Your Most Important Title as a Catholic Woman in Business
“It is better to be a child of God than king of the whole world” (St. Aloysius Gonzaga).
Living in Tension
Do you ever feel flooded by all the well-meaning but overwhelming advice in blogs, books, and conferences about priorities?
On the one hand, we wear so many hats in our career, family life, volunteer work, and social circles, and it’s important to understand where we should put our time and efforts, aiming for the order God wants for us.
But, in this world where infinite information is at our fingertips 24/7, conflicting advice abounds. In just a five-minute social media scroll, women can expect to be bombarded with contradicting messages that are tainted with urgency and authority:
Leave the mess, and spend time with your family.
Declutter and clean for everyone’s peace of mind.
Hustle and get after your career goals; your family will adapt.
The kids are only young once; they need their mom for this season of life.
It’s no wonder many women find themselves in a pandemic of feeling inadequate and never enough. There are simply not enough hours in the day to be everything for everybody.
I would argue that this constant tension of responsibilities and priorities is a timeless conundrum, especially for women. The Gospel story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) resonates with us, because we are perpetually trying to discern the best way to love God and serve others. Both women are saints, and none of the never-ending advice listed above is necessarily wrong. Our Lord gently reminded Martha that Mary chose the better part, but Martha’s activities were not an inherently bad use of her time.
There is an element of truth to the plethora of advice that bombards women every day. And if we want to grow in our vocations, it is important to examine areas that need improvement, seek out wise counsel, and implement change. The striving doesn’t end this side of Heaven.
Our First Role
Even so, it is easy to allow certain habits and efforts, even good ones, to take precedence over the most fundamental role God has ordained for us since the moment he knit us together: daughter.
He beckons us with the first light of the dawn and delights in our being. He is with us throughout all of our everyday doings, and he waits for us to return to him, even if only for a brief moment. There is no other hat, no other title, that supersedes our role as daughter of God.
Does that mean we need to drop all our earthly duties and spend the bulk of our time engaging in purely spiritual activities? Of course not. We live in the world, and our various vocations demand certain responsibilities. But we can frame all earthly activities within the context of our role as daughter, sanctifying our otherwise mundane tasks.
If you’re feeling lost amid the myriad advice constantly whispering for you to do more and be more, focus your prayer time on rediscovering that beautiful daughter whom God fashioned with a unique purpose. Pencil in a day to go to daily Mass, spend some extra time in Adoration, or seek the wise counsel of a spiritual director.
When we recalibrate our focus and align it with what God sees, all of our roles will take on a deeper spiritual dimension and greater meaning.
Kimberly Lynch is a former French teacher who ventured into the world of copywriting and freelance writing. She enjoys a strong cup of coffee in the morning, a leisurely run in the late afternoon, and a good book in the evening. Kimberly is also the fundraising chair and board member for Phoenix Project, a local domestic violence agency. She resides in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and seven children. Visit her online at her website, PassingThroughMountains.com, and on Instagram and Facebook.