When we reflect on the New Testament we discover that the apostles, especially Peter and Paul, supported themselves by the labour of their own hands. Peter was a fisherman and Paul was a tent-maker. They were anxious not to be a burden on the young churches so they often had to work hard at their trades even whilst deeply involved in evangelization and apostolic work .
Down the centuries monks have always (or almost always) placed a high value on supporting themselves through their own labours. We are also aware that manual work can become a ‘flight from God.’ Feverish activism is an ill not uncommon in today’s society. It is a matter of balance and harmony between work, prayer and spiritual reading. The modern-day American monk, Thomas Merton, put it very succinctly when he said “If you can live on one dollar a day, why would you want to work for two
