On Wednesday, 17th February 2010, the Catholic community begins the season of Lent- a time for fasting & abstinence, this is a time for reconciliation, a time to introspect our role as Ambassadors and Apostles of Lord Jesus Christ, not just in our homes and parishes but moreover in our society, and particularly at our places of work, where we spent most of our time. As Catholic workers, God has called each one of us in a very special vocation of re-inventing God's divine plan in our places of work. Lord Jesus Christ, before beginning his Heavenly ministry, worked as a carpenter with his foster father, St. Joseph.
In this season of Lent, as workers, let us first worship God, the Heavenly Father and then his divine gift called work. We are all called to be Ambassadors of Lord Jesus Christ to propagate his divine ministry through actions of love and forgiveness at our places of work, church and society. As Ambassadors of Lord Jesus Christ, we bring all our joys and sorrows; hopes and struggles to the Lord, who transforms them to empower us to stand for Christ and his glory.
We are also called to be Apostles of Lord Jesus Christ at our places of work, commemorating the death and resurrection on our working table, whether it is a table of a typist, or a computer operator, or the computer at a BPO/Call Centre, the machinist working at a Lathe machine or working at home. During the Holy Eucharist, the blood, sweat and tears of Lord Jesus Christ are shed, and on our working table, our tears, sweat, blood and toil are shed, making our work a significant one and our job a holistic activity, thus transforming our job into a meaningful ministry and vocation.
The founder of Christian Workers' Movement, Joseph Cardinal Cardijn had quoted, "Work is not a punishment, a curse, or enslavement, but the cooperation of the laborer with his Creator and Redeemer. But what kind of work? "Without the worker there will he no host, no wine, etc." He said, "A worker is worth more than all the gold in the World." Thus the Workers' Movement helps workers understand their vocation as Ambassadors and Apostles of Jesus Christ at their places of work, church and society. This should encourage all Catholic workers, business people, self-employed people, housewives, including the retired and those taken VRS/CRS to become the ambassadors and apostles of Lord Jesus Christ by involving ourselves in the existing workers movements, associations of the Catholic Church.