Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION
	Labor Day originated in 1882 in New York City under the aegis of the Knights of Labor. Congress made it a legal holiday in 1894. Observing it this week gives us a good opportunity to reflect on the Catholic Church’s social teachings for the last century or so. On May 15, 1891, Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Rerum Novarum on the condition of the working classes and labor. In doing so, he initiated a century in which Catholic teaching became more and more involved in the social issues of the day.
	Unfortunately relegated to the shadows while the bright lights of controversy shine on other issues, Catholic social teaching remains largely unknown to many Catholics. It is the Catholic Church that championed such notions as a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, and continues to uphold the dignity of the human person against attacks from governments and corporations. Nearly every pope since Leo XIII has issued teachings on the subject. Take some time this Labor Day to familiarize yourself with some aspect of the Church’s social teachings. In doing so, you will be taking responsibility as a member of the Body of Christ to commit yourself to the care of your neighbor.
—Rev. James Field