Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: Coronavirus, the Dignity of Work, and the Common Good

The Dignity of the Human Person, Work, and the Common Good

“In work, the person exercises and fulfills in part the potential inscribed in his nature. The primordial value of labor stems from man himself, its author and its beneficiary. Work is for man, not man for work. Everyone should be able to draw from work the means of providing for his life and that of his family, and of serving the human community.” — Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2428

Grocery clerks, shelf stockers, gas station attendants, truckers, garbage collectors: Almost overnight, all these people—and many more—have become the “heroes” of our global crisis. These are the people who are running risks daily to keep us fed and our supply chains functioning while we self-isolate at home. Just weeks ago, workers like these were viewed quite differently—and often taken for granted—by many in our society. But suddenly we have realized that these individuals and their work are “essential.”

Of course, it always was essential, pandemic or no pandemic. But now, for the first time, we are forced to stop and take notice of what we have taken for granted. This is one of the strange but welcome goods coming out of this crisis—that our eyes have been opened to the value of all honest work, even that of the humblest sort.  ….

Read more here:  https://www.hli.org/2020/04/coronavirus-the-dignity-of-work-and-the-common-good/