|
Living the Devout Life in the Corporate World St. Francis de Sales wrote, “God has placed you in this world not because he needs you in any way but only to exercise his goodness in you by his grace and glory.” Before I was introduced to Paul Murphy, MJ, through his biography, I couldn’t imagine bringing my faith into the workplace, allowing God ‘to exercise his goodness’ in me. I’d bought into the idea that one’s religious beliefs were personal and not to be presented in any forum with the exception of your home and church. But you especially didn’t bring Jesus to work. Through my study of the life of Paul Murphy and the Miles Jesu Faith Family Formation Handbook, I’ve begun to discover that as a Catholic I have an obligation to sanctify the world through my profession. The Handbook says, work is a way in which we “share in the work of God’s creation, as co-creators.” (pg. 92) This realization led to my next challenge, determining how to allow Jesus to be present throughout my workday. Twenty years away from the Faith I was baptized in, convinced me that I wasn’t up for the task. And on my own, I wasn’t. However, I know when I turn to Christ, through Him all things are possible. It didn’t happen overnight. Our Lord had to deal with my doubts and hesitancy. I didn’t wake up one morning thinking, “I believe I’ll start acting like a Catholic at work.” In fact, I was pretty uncomfortable with the thought of sharing my faith in the workplace. I had no idea what it really meant to live my faith at work. Should I start passing out Miraculous Medals at work like candy? Should I pontificate on the Pope’s latest encyclical to whoever would listen? As I learned more about Servant of God Paul Murphy, I realized that what it really involved was simply living the Gospel throughout the day. I’ve heard the quote from St. Francis of Asissi many times: “Preach often; when necessary use words.” So where do we begin? First and foremost, prayer and the Sacramental life. Only through these can we ask for and get the help we need to live the Gospel. As Catholics, we have a treasure trove at our disposal in the Sacraments, especially in Holy Mass and Confession. Attend Mass every Sunday and, when possible, during the week. Here in Denver, I have many parishes available with Mass times that fit my schedule. It may be difficult to find a Mass, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Regular Confession is very important. Although the Church requires us to confess our sins once a year as the absolute minimum, to be truly serious about growing in our Faith, confession every two to four weeks would be ideal. Having the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Mother, and the Communion of Saints with you in prayer is better than having a whole battalion behind you. Obviously, we have to adjust our prayer to our particular situations. As a suggestion, start the day by dedicating thirty minutes each morning to prayer. If you are new to it, start with fifteen minutes and work your way up. If you have children to care for in the morning, try to get up thirty minutes before the first one awakens. I’m not a morning person so this is very difficult for me and I still struggle with it. However, Jesus asks us to do the difficult for Him. Love without sacrifice isn’t love. Giving up that extra thirty minutes of sleep can be offered up for the salvation of your soul, the souls of your family, and your boss’s soul. If you balk at this prayer commitment you have to ask yourself, as I had to, how serious am I about my faith? How serious am I about living the devout life? However, thirty minutes in the morning isn’t enough to keep us going throughout the day. I had to look for opportunities within my workday to get in some prayer. It was incredibly difficult, and still is as I get very focused on whatever I’m doing at the moment. Sometimes, it’s simply running from one meeting to another. My spiritual director suggested I take a moment from time to time throughout the day to say, “Jesus and Mary, I love you. I place my trust in you.” Having a beautiful holy card with a very nice prayer sitting next to the computer can inspire you as well. Which leads to the next point for living the devout life at work. You’ve seen family pictures on the work desk. They stimulate conversation about the family. The pictures you have on your desk can speak to your faith. Why not have pictures of Jesus, the Blessed Mother or a favorite saint in your workspace? If that’s ‘too much too soon’ you can start out with a picture taken in a religious atmosphere, perhaps at a sacramental event or pilgrimage. One woman in my company has a picture of her daughter taken at her First Holy Communion. Someone not inclined to comment on a picture of Jesus might comment on that and say, “What a beautiful little girl!” From there the conversation can lead to that special day when she made her First Communion. You can post a favorite Psalm or keep a small crucifix in your cubicle or office. My dry cleaner has a framed Psalm verse hanging on the wall, visible as soon as you step up to the counter. A bakery here in Denver has a crucifix hanging over the entryway to the kitchen area, in plain view, even as you walk past the bakery. These small signs are non-intrusive, non-threatening ways of showing our faith. You never know when it will spark a conversation that leads to a chance to speak about the Catholic Faith. You can wear a tasteful crucifix or holy medal, but better not to overdo it as though you’re trying to ‘show’ you’re a saint. A crucifix or holy medal identifies you as a Catholic and can stimulate conversation. A non-Catholic once told me they knew I was Catholic because I wore a medal of the Blessed Mother, the Miraculous Medal. The conversation didn’t go any further, but I knew going forward all my actions would be judged by her as ‘the way Catholics behave’. Strive to ensure your actions reflect your faith. If you’re joining the gossip session to talk about who is doing what in the office you have two options. One is to stay and help guide the conversation away from the gossip and to a more compassionate and empathetic discussion. If you don’t see any chance of that, extract yourself from the conversation. Once you establish the baseline that you refuse to speak ill of others, then it will lead the others question what they’re doing. This goes for swearing and telling off-color jokes. Your actions will indicate that you don’t approve of such things, but do it with charity to ensure you’re not coming off as self-righteous or judgmental. When the Servant of God Paul Murphy was on a construction site, the workers knew he was a special man, and the swearing was stopped immediately. My biggest fear in living my faith in the workplace was when my preaching actually required words. In anticipation of getting quizzed on the Catholic faith I stocked my shelves with books on apologetics, Church history and spirituality. I’ve learned that when it comes to conversation, it’s best to turn the talk over to the Holy Spirit right away. Recently I was discussing balancing work and family life with a co-worker. When I told him I used to bring work home but now I leave it at work, he asked me for my secret. With a quick “Holy Spirit help me” prayer, I told him that my return to the Catholic faith changed how I manage my life, and that work in particular took on a different meaning for me. My life is no longer centered on work but on Jesus, with my family following very closely behind. Though he was a bit surprised at my response, he nevertheless told me how he was a cradle Catholic who attended Catholic schools all the way up through college. As he told me about drifting in and out of the Faith, I realized the importance of trusting the Holy Spirit to guide my conversations so that He may sow the seeds. The value of the Miles Jesu apostolate in helping to form me to serve God in the workplace is indispensable. I’ve shelved all my business books for now, turning to Holy Scriptures, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Miles Jesu Faith Family Handbook as my how-to guide for understanding and embracing the true value of my profession outside my home life. A copy of the Epiphany Prayer book now sits on my desk at the office. I turn often to the prayer Just For Today, beautiful words of encouragement that provide me that momentary rest in the Lord. Jesus said, “...your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” If we worry about what the world thinks of us, His light cannot shine in us. When we place our trust in Jesus and use all the wonderful gifts He’s given us through His Church here on earth, His light shines out from us for the many wandering souls searching for that beacon to guide them home. |