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America's Hopeful for Labor Day: "We honor all those who work and toil"translated

September 8, 2026 · 1 min read

On the occasion of Labor Day in the United States, which was celebrated yesterday, September 7, 2026, and every year on the first Monday of September, the Most Reverend Archbishop of America Mr. Elpidophoros, with a message on social media, highlighted the value of work, the struggle for decent and safe working conditions, but also the great changes caused by technology in the modern working world. The Archbishop emphasized that this particular day "reminds us that everything around us has been created by human hands", while underlining that rights that are taken for granted today, such as "hours and security", were won thanks to the struggles of previous generations of workers. He made special reference to all those who work "in the fields and factories, in kitchens and hospital wards, in offices and behind the wheel, but also at home, where the toil never ends".

In his message he also recalled that Christ himself "worked as a carpenter, before His public preaching began", praying that the Lord "bless the work of the hands, mind and heart" of each worker.

At the same time, the…

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Anna Moore

My father worked in a factory here in Melbourne for forty years, so the bit about hands creating everything around us really hit home. Nice to see Archbishop Elpidophoros mention Christ the carpenter too; it puts all the office work and hospital shifts in perspective. We take the eight-hour day for granted now, but it didn't come easy.

Gheorghe Radu

Working at the hospital is exactly as it says: in the guard rooms and in the corridors it never stops. The phrase "man's hands created everything around" stuck in my head - I think of the patients we care for and the tables we clean every day. And yes, Christ the carpenter is a detail that changes everything.

Νίκη Θεοδώρου

Archbishop Elpidophoros spoke very correctly about those who toil in the fields and in hospitals. Me, my daughter has been working for years in a restaurant kitchen here in Heraklion and I know very well that the schedule ends but the back pain remains. I'm glad he also remembered Christ the carpenter, that makes sense of all this tiredness.