The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa
The Philosopher Nietzsche said, “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”
In a previous life in my vocation, having left the Diocese of Bethlehem as a missionary to the Diocese of Virginia, serving on the Bishop’s staff there, I was the Bishop’s assistant for Congregational and Ministry Development. It was my job to assist congregations with the tools that they felt they needed to better their mission. Traveling around that diocese and particularly spending a great deal of time in smaller congregations, there was a consistent question. And, the question was – “Show us the way to do it. Show us the way to grow our church. Show us the way to balance our budget. Show us the way to do evangelism. Show us the way to have a dynamic Sunday school. Show us the way to do group ministry. Tell us how to do it. Reveal to us the way.”
I spent much of my time in conversations like that and, because I was fortunate to be in a diocese that had some resources, I was fortunate to gather experts in their fields from all around the church, bringing them into the diocese to do workshops. Some of those experts came touting the way. They had the way. Some of the more humble came sharing some things that they have experienced along the way. What I realized and came to know, and knew intuitively, of course, from the beginning is there isn’t one way. There isn’t one thing that might work in one place that will work in another place.
I found myself ending all of my conversations with those I was with inviting them into a “yes and” world. It’s a “yes and” world I would say. It’s not an “either or” world. In other words, there’s more than one right answer. There’s more than one possibility.
I’m about to venture into a world that I shouldn’t venture into. But, quantum physics has something to teach us a bit about the fundamental nature of the world. How it’s ordered. How it operates. I promise I’ll be here briefly, particularly to those of you who know anything about physics. I apologize. What my neophyte understanding of quantum physics teaches us about the fundamental nature of energy is that energy is small and discreet in its units and that the elementary particles of that energy behaves like particles and like waves.
Where’s Tom Stone when I need him? The movement of these particles in quantum theory is inherently random. That is to say that as energy moves about us and in us and about the world we know that it operates randomly, but in relationship with one another. We don’t always know nor can we predict how energy will move, but quantum theory does teach us that in the end, energy is in relationship. In other words, it’s a “yes and” world. Energy does behave this way and that way. How am I doing, Tom? Just shake your head, please. Thank you.
This, of course, is in dialogue with plutonium physics, which is a cause and effect physics. This is the cause of that. It’s a “yes and” world. Quantum physics teaches us, not an “either or” world. And here comes the big leap.
There is a theme in the scriptures today. And it seems like our primary player in both the Old Testament and the Gospel lesson today seem to be stuck in a world view that is “either or,” as opposed to “yes and.”
For Moses, he is surrounded by the disgruntled. He is surrounded by those who have followed a vision that he has proclaimed on behalf of the God who anointed and called him, that is that their lives should be lived free. Following that dream, they find themselves out in the wilderness, pangs of hunger coming upon them, and growing quite bored with the menu of the day...manna.
The “either or” of the world in which they seem to be stuck is either we stay here in the wilderness and eat this boring manna every day and have our stomachs cringing with hunger, or we return to slavery in Egypt where we at least tasted some meat and some sweet melon. There is a profound limitation with this worldview for those in the wilderness. They cannot and do not see the options. And, they cannot and do not see the limitless nature of the God who has called them to freedom.
Even Moses himself seems limited in his worldview, and I myself am horribly sympathetic to Moses in this particular passage. Moses himself, never sure really of his call, questioning his call all the way along, now finds himself in the wilderness surrounded by a bunch of complainers. Surely, God, this isn’t the way you planned it he says.
He is stuck in this moment in an “either or” worldview. Either God you have brought us out here and promised us something new or I can’t possibly stand one more day with this clamoring. His very own worldview seems limited and small. Even having experienced the broadness of God. Both Moses and his people seem to be stuck in that “either or” worldview and God, it seems, once again is called upon to offer the “yes and.” “Yes, people of Israel, I have liberated you and you will not die and you will grow into a new nation and you will live and once again you will taste meat and sweet melon.” And, by the way, look up at the stars and be reminded. “Moses,” he says, “yes, you will continue to lead.” And here’s the punch line Moses, “you cannot do that alone.” “And, there will be one, no two, no three, no four, no five, no seventy...seventy elders who will gather around you and will help you do that and, by the way, there’s these other two who will also anoint in order to aid you. “Yes, Moses and.”
Our good friends the disciples in today’s gospel also seem to be rooted strongly in that “either or” worldview. They come across a man who, believe it or not, is casting out demons, quickly recognizing that he is not a follower of Jesus; he’s not in their group. They quickly do what they think they should do and that is to stop him. No evil spirits cast out today...sorry, say the disciples.
