If Faults and Imperfections Have Tainted Our Work This Week

Have faults and imperfections somehow tainted our work this week? If we take seriously our intention to sanctify our work, it's frustrating when faults and imperfections seem to take something away form our efforts.

Whether these faults and imperfections manifest themselves in the daily tasks we're working on, or in our thoughts, words, and behavior towards others makes no difference. We can produce a sterling result, even receive the highest praise from our boss and or/colleagues. But if we know deep down that we harbored resentment, anger, envy, or any of the slew of personal faults that plague us in various ways at various times, we simply cannot fully sanctify our work. We've left something to be desired. And it doesn't matter if no one besides us notices our interior short-comings. What does matter is that God notices - so perhaps it's not really accurate to say "no one." The One Who really counts is a Someone.

Last time, we considered a passage Father Willie wrote to one of his spiritual children. The focus then was how our work can advance our efforts to become a saint. Today, we'll turn to Father Willie again. Here he speaks to another of his spiritual children. We can see that this person takes their spiritual life seriously - as should we. And they want to understand why they fall into faults despite their sincere efforts to live fault-free - as they perhaps imagine the saints did.

Of course, if you read the lives of saints, you know that many had faults, some that were a source of trouble and struggle throughout their lives. The great St. Philip Neri was known to have a bad temper. Indeed, Father Willie also struggled with his temper. So we need not be discouraged if we're not perfect in every way, like Mary Poppins who, as we know, was "practically perfect in every way."

    “In spite of all our efforts, we fall into faults from time to time. God permits this for two reasons: (1) to keep the soul humble and to make it realize its utter powerlessness when left alone without His fostering hand, and (2) because the act of sorrow after the fault not only washes it completely away, but immensely increases our merit, and being an act of humility bringing us really heartbroken to His feet, delights Him beyond measure…
    “Our Lord is displeased only when He sees no attempt made to get rid of imperfections which, when deliberate, clog the soul and chain it to the earth. But He often purposely does not give the victory over them in order to increase our opportunities of meriting. Make an act of humility and sorrow after failure, and then never a thought more about it. He sees what a ‘tiny little child’ you are, and how useless even your greatest efforts are to accomplish the gigantic work of making a saint. But this longing, this stretching out of baby hands for His love, pleases Him beyond measure; and one day He will stoop down and catch you up with infinite tenderness in His divine arms and raise you to heights of sanctity you little dream of now.” (Father William Doyle, S.J., 1873-1917)

It can be especially frustrating when we continually mess up on improving some fault that we know displeases Our Lord. We begin the day determined that we won't do (or neglect to do) "X" ever again. But before we even get to our lunch break, there we go again.

Being frustrated is, frankly, a bit self-centered, don't you think? We know God wants to forgive us, so a quick "I'm sorry" or a formal Act of Contrition could be our first response. Then, think about an expression of gratitude. If you carefully consider what Father Willie says here, you can easily see why we should be thanking God profusely for the chance to show Him how much we love Him. 

Then it's back to work again, without the weight of frustration to get in our way of doing all for His greater glory. If we do this consistently, Father Willie assures us "one day He will stoop down and catch you up with infinite tenderness in His divine arms and raise you to heights of sanctity you little dream of now.”