Rel Ed
Rel Ed
Rel Ed
Personal Sin
Dignity of Work (cf. Gen 4:12); only by the sweat of one's
brow will it be possible to reap its fruit (cf.
Human work is the Essential Key for Gen 3:17,19).
Moral and Social Development
Work has a place of honor because it is a
Work is the means by which persons express source of riches, or at least of the conditions
and develop both being and dignity. for a decent life, and is, in principle, an
effective instrument against poverty (cf. Pr
Persons are the subjects of work and are not 10:4). But one must not succumb to the
means of production or a human form of temptation of making an idol of work, for the
capital. ultimate and definitive meaning of life is not
to be found in work. Work is essential, but it
Purposes of Work is God and not work who is the origin of
life and the final goal of man
To support their family life
The apex of biblical teaching on work is the
To increase the common good of the human commandment of the Sabbath rest.
community
Rest gives men and Jesus teaches that we
To serve the workers humanity should appreciate workwomen the possibility
to remember and experience anew God's
The Old Testament presents God as the work, from Creation to Redemption, to
omnipotent Creator (cf. Gen 2:2; Job 38-41; recognize themselves as his work (cf. Eph
Ps 104; Ps 147) who fashions man in his 2:10), and to give thanks for their lives and
image and invites him to work the soil (cf. for their subsistence to him who is their
Gen 2:5-6), and cultivate and care for the author.
garden of Eden in which he has placed him
(cf. Gen 2:15). Jesus teaches man not to be enslaved by
work. Before all else, he must be concerned
The goods of the earth were not created by about his soul; gaining the whole world is not
man, but have been received by him as a the purpose of his lifedemption, to recognize
precious gift that the Creator has placed themselves as his work (cf. Eph 2:10), and to
under his responsibility. Cultivating the earth give thanks for their lives and for their
means not abandoning it to itself; exercising subsistence to him who is their author.
dominion over it means taking care of it, as a
wise king cares for his people and a Work represents a fundamental dimension of
shepherd his sheep. human existence as participation not only in
the act of creation but also in that of
Work is part of the original state of man and redemption.
precedes his fall; it is therefore not a
punishment or curse. The treasures of the earth, in fact, are
consumed, while those in heaven are
It becomes toil and pain because of the sin of imperishable. It is on these latter treasures
Adam and Eve, who break their relationship that men and women must set their hearts
of trust and harmony with God (cf. Gen (cf. Mt 6:19-21).
3:6-8). The prohibition to eat of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17) Work, then, should not be a source of anxiety
reminds man that he has received everything (cf. Mt 6:25,31,34).
as a gift and that he continues to be a
creature and not the Creator When people are worried and upset about
many things, they run the risk of neglecting
The soil becomes miserly, unrewarding, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness
sordidly hostile (cf. Mt 6:33), which they truly need.
Everything else, work included, will find its the fact that the one who carries it out is a
proper place, meaning and value only if it is person
oriented to this one thing that is necessary The subjective dimension of work must take
and that will never be taken away (cf. Lk precedence over the objective dimension,
10:40-42). because it is the dimension of the person
himself who engages in work, determining its
Duty to work quality and consummate value.
No Christian should feel that he has right not B. Human work has an intrinsic social
to work and to live at the expense of others dimension
(2 Thes 3:6-12) The fruits of work offer occasions for
exchange,
Every worker is the hand of Christ that relationship and encounter.
continues to create and to do good
(St. Ambrose) For man's productive effort can yield its fruits
if theres truly social and organic body exists,
the Apostle Paul teaches to make it a point a social and juridical order watches over the
of honor to work with their own hands, so as exercise of work, the various occupations,
to be dependent on nobody being interdependent, cooperate with and
mutually complete one another, and, what is
(1 Thes 4:12), and to practice a solidarity still more important, the mind, material
which is also material by sharing the fruits of things, and work combine and form as it were
their labor with those in need (Eph 4:28). a single whole.
Idleness is harmful to mans being whereas If the social and individual nature of work is
activity is good for his body and soul. neglected, it will be impossible to evaluate
work justly and pay it according to justice
Christians are called to work in order to
accept their poorer neighbors to whom the C. Work is a moral obligation
Lord has commanded them
to give food, drink, clothing, welcome, care Man must work because the Creator has
and companionship. commanded it and in order to respond to the
(Mt. 25: 35-36 need to maintain and develop his own
humanity.
Church teachings on dignity of work
D. Work confirms the profound identity of
Twofold significance of human work men and
women created in the image and likeness of
Objective sense sum of activities, God.
resources instruments and technologies used
by person to produce things and to exercise As man, through his work, becomes more
dominion over the earth. and more the master of the earth, and as he
confirms his dominion over the visible world,
Subjective sense it gives work a particular he nevertheless remains in every case and at
dignity which every phase of this process within the
should not be considered a simple Creator's original ordering The more a man
commodity or an impersonal works, the more human he becomes, the
element of the apparatus for productivity more he becomes like the divine.
The right to private property is subordinated the right to assemble and form associations
to the principle of the universal destination of
goods Remuneration is the most important means
for achieving justice in work relationships.
The just wage is the legitimate fruit of work.
Work -> Property -> Service of Work
Remuneration for labor is to be such that
man may be furnished the means to cultivate
Private and public property or any form worthily his own material, social, cultural, and
economic system, must be oriented to an spiritual life and that of his dependents, in
economy of service to mankind. This is the view of the function and productiveness of
principle of the universal destination of each one, the conditions of the factory or
goods. workshop, and the common good
the right to a just wage The Church's social doctrine recognizes the
legitimacy of striking under the following
the right to rest conditions: