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Have the ghosts, goblins, and ghouls of Halloween frightened us away from practicing saintly virtues where we work? Here are three welcoming “spirits” that can restore our faith in the Christian roots of All Hallows' Eve and bestow special blessings on our business to boot.
Good Tricks
Good tricks in the workplace are not only positive contributions to our colleagues but also beneficial acts that will elevate company morale. What are good tricks? They are not humorous shenanigans or harmless pranks. On the contrary, good tricks are small, unexpected favors we can perform for coworkers to help lighten their workload a tad.
For example, if we're traveling to the post office we can save others some steps by offering to take their outgoing mail along with ours. Or we can ask if there are simple duplication chores that need doing when we're on our way to the copy machine. Think of a tiny task that adds little to our own responsibilities but can make someone else's day a lot less ghastly. That's a good trick.
Good Treats
When I was a college seminarian, the superiors often remarked that a happy community moves forward on its stomach. Today many professors will testify that our millennial undergrads spend much of their day eating or texting or both!
Even in Our Lord's time food was more than a source of sustenance. Sharing nourishment was, and still is, a sign of unity and a celebration of energy. Which organization doesn't want more unity and energy among its employees? During the month of October we can surprise the staff by conjuring up some delightful treats for the breakroom. And if these goodies also happen to be healthy snacks, then they would qualify as very good treats.
Good Talismans
Human beings have always been tempted to believe in folklore, enchanting charms and amulets. We all know a few God-fearing, devoted Catholics who will only play the lottery with their lucky numbers. Of course they counterbalance any smack of superstition by promising to donate half of the jackpot to charity if they do win, regardless of how statistically remote that probability may be.
Instead of relying on chance, the Church advocates intercessory prayers with the saints. So to help banish any misinformation we may have heard about Halloween being a nefarious autumnal festival, we can offer this powerful supplication:
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
For Holy Homework:
Let's post a copy of this prayer at our desks and promise to recite it before we begin work each day this month. And then we can plan our next good trick or good treat to startle our workplace with more Halloween virtues until Oct. 31 arrives.
Comments can be sent to: FatherBobPagliari@Yahoo.com