It seems they cannot fathom that God’s kingdom might be spread outside of their domain. It seems that Jesus’ response to them reminds them of the yes and the and. Jesus reminds them that if one casts out in his name that he cannot continue his life without understanding that he is acting on behalf of the principals of the kingdom of God. And then, of course, Jesus goes on with all of that other stuff. You know, the pluck out your eye stuff, the cut off your hand stuff. You see here’s what I think about that. I think Jesus is hacked. I think he is hacked off. I think as is the theme in Mark’s gospel the disciples once again aren’t getting it. They stopped someone from doing a kingdom thing. And, therefore, they’re not getting it again. And Jesus reminds them though he grabs their attention and reminds them of the most prolific imagery he can find and reminds them that God’s a yes and the Kingdom of God is expansive and that the very last and very least they cannot be a stumbling block to that. Get out of the way when it’s important and part of the plan. And if that means plucking out your eye or cutting off your hand then do it. He doesn’t mean literally. There is it seems a yes and way to the Kingdom of God being spread. So the question for you today is the question I live with this week and that is...is it either or...or is it yes and? Is your rule to the way you approach life the way you see the challenges and opportunities of life one that is either or? Or yes and?
When we’re trapped in an either or worldview and I sometimes, indeed, am trapped in that either or worldview, we come to a place where we are closed off. We are incapable of being expansive and creative. We lack the perception to see the options that are around us. And we may even miss one more opportunity to grow. Now we know why we get there, you and me. We get there because we’re tired. We get there because as psychologists now call it the cumulative stress in our lives is high. Cumulative stress is now the psychology for burnout. We get to that place because we’re stressed. We get to that place because our relationships are taxed. If I have to find one more part of my heart that allows me to forgive my father one more time I’m just going to spit. If my father has to come to one more place in his life where he has to find one more part of his heart to forgive me in our relationship he’s just going to spit. That’s on the cumulatively stressed high part of that relationship. We know that we live in difficult financial times, and if we ourselves are not financially taxed, many who we love and know are. That, of course, puts us sometimes in places that we believe is either or. And, sometimes we’re in those places where we are not appropriately seeking the stimulation that we need...that stimulation in our mind and our body and our spirit. Perhaps we have forgotten what brings us joy in what we read. Or, depth to our experience in our work place by what we discover. Perhaps we’ve forgotten how important that mile walk we take every morning is. Or perhaps we’ve lost the way to the gym all together. And perhaps we’re taxed in our spiritual lives. Perhaps we’ve come to that place where we’ve forgotten how to pray. Or, where we’ve forgotten whom it is and where those places those touchstone places are in our lives that bring a step to our spirit. And, as in the disciples’ case sometimes we get there because of our arrogance or of our own control needs.
I invite you to consider the yes and worldview for you and I in our vocations. Can we lead and discover, and love and be compassionate? In our relationships, can we really live in a way that we give more of ourselves only to discover that and we will find more about ourselves?
In our finances, can we really spend less and give more? In our spiritual lives can we really let go and discover a safe place to be? We’ve been having Stewardship desserts. If you’ve not been able to get to the one you’ve been invited to or if you have no idea what I’m talking about call the office.
Recently, as recently as last night in our small group, having dessert and enjoying it, we talked about together the power of the yes. What it is just to say “yes”. Yes. Say “yes and” to the way we approach our every day work. Say “yes and” to the way we approach our relationships. Say “yes and” to the way we approach our spiritual lives. And say “yes and” to the way God may be working through us as individuals and as a community of faith. Amen.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Pentecost 16 - Proper 20
The Rev. Canon Mariclair Partee
This has been a hard week to be a Christian! Throughout our nation this week we have seen some startling behavior. A number of individuals that we hold up as icons, even role models in fields ranging from sports to entertainment to politics, have engaged in behavior we can only describe as rude, boorish, even angry outbursts and disgraceful, childish reactions, leading an associate from my old law firm to email me, asking if I was interested in starting a consulting business with her – we could market ourselves as behavioral consultants for celebrities and public figures, she said, with the motto, “We will teach you how not to show your behind in public.”
But this rash of bad behavior, crossing all lines – gender, race, creed, sportsmanship, professionalism – and the national reaction and discussion of the value of civility, have been yet another reminder to people of faith that we are truly pilgrims, singing the Lord’s song in a foreign land.
We have also seen behavior this week that was more brutish, more deeply troubling, though I’m not sure we have connected the two in our national debate – a young woman, brutally murdered, her body stuffed into a wall, with the only apparent explanation being anger boiling over into rage, unchecked emotion giving rise to unspeakable violence. Truly, we Christians are strangers in this land, where a fellow human being can be killed so thoughtlessly, and disposed of so easily, as if she were garbage to be tossed in a dumpster.
