Labor Day reflection

No matter what we have on our plates or where we work, oftentimes we say to ourselves, 'if I can just get through this day, (or this week...or this month) then I'll be happy'. We always seem to have stressful work to worry about, and to just 'get through'. But, Christ says in today's Gospel that we shouldn't be consumed with worry about the future; we should focus on today's work. And, if we see that the work we have today is a real gift, then we can actually appreciate it.

God himself worked for six days creating the world. He created man to continue his work on Earth. We hear in the Book of Genesis that God "settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it" (2:15). God created the world, and then entrusted man to cultivate and care for the world He created. Human labor, then, continues God's work of creation. Whether it's the most meaningless task or the most significant, our work imitates God our Creator, continues his work of creation, and glorifies Him.

Christ himself was a worker; he worked as a laborer in carpentry. His masterpiece, however, was the work of Redemption. His work reached its climax on the Cross. Just like with the work of creation, Christ entrusts the work of Redemption to continue with us. Whenever we do something for someone else, no matter how small or big, we continue Christ's work of Redemption.

So, as we receive this Eucharist, we thank God for the work he has given us. We thank Him for the gift of being able to imitate and glorify Him through our labor. We ask Him to give us the Grace to continue His work on Earth, the work of creation and the work of Redemption.