I am writing this reflection on the Feast of the Guardian Angels, October 2. As I went through my day, I asked people if they prayed to their angel today, and what their angel’s name was. If you haven’t done it, it is great to give your angel a name! We all love to be recognized by name of our own. Pick one out if your angel doesn’t have a name!
Some of you will be reading this on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, October 4. Since I am Saint and Angel name dropping, let us not forget St. Therese, the Little Flower, on October 1. What wonderful role models for us!
They made me think of a quote from Joyce Rupp’s book May I Have This Dance. It goes like this:
“What I do is less significant than why and how I do my work”.
These Saints and Angels know why and how they do things; sadly, we sometimes forget. We do things because they must be done, or grudgingly finish a task we agreed to do. And what about the things that we have come to do by rote?
Do we stop to think as we eat our meals, about the journey the food took to get to our table? Planting, harvesting, delivering, preparing, serving… all these happen before you enjoy your delicious meal.
What about praying or attending Mass? How and why are we participating?
These may sound like silly questions, but they are real. We are creatures of habit, and habit all too quickly turns into rote. If you look at the two Saints I mentioned, they did simple humble things in the name of and for God. They knew who they were and worked happily and wholeheartedly at doing God’s will, each of them in their own way.
Take the time this week to look at some of the things you do and see if you do them knowing the how and the why. Whether it be eating, working, being with your family, helping a friend, or attending Mass, would you be able to say and know that “What I do is less significant than why and how I do my work”? You just may come to some very interesting discoveries.
May your week be blessed!
Till next week,
Sister Theresita
PS: Please pray for our Pope and all those attending the Synod!
