Tuesday, May 23, 2017 Rogation Tuesday
He asked for a light and rushed
in and, trembling with fear, he fell
down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what
must I do to be saved?"
2 Chronicles, Chapter
19, Verse 9
He gave them this command: “Thus you shall
act: in the fear of the LORD, with fidelity and with an undivided heart.
Human work if separated from
God is passing; it becomes a tower of babble. Our hearts must be fixed on the
truth that there is a God and we are not Him. We can only create greatness when
we work with God and not against Him. To do this we must be faithful and ask
for light and His salvation.
Rogationtide Tuesday[1]
Today would be a good
day to reflect on what we want to harvest this fall; so like farmers we must
till the soil of our soul reflecting this day on our use of our TALENTS and
look at in what ways we may offer our abilities to Christ to help build a
harvest for His Kingdom.
Human Work[2]
Introduction
Work is one of these aspects, a perennial and fundamental one, one that is
always relevant and constantly demands renewed attention and decisive
witness." The Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to ensure authentic progress by man and society." "Human work is a key, probably the essential key, to the whole social question, if we try to see that question really from the point of view of man's good. And if the solution - or rather the gradual solution - of the social question, which keeps coming up and becomes ever more complex, must be sought in the direction of 'making life more human', then the key, namely human work, acquires fundamental and decisive importance."
Work and
Man.
John Paul, "work is a
fundamental dimension of man's existence on earth." This conviction is
found in the first pages of Genesis: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill
the earth and subdue it." "Man's dominion over the earth is achieved
in and by means of work. ... The proper subject of work continues to be
man," and the finality of work "is always man himself." It is a
question of the objective and subjective meaning of work: although both are
important, the second takes precedence; "there is no doubt that human work
has an ethical value of its own, which clearly and directly remains linked to
the fact that the one who carries it out is a person, a conscious and free
subject, that is to say a subject that decides about himself." Although
technology fosters an increase in the things produced by work, sometimes it
"can cease to be man's ally and become almost his enemy, as when the mechanization
of work 'supplants' him, taking away all personal satisfaction and the
incentive to creativity and responsibility, when it deprives many workers of
their previous employment, or when,
through exalting the machine, it reduces man to the status of its slave."
"in order to achieve social justice in the various parts of the world, in
the various countries, and in the relationships between them, there is a need
for ever new movements of solidarity of the workers and with the workers."
"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'."
Conflict:
Labor and Capital in the Present Phase of History
The Pope observes that during the period which has passed since the
publication of "Rerum Novarum" (1891), "which is by no means yet
over, the issue of work has of course been posed on the basis of the great
conflict that in the age of, and together with, industrial development emerged
between 'capital' and 'labor'." This antagonism "found expression in
the ideological conflict between liberalism, understood as the ideology of
capitalism, and Marxism, understood as the ideology of scientific socialism and
communism, which professes to act as the spokesman for the working class and
the world-wide proletariat." Later, he recalls the principle of "the
priority of labor over capital." The first "is always a primary
efficient cause, while capital, the whole collection of means of production,
remains a mere instrument or instrumental cause." Thus appears the error
of economism, "that of considering human labor solely according to its
economic purpose." John Paul II then refers to the right to private
property, emphasizing that the Church's teaching regarding this principle
"diverges radically from the program of collectivism as proclaimed by
Marxism," and "the program of capitalism practiced by liberalism and
by the political systems inspired by it." "The position of 'rigid'
capitalism continues to remain unacceptable, namely the position that defends
the exclusive right to private ownership of the means of production as an
untouchable 'dogma' of economic life. The principle of respect for work demands
that this right should undergo a constructive revision, both in theory and in
practice." For this reason, regardless of the type of system of
production, it is necessary for each worker to be aware that "he is
working 'for himself'."
Rights of
Workers
The Holy Father highlights that the human rights that are derived from work
are a part of the fundamental rights of the person.
·
He discusses the need to take action against
unemployment, which is a true social calamity and a problem of a moral as well
as an economic nature. Starting with the concept of the "indirect
employer," in other words, "all the agents at the national and
international level that are responsible for the whole orientation of labor
policy," he notes that in order to solve the problem of unemployment,
these agents "must make provision for overall planning." This
"cannot mean one-sided centralization by the public authorities. Instead,
what is in question is a just and rational coordination, within the framework
of which the initiative of individuals ... must be safeguarded."
·
Speaking of the rights of workers, he recalls
the dignity of agricultural work and
·
The need to offer jobs to disabled people.
·
As for the matter of salaries, he writes that
"the key problem of social ethics in this case is that of just
remuneration for work done."
·
In addition, "there must be a social
re-evaluation of the mother's role." Specifically, "the whole labor
process must be organized and adapted in such a way as to respect the
requirements of the person and his or her forms of life, above all life in the
home, taking into account the individual's age and sex."
·
It is fitting that women "should be able to
fulfill their tasks in accordance with their own nature, without being
discriminated against and without being excluded from jobs for which they are
capable, but also without lack of respect for their family aspirations and for
their specific role in contributing, together with men, to the good of
society."
·
Besides
wages, there are other social benefits whose objective is "to ensure the
life and health of workers and their families."
·
In this regard, he notes the right to leisure
time, which should include weekly rest and yearly vacations.
·
The Pope then considers the importance of
unions, which he calls "an indispensable element of social life."
"One method used by unions in pursuing the just rights of their members is
the strike or work stoppage. This method is recognized by Catholic social
teaching as legitimate in the proper conditions and within just limits,"
but must not be abused.
·
As for the question of emigration for work
reasons, he affirms that man has the right to leave his country to seek better
living conditions in another. "The most important thing is that the person
working away from his native land, whether as a permanent emigrant or as a
seasonal worker, should not be placed at a disadvantage in comparison with the
other workers in that society in the matter of working rights."
Elements for
a Spirituality of Work
·
Labor has meaning in God's eyes. Thus, "the
knowledge that by means of work man shares in the work of creation constitutes
the most profound motive for undertaking it in various sectors."
·
Labor is participation in the work of the
Creator and the Redeemer. Jesus Christ looks upon work with love because he
himself was a laborer.
·
This is a doctrine, and at the same time a
program, that is rooted in the "Gospel of work" proclaimed by Jesus
of Nazareth. "By enduring the toil of work in union with Christ crucified
for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of
humanity. He shows himself a true disciple of Christ by carrying the cross in
his turn every day in the activity that he is called upon to perform."
Daily Devotions/Prayers
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