Touching heaven through our work

We don't have to die first before we can already have a feel of heaven, if not practically touch it. By doing our ordinary daily work, whether big or small, in public or hidden at home, and doing it with real love for God and for others, we can already achieve this ideal that is proper to us.

For this to take place, we have to work with faith and piety, since without them we will be unaware that working with love for God and others can already connect us with our final home in heaven. It's love that is fueled by faith and piety that does the trick.

Working with love for God and others lends sacredness to whatever task we are doing, no matter how mundane it is. That is because as image and likeness of God, as God's children whose creation is still a work in progress in our earthly life, any kind of work, as long as it is honest and part of our responsibility, enters into the dynamics of God's providence over us.

That ordinary daily work we have is where we usually encounter God. It is where we correspond to God's continuing creation of us, until we conform to His will to make us His image and likeness, and His children.

Our work is not simply ours, but a work with God, before it is also our work. It's important that we be keenly aware of this truth so that we can consciously and freely work in sync as much as possible with God's will and ways.

We must spend time to make this truth sink into our consciousness and become an abiding guide in our daily life. If our work does not make us feel at least the presence of God, then we are not working the way we should work.

Our work becomes prayer, even if it involves dirt and the so-called "blood, sweat and tears." Our work is where we engage ourselves with God and enter into the dynamics of love that characterizes our relationship with God and with others.

Our work can be considered sacred, because in spite of its worldly character, it is still a work with God and a work of God. This is a truth that we have to appreciate more and act accordingly.

We should disabuse ourselves from the thought that to be sacred would involve us only in activities inside churches or things should be done in silence and in solemnity. Sacredness can be had also in the middle of the world, in the hustle and bustle of mundane concerns and businesses. The crucial thing to remember is that irrespective of where we are, we should always be with God and do things with Him.

We should train ourselves to feel very much at home with God in heaven even while working here on earth. Truth is God is actually leading us to Him and is bringing heaven also to us through our earthly activities.

We need to feel this truth of our faith, overcoming whatever awkwardness we may feel at the beginning. We have to process this important task, teaching our mind and heart, our senses and our instincts to conform to this sublime reality that we often take for granted.