Here and Now with Francis 1/19/16 (vocation, work, education, solidarity, witness)

By Anonymous
From an address
It is true: work is a vocation, because it is born from a call that God has made to man from the beginning, to “till and keep” our common home (cf. Genesis 2:15). [...]
How can we respond well to this vocation...?
I would like to suggest three words to you, which can help you. The first is education. To educate means to “bring out.”... it is necessary to form a new “humanism of work,” because we live in a time of exploitation of workers; in a time when work is not in fact at the service of the person’s dignity, but it is slave labor. We must form, and educate to a new humanism of work, where man, not profit, is at the center; where the economy serves man and does not use man....To educate is a great vocation: as Saint Joseph trained Jesus in the art of the carpenter, you are also called to help the young generations to discover the beauty of truly human work. [...]
The second word that I would like to say to you is sharing. ....Work should unite persons, not separate them, rendering them closed and distant. Taking up so many hours of the day, it also offers us the occasion to share the everyday, to be concerned about the one who is beside us, to receive the presence of others as a gift and a responsibility. [...]
The last word I would like to give you is witness. The Apostle Paul encouraged witnessing the faith also through activity, overcoming sloth and indolence; and he gave a very strong and clear rule: “If any one will not work, let him not eat” (Thessalonians 3:10). At that time there were also those who made others work, so that they could eat. Today, instead, there are persons who would like to work, but cannot, and they have a hard time even to eat. ...Divine mercy also interpellates us: in face of persons in difficulty and arduous situations — I am thinking of young people for whom to get married or to have children is a problem because they do not have sufficiently stable employment or a house — preaching is of no use. Instead, one must transmit hope, comfort with one’s presence, and support with concrete help. [full text]

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