Careerism in the Church

What if we know what the Lord wants us to do but we choose not to do it?

What if we live a life not intended for us?

What if, left to our own choices, we live according to our own ways and not to the ways intended by God?

FINDING MEANING AT WHAT WE DO

What if our lives right now aren’t really what God intended for us to live?

These are questions that may be absurd but I believe they engender essential perspective of our vocation and sets a good foundation for the examination of our ministries. Of course these questions have no definite answers. But questions such as these are answered by our experience of our vocation. We know we made the right choice when we see that along the way we see meaning at what we do. We see meaning of our community life. We see meaning of living together, eating together, misunderstanding. Despite the flaws of community life, it still makes sense.

The purpose, I believe, of our life is achieved in the fulfilment of our God-given vocation, and the responsibilities it entails. God is an enabling God. He gives us talents, time and relationships for us to nourish and be stewards of.

The opposite of finding meaning is missing the point.

MISSING THE POINT OF WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE

When we miss the point of what we do. When we think of something else rather than or out of our vocation. In our Gospel, the steward missed the point. He was trusted to be entrusted with. But he opted for his whims and caprices to rule him. I guess we can say that of tangent to our vocation as religious is careerism.

Careerism is so dominant in the Church today. We make our vocation as mere stepping stones to achieve somethings else short of what is expected from us. When we use our vocation for self-promotion, or to enrich ourselves, we fall into the trap of missing the point. Is this not what sin is all about? Sin in Greek is Hamartia or missed the mark or missed the point.

May we not miss the point, and instead see meaning at what we do. May the coming of the Master not catch us by surprise, but instead we find meaning both in his coming and in the preparation for his coming.