph the
109	109	son of Jacob, who was sold into slavery because of the jealousy of his brothers
110	110	(Genesis 37:11-28) and who subsequently became a viceroy of Egypt (Genesis
111	111	41:41-44), popular trust in St. Joseph is seen in the expression “Go to Joseph"; and
112	112	Whereas, our situation in the world today is not unlike the situation of God's
113	113	people during the great famine in Egypt; we recognize our need for heavenly power
114	114	to safeguard and steer us through the many trials of our day; now, therefore, be it
115	115	Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the Wisconsin
116	116	Legislature does hereby recognize May 1 of each year as St. Joseph the Worker Day
117	117	in the state of Wisconsin; and, be it further
118	118	Resolved, That the Wisconsin Legislature does hereby recognize May 1 of each
119	119	year as a day to be observed to honor the working men and women in Wisconsin, who
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148	148	get up every day and work hard to provide for and lift up their families, their
149	149	communities, the state of Wisconsin, and the United States of America; and be it
150	150	further
151	151	Resolved, That the Wisconsin Legislature does hereby urge and request the
152	152	executive branch of the State of Wisconsin to cause an appropriate celebration on
153	153	May 1 of each year to bring recognition and appreciation to the dignity of all working
154	154	men and women in Wisconsin.
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