Advice We Can Follow and Give to Others - Part 2

Before continuing with our review of the wonderful advice a father gives his son from the Book of Tobias (Tobit), a quick reminder about the need for us busy Catholic men at work to develop spiritual discipline. Part of that should be time we spend reading Scripture. The passages we're discussing come from such reading. When you develop the habit of reading a bit each day (and it doesn't have to be more than 10 or 15 minutes for each of Scripture, spiritual reading, studying our Faith), you'll not only learn your Bible - a good thing in itself - but you'll inevitably learn lessons that include the kind of excellent advice that you can apply to your own life, as we're seeing here.

Speaking of which, some of Tobias's advice really needs no further explanation. Witness:

...Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime...

On the other hand, some of it we can't possibly emphasize too greatly:

...Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all perdition took its beginning...

Let's not let these few words escape us here. Pride brought Lucifer crashing down from Heaven. And it was pride that he used to lure Eve to eat the apple and convince Adam to do likewise. That "Original Sin" became the source of all our troubles in this life. Do yourself a favor now: Take a few moments to think about how pride may have infected your own life. You'll likely find at least traces of it, for example, when someone criticizes you - even if unfairly - and you take great exception (or worse) to the criticism. That's why the best spiritual advice has always been to bear such words patiently, even meekly. Doing so quells our pride, such as it is. It's the tonic that helps us root out pride. And if, like me, pride has taken over a good chunk of the territory in your spiritual world, such tonics, while they may take years and years to take effect, are essential medicine in the daily struggle for the virtue of humility, so essential to any progress in the spiritual life.

Besides, on a practical level, humility, not pride, serves you better in your daily work, both as to producing the best work you can, and doing so in cooperation with all those with whom you work. Both you and your co-workers will be happier when you and those around you display more humility and less pride in your daily interactions.

For you business owners out there, or just anyone paying for the services of another:

...If any man hath done any work for thee, immediately pay him his hire, and let not the wages of they hired servant stay with thee at all...

A reminder to treat others decently, charitably...

...See though never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another...

...extending your charity especially to those, even strangers, who really need it, by performing Corporal Works of Mercy, for example:

Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked.

...Eat they bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked...

Bury the dead.

...Lay out they bread, and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with the wicked...

When you turn to someone for advice, or seek a mentor to help you in your work, chose carefully:

...Seek counsel always of a wise man...

And always, always, be sure "Thy Will be done" remains the source and central motivating principle behind all your thoughts, words, and deeds throughout even the busiest days.

...Bless God at all times: and desire of him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in him...

So much good advice packed into only a few verses! I hope you find the encouragement you need to pursue your own reading each day. Don't let the fact that you work hard, work long hours, etc. convince you that you have no time for your spiritual life, no time to read Scripture, study the doctrines of your Catholic Faith, read good spiritual works. Don't miss out on lessons such as we found in the Book of Tobias. And while we all may not receive the rewards that Tobias did after leading a life of poverty and suffering, we can share with him that which sustained him through all the hard times:

 ...Fear not, my son: we lead indeed a poor life, but we shall have many good things if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is good.

Much to digest here, don't you think? Take a few moments to do so and profit from the good advice Tobias offers us today.