This Saturday’s guest on The Catholic Business Hour, with host Dick Lyles, is Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit seminarian who was named a managing director of J.P. Morgan & Co. while still in his thirties and who held senior positions in New York, Tokyo, Singapore and London until leaving the firm in 2001.  He served successively on Morgan’s Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Investment Banking Management Committees.

Mr. Lowney’s first book, Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company that Changed the World, was the #1 ranked bestseller of the CBPA and was named a finalist for a 2003 Book of the Year Award from ForeWord magazine. It has been translated into 10 languages; Mr. Lowney has presented its principles in numerous U.S. cities and in non-U.S. locations as diverse as Indonesia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Spain, and Chile.

His second book, A Vanished World: Medieval Spain’s Golden Age of Enlightenment was nominated for La Coronica award. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly said, “This bold and compassionate articulation of medieval Spanish history, with its complex interactions among Jews, Muslims and Christians, speaks directly to contemporary international crises…This engrossing and illuminating book deserves the attention of a wide public.” Mr. Lowney appeared in the PBS-aired documentary, Cities of Light, which echoed many of the book’s key themes.

Mr. Lowney’s just-published new book, Heroic Living: Discover Your Purpose and Change the World, is a life strategy that marries age-old spiritual wisdom to the best modern management ideas. One reviewer writes: “Chris Lowney’s most recent book is a substantive blend of ‘why’ and ‘how’ to construct a life of purpose and integrity amidst the exigencies and complexities of our fast-paced daily lives.”

In 2006, Chris undertook (but could not complete due to illness) a 500-mile walking pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to raise money for “Pilgrimage for Our Children’s Future,” a non-profit organization (www.pocf.org) which has enabled education opportunities for heroic young children such as AIDS orphans in Nairobi slums and children raised in the shadow of the Philippines’ largest garbage dump.

He is a summa cum laude graduate of Fordham University, where he also received his M.A. and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Lowney is holder of honorary Doctoral degrees from St Louis University, Marymount Manhattan University, and the University of Great Falls.

Raised and living in New York, you can visit Mr. Lowney’s website at www.chrislowney.com.

The Catholic Business Hour, with host Dick Lyles, is produced by the Catholic Businesss Journal, and airs Saturday mornings from 11-Noon ET (8-9AM PT) on the EWTN Global Catholic Radio network, which includes 130 AM/FM stations, Sirius 160, and online.   Find AM/FM stations here.   The call-in number for the show is 877.573. 7825.

No doubt you have at least an inkling of the raging battle over healthcare that is now spilling over, rightly so, from the floor of the U.S. Congress to Main Street USA and prime time television.  But what often seems missing in the news sound bytes is a common sense, human — indeed, a Catholic — framework for a genuine discussion about the issue.  The situation exemplifies exactly what Pope Benedict spoke of in his newest encyclical, as you’ll see later.  In this article are a few good resources to provide such a critical framework.

As you may know, many bishops have written and spoken on key issues of prime concern for Catholics in the proposed healthcare plan now on the table; issues that affect Catholic physicians and healthcare workers, seniors, children, families, as well as Catholic hospitals and businesses.  These issues of concern include taxpayer funded abortions, conscience clauses, end-of-life limited and directed options, and various hospital and business mandates.

In addition to these concerns, Catholic social teaching has consistently promulgated the principle of subsidiarity (namely,  that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least-centralized competent authority to do so).

Members of Congress and news accounts report that the current healthcare proposal has more than 50 bureaucracies.  How does such a proposal stand when measured by the principle of subsidiarity?  Would the person closest to a heathcare need or problem actually be the one assigned to solve it?  Or, does the plan require that a remote person or persons, or a committee or administration, or a series of remote authorities who are much farther removed from a given, immediate healthcare need try to evaluate and solve the problem?

Pope Benedict’s recent encyclical, Charity in Truth, echoes this principle of subsidiarity and underscores that the non-negotiable primacy of man’s eternal dignity and destiny — found only in God –must be the starting point for any social policy or organization that affects humans.  Healthcare falls into this category since it is most certainly a policy and a system  that affects humans.  The Pope’s newest encyclical and all of the church’s social teachings give context to the current healthcare debate.

Does the government-run healthcare proposal currently before Congress take into account the primacy of our human dignity and destiny?  If abortions, no conscience clauses and restricted elder care remain in the plan, and if it violates the principle of subsidiarity, then the principles emphasized in Charity in Truth are fundamentally missing from the plan.

