How Can I Live My Faith at Work?

Most of Your Life

If you work full time, you probably spend more of your waking hours at work than anywhere else, including church and home. If faith is only for Sundays, then most of life is left untouched by it.

The Catholic Church teaches the opposite. Ordinary work, whether in an office, a hospital, a classroom, a building site, a shop or the home, can be a path to holiness. The Second Vatican Council called lay people to “seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God” (Lumen Gentium 31).

Why Work Matters to God

Work is not a punishment. In Genesis, God placed Adam in the garden “to till it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15) before the Fall. Work became toilsome after sin, but it was part of God’s plan from the beginning.

Jesus Himself worked for most of His life as a carpenter in Nazareth. The Son of God spent around thirty years in ordinary manual work before His three years of public ministry. That alone shows that ordinary work is not beneath God’s notice.

St John Paul II, who worked in a quarry and a chemical factory as a young man, wrote an encyclical on work, Laborem Exercens (1981). He taught that through work, human beings share in God’s work of creation, provide for their families, serve society, and grow as persons. Work done in union with Christ also shares in His work of redemption.

St Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, made the sanctification of ordinary work the centre of his teaching. He wrote that we should do our work well, offer it to God, and serve others through it.

Offer Your Work

The simplest way to bring faith to work is to offer it to God. Many Catholics pray a Morning Offering before starting the day, giving God all their “prayers, works, joys and sufferings.”

You can also offer your work for a particular intention: a sick friend, a family member, the souls in purgatory. Even dull or difficult tasks take on new meaning when they are offered in love.

Short prayers during the day help too: a quick “Jesus, I trust in You” before a hard meeting, or a moment of thanks when something goes well.

Do Your Work Well

Faith is not shown mainly by talking about God at work. It is shown first by doing your job well: being competent, diligent, punctual and reliable. Sloppy work done by a person who prays is not a good witness.

St Paul wrote: “Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men” (Colossians 3:23). Doing your work with care is itself an act of worship.

Be Honest

Catholic moral teaching applies at work as everywhere. Some practical examples:

Do not lie, exaggerate or mislead customers, clients or colleagues.
Give an honest day’s work for your pay. Wasting time or claiming work you have not done is a form of theft (CCC 2409).
Do not take what is not yours, including small things such as stationery or time.
Pay fair wages and treat employees justly, if you are an employer (CCC 2434).
Do not cut corners on safety or quality.

When Your Job Raises Moral Questions

Sometimes a job asks you to do something that conflicts with your conscience. A nurse may be asked to take part in a procedure the Church considers seriously wrong; an accountant may be asked to hide something; a manager may be asked to treat someone unjustly.

These situations are hard, and they deserve careful thought. The Church’s teaching on cooperation in evil helps distinguish what you must refuse from what you may tolerate. (See What Is the Difference Between Formal and Material Cooperation in Evil?) If you face such a situation, seek advice from a priest or a knowledgeable Catholic in your profession. Many professions have Catholic associations that can help.

Treat People Well

Your colleagues, customers and staff are people made in the image of God. Living your faith at work includes:

kindness and patience, especially with difficult people;
refusing to gossip or join in cruel humour;
respecting everyone, regardless of their role;
helping those who struggle;
forgiving when you are wronged.

A Christian who is consistently kind, fair and humble at work is a stronger witness than any words.

Keep Sunday

The Church asks Catholics to rest on Sunday and to avoid unnecessary work that hinders the worship of God and the rest of body and mind (CCC 2185). Some people have to work on Sundays; others feel pressure to answer emails or catch up. Where you can, protect Sunday as a day for God, family and rest. It reminds you that your worth is not measured by your productivity.

Talking About Faith

Should you talk about your faith at work? Gently and naturally, when the moment is right. Mention that you went to Mass if someone asks about your weekend. Wish people a happy Easter. If a colleague is going through a hard time, offer to pray for them. People often notice when someone has a quiet, steady faith, and they may ask about it. (See How Do I Share My Faith Without Being Pushy?)

Work and Rest in Balance

Work is good, but it is not everything. Overwork can damage health, family and faith. Part of living your faith at work is knowing when to stop: making time for prayer, family, friends and rest. Your job is part of your vocation, not the whole of it.

Holiness in the Ordinary

Most saints were not monks or martyrs. Many were farmers, mothers, doctors, soldiers, merchants and servants who became holy through ordinary work done with extraordinary love. Your workplace can be your path to sanctity too.