Daily Reflection September 5, 2016 |
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Click on the link below for a reflecton on Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time |
Labor Day Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops: Replace Fear with a Fuller Vision Labor Day Pastoral Aid for Parishes Primer on Catholic Social Teaching on Labor Primer on Poverty, and Option for the Poor, and the Common Good |
Prosper the Work of Our Hands (Psalm 90: 17) “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:2-3) This universe is a holy place. Each part offers a glimpse of the creator. Heavenly bodies and lowly creatures reflect God’s power. Persons reveal God in striking ways. Through our labor, creation grows. In rest we take delight in the world. Our Sabbath echoes the Yes of God. We too find it very good. For humans, labor is a natural necessity. With raw materials, tools, intelligence, and energy, we meet needs and sustain the community. Nature is our partner. The church teaches that work is a vocation in which our dignity should be recognized. Through labor, we develop talents and know the pride of creation. Good jobs achieve the security that builds up families. To participate in the larger community through work releases us from isolation and despair at our insignificance. The lowliest worker contributes to the good of all. Pope Francis speaks of the “correct understanding of work” in Laudato Si.
It is not enough to honor the past. For some households, even two wages do not stretch far enough. The children of the working poor are numerous; their futures are precarious. The work of justice begins here. Prosper the work of our hands. We are in this together.
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