The Practice of Mortification at Work: More Practical Suggestions
We continue with practical suggestions for the practice of mortification at work, again drawing on Father Shyvers suggested practice of "universal renunciation" which, as a reminder, he describes thusly:
Mortification of the taste:
This is the old standby of mortification. You may have had this recommended to you by a spiritual director at one time or another, or perhaps come across this recommendation in your spiritual reading. You forgo something that tastes good when you're eating. It's an easy thing to apply in the workplace when you break for lunch or eat at your desk.
You could even do this at a business lunch. Lunch is served. You don't salt the french fries, or butter the bread. You quietly offer up your little sacrifice in a spirit of love for Our Lord, uniting yourself to Him on His Cross. It takes a second. No one notices. You continue your conversation without missing a beat.
I had mentioned previously delaying the actual eating of your food, which I think fits in here. You say grace and simply wait a minute or two. (For me, two minutes is a challenge, but that's my standard.) You can do this at a business lunch as well. Just continue engaging with your colleagues or your client. They won't notice a thing as you linger over your food for a minute or two.
Mortification of a whim:
I like this one and it's a good one for work, especially in light of the fact that so many of us have to be online or at least working at a computer screen to do our work. It's so easy to allow yourself to be distracted by the whim of the moment as you're working this way. You think about lunch and decide to "look up" a place or a menu. You were going to buy a present for one of your kids and a thought strikes you so you click and shop. (But, really, if you're supposed to be working, this really can become a form of stealing from your employer, right? You're not being paid for this sort of activity. Indeed, when people began using computers at work, shopping at the desk was a huge time-waster - maybe for some still is - and employers have come up with ingenious ways to monitor such activity.)
But a whim could even be lodged in your brain as any random thought that catches your attention while you should be focusing on the task at hand. Your mind strays and you indulge the whimsical thought. It doesn't have to be something sinful, like an impure thought. It might just be that you remember something that you did or are going to do that brings you pleasure. It might be something you have to do and so it occupies your thoughts rather than the work in front of you.
We're a distracted people, most especially in these days of multimedia, online, digital bits and splashes of information that assault our senses each day. Whimsical thoughts pop up naturally, but are certainly exacerbated by the media drenched culture in which we live. Controlling such thoughts at work will deny your senses an indulgence, and help you give a full effort to your work. This mortification is, I think, one of the most important these days.
A few more suggestions to come next time...
Live in the present moment only; occupy yourself entirely in fulfilling your duties calmly, without eagerness and without loitering; but during your occupations, be on watch for occasions to give pleasure to Jesus, Who works, prays, and lives in you. When the opportunity of making a little sacrifice arises, such as mortification of the taste, of an inclination, of a whim, of self-will, of judgment, or of curiousity - seize the occasion with eagerness, then quietly continue on your way.Last time we talked about fulfilling our duties calmly, and watching for occasions to give pleasure to Jesus. Today, we discuss the opportunity to make little sacrifices throughout the work day, through the practice of various specific mortifications.
Mortification of the taste:
This is the old standby of mortification. You may have had this recommended to you by a spiritual director at one time or another, or perhaps come across this recommendation in your spiritual reading. You forgo something that tastes good when you're eating. It's an easy thing to apply in the workplace when you break for lunch or eat at your desk.
You could even do this at a business lunch. Lunch is served. You don't salt the french fries, or butter the bread. You quietly offer up your little sacrifice in a spirit of love for Our Lord, uniting yourself to Him on His Cross. It takes a second. No one notices. You continue your conversation without missing a beat.
I had mentioned previously delaying the actual eating of your food, which I think fits in here. You say grace and simply wait a minute or two. (For me, two minutes is a challenge, but that's my standard.) You can do this at a business lunch as well. Just continue engaging with your colleagues or your client. They won't notice a thing as you linger over your food for a minute or two.
Mortification of a whim:
I like this one and it's a good one for work, especially in light of the fact that so many of us have to be online or at least working at a computer screen to do our work. It's so easy to allow yourself to be distracted by the whim of the moment as you're working this way. You think about lunch and decide to "look up" a place or a menu. You were going to buy a present for one of your kids and a thought strikes you so you click and shop. (But, really, if you're supposed to be working, this really can become a form of stealing from your employer, right? You're not being paid for this sort of activity. Indeed, when people began using computers at work, shopping at the desk was a huge time-waster - maybe for some still is - and employers have come up with ingenious ways to monitor such activity.)
But a whim could even be lodged in your brain as any random thought that catches your attention while you should be focusing on the task at hand. Your mind strays and you indulge the whimsical thought. It doesn't have to be something sinful, like an impure thought. It might just be that you remember something that you did or are going to do that brings you pleasure. It might be something you have to do and so it occupies your thoughts rather than the work in front of you.
We're a distracted people, most especially in these days of multimedia, online, digital bits and splashes of information that assault our senses each day. Whimsical thoughts pop up naturally, but are certainly exacerbated by the media drenched culture in which we live. Controlling such thoughts at work will deny your senses an indulgence, and help you give a full effort to your work. This mortification is, I think, one of the most important these days.
A few more suggestions to come next time...
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