September 4th

​Dear Friends,
On this Labor Day weekend, I’d like to quote something from an article I found on the Catholic News Service website:
A Catholic priest involved in labor advocacy says that Labor Day is a time to reflect on Catholic teaching about the role of work in society and in God's plan for mankind. "Labor Day is an opportunity to focus not just on the secular world, but on what our Church teaches," Father Sinclair Oubre, spiritual moderator of the Catholic Labor Network, told CNA.
Fr. Oubre is pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Port Arthur, Texas, in addition to his duties with the Catholic Labor Network. He said his network aims to "re-establish the wonderful tradition" of Catholic social teaching on labor, the dignity of workers, and their right to organize a union. "The roots of Labor Day are Catholic," he said. While the origins of the annual September holiday are disputed, the priest credits 19th-century Catholic labor activist Peter J. McGuire with founding the holiday.
Fr. Oubre said Catholic teaching has a positive view of work. Catholics should remember that they are "co-creators in God's ongoing creation" and are called to "build up the kingdom of God" in their daily labor. This means that those who are in positions of responsibility, like management or ownership, have "a moral responsibility to work for justice." They should "recognize that their workers and employees are not simply another means in the production process." Workers, for their part, should "reflect deeply" upon their own responsibilities.
"Whether it's working for an insurance company processing claims or working at a General Motors plant up in Michigan, they are participating in a common effort," Fr. Oubre said. "They owe both God and their employer a full day's work for a full day's wages. They are really called to work as best they can because they are participating, while they work, in God's ongoing creation."
May your week reflect the encounter with Christ
we experienced at Mass today!