Luke 6: 6-11
On another sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Holy Work
Today’s Gospel has Jesus faced with healing the man with the withered hand. The challenge? It’s the Sabbath when no work should be done, and the Pharisees are taking notes. Jesus then beautifully and confidently models how work provides ways to make God’s lifegiving presence known and felt.
It’s an apt story for Labor Day. The Church has repeatedly held that work is a way to express our creativity and to serve God and others. The sense of accomplishment we feel after successfully completing a project, the peace we feel when someone has assisted us in a crisis; these are gifts from God.
Jesus’ boldness in doing good for another person on the Sabbath teaches us that work binds us to each other. How does my work serve the common good? What and whose hidden labor sustains me? How do my choices support the dignity of workers? St. Joseph the Worker, pray for us.
—Patrice Critchley-Menor has been involved in Catholic social justice ministries for many years. She writes on living Catholic social teaching at Catholic in the 218. She and her husband, Dan have five adult children and live in Duluth, Minnesota.
Prayer
Joseph, by the work of your hands
and the sweat of your brow,
you supported Jesus and Mary,
and had the Son of God as your fellow worker.
Teach me to work as you did,
with patience and perseverance, for God and
for those whom God has given me to support.
Teach me to see in my fellow workers
the Christ who desires to be in them,
that I may always be charitable and forbearing
towards all.
Grant me to look upon work
with the eyes of faith,
so that I shall recognize in it
my share in God’s own creative activity
and in Christ’s work of our redemption,
and so take pride in it.
When it is pleasant and productive,
remind me to give thanks to God for it.
And when it is burdensome,
teach me to offer it to God,
in reparation for my sins
and the sins of the world.
—Prayer From “Devotions to Saint Joseph” by Brian Moore, SJ