Work is a good in itself \u201d\u201c and not simply (though importantly) a means of making money to support a family. St. John Paul II wrote in 1981: \u201cMan was called to work even before original sin. Man is the image of God partly through the mandate received by the Creator to subdue. To dominate the earth. . .in other words man\u2019s work is in some way a part in God\u2019s creative power!\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
We then are co-creators. This is both a privilege and a serious duty. The pope also discusses human work as a way of growing in holiness that prepares us for eternal happiness. After all, Our Lord constantly refers to workers in his preaching, and his greatest apostle was Paul, a tentmaker. You can be sure that St. Paul united his work with prayer so that it would not only contribute to earthly progress, but also extend the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n
This brings us to the second part of God\u2019s plan for work that was highlighted by St. John Paul II in his encyclical on work, Laborem Exercens: that work becomes a place and means of sharing one\u2019s faith not only by example, but also by words based on developing friendship in the context of the workplace.<\/p>\n