In light of the seriousness of the current health care debate in the U.S., we at the Catholic Business Journal thought it was important to provide some valuable resources for our readers to decide for themselves, in light of Church teachings.

Please find below a list of excellent resources, including a contact list for all the members of the U.S. House and Senator offices so that you can make your views and preferences known to your elected officials.

• Catholic social teachings – Documents of the Church 
• USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ letters and more related to Healthcare debate
• Chart of proposed health care reform
• The Tennessee Factor – This is an interesting article unique in that it is written by two Tennessee legislators — one who is both a doctor and a legislator.  It gives an insider look from both medical and legislative perspectives, at what happened in Tennessee when the state introduced a state-run and managed healthcare system in an effort to control state healthcare costs.
• U.S. House of Representative contact list
• U.S. Senators contact list

by Fred Ruopp

Fred Ruopp, a veteran investor named one of the Top Value Managers in the country, a serious Catholic,  and founder of Chelsea Management, Fred Ruopp, Sr., provides a wealth of pithy insights on different economic sectors, beginning with national considerations.  His insights follow:

U.S. ECONOMY
While U.S. economic activity has not yet turned positive, clear signs of a rebound are emerging.  Industrial production figures suggest a bottom, the inventory cycle is turning, and both business and consumer confidence is improving.  It should be remembered that, just as unemployment was a lagging indicator at the beginning of this recession, improvement in this area could come well after the economy has returned to growth.

In a press release issued July 8th, IMF Chief Economist Olivier Blanchard, said, “The good news is that the forces pulling the economy down are decreasing in intensity.  The bad news is that the forces pulling the economy up are still weak. The balance is slowly shifting, and this leads us to predict that, while the world economy is still in recession, the recovery is coming.”

INTERNATIONAL
While substantial problems in the U.S. and world banking and finance systems continue, a greater feeling of resiliency and stability is currently felt through efforts of the Federal Reserve and Treasury.

Europe and other parts of the world which have similar problems are not as advanced in their resolution as is the U.S.  However, the Europeans have moved with alacrity on infrastructure loans and have a bigger social safety net, i.e., pensions, unemployment compensation, and health insurance that tend to mitigate the effect to a large extent on its citizens.  A substantial increase in IMF funding has been agreed to by the major industrial nations to help combat problems in non-U.S. and non-EU members.

Both Russia and China are attempting to convince others such as India and Brazil to limit the use of the U.S. dollar as a world reserve currency. They are concerned about the prospects for lower dollar value and what this will mean to the very substantial holdings they have already.  A lower dollar reduces, in effect, their profits as their product prices are in dollars.

ENERGY
Crude oil having touched $73/barrel on an intraday basis has had a pullback to $62.  This is part of normal profit taking and should be expected.  With economic recoveries apparently underway in China, India, Brazil and the U.S., it is likely that, over time, the price will work higher rather than lower.  This is aided not only by an end to shrinking demand, but also by attrition in new oil drilling activities owing to the low crude price in early 2009.

A 10% to 15% drop in drilling costs for oil and gas has been positive for earnings at the drilling companies.  These industries remain, of course, subject to swings in the basic commodity price.

FIXED INCOME
As world equity markets recovered in the 2nd quarter and investors started to consider the interest rate climate that a recovery might bring, interest rates rose in general with the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury Bond yield rising from around 3.40% to over 3.75%.  More recently, as equity markets have consolidated and economic indicators have pointed to a more muted rebound, rates have begun to return to previous levels with the 10-year Treasury bond presently yielding under 3.50%

We still favor selected corporate bonds, municipal bonds and U.S. Agencies for their safety and relative yield.

STOCK MARKET
After rebounding sharply from the lows of early March, equity markets appear to be entering a period of consolidation as participants digest recent corporate earnings and economic data.  With the Dow Jones Industrial Average now 1500 points above last winter’s low of about 6500, any consolidation that keeps the average above that level can be looked at as positive and provide good opportunities to add high quality long-term holdings.

  This Saturday’s guest on The Catholic Business Hour, with Host Dick Lyles, is Angela Baraquio Grey, who is Miss America 2001.  Angela is a Catholic school teacher and was born and raised in Hawaii, the eighth of 10 children.  After winning the Miss Hawaii title, Angela was challenged by her students to practice what she encouraged her students to do, namely to take a chance and pursue any dream that God may have inspired in their hearts.  In Angela’s case, that meant she needed to enter the Miss America pageant.  Angela took that challenge serously — how could she role-model what she taught her students if she her self did not take a chance and pursue a dream? She consulted with a priest advisor, who encouraged her to go forward with confidence and enter the Miss America contest in order to gain a national platform for her Character Education.  Angela became the first teacher to win Miss America, and the only Asian American to ever have won the title.  Interestingly, Angela was the reigning Miss America during September 11, 2001!  Angela’s Catholic faith profoundly influenced her reign.  In the radio interview, Angela will talk about her faith background, her experience as Miss America, as a young mother, as a business-owner (Isle Entertainment) with her husband, Tini, and as a school teacher!

