The Unprofitable Servant: Earning My Children's Livelihood

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Earning My Children's Livelihood

This morning as I drove to work in near blackness, so dark was the road, I wondered why I do this every morning. Why do I leave my house at 5:30 AM and risk hitting a lovesick deer to start my day at Mass? An unexpected traffic snafu made me later than usual, and as I hurried down the corridor to make it to the chapel without being late, I heard a voice behind me say: "Hey, what's the hurry?"

I thought of the time St. Therese reproached a novice for dilly dallying on her way to chapel.

"Is this how a mother of souls earns her children's keep?"

And I borrowed her line, saying I didn't want to be late to earning my children's livelihood. But what does that mean?

Some people are really wonderful at saving money. I'm not one of them. Unfortunately, the green stuff means very little to me, so I think nothing of it, which I suppose is an easy thing to say when you have a job. What I'd like to think I'm very good at investing in is the spiritual life. Every Rosary when I have a splitting headache and would rather just go to sleep; every early-morning Mass when I'm tired and would like to sleep for another hour; every unkind thought or word that I prevent from escaping my lips - all of it adds up.

It is not just for me that I do what I do.

"Pick up a pin from a motive of love", said St. Therese "and you may save a soul."

If a soul as nearly perfect as hers could profit spiritually from so simple an act, imagine what our greater sacrifices might yield for us and for those we hold dear.

As far as success stories go, I'm at the bottom of the totem pole in our family. I still live in the city. I don't have a vacation home or a pool out back. I don't have a luxury car. Most of my furniture is second-hand stuff picked up over the year. And you know what? I couldn't care less.

My investments have helped procure miracles, bring about conversions and ease the suffering of friends and relatives. I trust that the times that I have worthily received and offered the Eucharist for the intention of the souls in Purgatory may have won someone's release.

"But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." St. Paul Corinthians 2 4:7

5 comments:

AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 8:36 PM
Oh I love that quote...just used it myself this week in a post (or was that last week?)

Anyway, I think of my children all the time when I am suffering from exhaustion or whatever little trial God allows...it is for their souls and the souls that are being lost daily.

Join the crowd...I am low man on the totem pole too. Once in a while, a little envy tries to creep in but I know none of this matters...it will all pass away. It is spiritual treasures that we need to store. ~Theresa
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TLWOctober 20, 2011 at 8:42 PM
I forget if it was you who said this, but Therese was a spiritual genius.

I know what you mean about the envy, and it's those times that we have to "rejoice to be little". I have it pretty good and in all honesty, wouldn't want the responsibility of all those things. I know you wouldn't either.
God Bless!
Joyce
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KellyOctober 21, 2011 at 7:08 AM
I also offer everything for the salvation of all my sons and daughters, their mates/boyfriends/girlfriends and child. It is good to know ones goals in this life. Then everything that happens to us has a framework in which to be viewed, and it does make the injustices things to glory in, and any material wealth "just stuff" that can be helpful while we are here.
I have been reading all your posts, Joyce. I was touched and kind of proud of you when you gave away your triptych. It can be difficult to tear those little attachments, even and especially to religious treasures. God will bless you.
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CarolineOctober 21, 2011 at 7:25 PM
This is just so beautiful Joyce...Some are so willing to sacrifice everything for the worldly success forgetting only souls are eternal.
I'm at the way bottom of the totem poll too..
I must confess I go a little green when I get the summer vacation report from the rest of the family..
It's one of those 'needs to go' things I'm working on.
+
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TLWOctober 21, 2011 at 7:57 PM
Thanks Kelly, I know you're busy with school but commenting in spirit! Hope it's going well.

Caroline, I hear ya - I have an acquaintance from my school days that sends a card every year of her family's latest exotic excursion. It's hard sometimes not to be feel a little envy. In all honesty, I have no interest in going anywhere that doesn't have anything to do with Catholicism.
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Mary, Queen of Peace

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of every kind whatsoever. Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet comforter and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, wither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; Through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine Will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months thou didst bring forth from the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit the world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on the Mount of Olives, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it, through the welts and bruises of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross when He exclaimed, "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying, "It is consummated." I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He confronted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led the captivity captive. I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His Disciples, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world, by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in His life, and the unspeakable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, (Mention your prayer intention here...) And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because thou asketh nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly, obtain through thy Son, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty, to Whom be all power now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

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God Bless You!

The Unprofitable Servant

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Earning My Children's Livelihood

5 comments:

Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross