Bringing Advent to Work - Part 4
We
continue with some thoughts about bringing Advent to work. First a
salient point, especially relevant to us Catholic men at work, about our
spiritual guide, St. Vincent de Paul: the man worked like a dog. Consider the extent of his work,
and I think you'll be in awe. His counsel and assistance was sought by
rich and poor alike. He served the rich as advisor and confessor,
even as he personally tended to the needs of the poor. He further
organized men and women, both religious and laity, to serve the poor,
addressing both their material and spiritual needs. Take a quick survey
of the breadth of his daily activity and you'll find an inspiring
example for all us Catholic men at work.
And to address a point we raised last time, St. Vincent de Paul's practice of the virtue of humility, and the self-abasement it entails, did not in the least prevent him or hold him back from striving to do the good he did, and to do it effectively, more comprehensively, more thoroughly, and more successfully than anyone else in his circle. And as he did - while he certainly faced challenges, obstacles, and opposition - he received recognition and accolades. Because of this, he understood the critical importance of the virtue of humility to keep his body, mind, and soul on an even keel. Humility kept pride at bay. In the same way, we too need to grow in this understanding and practice of humility, especially when it comes to our own personal and professional achievements.
Understanding and recognizing the true nature and importance of humility will be a first step. With that, we must fertilize our soul such that the seed of humility contained in our understanding will grow and flourish. Our understanding must manifest itself in the practice of this critical virtue. For those of us who have come to recognize how our thoughts and actions are tainted by pride, how self-centered we can be, humility needs to be given every opportunity to establish itself front and center in our every thought, word, and deed such that it will eventually crowd out pride and selfishness. As with any virtue, we develop humility as a habit, with daily, diligent, persistent practice. If you're not sure how to get started with developing this habit, Here's a suggestion from St. Vincent:
"...if our heart is seeking humiliation, God will give us humility, will sustain it, and will cause it to grow by every effort He suggests to us. One strong effort leads to another; and from the first step in humility we mount to the second, from the second to the third, and so on..."
Rather than recoil from humiliations that come our way, we recognize them as, in a sense, little gifts from God. And they don't necessarily have to be humiliations of a dramatic sort. If you make a mistake and receive correction, rather than defend yourself (perhaps your first inclination), take the correction in a receptive, cheerful spirit. Be grateful for it. Maybe you thank the person who corrects you and do so in a sincere manner. Once you develop the habit of accepting humiliations, there's a sort of snowballing effect. But we need to take that first step.
Let's ask ourselves what we can do today at work to begin this virtuous cycle. It depends on your own circumstances, of course. Something I know I can do today, and everyday, might apply to you: Stick to your plan. I've got the day organized both as to tasks to perform and when to perform them. But my personal inclination to perform those tasks in a timely manner varies each day. Some days I feel energetic and on top of things; I'll just fly through the day on point. But some days I'm not feeling all that great: maybe a lack of sleep, a cold, or just "one of those days." The temptation will be to give in to those feelings and either slack off or avoid those tasks that are boring, or somewhat distasteful. If I give in to such temptation, I'm building up my self-centered inclinations: What I want is more important that what needs to be done. Rather, I should pray for the grace to be humble, to accept the humiliation of having to do things I don't want to do, that annoy me, that remind me that I'm more a grunt worker not a captain of industry or a particularly successful business owner. Heck, I'm lucky to be able to make a living.
Maybe this day I'll remember the awesome work done by St. Vincent de Paul. And remember too that with all his accomplishments, he too put one foot in front of the other in a spirit of humility. Keeping that spirit front and center ever day, he could say:
"...though we were criminals, if we grasped real humility we should become innocent; and if we seemed to be angels and possessed every virtue, if we were lacking in humility those virtues would be without root and would not last."
Then I'll check my list and my schedule and get down to the next item, pushing to complete that task on time, no matter how I feel. If I do this every day, the ego dies a little and the worker who needs to get the job done no matter what takes over. Within the confines of my little workaday world, if I just stick to doing my job, not matter how I might feel at any given time, there's a chance my work might benefit my customers, my family, maybe someone in need. There's not much glory in all this, but that's just the point.
Connecting all this to Advent, the graces that flow from this Holy Season will help us recall that Our Lord wasn't born into glory in this world. With no room in the inn, He lay in a manger. In the modest surroundings of Nazareth, He grew up obedient to His parents, hidden from and unnoticed by the rest of the world. Even when He deigned to manifest Himself publicly, to the extent He received any recognition or accolades, He was even more so opposed, despised, ultimately condemned to suffer the most awful, humiliating death.
