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Sanctification in Daily Work
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Your Public Example

Another point from The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva is this one in the first chapter.

How I wish your bearing and conversation were such that, on seeing or hearing you, people would say: This man reads the life of Jesus Christ.

One of the points that struck me when I first read this was “bearing and conversation.” This said to me that living out my faith does not mean putting on a robe and sandals or having a large cross hanging from my neck. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with that. However, most of us living in the world and not in an order don’t need to dress out of the ordinary. Some people need to wear a uniform for work for example. By ordinary I do not mean like a lot of the inappropriate clothing that is so common today.

No, we need to wear our faith by our actions, by the words we use. Can you imagine if no one used profanity, shared pornographic images or jokes or talked bad about someone else? What if everyone did their job without complaining? What if we helped each other instead of thinking only of ourselves and ignoring those around us in need? It would be a very different world.

We’re called to this and even if no one else lives their faith, we should. People will notice. They may make fun of us. But we’ll make them think and we’ll be an example for them.

I admit it’s not always easy. A very simple but tough thing for me was getting in the habit of making a sign of the cross and saying a blessing at a public meal, either by myself in an airport or at a convention banquet. I have had strangers come up to me and thank me for doing it though. Talk about some positive affirmation. Let’s all give it a try.

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