In the United States, Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer. After Labor Day, the white outfits get packed away until the spring, children return to school, and the price of gas tends to drop, as vacations come to an end.
Wrapped up in our final cookouts of the season, we often forget that Labor Day is truly meant to celebrate the working man, especially those who engage in manual labor. From a Christian standpoint, we know that, since the Fall, man has had to earn his living by the sweat of his brow. Catholics believe that such labor can be sanctified through our willingness to engage in it--and, in the process, we can grow in holiness.
It's hard sometimes to see our day-to-day tasks as part of our road to Heaven, especially if our job is unpleasant or even simply less than ideal. On this Labor Day, we might take as our own the motto of the Order of St. Benedict--ora et labora ("pray and work")--and cultivate our devotion to Saint Joseph the Worker, who taught Christ Himself how to be diligent in His own labors.
Prayers to St. Joseph the Worker:
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