Bring Some "Medieval" Thinking to Work - Part II
We were talking about how the Middle Ages got the world right - and how our modern secular world gets so much wrong. But, of course, this secular world is where we all live, right. It's where God decided to place us, right here, right now.
So how do we Catholic men live Catholic lives - just as full of the Faith as our Medieval ancestors, maybe more - in this secular world of ours?
Ideally, your home is a refuge - a real Catholic place. Sure, stuff comes into your home that might not be ideal. Maybe it's through TV, or radio, or online. But the "fixed parts" of your home should remind you of who and what you are: pictures and statues of Our Lord, Our Lady, the Saints, etc.; good reading material starting with the Bible, books of prayers, books about doctrine and devotion. And, of course, that's the stuff you spend a good chunk of time with, as opposed to the drivel (or worse) you get from TV, radio and online.
What about work? You're not so much in control there. You probably can't even have a picture of Our Lady on your desk, I'd imagine. Ooh, it would offend someones "sensibilities." You don't want to "impose" your beliefs on anyone. Well, you know the drill.
Some of us are lucky enough to have Catholic colleagues at work; some not. If you do, do you ever talk about your faith, you know, share "Catholic" thoughts from time to time? Or do your speech and actions hide your faith, keep it sealed up? If you're lucky enough to work with Catholics, try to talk about the Faith when you have a break, or you're at lunch, or something. Let them know you love the Faith. Maybe they do too. I suspect they'd appreciate having an outlet (you) for any "Catholic" thoughts and feelings they have at times during the long work day. Wouldn't you?
And if they don't love the faith, don't really practice their faith, and they find out you do (and assuming your behavior demonstrates that you love Our Lord), they'll be inspired by you to get back to the practice of their faith. Maybe you'll help to fire up a love of Christ in their hearts.
If you're mostly by your lonesome Catholic self at work, you can think about how once most folks were Catholics, but no more. You can recall David's words in Psalm 12:
And isn't that why all us Catholics need to be a shining example of a better world than this secular world we live in now? You only have to look around you to know that the world would be a lot better off with more Catholic and less secular in it. So assuming you keep a Catholic home, work's the next best place to start shining. And you don't really have to do all that much.
Start with the words you speak, then the rest of your actions throughout the day. Something should be different about you, about the way you behave, the way you carry yourself. You're the "contact" for God, for the Church, in your workplace. In a sense, you may be someone's only hope in this life. Without you being Catholic, they may never run into the Truth - at least not in this secular world of ours.
Well, what got me onto all this was thinking about my deceased Mom and Dad this past Christmas Season. And that got me on to thinking about all the Holy Souls, which led to the fact that in the Age of Faith - the Middle Ages - people understood all about the Communion of Saints. It was a central part of how they viewed the world every day.
And here we moderns are thinking that these folks were primitive and superstitious and all that. Meanwhile, the faithful departed in Purgatory suffer because so few of us even remember the fundamental reality of the Communion of Saints.
So, Catholic men, we're not going to forget, are we? We're going to live our lives - even at work - steeped in our Faith, with a deep understanding and appreciation of the rich and wonderful reality of the Communion of Saints and our place in it - whether at home or at work. We're going to pray and make special sacrifices for our brothers and sisters - perhaps our own family and friends - who right now are undergoing their final cleansing in Purgatory.
And, as part of the Church Militant, we're going to - by our example, our prayers and our sacrifices - help to bring those who have died, and those around us at home and at work closer to God, ultimately into His Sacred Presence for all eternity.
To think this was all second nature to Medieval Catholics!
So how do we Catholic men live Catholic lives - just as full of the Faith as our Medieval ancestors, maybe more - in this secular world of ours?
Ideally, your home is a refuge - a real Catholic place. Sure, stuff comes into your home that might not be ideal. Maybe it's through TV, or radio, or online. But the "fixed parts" of your home should remind you of who and what you are: pictures and statues of Our Lord, Our Lady, the Saints, etc.; good reading material starting with the Bible, books of prayers, books about doctrine and devotion. And, of course, that's the stuff you spend a good chunk of time with, as opposed to the drivel (or worse) you get from TV, radio and online.
What about work? You're not so much in control there. You probably can't even have a picture of Our Lady on your desk, I'd imagine. Ooh, it would offend someones "sensibilities." You don't want to "impose" your beliefs on anyone. Well, you know the drill.
Some of us are lucky enough to have Catholic colleagues at work; some not. If you do, do you ever talk about your faith, you know, share "Catholic" thoughts from time to time? Or do your speech and actions hide your faith, keep it sealed up? If you're lucky enough to work with Catholics, try to talk about the Faith when you have a break, or you're at lunch, or something. Let them know you love the Faith. Maybe they do too. I suspect they'd appreciate having an outlet (you) for any "Catholic" thoughts and feelings they have at times during the long work day. Wouldn't you?
And if they don't love the faith, don't really practice their faith, and they find out you do (and assuming your behavior demonstrates that you love Our Lord), they'll be inspired by you to get back to the practice of their faith. Maybe you'll help to fire up a love of Christ in their hearts.
If you're mostly by your lonesome Catholic self at work, you can think about how once most folks were Catholics, but no more. You can recall David's words in Psalm 12:
Help Lord; for there is no longer any that is godly;
for the faithful have vanished from among the sons of men.
Every one utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
Start with the words you speak, then the rest of your actions throughout the day. Something should be different about you, about the way you behave, the way you carry yourself. You're the "contact" for God, for the Church, in your workplace. In a sense, you may be someone's only hope in this life. Without you being Catholic, they may never run into the Truth - at least not in this secular world of ours.
Well, what got me onto all this was thinking about my deceased Mom and Dad this past Christmas Season. And that got me on to thinking about all the Holy Souls, which led to the fact that in the Age of Faith - the Middle Ages - people understood all about the Communion of Saints. It was a central part of how they viewed the world every day.
And here we moderns are thinking that these folks were primitive and superstitious and all that. Meanwhile, the faithful departed in Purgatory suffer because so few of us even remember the fundamental reality of the Communion of Saints.
So, Catholic men, we're not going to forget, are we? We're going to live our lives - even at work - steeped in our Faith, with a deep understanding and appreciation of the rich and wonderful reality of the Communion of Saints and our place in it - whether at home or at work. We're going to pray and make special sacrifices for our brothers and sisters - perhaps our own family and friends - who right now are undergoing their final cleansing in Purgatory.
And, as part of the Church Militant, we're going to - by our example, our prayers and our sacrifices - help to bring those who have died, and those around us at home and at work closer to God, ultimately into His Sacred Presence for all eternity.
To think this was all second nature to Medieval Catholics!
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