In 1968, a Roman Catholic pope named Pope Paul VI authored a constitution as part of Vatican II entitled Lumen Gentium, which translates from Latin to English as “light of the world.” A major principle of this document is the universal call to holiness, which will be the subject of this blog post.

Sometimes, we tend to think that our spiritual life has to do merely with being at Church on Sunday and praying during the week when we have time. Lumen Gentium challenges this assumption by stating that we are called to be holy in every moment of our lives. Whether we are at work, in a drive thru, or getting cut off on I-78 in the morning before work. Similarly, this call to holiness is not simply extended to those who work for and in the Church in their day jobs, but to all.

Our Catholic identity should be a part of every aspect of our lives, from the opening of our eyes in the morning, until their closing at bedtime. This is the essence of Paul VI’s message. In terms of career development, we must be seeking holiness in our day-to-day jobs.

Realistically speaking, we spend 8 hours a day, 5 days per week at work. Because work takes so much of our time, when looking for a career, Catholics must keep in mind the principles that we hold dear. Looking at what a particular company stands for before accepting a position is absolutely vital. In our modern era, you can simply visit a company’s website to find this information. If this is not public, you can ask pointed questions in a job interview to gain better insight into the company.

When the interviewee asks, “do you have any questions?” at the end of the interview, use this time to respectfully ask what the company stands for. Do not be afraid to ask questions about the mission statement, values or principles that the company holds. If the values of a particular company do not align with yours, politely decline that job opportunity and search for something that does align with your values.

Let’s return to Lumen Gentium. One of the first sentences in Chapter 5 of the document states:

“Thus it is evident to everyone, that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life.”

Our work defines us, and this is evident in meeting someone who loves their job as opposed to someone who does not.

We can reach the fullness of our call to holiness by pursuing the good and practicing true charity in all of our actions, and particularly, in the workplace. To be truly charitable, we must will the good of our coworkers and for Catholics, the ultimate good is God.

Every aspect of our work life ought to direct ourselves and those whom we encounter back to God. This is difficult, but not impossible. What this means is accepting a job position that will allow you to glorify God through your daily work, regardless of what your job is. Even once you accept that position, you should seek to embody Catholic principles. May God bless you in your career search and may you honor the Master Craftsman, of whose handiwork you are, with your work in His name!