In 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted the memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker. This day corresponds with the day of labor that is commemorated in many countries across the world. The importance and dignity of work are ideas that have formed and shaped the Catholic Church for many centuries. In the Sacred Scriptures, we read that Jesus Christ is referred to as “the son of a carpenter.” Sacred Tradition teaches that Jesus was trained as a carpenter under his foster-father, St. Joseph, however, in reality, we believe him to more than just a carpenter, but also someone that worked with hard materials (tekton) – wood would have been a hard material, but also stone, iron and, masonry.

Human work, no matter how extraordinary or ordinary the labor, can be sanctified. Sanctified work can assist us to increase in holiness and virtue as well as increase the work of Jesus’ passion and redemption, which in turn increases good work and holiness among the Body of Christ.

Personally, I have been waiting for this day to come upon the liturgical calendar for a few weeks now. Since losing my job at the parish back in March I have been seeking new employment but to no avail, nothing has come as of yet. I am trying not to lose hope. My wife is incredibly supportive and encourages me to keep searching. When something does work out, she always says, “God has something better for you out there.”

With this being said, I am providing you 10 quotes from the Saints on the importance of work. I hope you enjoy them, share them with your family and friends, and most importantly, pray with them. 

The pictures below are from, Worthy of Agape. I have written permission to use the pictures. I would encourage you to check out the saint pegs and the other fantastic products sold by Amanda on this website.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton –

“The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.”

Pope Saint John Paul II –

“Work is a good thing for man – a good thing for his humanity – because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillmentas a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes “more a human being.”

“Work constitutes a foundation for the formation of family life, which is a natural right and something that man is called to…In a way, work is a condition for making it possible to found a family, since the family requires the means of subsistence which man normally gains through work.

Saint Benedict –

“Idleness is the enemy of the soul; and therefore the brethren ought to be employed in manual labor at certain times, at others, in devout reading.”

Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) –

“Never do the work carelessly because you wish to hide your gifts. Remember, that work is his. You are his co-worker. Therefore, he depends on you for that special work. Do the work with him, and the work will be done for him. The talents God has given you are not yours – they have been given to you for your use, for the glory of God. There can be no half-measures in the work.”

Saint Thomas Aquinas –

“Without work, it is impossible to have fun.”

Saint Josemaria Escriva –

“Work! When you are engrossed in professional work, the life of your soul will improve, and you’ll become more of a man for you’ll get rid of that “carping spirit” that consumes you.”

Saint John Bosco –

“Work is a powerful weapon against the enemies of the soul…” [He believed that one’s work should act as a sacrifice to God]

His work ethic: “Daily work, regularly and conscientiously performed was a sure stepping stone to sanctity.”

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla –  

Everyone works in the service of man. We doctors work directly on man himself…The great mystery of man is Jesus: ‘He who visits a sick person, helps me,’ Jesus said… Just as the priest can touch Jesus, so do we touch Jesus in the bodies of our patients… We have opportunities to do good that the priest doesn’t have. Our mission is not finished when medicines are no longer of use. We must bring the soul to God; our word has some authority…Catholic doctors are so necessary!

This is blog post #999.