Work as a Means of Interior Sanctification - Part 3
We continue our study of Working Your Way into Heaven by Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski by considering how our work can be a means of inner sanctification. Last time, we noted why it's essential that we consciously and sincerely desire to carry out God's Plan, despite our lack of knowledge of the specifics of exactly how God's plan for us, and for the world, really works.
We recognized that with our faith and our trust in God, He
will give us the grace to do our part, whatever that might be. The desire to unite our will to His keeps us and all we do in line with His Plan. Now we'll see that the way we concretely and explicitly express this desire can be found in how we work, or, as Cardinal Wyszynski tells us:
"The greatness of our life in furthering God's plans (is found in) how we perform our tasks."
Those "tasks" typically include much that we might otherwise find ordinary, even boring. In my own work, a good percentage of my time consists of attending to check lists that specify actions to take on particular days. Every once in a while, seeing the same item coming up for the umpteenth time, I want to just throw up my hands and tear up the list. What, again?!! But I know that these items, carefully and thoughtfully organized based on my years of experience running the business, are the nuts and bolts, the gears and grease that keep the business running efficiently. And that ultimately allows me to provide the kind of services that benefit my customers. To the extent those tasks are completed on time, and with attention to detail, I can pay closer attention to what people need and want from our company. It works - at least most of the time.
As Catholics, though, we all need to shift our gaze. Besides handling the minutia of daily tasks, and caring about the concerns of the people we serve in our respective businesses, it's critically important that we involve God in this process. If we claim that we work for His greater glory - and we should all be doing this, right? - we should ask ourselves exactly how we do this every day. It's not enough to just give "for the greater glory of God" mere lip service. That's why the more routine, even boring, our daily tasks, the more important is is that we perform them diligently and with love. Doing so, we can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. We take what the natural world presents to us as simple, unimportant actions and elevate them to a supernatural plane when the source of our diligence is love of God. Cardinal Wyszynski suggests that
"...trifles of life, when they are performed with a great heart..."
will be our direct and consistent method of turning our daily labor into a prayer and a means of interior sanctification. Our Father in Heaven will see our efforts. He knows how performing the ordinary with a "great heart" will challenge us at times. When we're slogging through tedious tasks, dealing with difficult, even prickly bosses, colleagues, vendors or customers, we'll be tempted to grind our teeth and reluctantly, maybe even resentfully drag ourselves through the day. But in those moments, if we ask for it, He will grant us the actual grace we need to turn the difficult into the divine.
This is especially true for those of us who work at jobs that give little glory or even recognition. God specifically provides us with the graces we need to do our work well, without the need for special recognition. Our Heavenly Father
- ...gives patience, submissiveness, and humility to all those unknown workers whom the proud world values so little..."
Look, the fact is, we can't all be "the boss;" most of us aren't "entrepreneurs." In fact, most of us, when push comes to shove, really occupy a relatively tiny spot in the vast universe of enterprise that makes the wheels of the world's economy spin. Yes, some few will "rise to the top." Some have the knack or creative genius to invent or improve an idea or technology that moves our world's economic needle. But the vast majority of us show up at our jobs each day, a cog in a wheel we didn't invent or re-invent. By keeping God in the picture, even placing Him at the center of our endeavors, we cultivate a closer relationship to Him.
"Man wins God's friendship by every task that he does in submission to God, in concert with God's plan."
Not only do we cultivate this "friendship" with God, drawing us closer to Him on an intimate level, but we will be doing our part - the part He designed for us - in carrying our His Plan. (You might ask yourself: Would you rather be Bill Gates or God's friend?)
"We are obligated to carry out God's plans...The fulfillment of God's plan in the world is the revelation of friendship with God...happens in every kind of human work that brings people closer and binds them together with the ties of fellowship and friendship."
To grow closer to God, we don't have to live the explicitly "religious" life of the priest or monk. We don't have to be the mover and shaker that "makes a difference" in this world. We simply need to show up at work each day with the right attitude, which includes keeping God in our hearts and minds as we go about our business.
