|
The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that: “When Christ came into the world, he said: …‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’” (10:7). Jesus lived all his life of 33 years, from his birth to his death entirely according to his Father’s will. He even said: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work” (Jn 4:34). Therefore he could rightly say to his Father in a prayer before his disciples at the end of his life: “Father, … I glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (Jn 17:4).
Indeed, Jesus lived his whole life for his Father and did the work given by his Father which he carried out exactly according to his Father’s will. This was the way Jesus lived, and both his life and work were totally accepted by his Father as absolutely holy and perfect.
Jesus invites all of us, whom God has called to become holy and perfect, to follow his example and live our daily life and do our daily work according to God’s will.
Indeed, we are all called to become holy. There are different ways to live a holy life. Priests and the consecrated religious have their ways of living their lives. So also lay people have their ways of becoming holy. In this article I will indicate the ways to holiness for lay people, the ways which render their daily life and work holy and pleasing to God.
1. Sanctification of our daily life
We believe that there are innumerable men and women in heaven and enjoy with Jesus the eternal life and glory of God. The Church does not know their names nor their heroism or excellence in their days on earth. For, most of their lives were ordinary, but lived in extraordinary ways following the commandments of God and the Gospel teaching of Christ. Though they have not been canonized or officially recognized by the Church as Saints, they truly are Saints. We hope we will all be among them after our earthly life.
Daily life is the life we live everyday, 365 days of the year, mostly monotonous and ordinary. During his 33 years on earth, Jesus spent 30 years with his parents in a little town called Nazareth in North Palestine, living a monotonous and ordinary life. We would ask: did he not come to the world with the mission of bringing salvation to all humankind. Indeed, that was the very reason why God the Father sent him into the world. Yet he spent only three years preaching and calling people to repent and faith. Then he was nailed to death on the cross at the young age of 33. Was the period of 30 years spent in that little town of Nazareth in a humble carpenter’s shop the way God his Father wanted for his work of salvation? Yes. It was according to the will of his Father.
We cannot understand God’s way for Jesus. But we believe, Jesus spent every moment of his life, whether as a child playing with other village children, helping his mother doing odd jobs at home, working at the carpentry shop or preaching in a synagogue, to carry out his Father’s work the way willed by his Father. For Jesus there was only the will of his Father that mattered, and he made sure he carried out that will for the salvation of all humankind. We believe, the 30 years of the hidden life of Jesus was to leave a good example to us as how we should live our daily life which is mostly monotonous and ordinary. Jesus wants us to look at our daily life in faith, take it as planned by God, and live it for the love and glory of God and for our own good and for the good of others.
Hence the apostle Paul exhorted Christians saying: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). Truly, God wants us to become holy and perfect, not in any ostentatious way, but in ordinary and humble ways.
a) No distinction between life and faith
Many Christians tend to split their daily life from their faith. For example, they give only certain time to God for prayer while the rest they keep for themselves, for their family, and for their work; they follow the worldly standard in worldly matters and the teaching of the Church in matters of faith; and they keep God out, though not intentionally, from most part of their life. Such separation between God and one’s daily life is both unhealthy and wrong, and has often caused much tension in one’s conscience and in the relationship with God and with others.
We Christians are God’s children, and we are related to him at all times and places. We must, therefore, not separate our daily life from God. We must honour God not only in the time set for prayer but at all times of our daily life. God is interested not only in our prayer but in our whole life. God wants to be in our daily life and desires that we live our daily life with and for him.
In like manner, we must not separate our daily life from our faith, and we must live our life according to what we believe. God’s commandments and the teaching of the Gospel must be the sole standard of values for our life. We may not compromise our faith with the standard and opinions of the secular world. We must stand firm on the side of God even at the treat of humiliation, rejection or persecution. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:10).
b) Daily life in God’s way
To live a truly Christian life worthy of sons and daughters of God we must follow God’s commandments and the teaching of Jesus in his Gospel. Our conduct and dealings with others must be in keeping with God’s commandments and the Gospel. Today, we need to remind ourselves constantly of God’s commandments and the teaching of the Gospel if we do not want to be confused and driven away by the currents of materialism, consumerism, hedonism, and modern errors. Today, we face many fierce challenges to our Christian faith and life. We need firmly to withstand all that attracts and attacks us in order to remain upright and hold fast to our Christian faith.
Unfortunately, many Christians today are not well-formed in the faith and prepared to face challenges in life. They need to seek opportunities to build their faith and look for spiritual means, especially the sacraments, to strengthen their moral life. They need to read the Bible regularly to seek light and guidance in God’s Word. And above all, they need to spend more time with God in prayer.
2. Sanctification of our daily work
On 15 October 2002 in Rome Pope John Paul II canonized St Josemaria Escriva (born in 1902 and died 1975); and praised him as a great Saint in our time for his outstanding work in promoting the sanctification of daily work among lay people. Indeed, many lay people, especially among professionals and intellectuals who have followed his teaching, have understood and striven hard to do their daily work of whatever kind according to the message, values and spirit of the Gospel and thus achieved great height of holiness.
St Josemaria Escriva used to say: “We have to sanctify our work, we have to sanctify ourselves in our work, we have to sanctify others through our work” (His book: Christ is Passing By, n122).
“Great holiness consists in doing the small duties of each moment. … Do everything for love. Thus there will be no little things: everything will be big. Perseverance in little things for love is heroism.” (His book: The Way, n813, 817).
The way promoted by this great modern Saint, that is, the sanctification of one’s daily work or job is, indeed, the only and perhaps the best way God has provided to lay people who live in the world and are engaged in secular work. I find this teaching very inspiring and wish to share it with our lay people who strive to live in close relationship with God and to sanctify their daily life and work, and their family, and bear witness to their Christian faith before other.
God has provided people with different abilities and opportunities to live their life in the world, and he wants them to develop and use their abilities for his glory and for the good of themselves and others. Unlike human beings who evaluate others’ work according to efficiency and success, God evaluates his children’s work according to their motives and efforts and rewards them accordingly. Let us live our daily life and do our daily work to the best of our ability for God’s glory and for the true good of ourselves and others.
Jesus says to his disciples: “You are the light of the world...let you light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Mt 5: 14,16). Here Jesus indicates the motive for our life and work in the world.
by Peter Chung Archbishop Emeritus
|