You can listen to the live, call-in The CatholicBusiness Hour, produced by the Catholic Buisinesss Journal, on the EWTN Global Catholic Radio network which includes 130 AM/FM stations, Sirius 160, and online.   The call-in number is 877.573. 7825.

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A podcast of the show will be available shortly.

  by Fr. Chris Heath

In my previous article we considered how confronting the “brutal facts” of our current situation helps us to determine what we need to do and where we want to go in life, in business, in discipleship.  If our goal is to go from good to great, having a grasp of reality is essential.  Life is complex, and sifting through every element of life to decide what’s most important is not as easy task.  How do we determine what is essential?  If we can’t see where we currently are and where we want to be, how can we ever hope to flourish, succeed, or find greatness?

Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great (HarperCollins, 2001), asks the same questions.  How can we “see through complexity and discern underlying patterns… [to] see what is essential, and ignore the rest?” (p. 91).  His answer is what he calls the “Hedgehog Concept” (Ch. 5), a rather odd image for “a simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding,” (p. 95) not just having a strategic plan (lots of people fail and yet have a strategy), but a simple idea based on knowing three fundamental dimensions of your company, family, or personal life.  Collins has a graphic of three circles (p. 96) and defines the place where all three overlap as the “Hedgehog Concept”.  The three dimensions are:

1. What can you be the best in the world at (and, equally important, what you cannot be the best in the world at).

2. What drives your economic engine.

3. What you are deeply passionate about.

1.  “Every company [and person] wants to be the best at something, but few actually understand—with piercing insight and egoless clarity—what they actually have the potential to be the best at and, just as important, what they cannot be the best at.  And it is this distinction that stands as one of the primary contrasts between…good-to-great [and mediocrity]” (p. 98).  Truly being great at something is not the same as being competent: lots of people are competent in exactly the same things as you are.  The challenge is to define what makes you stand head and shoulders above everyone else’s mere competence, because “doing what you’re good at will only make you good” (p. 100).

“The Hedgehog Concept requires a severe standard of excellence.  It’s not just about building on strength and competence, but about understanding what your organization [family/parish/personal life] truly has the potential to be the very best at and sticking to it” (p. 100).  This is extraordinarily difficult to achieve: it means knowing what that one thing is, and then having the discipline to keep at it, not to lose focus, not to try doing too many things, and not allowing difficulties or setbacks to distract you.

2.  Economics plays an important part of life, there’s no denying it.  The material part of our nature requires the use of material things, which requires the means to acquire, maintain, and develop them, which requires an understanding of economics.  I’m not an economist; I’m a priest.  But even the greatest Saints had to manage money and facilities and employees to conduct their ministries to serve God and people.  Families, companies, not-for-profit enterprises, and single people all have to “attain a deep understanding of the key drivers in [their] economic engine and build systems in accordance with this understanding” (p. 104).  Collins defines an “economic denominator”: “If you could pick one and only one ratio—profit per X (or, in the social sector, cash flow per X)—to systematically increase over time, what X would have the greatest and most sustainable impact on your economic engine?” (p. 104).  “The denominator question serves as a mechanism to force deeper understanding of the key drivers in your economic engine” (p. 105).  In personal and family life, it’s worth scrutinizing budgets—what you spend money on, how much of that is essential to life and how much of it is over-consumption or unnecessary.  And to look at income sources to examine how to maximize them—it’s not always just a matter of a bigger salary or more billable hours: “The denominator can be quite subtle, sometimes even unobvious” (p. 105).

3. Collins uses something surprisingly “un-businesslike” by talking about “passion.”  It’s interesting that something so emotional would be a part of a good-to-great strategy, especially in a business setting.  Having a “fire in the belly” for anything one does often makes a big difference in what one accomplishes.  “You can’t manufacture passion or ‘motivate’ people to feel passionate.  You can only discover what ignites your passion and the passions of those around you…  We should only do those things that we can get passionate about” (p. 109).  When you talk about your work or your spouse or your kids or your hobby or your politics, do you do it with gusto?  Can others tell what moves you?  Or maybe it’s not the work itself, but “what the company stands for” (p. 110), what your Church teaches, what your family means to you, what makes you proud of your nation.  Whether it’s business or personal, identifying one’s passions is important to the growth of greatness.

