Work

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/050117.cfm) reminds me of the importance of work - both in the worldly sense and for God's kingdom. 

A lot of people love Pope Francis. And here in the Philippines, as we celebrate Labor Day and the Feast of St Joseph the Worker today, I am reminded of one of his quote about work. 

Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use an image, "anoints" us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God, who has worked and still works, who always acts.

And in another instance, he said that where there is no work, there is no dignity. 

St Joseph is the chaste husband of Mary and the earthly foster father of Jesus. We celebrate two feasts on him - March 20 on being the husband of Mama Mary, and today on being a worker. We know little about him, but we know he is a good man, obedient to God, chaste and a hard worker. He worked hard as a carpenter to be able to provide for his family. And he served God by doing his best in his work and silently serving and loving his family. 

God does not need grand gestures for him to know that we love him.

As human beings, it is very difficult to be like St Joseph. It is difficult to work silently for the Lord – people want to be praised and acknowledged. And more often than not, those who are loud are those who get attention. We sometimes think God is like that as well, that we need to do grand things for him to notice us. We think that we need to announce the good that we are doing so that others can affirm us and we sometimes equate that to God’s affirmation as well. God is not like us. He looks at the heart and it does not matter if we work silently – he still sees our hearts.

God is sensitive. He hears and sees what people cannot. He sees the quiet and sincere heart we have for Him, so we need not broadcast all the good we are doing for Him. People’s affirmation does not always mean God’s affirmation.

May we be inspired by St Joseph to work hard for our family, and work silently for the Lord... and follow God no matter how challenging the situation may be.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another week. Thank you for my work, for as Pope Francis said, it enables me to decently provide for my family. Sorry for not giving it its due importance and for taking it for granted. Thank you for giving us St Joseph – a human being too but has the qualities of a great servant of God. I am sorry for the times I seek for human affirmation and recognition for the work I do for you. Sorry for the times I think that I need to get their attention in order to get yours. Lord, I ask that you give me a heart like St Joseph. May I never want praise and attention to myself, but work hard and silently to build your kingdom. May I be sensitive to others and put the welfare of others above my own, above my concern. Amen.

Blessed week!

In Christ,

-g-

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May 1, 2017Monday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 273

Reading 1ACTS 6:8-15

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
"We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God."
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
"This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Responsorial PsalmPS 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30

R. (1ab) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.

AlleluiaMT 4:4B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes froth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelJN 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
"Rabbi, when did you get here?"
Jesus answered them and said,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. 
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." 
So they said to him,
"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."