How to sanctify your work?
We hear this word “sanctify” in quotes, books, talks, etc. but maybe we don’t really know how to sanctify. What does it mean to sanctify my reality? My day-to-day work, relationships, and so on. How do I know if I am sanctifying anything?
Sanctifying means making sacred, and sacred means setting apart. Something that is sacred is set apart from the common. When I sanctify my work, in a sense I’m setting it apart. It’s not just about getting the thing done, seeking a specific result, earning money or esteem, it’s about discovering its higher purpose and sacred value. It’s about weaving and knitting together these strands of my life to then be a witness and supporter to its greater purpose.
St Paul’s quote touches on this idea very well (the emphasis is mine):
…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
(Ephesians 17-19)
Among other things, sanctifying your work is discovering that “breadth and length and height and depth” of your day-to-day. It’s seeing beyond the typing of emails, the exams, the meetings, the building; and discovering bit by bit the real meaning and importance of their existence. This can be easier to discover with creative work or with jobs that directly help others in need. Happily, it’s in every noble job that we can find that deeper meaning.
I.
Becoming a Better Person through your Work
It’s very much about enjoying your work and getting better at it every day. You may not have the ideal job or degree right now, but through a deeper understanding of sanctifying this reality, you can look at it differently and see it as an opportunity for personal growth rather than a drudgery that you have to bear.
Like a music composer, sanctifying your work is combining the various elements of a piece so that it plays well for God, others and for you. That you enjoy it, that your work is of service to others, and that it gives glory to God. And like a composer you have the various elements to work with and improve upon every day: your interpersonal skills, prioritising what is important and not just urgent, arriving on time, being constructive in meetings, having that light touch when things get stressful for others. All these “instruments in your orchestra” can be a beautiful piece when played with balance, grace and dexterity.
With our work, there is always room for improvement. That is why, we recommend books on this website and our Instagram channel that can help you improve humanly because when we improve in this way, there’s greater unity in our lives. We don’t just simply aspire to be holy, we can be holy because we have the hours of our work to be better and see that effort as a moment of growth and connection with Our Lord.
2.
Helping others to become better through our work
Work is very much about others. Even if your job is not directly in service to others, it is indirectly. Other people play a big role in how you sanctify your work. God has placed each of your colleagues and friends by your side for a reason.
I remember when I was doing my Masters, my colleagues would make fun of my faith pretty regularly. Instead of calling me “Catherine”, they would sometimes call me “Christian” - “Hey Christian, how’s your day going?” To be honest, it didn’t really bother me (well, not all the time anyway!). In fact, during the year, I read “Marcus” by Michael E. Giesler and other books of his that narrate the lives of the early Christians and the ensuing persecutions. I kind of felt in good company! To cut a long story very short, after a year of this carry-on, the receptionist of the department told me that she had decided to get her child baptised. As she put it: after seeing the “Christian” walk by every day, it made her think twice about her faith and her children’s.
I’m not saying with this that you should be a walking billboard of Christianity in neon lights and entice people to notice you in this way, but it’s good to know that your place in this world, in your work, is very important. You might be the only Christian that someone meets in their life and it would be such a pity if you “flew under the radar” so as not to draw attention to yourself. A lot of our concerns and worries about sharing our faith never materialise and if they do, they’re not that bad. In fact, they can be actually quite funny.
Be authentically you in college or in the workplace. Try to do your work really well, be a great colleague to your peers, pray for them daily, greet setbacks with grace and you’ll truly be someone who can help those around you both humanly and spiritually. In Greek, Authentikos, means original and genuine. Honestly, wouldn’t we all like to be that?
3.
Offering a Beautiful Piece of Work to God
Our intention for why we do our work is important. Why do we work? Why do decide to do that piece of work a little bit better than usual? What motivates us is to seek a higher purpose, a higher ideal. This is true not only humanly but also spiritually, because we are one: body and soul. If we neglect the spiritual motivation in our lives and compartmentalise it solely for spiritual things: prayer, fasting, etc. we end up impoverishing our lives. We need to find our soul in our work: the deeper understandings and desires of the heart in union with God. And what better way to do that is when we truly do our work well, with God and we give it to Him back as part of his creation. “Look, what I made for you today, Jesus!”.
The sacrifice of the Mass has a key role in the sanctification of our work. As baptised Christians, we offer ourselves in union with Christ at the Mass. Particularly at the moment of the Offertory, we offer to God all that we are: our works, joys, sufferings of this day. We participate in God’s redemption. And our work contributes to redeeming the world when we do it well for love of Him. We are his daughter working away in His farm: tiling the soil, sowing the seeds and feeding the animals. He loves to see us work with Him and for Him.
Conclusion
In case you’re interested in deepening further in the topic of sanctifying your work, here are some links to articles which will help.
“Professional Ethics and Sanctification of Work”, Graduate School of Business (IPADE), Romana Publication - Link
“Sanctifying with our Work”, Opus Dei Website - Link
“Sanctifying Work and "Christianizing" Society”, Opus Dei Website - Link
“Opus Dei - Sanctification of work”, YouTube Video - Link