No job, No heaven!

Catholic News Service

 Work is a path to holiness. There can be no separation between the spiritual life and work life. Some see work as filling time. Certain positions have a high number of boring tasks. Some value work for the financial resources it provides. Sufficient income is certainly very important for us and for those who depend on us. Some use work to avoid our personal issues. The concerns of work can keep our minds occupied and distract us from painful or challenging personal problems.

Others gain identity from work. We define ourselves in terms of our occupation or profession. We think of ourselves as a cashier, a lawyer, a volunteer or a priest. No matter how we think of ourselves, as Christians we are called to offer lives to God. We are to take every opportunity to do the good.

A life-giving attitude is appropriate to the work environment. No matter the task, we can do it with honesty and diligence. No matter whom we meet, we can treat each person with respect. Such behavior is one way of loving our neighbor -- and sometimes loving our enemy. We seek to create a positive environment around us at work. This is an environment where integrity and the joy that comes with it are valued. This is not to say that living the Christian life at work will always be easy.

A friend once shared with me that he had to leave one position after many stress-filled months and find another job because of the dishonesty of his former boss. Even after several confrontations, the boss refused to change his ways. My friend's new position actually turned out to be much better. Not only was the company generous with its employees, it was highly successful. He later said to me that the new employers demanded hard and competent work and took very good care of their people.

A Lutheran pastor friend said that in the best jobs we will enjoy two-thirds of what we do. I think he is right. If we have a position that is mostly positive, we should give thanks to God.

Much of what we do each day is necessary but not always interesting. Sometimes we experience stress and conflict about the correct course of action. Life at work will never be without some difficulties. We are blessed if we experience most of what we do as worthwhile. We are also blessed when we offer difficulties to God. We can pray to the Holy Spirit for the right words to say in difficult situations.

Ironically, we often recognize our dependence on God when things are not going well. Holiness comes in offering everything to God -- the joyful and the sorrowful, the stress-filled and the peaceful. St. Francis de Sales speaks of the "ecstasy of action." By this he means that in our activity we may at times feel, and actually be, very close to God.

I think this experience occurs occasionally at work. In the integrity of a colleague, the friendliness of a customer or the charity of a friend, we may detect the Holy Spirit. God is present in the world, even the business world. We are to become holy wherever we are. Even if we do not have to work, we experience the call to be life-giving and to practice honesty and charity in what we are doing. Ultimately we are to give our lives -- at work and at home -- entirely to God. 

(Oblate Father Crossin is executive director of the Washington Theological Consortium)