+ RWS 531 January 27, 2013
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Lk. 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21
16 He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
Customary practices
By
Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD
Jesus, like His
contemporaries, observed some customary practices of His people. This reminds
us that in any group of humans, some ways of doing and relating with one
another, develops into a routine and eventuality a necessary component for
success. In work, workers need to be familiar with routine procedures and
standard practices at the workplace, if they aim at greater productivity and
profit. Faithfulness in these practices, becomes imperative for workers in
order to enjoy the desired satisfaction at work.
But, as Jesus not only
observed the customs of His people but He also introduced a new and deeper meaning and value to the
practices in His time, a worker could do the same in the workplace and among
his co-workers. He could remind himself and others of the presence of the
Creator of the Universe as he keeps observing the standard practice of order
and cleanliness at work. The general expectation of excellence in work could
point out to the workers the " universal call to holiness"—a
challenge for everyone to be perfect or holy as Jesus and the Father are. The
generally practised teamwork in the workplace is another chance for the workers
to realize that community life is necessary in the family, society and even in
the spiritual life. The custom of rewarding efficiency and productivity in
work, could make the workers look forward to the eternal reward in everlasting
life. These and many other practices which could be given spiritual meaning
make work and the workplace something desirable, like coming back home.
When the worker feels
at home at his work, he could easily introduce some practices which could
become customary for and his co-workers, like perceiving the spiritual aspects
of a temporal and worldly activity as one's daily work. Seeing the divine in
what is human, then, would be most desirable custom in the workplace.
Binding one to God
By Teresa R. Tunay,
OCDS
Before each
performance, Lea Salonga would pray, or even just trace the sign of the cross
on her knee while waiting backstage—“anything that would bind me to God,” she
said at an interview with the Catholic Digest. Boxing champ Pacquiao would do the same, even going to the
extent of hearing Mass before each fight.
A hope giving sight around certain Catholic churches each morning is the
number of believers visiting the Blessed Sacrament on the way to work. The Filipinos are raised to be so God-fearing
that even if we are not that deeply religious, many of us would often show
reverence for the divine, like making the sign of the cross as we pass by a
church. All these gestures seem to
say that God and our work are really inseparable.
Such a disposition is
a good beginning and will certainly see us through many a tight situation at
work. Knowing we can rely on a
superior power strengthens us to face any difficulty, whether caused by our
co-workers and superiors, clients, or by situations and circumstances in
general. Ironically, though,
knowing how strong we can be at our jobs could often make us feel invincible—we
come to think of ourselves as so bright or smart and so favored by the gods
that we forget about our childlike dependence on God, the trust we displayed when
we acknowledged Him as the source of everything we have.
Even in adulthood,
Jesus would observe the custom of worshipping and serving at the
synagogue. May we be inspired by
His example, and come to know God face to face.
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