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Jesus Christ the Worker
In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul gives a short mission statement to all Roman Catholics striving for holiness: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (Gal. 2:20) Every aspect of a Christian's life is part of our ongoing conversion in Christ. This includes our work life. Work, whether in the home or outside the home, is an opportunity for living out our call to discipleship.
Jesus was a craftsman like St. Joseph. He belonged to the working world, and his thoughts and teachings were never far from the everyday reality of people at work. In his parables, Jesus constantly proclaims the Kingdom of God through the lens of the human worker: the shepherd, farmer, sower, homemaker, servant, steward, fisherman, merchant, and laborer. Some of the most memorable people in the gospels are described not by name, but by the work they do: The woman at the well drawing water who proclaims the message of Jesus; the centurion, whose extraordinary faith Jesus held up as an example to all. Jesus even calls Peter, Andrew, James and John in the midst of their daily work as fishermen. Likewise, he calls Matthew, the tax collector, from his accounts.
In the contemporary world, Jesus calls each of us to open our hearts to his message and to place the work we do in the service of God's Kingdom. The Second Vatican Council expressed it this way: "...those who engage in human work, often of a heavy kind, should perfect themselves through it, help their fellow citizens, and promote the betterment of the whole of human society and the whole of creation; indeed, with their active charity, rejoicing in hope and bearing one another's burdens, they should imitate Christ who plied his hands with carpenter's tools and is always working with the Father for the salvation of all; and they should rise to a higher sanctity, truly apostolic, by their everyday work itself."1
In the secular realm, after family, work is typically the most significant activity around which we organize our lives. All work involves personal toil, requires self-discipline and sacrifice. Work often demands hard choices about how to allocate our time and energies. Work creates opportunities, not only for us as workers, but for others as well. Work provides us with income and creates goods and services other people value. Work provides opportunities to develop meaningful relationships, to contribute to society and to transform the environment. Work is indeed God's gift.
When I speak of work, I refer not only to labor we perform for pay, but any activity where we make a personal decision to invest time and physical or mental energy to accomplish a goal. Thus, housework, home schooling, child or adult care, volunteer work and the pursuit of an education all constitute work even though they usually go without pay and often without recognition.
Work is most powerfully and most essentially an apostolate of the lay faithful. You are on the Chrysler or Saturn assembly lines, in the offices of MBNA, Gore, DuPont or Astra-Zeneca. You work in the department stores and the shopping malls. You are the technicians, the service workers, the nurses and physicians. You are the state and local government employees, the police officers and fire fighters. You are the service men and women at Dover. You are the teachers and the coaches. You are the prosecutor and the public defender. You are the social workers, the correctional officers, the child care providers, the countless volunteers in so many programs for the needy, the elderly and the young. All are called to discover Jesus Christ in work.
Every task, project, meeting, and deadline can be made holy. How do we accomplish this? First, we can draw strength from the grace and meaning of the Eucharist, the source and summit of our life as Catholic Christians. Second, we can contemplate Catholic social teaching tradition on work and be edified by it. And third, we can allow the example of other holy men and women to inspire us.
Work and the Body and Blood of Christ
Catholic Christians make connections between faith and work primarily in the way they allow the Eucharist to be the center of their life. At every Mass, during the preparation of the altar and the gifts, we hear these words: "Blessed are you Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life."
Human hands create the ordinary bread that is transformed into the Bread of Life. Human feet traditionally crushed the grapes that are transformed into the Precious Blood of Christ. The central mystery of our life as a liturgical community - the real presence of Jesus on the altar - presupposes human work which prepares the elements that will be consecrated and become our life-giving sacrament.
Everything in our workaday lives is given meaning by the Eucharist we share. The joy, love, compassion and forgiveness that we experience in the Eucharist are meant to become part of the way we interact with family, friends, and co-workers through the rest of the week.
Catholic Social Teaching on Work
Work done with the love of Christ is work that changes lives and brings others to Christ. Our Lord has given each of us qualities, aptitudes and interests. We need to be responsible stewards of these gifts and talents and remember that they are meant to serve God.
Our vocation in the world of work is an essential part of our baptismal vocation. Quality work requires the integration of virtues such as diligence, justice, fortitude, perseverance, prudence, friendliness, fairness and truthfulness. A deep connection exists between our daily relationship with the Lord and our daily practice of these virtues in the work place. Jesus wants us to sanctify our work.
One common error is to believe consciously or unconsciously that we strive for holiness in spite of the world, in spite of the work we do. This is a complete misunderstanding of the lay vocation in the Church. It is not in spite of work or against work that we pray and strive to be holy. It is precisely in work that we are challenged to grow in holiness and through work that we are builders of God's Kingdom. The Catholic concept of living a "unity of life" means that we become holy both through prayer and sacraments and the everyday secular work we offer to Jesus Christ.
