How do we know the proper value of work?  How do we decide its role in our lives?  In a monastic community the value of work is not measured in how much someone will pay to have it done.  It is not seen in narrow economic terms.  The value of work is instead measured in the contribution of that work to all the aspects of daily, shared, life. For monastics that means daily shared spiritual life – because ALL of monastic daily, shared life is our spiritual life.  In the gospel, all life is seen through the ultimate lens of love of God and love of neighbor.