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Dear Father Angelo,

I am writing to you for clarification regarding one’s career.

Is it right for a Catholic to aspire to obtain recognition in the workplace or is it contrary to the teaching of the Gospel? 

It is often said that each of us must accept our situation with humility. If over the centuries men had not aspired to improve their condition, also aspiring to increase wealth and accumulating it, society would not have reached the current levels of well-being.

I would be grateful if you could address these topics in your column.

Thanks for what you do.

God bless you.

Devid

Dear Devid,

1. I think your question does not intend to ask simply whether it is legitimate to aspire to obtain recognition in the workplace, but whether it is legitimate for a Christian to aspire to higher positions within work and society.

In my opinion, the answer is this: not only is it lawful, but it is a duty.

He must do this not only for his personal benefit and for his own family but also by virtue of Christ’s mandate to bring the spirit of the evangelical beatitudes everywhere, within society and within the world of work.

If he did not do so, he would fail in his task of employing the talents that the Lord has given him for the common good.

Secondly, he would hide under the bushel that lamp of faith that the Lord gave him to put on the lamp to give light to all those in the house

2. I like to recall what the Second Vatican Council says in the last point of Gaudium et spes: “Christians, remembering the words of the Lord:” in this they will all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another ” (Jn 13:35) nothing can desire more ardently than to serve the men of the contemporary world with greater generosity and effectiveness. Therefore, adhering faithfully to the Gospel and benefiting from its strength, united with all those who love and practice righteousness, they have assumed an immense task to be fulfilled on this earth: they will have to give an account to Him who all will judge in the last day “( GS 93).

Therefore, according to the Church, Christians must serve the men of their time with the utmost generosity and effectiveness and they can only do this by employing in the best possible way the talents that the Lord has given them precisely for this purpose.

This means that they must acquire the proper skills and make the right sacrifices to be able to acquire them in order to carry out this “ministry”, because it is a service that the Lord asks to be performed.

Otherwise being in the condition of the one who, having received the talent, went to hide it underground, he will have to give an account on the day of judgment.

3. It is true that the demon of pride is always crouched at the door and easily insinuates himself even in the accomplishment of good works.

But this must not make people pusillanimous, as they used to say, that is, renouncing and mean.

4. The Church has always exalted magnanimity, that is, greatness of mind as one of the most beautiful virtues.

It is a virtue that brings us very close to the Lord’s precept: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

Already the pagan philosopher Aristotle, who lived in the fourth century BC, spoke of magnanimity as the most splendid of virtues and said that “all the dedication of those with a big heart is applied to the common and divine good” (Nicomachean Ethics, IV, 10 ).

5. It is not therefore a question of having the will aimed purely at personal success, because this would be the pure ambition of feeling superior to others.

Those who are magnanimous, on the other hand, are not envious, they are not arrogant, they do not make anyone feel their moral, intellectual or social superiority. They do not speak in a harsh or disdainful tone.

6. The Saints are the most beautiful testimony of those who were not satisfied with what they had, but tried to accomplish very great things.

They carried out these works with the utmost charity and at the same time with the utmost humility, aware that what they could do was God’s grace, which they would have to account for as good administrators, so much so that they had to say at the end of everything with the Gospel expression: “We are useless servants. We have done all that we had to do ”(Lk 17:10).

I also wish you to live like this, using the talents that the Lord has given you in the best way and with the utmost effectiveness.

For this I remember you in prayer and I bless you.

Father Angelo