Our Catholic Faith at Work
Does your Catholic Faith permeate your work day? A recent story about a priest's work amongst his parishioners inspired this question. More on that below.
First though, let's recall our recent review of the Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict. We learned among other things, that, just as is the case for monks, prayer and work should occupy a central place in our lives. A strong, persistent prayer life supports the work we do. While most of us can't take the breaks from work that monks do throughout the day for formal prayer, we can get in the habit of praying in the quiet of the morning, throughout the day here and there, and before we go to sleep. It's a simple, but effective means of keeping our spirit not only alive, but growing in holiness. We're aware that we live and work always under the gaze of God, who grants us the graces we need to live the sort of life that would make a loving Father proud.
Of course, we do need to display certain attitudes and take certain actions during our work day in order for it to reflect our desire to glorify God in all we do. And as we saw in the Prologue, the mere fear of judgment can provide the motivation to do so. But that's really not where we want to be, or at least where we want to remain. Fear can get us going; it can keep us on the straight and narrow. But if we want to grow spiritually, we need to perform our daily duties well, not strictly out of fear or even just a sense of obligation, but out of love. The entire purpose of the Rule of St. Benedict is to provide a framework for our daily labor such that we can progress from an initial sense of obligation to an open, loving desire to please God, our Father.
For those of us who work in the world rather than the monastery, that framework isn't imposed from without by the enclosure of the monastery and obedience to our superiors. We have to form such a framework ourselves. Hence we may rise early to pray, meditate, to study our Faith, to read spiritual works, a few precious moments given to each to establish our daily spiritual equilibrium. We head to work not only with an awareness that God is by our side, but a longing to keep Him right there throughout the day. We develop the habit of brief moments of prayer - little aspirations throughout the day - that acknowledge Him, that beg His assistance, that thank Him for His grace. Perhaps we can get to Mass during the week, or visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament. We try to develop a structured environment within which we pray and work consistently. We create a customized routine (perhaps with the guidance of a spiritual director) that gives us a workable framework that suits our individual circumstances.
In the beginning, we may do this because we feel we ought to do it. We "owe" God this sort of attention and obedience. We try to be good because we know His Ten Commandments; we do our best to avoid what they forbid. But, as the Confiteor at the beginning of Mass reminds us, we're responsible for not only what we have done, but what we have failed to do. And so we develop the virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude by not only habitually avoiding evil, but actively doing good. We give God and our neighbor his due. And over time, with the help of God's grace, we do this willingly, not simply out of a sense of obligation.
So back to our question: Does your Catholic Faith permeate your work day? Maybe we re-phrase, make it more specific: Is your love for Jesus Christ reflected in your every thought, word, and deed every day in the workplace?
We previously mentioned that a recent story about a priest's work amongst his parishioners inspired this question. We found it in a blog post by Father John Zuhlsdorf. Father Lawrence Carney walks the streets of his parish in order to encounter folks in the course of their day.
Next time we'll learn more about how the example of this priest might inspire each of us in our daily work such that our love for Jesus Christ might be reflected in our every thought, word, and deed.
First though, let's recall our recent review of the Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict. We learned among other things, that, just as is the case for monks, prayer and work should occupy a central place in our lives. A strong, persistent prayer life supports the work we do. While most of us can't take the breaks from work that monks do throughout the day for formal prayer, we can get in the habit of praying in the quiet of the morning, throughout the day here and there, and before we go to sleep. It's a simple, but effective means of keeping our spirit not only alive, but growing in holiness. We're aware that we live and work always under the gaze of God, who grants us the graces we need to live the sort of life that would make a loving Father proud.
Of course, we do need to display certain attitudes and take certain actions during our work day in order for it to reflect our desire to glorify God in all we do. And as we saw in the Prologue, the mere fear of judgment can provide the motivation to do so. But that's really not where we want to be, or at least where we want to remain. Fear can get us going; it can keep us on the straight and narrow. But if we want to grow spiritually, we need to perform our daily duties well, not strictly out of fear or even just a sense of obligation, but out of love. The entire purpose of the Rule of St. Benedict is to provide a framework for our daily labor such that we can progress from an initial sense of obligation to an open, loving desire to please God, our Father.
For those of us who work in the world rather than the monastery, that framework isn't imposed from without by the enclosure of the monastery and obedience to our superiors. We have to form such a framework ourselves. Hence we may rise early to pray, meditate, to study our Faith, to read spiritual works, a few precious moments given to each to establish our daily spiritual equilibrium. We head to work not only with an awareness that God is by our side, but a longing to keep Him right there throughout the day. We develop the habit of brief moments of prayer - little aspirations throughout the day - that acknowledge Him, that beg His assistance, that thank Him for His grace. Perhaps we can get to Mass during the week, or visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament. We try to develop a structured environment within which we pray and work consistently. We create a customized routine (perhaps with the guidance of a spiritual director) that gives us a workable framework that suits our individual circumstances.
In the beginning, we may do this because we feel we ought to do it. We "owe" God this sort of attention and obedience. We try to be good because we know His Ten Commandments; we do our best to avoid what they forbid. But, as the Confiteor at the beginning of Mass reminds us, we're responsible for not only what we have done, but what we have failed to do. And so we develop the virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude by not only habitually avoiding evil, but actively doing good. We give God and our neighbor his due. And over time, with the help of God's grace, we do this willingly, not simply out of a sense of obligation.
So back to our question: Does your Catholic Faith permeate your work day? Maybe we re-phrase, make it more specific: Is your love for Jesus Christ reflected in your every thought, word, and deed every day in the workplace?
We previously mentioned that a recent story about a priest's work amongst his parishioners inspired this question. We found it in a blog post by Father John Zuhlsdorf. Father Lawrence Carney walks the streets of his parish in order to encounter folks in the course of their day.
During the afternoon six days a week, he walks from his current home at St. James Catholic Church, praying the rosary while he walks. He estimates he talks to 10 people a day, totaling between 2,000 and 5,000 different people in the last three years. He gives out rosary beads and miraculous medals, answers questions and prays with people if they approach him.This individual's expression of his priestly faculties may be unusual, but you'll find it makes perfect sense if you read the entire post. (HERE). The man loves Jesus Christ such that he attempts to imitate him in his daily work, inculcating Our Lord's example, as illustrated for us in the Gospels, in his every day thoughts, words, and actions.
Next time we'll learn more about how the example of this priest might inspire each of us in our daily work such that our love for Jesus Christ might be reflected in our every thought, word, and deed.
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