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At Mass in the Casa Santa Marta, in the Vatican, this Friday, May 1, in memory of Saint Joseph, the worker, the Pope prayed that all workers be rewarded, have a decent job and enjoy the beauty of rest. .
VATICAN NEWS
Francisco presided over the mass at the Casa Santa Marta, in the Vatican, on the morning of this Friday, May 1, when the Church remembers Saint Joseph, the worker. In the Espírito Santo chapel there was an image of Saint Joseph, the craftsman, taken for this occasion by Acli, the Christian associations of Italian workers. In the introduction, the Pope directed his thoughts to the world of work:
Today, which is the feast of Saint Joseph the worker, also on Labor Day, let us pray for all the workers. For everyone. So that no person misses work and everyone is justly rewarded and can enjoy the dignity of work and the beauty of rest.
In his homily, the Pope commented on the reading of the Book Day of Genesis (Genesis 1.26-2.3) in which the creation of man is described in the image and likeness of God. “On the seventh day, God considered that all the work he had done was finished; and on the seventh day he rested from all the work he had done. “
God – Francisco affirmed – gives his activity, his work, to the man, so that he collaborates with him. Human work is the vocation received by God and makes man similar to God because with work man is capable of creating. Work gives dignity. Dignity so trampled on in history. Today, too, there are many slaves, labor slaves to survive: forced workers, poorly paid, with trampled dignity. The dignity of the people is taken away. Here too, where we are, the Pope observed, with day laborers with a minimum wage for many hours worked, with the housekeeper who does not pay the fair and does not have social security or retirement. It happens here: it is trampling on human dignity. Every injustice that is done to the worker is to trample on human dignity. Today, we join with so many believers and non-believers who celebrate this worker’s day for those who fight for justice at work. The Pope prayed for those good businessmen who do not want to fire people, who protect workers as if they were children, and prayed to San José to help us fight for the dignity of work, so that there is work for everyone and that Be a decent job.
The following is the text of the homily transcribed by Vatican News:
God Created A Creator Created the world, created man, and gave man a mission: to manage, work, take creation forward. And the word “work” is what the Bible uses to describe this activity of God: “He considered that all the work that he had done was finished; and on the seventh day he rested from all the work that he had done”, and gave him this activity to man: “You must do this, protect him, that other one, you must work to create with me, as it were, this world, so that I can continue ahead.” So much so that work is nothing but the continuation of God’s work: human work is the vocation of man received from God for the purpose of creating the universe.
And work is what makes man like God, because with work man is a creator, he can create, create many things, including creating a family to keep going. Man is creator and creates with work. That is the vocation. And the Bible says that “God saw all that He had made, and, behold, it was all very good.” In other words, work is intrinsically good and creates harmony of things (beauty, goodness) and involves man in everything: in his thinking, in his actions, in everything. The man is involved in the work. It is the first vocation of man: to work. And that gives man dignity. The dignity that makes you similar to God. The dignity of work.
Once, in Caritas, a Caritas employee told a man who had no job and was going to Caritas to find something for the family: “At least you can take the bread home” – “But that is not enough for me, not enough, “was the reply:” I want to earn bread to take home. ” He lacked dignity, the dignity of being the one who “made” the bread, with his work, and taking it home. The dignity of work, how trampled on, unfortunately. In history we read the brutalities they did with slaves: they took him from Africa to America, I think of that story that concerns my land, and we say “how much barbarism” … But today there are also many slaves, many men and women who they are not free to work: they are forced to work, to survive, nothing more. They are slaves: forced labor … forced labor, unjust, poorly paid and that lead man to live with trampled dignity. There are many, many in the world. A few months ago we read in the newspapers, in that Asian country, how a man had beaten to death his employee with less than half a dollar a day, for something that had gone wrong. Slavery today is our “unworthiness”, because it hinders the dignity of men, women and all of us. “No, work, I have my dignity”: yes, but his brothers, no. “Yes, father, it is true, but this, as it is so distant, I find it hard to understand. But here where we are … “: also here, among us. Here, among us. Think of the workers, the day laborers, whom you work for a minimum wage and not eight, but twelve, fourteen hours a day: it happens today, around the world, but also here, think of a domestic worker who is not paid fairly, who does not have social security assistance, who does not have the ability to retire: this is not the case only in Asia.
Any injustice done to a person who works is to trample on human dignity, including the dignity of the person who commits the injustice: the level is reduced and the tension of the slave dictator ends. Instead, the vocation that God gives us is very beautiful: to create, to recreate. Work But this can be done when the conditions are fair and the dignity of the person is respected.
Today we join many men and women, believers and non-believers, who today celebrate Labor Day, Labor Day, for those who fight for justice at work, for them, good entrepreneurs, who carry out the work. exactly, even if they have losses.
Two months ago I heard a businessman on the phone, here in Italy, who asked me to pray for him because he did not want to fire anyone and said: “Because firing one of them is firing me.” This awareness of many good employers, who protect workers as if they were children. Let us also pray for them. And let us ask São José, with this beautiful icon with the instruments of work in hand, to help us fight for the dignity of work, so that there is work for all and that it is decent work. I am not a slave. That is today’s prayer.
The Holy Father ended the celebration with adoration and Eucharistic blessing, inviting him to Spiritual communion. The following is the prayer recited by the Pope:
At your feet, oh my Jesus, I bow down and offer you the repentance of my contrite heart that is submerged in its nothingness in Your holy presence. I adore you in the Sacrament of your love, the ineffable Eucharist. I wish to receive you in the poor home that my heart offers you; waiting for the happiness of sacramental communion, I want to have you in the Spirit. Come to me, oh my Jesus, that I come to you. May your love ignite my whole being, for life and death. I believe in you, I hope in you. I love you. So be it.
Before leaving the Chapel dedicated to the Holy Spirit, Marian antiphon “Regina caeli”, sung at Easter time:
Queen of heaven, rejoice. Hallelujah!
Because the one you deserved to bring in your bosom. Hallelujah!
He is risen as I said. Hallelujah!
Pray to us for God. Hallelujah!
D. / Rejoice and rejoice, O Virgin Mary. Hallelujah!
C. / Because the Lord is truly risen. Hallelujah!
