Vatican City, Nov 24, 2017 / 11:46 am
In a letter for the conclusion of a conference on labor on Friday, Pope Francis said work is about more than just doing something for money, but about cooperating with Christ's work of redemption in how we care for others and the earth.
"According to Christian tradition, (work) is more than a mere doing; it is, above all, a mission," the Pope said Nov. 24.
"We collaborate with the creative work of God when, through our work, we cultivate and preserve creation; we participate, in the Spirit of Jesus, in his redemptive mission, when by our activity we give sustenance to our families and respond to the needs of our neighbor."
Jesus of Nazareth, who spent most of his life working as a carpenter, "invites us to follow in his footsteps through work," he continued. This way, in the words of St. Ambrose, "every worker is the hand of Christ who continues to create and to do good."