A WORD FROM Father WEst
I would like to take this month's article to briefly review
and comment on the mission statement of our Club. At
present, the mission statement reads:
"As Catholic professional business men and women, we are called to live our Christian ethics not only on Sunday, but throughout our daily lives at home and at work.
Our goal in the Catholic Professional and Business Club, an unincorporated association (CP&BC), shall be to gather to share with others who seek a more ethical business environment.
Each of us shall strive to achieve a co-mingling of our ethical and professional obligations, in demonstration of the fact that ethics and business need not be mutually exclusive terms."
As stated, the mission of club is to assist its members in better living out the Christian ethics in our daily and professional lives. Ethics is commonly defined as "a system of moral principles" or "rules of conduct." As members of the Body of Christ, our moral principles are not defined, or made-up, by each of us as he or she sees fit. We have received the way we are to live from God through the means He has chosen to reveal them to us – natural law as discerned through human reason and Divine Revelation as manifest in the Deposit of Faith, which includes Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. We are then bound by justice to God and others to conduct our lives in accord with the teachings we have received.
With that said, it is important to note Jesus did not come to merely establish a new ethical system or a code of conduct. For us, our Christian ethics goes beyond how we behave toward each other and conduct our professional lives. Our Lord Jesus became Incarnate, taking on our human nature, suffered, died, and rose to give us so much more. He offers us a share in the Divine life and shows us how we can live "life abundantly" (Jn 10:10). Christianity, our conformity to Christ, should not be reduced to a set of rules. Being followers of Christ means we live a whole NEW LIFE, a life which is beyond the limits of earthly existence, a life that truly fulfills our potential. The new life we have received is the "life of the Spirit" (Gal 5:25) and should permeate our entire being – our mind, heart, and body. Behaving justly and ethically then becomes a natural part of who we are, a virtue in the truest sense, reflecting the presence of Christ in us and bring Christ's love into the world. In all we think, say, and do shows we have been changed, transformed, into a new creature, a true child of God.
As the chaplain of the CP&BC Club, I ask how can the Club help its members grow in their Catholic Faith? First, we pray earnestly everyday and attend Mass every Sunday. We go to Confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, frequently. We also give the gifts of our time, talent, and financial resources to help build up the Kingdom of God on earth. We defend the rights of all human persons, including unborn children and their mothers, the elderly, the disabled, and the poor. We proclaim the Good News of Jesus as the "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (Jn 14:6) in all our words and actions.
I sincerely believe the more we live the truth of the Faith in our daily lives, the more we will attract others to Christ. I am open to any suggestions you may have to help our membership grow in both number and, more importantly, in the Faith. I am thinking about offering days of recollection, spiritual conferences, and retreats. Perhaps, we can schedule a special time (in the evening for example) to meet to learn more and discuss the beauty of the Catholic faith. Also, our Club could take an active role in some defined work of mercy, doing some charitable work or social justice in our community. If you have any suggestions, you can email me at [email protected] or call me at (209) 524 -4381 ext. 103. With the help of the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us continual be open to the grace of the Holy Spirit to grow more in love of Christ and others, fully living out the new life we have received.
In Christ,
Fr. Samuel West
Catholic Professional and Business Club
Chaplain