Dear Saints,

We rarely stop to think about it as we finish our coffee, gather our things, and hurry off to our morning commute, but work has been woven into the human story from the very beginning. From the Garden of Eden through St. Paul and beyond, work is not merely a financial obligation, but part of what it means to be human.

Labor Day offers us a great opportunity to contemplate some wisdom from St. John Paul II: “Work is a good thing for man - a good thing for his humanity - because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes ‘more a human being.’”

Because work is such a human pursuit, it’s imperative that workplaces be environments of justice and charity. Justice requires treating everyone with fairness, dignity, honesty, and respect. It means that each worker’s labors will be valued and fairly compensated. Charity goes further: it calls us to see the human being behind the work, to be generous with one another, and to will the full flourishing of our colleagues in every instance.

Work is ultimately about more than paychecks and promotions; it’s a daily opportunity to offer ourselves to God for the good of his beloved world. Whether big or small, paid or voluntary, highly public or totally unseen, labor allows us to discover the dignity and purpose of our lives.

Christ’s Peace,

Father Daniel

δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