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Views from the Choir Loft

Arbeit Macht Frei, or Ora et Labora

Fr. David Friel · September 4, 2017

HANDFUL of times, I have had the opportunity to visit Trappist monasteries. The Trappists are members of the Cistercian order, a group of cloistered contemplative monastics who follow a well-ordered regimen of life.

They come to chapel seven times a day to pray. In between their periods of prayer, they go about their work. Some of the monks work in the kitchen, others in the fields. Some of them make clothes or bread or candy or other things that could be sold to support the monastery. This is the difference between monks and friars; whereas friars beg for their sustenance, monks support themselves by the work of their hands. They put into practice St. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians: “We urge you, brothers . . . to work with your own hands” (1 Thes 4:10-11).

In my short visits, I have found the Trappist way of life to be a very healthy and beautiful balance of prayer and work.

Today’s secular holiday of Labor Day was created in the late 1800’s to celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers. There is surely much to be admired in good, honest work and in those who make a living by manual labor. Yet, at the same time, we Christians must be careful that work never becomes an idol for us. Especially as Americans, it’s easy for us to get on the hamster wheel of life by just working & working & working without end. But, contrary to the signs that hung above the gates of several concentration camps, work, alone, does not set us free. Only Christ can truly set us free.

So this is the key: We must introduce Christ into our labors. We must offer our labors to Him. As St. John Vianney reminds us, “Whatever we do without offering to God is wasted.”

Whether we are laborers or executives or students or retirees, all of us have the power to offer our daily tasks to God. Doing so is evidence that the prayerful, stirring words of Psalm 90 have begun to transform us: “Lord, give success to the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17).

When we offer it to God, our work takes on incredible new value. This was the secret I observed at that Trappist monastery: work united with prayer—ora et labora—leads to a wonderful balance of life.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“These French offices represent a new case of the old tendency towards local modification—which the Council of Trent had meant to repress. They are commonly attributed to Gallican ideas and are supposed to be not free from Jansenist venom. Some of these local French uses survived almost to our own time. They were supplanted by the Roman books in the 19th century, chiefly by the exertions of Dom Prosper Guéranger (d. 1875).”

— Dr. Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923)

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