September 7, 2025 - Pastor Message
September 10, 2025Happy Labor Day weekend!
Happy Labor Day weekend! So what? Why do we have a national holiday called Labor Day? Judging by how most of us celebrate it, you’d think we have this holiday to celebrate the end of summer with one last weekend of fun in the sun at the beach or the park, but what does that have to do with labor? To understand what Labor Day is really all about, we need to go back to its origins in the late 19th century.
At that time, working people had very little protection or recourse when confronted by abuse from the often dangerous and inhumane working conditions of the industrial age. Long hours, low wages, backbreaking labor, and poor safety standards were common, with no job security or social safety net. This led workers to organize in labor unions to collectively stand up for their rights, which in turn led to sometimes violent clashes with employers and business owners attempting to maintain the status quo.
One particularly violent conflict arose in the 1890’s between the workers and owners of the Pullman Train Company in Chicago. When the owners subjected the workers to massive layoffs and pay cuts during an economic recession, the workers went on strike, shutting down practically all rail traffic across 27 states, a huge blow to the already struggling American economy.
In an effort to pacify disgruntled workers from the Pullman strike as well as other recent unrest, the US Congress passed a bill, signed by President Grover Cleveland, naming the 1st Monday in September the national holiday of Labor Day, a day celebrating the contributions of working people to our country with parades, rallies, and a day of rest from their labor. Unfortunately, the federal government had no intention at the time of doing anything to actually improve the situation of working people. Within days of signing Labor Day into law, President Cleveland sent federal troops to put an end to the Pullman strike, resulting in violence and the death of 30 people. Actions speak louder than words, and the actions of President Cleveland show that, while the stated purpose of the holiday is noble and deserves to be honored still today, the creation of Labor Day was just empty show - President Cleveland’s heart was far from the meaning of the holiday he created.
“This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts”. Jesus charges the religious leaders of his time with having the same, double-mindedness as President Cleveland. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time could recite God’s law forwards and backwards, chapter and verse. They meticulously followed the letter of the law, especially concerning the observance of religious rituals and ritual purity. But for all their religious observance, it was just empty, external show. Their hearts were far from God, who gave them the law, not to keep people away, but draw people in to the fullness of life with him. The law was not an end in itself but a tool to draw people into a life giving relationship with God.
Now apply this principle to our lives. Are we also of two minds, faithful in our external religious observance but with our hearts far from God? Or do we understand that external observance without the interior work of giving our hearts to God is just empty show, with no value for our salvation or that of others? When we pray, do we just say words and make gestures while our minds are a million miles away, or do we truly lift our minds and hearts to God so that he can take away our stoney hearts and give us new hearts, alive with his grace and love? When we fast, do we give up external things as a form of self-help to lose weight or look better to others, or do we do it as a means to refocus on our interior life with God? When we do works of charity, do we do them for show or for that warm fuzzy we get from helping others, or do we do them as genuine acts of sharing the overflowing love of our God for all without expecting any thanks or reward in return?
This Labor Day, enjoy the last days of summer fun and the much needed rest from your labors, but don’t take a break from the interior work of giving your heart to God. Let this holiday weekend rather be a renewal of that work so that our hearts, minds, and souls may be truly made clean and, as good and faithful servants, we may forever share in our Master’s rest.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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