Ordinary Work – Our Gift to God

By Marylee Marsh in Words from the Heart

Everyone is called to work. It is part of God's divine plan. However, with the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world and work assumed a different nature. Human labor may be pleasurable, stimulating, and exciting, but it also may be disagreeable, difficult, and monotonous. None-the-less work, for most people, is a necessity of life.

Most would agree that work provides some element of satisfaction. Work, however that is performed for self-gratification gives a temporary pleasure, whereas work done for God, affords us the supreme benefit because we are earning our Heavenly reward.

The greatest gift we can give to another person is the gift of ourselves. When we give gifts to our loved ones – be they of a monetary nature, or a good deed, our desire is to make those people happy; and we put forth great effort to make our gift the best it can be. Our Father in Heaven deserves our best gift as well – that gift is our ordinary, everyday work done with love. All honest work may be made holy – that is raised to a level of sanctity and offered as a gift to God. Offering our work in this way gives us greater impetus to carry out that day-to-day work with joy. God gives us all that we need to succeed in our chosen profession. Utilizing the talents He has given us to the best of our ability allows us to give back to Him. Our work, done well with love is a most pleasing gift to God for we are giving of ourselves.

The universal call to holiness through the sanctification of one’s ordinary work is the premise of Opus Dei. It is right and fitting to share these words about human work today, on the occasion of its 81st anniversary of its inception by the Founder, St. Josemaria Escrivia on October 2, 1928. For further information about Opus Dei, go to http://www.opusdei.org.