Bring the Cross to Work

I recently read that the practical and spiritual implications of the Cross on everyday life are rarely grasped, and consequently rarely put into practice. It was part of a Lenten meditation, but everyday life doesn't just go on during Lent. It goes on, well, everyday. So I figured it was okay to talk about this now.

It's not that I've never thought about or meditated on the Cross. But I started wondering how much I really understood the practical implications of the Cross on my everyday life. Take work for example.

My job isn't really all that tough. By tough, I mean something like what a coal miner does. You know, those physically demanding, dangerous, dirty jobs that some people do. Yet in spite of that, work seems tough sometimes. Things don't go smoothly all the time. I imagine that's true for most of us Catholic men at work.

Now from time to time I offer up any difficulties (at least some of the time). But I think "the practical implications of the Cross on my everyday life" goes beyond just the idea of "offering up" difficult moments at work, or working at a particularly tough job. And I don't think it means just that our job is a cross.

What strikes me here is that the Cross belongs front and center in our lives everywhere, including on the job - whether or not things are going well for us.

Here, think of it this way. What Jesus did was to give Himself to all of us - holding nothing back. There He was, God, sacrificing His life for us - for you and me.

So now we're at work, and we bring the Cross to the job with us. What's the practical implication? Maybe it's got something to do with giving ourselves, not holding back, with sacrifice.

Now, by giving ourselves to our work and not holding back, I'm not talking about being assertive or aggressive. Maybe you need to be more assertive or aggressive in your work. That really depends on the sort of work you do, the situation you face in your company, etc. Just be careful when you're assertive or aggressive.

In fact, that assertive-aggressive stuff, all that self-esteem blather you hear, that's all stuff that can easily lead you to focus on yourself. It leads to self-love. And, of course, the Cross wasn't about self-love, right?

So with the Cross by our side at work, we can't get caught up in all that typical self-improvement, self-development nonsense. It's not about us. We need to give. We need to give ourselves just like Our Lord gave Himself - without hesitation, no holding back.

Whatever skills and talents you have, use them. Whenever you have the chance to give good example to another, give good example...well, I think you know what I mean.

We can't get sidetracked by our ambitions, by our pride, by our office politics, by anything. There'll be no half-hearted efforts from us.

And it's not like we need lots of reminders here. You know how you start your prayer with the Sign of the Cross? Well, right there you're reminded of the central role the Cross plays in our lives.

That same Cross - the sacrifice Our Lord made on Calvary - that must play a practical role in our work every day. Unselfish, open, courageous actions should fill our days, no matter what sort of work we do.

And if at all possible, we do this without thinking of ourselves at all. We don't think: "I'm going to be unselfish here"; "I'll be generous with my time"; "I'm going to stick up for what I think is right and exercise the virtue of fortitude." Do that and you can easily focus on yourself and slip into self-love. Don't think; just do.

When you think about it, it all starts with the very first thoughts we have when we wake up - with the Morning Offering:

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer Thee all my prayers works, joys and sufferings of this day
In union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world
For all the intentions of Thy Sacred Heart...