The Fruits of Your Labors
We’ve all been there: you just get out of school and are headed home. You were up late doing homework the night before and now all that you want to do is sleep for three days. You get home, make a snack, and sit down to do… you guessed it… more homework. Assignment after assignment keep building up, and if you get behind, it is almost impossible to catch up.
Homework is a constant through elementary, middle, and high school. It will then follow you all through college and even afterwards into your job. That is a sad fact, but that does not make it any less true. If you are going to have to do homework, you have two choices: You can continue to hate it and be miserable while doing it, or you can give it to God and make it a prayer.
In his book, “The Way”, St. Josemaría Escrivá said, “Add a supernatural motive to your ordinary professional work, and you will have sanctified it.” You can continue to keep homework just that- homework, or you can focus on the Cross and do it for Him. You can look at the crucifix and say, “Jesus, I do not want to do this, but you did not want to suffer either. I am doing this for you, Lord.” If you do this-if you make your work a prayer- you will gain so much fruit! You may not enjoy it more, but your suffering will not be without purpose, for through it, you are uniting yourself with Christ on the Cross.
It is so easy to think of a million other things to do when you are trying to do your work, but when you sit down, focus is imperative. St. Josemaría Escrivá also said, “Excuses. You’ll never lack them if you want to avoid your duties. What a lot of rationalizing! Don’t stop to think about excuses. Get rid of them and do what you should.” When Christ asked Peter and Andrew to follow Him, they did not say, “Jesus we’ll get around to following you, but let us first fold up our nets. Oh wow, look at how dirty our boats are… we should clean those. Well shoot, now it’s dinnertime. We’ll go eat, then we can follow you.” No, they left their nets and followed Him.
We are made to work. The second commandment we were ever given was in the first chapter of Genesis, when God commanded man to tend the garden. In the beginning, work was good; we gained fulfillment from it. It was only after the Fall that work became toil. It is through Christ that we have been redeemed, so it makes sense that it is also through Christ that work is no longer toil.
As the school year begins, I encourage you not to lose heart! I encourage you to go forth and make your work a prayer. Offer it to Christ, and the fruit it bears will surprise you! With Christ, no matter how difficult your work may be, you can do it!
Let your work be a witness to how God helps you; let it reflect His glory! If you do your best, God will take care of the rest. Always remember that you are a saint in the making and that you are loved.
Sources:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1171237.Josemar_a_Escriv_?page=2
