Unemployment

Last month the Pope reflected his concern about the number of people out of work by speaking about the lack of employment and job security. He asked people to look at history and see the consequences of controlling society through power and through the economy. The only answer is for all of us to establish the primacy of God. He said that through the Holy Eucharist we can understand the right order of things in the world. We need bread that satisfies our physical hunger, but more than that we need Jesus Christ, the Bread of life. From Him comes a real understanding of our responsibilities to each other; we become more concerned with the person rather than with things.

God created each of us to share his Life, his Love. Jesus Christ, in obedience to the Father, died in order to restore the Divine Life to us. We can see that God went to the extreme to save us. He values each person.

There were various schemes, legal and illegal, which led to our economic crisis, the result of which is many people losing their jobs. Corporations have money as their objective -- perhaps their only objective. It's the money that enables them to be number one, the money that brings much power and the ability to decimate the competition. When service is mentioned or when they make humanitarian efforts, it's often with an ulterior motive: to attract more customers, shareholders and favorable opinion, to attract more money.

Government control is not the answer. We are not pieces on a chessboard. Only God is the answer. Yes, God! The very One whom government laws try to suppress. If the government and corporations knew Him and listened to Him, people would be regarded and treated as they deserve. We might not have super rich and super powerful companies, but we would have people treating others as they would like to be treated. There would certainly be much more concern for others rather than for money.

Father Stanley