The "Ora" of Labora

So often the term ora et labora (prayer and work) and highlighted as the Benedictine motto.  In honor of today's seculary "holy-day", we thought a few thoughts on work appropo!

In recent years we have begun describing our work as our love made manifest.  Our love for Christ, our Divine Spouse, needs a physical manifestation.  Just as husbands and wives have a physical expression of their love and care for each other in the time they spend taking care of each other through the various "jobs" they do around the house -- from cooking to laundry, lawn care and taking out the garbage, just to name a few -- so, too, does our care get expressed in the work we do here the monastery.

It is more than that as well.  In his letter, St. James proclaims I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works (2:18).  For St. James, work was not an end in itself, but rather a vehicle that allowed him express his faith.  So, too, with prayer.  Work becomes prayer when the disposition of one's heart is right:  one needs to do it joyfully, generously -- and with a desire to offer it wholly to God.

And as one can see clearly in the Latin text, the last three letters of labora spell ora -- God certainly had a hand in that!