So whatever we do as work must also show forth the presence of God. We are called through work to implicate ourselves in the ministry of Jesus. We do this not only by allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us but through a daily transformation of our homes, offices and workplaces to places of justice, peace, respect and dignity. We should work in a way that reflects the attitude and the mind of Christ as expressed in the Beatitudes. And the product of our labor should be compatible with the values we profess. Our work thus contributes to human dignity and divine purpose.
I am under no illusion just how difficult this is to accomplish. Because I believe that connecting work and faith is a great challenge, I made a special effort in the last few years to learn how people in this diocese feel about work and its connection to their faith. I did this by talking with some of you individually, and through a committee of people who conducted interviews and surveys on my behalf. I also listened to the insights of our diocesan pastoral council which is the chief consultative body I use to consult the laity in our diocese.
What I hear from throughout the diocese is that for many of you work serves to strengthen your faith, and your faith strengthens your work. In your efforts to connect faith and work, you do meet obstacles, which at times seem insurmountable and challenge you to question whether your work contributes to God's plan, or even if faith has any role in work. But you draw on your faith to overcome these obstacles. I listen to you, and I learn from you. I am humbled and awed by the challenges that you encounter every day.
I know you experience difficulties and tensions. How, for example, can a mother continue to perform volunteer work with the needy, which perhaps draws her closer to God than any paying job could, when her labor is needed for the financial support of her children? How can a father plan and hope for his family's future when he works each day in an atmosphere clouded by endless rounds of cost-cutting and layoffs? The problems you face have no easy solutions. The best advice I can give you is that any problem can draw us closer to God if we trust Him to help us understand it and cope with it. So long as we seek a closer relationship with God through our work, even trials and tribulations will strengthen our faith, and our faith will enhance our work.
Perhaps because of the challenges of many modern work situations, many of you remain unaware that your work matters on a grander scale. Does our work result in a more humane, equitable and just society? Do we work in a manner that preserves the environment and offers hope for future generations? What effect does our work have on the poor, children, family life (including our own), immigrants, the homeless, our customers, co-workers, neighbors? Reflecting on these indirect issues sheds light on our immediate circumstances in fresh and unexpected ways and can actually help us in personal decisions, actions and plans.
The example of holy men and women
There is no shortage of examples from the lives of the saints of how holy men and women throughout the history of the Church have integrated their life in Christ with their work in the world. In fact, one could argue that we remember the saints precisely for that reason. We see in their joys, sufferings and labors situations that shed light on our own and encourage us to respond to grace and strive for holiness.
Several Catholic spiritual traditions give us solid guidance in how to go about this. As was noted when she was made a Doctor of the Church, the "Little Way" of St. Terese of Lisieux offers encouragement and hope to modern people whose work life seems to be toil and monotony and who are seeking holiness in the very ordinariness of life. She showed us how a way to God can be found in daily human interactions of the most routine kind, and she emphasized that love must always be put into action.
An aspect of the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi involves moving from action to contemplation and then returning to action changed. This approach locates holiness not only in our private relationship with Jesus and in meditation on God's Word, but also in the work we do. The Franciscan model of the active-contemplative is a way of incorporating prayer into our work life and vice versa.
Our diocesan patron, St. Francis de Sales, was a great champion of lay Christians. He devoted his life to leading people to a deeper spiritual life. He taught that each one of us, regardless of our calling, may find in our life and work a means to deepen our love of God. His admonition to "be who you are and be that well" is an affirmation of the worth of each individual and the potential for holiness in every walk of life.
There are many other examples from the lives of the saints: We have great achievers like St. Thomas More as well and men and women who did simpler work like St. Isidore the farmer or St. Zita the homemaker. Recently, the Holy Father announced that he would beatify a married couple, Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi. Luigi, a lawyer and civil servant, died in 1951 at the age of 71. Maria, who dedicated herself to her family and to several Catholic charitable and social movements, died in 1965 at the age of 81. Like Luigi and Maria, so many couples in our diocese live the gospel and the church's teaching heroically and dedicate both their work in the family and their work in the marketplace to the glory of God.
And do not overlook the holy men and women who may be on the assembly line with you, in the cubicle down the hall, or among your customers. I believe that throughout our community, men and women of many faith traditions successfully live Spirit-filled lives on and off the job. They are easy to find: By their fruits you will know them. These individuals often are very willing to share with you their journey of faith and help guide and encourage others.
A special word to migrant workers in our diocese
I recently returned from a Catholic Relief Services trip to the Diocese of San Marcos, Guatemala. I saw many of the relatives of our own people who live in Georgetown, Selbyville, Milford and Marydel and work in the poultry, agricultural, construction, service and tourist industries. To our migrant workers, whatever your immigration status may be, I want you to know that our diocese and our parishes are committed to serving your spiritual and human needs. Your lives often involve separation from loved ones, long and difficult work hours, and challenging living conditions. We want to do all in our power to ensure that through our diocese, our parishes, and our people you experience the compassion and strength of Christ as you struggle to adjust to life in this country.
