Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 4:16-30)
Labor Day may be seen as a fulfillment of today’s gospel
passage. Jesus announces that he has
come to free the oppressed and to proclaim a time of favor. This announcement applies to those whose
work, whether manual or intellectual, becomes unhealthy and dehumanizing.
Christianity has derived a theology of work that recognizes
its purpose and worth. All honest
contributes to the glory of God and to human development. Workers have rights that protect their safety
and dignity. They should be fairly paid
to support themselves and their families.
Their workplace should be safeguarded from foreseeable dangers. They should be allowed to organize in order
to guarantee their welfare and the quality of their workmanship.
Labor Day is more than the end of a long weekend. Our Eucharist today has a more definite focus
than on other weekdays. Rather these two
events together are to remind us of Christ coming to work out our salvation. He
lived among us first as a carpenter and then as a preacher. More than that, he suffered, died, and rose
so that laborers and everyone else might be free of the ultimate oppressions of
sin and death.
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