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Labor Day 2007 Ocala "Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain." Psalm 127:1 This 1St verse from the 127th Psalm of David sums it up regarding a person's dependency on God. Also, in the 1st verse of the 23rd Psalm we read: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." The Bible is replete with so many verses of a person's relationship with God. Conscientiously or by routine, Christians do go about their work, most times without associating God with their life or work. St. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 5, verses 18-20 says: " Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always, for all things unto God, the Father of Jesus Christ, our Lord." What a blessing it would be in our lives if at any time of day we spoke to ourselves, and made melody in our hearts, always giving thanks to the Lord, even at times of our adversities, as St. Paul instructed us! We truly would feel so spiritually enriched. Tomorrow is Labor Day. For the masses, this is another day off from work, for which, outings are planned, without ever bringing to mind the spirit of the Day! We must not lose sight of what our Holidays mean! Our great Country became great, because of the love and dedication, and I may say pride, in the line of work, to which we were dedicated. This was especially true of the first Immigrants, who came to the United States for the many and better opportunities, compared to their Homeland. The most enterprising of our Immigrants started with pushcarts, or opened very small businesses to cater to the public. These grew rapidly, commensurate with the times and opportunities. They gradually opened larger and up to date businesses. The masses however, found work in the railroad companies and in the various industries, the main one being the manufacturing of autos. However, these industries, submitting to man's greed, took advantage of the workers, and slowly this brought about the Unions, to support the worker's rights and establish a proper wage base. Labor did become a burly giant. As a result Unions came into being. But, the behavior of the Unions and their leaders, by all indications grew big and strong without growing up. The labor movement had come out fit and strong, and stands today, as one of the major social and political forces in American Society. But this position of vast power brings labor in a position of grave danger, but also one of great opportunity. It is opportunity, if it is put to the service of the community in a responsible way. Power can be dangerous, if there is no soul to govern, and no conscience to set limits to it, and give it direction. What do people look for in a job? Good pay --- reasonable working hours --- proximity to work --- good transportation --- good satisfactory working conditions --- security of the job --- vacation with pay --- benefits - and pensions. All these belong to the realm of economics. But these are not enough. In my active clippings file I came across an article of one of America's greatest industrialists, Charles Luckman of Lever Bros. He declared that: "The moment we break ground for our factory, we create social needs. What do we do about this? Therein lies the core of our social responsibility. We have fallen into the old error of assuming,, that men work for wages alone. We have overlooked the fact, that recognition of the needs of a human being is a stronger incentive than wages. In our planning, we often fail to provide for the personal dignity of the men and women upon whom we must rely, to breath life into the inanimate bricks and steel of a factory" These were thoughts from a heart of an important executive, who had not totally succumbed to the material. This apparently spiritual person went on to say: "It is our solemn obligation to insist upon a community, which provides spiritual highways, so that men may worship their God with the inspiration and spiritual comfort, that religion affords. Fundamentally, it is more important for the men and women of this country to have faith in God, than it is for them to believe, even in Free Enterprise!" But from this notable spiritual feeling of Charles Luckman, spoken over three generations ago, things are diametrically opposite. Large corporations and their executives are responsible for unbelievable economic crimes, as a result of their unadulterated greed. They just cannot pilfer enough, and have a total disregard of the worker, who in the final analysis is responsible for a corporation's production. The work ethic, which brought greatness to America has been so weakened that it is almost lifeless. We all remember how our negligence in producing the finest automobiles possible over a generation ago, permitted Japan to import automobiles cheaper, more dependable and more desirable to our people. This was a great awakening to our auto industry, which finally was able to turn around, and compete with the Japanese, by producing dependable automobiles. The first thing needed for a laborer's conscience, is the sound conviction that man is essentially a worker, and that the fulfillment of life's function and purpose, is to be found in work for the most significant kind achievement and service. A worker must recognize the accountability to a law higher than the group, of which one is a member; and higher than the society in which one is placed. This means, the recognition of the accountability to God, and to His law of love for the world, and all its creatures. This ultimately is the basis for all morality, in individual and social life, and the only effective sanction for securing decency, justice, and respectability in human relations. It is precisely on the score of these basic requirements, that American labor Unions have been in serious default. On this account, they have corrupted American workers, while endeavoring to secure for them materialistic bonanzas, so that these have increased and intensified the problems of our society. At all cost people must shy away from their personal, selfish thinking, and strive to do their best to become as the Lord said: "Beacons of light, that our light may shine before all people, so that our good works may be seen by all, and thus glorify our Father, Who is in Heaven." It is a fitting tribute on Labor Day to honor the workers, who have made and who are maintaining this country, which we love. They made the clearings in the forests; --- they pioneered the rivers and plains; --- their plows broke the river bottoms and prairies; --- they discovered mines and worked them; --- they dammed rivers, built roads, and laid the foundations of industry from one end of our Country to the other. Their faith in themselves built schools, --- founded papers, --- wrote our laws, and brought institution after institution into being. Their faith in God built Churches, and wrote into the basic law of the land a reverence for God, the Creator of the Universe, in Whose wisdom, all men were created free and equal. This is the spirit, to which our great Country must return to regain the greatness it once had. + Fr. George Papadeas
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