Here At Work With St. Peter Alcantra

St. Peter Alcantra was spiritual director to St. Teresa of Avila. If the latter's name is more immediately recognized, it's in no small part due to the efforts of St. Peter.

We posted something St. Teresa wrote about her beloved spiritual director last time. It's worth re-reading. We won't find practical tips for how to get ahead or the best ways to run a business. We will, though, learn about a man for whom this world meant little, one whose eyes were always looking towards Heaven.

Yet even as he led his life of severe mortifcation, severing all attachments to this world, he attended faithfully to his duties in giving direction to St. Teresa. Maybe that's the lesson we can learn in our work today.

What about his extremely severe spiritual discipline? That's another story. Sure, there were other saints who practiced such severe spiritual discipline. But not all. So we're not suggesting St. Peter Alcantra as a model for any of us Catholic men at work.

That doesn't mean we won't want to pursue the habit of mortification during our work day. We've posted about this many times. It should be part and parcel of a good, disciplined work day. 

But there is a special connection we might forge with St. Peter and our work today. It's got to do with Advent.

Advent will arrive with the new Liturgical Year this Sunday. And if we're serious about living our Catholic Faith to the max (and why wouldn't we be?), we'll face some special challenges. Hence the special connection with a saint who led such a seriously mortified life. 

As we've all likely seen, the world has already begun its celebration of "holiday time." Lights, music, parties - it's all begun. But for us Catholics, Advent's lingering in the background. But it shouldn't be. Let's give this Holy Season the pride of place it deserves.

While we're may not need to forego any participation in "holiday time" celebrations, it does behoove us to fold into our daily routine some penitential practices, some extra mortification. When I worked for big companies that had a "Holiday Party" I showed up. It would have been imprudent not to be there. I didn't tie a discipline chain around my waist or put on sackcloth and ashes. I may not have been the life of the party, but I was by no means morose. Charitable and cheerful might be a good way to characterize my presence. I did, on the other hand, restrict my intake of eats and drinks. Had some - but not too much.

At work, we can go about our business without anyone knowing we're observing Advent in a special way. But however we comport ourselves, do observe in some fashion.

And if we find ourselves slackening off a bit from whatever discipline we told Our Lord we would observe during this Holy Season, we can turn to St. Peter Alcantra. We can recall his own life of penance and constant mortifcation. We can call on him to intercede on our behalf. And as is the case with all the saints with whom we have developed a relationship, his intercession will "remind" Our Lord to send us the graces we need to observe a good Advent.

St. Peter of Alcantra, pray for us!