Discerning these three factors isn’t simple, and can’t be done quickly.  They require lots of deliberation, and as we discussed in the previous chapter, a willingness to engage in serious, and at times heated, debate.  One has to be willing to confront the brutal facts, no matter how painful, and not lose hope.  The point of discerning one’s Hedgehog Concept is not for the sake of making more money, or just for mindless growth, or to satisfy one’s ego.

Defining the three circles takes a lot of discernment.  Collins’ study showed that companies “took about four years on average” to find a clear Hedgehog Concept.  Would it take that long for a family or for one’s personal needs?  Probably not: a business has a lot more people and moving parts than a family or an individual.  But the process is just as grueling.  And when it’s personal the discernment may be even more sensitive than the wrangling a Board of Directors might engage in.  Patience and testing is needed to really clarify the three factors.

Collins also insists that it takes a community of people to discern the Hedgehog Concept.  He calls it “The Council,” “a group of the right people who participate in dialogue and debate guided by the three circles, iteratively and over time, about vital issues and decisions” (p. 115).  Notice it’s the “right people,” not just anyone at hand, but people who fulfill the criteria he describes on page 115.  Now this probably has to be tweaked a bit for use by an individual or a family, but the idea is that no one has enough knowledge or vision to determine a Hedgehog Concept for an entire company, organization, parish, family or individual—it takes other people who know enough and are somehow vested in the situation but not selfish in their interest in what is best for the whole.

With the economy in the state it’s in now, I suspect it may be a moment of crisis that causes people to wake up and see the need for direction and clarity.  In the light of brutal honesty, one may conclude, “We’re not the best at anything, and we never have been” (p. 116).  Collins concludes this chapter with the hope that it is often in the moment of such a shocking realization that companies and other enterprises finally set their sights on greatness; not with bravado, but with a single-minded goal of finding their Hedgehog Concept.

Our Good God wants nothing more or less than greatness for us!  Of course, this must be defined in spiritual terms first: sainthood!  He wants us to be fulfilled, and successful in our material and spiritual pursuits, as long as we see them in all humility as being at the service of God and neighbor, as well as by our good use of them, that we are indeed His good stewards.
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Fr. Chris Heath is a diocesan priest of the Diocese of Orange, CA, chaplain of Catholics at Work OC, chaplain of law enforcement, and a columnist for the Catholic Business Journal. You may send a message to Fr. Chris c/o:  admin@catholicbusinessjournal.biz. Put “For Fr. Chris” in the subject.

As you watch this video, keep in mind October 7, 1571, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Feast date was so named for the powerful role of the Rosary in winning the Battle of Lepanto; a victory that literally turned around the unrelenting tide of ongoing Islamic invasion and conquering of Christian Europe at the time. (Remember, today’s city of Istanbul was once called Constantinople, the place that first publicly embraced Christianity.) With good reason Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have been adamant in telling us: “Be Not Afraid,” and talking about the “New Evangelization” and a “New Springtime.” Even Pope Benedict’s newest encyclical, Caritas in veritate, speaks in the context of our current demographic, as well as ideological and cultural, realities.

In talking with a friend a while back, we figured out that if you start the Consecration to Mary today (July 14) – the St. Louis de Montefort one is the most popular one and the one that St. Maximillian Kolbe used originally, then you’ll end up making your Consecration on the Feast of the Assumption (Aug 15).

The book is called “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort — but I think there are other versions of his book.

Here’s some feedback on the Consecration:

Unpublished during the saint’s life time, it has enjoyed the endorsement of the many outstanding popes the Church has been blessed with since its discovery in 1842. John Paul II, in particular, was its tireless champion, crediting True Devotion with a turning-point in his spiritual life, adopting his motto, Totus tuus, from St. Louis.

The key to De Montfort’s Marian spirituality is that he considered Our Lady to be the infallible and chosen gate to the heart of Christ – To Jesus through Mary: it is Christ Himself Who is at the centre of True Devotion.

