The effort to live as children of God is carried out mainly in work, which we must direct to God; in the home, filling it with peace and a spirit of service; and in friendship, a pathway for others to draw closer and closer to the Lord. Nevertheless, at any moment of the day or night, we must maintain that effort to be, with the help of grace, men and women of a single piece, who do not behave according to the way the wind blows or who leave their relationship with the Lord only for when they are in church or gathered in prayer. On the street, at work, in sports, at a social gathering, we are always the same: children of God who kindly reflect their following of Christ in very diverse situations: *Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God*, Saint Paul advised the first Christians. "When you sit at the table," Saint Basil comments regarding this verse, "pray. When you eat bread, do so giving thanks to Him who is generous. If you drink wine, remember Him who has granted it to you for joy and relief from illness. When you put on clothes, give thanks to Him who has benignly given them to you. When you contemplate the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at the feet of God and adore Him who in His Wisdom arranged all these things. In the same way, when the sun rises and when it sets, while you sleep and while awake, give thanks to God who created and ordered all these things for your benefit, so that you may know, love, and praise the Creator." All noble realities ought to lead us to Him.
In the same way that when an earthly creature is loved, that person is loved twenty-four hours a day, the love of Christ constitutes the most intimate essence of our being and that which shapes our actions. He is our only Lord, whom we try to serve among men, being exemplary at work, in business, when living out the social doctrine of the Church in the various spheres of our activity, in caring for nature, which is part of divine Creation… It would make no sense for a person who seeks intimacy with the Lord not to strive at the same time—and as a logical consequence—to be cordial and optimistic, to be punctual at work, to make good use of time, not to do sloppy work in one's duties…
Love for God, if it is authentic, is reflected in every aspect of life. Hence, even though temporal matters have their own autonomy and there is no single "Catholic solution" to social, political, or other problems, neither are there areas of "neutrality" where a Christian ceases to be one or to act as such. For this reason, the apostolate flows spontaneously wherever a disciple of Christ is found, because it is an immediate consequence of their love for God and for all people.
HCD