"Next to interior life, an active life is one of the most direct ways of bringing one close to God."
Encouraging words for those of us anonymously plying our trades as best we can, aren't they? So as you leave for work today, be so encouraged. You will not only be doing your work, but will also indeed be carrying out God's Plan!
"The greatness of our life in furthering God's plans (is found in) how we perform our tasks."
Those "tasks" typically include much that we might otherwise find ordinary, even boring. In my own work, a good percentage of my time consists of attending to check lists that specify actions to take on particular days. Every once in a while, seeing the same item coming up for the umpteenth time, I want to just throw up my hands and tear up the list. What, again?!! But I know that these items, carefully and thoughtfully organized based on my years of experience running the business, are the nuts and bolts, the gears and grease that keep the business running efficiently. And that ultimately allows me to provide the kind of services that benefit my customers. To the extent those tasks are completed on time, and with attention to detail, I can pay closer attention to what people need and want from our company. It works - at least most of the time.
As Catholics, though, we all need to shift our gaze. Besides handling the minutia of daily tasks, and caring about the concerns of the people we serve in our respective businesses, it's critically important that we involve God in this process. If we claim that we work for His greater glory - and we should all be doing this, right? - we should ask ourselves exactly how we do this every day. It's not enough to just give "for the greater glory of God" mere lip service. That's why the more routine, even boring, our daily tasks, the more important is is that we perform them diligently and with love. Doing so, we can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. We take what the natural world presents to us as simple, unimportant actions and elevate them to a supernatural plane when the source of our diligence is love of God. Cardinal Wyszynski suggests that
"...trifles of life, when they are performed with a great heart..."
will be our direct and consistent method of turning our daily labor into a prayer and a means of interior sanctification. Our Father in Heaven will see our efforts. He knows how performing the ordinary with a "great heart" will challenge us at times. When we're slogging through tedious tasks, dealing with difficult, even prickly bosses, colleagues, vendors or customers, we'll be tempted to grind our teeth and reluctantly, maybe even resentfully drag ourselves through the day. But in those moments, if we ask for it, He will grant us the actual grace we need to turn the difficult into the divine.
This is especially true for those of us who work at jobs that give little glory or even recognition. God specifically provides us with the graces we need to do our work well, without the need for special recognition. Our Heavenly Father
- ...gives patience, submissiveness, and humility to all those unknown workers whom the proud world values so little..."
Look, the fact is, we can't all be "the boss;" most of us aren't "entrepreneurs." In fact, most of us, when push comes to shove, really occupy a relatively tiny spot in the vast universe of enterprise that makes the wheels of the world's economy spin. Yes, some few will "rise to the top." Some have the knack or creative genius to invent or improve an idea or technology that moves our world's economic needle. But the vast majority of us show up at our jobs each day, a cog in a wheel we didn't invent or re-invent. By keeping God in the picture, even placing Him at the center of our endeavors, we cultivate a closer relationship to Him.
"Man wins God's friendship by every task that he does in submission to God, in concert with God's plan."
Not only do we cultivate this "friendship" with God, drawing us closer to Him on an intimate level, but we will be doing our part - the part He designed for us - in carrying our His Plan. (You might ask yourself: Would you rather be Bill Gates or God's friend?)
"We are obligated to carry out God's plans...The fulfillment of God's plan in the world is the revelation of friendship with God...happens in every kind of human work that brings people closer and binds them together with the ties of fellowship and friendship."
To grow closer to God, we don't have to live the explicitly "religious" life of the priest or monk. We don't have to be the mover and shaker that "makes a difference" in this world. We simply need to show up at work each day with the right attitude, which includes keeping God in our hearts and minds as we go about our business.
"Next to interior life, an active life is one of the most direct ways of bringing one close to God."
Encouraging words for those of us anonymously plying our trades as best we can, aren't they? So as you leave for work today, be so encouraged. You will not only be doing your work, but will also indeed be carrying out God's Plan!
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