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Dear Families,
Today, on May 1st, we celebrate International Workers’ Day, and the Catholic Social Teaching, Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers. Pope Francis spoke often about the dignity of all people, especially those marginalized or whose value wasn’t recognized or honored by society, in the same way that it is honored by God. He looked for Jesus and found Him constantly in the people he served and encountered, especially in the poor and the marginalized. He was a man of hope, mercy and grace, and above all he was a man of profound Christ-like faith in God and in humanity. He taught what it meant to serve, through action not just word. In his final homily on Easter, Pope Francis said, “we must take action: set out to look for (Jesus): look for Him in life, look for Him in the faces of our brothers and sisters, look for Him in everyday businesses, look for Him everywhere except the tomb”.
Today, as we celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker, we honor, cherish and celebrate the human beings, those called by name from God Himself, and the dignity that each person possesses as beloved children of God. In our gratitude and prayer today, let us remember those who are unseen, unacknowledged, and are in so many ways the backbone of the many things we all love and enjoy in our lives, just as we are called to do, and just as Pope Francis did in his life. In the end, our earthly possessions are minimal in comparison to what awaits us with God. In our time here, let us be humble servants, just as Pope Francis was, and hold in high esteem our neighbors who give their lives as workers and laborers, and those who nourish our world each day. "Let us look for (Christ) everywhere", just as Pope Francis shared, "everywhere except the tomb". He is all around.
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