Examples of Good Spiritual Works Giving Solid Pracitical Tips at Work - 3

We continue with our discussion about how good spiritual works can give us solid practical tips at work. 

To be clear, the primary purpose of reading good spiritual works remains helping us to live holy lives, specifically to grow closer to God. Nothing we'll discuss changes that. But if spiritual works can simultaneously provide a gem here or there that we can apply to the practical work we do, all the better. It helps us in offering our work for the greater glory of God, while enhancing the quality of the work we produce not only in God's eyes, but in the eyes of our boss, our clients, our customers. 

An unbeatable combination, don't you think?

With that in mind, there's more from our current guide, Father Joseph Schryvers. 

First, we'll see that severe penances, such as famously practiced by some of our great saints, aren't necessary to advance in holiness (sigh of relief!). But we're immediately given a wide selection of small mortifications that any of us can easily incorporate into our lives. And, consistent with our current theme, we can see that each could easily be practiced even during the busiest work day.

Not only can they be practiced, but they should be. After reading through these, we'll look at some specific examples of the practical benefit we might derive from one or more of these.

“Do not think that great mortifications or severe macerations are to be imposed, or that you are to be always armed with disciplines, or covered with iron chains. No! …There is an immense field of smaller mortifications…What joy can be given to Jesus, by suppressing an idle thought, by repressing the urge to criticize our neighbor or to converse with him! There is a world of virtue in restraining a too human sympathy or a too human tendency to be puffed up by a word of praise, a mark of esteem, a breath of flattery, or cast down by a reproach, an unkind word, or unjust accusation. There is great room to exercise ourselves in mortification, if we keep back the sharp retort, the cutting witticism that leaps to our lips. What sacrifices could be made in controlling our flighty imaginations, our persistent curiosity, our enervating love of ease, so diligent in justifying little comforts and frequent relaxations! It is not a small thing to deny our eyes the sight of an innocent and licit object; it is not a trifling matter, after all, to lay aside an interesting book. Oh! There are a thousand things we can do, besides indulging in awful maceration. And these little things, like little gnats, can really test the temper of one’s soul.
    “How beautiful and how divine before God it would be to deny our eyes the sight of an innocent and licit object; it is not a trifling matter, after all, to lay aside an interesting book. Oh! How sanctifying all this is!” (Fr. Joseph Schryvers, C.SS.R.)

Right off the bat, the suppression of idle thoughts has immediate benefit to our typical work day. If we prepare our day with a list of necessary and important tasks to be done, idle thoughts present one or more roadblocks to our making progress in both meeting deadlines as well as assuring that our results are of the highest quality. 

Next, consider our colleagues. Just as none of us enjoys criticism, especially when it's not presented in a helpful, constructive manner, so too none of our colleagues look forward to us criticizing them. Indeed, even conversing with colleagues typically either wastes our time or theirs. Yes, we can occasionally interact in a spirit of fraternal charity, or out of necessity in collaborative efforts. But avoiding conversation that does neither will be a boon to both parties.

Consider the matter of praise, esteem or flattery, even when we could make the argument that it's deserved. Gracious acceptance ought to be our limit here. Allowing our egos to bask in what easily devolves into pride not only harms our souls, but can come across as a bit much in the eyes of others. It's opposite - an unkind or unjust remark - should equally roll off our backs rather than rattle what may be an overly-sensitive ego. It's especially important to control or moderate any untidy sensitivity in this age when everyone's egos are so easily bruised by so-called macro or micro-aggression, as well as the other variations of "offensive" words, behaviors or even thoughts of the delicate rose petals that surround too many of us.

Here's one that applies to those whose personality is so inclined: sharp retort and/or cutting witticism. Some of our brains are simply wired to respond quickly in ways that can offend others, even if such offendees are not of the overly sensitive variety. Similarly, such brains may automatically spit out what seem to be witty repartee, but which not infrequently winds up coming with a layer of uncharitable overtones. I speak from experience here. If your brain is not so wired, count your blessings. If it is, there's much work to be done to control such habits or impulses.

In the matter of flighty imagination and persistent curiosity, both, in excess, clearly waste that precious time we have at our disposal to get our work done well and on time. Those of us who are both blessed and cursed with a creative bent in our thinking may find that an overactive imagination can persistently percolate in the fevered brain. Without squelching our creativity, we can free up such thinking so that it adds value to our work. But when it turns flighty - mere uncontrolled flights of fancy - learn to stop it dead in its tracks.

Curiosity can be a virtue when we're trying to analyze a particularly involved or difficult project or problem. However it easily turns into a vice when it runs uncontrolled to any and every matter that enters our mental field of vision. Perhaps an old saying might be of assistance here: Curiosity killed a cat.

We'll finish up with our passage next time, picking up on the love of ease that justifies comforts and relaxations...