Editor’s Note: Father’s Homily, edited version below, was delivered January 13, 2010 on EWTN [Eternal Word Television Network]
Part 3 — Reconnecting Jesus With Work – And, Finding Profound Meaning In It
And my Sister I remember being very amused by that. “Sometimes I just sit.”
Well, what? “What do you do when you just sit?”
And, he would kind-of chuckle. And, he couldn’t explain that to us. He always thought that was a kind-of funny, clever, little line to little children.
And, sometimes that’s what we need to do to start out with the Lord. Sometimes, I just need to sit.
Jesus, on this occasion was communing with His heavenly Father.
And, imagine what a child does when he or she wakes up at the crack of dawn.
Notice little children. They go to bed early. They’re not worrying about burning the midnight oil. They go to bed early. And, they get up real early. All of you have had children and you know how early they get up. And, they’re ready to go.
But, what happens when a little child first wakes up? They don’t start running that instant. But, many times they want to be just held for a little while. And, sometimes they’re just very quiet. They’re with their Mother. Or, they’re with their Father. And, everything is so quiet. So, they’re kind-of quiet, too.
Sometimes that little whispering goes on between a little child and their Parent. And, they’re re-connecting with their Mother or their Father. It’s a new day for them. A whole new experience for them to be loved.
And, that is, you could say, to a degree, what Jesus was doing with His heavenly Father.
That’s what we do in those first moments of the day. Sometimes, simply being with Him. And, simply re-connecting with Him. Recognizing this is another day to live in God’s service. And, to live as a recipient of His infinite Love.
Jesus was very busy in His life carrying out His Mission and Work of Redemption. And, in all of the activity of His day – notice that the night previous people were coming to the door of Saint Peter’s house and Jesus was healing all of them.
And, then, after this account, when the Apostles find Him He said let us go now to the other villages and the other towns in order to preach the Gospel to these people. Because, that’s the reason for which I have come.
But, in between all of that activity early in that morning He stopped to Pray. And, He went by Himself to be alone with His Father. And, so He united Himself – all of that Work – His Work of Redemption – all of His activity – His care for God’s people – is united to the Will of His heavenly Father.
And, that’s what we are invited to do each morning.
There’s the typical and traditional practice of making a Morning Offering.
The beginning of one of the Morning Offerings, given in various Prayer books, reads – O Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary I offer you all my Prayers, Works, Joys, and Sufferings, of this day.
And, there’s often a reference in the Morning Offering uniting everything we do with the Offering of Christ in the Mass. The Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass.
We unite ourselves with the Intentions of His Sacred Heart.
And, so, basically, our life, then, has purpose and meaning.
Everything that we do – all the activity of the coming day – all of the Fears, the Worries, the Concerns, the Joys, the Sorrows – anything we experience that day — has meaning and purpose because it is united to Christ. And, to what He did while He was on earth. And, especially, because of the work of Redemption on the Cross.
And, so we don’t – we’re not wandering around all day without purpose or meaning. And, everything seems as kind-of like a chaotic mess.
All of a sudden [life] has this profound purpose of meaning because we’re living and being incorporated into the very Life, Mission, and Work, of Christ.
And, all of that is done, particularly, through the Hands of Our Blessed Mother.
We often encourage, and always encourage everyone to make the – live the – [life] first promoted by Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort. And, everything he did — and he encourages us in living this [way] — is Offered to Christ by being a Slave of our Blessed Mother.
And, so, renewing each day. Either, our whole total consecration. Or, part of it.
These are words that we could say each morning as we begin our day.
“In the presence of all the Heavenly Court I choose Thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to Thee as they Slave my Body and Soul, my Goods both interior and exterior, and even the Value of all my Good Actions, past, present, and future, leaving to Thee the entire and full Right of disposing of Me and all that belongs to Me without exception, according to Thy good pleasure for the greater Glory of God in time and in eternity. Amen”
Part 1 — Why Work Blocks Jesus Out Of Our Lives
Part 2 — Managing Work The Way Jesus Did — With Prayer
Egbert F “Burt” Bhatty has worked 30 years as an Analyst at the American Embassy, New Delhi, and at British [Dunlop] and American [Chase Manhattan] multinationals. He is a Certified Catechist. Holds a 3-year [part time] Certificate in Foundations For Christian Ministry.
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