Labor's day

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is going to lead the celebration of the 121st Labor Day and he will launch major job fair activities to provide many local and overseas job opportunities to Filipino workers.

On the same day, in the other part of Manila, more than 10,000 workers will protest asking for their proper rights, daily wage increases, decent work and problems of unemployment. 

1. Work is a vocation of Man: Man is called to work from the beginning. Work is one of the characteristics that distinguish man from the rest of creatures,

Genesis 2:15 – “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” After the human beings committed sin, God cursed them, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground” (Gen 3:19)

God created the world, light and so and so in the universe. Then He created man, and He gave man and woman a mission: to manage, to work with and bring forward creation. To the point that work is none other than the continuation of God’s work: When we work, we are collaborating/participate in the creator’s work. Work as a sharing in the creating activity of God. (தொநூ 1:27, 2:5, 2:15, எபே 2:10) God is creating out of nothing. We create out of something. 

2. Work involves the whole person: And work means any activity by man, whether manual or intellectual. Work involves the whole person; when we work, our body, mind/heart and spirit should be involved. Work cannot be reduced only to manual work. Thomas Aquinas spent his long work only in the library, while Francis of Assisi never dedicated time in the library. 

3. Work brings you near to God: Spirituality of work: work will help people to come closer to God. 

There is a right to rest. In the first place, this involves a regular weekly rest comprising at least Sunday, and also a longer period of rest, namely the holiday or vacation taken once a year or possibly in several shorter periods during the year. Do not be a workaholic, take proper rest: even God rested on sabbath day. Especially in the modern age, the spirituality of work should show the maturity called for by the tensions and restlessness of mind and heart.