"Work remains a good thing, not only because it is useful and enjoyable, but also because it expresses and increases the worker's dignity. Through work we not only transform the world, we are transformed ourselves, becoming 'more a human being'." From Pope John Paul's encyclical "Laborem Exercens" On Human Work.
As the President of St Catherine's conference for our St. Vincent De Paul Society, our message last night from our manual referred to both Pope John Paul's 1981 message on the value of work and Frederick Ozanam, our founders' 1848 message on the value of work. Our group shared perspectives, all of us agreeing, that today is no different than 1848 when injustices occurred for workers. America recognized the importance of caring for its citizens by instituting our social security program in 1935 and the first checks sent in 1940. As Vincentians, we work to help eliminate the immediate needs of the poor providing food, and clothing and also helping pay rent so that people can remain in their homes. With all this said, the issue that we discussed last night is deeper: People begin to lose their dignity as they remain unemployed. We must work to help people find employment not only for the financial benefits but for the emotional and mental benefits. Employment gets us up in the morning, it calls us to show up and most of all it brings back our personal dignity that enlivens our spirit. The benefits of working are far greater than just the financial implications; employment and productivity can heal the soul.
