St. Joseph, the Worker's day

 President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is leading the celebration of the 121st Labor Day and launched major job fair activities to provide local and overseas job opportunities to Filipino workers.

People are going to protest for wage increases, decent work, and rights to freely unionize as they take to the streets of the capital Manila on May 1. They will gather more than 10,000 workers and march from near the presidential palace in Manila on Labor Day. 

Every year the unemployment rate is increasing… 

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”

Through WORK man must earn his daily bread by his work.  

And work means any activity by man, whether manual or intellectual, whatever its nature or circumstances; 

Work is a vocation, a part of the plan of God. 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. 

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 spent his life in the library. 

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 work alcoholic, take proper rest, 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.