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The
third foundational monastic discipline, along with liturgy and lectio
divina, is work. We see in Genesis a belief in work as a gift from God. Through labor we are allowed to share in God’s creativity, to exercise love for the other members of our community, and to be in solidarity with all people, and to practice stewardship of our natural surroundings. It is God’s presence in every activity that makes the labor holy. It is therefore the spirit of God with which the monk approaches every task, whether it be enjoyable, fulfilling work or boring and distasteful. In the final analysis, then, our labor is a labor of love. Rooted in God’s love, the monk views every task as the work of God and an opportunity to serve his brother monks as well as the people of God he encounters each day. |
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Liturgy | ||||||||||
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Lectio Divina | ||||||||||
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Work | ||||||||||
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Customs | ||||||||||
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This [manual work] hard and
redeeming work is a means of providing a livelihood for the brothers
and for other people, especially the poor.
It expresses solidarity with all workers. Moreover, work is an occasion
for a fruitful asceticism that fosters personal development and |
The account of creation and of the fall found in Genesis reveals an attitude toward labor that is at variance with the common experience of work nowadays. The biblical story tells us that labor was given to the first human before the fall, as part of the natural state of the world (Gen. 2:15). Only after the separation from God did this labor become unpleasant and unprofitable “toil” (Gen. 3:17-19). |
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