Lord, Give Success to the Work of Our Hands

As we approach Labor Day, I think that it is good to reflect upon and to re-orient ourselves toward the role of work in God's mysterious plan.

Human work proceeds directly from persons created in the image of God and called to prolong the work of creation by subduing the earth, both with and for one another. Hence work is a duty: "If any one will not work, let him not eat (2 Thess 3:10, cf. 1 Thess 4:11)." Work honors the Creator's gifts and the talents received from him. It can also be redemptive. By enduring the hardship of work in union with Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth and the one crucified on Calvary, man collaborates in a certain fashion with the Son of God in his redemptive work. He shows himself to be a disciple of Christ by carrying the cross, daily, in the work he is called to accomplish. Work can be a means of sanctification and a way of animating earthly realities with the Spirit of Christ. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2427

Our faith calls us to value work, to desire to work, and to put in an honest day's work. At the same time our faith requires employers to provide a just wage and to allow full access to employment without unjust discrimination (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2426-2436).

There is so much talk about work these days, especially since so many people are unemployed and many, many more are underemployed. To make enough money to pay the bills or to have health insurance, many work long hours which impact the quality of their family lives. "Work is for man, not man for work," the Catechism reminds us (2428).

I think that Labor Day provides a chance for all of us to first thank God for the gift of work along with the many other gifts that he freely and generously gives us (life, faith, family, Church, creation, food, etc). It is also a time to pray for those who are in need of work.

Finally, I think it provides an opportunity to examine our own consciences about our view of human labor within the context of our faith:

• If I have a job, do I put in an honest day's work? Am I honest and truthful? Am I respectful of other's property or do I feel entitled to take things from work that aren't mine? Do I treat coworkers with respect? Am I charitable? Do I put work ahead of family? Do I rest from work on Sundays?
  
• If I do not have a job, have I done all that I can to search for a job? Have I tried to improve my skills or study a new field? Have I given up hope? Do I seek God's guidance and sustenance? Am I angry with God? Do I use the time that I now have doing something positive? Do I still seek to help others as best as I can?
  
• Whether or not we have a job, all of us can ask ourselves, Do I respect all people regardless of whether or not they have a job? Do I respect all people or do I judge people based on status or job? Do I have compassion for people who work in difficult conditions? Do I value companies that provide fair and just labor standards when I consider a purchase? Do I begrudge someone who gets government or other assistance when unemployed or underemployed? Have I reflected upon the Catholic position regarding immigration?

Labor Day gives us the opportunity to thank God for the gift of work and to pray for people who want to work but do not have employment or are unable to work. I know that this year I will pray for those who have dangerous jobs, especially the trapped Chilean minors (and for their families).

A number of years ago I was asked by our Office for Justice and Peace to compose a litany to be used on Labor Day. I try to review it each year around Labor Day to remind myself of the dignity God has bestowed upon work and worker alike. I wrote about it last year and it can be found by clicking here.

Below is a prayer (slightly adapted, for personal prayer) from the Sacramentary (Masses for Various Needs and Occasions: For the Blessing of Human Labor):

God our Father,
by the labor of men and women you govern and guide to perfection
the work of creation.
Hear the prayers of your people
and give all men and women work
that enhances their human dignity
and draws them closer to each other
in the service of their brothers and sisters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Out of the depths

Out of the depths I call to you, LORD;
LORD, hear my cry!

May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. (Ps. 130:2)

Photo by Frederic Dupoux/Getty Images

Merciful and loving God,

you set the earth on its foundations

and covered it with the oceans.

Look with your great compassion on the people of Haiti:

welcome those who died into your heavenly kindgdom,

comfort those who still suffer amidst the rubble,

strengthen those who seek to help,

reunite those who are separated,

and console those who mourn their dead.

Grant that the people of Haiti

may rise from the depths of this great tragedy

trusting in your Divine Mercy and Providence.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

*****

UPDATE (Jan. 13 at 1 p.m.)

Click here for a link to another prayer

composed by Diana Macalintal,

Director of the Office of Worship of the Diocese of San Jose.

Her blog, The Work of the People, is a very thoughtful and well-informed addition to the blogosphere.

*****
UPDATE (Jan. 13 at 1:25 p.m.)

The Diocese of Madison announces plans for a collection to assist the people of Haiti (click here for Diocesan press release).

Veterans' Day

God of power and mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst
and wipe away our tears
that we may all deserved to be called your sons and daughters.
We as this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
--From the Sacramentary, "Mass in time of war or civil disturbance"

Ninety-one years ago today the hostilities of the war to end all wars ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month with an armistice. In our country, of course, this is Veterans' Day.

We owe a great deal of thanks to all veterans who have protected and defended our nation. Perhaps the greatest thanks we can offer is our own heroic efforts to promote peace and to love one another as members of the heavenly household--God's sons and daughters.

September 11th

Lord Jesus Christ,
who are called the Prince of Peace,
who are yourself our peace and reconciliation,
who so often said, "Peace to you,"
grant us peace.

Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love.
Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace.
Enlighten our rulers
that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace.
May all peoples of the earth become as brothers and sisters.
May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all.

Prayer for Peace of Blessed Pope John XXIII

***

Father, all powerful and ever living God,
we praise and thank you through Jesus Christ our Lord
for your presence and action in the world.

In the midst of conflict and division,
we know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace.

Your Spirit changes our hearts:
enemies begin to speak to one another,
those who were estranged join hands in friendship,
and nations seek the way of peace together.

Your Spirit is at work when understanding puts an end to strife,
when hatred is quenched by mercy,
and vengeance gives way to forgiveness.

For this we should never cease to thank and praise you.

Preface from the Eucharistic Prayer for Masses of Reconciliation (II)

Community, Unity, Love

The Holy Father often uses his time during his Wednesday General Audiences to teach about the great saints. Yesterday (September 9), he preached about St. Peter Damian, the 11th-century monk, reformer, and "intrepid man of the Church," according to Pope Benedict XVI.

There were two very profound thoughts in the pope's talk, as related by the Vatican News Service. First, he spoke about St. Peter's life as a hermit, where he sought solitude and rigorous self-denial and penance as a way to break his ties to the world and deepen his communion with the Lord. Pope Benedict added:

"Today too, even if we are not monks, it is important to know how to create silence within ourselves in order to listen to the voice of God. ... Learning the Word of God in prayer and meditation is the path of life."

For most of us, silence is difficult. But it can't be a luxury, for indeed God uses the silence to speak to us. Even in our public prayer, the liturgy, silence is required so that we may hear the Lord's voice and let it speak to our inmost being.

However, as Christians, we don't live for ourselves only. As wonderful as our communion with the Lord may be, it calls us to something more. Pope Benedict continued:

"[C]ommunion with Christ creates a unity of love among Christians..."

How many times have we heard people (including ourselves), in faithful zeal and love of the Lord, deny this Communion not in word, but in lack of love? We speak often of the secularization of society and the Church. Perhaps this is most clear when the language of division encroaches upon our Church. In our country, this often is fueled by political differences as well.

I sometimes pray that I may see others as the Lord sees them. We know that God has created all people in his image and that each life is important. He loved us first (I John 4:19), even before we loved him and he will love us to the end (John 13:1). He loves us with all our faults, yet he wishes us to overcome these; he loves us even while in sin, but he seeks our repentance; he loves us even while in darkness, but he leads us to the light.

And what is love? According to the Apostle Paul (I Cor. 13:4-13) it is patient, kind, neither jealous nor pompous, not inflated or rude, it is not selfish and not quick-tempered, and doesn't brood over injury. Love doesn't rejoice when things go wrong but in the truth. It endures for ever in hope.

For me, this is how I discern a person's message of faith (including my own). Are they (or I) kind and patient? If the answer is "yes," love is there (and God is love). Are they arrogant and pompous? Rude, rash, selfish? If so, then love is not there. And when love isn't there, it doesn't let us off the hook. We still have to love that person or those people who may dislike us or even hate us.

This is a life-long project (at least it is for me!). Pope Benedict's words about St. Peter Damian help keep us focused and remember:

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (I John 4:7-8, NAB)

Resources for Commemorating September 11th

This Friday marks the eighth anniversary of the attacks of September 11th, "a dark day in the history of humanity, a terrible affront to human dignity" (Pope John Paul II, September 12, 2001 Audience), which he said left him (and all of the world) "heartbroken." Many parishes have Masses, Vespers, or some other liturgical prayer that day while others will commemorate the event at the Saturday evening and Sunday Masses.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has had a page with prayers, intercessions and homily resources posted for several years. Even if you have referred to this in the past, it's worth another look. There are prayers for peace, for our nation, for our troops and for our leaders. This Friday also may be a good day to look once again at Pope Benedict XVI's prayer that he offered at Ground Zero when he visited New York last year.

Two days after the attacks, Pope John Paul II welcomed a new American ambassador to the Holy See. In his remarks, the Holy Father said:

I pray that this inhuman act will awaken in the hearts of all the world’s peoples a firm resolve to reject the ways of violence, to combat everything that sows hatred and division within the human family, and to work for the dawn of a new era of international cooperation inspired by the highest ideals of solidarity, justice and peace.

Sometime this week most of us will recall where we were and what we were doing as these horrific attacks took place and their impact began to sink into our hearts. It might be a better exercise to consider --both personally and as a nation--where we have been since September 11th and what we are doing to "work for the dawn of a new era...inspired by the highest ideals of solidarity, justice and peace."

Give Success to the Work of Our Hands

The following litany was developed by the Office of Worship a number of years ago at the request of our Office for Justice and Peace. It was intended to help us remember to pray for all of those who do not have work or who are oppressed because of unsafe or unethical working conditions.