In this regard, I call upon the people of the Diocese of Wilmington to live the gospel of hospitality and welcome. A century ago the Church in America responded effectively to the spiritual and human needs of immigrants who came to this country seeking freedom and opportunity. Following the example of our Catholic ancestors, we must respond with open hearts to our brothers and sisters who today come from Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific Islands, and elsewhere. It was Pope Pius XII who said that "the émigré Holy Family of Nazareth, fleeing into Egypt is the archetype of every refugee family."
What can each of us do tomorrow?
There are certain things that every Catholic can do immediately to make Christ's presence more of a reality at work.
We can endeavor to build constructive human relationships in the workplace. Jesus always looked past the job or the title and into the heart of every person he encountered. With many technologies making the workplace less personal, it is all the more important that we interact with others in our workplace in a civil, genuine manner. Courtesy and caring are authentic expressions of love in action.
We can resolve to counter cynicism. Cynicism is a great barrier to hope in God. Once the atmosphere of the workplace has been poisoned by fear and rumors, or repeated insults and injustices, despair follows. For Jesus, trust in the Father's love and goodness was always paramount. The Christian worker is a realist who lives in hope, even in the face of problems and setbacks. We defeat the tendency toward cynicism in ourselves and in others when we enter into our work every day with a determined attitude of patience, kindness, and generosity.
We can uphold the dignity of all and oppose injustice in the workplace. Each of us must choose to treat others fairly and with respect. This is especially important for those in positions of authority, but it is the responsibility of all. Jesus gave us the ultimate example of leadership by demonstrating that the leader first and foremost serves. Servant leadership will not always be expressed the same way, but when practiced it will be unmistakable. In the workplace we must be prepared to be our brother's or our sister's keeper by standing in solidarity with those who are being taken advantage of or treated unfairly. We must be prepared to speak out against practices that hurt or injure people or which do violence to the environment.
We can reflect in prayer about how better to integrate our work and family obligations. Workaholism is a specifically American form of spiritual lukewarmness rooted in the consumerism of our culture. Seeing our careers and work life as a way to holiness prevents us from turning our work into an idol that alienates us from our faith, our spouses, our families and ourselves. Workaholism results in a damaging fallout. Marriages fail or are strained. Children do not receive the attention and nurturing they need. Families experience little or no time together. Family meal times rarely occur. Family celebrations are few and far between.
All of us face different challenges in our marriages, our families and our workplaces. These challenges - when faced with the love and perseverance of Christ - lead us to holiness. Let us turn to the Holy Spirit to help us to discern how to love our spouses and our families more deeply and more creatively and how to balance our work more productively and effectively.
Good News
I am encouraged that many of you have expressed that you find joy in your work and that through your work, you feel closer to God. I am also encouraged that many view work as a place to use their talents, to develop personal and professional skills, to define themselves, and to leave their mark on the world.
People find evidence of God in the workplace through their relationships with others. When gospel values such as respect and compassion are practiced at the upper level of management, respect and compassion tend to flourish throughout the workplace. In those positive environments, workers enjoy the freedom and energy to explore deeper meaning in work and relationships.
By contrast, workers find the connection between faith and work more difficult to make when they feel that management lacks integrity or does not respect the opinions and ideas of the workers. In those cases, people are more apt to see work as a means of economic survival and not as God's gift.
What is most encouraging to me, however, is that an active life in the church seems to support people in their effort to make the connection between faith and work. People who pray, attend Mass regularly, and participate in parish and community activities seem to have a greater sense of meaning and possibility in their lives. Perhaps it is the support of a faith community that enables those of us who practice our faith to make the connection between faith and work. Or perhaps it is their cooperation with God's grace that empowers our sisters and brothers to identify, address and overcome the worldly obstacles we face in order that we may ultimately identify ourselves with and for God.
Whatever the reason, the message and challenge for all of us, my dear friends, is that work offers a Christian both an evangelical opportunity and an apostolic opportunity. By conducting ourselves always as disciples of Christ, even in the most challenging and unlikely of work circumstances, we bear witness to others that the good news of Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of meaning and strength in our lives. In so doing, we preach the gospel through our very presence on the job.
By endeavoring to make our work a force for good, our work becomes part of the building of God's Kingdom. It takes on a new meaning, a meaning that is rich and fruitful for the individual and for the community.
As we take time to relax with family and friends this Labor Day weekend, I encourage you to spend some quiet moments in prayer. Thank our Heavenly Father for the good things that come to us through the gift of work, and ask that the Lord continue to bless our labors as we offer them for the fulfillment of his plan and in the service of all God's people.
1 Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, #41.
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