Gospel: Mt. 18:1-5, 10
3 and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself
like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
The Little Way
By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD
St. Therese of the Child Jesus is the “incarnation”—the becoming human—of the teaching of Jesus on humility and childlike spirit and attitude of His followers. This saint of the “Little way” could teach everyone, particularly workers, on the great value of little acts which are done abundantly also in the world of work. In fact, her biography and her teachings demonstrate clearly that indeed even the least of all actions or works could be offered dearly to the Loving and Almighty God.
Similarly, every worker, either one with the highest rank or simply the very least could offer the little and insignificant acts in the performance of his task as a loving homage to the Lord. The manager who may be burdened by the weight of big decisions for the company could still do little acts of kindness for his subordinates—greeting them warmly, listening to some patiently, or “wasting time” with them at coffee break—seeing Jesus in them. Many times, it is the “insignificant” acts such as these and many other similar gestures that would work marvels in the difficult task of management. But these tidbits of tasks done by even the bigwigs in the workplace should bear the genuine and sincere sign of respect, love and devotion for the other person/colleague and most especially for the One who is the source of all love and inspiration.
The least in the workplace, likewise, even though considered little compared to the great personalities in the company, could also raise or upgrade the value and meaning of his minor tasks to the level of divine worship and adoration of the Lord who became a little child—the Sto. Nino (Infant Jesus) by doing his works with faith, love and devotion—thus, making the Holy Child also alive in the workplace.
Meet Matilde
By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS
Most of us look forward to retirement at 65, or even earlier, as we want it to be a carefree time to enjoy while we’re still strong and not when we’re already using walkers. But there are people who do not miss retirement at all, such as Matilde, a 92-year old lady I met last June at the Shrine of the Holy Infant in Prague, in the Czech Republic. Matilde had lived in Canada for 47 years, and has worked in consulates abroad, making her more cosmopolitan than average, yet now, at an age when most of her contemporaries are gone, she still has the energy to volunteer at the Shrine from 9-12 in the morning, every day.
Before seeing her actually working, I’d thought all she could do was dust the pews, and not very meticulously at that, considering her age, but—how wrong I was! This nonagenarian irons the priests’ trousers, and she does it so like a pro that you’d think it’s all she’s done all her life! While she was busy on the ironing board, in the sacristy, I engaged her in “small talk” and found out that for her, what she does is not work but love. An ardent devotee of the Child Jesus, she unwittingly reflects childlike qualities—foremost among them a carefree attitude toward life. Alone, she lives from day to day, walking three blocks to the Shrine daily, unhampered by health or financial concerns. “Everything is in His hands,” she pertly says, “so why worry? I just do what I can. God knows what to do with me.”
I walked away from the Shrine thinking we need not wait until we’re 92 and ironing trousers in a sacristy to realize that right in our own workplace, trusting God like a child is our best passport to heaven. And heaven begins here and now.
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