Our Work

to humbly serve

As poor people in solidarity with the poor throughout the world, we “embrace the common law of work as a means of providing for our basic needs, to serve the common good, and to share with others in need” (Const. 93). Work finds its dignity in the fact that it is an imitation of God our Creator, in whose image and likeness we are made. "Work is a good thing for man, because through work man ... achieves fulfillment as a human being" (Laborem Exercens, 9).

Our work at the monastery or house where we live is a means of humbly serving our sisters and financially supporting ourselves. Even more importantly, the simple work we do (especially manual labor) powerfully unites us to Christ, the poor man of Nazareth and the son of a carpenter, and Mary, who served the Holy Family through her service in cleaning, cooking, and laundering. Our work includes cooking, cleaning, laundry, maintenance, administration, mission advancement, and finance. The work we do outside the monastery can be found under ministry.

"Through our work we share in the creative activity of God, imitate the hidden life of our Savior, and unite ourselves with Christ and His work of redemption."

-Constitutions 93

Whatever we do, we strive to be “joyful, good-humored, and happy in the Lord” (T.O.R. Rule 20). Many of our works are conducive to prayer and help us foster our contemplative life. Working in silence or with a recollected spirit enables us to be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit throughout the day. In the words of St. Francis, we endeavor not to let our work extinguish the spirit of holy prayer. We also are careful not to become possessive of our work or to define ourselves by our productivity, because "a person is more precious for what he is than for what he has" (Gaudium et Spes, 35), or what he does.

Each sister's unique gifts are valued as contributions to our community life and to the broader work of building the Kingdom of God on earth. We seek to "generously use our strength and talents to serve God and our human family" (Const. 93).

 

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