Ora et labora is an old Latin expression, prayer and work, that describes many a monastic tradition, in particular that of St. Benedict, where the monks worked the fields they owned and prayed before, during and after their labors. The Franciscan tradition reflects a greater emphasis on relations: our relation with one other (fraternity), our family, our neighbors, society at large, and our environs. I would like to use this column to focus on the interpretation of ora et labora in a Franciscan context.
Work, in the Franciscan tradition, expresses itself differently for the friars and for the Secular Franciscan. St. Francis insisted on doing something – work – for what people gave him, be it stones, food, or alms for the lepers, but refused any sort of money. For an OFS, work is a necessary component of our lives so we can sustain ourselves, our loved ones, and our society. In both cases, though, work is a taking part in God’s act of creation, a giving of ourselves in some manner to this world and to others. We Secular Franciscans have an even better opportunity, due to our living in the world, to give the world and its inhabitants sustenance by our efforts.
Prayer is also a great component of Franciscan life, and that of a Secular Franciscan, such that it too merits an article in our Rule. In prayer we give ourselves to the Lord, as we thank Him, praise Him, beseech Him, express contrition to Him, and, of course, listen to Him.
I think we should link the two in our minds: when we do our work, we should do so as to make it a prayer to the Lord; when we pray, it should be a work of love that we do for the Lord. To paraphrase St. Paul: For whether we work or we pray, we are the Lord’s.