When Working For The Welfare of Our Families Goes Too Far

We work for the welfare of families, right? But is it possible for our efforts to go too far?

Last time we talked about the importance of being truly devout, and bringing this core of devotion to our work each day. Here something from the Catechism of the Catholic Church written after the Council of Trent.

This venerable document is well worth reading. Yes, I realize we have a contemporary Catechism, one promoted by Pope St. John Paul II. And it remains an important document, one we can use in our daily study of our Catholic religion. But the Trent Catechism can be illustrative of points that we don't find in the current Catechism, or perhaps we find a similar point expressed in a different way. As such, we widen our knowledge and understanding of our Holy Religion - one that extends back to Our Lord and Savior Himself.

The Trent Catechism was written as a result of the Council of Trent, that great long series of meetings our shepherds, under the guiding hand of more than one good Pope. The Council was called to counter the threat posed by the Protestant rebellion a/k/a "Reformation" that had devastated large swaths of Christendom, driving a stake into its very heart. We have never truly recovered.

It's intent was to clarify the beliefs held by an authentic Catholics. Its audience was bishops and priests - a kind of handbook for them to drive home those beliefs of True Faith of Our Fathers for the benefit of us all.

Now back to today's question:  Is it possible to go too far in working for the welfare of our family?

"Many there are whose sole concern is to leave their children wealth, riches and an ample and splendid fortune; who encourage them not to piety and religion, or to honorable employment, but to avarice, and an increase of wealth, and who, provided their children are rich and wealthy, are regardless of their good name and eternal salvation. Can anything more shameful be thought or expressed? Of such parents it is true to say, that instead of bequeathing wealth to their children, they leave them rather their own wickedness and crimes for an inheritance; and instead of conducting them to Heaven, lead them to the eternal torments of Hell." 

Each day I ask the patron saints of my business for their intercession that all my work be for the greater glory of God, the welfare of my family, the benefit of my clients and customers, and the common good. And, indeed, the welfare of my family has helped me to power through difficult - almost impossible - situations I've faced in various jobs over the years. A few times the nature of the work - while not immoral in any way - was nothing near the idea of "following my dream." But I was paid. And the welfare of my family was most helpful in enduring a job that was far from ideal.

But today's words from the Catechism stand a stark reminder that the money we earn, and our desire to leave some of any wealth we might accrue to our children must be seen in the wider context of our spiritual life and theirs. If we can't do our best to lead them to God, or at least provide conditions in our home to help them grow closer to God, then all our efforts to provide material security and comforts will be in vain.

So we continue to work hard. Ideally we won't be shy don't be shy about seeing that we get paid a fair price for the work we produce. But we won't allow our natural ambition or our simple desire to leave something of value to our family after we've gone to our our eternal reward to deter us from prioritizing our spiritual lives - and theirs.