Laboriousness as love of workThe expression "something divine" -quid divinum- in St. Josemaría EscriváThe professional vocation in the teachings of St. JosemaríaWith our minds in Valencia and our hearts with the Valencians, especially with the victims, and praying for the eternal rest of the deceased and for their families, we draw strength from weakness to move forward with our plan. Today we will deal with the virtue of industriousness, which we are seeing so well reflected in so many volunteers, along with many other virtues. This article was already written before the terrible tragedy occurred in our beloved land of Valencia.
In the church of Our Lady of Hope, in Alcobendas, at the end of the Wednesday Mass, a team of women, equipped with the different cleaning tools, spread out around the church and, with great skill and effort, leave everything in perfect "magazine condition".
In Tenerife, in March 1999, while the CD Tenerife team was in the top category, they laid the "first stone" for the soccer field of their Sports City (in the Geneto-Los Baldíos area), with the presence of the authorities, the animation of the charanga and a large advertising apparatus. Unfortunately, three months later, the team was relegated to the Second Division and, more than a year later, no progress had been made on the construction work.
In September 2000, the activity was resumed to prepare the first earthworks, and they discovered that the "first stone" had disappeared: a wooden chest buried in a prominent place, next to the plaque commemorating that the "first stone" had been placed there a year and a half before. Apparently, some unscrupulous people dug up the chest and appropriated the "treasures" it contained: some legal tender coins, the medals of the 75th anniversary of the club, a pennant, an official Tenerife T-shirt... They only left the copies of the three newspapers that were published in Tenerife on the day of the famous event - 'El Día', 'Diario de Avisos' and 'La Gaceta de Canarias' -. Narration by D. Luis Padilla on 11 - IX - 2018 in Atlántico Hoy.
In the case of the team of women who voluntarily clean the church of Our Lady of Hope, there are no trumpets or drums to cackle or liven up their work, but with their perseverance and their quiet and efficient work, one Wednesday, another Wednesday, and every Wednesday, they always keep the church clean, tidy and welcoming for all the parishioners. It is a good example of industriousness.
In the case of the "first stone" there was a lot of spectacle and hullabaloo, but then nobody lifted a finger to carry out the work as planned. This is not an example of industriousness, but rather, quite the opposite: a counterexample of negligence and neglect.
The virtue of industriousness
The word "industriousness" derives from the Latin verb "labor", which means an effort to do something; it is therefore identified with diligence and is opposed to idleness or laziness. By this virtue we are inclined to work, to fulfill our duties and to render the services - small or great - in which love is manifested.
In times when immediacy and the search for instant gratification seem to dominate a large part of our routines, developing the virtue of industriousness helps us to organize ourselves well to carry out the tasks assigned to us, or that we impose on ourselves, dedicating the time and effort necessary to perform them efficiently. But, contrary to what might appear at first glance, it is not industrious to be anxiously devoted to the pursuit of results at work, turning it into an activity that is no longer a service, but a slavery.
It is interesting to mention here a new attitude towards work known by the Anglo-Saxon term ".workaholic"It is characterized by an excessive and uncontrollable need to work constantly and can interfere negatively with our physical and emotional health, as well as our social relationships. It is clear that this attitude towards work is not compatible with a job well done. Hard work also teaches us to manage time and priorities well, allowing us to achieve a balance between work and rest, avoiding falling into the extremes of perfectionism or laziness.
Some celebrities as references
We all know many people in our environment who are a good example of hard work. Here we are going to mention some famous people who stand out for having been able to organize themselves in order to combine their professional activity with their university degrees. These are good references to understand, based on specific people, what hard work is all about.
José Antonio Sainz Alfaro is the director of the Orfeón Donostiarra, which he joined as a baritone in 1974. I met him a little later, when we coincided in the same class of Physical Sciences at the University of Navarra, in the campus of San Sebastian (Guipuzcoa). He combined his university studies -we both graduated- with his musical vocation and hobby, to which he also dedicated a lot of time studying, rehearsing, etc., at the San Sebastian Conservatory. Later, he completed his training by following different choral conducting courses abroad. The result of all this is the modern image of the Orfeón Donostiarra, increasingly well-known in Spain and abroad.
Paula Belén Pareto, Argentine physician and judo player, became the first Argentine woman to become an Olympic champion and the first Argentine athlete to win two Olympic medals in individual disciplines. She combined her sporting activity with her studies in medicine.
José Martínez Sánchez, Pirriplayed for Real Madrid for 16 seasons. He won, among other titles, the 1965-66 European Cup and ten Leagues. He received his doctorate in Medicine and, after his retirement in Mexico, he returned to Real Madrid to join the club's medical staff between 1980 and 1990. He is currently the honorary president of Real Madrid.
Through our work, we collaborate with the work of God
There is an intimate relationship between industriousness and work well done. God created man "ut operaretur", to work:
"So Yahweh God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it." [Genesis 2:15]
Work is, therefore, a worthy and noble activity, through which God Himself, counting on the qualities and gifts that each of us has received, offers us the exciting task of collaborating with Him and complete the Creation.