The August 15 Consecration date may seem rushed at this point, with St. Louis de Montfort’s recommendation for 12 days of preliminary preparation to detach oneself from the allure of the world, and one full week each thereafter devoted to immersing our thoughts in the knowledge of self, knowledge of the Blessed Virgin and knowledge of Jesus Christ.  But some alternatives include what many people world wide do — They take 3 days for the preliminary preparation period, and then follow the weekly themes, as directed in the Saint’s book, “True Devotion to Mary.”  Another option is to move the date of your Consecration to another Marian Feast day, such as December 8.

At any rate, the point is to “Just Do It.”

This particular Consecration, and its annual renewal, is life-changing.  Absolutely life-changing.  Whether at the stage of being fully engaged or just dipping one’s big toe in the water, so to speak, the abundant grace and blessings that well-up in one’s soul over the entire period of preparation are unmistakable and powerful, and they yield a peaceful sense of purpose that is beyond imagination.

Here is a link to the Consecration prayers and reflections if you need to order a book:

Here is a link to find a Catholic book and gift store in your area (enter zip code):

Vatican City, July 8 (CNA) .- This morning in Rome, the Pope interrupted his series of teachings on the saints to explain the essential thoughts contained in his new social encyclical, published yesterday. In the face of the world’s “vast and profound” problems, Benedict XVI stated that the world economy must recover ethical principles.

The encyclical, explained the Holy Father, highlights the fact that “charity in truth is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. … Only with charity, illuminated by reason and by faith, is it possible to pursue development goals that possess a more humane and humanizing value.”

The document, he went on, “intensifies Church analysis and reflection on social themes of vital interest to humankind in our century. In a special way it harks back to what Paul VI wrote more than forty years ago in his ‘Populorum progressio.’”

In a manner similar to all papal teachings, Pope Benedict noted that “‘Caritas in veritate.’ does not seek to offer technical solutions to the enormous social problems of the modern world. …What it does do is recall the fundamental principles that are indispensable for building human development over coming years.”

At the core of the Pope’s message is “concern for the life of man, seen as the center of all true progress; respect for the right to religious freedom; … and the rejection of a Promethean vision of human beings which sees them as the sole architects of their own destiny.”

“Upright men and women are needed, both in politics and in the economy, people sincerely concerned for the common good,” he said.

Referring then specifically to “world emergencies,” the Pope spoke of the urgent need to call “public opinion to the drama of hunger and of food security,” which “must be faced decisively, eliminating the structural causes which produce it and promoting agricultural development in the poorest countries.”

Any overhaul of the world’s economy requires ethics in order to “function correctly,” the Holy Father stressed. “It needs to recover the important contribution of the principle of gratuitousness and the ‘logic of giving’ in the economy and in the market, where profit cannot be the only rule.

“But this is possible only through commitment on the part of everyone, economists and politicians, producers and consumers, and it presupposes a formation of consciences capable of strengthening moral criteria in the elaboration of political and economic projects.”

Another necessity, the Holy Father proceeded, “is for all humankind to practice a different lifestyle, one in which each individual’s duties towards the environment are linked to his or her duties towards human beings, considered both in themselves and in relation to others.”

Finally, Pope Benedict turned to the world’s “vast and profound problems,” and underscored the “need for a world political authority regulated by law, one that observes the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity and is firmly directed towards attaining the common good, while respecting the great moral and religious traditions of humanity.”

The Pope finished his address by asking the faithful to pray that “this Encyclical may help humankind to feel itself to be a single family, committed to creating a world of justice and peace.” He also called upon them to pray for “the heads of State and government of the G8 who are currently meeting in L’Aquila, Italy. May this important world summit generate decisions and directives that serve the true progress of all peoples, especially the poorest.”

by Randy Hain

“Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly.” — St. Ignatius Loyola

What is the connection between surrender and strength?  Surrendering to Christ and putting His will before my own for the first time over 3 years ago was the very moment I felt stronger than any other time in my life.   The strength of the Lord flowed through me, energized me, gave me courage and put me on the path to a life of discipleship filled with meaning.  But, my soul’s conversion would not have been possible without absolute trust in Him and the recognition that I had to give up control and experience the death of my old self.  Even more importantly, I have come to recognize that my surrender and conversion is an ongoing process and not a one time event.

