Labor Day reminds Catholics: Work has dignity, rest has purpose

For Catholics, Labor Day is not just a holiday weekend; it is also a reminder that honest work reflects human dignity and that rest has a sacred purpose.

Father Joe Connelly of Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Oakdale, Minnesota, explained that the holiday “offers a profound opportunity to reflect on the Church’s teachings about the sanctity of work, human dignity, and our role in building a just society.”

He noted that work is not merely a matter of survival but a way of sharing in God’s creative mission. 

“Through work, we participate in God’s creation, cooperating with His divine plan and contributing to the common good,” he wrote. 

He pointed to the Church’s consistent teaching that work is tied to human dignity and sanctification, most clearly seen in Christ Himself, who labored as a carpenter.

Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum articulated this connection more than a century ago. 

Quoting the document, Fr. Connelly wrote, “It is only by the labor of working men that States grow rich. Justice, therefore, demands that the interests of the working classes should be carefully watched over… that they may themselves share in the benefits which they create.”

Fr. Connelly also drew on later papal teaching, noting Pope Pius XI’s insistence in Quadragesimo Anno that fair wages and humane conditions are matters of justice. 

Beyond wages and conditions, Catholics are called to remember the rhythm of work and rest. Fr. Connelly pointed to the Catechism’s teaching that Sundays and holy days are meant for prayer and renewal, and not for anything that “‘hinder[s] the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.’”

That vision of holy work and holy rest is embodied in the figure of St. Joseph. As a carpenter, he provided for Mary and Jesus with the labor of his hands, showing that ordinary tasks can become extraordinary when offered faithfully to God. The Gospels record that Christ Himself worked alongside Joseph, learning his trade before beginning His public ministry — an enduring reminder that human work is woven into God’s plan of salvation.

It is for this reason that the Church honors him under the title St. Joseph the Worker, a feast Pope Pius XII established in 1955 to highlight the dignity of labor. Joseph’s quiet strength continues to stand as a model for workers today, especially those who find holiness in the hidden, everyday duties of family and community life.

“In the spirit of the saints who saw work as a path to holiness, let us pray that our labors may always be pleasing to God, that we may find joy and purpose in our work, and that we may contribute to the building of a more just and charitable society,” Fr. Connelly concluded his piece. “As we rest on this Labor Day, may we do so with hearts full of gratitude, mindful of our call to serve God and our neighbor through the work of our hands.”

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