“Mary is the safest, easiest, shortest and surest way of approaching Jesus” (St. Louis de Montfort).

Bold Women: Presence and Passion at the Foot of the Cross

Catholic Women in Business’ Lenten Theme

On reflecting on and discussing Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, the Catholic Women in Business leadership team saw a common theme: women. In the New Testament, we read of bold women who encountered Jesus and were forever changed. These women boldly spoke to him, boldly loved him, and boldly took his message into their communities. This Lent, our writers will be exploring this theme in their articles. Share how you are carrying your cross boldly and passionately in our Facebook group!

Click here for Part 1 of this article.

As Catholic Women in Business continues our focus on the strength and boldness of the women of the Bible, let’s also continue to explore Marian virtues that Catholic businesswomen can exemplify in the workplace.

6. Divine Wisdom

We can thank the Holy Spirit for giving Mary the wisdom she possessed. We see it so many times in little ways throughout the Bible. We see her wisdom in big ways, like in her response to the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation. And we see her wisdom in seemingly small ways, like at the Wedding at Cana, when only Mary brought the issue of the wine shortage to Jesus.

It’s hard to have wisdom in our day-to-day work and lives. We crave wisdom when we work on projects, approach difficult conversations, apply for promotions, and confront injustice. It’s a virtue that grows as we grow, but we can also cultivate it.

Put it into practice:

• Pray. Say a prayer to Our Lady whenever you need her guidance and wisdom.

• Slow down. It's easy to become caught up in decisions and distractions. Take a moment, especially before big decisions, to weigh your options and lean into God’s grace, just like Mary would. 

7. Heroic Patience

We know Mary was aware that she would experience great suffering in her life; as Simeon told her when she and St. Joseph presented Jesus at the temple, “And you yourself a sword will pierce” (Luke 2:35). To hear this prophecy and to go through life with great virtue and grace is truly heroic.

Work can often be a difficult place to practice patience, let alone heroic patience. We are tested by our commute, our co-workers, our boss, waiting for the elevator to arrive, our coffee that isn’t strong enough … and the list goes on. It’s hard to recognize that those are the exact moments we can seek the example of Our Lady.

Put it into practice:

• Listen and ask questions. Take the time to hear other people’s ideas.

• Give yourself opportunities to be patient. For example, wait a little longer than usual to drink your morning coffee, or take the stairs even if it takes a little more time than taking the elevator.

• Focus on the things that are important in your day, and stay on task no matter the distractions that come up. 

8. Lively Faith

From the moment we first encounter Mary in the Bible, she is filled with a lively faith. She accepts her fate and faithfully walks with Jesus all the way to the cross on Calvary.

It can be difficult to know what it means to bring that kind of faith into the work environment. We could look at it as having faith in our co-workers, or we could look at it more literally, as bringing our actual Catholic faith into the work environment. Both can be difficult. It’s often easier to practice faith in God when we’re spending one-on-one time with Him. It can be a lot harder having faith in the people we encounter.

Put it into practice:

• Delegate. Practice showing faith in your co-workers by delegating tasks and sharing responsibility.

• Invest in your co-workers. Demonstrate that you trust them and value them by showing an interest in them and their work.

9. Profound Humility

Mary didn't need to practice humility, because she embodied it. I don’t think she would have ever described herself as “full of grace” or “blessed among women.” It was left to others to use those descriptors. Mary was profoundly humble to her core.

It takes a lot of humility to admit when we’re wrong, to seek help, and to recognize when someone else is the expert. It takes even more humility to let others receive credit for work we did or to hear our superiors praise our co-workers and not us. But the reality is those situations happen, unjust or not, and they can be opportunities for us to look to Mary and seek her grace and advice.

Put it into practice:

• Ask for help when you need it. We all need help from time to time.

• Pray the Litany of Humility. Be open to what this prayer can do for you.

• Take a moment to thank God for the opportunities He’s given you at work, even if you’re not in the exact position you want right now.

10. Universal Mortification

This virtue is my least favorite. The idea of suffering sounds terrible. However, motherhood and my work have taught me a lot about the beauty of this virtue.

Motherhood is all about laying down your desires for someone else. It’s about sacrificing and dying to self. Over time, I have found that my work has similar qualities. At times, I have had to put my opinions or desires aside and do what was best for my work and the people I was serving.

Mary embodied this virtue. She sought to lay down her life and her will at any moment for others. Despite having a hard time with this virtue, I’m learning to turn to Mary for help.

Put it into practice:

• Pray for the grace to handle suffering well. We all experience it in our work; pray now and thank God ahead of time for giving you the grace to handle it.

• Be open to any task assigned to you, even if it will be challenging or even cause you to suffer.

Annie Schunior is a copy writer and communications specialist working for the Catholic Church in the city of Detroit. In addition, she does consulting for non-profits and online ministries as well as some freelance writing. Most days, Annie can be found with coffee in hand, toting around her 2 year old son or exploring the beautiful city of Detroit with her family. You can follow her on Instagram at @annie_schuns.