A New Love Language: Do You Speak Corporate Faith?
“Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name; make known among the peoples his deeds! Sing praise to him, play music; proclaim all his wondrous deeds!” (Psalm 105:1-2).
I recently hosted a small virtual meet-up for women. Under the theme of setting faith goals for the new year, we closed out our work emails at the end of the business day, logged off our apps, and logged onto Zoom to connect and share our 2022 spiritual goals. Not surprisingly, we seemed to be in line with one another: We intended to spend more time on Scriptural reading, prayer, and praise and more time in adoration. We built a robust faith-filled list. As I listened to one attendee share that she wanted to work specifically on learning “to blend the language of (my) Catholic faith at work,” it struck me suddenly: We need a new love language, a new way to share our beautiful faith in the workplace! I call it corporate faith.
Blending Faith and Work
How many times have we wanted to chat with our colleagues about the lovely Sunday Mass we participated in over the weekend? How many times have we hesitated to talk about church or the sacraments because we felt we wouldn’t be received as openly as, say, talking about that Instagram video that just went viral?
This internal tug of war pounded in my heart year after year in the corporate world. Working for some of the most recognizable brands in the U.S., I prided myself on landing jobs at places that were widely popular—yet I struggled to fit in. Sure, I could talk the talk. I loved to follow the latest TV shows (dare I say I used to be a Bachelor follower?), so it was easy for me to blend in when it came to sharing the interests of my secular life. But it was a divided lifestyle; it was as if I had been living a secret life.
It is challenging to work at places where our Catholic faith is not welcome. For many of us, speaking about religion could get into trouble. There are federal and state laws that ban religious discrimination at work, but how these regulations translate across industries and employers varies. It is difficult to apply a one-fits-all rule for how to incorporate our faith in the workplace, hence my desire to create our own code of communication, something that we can use to grow our courage—a new love language called corporate faith.
Learning to Speak Corporate Faith
Our struggles to open up and express our faith in the workplace are real. It’s challenging when workplace dialogue or decisions don’t seem ethical or aren’t rooted in Catholic social teaching. And yet, our heavenly Father challenges us, in the words of St. Paul, “that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19). I’ve pondered ways we can all speak “corporate faith” discreetly and train our spiritual muscles to grow.
May we continue to pray for each other to grow in courage to serve as ambassadors of Christ at work! I believe these silent, simple ways of sharing our faith can open the door to evangelizing in the workplace and beyond:
Smile always. Smile at your co-workers, your boss, office visitors … everyone!
Wear a sacramental or Catholic jewelry (for example, a crucifix, miraculous medal necklace, or rosary bracelet).
Use a faith-inspired background during virtual meetings.
Put up a picture of the blessed Mother Mary, your favorite saint, or angels in your workspace or office.
Make the sign of the cross before heading into every meeting, including off-site lunch meetings, and say an internal prayer.
Set a daily reminder for 3 p.m. to take a quick break and recite the Divine Mercy Chaplet. In addition to praying for the souls in purgatory, pray for your colleagues at work, that their hearts may be opened.
Attend daily Mass when possible, and don’t be afraid to let others know where you are going if they ask you. (Invite a colleague to go with you if the Holy Spirit nudges you to do so!)
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
Lilia Grundy is University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business’ director of corporate partnerships, with over 20 years of corporate experience (including at Kraft Foods, NBC Television, and Telemundo). Lilia launched Catholic Women Professionals to inspire other working women to grow their faith. She is married to her high school sweetie Rob; they have beautiful twin girls who love art, music and learning about the saints.