Continuing to Shake Off The World With Some More Resolutions From a Saint

We continue with our efforts to shake off the world even as we go about our work today. St. Gabriel Possenti's Resolutions, which we began to consider last time, will help to guide us again.

St. Gabriel's list is quite long. Let's dive in from where we left off last time.

I will obey the sound of the bell as though it were the voice of God.

Okay, so we who are not members of a religious order won't have bells calling us to prayer. But maybe we create our own regular times for prayer and try to stick to them best we can, even during the work day. 

But here's one we can - no, should - accept. It's a clear, stark acceptance of God's Will and not just as a kind of passive, sometimes reluctant acceptance. At work, it calls us to take all our setbacks, all our struggles, even our failures as not only part of God's Plan, but as something ultimately for our own good.

I will receive all things from the hand of God, as being sent by Him for my own personal benefit.

Now for mortification. We talk about mortification from time to time. It's an essential tool in our spiritual tool box and can easily be incorporated into our work day. Check St. Gabriel's mortification resolutions: 

I will profit by every occasion for mortification that may occur.
I will fulfill exactly my ordinary duties, mortifying self in whatever would prove an obstacle to perfect obedience.
I will mortify my eyes and my tongue.

We need to be disciplined in our spiritual life. Check out some of the discipline practiced by St. Gabriel: 

I will not leave my cell without necessity.
I will not inquire after anything through curiosity.
I will check my desire to talk.
I will increase the number of such like acts daily.
I will not take any food outside of mealtime.

Any of these can be utilized by us in our own lives, even in the workplace.

Given our desire to succeed in our work, which includes some reasonable monetary compensation for our efforts, the idea of being poor can seem contrary to what we hope to achieve. But of course, our saint knows that no matter our material condition in this world, we must be poor in spirit. 

I am poor and I should act accordingly.

While we may certainly enjoy the good things of life, some semblance of asceticism can help counter any excess our legitimate enjoyment may generate. 

I should be willing to put up with any inconvenience gladly.
I will not eat with avidity, but rather with reserve and with modesty, subjecting my appetite to reason.
I will mortify myself in ordinary things and whatever I feel inclined to do, saying in my heart: “O my God, I will not do this thing through mere inclination, but because it is thy will”.

We may not feel obligated or even inclined to observe this next resolution. But clearly our saint wants to use this resolution as a means to strengthen his discipline. He seeks to deny himself the enjoyment of those for whom he might have a special liking.

I will be reserved toward those to whom I feel most inclined, prudently avoiding their presence and conversation. 

But if not this resolution, what resolution shall we make to deny ourselves, even if only in a small way, the little pleasures of life in order to increase our discipline? 

In our work, we labor assiduously every day to complete our assigned tasks well and on time. Some days this can take the better part of our time and attention. We may even exhaust our resources in seeking to do what is expected of us, even as we do it for the greater glory of God. Certain efforts may result in reward, at the very least some words of praise. Our saint addresses praise in this way:

I will not utter a word that might, in the least, turn to my praise.
I will not take pleasure in any praise bestowed upon me.

On the flip side, what if we think we've done our best but our efforts fall short of expectations, how do we react. Here's a saintly way to react:

I will never excuse myself when I am blamed or corrected, nor even resent it interiorly, much less put the blame upon others.

Next time we'll consider more of the young saint's resolutions.