pro-life work
The Egyptians "reduced them to cruel slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work...Pharoah then commanded all his subjects, 'Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews.' " —Exodus 1:13-14, 22
Pope John Paul II maintains that we are living in a "culture of death." There have been many cultures of death throughout history. One of the most famous was the Egyptian culture which oppressed the Israelites with "forced labor" (Ex 1:11) and forced them to kill their baby boys. Enslaving the Israelites through work and killing their children went together in the Egyptian culture of death. They are also connected in our culture of death.
Therefore, it is very important for us to be free in our work. We must not work for perishable food, such as salary, benefits, power, or prestige (Jn 6:27). Being forced to work only or primarily for the money is thinly disguised slavery or even something like prostitution — selling ourselves for money. We must work not for man but for the Lord — not for ourselves but for His glory (Col 3:23-24). Only in Jesus will our work be life-giving and not death-dealing. By deciding to place our work under the lordship of Jesus, we stand up for life — the lives of workers, family life, the lives of children in the womb, and even eternal life. Do pro-life work.
Prayer: Jesus, I work for You, the Life (see Jn 14:6).
Promise: "He who seeks only himself brings himself to ruin, whereas he who brings himself to nought for Me discovers who he is." —Mt 10:39
Praise: Kateri was pock-marked, orphaned, blind, holy, happy, and victorious. She was the first American Indian to be beatified.
Reference: (For related teaching, order our leaflet, Job Performance for Jesus.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, November 12, 1996
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 10, 1996