Going the extra mile

FAR from falling into idleness and boredom, this current

condition of ours brought about by the pandemic and its consequent

prudential measures should challenge us and give rise to novel

manifestations of our creativity and productivity.

            If we just think a little and have the proper attitude, we

know that the restrictions we are having these days do not necessarily

restrict us in our creativity and productivity. Like some water that

knows how to make its way from the mountain to the sea, we would know

how to be creative and productive despite the new restrictions.

            So, if anything at all, our present condition can occasion

new things even if we seem to be pushed back to times past and

“forced” to do things that we have already left behind long time ago.

The secret, I think, is to go the extra mile at whatever we are doing,

even if it is a manual household chore which usually is the case

nowadays since our stay-out domestic helpers would most likely be not

available at this time.

            We just have to remind ourselves that what matters most in

our activities is not so much the kind of work we are doing as the way

we are doing it. Are we doing it with love, or are we just doing it

out of a certain sense of compliance? Are we doing our work with God

as front and center of it, or are we doing things only for our own

self-interest.

            In the eyes of God, any kind of work, whether intellectual

or manual, social, political, economic or domestic, as long as it is

not sinful, is always pleasing to God as long as it is done with love.

            And when things are done with love, we would not just be

interested in complying with the deadlines and other technical

requirements, though they are very important also. We would be more

interested in doing our work with great care for details and with due

concern for fulfilling all the requirements, of course.

            What is most important is that we do our work, whatever it

is, as a love offering to God, aware that our work is actually a part

of the abiding providence of God over all of us. We would be aware

that we are actually doing or cooperating in God’s work. Our work is

never just purely ours. It has to be a work of God, since we

unavoidably get involved in the providence of God over all his

creation.

            So, there’s never a dull moment when things are done with

love since we would be keenly aware of the cosmic dimensions of our

work, whatever it is. Doing a lowly task with love acquires great

sanctifying value. That task would have the power to bring us to

heaven even if we are in the kitchen or the laundry area.

            Thus, washing dishes, cleaning the floor, doing laundry

can be more pleasing to God if done with love than doing the more

serious tasks of our profession and business but without love. That

is, the latter are done simply mechanically, or as an expression of

self-indulgence, pride, vanity and the like.

            Perhaps these days are good days to remind ourselves more

deeply of the most fundamental truths of our life: where we come from,

where we are heading ultimately, what the real purpose of our life

here on earth is, etc.

            We need to realize that at any moment of our life here on

earth, whether we are engaged in complicated, sophisticated work or

simple, domestic tasks, God is still forming us to be his image and

likeness. It is his initiative of love to which we also have to

correspond with love.

            Thus, when we go the extra mile, we would always give

priority to our spiritual duties over our other tasks, with the latter

always being converted into a means to correspond with God, doing them

the best that we can.