monks recognized work as one of the good gifts from the gracious hand of God. At this point, we need to clarify the use of the words work and vocation. The word work can be used narrowly to refer to your job for which you get paid. Or it may be used more broadly, as in: “Mowing grass on a hot August day is hard work.” Vocation too can be used to refer to a specific calling, or used more broadly to refer to all of one’s life. Work and vocation can sometimes be used interchangeably, while at the same