Month: April 2017

3 Reasons Why my Secular Job Has Made Me a Better Catholic

/ chicoinematt

I am a cradle Catholic. I was baptized at the age of 1 week. I went to a Catholic elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. I even attended a Catholic graduate school. Interestingly, it is at my secular work place that I have taken the virtues I acquired in Catholic schooling and deepened them. I give you three reasons why my secular job has made me a better Catholic.

  1. Different Perspective: The major difference between my Catholic cradle upbringing and my daily work today is summed up in a single word—perspective. I have learned to see relationships, problems, daily tasks, and even conversations from a different perspective. I used to view the world in a dichotomous manner. There is black or white. I still view the world largely in this manner, but I have learned that sometimes there is gray in the world. Sometimes both people may be right in workplace conflict. It just depends on my perspective. This ability that I am daily improving upon is not hampering my Catholic identity, rather enhancing it. By taking a different perspective on things, I acquired a tool to combat the sin of judgmental thinking.
  1. Changes through Change: Similar to viewing things from different perspectives, I have learned in my job that change is inevitable. I am becoming more and more patient in my secular work place. I firmly believe God has graced me with the opportunity of my job to help me develop and deepen the virtues of patience and understanding. I still have a long ways to go, but I can tell I have made great strides in my spiritual life through my learning to embrace change even though I may find it difficult sometimes.
  1. Seasoning Adds Flavor: Jesus urged his followers to be “the salt of the Earth” in his Sermon on the Mount Discourse (Matthew 5:13). The purpose of salt is two-fold: preserve and season food. I believe that I the reason that I thrive in a non-Christian environment is for those same reasons. God wants me to act as a preservative of Truth against this worldly culture which promotes the self. Secondly, God gave me the gift to evangelize in a special way to non-Catholics. I need to continue to pray for God to reveal his graces to me on how exactly He wants me to add “flavor” or joy to my workplace.

I will end with this question: How may you be the salt of the Earth? Everyone is valued and God has you placed in your current job for a reason. Ask Him for guidance in knowing your purpose.

Thank you for sharing!

I Self Identify as ______________.

/ chicoinematt

A popular movement in the 21st century is people defining and identifying themselves under a multitude of appellations. Caused in large part from the rise of social media, humanity is self-reflecting more and more each day. However, as the title indicates, I am not concerned with how and who other people self-identify as. Rather I am writing as a means of self-reflection on how I have fallen prey to this idea that you need to have a certain identity in order to be deemed by society as legitimate and worthy.

Football fan, reader, runner, board gamer aficionado, writer, Catholic, husband, father, and volunteer. These are just a few of the “caps” I wear when people ask me who I am. While the first few titles are pretty superficial I have realized through prayer, especially in Eucharistic Adoration, that even my identification of being Catholic, husband, and a father to my wonderful children are still in the grand scheme of things only a hint at who I truly am–and who I am truly called to be.

I originally was going to write on another topic today. What changed my mind? It was a song on the radio whose title escapes my memory. I do remember this one verse: “You’re [God’s] love is my identity!” These five words inspired me. Just like the five wounds of Christ on the Cross which proves God’s love for us these five words of the song reminded me that God’s love is not limited to my earthly accomplishments. It does not matter how many “titles” I accumulate over the course of my years. The only thing that matters is God’s love.

That being said, I will fill in the blank of today’s title: I Self Identify as ___________, to read “I Self Identify as a child of God.” But regardless of whether I feel God’s love or not it does not change the fact that due to the grace given to me in Baptism– I will always be an adopted son of God. I pray that we may all experience God’s grace this week because our identity is only complete when we realize we are called to be children of God!

Thank you for sharing!