The feast of St Joseph the Worker is an ideal occasion for one to pause and reflect on the real meaning of work. In a world that strives to make efficiency the supreme value of its everyday running business, work risks being considered as a disposable commodity.
In his well-known encyclical that speaks about human work laborem exercens, Pope John Paul saw “works (as) … the means whereby man achieves that ‘dominion’ which is proper to him over the visible world, by ‘subjecting’ the earth” (laborem exercens, 9).
Work heralds the human being’s responsibility to care for God’s creation. The dual meaning of work is that God’s name be extolled and the human person’s dignity affirmed. Any work that goes against these two fundamental tenets of work is simply exploitative.
Work is an extraordinary tool by which the human person discovers, lives and enhances its humanness. As it were, work is a humble servant to the perennial values of family, friendship and solidarity. God forbid when work becomes the master. Undoubtedly family and vocational breakdowns, the ever increasing amount of stress and lack of communication in families and religious communities are powerful reminders of the disastrous outcome of a life dominated and ravaged by work.
Article 23 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly states: “Everyone has the right to work.” Thus the right to work stems from the fact of being human. The genius of Christianity is that of celebrating the greatness of the human person by recalling her/his unique vocation and mission of participating in the ongoing creative work of God.
Since work is a grace and not a punishment, may all the workers realize that by their work they are humanising our world. Work, because it is operated by humans, is human. It inherently involves a vertical and horizontal relationship. It is a means towards a fruitful relationship with God and other fellow human beings. It is the vehicle through which fraternal love is originated, strengthened and perpetuated.
Work is worthwhile when the worker is respected. May Christian workers become more sensible of their singular calling of proclaiming the dignity of human work by the way they work. May they also show solidarity with those workers whose rights are ruthlessly being violated. Perhaps the following prayer may inspire them in their struggle of living out this holy calling:
Lord, be with me in my career, let other workers see,
By the way I do my job; that you’re leading me.
Guide my temper and my speech; and the things that make me laugh,
Help me never to be lazy or do my job by half.
May Christ be always seen in me; by those that I affect,
Let me treat my fellow worker’s with kindness and respect.
May I be honest and industrious; and in my duties never shirk,
May the world know I’m a Christian; by the way I do my
work.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
San Gwann