The Work of Human Hands

On the table before him, Jesus had many choices of food and drink from the Last Supper, Passover banquet. He chose to consecrate and set apart the unleavened bread and the wine. Using the words of the ancient Jewish prayer, the barakah, he gave thanks and acknowledged both the human and the divine contribution to bread and wine. It is both the fruit of the earth and the work of human hands.

Holding up the bread that we offer he says,

“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, 

for through your goodness we have received 

the bread we offer you:

fruit of the earth and work of human hands,

it will become for us the bread of life.”

To which the people reply, “Blessed be God forever”. Then holding up the chalice with the wine we offer, he says, 

 “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

for through your goodness we have received this wine we offer you:

fruit of the vine and work of human hands,

it will become our spiritual drink.”

People: "Blessed be God forever".

Jesus chose bread and wine because they are natural, universal symbols of sacrifice. They truly are the work of human hands. It takes planning, seed planting, watering and time. Once harvested it takes energy, time, and the immolation and grounding of the wheat and grapes. In ancient times it was done by hand or by foot. Then even more time is taken to bake bread and to ferment wine. The final product is then offered to God by the people in the offertory at Mass. 

The bread and wine carried up to the altar by lay people stands for their work: hitting that early morning alarm clock, getting ready, making a lunch, fighting traffic, the long hours, the sweat, the stress, the blood and the tears that they put in at the factory, the hospital, the school, the family business, and the farm throughout the week.

Then the priest asks us for even more! He says, “Lift up your hearts”.

God wants our work, however tedious and routine, to be offered out of love and to be offered with our whole heart. We respond.

“We lift them up to the Lord”.

For the Saints, the offertory was a key part of Mass. It meant the total offering of themselves, body, mind and soul. All the work, all the service given to others, all the good experiences, all the bad experiences and everything in between was all spiritually and willfully placed on the paten and in the cup with the bread and wine. What God does next is he transforms it from imperfect finite sacrifice, offered through our human love to the perfect, infinite sacrifice offered through divine love. Our hearts and our love poured out everyday in our work is taken up into his heart and transformed by his love.

In our small human way, we echo back to God the words of Our Lord as he held the bread and wine, "This is my body, this is my blood... given for you". 

Our work not only matters for our daily life and sustenance, for our families and for our spouses but it actually can, so long as it is noble and good, become a vehicle for our own salvation and sanctification. In this way our work itself can become a prayer.

Mothers who are nursing and caring for their young children may miss daily Mass, but they must remember that the labor they are blessed to endure serves God and ought to be offered to Him at Mass on Sunday. The work that the father or mother puts in at the office or school. a hospital or  factory is worthy as a sacrificial offering especially when united to the bread and wine at Mass. Grace perfects nature. The natural, daily, social and economic benefits that our work brings to others is perfected by grace so that we may all benefit supernaturally and eternally. 

Lift up your work and your hearts. In total self-giving become a living sacrifice. It sounds way too hard but actually it begins by simply offering a morning prayer that expresses your willingness to let everythimng you do be for his glory and in accordance with his will. Then go to Mass on Sunday and say that prayer, making an offering of self, during the offertory, recalling all the work and effort you gave throughout the week. 

To all of you workers who are weary and burdened, may you find rest in Him. Happy Labor Day.