Come aside and rest awhile

In a Prayer for Labor Day, the U.S. bishops invite us to ask God: “Make a place in our hearts for compassion to the men and women who labor tirelessly for basic necessities.” Labor has always held a place of dignity within our faith. Scripture tells us that the laborer is worthy of his hire (1 Tim. 5:18), and many a church document, including Rerum Novarum, outline the value of workers and their work: "Justice, therefore, demands that the interests of the working classes should be carefully watched over, so that they who contribute so largely to the advantage of the community may themselves share in the benefits which they create." And, today, in honor of our labor, it’s time to take a break.