Reflects on the Sacredness of Work During
Weekly General Audience
By
Deborah Castellano Lubov
Work is sacred and gives dignity to the people. Any person or entity that violates this reality, hurts humanity. Pope Francis suggested this during this morning's weekly General Audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall as he continued his catecheses on family life, specifically this week focusing on work.
The Pontiff's comments were said in the context of how critical
work is in giving dignity to human beings and in supporting the
family, without which, the morale of persons and often the lives of
children suffer. The Holy Father stressed that a good work ethic and
willingness to work is learned often within the family from the
parents' example. He pointed out that in the Bible we see this in the Holy
Family, how Jesus learned to be a carpenter from Joseph.
Work, the Pope stressed, expresses the dignity of the person.
"Work is sacred," he reminded those gathered. Because of this, he
stressed, it is important to reflect on the serious problem of unemployment
facing so many and to offer prayers.
"To cause a loss of jobs," the Pope underscored,
"means to create serious social damage." When work is
detached from the alliance between God and man and woman and is separated
from their spiritual qualities, there is a 'degradation of the soul'
that contaminates everything, even the air, water, grass, and
food.
"Sometimes the 'modern organization' of
work has a dangerous tendency to consider the family as a burden, a
weight, a liability for labor productivity. But let us ask ourselves: What is
productivity? And for whom? The so-called 'intelligent city' is,
without a doubt, very organized and rich in services; But, for example, it
is often hostile to children and the elderly."
Turning to his recent encyclicalLaudato Si', the Pontiff
noted that "when we engage in work, we share in Creation by caring for the
Earth and cultivating it." Yet, when work is reduced to profits and
productivity, he warned, this hurts humanity, especially the most poor and
families.
Also during his catechesis, the Pontiff
recalled how Saint Paul warns Christians that
"anyone unwilling to work, neither should that one eat'.' (2
Thessalonians 3:10).
"It is a good recipe for losing weight, 'Who does
not work, does not eat!'" Francis said jokingly.
The Apostle refers explicitly to 'false spiritualism' of those who
"live off the backs of their brothers and sisters
'doing nothing (2 Thes 3:11)," the Pope said. Noting this
attitude is unacceptable, the 78-year-old Pontiff reminded those gathered
that work and the spiritual life are not at all at odds with each other,
but are complementary.
'It is important to understand this!" he
said, "Prayer and work can and should be together in harmony, as
taught by St. Benedict. Lack of work is bad for the spirit, as a lack
of prayer also damages the practical activity."
[Blogger: I would suggest that work and prayer are not to
be seen merely in harmony, but that work, when done with the animus of self gift,
is prayer. The reference to St.
Benedict is not enough because the monks do not achieve the sanctity of their
canonically religious vocation by working, but entering into their religious
state and taking the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Work, understood
in the secular sense, is only a small part of their religious vocation. ]
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