Begin tasks with a brief intention—name who the work serves—then close with an examen, the Ignatian review of the day (c. 1548), to notice grace and growth. Use threshold pauses between meetings to reset attention; keep a weekly sabbath to reorient desire; and adopt one craft ritual, like sharpening tools before use, to honor materials and time. A nurse, for instance, can pair handwashing with a mindful breath and the silent wish, “May this care heal,” transforming routine into care’s cadence. Thus, by small, steady gestures, work becomes offering and life, in Rilke’s sense, becomes the prayer itself. [...]