And we count above all on the example of Jesus, who spent most of his life working, first learning the craftsman's trade in Joseph's workshop, and then, when Joseph had surely died, running the workshop himself, as St. Mark tells us:
"Isn't this the craftsman, the son of Mary...?" [Mk 6:3].
Jesus, being God, became man in order to free us from the slavery of sin, and this Redemption was worked throughout his life, also through his work. During his years of work in Nazareth, Our Lord Jesus Christ highlighted two fundamental realities: that man, with his work, participates in God's creative work, and that God counts on our work well done to complete the redemption of the human race.
A job well done-which improves the world and perfects people-needs more than good will: it requires, on the one hand, professional competence-possessing the right knowledge and techniques-and dedication of the time and effort necessary to do it efficiently; and, on the other hand, it requires a loving intention: to do it out of love for God and with a desire to serve others.
It is not a matter of just working hard, or even too hard, but, above all, of working with attention to detail, with the will to offer the best of oneself in every task, big or small. The Castilian poet, Antonio Machado, put it succinctly and beautifully: "Despacito y buena letra: el hacer las cosas bien importa más que el hacerlas" (Slowly and with good handwriting: doing things well is more important than doing them).
Practical guidelines
A job well done, with the greatest possible perfection, is manifested in many concrete details, such as:
- To finish the tasks within the established deadlines, maintaining until the end the same interest and spirit with which they were started. Only things that are well finished serve their proper purpose: those are the ones that are worthwhile and drive us to continue working with enthusiasm.
- Have a demanding and realistic schedule or work plan for each day, and follow it, knowing that the final success depends to a great extent on the daily effort.
- Always try to avoid sloppiness, in the sense of "poorly done or dirty work".
- Be attentive and help others, so that they also do their job well.
"When you have finished your work, do your brother's work, helping him, for Christ's sake, with such delicacy and naturalness that even the favored one does not realize that you are doing more than you ought in justice to do.
"-This is fine virtue of a child of God!"
Saint Josemaría Escrivá (The Way, 440)
- Strive to do it with a righteous intention; that is, that it pleases God, is a service to society and is respectful of the environment.
In the study
For students, studying is their professional work, and doing it well also requires certain qualities, such as order, intensity and depth, which are learned and developed with dedication of time, perseverance and effort. Here are some suggestions on the attitudes that will favor a good performance in the study:
- Be interested in acquiring effective study techniques, as well as the necessary skills and habits: improving reading speed and comprehension, writing skills, correct use of underlining techniques, summarizing, etc.
- Performing it with interest, knowing that it is our profession, living the order, complying with the planned schedule without delays and avoiding distractions that prevent the necessary concentration.
- Having an adequate place to study and sleep the necessary hours.
The important thing in studying is not the grades, which are almost always the result of our daily personal effort to do our school activities well (attending classes, homework, studying subjects, preparing for exams...): that is the most important thing. Hard work is an important help to achieve these goals.
I had the privilege of having parents who embodied many virtues and, among them, hard work. Farmers in the fertile irrigated land of Varea (Logroño), I remember that in the garden there was never a weed to be seen, that my father would get up early to water before the water ran out, or to take the vegetables and fruit to the market - very rich strawberries and tasty tomatoes, for example; I also remember that my mother, besides helping in the garden and the market, always kept the house clean and cozy, made exquisite marzipan for Christmas and took time to make all kinds of knitted garments for children, grandchildren, etc. And I remember many other similar details of both Julio and Marina, who were for me an example of hard work. Let these lines serve to pay them a filial and grateful tribute, which they will reciprocate smiling from Heaven.
Conclusions
– Supernatural industriousness drives us to work with care, dedication and perseverance in our activities, whether large or small. Through this virtue, we learn to value the effort needed to achieve long-term goals, avoiding discouragement in the face of difficulties. And we will also take time to rest and take care of others. Thus we will be happy and with a clear conscience.
Hard work and a job well done are two sides of the same coin. Working well is the natural result of a commitment to devote the necessary time, effort and attention to each task. Cultivating this relationship improves our professional performance, while enriching our personal lives by finding a deeper meaning in what we do, fostering a culture of effort that benefits society as a whole.
On the other hand, working with care and dedication generates a deep satisfaction, the result of an internal recognition that we have done our best, that we have given the best of ourselves and have contributed to the common good, knowing that only works well done remain, while those done with little effort, without interest and without taking care of the small things, soon cease to serve. This feeling of accomplishment is lasting and strengthens our self-esteem.
Moreover, works well done and well finished, being finite, acquire infinite value if we offer them to God, who is pleased with them and rewards us. And with them we cooperate with God to complete Creation, we participate in the Redemption worked by Jesus Christ.
Physicist. High School Mathematics, Physics and Religion teacher.