So here's how we can bring Advent to work with us today: Whether we work in modest surroundings, basically hidden and unnoticed, or in more prominent positions that bring us recognition and reward, the cultivation of humility will keep us united to Bethlehem, where we will find Him waiting for us on Christmas Day.
Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts!
And to address a point we raised last time, St. Vincent de Paul's practice of the virtue of humility, and the self-abasement it entails, did not in the least prevent him or hold him back from striving to do the good he did, and to do it effectively, more comprehensively, more thoroughly, and more successfully than anyone else in his circle. And as he did - while he certainly faced challenges, obstacles, and opposition - he received recognition and accolades. Because of this, he understood the critical importance of the virtue of humility to keep his body, mind, and soul on an even keel. Humility kept pride at bay. In the same way, we too need to grow in this understanding and practice of humility, especially when it comes to our own personal and professional achievements.
Understanding and recognizing the true nature and importance of humility will be a first step. With that, we must fertilize our soul such that the seed of humility contained in our understanding will grow and flourish. Our understanding must manifest itself in the practice of this critical virtue. For those of us who have come to recognize how our thoughts and actions are tainted by pride, how self-centered we can be, humility needs to be given every opportunity to establish itself front and center in our every thought, word, and deed such that it will eventually crowd out pride and selfishness. As with any virtue, we develop humility as a habit, with daily, diligent, persistent practice. If you're not sure how to get started with developing this habit, Here's a suggestion from St. Vincent:
"...if our heart is seeking humiliation, God will give us humility, will sustain it, and will cause it to grow by every effort He suggests to us. One strong effort leads to another; and from the first step in humility we mount to the second, from the second to the third, and so on..."
Rather than recoil from humiliations that come our way, we recognize them as, in a sense, little gifts from God. And they don't necessarily have to be humiliations of a dramatic sort. If you make a mistake and receive correction, rather than defend yourself (perhaps your first inclination), take the correction in a receptive, cheerful spirit. Be grateful for it. Maybe you thank the person who corrects you and do so in a sincere manner. Once you develop the habit of accepting humiliations, there's a sort of snowballing effect. But we need to take that first step.
Let's ask ourselves what we can do today at work to begin this virtuous cycle. It depends on your own circumstances, of course. Something I know I can do today, and everyday, might apply to you: Stick to your plan. I've got the day organized both as to tasks to perform and when to perform them. But my personal inclination to perform those tasks in a timely manner varies each day. Some days I feel energetic and on top of things; I'll just fly through the day on point. But some days I'm not feeling all that great: maybe a lack of sleep, a cold, or just "one of those days." The temptation will be to give in to those feelings and either slack off or avoid those tasks that are boring, or somewhat distasteful. If I give in to such temptation, I'm building up my self-centered inclinations: What I want is more important that what needs to be done. Rather, I should pray for the grace to be humble, to accept the humiliation of having to do things I don't want to do, that annoy me, that remind me that I'm more a grunt worker not a captain of industry or a particularly successful business owner. Heck, I'm lucky to be able to make a living.
Maybe this day I'll remember the awesome work done by St. Vincent de Paul. And remember too that with all his accomplishments, he too put one foot in front of the other in a spirit of humility. Keeping that spirit front and center ever day, he could say:
"...though we were criminals, if we grasped real humility we should become innocent; and if we seemed to be angels and possessed every virtue, if we were lacking in humility those virtues would be without root and would not last."
Then I'll check my list and my schedule and get down to the next item, pushing to complete that task on time, no matter how I feel. If I do this every day, the ego dies a little and the worker who needs to get the job done no matter what takes over. Within the confines of my little workaday world, if I just stick to doing my job, not matter how I might feel at any given time, there's a chance my work might benefit my customers, my family, maybe someone in need. There's not much glory in all this, but that's just the point.
Connecting all this to Advent, the graces that flow from this Holy Season will help us recall that Our Lord wasn't born into glory in this world. With no room in the inn, He lay in a manger. In the modest surroundings of Nazareth, He grew up obedient to His parents, hidden from and unnoticed by the rest of the world. Even when He deigned to manifest Himself publicly, to the extent He received any recognition or accolades, He was even more so opposed, despised, ultimately condemned to suffer the most awful, humiliating death.
So here's how we can bring Advent to work with us today: Whether we work in modest surroundings, basically hidden and unnoticed, or in more prominent positions that bring us recognition and reward, the cultivation of humility will keep us united to Bethlehem, where we will find Him waiting for us on Christmas Day.
Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts!
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