Turning Work into Prayer

Does it ever feel like work is keeping you from your relationship with God? Work can be stressful, exhausting, and overwhelming. So, how can we bring God into our work instead of allowing it to separate us from God? In preparation for the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, Dr. Edward Sri shares some contemplation on the work of St. Joseph. He also shares ways in which we can turn our work into a prayer.

Snippet from the Show
“Saint Joseph was a just man, a tireless worker, the upright guardian of those entrusted to his care. May he always guard, protect and enlighten families.”
-St. John Paul II

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Shownotes

How to Encounter God in Our Work

Pray Before Work

“ I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)

Offer Your Work as a Prayer

• Unite your work to the work of God. Ask God to sanctify your work.
• “Add a supernatural motive to your ordinary work.” -St. Josemaria Escriva
• Morning Offering
  O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
  I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day
  for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart
  in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world,
  for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month.
  Amen.

Pray Continuously

Pause in your work day to recollect and place yourself in the presence of God. Say a quick prayer before meetings or prior to jumping into a new task.

Work Is Good

Work is part of being human. It is part of every person’s vocation to work in one way or another. In Genesis 1:28-31, it is written “God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Upcoming Events List

• May 17-18: Married Couples Retreat with Beth – Irondale AL
• June 20-23: St. Patrick Catholic Church – Summer Summit – London, England
• June 23-July 1: Rome Pilgrimage
• July 18-20: 2024 National Eucharistic Congress – Indianapolis IN
• Aug 10: Discipleship Conference – Oklahoma City OK
• Aug 23-24: Diocesan Faith Formation Conference – Tulsa OK
• Sept 13: St. Laurence Catholic Church Parish Mission – Sugarland TX
• Sept 16-18: Priest convocation – Springfield IL
• Sept 21: 2024 Annual Meeting and Investiture of the Northern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem – Denver CO
• Oct 3 : Diocese of Harrisburg Annual Priest Workshop – Hunt Valley MD
• Oct 5: McHenry County Catholic Prayer Breakfast – Chicago IL
• Nov 16: Women of Christ 16th Annual Conference – Brookfield, WI

Resources

• Visit Dr. Sri’s website at www.edwardsri.com and to book online events with Dr. Sri email events.edwardsri@gmail.com
• Find more of Dr. Sri’s episodes at www.ascensionpress.com/allthingscatholic 
• Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to www.ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings

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