These have been sad days, disappointing days, but what we have seen, unfortunately, is nothing new in our history as humans. James describes it in the passage from the Epistle today: “Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.”
And what was the offered solution, in the time of James?
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…[for] Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom…
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”
That’s the solution: Gentleness, born of wisdom.
James speaks of ambition, calling it wicked and evil. This isn’t a value that we hold today; ambition is something that is admired and praised, and rightly so. And ambition is not a bad thing, but ambition without regard to others is unspiritual, devilish, and ambition at all cost is truly evil.
In Judaism, there is a concept called, in Hebrew, tikkun olum, which roughly translates to “repairing the world through personal action.” Jews are taught to strive towards tikkun olum in every action, every interaction, so that in making every exchange with another person holy, the division between God and the world will be worn away.
Psychologists have a similar concept, and it is called Transformational Change. The theory is that all anger, all aggression, finds its genesis in fear. When we find ourselves in an interaction that makes us afraid – whether it is fear for our physical body, fear of loneliness, fear of not being as important as we’d like to be, fear of not getting the respect that we need – that fear quickly resolves itself in anger, and aggression, and we lash out at whatever, whomever, is making us afraid.
In Transformational Change, the idea is that when we find ourselves in a situation where we are feeling fear, we hold onto it, we sit with it and let it resonate in ourselves until we figure out what is causing it, and then we decide how to respond appropriately, and make the conscious choice not to simply project our fear into the world as anger.
And so, as we enter out from this place today, as Christian pilgrims into a chaotic and sometimes harsh world, may we all have the courage to be the change we wish to see, may we repair the world in all of our actions, and may we be guided by gentleness, born of wisdom, all to the glory of God.
AMEN.
This has been a hard week to be a Christian! Throughout our nation this week we have seen some startling behavior. A number of individuals that we hold up as icons, even role models in fields ranging from sports to entertainment to politics, have engaged in behavior we can only describe as rude, boorish, even angry outbursts and disgraceful, childish reactions, leading an associate from my old law firm to email me, asking if I was interested in starting a consulting business with her – we could market ourselves as behavioral consultants for celebrities and public figures, she said, with the motto, “We will teach you how not to show your behind in public.”
But this rash of bad behavior, crossing all lines – gender, race, creed, sportsmanship, professionalism – and the national reaction and discussion of the value of civility, have been yet another reminder to people of faith that we are truly pilgrims, singing the Lord’s song in a foreign land.
We have also seen behavior this week that was more brutish, more deeply troubling, though I’m not sure we have connected the two in our national debate – a young woman, brutally murdered, her body stuffed into a wall, with the only apparent explanation being anger boiling over into rage, unchecked emotion giving rise to unspeakable violence. Truly, we Christians are strangers in this land, where a fellow human being can be killed so thoughtlessly, and disposed of so easily, as if she were garbage to be tossed in a dumpster.
These have been sad days, disappointing days, but what we have seen, unfortunately, is nothing new in our history as humans. James describes it in the passage from the Epistle today: “Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.”
And what was the offered solution, in the time of James?
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…[for] Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom…
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”
That’s the solution: Gentleness, born of wisdom.
James speaks of ambition, calling it wicked and evil. This isn’t a value that we hold today; ambition is something that is admired and praised, and rightly so. And ambition is not a bad thing, but ambition without regard to others is unspiritual, devilish, and ambition at all cost is truly evil.
In Judaism, there is a concept called, in Hebrew, tikkun olum, which roughly translates to “repairing the world through personal action.” Jews are taught to strive towards tikkun olum in every action, every interaction, so that in making every exchange with another person holy, the division between God and the world will be worn away.
Psychologists have a similar concept, and it is called Transformational Change. The theory is that all anger, all aggression, finds its genesis in fear. When we find ourselves in an interaction that makes us afraid – whether it is fear for our physical body, fear of loneliness, fear of not being as important as we’d like to be, fear of not getting the respect that we need – that fear quickly resolves itself in anger, and aggression, and we lash out at whatever, whomever, is making us afraid.
In Transformational Change, the idea is that when we find ourselves in a situation where we are feeling fear, we hold onto it, we sit with it and let it resonate in ourselves until we figure out what is causing it, and then we decide how to respond appropriately, and make the conscious choice not to simply project our fear into the world as anger.
And so, as we enter out from this place today, as Christian pilgrims into a chaotic and sometimes harsh world, may we all have the courage to be the change we wish to see, may we repair the world in all of our actions, and may we be guided by gentleness, born of wisdom, all to the glory of God.
