28.2 F
Saint Paul
Thursday, March 28, 2024

As Catholics, we take a different view of work

Archbishop Bernard Hebda
Archbishop Bernard Hebda

In my travels around the archdiocese, I’m regularly reminded that I need to do a better job of making sure we are telling the positive stories of the people and programs in our parishes and schools. It is with gratitude that I remind them to read The Catholic Spirit twice a month (and go online to TheCatholicSpirit.com daily) for an accurate view of the good things going on in our local Church, and the many members of our Church — guided by the Holy Spirit and true to their calling — who are going to great lengths to help others encounter Jesus.

It is an honor and privilege for me to once again introduce our special 2017 Leading With Faith special section here in The Catholic Spirit. Since arriving in the Twin Cities in June 2015, these awards have been a favorite of mine as a way to recognize and thank local men and women for keeping their faith in the forefront — allowing it to make a difference in their everyday lives and in the lives of others. In the following pages, you will read about how this year’s awardees are embracing the challenge of Pope Francis to encounter others where they are and journey with them.

As I review the list of this year’s recipients, I am struck by the diversity of their occupations, missions and areas where they serve. The common thread is that all of the honorees see Jesus in those whom they serve and, as a result, they treat them with dignity, respect and reverence.

While we live in a society that often values work and the accumulation of wealth over the human person, we as Catholics need to see work from a somewhat different perspective. As Pope Francis reminded us on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 2013, “Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use a metaphor, ‘anoints’ us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God, who has worked and still works, who always acts (cf. Jn 5:17); it gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one’s family, to contribute to the growth of one’s own nation.”

I would like to thank this year’s honorees — Julie and Tom Hurley, Dr. Kieran McNulty, John Norris, Rosemarie Reger-Rumsey, Matt Saxe, Robert Stefani and David Tucci — for giving witness to that Catholic perspective on work. I am particularly grateful to each of them for their generosity in sharing their time, talent and treasure with so many and especially for their commitment to out our Catholic faith.

- Advertisement -

Save

Save

 


Related Articles

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Trending

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
12,743FansLike
1,478FollowersFollow
6,479FollowersFollow
35,922FollowersFollow
583SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -