Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Rogation Tuesday
Malachi, Chapter 3, verse 5
5I will draw near to you for judgment, and I will be
swift to bear witness against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, those who
deprive a laborer of wages, Oppress a widow or an orphan, or turn aside a
resident alien, without fearing me, says the LORD of hosts.
The God of Abraham bears witness to evil, which is
the use of people as objects. Our God is a just God who wishes us to be free of
sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, and enslavement of any kind. In modern terms
God wants us free of sex, drugs and rock & roll.
The entertainment industry uses sex; sex sells pure
and simple. It diverts us from the true nature of our sexuality. That sex is a gift you give to someone
to bring a new creation into the world. It is a gift that must be given freely,
faithfully, and totally open to life.
Sorcery is a Greek word that is closely related
with Pharmakeia, and in fact is where our English word Pharmacy comes from. The
indiscriminate use of drugs rob us of our soul; our very selves when we cannot
say no to them. This could be any addictive substance whether it comes from a
bottle, package or the internet. The only way to recover our sanity is through
God or as 12 steppers say, “having a higher power than themselves”. A careful
examination of the 12
step program reveals it is basically a form of repentance or confession and
coming back to God.
1.
We admit
we are powerless.
2.
We believe
in a greater power.
3.
We turn
our will over to Him.
4.
We search
our souls of wrongs committed.
5.
We admit
our wrongs to ourselves and others.
6.
We are ready
for God to remove our defects.
7.
We ask
Him to remove our shortcomings.
8.
We list
all we have harmed and be willing to correct the harm we have caused.
9.
We made amends
except where to do so would cause more harm.
10.
We continue
to build strength and virtue; promptly making corrections as needed.
11.
We pray
and meditate daily.
12.
We carry
(the cross) the message to others.
Music is a gift from God just as sex is but, we
must listen to the truth. Music can be noise that blatantly drowns out the
truth. Many musicians and media personalities are perjurers of the truth. Their
message is that of hopelessness and the objectification of women and people.
Choose music that lifts up people rather than enslaves them to the ideas of the
modern secular society of hedonism, materialism and minimalism.
Our God will not turn a blind eye to those who
enslave others economically either; or not care for our modern widows and
orphans, which are single moms and fatherless children. Nor will our Lord,
allow us to make slaves of immigrants to our country.
No we must be a righteous people, good to all; as
He is.
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.
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
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
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