Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Mary’s of the Lake:

This past MON was our LABOR DAY -- a national holiday honoring working people, and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of this Country. At the same time, as Christians, LABOR DAY may first help us to think of our Triune God (the Holy Trinity) as ‘Worker’: DAY -- a national holiday honoring working people, and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of this Country. At the same time, as Christians, LABOR DAY may first help us to think of our Triune God (the Holy Trinity) as ‘Worker’:

FATHER: Our very first introduction to our God in the Bible is God the Father who ‘works’ --He created the universe, and fashioned man from the soil

SON: It is also significant to hear God the Son Jesus speak in John 5: 17, ‘My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.’ Our Lord was also born into a working family: Joseph the carpenter and Mary a home-maker. No doubt that Jesus had a share of work in the Holy Family. Then, His public ministry involved the ‘work’ or the ‘ministry’ of teaching, preaching & healing, among others.

HOLY SPIRIT: God the Holy Spirit is also known as the Sanctifier --the Lord, the giver of life. His ‘work’ or mission is to prompt us to be good and to do good –to be the best version of ourselves in the way of the Lord.

Thinking of the Triune God as “worker”, we are also called to think of ourselves: It is so noble and significant that we heard from the First Reading for Mass on Labor Day: “Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.” (Gen 1: 26). In other words, being made in God’s image & likeness, we are invited to share in the ‘work’ of creation. We are to cooperate with God in bringing this world and its contents to its fulfillment. By our work, using our gifts –especially the gifts of TIME, TALENTS & TREASURES, we are to participate in the creative act of God. The Gospel for Labor Day was about a master who (before going on a journey) gave to 3 servants 3 different sums of money –according to their abilities. The one who received 5 talents made another 5. Likewise, the one who received 2 made another 2. But the one who received one went off, dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money (cf. Mt 25: 11ff). This last one was reprimanded and even punished. We are called not to bury (ignore or take so lightly) our gifts. Rather, may each us make good use of what God has given to us to glorify His Name, and to benefit our life as well as to enrich the life of others in the name of our Master.

Fr. Philip 

 

 

 

 

FATHER: Our very first
introduction to our God in the Bible is God the Father who ‘works’ --He created the universe, and fashioned man from the soil

SON: It is also significant to hear God the Son Jesus speak in John 5: 17, ‘My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.’ Our Lord was also born into a working family: Joseph the carpenter and Mary a home-maker. No doubt that Jesus had a share of work in the Holy Family. Then, His public ministry involved the ‘work’ or the ‘ministry’ of teaching, preaching & healing, among others.

HOLY SPIRIT: God the Holy Spirit is also known as the Sanctifier --the Lord, the giver of life. His ‘work’ or mission is to prompt us to be good and to do good –to be the best version of ourselves in the way of the Lord.

Thinking of the Triune God as “worker”, we are also called to think of ourselves: It is so noble and significant that we heard from the First Reading for Mass on Labor Day: “Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.” (Gen 1: 26). In other words, being made in God’s image & likeness, we are invited to share in the ‘work’ of creation. We are to cooperate with God in bringing this world and its contents to its fulfillment. By our work, using our gifts –especially the gifts of TIME, TALENTS & TREASURES, we are to participate in the creative act of God. The Gospel for Labor Day was about a master who (before going on a journey) gave to 3 servants 3 different sums of money –according to their abilities. The one who received 5 talents made another 5. Likewise, the one who received 2 made another 2. But the one who received one went off, dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money (cf. Mt 25: 11ff). This last one was reprimanded and even punished. We are called not to bury (ignore or take so lightly) our gifts. Rather, may each us make good use of what God has given to us to glorify His Name, and to benefit our life as well as to enrich the life of others in the name of our Master.

Fr. Philip