WORK must be seen as a GIFT given by God, as a RIGHT reserved for every person, and as a RESPONSIBILITY for all of creation.
As we hear in the story of creation in Genesis, the beginning of everything flows from God's creative work. He made the earth and the heavens ... he formed man and breathed life into him ... he planted the garden and placed man there. And as Genesis tells us, God settled man in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it.
The Lord has shared his creative work with those he made in his image and likeness, and in doing so called us to be blessed, god-like in our dignity. He gave us the right to a dignified work that must continue to manifest his creative action. And he gives us the responsibility of being his stewards - stewards of all creation. There was a joy, in the beginning, in this creative work and a satisfaction in working with God.
But then came the Fall, the sin of Adam and Eve, and work now was done with the "sweat of the brow". Now work became a challenge, at times a burden rather than a blessing, a weight upon our shoulders. Now we were not guaranteed respect or dignified work, but now had to struggle and fight for it. Now we lost sight of our responsibility for creation and for each other. We worked for ourselves and our immediate circle.
Pope Francis recently addressed the 109th gathering of the International Labor Organization. He said: "It is the fundamental mission of the Church to appeal to everyone to work together, with governments, multilateral organizations and civil society, to serve and care for the common good and to ensure everyone's participation in this task. No one should be left aside in a dialogue for the common good."
The Church has been and continues in her dedication in promoting dignified, productive and creative work for all peoples with the intention of benefiting all creation, looking to the future and not just to the present.
One other thing the Holy Father said in that address: "We run the risk of being attacked by a virus even worse than Covid-19: that of selfish indifference. In other words, a society cannot progress by discarding. This other virus spreads by thinking that life is better if it is better for me, and that everything will be fine if it is fine for me, and so we begin and end by selecting one person in place of another, discarding the poor, sacrificing those who have been left behind on the so-called "altar of progress"."
There continues to be much work to be done to ensure just and dignified work for all, a care for our common home, and most particularly care for the poorest of the poor. We must continue to be prophetic in our vision for humanity and protective of the worker in our actions.