So many men I encounter each day struggle with this idea of surrender.  We are raised from an early age to “be tough, be strong, don’t cry, don’t show emotion, etc.”  We develop barriers around our hearts that keep the world at an emotional distance. The most important casualty, however, is our relationship with the Lord as we often wind up keeping Christ at a distance as well.
It is ironic that the one thing that keeps us from Christ is quite possibly the hardest thing for men to do-totally surrendering to His will.  One of the key obstacles to surrendering is pride.  All of us have this in abundance!   The good news is there is a cure: humility.  The virtue of humility is the best way to counter the sin of pride.  Author Peter Kreeft wrote, “Pride does not mean an exaggerated opinion of your own worth; that is vanity. Pride means playing God, demanding to be God. ‘Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven,’ says Satan, justifying his rebellion, in Milton’s Paradise Lost. That is the formula for pride. Pride is the total ‘my will be done.’  Humility is “thy will be done.” Humility is focused on God, not self. Humility is not an exaggeratedly low opinion of yourself. Humility is self-forgetfulness. A humble man never tells you how bad he is. He’s too busy thinking about you to talk about himself.”
Other Obstacles
I observe men every day who come right up against a deeper faith and a closer relationship with Jesus, only to walk away.  Why?  After countless conversations with a number of my brothers in Christ, I will share these observations (and a few confidential direct quotes) on other obstacles in the way of our trustful surrender to our Lord:
• Surrendering/submitting to Christ and His divine will is frightening
• Giving up control/not being in charge is scary
• “How will my friends and peers judge me?”
• “It is tough to be vulnerable.”
• Fear of losing personal freedom.
• Fear that the cost of surrender will be too great.
• Pride and ego always get in the way.
• Men struggle with emotional connections.
• There is a barrier around the heart, formed at a young age (my personal experience).
• “I was raised to keep this stuff inside….like my dad.”
• “Work and family stress is hard enough-I don’t have time for this right now.”
• “I go to Mass every Sunday.  Isn’t that enough?”

Did any of these obstacles resonate with you?  There was a time when they all clicked with me!  Keep these obstacles in mind as you continue reading.

The Role of Crisis

“We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.” — St. Teresa of Avila

When we are experiencing success in business and our personal lives are flourishing, do we think about putting the Lord first in our lives?  Is submitting to His will top of mind?  Do we even thank Him?  Before answering this question, consider another perspective.  How do we view Jesus when times are tough?  We may have lost our job or be going through serious financial problems.  Maybe our children are struggling with peer pressure at school or a family member is dying.  How do you think we would view Jesus now?

In my professional life I encounter dozens of people each month who are going through career transition, especially in this tough economy.  Many men have shared with me that they have turned to our Lord for help in these tough times when they were at their weakest moments.  They turn to Him when they used to rely only on themselves.  The point I am making is we often turn to Jesus when we are in crisis and ask Him for help and strength.  Crisis can be a helpful catalyst to truly and unreservedly surrender to His will and any means to achieve that end is worthwhile. But, we should not wait until our backs are against the wall to pray the words, “I am no longer in charge Jesus, please lead me.”

Control vs. Surrender

“If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful, and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed.” — Pope Benedict XVI

I remember very well what my life was like before surrendering to the Lord and putting Him first in my life.  All I had was family and work prior to that point and I was in charge (I thought) of my own destiny.  I dealt with life’s challenges as they came and pridefully took the credit when things were going well.  I thought I was being the strong husband and father that my father had been when I was growing up.  I thought I was in control.  But, God had other plans for me and as St. Bernard said centuries ago, “He who is his own master is a scholar under a fool.”

In the second Mass I ever attended in October 2005, shortly after my wife and I made the decision to convert and join the Catholic Church, I went through a powerful personal conversion.  I was trembling, sweating, nervous and felt weak at the beginning of the Mass.  My family thought I was having a heart attack!  This strange feeling lasted for about 10 minutes until it passed.  What happened in these few precious minutes was life altering for me.  I went into the church that morning feeling lost-I knew I needed help and that I no longer had the answers.  I remember praying silently to God to lead me and acknowledged that I was no longer in charge.  I was feeling so weak because I had never asked God for anything before and I didn’t know how to relinquish control.  When I prayed those words, gave up control and sincerely surrendered to His will, I felt a surge of strength and a sense of peace that felt like a wind blowing right through me.  I had given up over 20 years of stubbornness, ego and pride that had been accumulating since I last attended the Baptist church as a teenager.

Your experience may be quite different from mine.  All I can share with you is when I put my pride aside and humbly surrendered to His will, the Lord gave me strength and a sense of peace which I still feel to this day.  Please know that I still struggle with pride and placing Christ first in every aspect of my life and I have problems like everyone else. But, knowing that He will forgive me, love me, guide me and bless me keeps me coming back again and again to the place where I pray the words, “I surrender Lord, please lead me.”

