Sep 16 Mon
Responsibility and love in our job. Working from Home
The ultimate expectation from God for the talents He gives us is to fulfill His will completely. In large part, God's will is revealed to us through the duties of our own state, the job or profession we carry out even before we decide to follow Him closely.
Our Lord has invited all men and women to follow Him closely. For those of us striving to live the charism of Opus Dei, God wants us to fulfill this calling in the heart of society, teaching all souls that their sanctification also lies in the upright use of earthly things. St. Josemaría said, "The spirit of Opus Dei expresses the beautiful truth that any worthwhile and noble human work can be made divine."
In God's service, no job is of lesser importance; all are crucial. The significance of a job depends on how each person approaches it, the dedication they bring, and the love for God they infuse into it. Farmers who sanctify themselves through cultivating the land; university professors who integrate faith into culture; craftsmen who work from home; bankers who oversee the growth of financial resources for the common good; politicians who view their task as a service to society as a whole; manual laborers who offer God the work of their hands - all are doing honorable and noble work.
Even if our own job may seem small, that does not diminish its importance. We want to make our talents, abilities, and interests fully available to all, and in whatever circumstances we are, without complaint or pride"
No matter what our job is, we must discover apostolic horizons within it, even if we perceive it as unimportant. "Oh, blessed perseverance of the donkey that turns the water-wheel! Always the same pace. Always the same circles. One day after another - all of them the same." Without this perseverance, there would be no ripening fruit, no blossoming orchard, no scent of flowers in the garden.
Saint Josemaría referred to the work of those who take care of the running of our homes as "the apostolate of apostolates," and we understand this very well. Without their quiet dedication, "our own work in the service of the Church and souls would be less effective and often impossible.
Their often-unrecognized work makes our family life possible and comfortable, contributing greatly to making the path of holiness desirable. Our homes would not be the same without their presence, which often goes unnoticed but is so impactful, even apostolically. People notice the care and love of God that have been poured into the little things. "
We find this kind of apostolic effectiveness in the Gospel. Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea, Lazarus, and others whose names we don't know, helped Christ in carrying out His redeeming work. Our Blessed Mother spent her earthly life caring for Jesus and Joseph, tending to their home. Her example will help us appreciate the true value of that hidden work, which breathes life into all apostolic activity throughout the world.
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