Catholic Standard El Pregonero
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What are you working for?

During a recent Catholic Charities food distribution at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish in Riverdale Park, Maryland, Msgr. John Enzler – the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington – talks with Sister Carmen Soto, a Carmelite Sister of Charity who serves as the director of the parish’s outreach program. (Catholic Charities photo by Chris Williams)

If you have a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. 

I have always loved that saying, and that has been my story for the last decade at Catholic Charities. I guess I haven’t worked in 10 years. Actually, most of my life!

I was reminded of this recently as we celebrated Labor Day and the gift of work. Even as we leave summer and vacation season, I really look forward to going back to work. I think that is true more than ever after the separation and disruption of the past year and a half. 

I can’t wait to get even more into the swing of things at Catholic Charities and to be around people again, some of whom I have not seen since the pandemic shutdowns began in March of last year. We have been coming back closer to full speed, all while ensuring safety, staying flexible, and realizing that some cannot come back to work quite yet. We hope and pray that will be soon. 

At the same time, I am excited that much of our staff will begin to be together again. So much happens around the “watercooler,” or the lunch table, or just chatting in the hallways. I think it will help us move forward in ways we haven’t been able to for some time.

Labor, for me, has been one of the hallmarks of my priesthood. I like to work. I like to be present to people during their time of need. I like to respond “yes” as often as I can. 

I admit that it can at times be tiring, tedious and even difficult. As I get older, I also realize that the energy I once had is not there to the degree it was, but I still have a strong desire and commitment to do everything I can each and every day for the Kingdom and the good of the Lord.

Work is a valuable part of who we are. We work to earn a living and support our loved ones. We work to build strong, loving families. We work to take care of those in need. We work to bring the good news of God’s love for us and our salvation to the world. 

How do you see work in your life? 

Do you believe that we all work to build up the kingdom of God? That includes our prayer life and our spiritual journey, and it also includes what we do every day wherever we are to make our Church, our community, and our world a better place to live. The Church needs great workers who are willing to give of their time and talent for the good of the kingdom.

Are we teaching our young people the importance and value of work by our example and our commitment? Can we find the good in our work each day, no matter how small or unimportant it may seem? Do we see it as part of God’s command to love the Lord and each other?

In orientation for new employees at Catholic Charities, I tell a story about a man pushing a wheelbarrow full of bricks, stones and rocks up a hill. Someone asks him how he likes his work, and he replies, “I hate it. This job is backbreaking. I sweat all day long. I go to bed bone weary. I absolutely hate this job.” I would probably say the same thing.

A short time later, another man comes along also pushing a wheelbarrow full of heavy rocks and stones up the hill. He, too, is asked how he likes his work. “I love my job!” he says. “It’s hard work.  I sweat a lot and go to bed exhausted, but I’m pushing these stones up the hill to build a church where we can worship God!”

Same job, and a tough one at that, but two completely different ways of looking at it. The first man focuses on himself, while the second man sanctifies his work by doing it for God and his community.

Msgr. Enzler visits the Newcomer Network’s office at Comunidad Catolica in Langley Park, Maryland. Each week, a network case manager and an immigration attorney meet with prospective clients. (Catholic Charities photo by Chris Williams)

I also like to ask our staff, “Do you have a job or a ministry?” A job is about earning money to pay your bills and take care of everyday needs. A ministry comes from your heart and brings with it a passion for what you do. The good news is that any job can also be a ministry!

As we get back to the work and school routines, may we all take a moment to reflect on the work in our lives and how we can use whatever it is to honor God. No matter whether our work would be considered glamorous or menial in the eyes of the world, we can use it for the good of God’s kingdom, the fulfillment of God’s plan, and making God’s presence known to all we meet.

(Msgr. John Enzler, the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, writes the “Faith in Action” column for the archdiocese’s Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero newspapers and websites.)

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