Temporal Work Yields Eternal Rewards
I am writing this episode about the daily life and work on a farm just after helping Steve and Keller complete the morning chores. Steve and I had taken care of the animals last night as well and by the end of it, I was pretty tuckered out. Daisy, one of our dairy cows, kept interfering when we tried to move the turkeys into their barn. And we were discouraged to find one of our meat hens unexplainably dead (its body was intact, which ruled out the possibility of predators). To make matters worse, there were far fewer eggs in the chicken coop than usual, and I wondered what we were going to have for breakfast. The thought of having to wake up early in the morning and start doing chores all over again was unappealing, to say the least.
Herding the turkeys into their barn
Closing up the coop for the meat hens
Collecting eggs from the laying hens
But at that moment, in the dark silence of my bedroom, I heard in the distance a rooster issuing its final crows of the day, and Buttercup, our youngest dairy cow, mooing in heat. It was as though the Lord (through His creatures) was speaking to me, bolstering my spirits . . . It is our duty to look after these animals, and it is our privilege to care for them daily while using them for our survival. Indeed, during my time on Our Lady’s Ranch, I have come to learn that discipline and pleasure are not mutually exclusive. Actually, they often flow together when one leads a simple, natural, wholistic lifestyle. And while work is a fundamental part of our day as homesteaders, prayer is equally indispensable. In addition to our individual prayer lives, we pray as a community every other morning, most afternoons, and each night before dinner.
Praying grace before we enjoy dinner together
Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi! As we pray, so we believe, and so we live! Thus, when one prays in the evening (compline) before lying down to sleep, he learns that “sleep is like a death.” And when one rises from his bed to pray in the morning (lauds - from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary), he learns that “The Immaculate Virgin was the white dawn announcing the Lord’s rising.” This Tuesday, the Church will commemorate the Dormition (Falling-asleep) and the Assumption of the Mother of God. From this great feast, we learn one of the greatest tenets of our faith: “Resurrection of the dead” (Nicene Creed). “When the course of Mary’s earthly life was finished, she was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory” (CCC 966). This event prefigures the bodily resurrection, not only of “the womb that bore Christ, and the breasts which nursed Him,” but of all who “hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:27–28). In their disobedience to God, Adam and Eve became mortal—and by His death and Resurrection, Christ bestows life on those in the tombs. He restores to us the eternal paradise which we forfeited in the Garden of Eden. On Our Lady’s Ranch, we live this great truth by exercising our stewardship over God’s creation, just as He commanded: “God formed out of the ground all the wild animals of the field and all the birds of heaven, and brought them to Adam,” “and put him in the garden to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15, 19).
Now, I’m able to forgive myself for being less grateful than I should be (especially after a long day of work). God has given me the opportunity to live within the vibrant landscape and activity of Our Lady’s Ranch. Scripture tells us that the unpleasant parts of work are consequences of the fall of Adam. It’s natural that we don’t always enjoy our labor despite its fruits. But there is hope, because when we remain connected to the supernatural, “God works all things to the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28) So here’s what I am going to try tonight when I lie down to sleep . . . Instead of dwelling on the imperfections of life, I am going to appreciate them for what they are — little crucibles intended for purification and self-actualization in Christ — God’s daily ways of perfecting us.
Wishing you all continued growth in God’s love too, in whatever way His wisdom decides to share it with you.
Blessings and Peace,
Mario John Chris,
And all of us at Our Lady’s Ranch 🙂