Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from You.”

It was only a Tuesday evening when I overheard one student saying to another: "Have a good weekend." Whew! There are explanations for the phrase, of course. Conceivably she didn't know what day of the week it was. Or, she knew she wouldn't see the other till the following week. Or, we can take this kind of talk as typical of students who naturally grouse about school while, actually, having a pretty good time.

Taking it at face value, though, it suggests that the Monday through Friday period is, if not intolerable, at least tedious. For many the work week is pretty awful: jobs are something to be suffered through in order to raise a family, for others more fortunate, interruptions of real life, an awful necessity.

Knowing the nature of the work some must do makes this understandable. Will it ever be otherwise? It looks like mindless, tedious, painful, boring or simply uninspiring work will always be the lot of some. How we face at least forty of the most important hours of the week is important. Can we change our attitude toward our work? Can we think of finding something more congenial? Can anything be done about conditions? Does it make sense to see such a large part of our life as our cross, a kind of suffering from which we can draw some good?

When you think of the fact that almost any work will have disagreeable aspects, perhaps it will help to see it as a sharing in the cross. "While we live we are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus might be revealed in our mortal flesh. He who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up along with Jesus" (2 Cor 4:9-15 passim).

Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

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