An Extended Mary Break at Work

One more time, let's turn our thoughts to our Blessed Mother as we head to work today during her special month of May. Here's Father Edward Leen again. He helps us turn our work into prayer. He approaches the subject through a discussion of the virtue of Hope.

Take a few moments to concentrate carefully on his words here. Learn about the role and importance of Hope in our daily work. If you've never considered this, you'll find Father's explanation enlightening. But don't just "learn" here: act. Apply his words in your own life, specifically to your own work today.

Mary is the Mother of Holy Hope. Why of Holy Hope? It seems as if but few realize the extraordinary importance of Holy Hope in the spiritual life. This may seem a rather unimportant virtue. They consider it of less importance than that of her theological virtues of Faith and Charity, and the least practical of the three in the handling of daily life. Why is this? There are few who in their daily lives act sustainedly in the virtue of Hope. We act in Faith and in a certain measure in Charity. Why is it so difficult to act in Hope? Hope is a tending towards an object that is distant, an object not yet acquired, and possibly in itself extremely difficult of attainment. Our tending towards the object is sustained and buoyed up by the consciousness that we have at our disposal means which will help us to attain it. 

What is the object, distant and difficult to attain, of the virtue of Hope? What can be more difficult of attainment to the creature than God? Only God can reach God. Is it not an extraordinary thing that a creature should aspire to such a goal, aspire to reach God, to rise to that power, that activity, which will put it in possession of God, and that even here and now? We may ask ourselves how many people, in the ordinary activities of daily life, press on in the hope of coming thereby to God. We hope to reach him in prayer, but do we seek to find Him in our ordinary daily duties – in teaching a class, in sweeping a room, in working at the sewing machine? In these activities, do we act in the way of Hope? Do we realize that in these things we can tend continually towards God, so that there need be no moment of life, no activity, no duty, in which we are not tending towards Him. We act in Faith. We act in Charity. Why do we not act in Hope?

I don't know about you, but no matter how much I accomplish by the sweat of my brow as I plow through my "To Do" list today, the satisfaction of a job done, even better a job well done, won't hold a candle to knowing that my work helped me take a step closer to God today. Do I really believe it will? Well, I know by faith that it can. But do I actively hope that it really will? That's the question I'm asking myself as I read and meditate on Father Leen's words.

Best to turn to our Blessed Mother today, as Mother of Holy Hope, and beg her intercession. Ask for the grace to hope that this day "we can tend continually towards God, so that there need be no moment of life, no activity, no duty, in which we are not tending towards Him."