Sanctifying Our Work

 

 There is a beautiful story that a cardinal tells about his time in Rome. He was walking down the street toward the Vatican when he saw a man sweeping the street. After greeting him, the man said, “Your Eminence, you are going to the Vatican to do important work. But, if I sweep this street with more love, then my work is even more valuable in the eyes of God than yours.” The cardinal told him that he was absolutely correct, because love is what gives value to human work.

That is something that all of us should remember. As Pope Saint John Paul II put it, “It is the human person who gives dignity to the work, not work that gives dignity to the person.” Whatever our work may be, if we are doing our best and serving others out of love, then we can hold our heads up high and do it proudly. At the same time, we should never look down on others because of how they earn a living.

 Now matter how much love we put into our work, however, it will still be difficult. All work involves some kind of suffering whether it is physical or emotional. As Christians, we have a way of dealing with suffering- by uniting it with the suffering of Jesus on the cross. So, when I am straining every muscle to do my work, I can call to mind how Jesus struggled to carry the cross. If I am not being appreciated for what I do, I can remember how Jesus was looked down on and ridiculed as He hung on the cross. By uniting our suffering with that of Jesus, we find strength to carry on and we are transformed in the process. 

 One thing many people do is offer the suffering of their work for a specific intention. For instance, we could offer the pain involved in a particularly challenging project for those who are not able to find a job. Or, we could offer the anxiety and nervousness we might be feeling for those who are poor and do not know where their next meal will come from. By doing that, we take the focus off ourselves and what we are experiencing and remembering those who have less than we do. Whenever we do that, we grow in appreciation for what we have and in love for others.

Work is meant to be a blessing for us. It is a way that we can develop our talents and serve others out of love. It is also a way that we can share in Jesus’ cross. So we gather here on this day of rest to thank God for the gift of work and also to pray for those who are unemployed or who are being exploited in their work. May our work help build a world marked with God’s justice