Ora et Labora

Pray and work.

St. Benedict coined this phrase as a motto of sorts when establishing his religious order. Ora et Labora was one of the first sayings the kids and I learned when we started Latin.

This photo shows a Benedictine Abbey in northern Colorado, near the Wyoming border. I went once with a group of women from my old church, and then two more times for a private retreat. I took my Bible, a hymnal, a journal, and some good walking shoes. I attended the services and spent time alone in prayer, singing, and reading. Going there is always such a boost to my mental and spiritual state.

A few Saturdays ago, I went again. This time I got to do more Labora than Ora. The sisters are trying to eradicate a noxious weed [Toadflax], and had a "Weed and Pray" day. A handful of us pulled weeds, attended the Sext service right before lunch and weeded some more.

While pulling the weeds I got to thinking. Toadflax was brought to this country as an ornamental plant. Unfortunately, it soon spread to the wild and began overtaking native plants. Isn't this just like sin? It creeps into our lives, sometimes even disguised as something pretty, but it quickly overtakes us and forces its way into all areas of our lives, pushing out necessary things.

The sisters and their helpers must pull each weed one by one in order to keep it from spreading to the hay field. After about a dozen years of diligent work they hope to have it gone from their land.

Are we as willing to diligently purge sin from our lives, weed by weed?