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Reflection

Does God care how well I do my job?

God wants us to be our best selves.

He calls all people to holiness and provides the spiritual assistance or grace all people need to achieve this state. God equips us with a variety of gifts, so that we can provide a variety of services in the various sectors of our community.

Having a unique mission, we are called to use our gifts to bring God’s love to our families, schools and workplace environments.

If we do not have a particular gift, it means our mission in life did not depend on the use of this gift. This is very freeing. Accepting this truth keeps us humble and keeps us from comparing ourselves to others.

Each person is irreplaceable and has a unique role to play in bringing God’s love to all people.

St. Paul reminds us that “love is the greatest gift because it keeps us from being proud and attached to the gifts we have.”

God gives the gift, and we give our time and discipline; being opened to being formed and transformed.

This means we should not focus on status or recognition when it comes to our work, rather we should focus on the love that inspires the work.

It is helpful to examine our conscience on a regular basis, discerning whether our work brings harm to others or ourselves.

Harming others or ourselves is not compatible with God’s will for us and our flourishing.

Do all things with great love.

Use your gifts and pray to do God’s will. If you do this, God will be pleased.

Reflection Questions

1. What does the universal call to holiness have to do with how I do my job?

2. Why does it matter if I do my job well, even if it is a job that is not my intended or hoped-for career?

Sources from Scripture and Tradition

Scripture:

1. Psalm 139 - Lord, you search me and you know me.

2. Ephesians 4: 1-7, 11-16

3. 1 Corinthians 12: 1-31

4. Colossians 3 - Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord…

Tradition:

1. Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium Chapter 5, paragraphs 39-42: The Universal Call to Holiness in the Church.

2. Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio (March, 1967), paragraph 15: “Personal Responsibility”.

Teaching from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Jobs and Work

1. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph numbers 1691-1696; 1700; 1710-1715.
   
   The Catechism is available in 9 languages.

For Further Reading

1. Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation: Gaudete et Exsultate: On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World (March 2018).