01/05/2023
*Reflection For May 1, Feast Of St. Joseph The Worker*
*There Is Dignity In Labour*
This indeed is a special month for me as I anticipate my birthday in few days time, and for making us see this worker's day even with the epileptic economy and incessant strike actions we have experienced in the country where I come from. Today, both the civil government and the Catholic Church in particular celebrates though without pomp and happiness, workers, and remember St. Joseph, the husband of our Blessed Virgin Mary, who himself was a worker (carpenter) in the remote village of Nazareth. Also, today we celebrate the dignity of human labour and work, and pray especially for workers whose wages have not been paid by their pay masters. In the Catholic Church, this celebration started in 1955 by Pope Pius XII.
Historically, so many reasons prompted the Pope for the institution of this feast but the first among them was to give a religious understanding to the meaning and purpose of work and labour. Indeed, "there is dignity in labour", St Paul says. Who is a labourer? Is a politician "selected" into office, a labourer? What about entrepreneurs, self employers, artisans, etc.?
Generally in Nigeria, the civil government observes today as a public holiday for workers to celebrate their economic and social achievements. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement and the rights of workers. Today as it was before 1955, a lot of workers are still crying, wailing, marginalized, and tortured. Worst of all are those who have put in all their best for the government, yet they have not been appreciated. We can see the number of government unions who have embarked on strike actions in the last few years. However, the term gratuity is a derivative of the Latin gratias, meaning gratitude, but are our retirees been appreciated by government? We can use this as a topic for another day...
There has always been a relationship between the State and the Church. But in Nigeria, with the ongoing kidnappings and killings of Christians with their priests, it leaves one with a deep thought of what this relationship is. Yet the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Joseph the Worker on this same day so as to give a spiritual dimension and direction. May God help all workers especially those who work without pay.
In the Book of Genesis 1, 26-2,3, we are told that God Himself did the work of creation and after completing the work, He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, we can say unequivocally that work has a holy and sacred meaning because we are also the work of God's hands and we are called to continue the work of God's creation as co-creators with Him.
Nevertheless, we must also remember that when man sinned and broke the harmony of God's creation, work is seen as a curse - "By the sweat of your brow, you shall eat your bread"(Gen 3:19) Are you an employer of labour, how do you take care of your employees? Do you pay them regularly and well? How do you take care of their general welfare? Do you make them work to death without a commensurate remuneration and honorarium?
On the other hand, how do you take care of your work as an employee? Do you work haphazardly because you're just hired? When do you resume and leave your duty post? Do you cheat your employer because he does not come to check every day? St. Paul told the Colossians that "whatever our work is, we are to put our heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, because it is Christ the Lord that we are serving" ( Colossians 3, 14-15, 17, 23-24).
My dear brothers and sisters, as we celebrate ourselves today, let us do our work for the Lord and make it a holy and sacred offering to Him. In this way we follow our Lord Jesus who came to serve and not to be served. May you eat from your work. Amen.
Happy workers day!
Read Genesis 1, 26-2, 3 and Matthew 13, 54-58
Rabbi
