Doing Ordinary tasks with extraordinary love 
The Thursday after the Second Sunday of Lent brings us to Santa Maria in Trastevere. Trastevere (“across the Tiber”) is a beautiful and ancient section of Rome. Its narrow streets and well preserved architecture give it a unique character, setting it apart from the rest of Rome. One of the oldest Churches in the city, Santa Maria dates back to 220 when Pope St. Callistus founded it as a house church. The mosaic on the church’s façade, depicting the parable of the wise and unwise virgins, is from the 14th century. The central part of the apse is a glorious mosaic of Christ offering his mother a jeweled crown. In the homily today God calls us to do ordinary tasks with extraordinary love.
Sanctifying our work
Sanctifying our work and doing it well is a simple way to heaven, it is a method that is not beyond any of us, but present to us on a daily basis. This means that we must fulfill all of the duties of our particular state in life well. For a parent, this means providing for one’s family, spending time with one’s children, passing on to them the faith of our Church, and raising them to be followers of Christ. For a child, it means obeying your parents, doing your best in school, trying your hardest in extracurricular activities- and doing all of these things cheerfully and to the best of our ability since we offer everything to God.
To really achieve this we must undergo a revolution in the way we view the ordinary. If we do this we will begin to live with a supernatural outlook where we see God present in the important and unimportant events of daily life. Where we really meet Christ is in the mundane events of our daily life. By sanctifying our work and daily obligations, we make our work place the horizon where we meet God.
Written by Fr. Charlie Gallagher
Photos by Fr. Justin Huber