“Pray while working” and a story about missionary joy

PERÚ/ARGENTINA, Queca Espinoza. Thanks to the exchange within the  Dreamteam of schoenstatt.org, I got to know Cecilia from Buenos Aires, Argentina.  In one of her e-mails, she told us about a book that was given to her and which is a great blessing.  The title is “Pray while working” by Carlos E. Barrio y Lipperheide, with the preface by Roberto H. Crouzel and the prologue by F. Guillermo Carmona.  The person who gave it to her did not know that someone from Schoenstatt had written it.  The Unity Cross appears on the book cover.  In this book, the author writes about the Work Shrine, and he marvels at how it is helping him in his day to day at work.

I told her that I would try to get a copy and she said: ”I´ll send you one.  Here at work there are two ladies from Peru who are returning home.”  I accepted her kind offer and immediately asked her how do I pay her back.  She answered.  “Don’t worry about the details, I will coordinate with one of them and later I´ll tell you how you can get the book.  A big hug and may you receive a lot of blessings in your work.”

Yesterday, I met up with Margarita the lady from Peru who brought the book.  We live very far from each other, so we agreed to meet in a mall midway.  When we met, we hugged each other as though we had known each other for a long time.  I brought her some stampitas, a novena of the Blessed Mother and a porcelain copy of the Shrine.  She was a bit surprised, and told me that she is far from things of God.  I told her about how I began in Schoenstatt and how it is filling up my life.

An invitation to the Shrine

Without our knowing it, another lady near us heard our entire conversation.  She came closer and asked me, “What is the name of the Virgin?”  I repeated the name and told her what it meant and also gave her a stampita that also has the address of our Shrine in La Molina.

I am sharing this with you because it is beautiful to see how the Blessed Mother works in each and everyone all the time.  She does not lose any opportunity to help her children, to let herself be known, and to open her way.

Yesterday, she arranged my meeting up with Margarita who could not believe that I do not know Cecilia personally, and Cecilia joined us solely in a strictly Schoenstatt sense: to give another what he needs, what he would like to have, and which could help him grow spiritually.

When we parted, I offered to bring her to the Shrine.  She said she would call me, and I am sure that this will happen.

The book’s intention

Now at home, I began to read the book.  It is very good.  I hope you can get one too.  But as follows, let me tell you a little about it since it can keep us company in our day to day at work.

The author, Carlos Barrio, writes:  This book came to be in answer to a personal searching; in my case, to live my daily work life, in such a way that it is linked and committed to God, in a culture that seems to ignore Him.  When I succeed in incorporating my faith to my work, my efforts become tinted with a deeper meaning and life.  Daily I try to be attentive to the voice of God, what He is telling me, when He opens new doors.

Often times, I pass by in front of them without seeing, other times, I am afraid of opening up to them or I am not attentive enough to discover them.  But I know that He never abandons me, he accompanies me always, and He is beside me in all my activities.  He brought me to the job that I am holding now, with all its shadows and light, and He wants me to discover and to make His presence real among my workmates: in our activities, papers, emails, meetings, conflicts, frustrations and successes of my daily efforts, offering all my strength, wants, projects and loved ones, to be nearer to His love through all of them.    The prayers that I now present to you came up from my experience in all of these aspects.

Original: Spanish. Translation: Kohnie Valderama, Madrid, Spain/schoenstatt.org

TRABAJAR ORANDO

Author: Carlos Barrio
271 pages
Editorial: CLARETIANA, Argentina, www.editorialclaretiana.com
ISBN: 9789505127993