A Litany for Labor Day

Leader: Friends, let us offer our prayers to God who pronounced all creation good, who sent his Son to live and work as one like us, and who calls us to serve in love the poor and those oppressed by any need. Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

Response (all): Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

Reader: For those who are unemployed or underemployed, we pray:

Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

For those who have lost their jobs due to changing economic conditions, we pray:

Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

For those who work in hazardous conditions without sufficient protection, we pray:

Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

For migrant workers and all who work the land, we pray:

Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

For children who are forced to work and for elderly who are not sufficiently supported in retirement, we pray:

Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

For those who face discrimination, harassment or abuse in the workplace, we pray:

Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

For those who must balance job commitments with the needs of their families, we pray:

Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

Loving God,
through your Son Jesus Christ

you gave us an example to love one another

as he loved us.

Give us the strength to continue working

to bring forth your kingdom here on earth--

a kingdom of justice and peace,

kindness and compassion,

grace and mercy.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

New (free) resource: Prayers of the Faithful

The Liturgy of the Word concludes with the Creed and the Prayers of the Faithful. Having heard God's word proclaimed in the readings and broken open in the homily, we profess our faith and intercede for those in need. In short, we ask God to do again today what he has done throughout all of history. In a particular way, it gives us a chance to look more specifically at the needs of our world through the lens of the day's Scripture.

It has been my experience (both as writer and pray-er of petitions) that this is a difficult task. We often go to the default of "For our Holy Father, our Bishops, and all Bishops..." regardless of the Scripture, feast or season. We need to ask ourselves, "what do we need to pray for in light of today's Mass?" Of course, we follow the prescriptions of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (nos. 69-71) which directs us to pray...

...For the needs of the Church;
...For public authorities and the salvation of the whole world;
...For those burdened by any kind of difficulty;
...For the local community.

Liturgy Training Publications [LTP] has a new resource to assist with this task called, Prayer of the Faithful: Intercessions for Your Faith Community. For each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation there is an invitation to prayer, intercessions, and closing prayer. This downloadable product is issued in two-month segments so that the prayers can respond to today's issues (and LTP assures that updates will be released in the case of sudden, significant world or national events that need our prayer). As is the case with most LTP titles, this is published both in English and Spanish.

And this is all free!

While you may prefer to discern your own prayers, this certainly provides fodder for your soul as you compose the intercessions for Sunday Mass.

The Year for Priests

Pope Benedict XVI has declared a “Year for Priests” which began on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 19, 2009 and will conclude June 19, 2010. In his daily audience today, Pope Benedict XVI said,

The goal of priests' mission is, we could say, 'of worship': that all men and women may offer themselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, receiving the charity which they are then called to dispense abundantly to one another. ... Love for others, concern for justice and the poor are not so much a question of social morals as the expression of a sacramental conception of Christian morality because, through priestly ministry, the spiritual sacrifice of all the faithful is accomplished, in union with the sacrifice of Christ, the only mediator.

Saint John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, has been named by the Holy Father as the patron of this year. Saint John Vianney (1786-1859) was born in France a few years prior to the Revolution (1789-99). During the Revolution, many Catholic priests were killed and others were forced into hiding. Young John grew up in a Church in hiding.

He entered the Seminary at the "old" age of 20. He struggled with his classes and failed some examinations. However, he was ordained and sent to be the parish priest in the town of Ars (He often is called the Curé d'Ars--the "parish priest of Ars").In the aftermath of the Revolution the people or Ars had little religious education and were lax in the practice of their faith. Because of John's dedication, charity and example, the people and community were transformed. Over time, thousands came to his little parish each year, especially to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is said that he spent up to 16 hours in the confessional on many, many days.

But for those of us who are not ordained priests, what are we supposed to do during this Year for Priests?

Pope John XXIII published an encyclical, Sacerdotii nostri primordia, on the 100th anniversary of St. John Vianney's death. In it he exhorted the laity:

Those who are more fervent and devout are turning their eyes and their minds to the priest with a great deal of hope and expectation. For, at a time when you find flourishing everywhere the power of money, the allure of pleasures of the senses, and too great an esteem for technical achievements, they want to see in him a man who speaks in the name of God, who is animated by a firm faith, and who gives no thought to himself, but burns with intense charity.

So let them all realize that they can help sacred ministers a great deal to achieve this lofty goal, if only they will show due respect for priestly dignity, and have proper esteem for their pastoral office and its difficulties, and finally be even more zealous and active in offering to help them. (paragraphs 107-108)

Perhaps some time praying, reading and reflecting on documents such as this will provide us all new insight into the indispensible role of the priest in the life of our Church.

Finally, the Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes a prayer of the Cure of Ars (no. 2658) that sums up his fervent love and devotion to God:

l love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life. I love you, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you. I love you, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love you eternally. . . . My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love you, I want my heart to repeat it to you as often as I draw breath.

Love of God, and love of each other, is a constant theme of Pope Benedict XVI's writings and teachings. We have much to learn about love. Saint John Vianney, pray for us!