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Editor’s note: Today’s installment of Faith and Family was originally published in 2014

As I was driving the other day, I noticed a woman hanging up clothes on a clothesline. It struck me that this very common activity was somehow unusual, in that I had not seen anyone hang out clothes in a long time. Perhaps it is because I have joined the ranks of the washer-dryer combo league, as many have today. It is rare to see clothes hanging out in a yard. What was so engaging to me as I watched, slowing down my vehicle to observe her simple pinning of garments to the line. It brought back memories of doing the laundry on Saturdays with my mother when I was a kid. We used the old ringer washer. My mother was always terrified that I would get my fingers caught in the ringer. She was so upset that when the newer model came out with an automatic stop, she bought one, but still I had to catch the clothes as they went into the basket from the ringer and then onto the line.

We would pin the clothes on the line in order, socks in a row, pillowcases waved in succession; there was order in this humble endeavor. This all had to be done in the morning because the clothes had to dry, and in the evening, they were gathered and often folded as we took them down. I recall the smell of the fresh laundry. It had that one-of-a-kind perfume. We now have bottles costing 9.95-12.00 dollars called” Fresh Linen.” It was a humble task, but it brought much peace and gave me precious time with my mother. As I watched the woman pin the laundry, I thought about how this simple task was like a prayer.

It was in the 500’s that St. Benedict founded Western monasticism. A group of monks was to be guided by his motto, ORA ET LABORA. Latin translates this motto as PRAYER and WORK. Prayer was to engage the soul. Simple tasks could also teach us that we were granted inner peace in our daily lives by doing the everyday tasks of living. In other words, the simple tasks of living, laundry, cooking, gardening, herding the cows, cleaning the chicken coop, and waxing floors not only praise God but could allow us to feel the peace of our human existence. These simple tasks also included prayer, for they provided a resting place for the soul as our bodies were engaged in our daily lives. Prayer and work are interchangeable and bring many gifts into our serenity. And well-being.

We have done away with many of the humble chores of housekeeping by machines: dishwashers to microwaves, front-end loader washers and dryers. My stove runs almost by itself, that is, if I push the right panels to make it work. A circular little robot will vacuum the floor while you drink your coffee. It seems that there is not a task that we have to do that a machine cannot do better, but it seems to me we have lost something here. We have lost the simplicity of the task that brings us peace. The woman hanging the sheets on the line was doing a humble job, but it was also granting her time to be human. She could feel the sun’s heat rising in the morning sky; she was aware of the dampness of the sheets and saw the wind lift them to a perfect blue sky. She had time just to BE, to hear her inner voices plan her day, and praise God for the day’s grandeur. Perhaps that is what we are losing in this new age of convenience. We are losing the time to be human. From the phone in our back pocket that calls us to attention to scrolling things with snippets of funny or informative videos, we seem chained to these new products that quite literally suck our time and peace away.

We have become lost to ourselves, and for most, prayer has become a waste of time. Could there be a correlation between the loss of simple tasks and prayer? It is no wonder that so many feel misplaced or anxious today. I recommend that you see the chores of your ordinary life as opportunities to deepen the time we take to hear, feel, and glorify God for his grace and forgiveness of our so human choices. Allow the making of dinner for the family, cutting the lawn, and even picking kids up from events all offer a moment to listen, pray, and learn to find joy in our simple tasks. Work and Prayer are twin gifts to our spirit. They can become a refuge away from the hectic, stressed-filled lives we live every day.

” May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us–yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17) Amen