Valuing solidarity and human work

By Br. Steve Herro, O.Praem.

	An Advent series on Catholic Social Teaching

Here are some resources for further study and reflection on "Solidarity and the dignity of work," which includes judging every economic decision and institution based on whether it protects or undermines the dignity of the human person, each of whom has a right to participate in the economic life of society:

Websites

• Archdiocese of San Francisco, Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns: Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers www.sflifeandjustice.org/Dignity%20of%20Work.html.

• Archdiocese of San Francisco, Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns: Solidarity, www.sflifeandjustice.org/Solidarity.html.

	A d v e n t
	• Other Everyday People, Everyday Faith articles
	• Other Advent articles

• Catholic Relief Services www.crs.org.

• CRS and USCCB Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty, www.usccb.org/sdwp/globalpoverty.

• Justice for Immigrants, www.justiceforimmigrants.org.

• Maryknoll, www.maryknoll.org.

• Peace in the Holy Land, www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/holylandpeace.htm.

Papal encyclicals

Laborem Exercens (On Human Work), Pope John Paul II

Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Workers), Pope Leo XIII

Bishops' letters

"Called to Global Solidarity, International Challenges for U.S. Parishes," United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

"Making Wisconsin Work Well: A Labor Day Challenge" by Wisconsin's Roman Catholic Bishops, Wisconsin Catholic Conference

Scriptural quotations

Sabbath gave laborers rest: "Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy" (Ex 20:9-11).

"For six days work may be done; but the seventh day is the sabbath rest, a day for sacred assembly, on which you shall do no work. The sabbath shall belong to the LORD wherever you dwell" (Lv 23:3).

Wage justice: "You shall not defraud a poor and needy hired servant, whether he be one of your own countrymen or one of the aliens who live in your communities. You shall pay him each day's wages before sundown on the day itself, since he is poor and looks forward to them. Otherwise he will cry to the LORD against you, and you will be held guilty" (Dt 24:14-15).

"He sheds blood who denies the laborer his wages" (Sir 34:22b). "Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts" (Jas 5:4).

Peace for all nations: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again" (Is 2:4).

Save all nations: "I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing - all this because you obeyed my command" (Gn 22:17-18).

"All the ends of the earth will worship and turn to the LORD; All the families of nations will bow low before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations" (Ps 22:28-29).

Movies and books

American Dream
The Corporation
Cry Freedom
Gandhi
Hotel Rwanda
The Mission

Discussion, action questions

1. How does your work affect or improve life for poor and low-income people in the United States? In the world?

2. What do you have in common with people in poverty?

3. If Jesus were to give a sermon today, what might he list as the causes of poverty? What might he expect people to do to help end poverty in the United States?

Sources: Blueprint for Social Justice, April/May 2005, LVIII(6); Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Principles, Prophecy, and a Pastoral Response, Rev. Ed., 2001; U.S. Catholic Conference, Leader's Guide to Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, 2000.

(Br. Herro is the social concerns consultant for the Green Bay Diocese.)