AMEN.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Proverbs 22:1-2, 6-8, 22-23
Proper 18
The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa
The evolution of a national observance of Labor Day grew out of the labor movement in North America in the midst of the Industrial Revolution of the 1880’s and 1890’s. In the continued struggle for expanding industry in a difficult economy, the seeking of jobs and fair wages, and the hope of building a strong sustaining economy, came observances of both recognizing officially the goodness of labor, AND at the same time as unions were beginning to form, finding a just workplace for the common laborer in a time when management clearly had most of the power in such relationships. President Grover Cleveland’s administration took the lead in establishing a national observance of labor in the aftermath of the deaths of workers at the hands of police and federal marshals during the infamous Pullman strike in 1893. The workers of the Pullman Palace Company had experienced significant wage cuts in a difficult economy. In addition, many working for the company lived in company-owned housing. Despite wage cuts, there was no relief in rent for housing. The railroad union across the country joined in a strike, and management appealed to the federal government for intervention. Attorney General Richard Olney invoked an injunction to end the strike, citing that the strike was illegal, as the disruption in train service impeded fair trade and secondly, the strike interfered with the delivery of mail. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act created in 1890 was aimed at breaking up monopolies. In this case, it was being used to break up a strike. Workers, of course, rebelled, the government sent in agents, and there was violence and death.
President Wilson, in the aftermath of such difficulty, was intentional in striking a reconciliatory spirit and, working closely with congress, rushed legislation through marking a day of observance and thanksgiving for labor. Since that time in 1894, there has been a national observance of labor.
A history such as this calls us to reflect on our work, our individual place and understanding of who we are as we offer ourselves to the world through our work and, of course, the ever present, always important role of justice in all we do and all we are as individuals and as a society. Wisdom, it seems, would go a long way in the historical context of those struggling in difficult times to discover a common goal and place for labor and industry, particularly in the case of the Pullman strike and its aftermath that leads us to a national day of observance of labor. Common sense, it seems, may lead us to a place of understanding who we are in our labor and how we offer ourselves to the common good.
The Book of Proverbs perhaps offers us some good old-fashioned common sense as we reflect on who we are and how we are connected to the common good.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
The rich and the poor have this in common:
the Lord is the maker of them all.
Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
and the rod of anger will fail.
Those who are generous are blessed,
for they share their bread with the poor.
Do not rob the poor because they are poor,
or crush the afflicted at the gate;
for the Lord pleads their cause
and despoils of life those who despoil them.
The Book of Proverbs is considered by scholars to be wisdom literature. This book is a compilation of “wisdom” collected from centuries of sayings and writings, and offered to Jews in post-exilic Jewish history. This literature consists of two characteristics. First, contemplative and speculative writings aimed at the revelation of God’s spirit for the goodness of living life. Second, short and even pithy sayings that emphasize a moral guide of life, often appealing to lessons of experience rather than revelation.
Our scripture today comes from sayings passed down through generations in the history of Israel. It belongs to the second description of wisdom literature. Today we read straight up common sense sayings designed to be a moral guide to those striving to live a faithful life for the good of themselves and for the common good.
First, to strive for a faithful life, strive not after gold and silver, but be more cognizant about who you are and who you will be remembered to be. Generations will remember you for who you were and what you gave to the common good, rather than by what you accumulated in life. Rooted in this teaching is the rather obvious statement, we are all created by God, rich and poor. Humanity links us together, making us accountable to one another. A common sense teaching, one even found in the earliest of foundational truths of our society, but clearly as history has taught us, it is a difficult one to live faithfully.
Second, live just lives. That is, be fair. Work for your share and be mindful not to take your share at the expense of others; simple, but difficult. Clearly it is not unique in the 21st century that fortunes are, at times, built on the backs of those less fortunate. This seems to be true in ancient times as well. It is also not unique to ancient times that linked humanity also had the capacity for great generosity to the poor and downtrodden, something I see also in many of you, and it gives me great hope.
Finally, all our proverbs for this day seem to remind us that we are always folks connected to the needs of others. Simple again, I say, in principle, but our greatest challenge to live in reality as well.
This Labor Day calls us to reflect upon who we are as a faithful people. It calls us to consider to what end our labors exist. It calls us to reflect upon the fair and industrious practices with ourselves and individuals, and the fair and industrious practices that exist or need to be established within our own society. Even as many in our society struggle with unemployment and finding re-employment, we take with us the wisdom of the scriptures that reminds us that we are defined by who we are and what we offer to the common good, not by our jobs themselves, but rather by the God who links us together by our humanity. Even as we observe again this national observance of labor, we reflect on our opportunity to live lives for the common good.
I leave you with this prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP 261).
