In the Eucharistic liturgy, the phrase ‘work of human hands’ appears in the prayer, connecting the bread and wine – fruits of the earth and human effort – with the divine mystery of Christ’s sacrifice. This link reminds us that our work, when united with God’s grace, transcends the material and becomes for us a spiritual transformation.
Work, therefore, is more than a means of survival; it is a vocation, an opportunity to reflect God’s goodness, serve others, and contribute to the common good, embodying love in action.
CARING FOR OTHERS
More than 130 years ago, Pope Leo XIII wrote the Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum, regarding the rights and duties of capital and labour. The encyclical, essentially an open letter, was passed onto all Catholic bishops and addressed the conditions of the working classes. It was the Catholic Church’s response to industrialisation, which led to a rise in socialism. Bruce Duncan writes in Social Justice: Fuller Life in a Fairer World, ‘from the earliest records of human civilisation, people have been concerned about how to improve human wellbeing, though primarily of their own clans or tribes. There is something deeply intuitive in most people about caring for others in dire straits’.
Scriptures such as Romans 8:28 reminds us, ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him’. Living with trust means surrendering personal control and embracing faith that God’s plan is not only sovereign but also infused with love and mercy.
Another experience from our tradition is the Feast of St Joseph the Worker (1 May). It was instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to recognise the dignity of work. Pope Francis, in his letter Patris Corde (8 December 2020, on the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St Joseph as patron of the universal church), noted that ‘Jesus would have learned the value, the dignity and the joy of what it means to eat bread that is the fruit of one’s own labour’.
St Joseph was a carpenter who earned an honest living to provide for his family. ‘Work is a means of participating in the work of salvation, an opportunity to hasten the coming of the Kingdom, to develop our talents and abilities, and to put them at the service of society and fraternal communion.’
WORK OF YOUR HANDS
My first experience of the work of our hands came from my time as a graduate teacher at the Catholic primary school in Swan Hill.
After Mass each Sunday I would greet many people. Laura, whose husband was a wheat farmer, used to ask me to pray for them. At first, she used to ask me to pray for rain, and then when they had too much rain she asked for me to pray the rain stopped. Then:
Rita: What do you want me to pray for?
Laura: Pray that we accept whatever comes.
Simply put, Laura wanted to put her life into the hands of God. This exchange with Laura taught me about the concept of providence.
It is a concept of faith that would become a driving force in the life of our Australian saint Mary MacKillop. Mary had a deep confidence in God’s divine plan for her life, even when circumstances appeared uncertain or difficult. This trust at the centre of Mary’s life was nurtured by the faith of her mother Flora and her father Alexander. They both believed that God is all knowing, all-loving. Mary’s trust in a provident God guided her throughout her life. We can take courage and consolation from her example and her profound trust in God.
TRUST IN GOD
Practically speaking, trust in God involves actively seeking to align one’s actions with God’s will while accepting outcomes with serenity. I believe that’s what Laura was trying to do when she said to me, ‘Pray that we accept whatever comes’.
Trusting in providence brings peace and freedom from anxiety. It encourages us to focus on the present rather than being paralysed by the fear of the unknown. This faith inspires hope. Hope that no situation is beyond God’s redemptive power of love.
