5th Sunday- Work!

I have news, good or bad depends our perspective.  We are created to work.

God created us to work in the world.  We can read this in Genesis; man and woman placed in the garden, to work for and with God.

Work is part of who we are as humans.

Ideally we find meaning and purpose in work.  

Ideally we discover ourselves through our work.  

Ideally we contribute to a better world by the work that we do.

Ideally…

We can also read in Genesis how humanity chose to work against God, and the consequences of that act continue in us to this day.

God warned Adam and Eve that when they, and we, separate ourselves from God, work loses its meaning; work becomes drudgery and ultimately work will control us.

The Salvation of Jesus redeems us, and restores harmony, and in Christ, work becomes what it means to be.

So, how is our work life?

Jesus clearly was working with and for the Father; he taught, healed, forgave, welcomed.  He did it all in Love; for Love of Father and love of us.

That makes the difference.

Ever get burned out, exasperated with the job, even with ministry?

Even our “work” as parent, spouse, priest?  We just want to escape?

I love it when people come into confession and say, “Father forgive me, I did not want to come to mass.”   I’m thinking, yeah, so what.  There are some days I don’t wanna either.  That bed is warm and comfy, and i don’t wanna deal with people…"

We all get fed up, at some point and time.  We are irritated with people; there is little enthusiasm for even showing up.

At times there are external reasons, and we need to be aware of those, because we generally have limited control over those situations.

A wise CFO told me there is no law against our bosses being jerks.

And those angelic little children can become possessed.

But often times I think it if for internal reasons things can get bad.  We lose focus.

The work becomes about “me” and my ego.  “I have to do this.”  “This has to be done my way”. And all those who don’t do it my way become a threat to me...and the anger builds, resentment builds, the joy get lost…  Love gets lost.

I see it in ministers all the time; we priests, and I dare say i have witnessed a few nuns, are very susceptible to this ; and i have certainly witnessed it in laypersons, men and women.

I have seen it in spouses...one of them becomes fixated on their own needs and desires, and forgets their partner, their co-workers; forgets the family.

Leon Bonnet

Poor Job, in our first reading.  He is in misery.  He is so focused on his own suffering, that it clouds him from seeing the big picture, which God reminds him of at the end of that book.

So when we are burned out, when we are feeling overwhelmed; when we are getting bitter about our “work” in whatever form it takes...don’t feel shame...STOP!  

Stop and go into prayer mode.  Stop and get re-focussed.  Stop and consider Jesus Christ.

Jesus offers us the path through this...humility.

Again, Jesus worked hard, especially in this gospel passage we are given.

Then we went to pray...he re-centered himself on the mission, and not on himself.  

He knew that this was not about him, but about the Father’s mission, the Father’s will, that all may know of the Father’s love and be freed by it.

Jesus worked for this.  This is humility

It is to recognize that there is a big picture, beyond me, myself and I.

The “I” is important, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not just about me alone.

Freedom, salvation, re-claims the spirituality of work; re-claims work as part of mission, as part of helping others (but not helping others merely to become rich!)

Eucharist keeps us centered on this.  

Eucharist forces us to remember that God works for us, through Christ, in the Spirit.  

Eucharist invites us to work with God and with each other, to continue God’s great mission.

Jesus prayed, so do we.  To re-center us back to God each day; to re-center us on others, and to remember that others are working for us too, to help us.

Work is good...especially when we work in love.