Text: Archbishop John Wilson at London Migrant Workers Mass

ICN Screenshot

Archbishop John Wilson gave the following homily at today's London Migrant Workers Mass at St George's Cathedral, Southwark.

It's wonderful see everyone here today. And I hope you all feel at home. Maybe you could turn to the person behind you or in front of your or beside you and if you don't know them just say "I'm glad you're here." … I'm glad you're here… its OK they don't need your life story - we can do that afterwards.."

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we honour St Joseph with a specific title: St Joseph the Worker. And we know from the Gospels that he was a carpenter.

He was the husband of Our Blessed Lady, and the foster father of the Lord Jesus. And it's good to remember, and it's in the Catechism if you want to look it up, that for most of his life before he began his public ministry, the Lord Jesus lived a life like most of us, like most people in history. A daily life kind of hidden. No evidence of greatness at that point. And a life of manual labour. A life of work. Like his foster father Joseph, the Lord Jesus was a worker a carpenter.

He would of course become a miracle worker. And the worker of our salvation.

But it's right today as we gather, that our celebration focuses on the dignity and the importance of human work.

There's a story told - and you may have heard it before - but please laugh at the end anyway - whether you've heard it or not. During a parish retreat the parish priest invited a group of priests from different religious orders to take part. And in preparation they went in to the church to pray. And as they began to pray - the lights went out.

And so the Benedictines - they prayed from memory. The Jesuits had a discussion about whether if there was no light did they have to pray. The Franciscans composed a song, praising God for the gift of darkness. The Dominicans restarted their debate about how light is sign of the transmission of faith. The Carmelites just became silent. Eventually up gets the parish priest, and goes to the hallway, replaces the fuse and the lights come on.

Now prayer is important. Our spiritual life is vital. But so is work. So is work. And the Catholic social tradition teaches that work is both a duty and a right. It's through work that we collaborate with God our creator. That we exercise an authentic stewardship over the earth's resources. That we provide for ourselves and our families and our communities and especially for the weakest and the poorest. It's through work that we recognise and harness the gifts and the talents given by God to each person. All different. All needed. It's through work that we grow in virtue. Not least patience and perseverance . It's through work that we grow in holiness, uniting our work to the great work of salvation in Christ.

St John Paul II said that work helps us to be more human, (I don't know what you think about that - do you agree?) Work helps us to be more human. And just as we need work we also need rest. We need to recreate, humanly and spiritually, honouring God's own rest at the end of creation.

Work is part of God's plan for us. It helps us understand our identity. And fulfil our mission. So many people in the past and today have come here to seek and to provide essential work for our nation.

Recent information shows that foreign-born people make up nearly one fifth of the working population in the United Kingdom. That surprises me. That's a big number.

Many highly educated migrant workers are over-qualified for the jobs they do here in the United Kingdom. Significant numbers of workers from overseas support the UK in the hospitality sector, in transport, in communications and in information technology.

And here's a really amazing statistic which is true: almost one fifth of the NHS in England are people of nationalities other that British.

The contribution of migrant workers to the United Kingdom is immense. So much so - that we wonder how could we survive without them. But the decision to leave one's homeland - which many of you have taken - to leave one's family sometimes as well and to search for work here - that's not an easy decision to take. It demands courage and sacrifice.

So how important it is to today to say thank you. To say thank you to everyone here and by extension to say thank you to everyone who had migrated to our country to work here in the United Kingdom. Because that's you and thank you. Generously sincerely thank you.

It's important that you know that our life together is better because you're here. That our life together is better because of the skills and the service and the contribution that you give. That our life together is better because of the diversity of cultures that you bring to our and your communities We are better in our country because you are here.

The Catholic Church in the UK has always been a migrant church long before any of us were born. Members coming from across the world . Our parishes or schools, our chaplaincies, not least across London in our three dioceses, are a beautiful mosaic of people from all nations who find here in the Church a home. We are proud of this as a Church in our country. We are proud that our doors are open and there is a welcome for everyone. We celebrate our diversity of nations with joy. The blessing of our unity in Christ gives witness in the Church to the harmony of humanity and this is a precious sign which we send out to our country - not least to those who would argue otherwise!

Catholic Social teaching upholds the dignity and the rights of workers. It condemns all forms of injustice toward working people whatever their country or origin or status in life. The human person is always more important than the product they produce. The human person is always more important that the service they provide.

Work is for the person. Not the person for work. Employment should never use a person, placing on them intolerable burdens and unacceptable conditions. Rather work its a noble calling to share the life of our Creator.

Work enables the human person to flourish in their families and in society. And while work contributes to our fulfilment we must remember we must never forget that every person is more than their job. First and foremost every person, each of you, is a son or daughter of God. Valuable and respected for who you are. Not for what you achieve or what you do.

Today dear friends the Church points us to St Joseph for encouragement. He's a model for us who work. A model who provided dedication and protection for his family. Who was faithful to what God asked of him.

And so today we ask the prayers of St Joseph. We ask him to pray with us for the protection of workers and their rights. We ask St Joseph to pray with us for respect for the dignity of human labour. And we ask St Joseph to pray with us for an increased appreciation of the valued role of workers from overseas in our communities. That they, that you, are treated honourable and properly.

Like our Church in this country the history of humanity is a history of migration, of movement, of shifting people across land and sea through time.

The history of our faith is a history of migration from Abraham to the people of Israel, From the Holy Family to the countless asylum seekers, refugees and migrants of our own day.

The experience of being a stranger in a strange land is somehow woven into the fabric of our human existence, therefore we must be people of welcome. We must be people of welcome and in welcoming our we encounter in them the face of Christ. In listening to their story we begin to understand their unique identity. In offering refugee and asylum and the opportunity to work we build a better future together.

My brothers and sisters, the foster child of St Joseph the Worker the carpenter's son is the Word made Flesh.

The Lord Jesus our brother, our friend, our Saviour, himself learned to work as a carpenter. And that prepared him for the work of salvation on the wood of the Cross.

The Lord Jesus gives us a commandment that has no exceptions. To love God to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

May the example and the prayers of St Joseph the Worker inspire us to go from here renewed with a mission of welcome of solidarity and of justice. So that the gifts of all may rise in the service of all. Amen

(ICN transcript)

Watch a recording of the Mass here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpLXBwrBiCE