June 4

Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest. — Exod 23:12

This is the gospel of labor—ring it,
Ye bells of the kirk—
The Lord of Love came down from above
To live with the men who work.
This is the rose he planted, here
In the thorn-cursed soil;
Heaven is blest with perfect rest, but
The blessing of earth is toil.
— Henry van Dyke

No man is born into the world whose work
Is not born with him. There is always work
And tools to work withal, for those who will;
And blessed are the horny hands of toil.
— James Russell Lowell.

Prayer

My Father, I pray for the love of work, and the desire to cultivate life. Stir me, that I may be ambitious. May I not stare at life in an everyday way and forget that others are watching for the surprises. Help me to be considerate and kind in all that I do. Amen.