Labor and Love

09-06-2015Weekly ReflectionFr. Brian Jazdzewski

Moreover, the goal of economics and politics is to serve humanity, beginning with the poorest and most vulnerable wherever they may be, even in their mothers' wombs. Every economic and political theory or action must set about providing each inhabitant of the planet with the minimum wherewithal to live in dignity and freedom, with the possibility of supporting a family, educating children, praising God and developing one's own human potential. This is the main thing; in the absence of such a vision, all economic activity is meaningless. Vatican City, June 17, 2013 (Pope Francis' letter to David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who will host the upcoming G8 Summit in Northern Ireland.)

I’m really tempted to parse that paragraph out as we have come to recognizing Labor Day Weekend 2015 along with the earliest beginnings of another academic year. Let it suffice to say that our human labor continues to need perspective. Referring to Pope Francis, the main goal of labor is to live in dignity and freedom, with the possibility of supporting a family, educating children, praising God and developing our individual human potential. Again, these words really encapsulate what is going on in the minds of many this time of year. So consider, has/does your labor help achieve these goals in your life?

I’d have to say that, as I gain age and wisdom, among the most meaningful labors is the support of family and educating children. Remember, education here is not limited to the classroom. Always, each of us, needs to be mindful of forming young people to develop their human potential: mind, body and spirit; another way is intellectual, physical and human formation. Do you operate with goals like this? Are you continually improving your craft of forming young people in your family? Remember, someone among your family and friends made an impact in your life (for the better), its your chance to return the favor and pass on that wisdom to the young people God has placed in your midst: family, friends, neighbors, and the like.

Maybe the goal of supporting family, educating children, praising God and developing human potential explains another phenomenon we often witness this time of year. Consider the tears, you know, the droplets of water which flow from your eyes. We see those tears when children are left at school for the first time, we see those tears when someone leaves home for the first time, we see those tears when someone enters into marriage, we see those tears when “we are just so proud of you!” Those tears, I think, come from a deep place within our hearts because we have made the choice to love. We have made the sacrifices necessary to love. We have done what we could to develop human potential in the ones we love and we cannot contain the strong loving emotion which manifests itself in those tears. Developing human potential is hard work, labor, and most parents will admit the labor is not done until a human life is complete.

While we do our part to become better Catholics, attempting to insert our faith into our daily lives, the labor of love is one of those ways in particular when we put our faith into practice. For centuries, our Church reminds us that labor is about dignity and freedom, supporting a family, educating children, praising God and developing human potential. Sometimes we are tempted to think being Catholic is some outlandish Jesus-freak kind of existence. For many of you, you are doing just what our Church as asked. You have chosen to love God and labor to immerse the people around you with that love.

Fr. Brian Jazdzewski

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