MARY, OUR MOTHER

LIFE AT NAZARETH

4. Your Own Work.
Such must your own work also be. Avoiding idleness is, of course, an obligation; but do not forget that there are two kinds of labor: spiritual and corporal. We must labor at our soul in order to overcome our passions, check our temper, trample over our self-love, avoid distractions and make our prayer fruitful. We must labor to exercise virtue, to lead an intense spiritual life and above all persevere in it. All this is labor indeed and without it nothing can be achieved. Propose to be earnest in this kind of labor, no matter how heavy, unwelcome and fatiguing it mat be.

But beside this spiritual labor do not forget bodily work: working at the fulfillment of your duties whatever they may be; not just doing what is pleasant and relaxing, but always doing what it is your duty to do, for such is God's Will, and His glory.

Finally, apply these principles to the works of zeal and the apostolate. Do you always seek the limelight or do you rather prefer solid work for souls? Do you also seek after comfort? Do you seek your own desires and pleasure? Are you inconstant? Then look at Jesus and Mary toiling in Nazareth for so long. Try to learn that lesson and follow that example. Ask the grace of accompanying Them in this sublime penance, the daily work, at times so hard, so boring and so monotonous.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]