Before I was even 12 years old, as a farm kid I had “work to do.” As the oldest of three boys, my dad always had another project for me (and my brothers) on his to-do list. Even on “snow days,” when school was cancelled, it seemed that he needed help with something. Just when we thought that a rainy morning in the summer meant we couldn’t put up hay, he had another project to occupy our time. If he happened to come into the house and see us watching television, he would order us out the door for something that in our minds didn’t really need to be done. Years later I realized that he wanted us to be productive and learn to value the help we could give others, to serve rather than to be served.
Labor Day is a time to reflect upon the dignity of work and the way in which we contribute to the common good of our society. While labor seems to connote the idea of physical, manual activity, the question of what we do for “work” seems to be a reference to the type of employment in which we are engaged. Whether our work is in some craft or trade, or in business management or in education, health care, government or the service sector, there are a variety of ways in which each of us has the duty and the right to contribute to the wellbeing of others.
Imagine, for a moment, the daily goods and services that we enjoy and what it takes for us to have them. When I get up in the morning and turn on the light, or take a shower, I try to be grateful for those who work in the utilities industry. So often, we never meet the people who make sure we have water and electricity whenever we flip the switch or turn on the faucet. And how much of the food which we consume is provided by someone else? We often take for granted the fact there will be bananas in the store when we want them, or ice cream when we want to enjoy a “Sunday sundae.” And how inconvenienced we can be when we can’t get what we want when we want it.
By our willingness to labor in one field or another we come to enjoy the comfortable lifestyle to which we have grown accustomed to living. We all groan this time of year when countless orange barrels on streets and highways slow us down or reroute us a bit. Yet, after the work is finished, how grateful are we for the work that has been completed? I’m grateful for my neighbor who mows my lawn. I’m grateful for the tanker truck driver who delivers fuel to whatever station at which I need to fill up again on my way to St. Elsewhere. I am thankful for a slice of pizza at Casey’s when I don’t have time for a full meal. And believe it or not, I am grateful for the person who gives me a haircut, however infrequently that has become.
When it comes to our own work, the activities that are a part of our daily labor, it is important that we value our work for more than just the compensation we receive to pay our bills. If we work simply to collect a paycheck, our work will more likely become drudgery and our corresponding disposition might cause those around us to dread having to work alongside us. Certainly, work can be a drudgery, yet we have to also work at the frame of mind in which we carry out our work. The more we focus on the displeasure of our work, the more irritated and frustrated we will be. Yet the more we think about the good we are contributing to others, the more meaningful the most menial work can be.
Nearly 50 years ago, a friend of mine worked at the Federal Reserve in Minneapolis. As a college student, his job was to package coins for shipping to banks and financial institutions. To make it more interesting, he and his coworkers would take turns helping each other try to set new daily records for the number of coins they packaged. Certainly, not all jobs have a way to become more enjoyable. Customer service must be one of the hardest positions for anyone to enjoy. And yet, truly helping people with whatever can be done for them can also be a very meaningful type of work. Often, work is what we make of it.
On this Labor Day, we might reflect upon our own particular talents and our own experience of work at this time in our lives. And if you are retired, look back and consider what was the most meaningful work you carried out. Whatever it is or was, I would guess that it was when you are or were using your God given gifts combined with your unique personality. If so, stop and notice how who you are contributes to the good of others, not just what you do. Simply put, we enjoy work more if we enjoy the unique gifts of our co-workers, and conversely, we often dread our work because of the attitudes and negativity of our co-workers.
With that in mind, we might use Labor Day as an occasion to “raise the bar” a bit in our place of work. When we do our work diligently and joyfully, with pride and integrity, avoiding gossip and negativity, slothfulness and minimal concern for outcomes, we elevate the atmosphere for those around us. St. Joseph is a model for workers. Truly, he glorified God in his carpentry, and in the integrity of what he built for others. St. Joseph can be a powerful intercessor for all workers, for the grace and strength they need to overcome every difficulty, to persevere in trials and become, like him, someone who glorifies God with his natural gifts.
And so, let us pray for all those who are without meaningful work to support their families and contribute to the wellbeing of others. May the Lord provide for them in beautiful and surprising ways. Likewise, let us pray for all who have been injured in their line of work or because of some health crisis or disability are challenged to find new ways to serve the good of others. May they discover new meaning in their lives even perhaps while having to depend on the help of others. And most of all, let us give thanks for the work of all who contribute to our lives and our wellbeing by the work they do. In all things, may God be praised!
Let me leave you with this...
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful song. Know that the Lord is God. He made us, we belong to him. We are his people, The flock he shepherds
