“This is the carpenter’s son, surely?” (gospel of the feast).
Work is a precious word these days. It is said Trinis (unlike Tobagonians) have poor work ethic. Many do but many don’t. One thing for sure: we all miss work now. Coronavirus has us on lockdown. Some work from home, some are laid off, and many have lost jobs.
The situation will not change much in the coming months as economist Dr Roger Hosein has perceptibly pointed out: we are into the economics of depression not recession.
Today’s feast of St Joseph the Worker invites us to reflect on what millions can no longer do - work. The primary principle of work is stated in Pope John Paul II’s watershed encyclical “Laborem Exercens” (On the Dignity of Human Work) i.e. the human person is more important than the work done. The human subject who works is prior to his output.
A second principle is through work we discover who we are. There are talents latent in all of us and work brings that out. Sometimes we surprise ourselves and exclaim: “I did that?”
Work therefore is connected with being and, when well done, puts us in touch with who we are. It is the human subject who does this work and loves what he does so that it builds him up and contributes to the common good. No wonder people are gravely psychologically and spiritually dislocated when without work.
Thirdly, work makes us realize we are co-creators. St Joseph by his work as a carpenter contributed to the building of the impressive Herodian town of Sepphoris. One of the moral issues involved, however, is how far do we take co-creation?
Do we create everything we can create e.g. designer babies, just because we have the power of co-creation? The question becomes particularly important when we hear of claims and counterclaims re the origin of the coronavirus: nature made or man made (biological warfare)?
As we celebrate this feast, let’s ensure that our work does not disfigure humanity or nature. Let us be co-creators of goodness, beauty and truth. ... See more
