“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” Colossians 3: 23”

The month of May (“Maios” in Greek), is a month dedicated to Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. The entire month of May falls within the season of Easter, a season where we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we are reminded that our saviour died for our sins and triumphed over death and the grave. Death loses its sting when we believe and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, giving us hope of eternal life with Him.

May 1st is dedicated to St. Joseph the worker, the patron saint of all workers. Joseph, (the earthly husband of Mary the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ) is not spoken much of in the Bible but worked very hard in faith to support his wife and our Lord Jesus Christ and set an example for all of us on how to humbly trust and obey God. 

In many countries across the world, May 1st is Workers' Day - a kind of “Sabbath Day” for workers, recognising them and their contribution to our world. Although this day for Labour is not recognised in some countries, it is important for us to remember, whether we acknowledge it or not, that, our biggest employer with all the might and power to guarantee us a bigger wage and better conditions of service is our Lord God Almighty. We have to serve Him and Him alone with all our hearts, minds and soul. Amen.

As we see from the Bible quote from Colossians above, as people of God, the work that we do – irrespective of how hard it is – must primarily be for God. It is only in Him that we should patiently hope for our final remuneration because His pay is more rewarding than any other. And when we feel we do not have the strength to work for God, it is incumbent on us to ask the Holy Spirit (hagios pneuma in Greek) because, the Holy Spirit is our Helper, our Comforter (parakletos in Greek), our Protector, our Confidant, Advisor and, most importantly of all, our Friend. Let us remember that Jesus did not leave us alone: He sent the Holy Spirit to be our brother, friend and lover and therefore we are never alone. 

At this time, when we still face challenges like the Coronavirus pandemic and the devastating ongoing war in Ukraine causing so many deaths and making millions refugees, let us remember we still have a friend in our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us remember and be reassured that Jesus Christ died for us. His cry on the cross before His death of “it is finished” (tetelestai in Greek) means He has completely taken over all our sufferings and by His resurrection is giving us hope of eternal life with Him. Let us never be afraid to go to Him with our prayers because, although He is not physically with us, he is sitting at the right hand of God constantly interceding for us. We can count always on Him for our safety, our health and our every physical and spiritual need. Our eternal song of praise should therefore be: “What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear. And what a privilege to carry. Everything to God in prayer”. 

Prayer: Lord God, as we celebrate the human successes of our everyday life, help us to realise that, our greatest success and achievement is knowing you and having you as our Lord and Saviour and having our eternal home with You. We pray that, in our everyday endeavours we experience your rich and abundant grace and love. Make us always thankful for going on the cross for us and dying for us, in your precious name we pray. Amen.