Thursday, September 07, 2006

Ora et labora


Here is an eye-opener story which Sir Mike shared to us during our Ethics class.

I saw a girl on the street, cold and shivering in a thin dress, and very evidently hungry.

I became angry with God and said,
“Why did you permit this? Why don’t you do something about it?”

That night I heard a small voice inside say,
“I did do something about it, I made you…What have you done about it?
(De Mello)

This article rings a bell of St. Paul's message "Prayer without action is quiet dead." (I forgot the passage)

The prayers we utter for the welfare of our brothers and sisters, especially the less fortunate ones, do not suffice; it do not give a concrete answer to problems.

Indeed, prayer is a powerful tool in our daily struggles. But prayer is not enough; it should go hand in hand with work.

The power of prayer is manifested by the actions we initiate. Let us all remember that each of us are God’s instrument in implementing his plans. It won’t hurt us if we pray and do some sacrifices as well. Every little act of goodness that a person can do matters a lot. If all of us will think like this there will surely be a difference--- a better result. This is like lighting a little candle which makes bright light in a rather dark room.

Let us start to be an advocate of Ora et labora (prayer and work) in our own ways.