Memorial of St. Andrew
Reflection
“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause and say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
Prayer
God of Work,
Today we cherish the memory of St. Andrew the Apostle. Just like Andrew, you have called us each by name and invite us to follow you into new life. In so doing, we pray that we, like Andrew—who dropped his nets and yet became a new kind of fisherman—we pray that we might also discover how you will use our ordinary work to transform the world in extraordinary ways. In the confidence of such a calling, let us be grateful for the work you have given each of us to do today. May we approach whatever we do as an invitation to do good, uplift each other, and glorify you. Amen.
Call to Action
Do I ever look down on the work I perform, or compare it unfairly to the work of others? Take time today to renew my sense for the dignity of work, my work, and recommit to doing the best job I
can today.