Strong spiritual leaders at work - noble emulators of Christ

A holy life is the fruit of a vibrant spiritual life, to which every Catholic is called. The observant Catholic leader, however, might be confused regarding steps to take for growing deeper in his relationship with the Lord, and how to Become an effective spiritual model in the workplace. Legatus Magazine spoke to four guides who devote their lives to helping others grow spiritually, on what these steps should be.

Do the right thing, at the right time

Father Wade L. J. Menezes, CPM is assistant general of the Fathers of Mercy and host of EWTN Global Catholic Radio’s Open Line Tuesday. He stresses that growth in the spiritual life begins with faithfulness to one’s daily duties, whether it be running a business or attending to home life. He also pointed to the “staples” of lay Catholic spirituality, including weekly Eucharist, monthly Confession, and a morning offering (preferably with one’s spouse).

Other daily practices he recommends are the rosary (ideally prayed with the family) and reading a chapter of Scripture. These and other practices he includes in his “Fourteen Spiritual Exercises to Help Strengthen One’s Spiritual Life,” which may be found with an abundance of other spiritual advice on the Fathers of Mercy blog: https://fathersofmercy. com/fathers-mercy-blog/.

He also encourages Catholics to employ the five bodily senses and the four powers of the soul (intellect, will, memory, and imagination), as they make the myriad of choices which present each day: “Should I watch this particular movie, should I heal the rift with my brother-in-law, should I have this second piece of pie?”

Perseverance is also key. Referencing the Stations of the Cross, Fr. Wade said, “look at those stations in which Our Lord falls and gets back up. For us, they are symbolic of moral falls –for Jesus, they were physical falls caused by real fatigue; nevertheless, we must, like Him, get up and keep moving forward and become holy.”

Spiritual leadership in the workplace can take a variety of forms, including avoiding gossip about others, not using bad language or taking God’s name in vain, and leading a workplace prayer group. He added further, “And do what you’re supposed to do, when you’re supposed to do it, in the way it’s supposed to be done. Again, faithfulness to daily duty. Lead by example. Others will take note.”

Embody virtue … publicly

Monsignor Dan Trapp is spiritual director at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He recommends daily self-examination in the morning, afternoon, and at bedtime, asking oneself, “‘What am I grateful for?’ On days when someone might not feel grateful, take the next step and ask, ‘Okay, what should I be grateful for?’”

“If we express our gratitude to God each day, it changes the kind of people we are. Then, look at your faults. But start with God and what He is doing.”

When negative emotions come, we must recall they are given to us by God to signal when we believe we are in situations of danger, injustice, and hopelessness. Monsignor Trapp said, “We need to bring to the Lord those beliefs and ask Him to bring His truth into those situations. Don’t avoid them, but open them up to Jesus—feel the pain, let the pain tell you what you’re believing, and then ask Jesus to bring His truth.”

A spiritual leader in the workplace is focused on the practice of virtue. He explained, “For example, justice is ‘to render each their due.’ Am I speaking the truth to the people in my office? Am I treating each person with respect? … Do a quick study on each virtue to get a hold on it. Lean into it at your workplace. Ask for the needed gift. Depend on Jesus and do what He tells you to do.”

Realize who is in charge

Deacon Steve Greco of the Diocese of Orange in California is a Legatus member and speaker, and is president of a ministry which promotes evangelization and spirituality, Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry (www.spiritfilledhearts. org). He has released two books on spirituality, Miracles Through Prayer and a second themed to the pandemic and times of unrest, Be Not Afraid.

When approaching spirituality, Deacon Greco believes, it is first important to realize “that God is in charge, and you are not, and whatever success we have had, God has allowed it to happen.” He continued, “We must surrender ourselves to Him, let Him into our lives and allow Him to be captain of our ship.” Prayer, discernment, and talking to “godly people” can be crucial to giving us insight as to what God wants from us.

When challenges come and we encounter difficulties in our spiritual lives, the deacon said, we would do well to remember the words of Peter to Christ: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

People give up too easily on prayer, he explained. When their prayers of petition aren’t answered, they become discouraged and abandon it. They may opt to try to make things happen on their own or even turn to the occult or addictive practices. However, “This is not of the Lord; they are going down the wrong path.”

It is important we view such challenges as “critical in helping us get closer to God and recognize that He is molding and refining you to grow in holiness.”

The mark of the true Catholic business leader in the workplace, he continued, is that he should “treat people with compassion, kindness, and always be truthful. Mention God and Jesus in conversation. Let people know what you believe and why. You are the ‘fifth gospel!’”

Stay near Christ through mental prayer

Dan Burke is founder and president of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation (www. avila-institute.org) and has written more than 15 books on authentic Catholic spirituality. In his ministry, Burke stresses the importance of every Catholic engaging in daily mental prayer. He said, “St. Alphonsus Liguori, a Doctor of the Church, said that we cannot have a hope of salvation if we do not practice mental prayer.”

Quoting St. Teresa of Avila, he describes mental prayer as “two friends meeting and conversing,” with the most common approach Lectio Divina, “a conversation based on the reading of the Gospels in order to get to know the person and work of Jesus.” His 2017 book, Into the Deep: Finding Peace through Prayer, details the method.

Perseverance in mental prayer is crucial, he continued, “as it keeps us nearer to Christ, on the narrow way following him. We will come to know Him, and He will reveal to us things in our lives that need to change so that we become better disciples.”

Despite our difficult times, a follower of Christ should have “peace and joy,” and if not, “there is some healing that needs to occur through deeper immersion in the sacraments and the Catholic mystical tradition.”

Spiritual leaders, he said, are those who are “deeply grounded” in their relationship with God. Burke explained, “Many ‘devout’ Catholics don’t practice mental prayer and fail to see the spiritual life as one of constant growth and learning. In contrast, those who have a healthy view of what it means to be in relationship to God are constantly growing. They devote themselves to daily mental prayer – getting to know Jesus in Scripture.”

JIM GRAVES is a Catholic writer in Newport Beach, California.