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Dear Sister and Brother in
the Lord:
Labor Day is a national legal holiday that is over 100 years old. Over
the years, it has evolved from a purely labor union celebration into a
general "last fling of summer" festival. It grew out of a celebration
and parade in honor of the working class by the Knights of Labor in 1882
in New York. In 1884, the Knights held a large parade in New York City
celebrating the working class. The parade was held on the first Monday
in September. The Knights passed a resolution to hold all future parades
on the same day, designated by them as Labor Day. The Socialist Party
held a similar celebration of the working class on May 1. This date
eventually became known as May Day, and was celebrated by Socialists and
Communists in commemoration of the workingman. In the U.S., the first
Monday in September was selected to reject any identification with
Communism. In the late 1880's, labor organizations began to lobby
various state legislatures for recognition of Labor Day as an official
state holiday. The first states to declare it a state holiday in, 1887,
were Oregon, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Then in
1894, Congress passed a law recognizing Labor Day as an official
national holiday. Today, Labor Day is observed not only in the U.S. but
also in Canada, and in other industrialized nations. While it is a
general holiday in the United States, its roots in the working class
remain clearer in European countries.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) states: “Labor
Day is an appropriate occasion to reexamine some of the basic values and
insights from our Catholic teaching on work and economic justice.
Pope John Paul II's encyclical On Human Work gives us a clear starting
point by focusing on the dignity of the human person. As the Holy Father
declares, work is for people; people are not for work. In the Catholic
tradition, work is a vocation, a calling by God to participate in His
creation.
Through work all people are
invited to use their abilities to transform the materials of earth for
the use and enjoyment of the human community. Work not only enables
people to contribute to the common good of the community, but it allows
for the exercise of the distinctly human traits of self-realization and
self- expression. Because work is so important, the Church has long held
it to be a basic human right.
As a nation we have a rich tradition of values and a long history of
struggle on behalf of economic justice. I believe these basic values and
this sense of struggle for justice are alive and well in America.
Despite the magnitude and complexity of the problems we face, despite
the signs of complacency and even greed among some parts of the
population, there are also signs of renewed commitment to the basic
values of justice and human decency. Among the labor movement there is
clear evidence of a willingness to adapt to the changing signs of the
times and to pursue the joint struggle for workers' rights and the
common good. And among the business community there are numerous leaders
who are willing and committed to join in working for an economy that is
prosperous but also just, an economy that rewards individual initiative
but also promotes the common good, an economy that serves not only
short-term interests but also the long-term welfare of our society. I
hope and trust that as a nation we can build on the good will, the
innate desire for justice and the creative competence that is part of
the American tradition. These values remain strong in our nation. They
are among our most important resources in the continuing struggle to
achieve economic justice for all.” (1987 statement).
Let me conclude with this
prayer and blessing for Labor Day:
Heavenly Father, creator of
heaven and earth, we praise you for your glory.
Bless us as we continue to do the work, responsibilities and duties
given us for our benefit and the benefit of one another.
Bless all that we do for you and for all our sisters and brothers in
your Name.
Help us to do the labor given us with love and a generous and cheerful
demeanor.
Help us build your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven and come to
our eternal reward through Christ our Lord.
Amen |
