A Recipe For Interior Peace and Freedom at Work

Here's a recipe for interior peace and freedom at work. It follows on our last post about why we can and should recollect ourselves during the work day and turn our thoughts to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

This time, we find that recollection during the work day is more all-encompassing. It should be a habit that permeates our lives. And this includes out time at work. If we can manage to develop this habit, we will increase our spiritual well-being in the form of interior peace and freedom.

Work can present a particular challenge to recollection. After all, if we're serious and diligent about our work, we want to do our best. And that can frequently take all our time and attention. It may not leave and "bandwidth" for incorporating recollection.

The recollection we're talking about is an awareness that we're in God's Presence - all the time. Sure, we begin our day with the intention of performing our work "for the greater glory of God." But how often that intention, as sincere as it may be, marks out only moment of recollection of God's Presence for the rest of the work day.

If that's the case, no need to fret or feel guilty. It's perfectly natural. We are creatures who labor under the weight of fallen human nature. We're subject to all sorts of temptations, distractions, desires - both good and not so good - throughout our waking hours. There's a lot there to cut through when it comes to being recollected.

But here we'll see one approach to increasing our recollection from Father Willie. He begins with "interior union." That would seem to be the base upon which he builds his suggestions. 

If we read these slowly and carefully (and it's a short passage, so no excuses!), we'll find not only the call to recollection, but specific steps to achieving this happy state - even in the midst of our busiest days at work. 

We included the comment that accompanies Father's words. They acknowledge that some of us may find Father's suggestions "harsh" at first glance. If they do, no worries. Again, our fallen human nature sometimes has great difficulty with fully accepting and embracing what is true and good. 

But we can do this!  

I feel drawn still more to the life of “interior union.” To acquire this I must practise the following:

1 . Constant and profound recollection.

2. To keep my thoughts always, if possible, centered on Jesus in my heart.

3. To avoid worry or anxiety about future things.

4. To avoid useless conversation.

5. Great guard over my eyes, not reading or looking at useless things.

COMMENT: Fr Willie’s programme for acquiring interior union seems radically counter-cultural to us today. How few of us live with recollection, keeping Jesus always in our hearts. How few avoid unnecessary worries about the future, and consequently live with chronic stress.  How often we engage in useless conversations, or look greedily at all the sights around us, absorbed with curiosity. 

Yet, despite the fact that Fr Willie’s resolutions might seem harsh to us at first glance, they are in reality a recipe for interior peace and freedom. This is the lesson of the saints, and as anyone who knows anything about the saints will confirm, there is no such thing as a sad saint. Counter-intuitively, by going against ourselves, we acquire an interior liberty of spirit that no amount of “things” or experiences can ever give us. 

(Source: https://williedoyle.org/thoughts-for-may-2-from-fr-willie-doyle-13/)