Matthew 9:35-38: And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease
and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,
because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then
he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore to the Lord of
the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Today, in the United States of America, we celebrate “Labor
Day.” In 1884 the first Monday in September was
selected as the holiday, and it is celebrated as a tribute to the
contribution of workers to the strength and prosperity of our nation. It is a good holiday, since no country can
even survive unless its citizens are willing to work, and no country can ask
its citizens to work unless a fair and just reward for their efforts awaits
them at the end of the day. Those who work insure a future for themselves,
their loved ones, and their country.
So it is with us as Christians.
We are faced today with a world which needs our work. We see people suffering
every day from depression, anxiety and aimlessness. We see people working to
serve false gods: fortune, intelligence, status, pleasure and power.
Our Bible verse for today
tells us that this is not new. Jesus himself saw the crowds and had compassion
on them because they were so lost. He wasted no time in getting to work and
healing them of their suffering and bringing them the Good News.
Jesus set the example we all must follow in
our lives. We must work in the world in order to survive. We must toil and
labor and bring home the money we need to survive, yet there is a higher value
to our profession than simply doing our job well and going home at the end of
the day. Our work place is the field which needs to be harvested. Whether it be
in a factory, an office, or a home, God has placed us exactly in the field
where the work needs to be done, by us. No job is greater than another, no
position holds higher esteem in the eyes of God. Status is a man-made concept.
The purpose of our job is to help mankind both through the use of our God-given
talents and by bringing the light of faith into the everyday lives of our
co-workers.
This is not a difficult
thing to do. Begin by radiating joy and sincerity. Be someone who can be
trusted, someone who leaves the pronoun “I” at home and concentrates on the “you”
of those around him. Listen carefully to what is shared with you, be open to
the Holy Spirit in dealing with the people God puts in your path. BE attentive to their needs. Never
be afraid to say that you will pray for someone who is hurting. Leave your
heart open to God’s direction, and when
you open the door to leave your home and start your work day, let Jesus lead
the way out and into your place of employment. Let Him into your heart, mind
and soul by starting your day with prayer, pray in the car or on the bus, and
always say, “Jesus I trust in You” before giving advice to anyone.
Jesus needs us right where
we are. If we are at home, He needs us to be shining examples to our children
and grandchildren of the beautiful life that comes from knowing, loving and
serving Him. If we are out in the world, He needs us to reflect His love and
concern for those who are “harassed and helpless.” There is no job too
insignificant for God’s work to be done. Consider yourself an apostle first,
and then go and bring in the harvest. God is counting on you. The reward for this work is eternal life!!!!
A Prayer for Workers
O glorious Joseph!
Who concealed your incomparable and regal dignity of custodian of Jesus and of
the Virgin Mary under the humble appearance of a craftsman and provided for
them with your work, protect with loving power your sons, especially entrusted
to you.
You know their
anxieties and sufferings, because you yourself experienced them at the side of
Jesus and of His Mother. Do not allow them, oppressed by so many worries, to
forget the purpose for which they were created by God. Do not allow the seeds
of distrust to take hold of their immortal souls. Remind all the workers that
in the fields, in factories, in mines, and in scientific laboratories, they are
not working, rejoicing, or suffering alone, but at their side is Jesus, with
Mary, His Mother and ours, to sustain them, to dry the sweat of their brow,
giving value to their toil. Teach them to turn work into a very high instrument
of sanctification as you did. Amen. http://catholicism.about.com/od/prayers/qt/Prayer_Workers.htm
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