Propelling Our Spiritual Lives at Work Into 2024 - and Beyond

Let's propel our spiritual lives at work into 2024 and beyond. For a good boost, we turn to Fr. Joseph Schryvers, a familiar spiritual guide for those of us who've regularly visited this blog.

As we settle into back into our work routine, we may notice the same challenges settle in as well. Distractions, for example. They come from many sources. And they can differ from one individual to another. The distractions Father references here come from many sources, and are likely common to us all.

While written in the first half of the 20th century, the very first words particularly address what we now call "disinformation - but from a deeper, more spiritual perspective. From there we move on to how we respond and react to others.

Once Father establishes those two heavy weights that can drag us down as we struggle to "spiritualize" our work each day, he reminds us what life is all about - or at least what it should be about. He puts our life on this earth in perspective. He even puts the earth itself into perspective.

It's important to get back into the swing of focusing our attention on our work tasks, especially if we've enjoyed a Christmas respite for the last week or so. It's even more important to refocus our efforts to connect our spiritual lives with our work. 

In all this, Father helps us keep our priorities straight - a great way to begin this New Year at work.

    “Here below man habitually lives in an atmosphere of error. Political events, material preoccupations, the tyranny of current principles, the customs of the world, the fads and vogues of society, luxury, and a hundred other things, insensibly engross his attention. To such an extent is his mind monopolized by these ideas that he seems not to realize that beyond this passing world in which he now lives there is another which is eternal. What is true of men in general is true, to a certain extent, of pious souls. Human respect, attachment to a person, an object, or an employment; little jealousies, friction with others, trifling pretensions – all these, and many other similar nothings, distract the best souls from the one thing necessary. One must always act against what the Holy Spirit calls: ‘The fascination of trifles.’ For while the soul is thus dissipated and absorbed from without, Jesus cannot occupy her from within. In order to get beyond appearances and to face realities, deep and frequent reflection is necessary so that the seriousness of life and what will follow it may be grasped.
    “First then: What is the life of man? Compared with the eternity of God it is only an instant, or rather, the infinitesimal fraction of a second. Man appears for a short time on this earth to spend a few days; like a traveler he pauses here and there on the road and finally reaches his eternity. In this vast and wondrous universe the place he occupies is very small, and the part he plays there is very insignificant; few know him, and fewer still are interested in him. The space covered by his dwelling and what he calls his property is inconsiderable, and his death will make it still more so. The earth itself, on which man has so limited a place, is only an atom compared with the immensity of the heavens. ‘The generations which people it,’ the Holy Spirit tells us, ‘are like a drop of water sparkling in a vase.’ All men, who so greedily pursue wealth and pleasure, all nations who tear each other asunder to secure the preponderance of power in this world, are less than a handful of ants who dispute the possession of a wisp of straw. Whilst they thus pursue the objects of their dreams, they are advancing unconsciously towards the pit, which will swallow up all their vain hopes. Thus have lived, are living, and will live, the generations which have succeeded each other or will succeed each other on earth. The few chosen souls have lifted their thoughts and hearts above deceptive appearances and have sought after eternal goods.” - Fr. Joseph Schryvers, C.SS.R. (1876-1945)

We'll continue with more from Fr. Schyrvers an another week or so.

Happy New Year!