杏MAP导航

By Joseph Tulloch

The Roman branch of A.C.L.I, the Italian Christian worker鈥檚 association, organised an event on Tuesday aiming to introduce students to the world of work.

杏MAP导航 Francis sent a message for the occasion, telling the students that 鈥渢he world is opening itself before you鈥�.

鈥淚t may appear crowded and distracted as you arrive,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 stressed, 鈥渂ut it lacks your contribution. I want to tell each one of you that you bring something new to the world. With you, everything, truly everything, can change.鈥�

Labour and the heart

The 杏MAP导航 then reflected on the heart, the subject of his recent encyclical , and asked what the concept might mean for workers today.

Normally, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, we associate the heart with love and friendship, "but in reality we also carry the heart with us to work 鈥� For the Bible, the heart is the place for decision-making. Guard it!"

鈥淚 write this to you,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 continued, 鈥渂ecause, as you enter the world of work 鈥� you may almost be overwhelmed by what is expected of you.鈥�

鈥淚n these circumstances,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis urged, 鈥渓earn to guard your heart, in order to remain at peace and free. Do not bend to demands that humiliate you and cause you discomfort, to ways of proceeding and demands that undermine your genuineness.鈥�

Sticking to one鈥檚 principles

In order to make a contribution to the world, the 杏MAP导航 stressed, one does not have to 鈥渂e OK with everything, even evil.鈥�

鈥淒o not conform to models you do not believe in,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 urged, 鈥渢o gain social prestige or extra money. Evil alienates us, it extinguishes our dreams; it makes us lonely and resigned.鈥�

And the 杏MAP导航 brought his message to a conclusion with an invitation to the students to 鈥渨ork together and build networks鈥� in order to 鈥渞ebuild our common home and reweave the network of human fraternity鈥�.

鈥淭he human heart knows how to hope,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said. 鈥淎ll work that does not alienate, but rather sets us free, begins in the heart.鈥