Catholic Monday: Faith at Work

Today at Stuart's Study, I am reviewing a book Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck. This book is written by Kevin Lowry who is a husband, father, convert and a blogger, like me, at Graceful Convert. I imagine he's more successful than all those than me, but I keep telling myself that it's not a competition, and we're all in this race together. This book came in the mail at just the right time. It's funny how God does that. Even in the littlest of things, God is there. Thank you to The Coming Home Network, where Mr. Lowry is COO, for sending me this book.

How many people work for the Church? What about missionary work? I'll even count people who work for organizations that help spread the Gospel either by word or deed. If you fit into these three categories, then you are not Kevin Lowry's target audience with his book. While I know your jobs aren't always easy or fulfilling, I believe that the spiritual rewards you see from the people you minister to can be uplifting. Instead, this book is intended for us poor working stiffs in the secular world and trying to find fulfillment and meaning in our jobs.

A few of the topics covered in this book are teamwork, patience, and diverity. I mention these because they are ones I probably struggle with the most. I like working alone. I like things done immediately. And I don't always deal well with people who don't think like I do. With each chapter being approximately ten pages in length, Mr. Lowry manages to integrate personal examples, steps we can take to put each lesson into practice, and questions to reflect on.

My favorite chapter by far dealt with being a witness at the workplace. Growing up Southern Baptist, witnessing was strongly emphasized. I was never particularly good at it, but I knew it was something I had to do. When I became Catholic, it took me a while to learn that Catholics still evangelize. It is just less Bible-beating and more in the way one talks and lives. There are simple ways we can show we are Catholic without bludgeoning those who work with us. Praying before meals is one way I try to show my faith. However, we should also do it in the big things and small things by having a servant mentality. After all, Jesus was the greatest servant of all, so we should strive to be like Him.

This is a great book that would benefit anyone to read. It is straightforward, practical, and easy to read. In fact, I couldn't put the book down, and was able to read it in a couple of hours. I easily give this book 5 stars, but now comes the hard part. I have to put the wisdom of the book into practice. This is always easier said than done, so pray for me.