Work for Jesus! Yes, though the weary head may ache and the tired brain refuse to act. Work on, work on; the years slip by and soon the hour of toil will cease for ever. Work for Jesus! How sweet these words! Not one effort escapes His watchful eye, and He will reward you with a joy unknown for what you suffer now.

COMMENT: Fr Willie wrote these words in his diary on this day in 1905, before he was ordained a priest. This is the spiritual discipline that he constantly preached to all those he met, and it is the spiritual discipline that is most suitable for lay people – a faithful dedication to duty.

The years will indeed slip by, and our hour of toil will cease. What will we have to show for it?