September 5, 2005
Since Labor Day coincides with the newly established feast day of Bl. (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta this year, it seems appropriate to be reminded of a few things Mother taught about work.
Perhaps her most frequently quoted phrase is “faithfulness, not success” as the goal of our labors. Success, defined in terms of wealth or prestige, can easily become an idol, an anti-Christ in our lives since it doesn’t wish to follow in the footsteps of our humble Saviour. There is a goodness and dignity to work and a just reward for our labors, to be sure. If I define myself by my success, however, I will most likely forget that my true identity, security, and fulfillment lies in my relationship with the Lord. Unfortunately, underneath a nominal profession of Christianity many Christian “professionals” are more concerned about success than faithfulness. The plight of our displaced brothers and sisters from New Orleans and Mississippi certainly is a reminder for all of us that security in success is a fragile illusion.
Another major piece in the spirituality of Mother Teresa is that works of mercy are the surest sign of the presence of God and the most convincing proof for skeptics in our day. Like the Little Flower, she believed that any little labor can become a mighty work if it is done with great love, whether it is a sister taking care of a dying man, a mechanic generously fixing a dying car, or a beautician kindly dying hair (if that seems like a stretch, read up on the saintly Pierre Toussant from New York). Most Christians spend most of their days in the workplace, so the key is laboring there in a merciful way so as to draw our co-workers into a greater belief in the Most High, Most Merciful Lord.
Recently I surprisingly found myself talking on the phone with a “former” Catholic man who was extremely angry in his disbelief about the existence of God. He said he would only believe if God proved Himself with a miracle. With Mother Teresa’s advice in mind (and also the monk Zossima in Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamozov), I told him to keep his eyes open for heroic love in action and he would regain his belief in God. That’s as far is the story goes for now, but I’m confident that if he does, he will regain (or perhaps begin) his faith. Please join me in praying for this man. In particular let’s ask Mother Teresa to intercede for him, for all those who have recently lost their jobs (and much more), and for those who are involved on this “day off” in intensive labors of love and mercy.
Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR
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