The Lord be with you:
Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa
The evolution of a national observance of Labor Day grew out of the labor movement in North America in the midst of the Industrial Revolution of the 1880’s and 1890’s. In the continued struggle for expanding industry in a difficult economy, the seeking of jobs and fair wages, and the hope of building a strong sustaining economy, came observances of both recognizing officially the goodness of labor, AND at the same time as unions were beginning to form, finding a just workplace for the common laborer in a time when management clearly had most of the power in such relationships. President Grover Cleveland’s administration took the lead in establishing a national observance of labor in the aftermath of the deaths of workers at the hands of police and federal marshals during the infamous Pullman strike in 1893. The workers of the Pullman Palace Company had experienced significant wage cuts in a difficult economy. In addition, many working for the company lived in company-owned housing. Despite wage cuts, there was no relief in rent for housing. The railroad union across the country joined in a strike, and management appealed to the federal government for intervention. Attorney General Richard Olney invoked an injunction to end the strike, citing that the strike was illegal, as the disruption in train service impeded fair trade and secondly, the strike interfered with the delivery of mail. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act created in 1890 was aimed at breaking up monopolies. In this case, it was being used to break up a strike. Workers, of course, rebelled, the government sent in agents, and there was violence and death.
President Wilson, in the aftermath of such difficulty, was intentional in striking a reconciliatory spirit and, working closely with congress, rushed legislation through marking a day of observance and thanksgiving for labor. Since that time in 1894, there has been a national observance of labor.
A history such as this calls us to reflect on our work, our individual place and understanding of who we are as we offer ourselves to the world through our work and, of course, the ever present, always important role of justice in all we do and all we are as individuals and as a society. Wisdom, it seems, would go a long way in the historical context of those struggling in difficult times to discover a common goal and place for labor and industry, particularly in the case of the Pullman strike and its aftermath that leads us to a national day of observance of labor. Common sense, it seems, may lead us to a place of understanding who we are in our labor and how we offer ourselves to the common good.
The Book of Proverbs perhaps offers us some good old-fashioned common sense as we reflect on who we are and how we are connected to the common good.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
The rich and the poor have this in common:
the Lord is the maker of them all.
Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
and the rod of anger will fail.
Those who are generous are blessed,
for they share their bread with the poor.
Do not rob the poor because they are poor,
or crush the afflicted at the gate;
for the Lord pleads their cause
and despoils of life those who despoil them.
The Book of Proverbs is considered by scholars to be wisdom literature. This book is a compilation of “wisdom” collected from centuries of sayings and writings, and offered to Jews in post-exilic Jewish history. This literature consists of two characteristics. First, contemplative and speculative writings aimed at the revelation of God’s spirit for the goodness of living life. Second, short and even pithy sayings that emphasize a moral guide of life, often appealing to lessons of experience rather than revelation.
Our scripture today comes from sayings passed down through generations in the history of Israel. It belongs to the second description of wisdom literature. Today we read straight up common sense sayings designed to be a moral guide to those striving to live a faithful life for the good of themselves and for the common good.
First, to strive for a faithful life, strive not after gold and silver, but be more cognizant about who you are and who you will be remembered to be. Generations will remember you for who you were and what you gave to the common good, rather than by what you accumulated in life. Rooted in this teaching is the rather obvious statement, we are all created by God, rich and poor. Humanity links us together, making us accountable to one another. A common sense teaching, one even found in the earliest of foundational truths of our society, but clearly as history has taught us, it is a difficult one to live faithfully.
Second, live just lives. That is, be fair. Work for your share and be mindful not to take your share at the expense of others; simple, but difficult. Clearly it is not unique in the 21st century that fortunes are, at times, built on the backs of those less fortunate. This seems to be true in ancient times as well. It is also not unique to ancient times that linked humanity also had the capacity for great generosity to the poor and downtrodden, something I see also in many of you, and it gives me great hope.
Finally, all our proverbs for this day seem to remind us that we are always folks connected to the needs of others. Simple again, I say, in principle, but our greatest challenge to live in reality as well.
This Labor Day calls us to reflect upon who we are as a faithful people. It calls us to consider to what end our labors exist. It calls us to reflect upon the fair and industrious practices with ourselves and individuals, and the fair and industrious practices that exist or need to be established within our own society. Even as many in our society struggle with unemployment and finding re-employment, we take with us the wisdom of the scriptures that reminds us that we are defined by who we are and what we offer to the common good, not by our jobs themselves, but rather by the God who links us together by our humanity. Even as we observe again this national observance of labor, we reflect on our opportunity to live lives for the common good.
I leave you with this prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP 261).
The Lord be with you:
Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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