The Fruits of a Life in Christ

“Let your door stand open to receive Him, unlock your soul to Him, offer Him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light…” — St. Ambrose

Isn’t it tough to go it alone?  Seriously, how effective are we if we only rely on ourselves for the answers?  I don’t know about you, but I tried that way for 23 years and it was very difficult.  Having experienced a life where Christ is in charge, I have seen the other side and pray that I never have to fly solo again!  Please consider your answers (as I have many times) to these important questions:

Do I want to be a better husband to my wife?
Do I want to be a better father to my children?
Do I desire a stronger faith journey in the Catholic Church?
Do I want to be a better son to my parents?
Do I want to be a better friend?
Can I be more involved in the community and helping others?
Do I want to be a better leader at work?

As we ponder the questions above, it is probably safe to assume we said yes to each one.  Now, think about surrendering yourself to Jesus and asking Him for help.  We know what it is like to go it alone and if we are honest with ourselves, the results are not that great!
Giving ourselves to Him, letting our old selves go and placing Him first will change everything.  We will receive from Christ His grace, guidance and love which in turn will positively affect our relationships with our wives, children, friends and co-workers.  We will see our faith journeys catch fire as we begin to appreciate the truth and beauty of our Catholic faith.  Our appreciation of the Mass will grow exponentially as we more fully understand the gift of receiving the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and we are joined in intimate union with Him.  We will be perceived differently as people begin to see Christ at work in us.  Or…we can continue to stubbornly go it alone.

Jesus Christ died on the Cross for us.  He redeemed our sins.  He loves us unconditionally.  The only way to Heaven is through Him.  What does He want in return?  He simply asks for ALL of us-mind, body and soul.  He wants us to place Him first in our lives-before family, friends, work…everything.  Think about the list of questions above and place “Christ Inspired” in front of father, husband, son, friend, leader, etc.  How can this not be desirable?

Practical Steps

The choice to surrender to Christ and place Him first takes commitment and the journey to get there is difficult.  I know a lot of good, smart men who have been deeply moved by an emotional meeting/weekend, inspirational book or personal tragedy to make this commitment, only to lapse back into “me first” behaviors weeks later-it can happen to anyone.  This commitment has to be firm and will require sincerity, diligence and sacrifice.

Here are some practical actions I have learned from some great Catholic men which I utilize to help put Christ and His will first in my life:

• Start and end your day with Prayer-Speak to Christ through prayer and ask Him to lead you.  Pray that His will be done and offer up everything to Him.  Consider this prayer, “Lord, please make me a channel for your will.  Help me be humble, selfless and able to discern your plan for my life.  I love you and thank you for every blessing.  I ask you to lead me and guide my actions today and every day.”
• Follow Mary’s example.  Our Blessed Mother is the greatest example of trusting God and her “yes” should inspire us to do the same.  Say a daily Rosary to invoke her help.  “From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s Will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God!” – Pope John Paul II
• Educate yourself.  Study our Faith, read the Bible, the Catechism or a short meditation each day.  I highly recommend In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez, Jesus-Shock by Peter Kreeft, Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI and The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis.
• Become passionate about the Eucharist.  Want to fully experience Christ and be closer to Him?  Seek out the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist in daily Mass when possible and spend quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration every week. “When you have received Him, stir up your heart to do Him homage; speak to Him about your spiritual life, gazing upon Him in your soul where He is present for your happiness; welcome Him as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly in such a way that your actions may give proof to all of His Presence.” — St. Francis de Sales

• Pursue Joy, not Happiness.  Father Luke Ballman, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, gave a wonderful talk to the St. Peter Chanel Business Association in January in which he described the pursuit of happiness as the pursuit of the things of this world.  We think we are seeking happiness in the bigger house, nicer car, better job, bigger paycheck, but do these things really bring happiness?  His point was that all happiness must be preceded by joy and that all joy is Christ-inspired!  Seek out and surrender your heart to Christ to find joy…and you will also find happiness.

Brothers, you may be doing all of these things and much more and I say thank you for showing us the way by your example.  This is certainly not the definitive list, but these actions help keep me focused on Christ’s will most of the time and help me find my way back to Him when I get lost.  As you consider the contents of this article and how it speaks to you, please be mindful that you can’t simply “add Jesus to your life” and share control with Him.  He requires all of us, all the time.  In return for our trustful surrender, He will fill us with His strength, His love, His peace and shape us into the fathers, husbands, friends, leaders and Catholics we always wanted to be.  With His strength within us, we will find ourselves often giving to others and sharing our newfound selfless love to the people in our lives.  In the end, ask yourself: What do we really lose by surrendering to Christ?  Then, ask yourself:  What do I lose by failing to surrender to Christ?

