St. Joseph and the Power of Ora et Labora

Yey! Saturday! It’s time for a “no alarm” sleep again. But after a couple of hours into my slumber, I jolted out of bed with thoughts of work and deadlines! Then, I tried to recall what day it is as I have the tendency to always forget the date. And I realized it’s Saturday, the 1st of May. This is ridiculous, I thought. Indeed, work has creeped so deeply into my life to the point that I think of it unconsciously, even in my sleep, even on a holiday (Labor Day). 

Because it’s Labor Day and it’s also his feast day, I can’t help but think about the great St. Joseph and all the work he did. My frantic stream of thought carried my drowse away. And again, I felt the urge to write. That’s how it always goes with my muse. I must answer when he calls. He just can’t wait. So, at 4:00 pm, I found myself in front of my PC, facing a blank page again.

Reflecting on St. Joseph’s Work

The Model of Workmen and Protector of the Universal Church might not have a single word to his name in the Bible. But he’s the strong foundation of the life of the Holy Family. He was a man of few words but with a lot of meaningful work. Building. Carving. Hammering nails on wood. Protecting the Virgin Mary. And playing with, training, and probably chasing around the toddler God-Man Jesus.

St. Joseph’s daily work life must have been challenging. Carpentry, in itself, is already a physically exhausting work. Add to that the more important role of raising a Divine Son. After spending 33 days reading the book Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father, a devotional about the great saint’s life, I’ve learned these core values that come in handy, in his life and mine:

• Patience – Great things are built with time and sacrifice. “Instant” makes the worker’s hand mediocre. Hasty hands tend to mess up a lot. But by allowing the passage of time, the laborer develops the right skills and character fit to handle the praise that comes with quality work.
• Focus – Yes, it’s a good thing to have a lot of productive projects. But it’s equally important to know which task yields the best results, in terms of holistic growth. Learning to direct one’s energy on what really matters is the best way to avoid burnout and boredom.
• “Ora et Labora” – Most importantly, St. Joseph showed me that prayer is an integral part of work. Whatever life project we do is God’s entrustment, a privilege in sharing his co-creative work. Our work affects others. And we can only pray that it will have a positive impact.

“Ora et Labora”

Loosely translated as “pray and work” from Latin, “ora et labora” has been the guiding principle of many religious congregations. And for many reasons. A lot of frustrations and challenges could come from work, be it paid or non-paid projects. And prayer is one of the things that could add a lot of meaning and impact on our daily activities.

Truth be told, there were countless moments when I got caught up in my work. Sometimes, I have this constant need to rely on my work for self-esteem and stability. And only when I looked at the life of St. Joseph did I start to have a healthy relationship with my work. Looking at how the great saint juggled paid work and family life, I realized the importance of balance. Most importantly, I learned the utmost necessity of submitting our daily grind to God. 

Balance and the Way of St. Joseph

Work gives meaning to our life. But it shouldn’t be made into an idol. Yes, for many people, putting in a lot of work during the peak income-earning stage is a great way to build enough assets to retire and enjoy a good life later in life. But we don’t know what the future holds. So, it’s more important to just strike a balance between living a great present and planning a good future. Like the great St. Joseph, family and faith should come first. And work is just meant to support our life here on Earth, not the only goal.