Integrity - Vol.4 No.7 - May 1950

Sep 29, 2026

A 1950 issue of Integrity presents Catholic reflections on work, hope, and the meaning of daily life. “Glorifying the Daily Grind” argues that routine labor drains spirits and empties the worker, while “The Promise of Hope” highlights the danger of expecting freedom only through future events. It emphasizes how remembrance, especially through Church tradition and Christ-centered awareness, renews purpose and counters a godless view of work.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages52

Reading Time2 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Glorifying the Daily Grind

The Promise of Hope

25 CENTS A COPY May,1950Vol.4,No.7Subject~Daily Work C O N TE N T S GLORIFYING THE DAILY GRIND 1 By ED WILLOCK THE LORD HIGH EXECUTIVE(A Poem) By GILBERT O'SULLIVAN- 13 PRAYER AND WORK By SISTER MARY OF THE CoMPASSION,O.P,- 14 HARVEST SONG(A Poem) By HENRY C.WALTER21 BELOVED SONS AND DAUGHTERS By J.V.C.22 WORK MUST GO! By JOHN C.HICKS -26 THE SCHOLAR AND THE WORKER By ERNST FLORIAN WINTER30 BOOK REVIEWS - 38 INTEGRITY is published by lay Catholics anddedicated to the task of discovering the newsynthesis of RELIGION and LIFE for our times. Vol.4,No.7 May 1950 Published monthly by Integrity Publishing Company,243 East 36th Street,New York 16,N.Y.,MU 5-8125.Edited by Edward Willock andCarol Jackson.Re-entered as Second Class Matter March 29,1950 at the Post Office in New York,N.Y.under theAct of March 3,1879.All single copies 25g each;yearly subscriptions:domestic $3.00,Canadian $3.50,Foreign $4.00. INTEGRITY is indexed in THE CATHOLIC PERIODICAL INDEX # Glorifying the Daily Grind Making a living is generally regarded as a grim but unavoid-able necessity.The millions of people stirred to wakefulnesseach workday by irritating alarm clocks are not prone to leap outof their beds with a glad cry.The delight of a new day and thehigh adventure of living are not topics upon which many mindslinger in the stumbling half-light of early morn.It would beerroneous to conclude that the present high rate of low spiritsbefore the morning coffee is typical of man under all circum-stances,in every age.It would be equally inaccurate to assumethat men under better circumstances would not awake to somethingnicer than a vale of tears.These facts do not disturb us.Thedisturbing fact is that the rebellion which understandably gripsour members as we rise from our couches has now taken posses-sion of our spirits at high noon.Even in the clear light of day,with circulation restored,few men are convinced that the workthey do is worth doing.They would be rid of it if they could.They.feel "they should have stood in bed." I respect the exceptions to this rule.These may prove thatennui is not inevitable,but they do not set the style.Daily workis regarded by most men today as a necessary means to the endof leisure,and leisure in turn is directed to the pursuit of pleasure.This attitude could not have gained so many adherents were itnot that grossly subdivided jobs have made each man's task dis-tasteful.So many tomorrows of an awful sameness turn thetired heart to other sources than work for some pleasure,someadventure,and some sense of importance. The mood of the Monday morning commuter as he hastensto his work is not that of a free man tackling a job.The atmosphere of blue Monday that hovers under the droplights and over thetypewriters is one laden with silent resentment and quiet despair.The contrived gaiety of the weekend must be replaced by the con-trived docility of the job.All those who endure the monotonyof specialized effort devoid of exciting purpose will recognize thedescription.The work is there to be done.The end and purposeof the work—that is not your concern.No improvement can bemade in the efficiently devised routine. The job is to be filled.That's the way they put it,and howaccurate they are!The job is to be filled;the worker remainsempty.The immutable laws of profit and technology prescribethe means and the end.If you fit those demands the job is yours.No longer need your conscience be your guide,but let it be re-placed by standard operating procedure.The conscience is tunedto God,but the wheels of industry are moved by the power ofmoney and human genius. # The Promise of Hope It is true that most people try to make the best of it.Theywait upon events that will set them free.Immediately in theirdreams is the next paycheck,the next weekend,the next vacation,the new gadget,but over and beyond this is the vaguely hopefulbeatitude of a brave new world ahead.Despite the threat of hot

FAQs

What does “Glorifying the Daily Grind” say about most daily work?

It describes daily work as a necessary but grim routine that many people do not believe is truly worth doing. The job becomes something to endure rather than something connected to purpose or conscience.

How does “The Promise of Hope” frame the idea of hope?

It criticizes the habit of waiting for events that will set people free, such as the next paycheck or vacation. It argues that hope must be grounded in remembrance rather than only in an imagined future.

Why does the document connect hope with the Church?

It states that one function of the Church is to provide tradition so people can remember why they have been sent. This “rear-view mirror” restores awareness of a supernatural power and re-centers life’s work in Christ.

Sep 29, 2026

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