I will close with a wonderful and relevant prayer by St. Ignatius of Loyola called the Suscipe:

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
 
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
 
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.

Let’s remember to pray for each other that we will achieve what Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”  Thank you and God bless you.
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Randy Hain is a columnist for the Catholic Business Journal and his profile is found on the left side of the Home Page.  If you are in the Atlanta area and would like more information about the Atlanta Catholic Business Conference, contact Randy at RHain@catholicbusinessjournal.biz

  CLICK ON PHOTO to see video of talk on “St. Paul and the Principles of right Economic Order,” which greatly clarify the Pope’s newest encyclical. Talk by Fr. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem.

Article by Mark McElrath

One of the great things about being a member of Catholics at Work OC (www.catholicsatworkOC.com), is the amazing selection of speakers that we are blessed to have join us for our monthly breakfast series.  To a person, each speaker has been truly world class, speaking on a broad range of topics from future trends in business and entertainment, to education, to Chaldean Rite (Iraq) spirituality.  We’ve even heard from Miss America 2001 on what her reign was like as a committed Catholic.  But one of our most enlightening  talks was given by Fr. Sebastian Walshe, O. Praem., who substituted for us at the last moment when our previously scheduled  speaker had a conflict and could not be with us.  Through the generous support of his Abbot, Fr. Eugene Hayes, O.Praem., and his prior, Fr Hugh Barbour, O. Praem., of St Michael’s Abbey in El Toro, Calif.,  Fr Sebastian delivered a talk entitled “St Paul and the Principles of Right Economic Order”  Little did I know then, that Fr. Sebastian’s talk would serve as an ideal  primer for understanding the Holy Father’s new encyclical released today.

The encyclical, entitled Caritas in veritate (Love in truth), is the third major teaching document issued by Pope Benedict XVI since his elevation to the pontificate.  The first, Deus caritas est (God is love) was issued in December 2005 and Faith was its theme.  The second, Spe salvi (Saved by hope)  explored the roots of Hope and was issued in November of 2007.

The pope  is reported to have been working on the new encyclical for two years, and it is rumored to have been delayed for publication.  Why? We can only speculate as to the reasons.  But the timing of the world financial institutions having “hit the wall” is generally agreed to have been September/October of last year, so perhaps the delay of the document’s  issue is related to the coincidence of this occurrence. More importantly, perhaps the Holy Father was waiting to see what steps the world economic leaders, chief among them those institutions influenced by the United States of America, would take to address this modern economic crisis.

We do know that the newest encyclical was signed on June 29, 2009, the Solemnity of the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, a date significant not only in the patrimony of these two apostles but also in that it comes at the conclusion of the Jubilee Year celebrating the birth of St Paul— a year that has been all about teaching moments in the light of  St Paul’s wisdom as apostle to the gentiles.

The release of this encyclical took place on Tuesday July 7, 2009, just prior to the gathering of the G-8 summit in L’Aquila Italy, following which President Barack Obama will travel to Rome for his first meeting with the Holy Father, scheduled to take place on the evening of July 10.  Since the economy of the United States, and thus the world,  is gripped in the greatest economic challenge since the Great Depression, this encyclical,  its teaching on economic justice, a justice rooted in the realization that man is made in God’s image and thus is served by the economy and not the other way around, is particularly important for all of us to understand.  This moment in history is,  as they say, a valuable  teaching moment.

Which brings me back to our friend, Fr. Sebastian Walshe, who is a teacher extraordinaire, and the talk he delivered to our Catholic business club several months ago.  To truly understand Pope Benedict’s newest encyclical,  I recommend you take 40 minutes of your valuable time and view his presentation to Catholics at Work OC.

You see, through the marvel of modern technology, a tool created by that other economic marvel known as the free market enterprise system, we can bring Fr. Sebastian’s talk to you via the internet.  Simply click HERE and you will be taken to a free podcast of Father’s talk on “St. Paul and the Principles of Right Economic Order.”   One of the value added benefits of Catholics at Work OC is our publication of certain speakers’ talks online for later view.  I think you will find this talk, a very profitable investment of your time prior to delving into the teaching of our Holy Father, who loves us so very much.  So much so,  that he teaches to us the Truth in Love as well as Love in Truth.

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Mark McElrath is vice president of DaRue of California, and president of Catholics at Work OC (Orange County, CA chapter).