Work as a Social Duty - Part 2

Last time we established that work has a social nature, but we still haven't touched on what Cardinal Wyszynski calls a "social duty." We know we work with others, and we know we work for others. Now we'll see how our associations with others in work inculcate not only a responsibility, but an actual desire to serve others. Using the example of Jesus rewarding the offer of a cup of water with the kingdom of Heaven (Matt 10:42), we begin to understand the deeper relationship between the services we provide to others and that others provide to us. They bind and unite us.

Work, which teaches us love, dependence, and humility, compels us to be of use to one another and so creates human society. In this society work acquires new possibilities of development through the adjustment, division, and intensification of combined human efforts. This then is the social bond, the brotherhood of people through work.

Considered in this light, we can see how work promotes the common good. As we've seen in past posts, our work can be, should be, part of the the realization of God's plan in the natural and the supernatural order, which Cardinal Wyszynski calls the "final and universal good." Of course, our role is subsidiary to God's role as Creator, and it includes all the ordinary actions we take in our daily work, encompassing the entire spectrum from the humblest laborer to a head of state.

Related to this highest good there are also other goals that man decides to obtain for himself, namely, partial goods of which he wants to gain possession. These are the goods of the family, profession, nation, and state. Man attains these goods through cooperation with other men who are striving toward the same goal. To achieve various good things, man can combine his efforts in societies, meetings, associations, etc. 

We all need the cooperative work of others to accomplish anything. Even the solitary hot dog vendor standing at his cart relies on his customers' work to provide them with the money needed to buy two with mustard and sauerkraut. But, most important of all, each of us as individuals working with and for the benefit of others must ultimately direct our efforts such that they advance the great plan for the universe by its Creator.

All the goods achieved as a result of people's cooperation must be brought into conformity with God's plan.

When we satisfy our temporal or physical needs in this light - by the grace of God for His greater glory - we find a golden opportunity to worship God even in our work.

In this highest of goods, with is eternal salvation, the needs of all men find their fulfillment.

With a better understanding of work as a social duty, we next look at our duty to be socially useful through work.