Becoming the Light:

Sanctifying our WorkMarch 21, 2015

John Daly

Sanctity & Work?

• Mutually exclusive? Is it even possible to connect these words?• Sanctify or Sanctity: Holy

• Dedicated to God • Do things well/ do our best

•Called to Sanctity: “We must love God with our whole heart, mind and soul and love our neighbors as ourselves.” (Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Mass March 13th Gospel reading)

At Work?• Yes, at Work• Called to holiness• Vatican II, many saints, Thessalonians

•Christ: “Be perfect as my heavenly father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48; Mass March 2nd Gospel reading)

We are Called• In the most ordinary parts of our life, of our work, our job

•Christ’s first 30 years, his Hidden Life---Teaches us that ordinary work is important AND a means to sanctity, to holiness, to BE THE LIGHT• “Is not this the carpenter’s son.” (Matt 13:55; Mark 6:1-6, Feb 4th mass);

“He has done all things well.” (Mark 7:37, Feb 13 mass)• Christ does not call us for 2/3 of our life. He wants it all.

•Called to be PERFECT

•AIM HIGH…………………………….ALL IN

Must Sanctify Work or We will Never Find Him• Christ’s statement to us with his silent years is that ORDINARY WORK

is important and is our means and way to sanctity• Cannot live a double life

•We are called right now• To sanctify ourselves and others thru our work

What does it mean to sanctify our work and sanctify ourselves and others thru our work?I. Work for Love of GodII. Work for Love of OthersIII. Work well, because we are offering our work to GodIV. Work in the presence of God & convert our work to prayer

If we truly are called right now where we are, how do we answer the call, how do we stay on track, how do we handle our falls, what is the recipe to becoming the light, becoming saints?

• PLAN OF LIFE

What if today is the last page?

What if God were to tell you right now that you have one more hour to live, what would you do?

Could you honestly say, I will continue doing what I am doing?

What does it mean to sanctify our work and sanctify ourselves and others thru our work?I. Work for Love of GodII. Work for Love of OthersIII. Work well, because we are offering our work to GodIV. Work in the presence of God & convert our work to prayer

I. Work for Love of God• Christ: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15,

Mass May 25, 2014)• Commandments are more than the 10 commandments• They are God’s entire plan for us. • We are CALLED to cooperate in His work of creation, perfecting the world

through our work

• Really? Yes, Really. Work is part of God’s plan for us• We see it in Genesis (2:5), Thessalonians (2Thess3:6-18)• AND Christ’s life is our model---his HIDDEN LIFE – first 30 years, “The

carpenter’s son”• Because work is part of God’s plan for us (one of His commandments),

we can fulfill His will and love Him by and through our work.

I. Work for Love of God (cont’d)• So, we can’t just objectively do our work.

• If it is an expression of love of God, we must work b/c it is God’s will for us• This involves reflecting on God’s love for us , His

plan for us and offering our work • We must ask God to make the motive of our work what God want us

to do.• That is, we add a supernatural motive to our work

II. Work for Love of Others• Spirit of service• Do I make life better and more pleasant for others? • Not what can I get out of this

• Do I see in those I work with or for, not just clients, co-workers, bosses, but persons whom I can serve, whose lives I can make a little better?• Especially important with family• Must overcome fatigue

• It is thru generosity and self-forgetfulness that we will sanctify our work and sanctify ourselves in our work• Develop habits/perseverance/higher calling• A good resolution:

III.Work well, because we are offering our work to God• Can’t offer work that is not well done• Work well done is the means of entering into a personal encounter

with Jesus, as well as being a way of enabling all the realities of this world to be shaped by the spirit of the Gospel• Pope John Paul II: Man achieves fulfillment and becomes “more a

human being” through work• To know Christ in our work, we must do all aspects well.• Takes practice; that is, we must develop virtues: spirit of service, love of

others, diligence, fortitude, spirit of sacrifice, order, constancy, punctuality, professional prestige, competence, perseverance• On the other hand, lack of interest, incompetence, frequent absenteeism are

incompatible with a really Christian way of life

III.Work well, because we are offering our work to God (cont’d)• Great enemy of work well done is LAZINESS.• Lack of constancy or perseverance results in never finishing or never finishing

well

• Obstacles to doing work well:• Fatigue• Jealousy/envy• Lack of true humility• Email, too many breaks

• Many opportunities at work to do it well• Key virtues: ORDER, Spirit of Service [ADD MORE AS APPLIES TO YOU]• Remember to give work the importance it deserves and no more (BALANCE)

IV. Work in the presence of God & convert our work to prayer• Prayer is not saying certain formulas. In the words of CC

and quoting the saints, “It is raising our minds and hearts to God.”• Work offered to God is one way of raising our mind and heart to him.• Key: Develop habits of using the events of each day to be

more aware of God’s presence – to find Him as he passes by• What are your habits?

What are your habits that remind you each day of God’s presence?…..to enter into a prayerful dialogue with Him, reflect on his love for us…..Raising our hearts and minds …• Offer up work as we enter or leave office• Offer up work when we begin a task• Beginning the least pleasant but most urgent task first• Pray for person on other end of phone• Pray to GA of people you are presenting to• Offer blocks of time• Aspirations when something bothers us• A smile for a co-worker

Plan of life – improving your personal relationship with God & sanctifying your work • This is your plan to maintain presence of God and a conversation with

God throughout the day• Turn work into prayer

• A personal thing, not rigid. It is flexible BUT YOU MUST COMMIT• Act of Love: Designed so you refer everything to God• It’s not about how many, things you can do generously each day• And remember: God will make the time• Important: It should help you improve your virtues and fight your

defects

Plan of Life - What it should contain?

Heroic momentMorning prayer (make space for Him)MassAngelusRosaryVisit Blessed SacramentRead the New TestamentEvening prayerExamination of ConscienceRegular Confession

AspirationsSpiritual CommunionsActs of thanksgivingOffer up work as we enter or leave officeOffer up work as we enter or leave officeOffer up work when we begin a taskBeginning the least pleasant but most urgent task firstPray for person on other end of phonePray to GA of people you are presenting toOffer blocks of timeAspirations when something bothers usA smile for a co-worker

Apostolate

Sources/Bibliography• Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God, 1988, New York, Scepter, Vol. 2,

Chpts. 22, 29 and 35• Jose Maria Escriva, Friends of God, 1977,Singapore, Scepter, see # 149 re plan

of life• Pope Paul VI. "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium." Vatican:

the Holy See. Rome, 21 Nov. 1965; Chapt. V• Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 2559• John, Paul. Encyclical Laborem Exercens: Addressed by the Supreme Pontiff John

Paul II to His Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate, to the Priests, to the Religious Families, to the Sons and Daughters of the Church, and to All Men and Women of Good Will on Human Work on the Ninetieth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum. Ottawa: Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1981. Print.• Jose Luis Illanes, The Sanctification of Work, 2003, New York, Scepter