TheEntrepreneurialVocation

•  Asacredcallingoranexalta0onoftheexploita0ve?•  Jesus’wordsaboutGodandmammon,richandpoor•  Thenewsitua0onofapprecia0on•  PurposeoftheTalk•  Tonourishtheunderstandingofthoseengagedinbusinesssothattheymayliveouttheirvoca0onmoreardently;

•  TohelpthoseinministryorfutureministrysupportbeCerthoseinbusinessandstrengthenthemtoliveouttheirvoca0onstothefull.

•  Toassistallofustoseethatthere’ssupposedtobeanentrepreneurialdimensiontoeveryChris0anvoca0on.

TheEntrepreneurialVocation

•  StructureoftheTalk•  Theuniversalcalltoholiness•  Theuniversalvoca0onofeverypersontowork•  Characteris0csofthespecificvoca0onoftheentrepreneur.•  Someprac0calconsidera0onsabouthowtoliveouttheentrepreneurialvoca0onfaithfully.

TheUniversalCalltoHoliness

•  TheVoca0ontoHoliness•  Avoca0onisacallingfromGod•  Thefundamentalvoca0oneveryChris0anhasreceivedthroughBap0smisbeholy•  “ThisisthewillofGod,yoursanc0fica0on”(1Ths.4:3)•  “Youshallbeholy,forItheLORDyourGodamholy”(Lev.19:2)

•  “BeperfectasyourheavenlyFatherisperfect”(Mt5:48)•  HolinessissimplybecomingmoreandmoreGod-like.• 

TheUniversalCalltoWork

•  God’splanforworkinthebeginning,beforeanda`ertheFall•  “Holinessisnotsomethingoutsidetheboundsofnormaleverydaylife.ForGodcallshispeopletoleadholyliveswithintheordinarycircumstancesinwhichtheyfindthemselves:athome,intheparish,intheworkplace,atschool,ontheplayingfield.”

•  Increaseandmul0ply,filltheearthandsubdueit,exercisedominion(Gen1)

•  ConsequencesoftheFall:pangs,sweat,toilbutthevoca0ontoworkremainsandbecomespartofGod’splansforourredemp0vehealing.

•  Thetwodimensionsofwork•  objec0ve/subjec0ve;•  transi0ve/intransi0ve;•  facere/agere

•  SpiritualityofWork

TheUniversalCalltoWork

•  St.JohnPaulIIandthe“GospelofWork”•  “Thedescrip0onofcrea0onthatwefindintheveryfirstchapteroftheBookofGenesis,isalsoinasensethefirst‘gospelofwork.’Foritshowswhatthedignityofworkconsistsof:ItteachesthatmanoughttoimitateGod,hiscreator,inworkingandinres0ng,becausemanalonehastheuniquecharacteris0coflikenesstoGod.”

•  JesusincarnatesthatGospelofWorkasatektonformostofhislife.

•  Inhispreaching,Jesusconstantlyreferstohumanwork,toshepherds,farmers,doctors,sowers,householders,servants,stewards,fishermen,merchants,laborers,tocooking,sewing,baking.Hecomparestheworkofthekingdomtothatofharvestersorfishermen.Hereferstotheworkofscholarstoo.

TheEntrepreneurialVocationtoHoliness

•  Someofthemarksoftheentrepreneurialvoca0ontoholiness•  Voca.onoftheBusinessLeader:•  acceptanceofrisk•  persistenceinofferingbeneficialgoods•  crea0veplanningcombiningresources•  adapta0on

•  St.BernardineofSiena•  efficiency•  responsibility•  hardwork•  risk-taking

TheEntrepreneurialVocationtoHoliness

•  Someofthemarksoftheentrepreneurialvoca0ontoholiness•  Par0cipa0oninGod’screa0vework•  Par0cipa0oninGod’sprovidence•  GoodStewards•  Innova0veServantsofothers’needs•  Inven0ve•  MentorOthers

LightfromSacredScripture

•  SeveralScripturalPassagesthattalkaboutthevirtuesofthosewhoarerich:•  Zacchaeus(Lk19)•  JosephofArimathea(Mt27)•  GoodSamaritan(Lk10)•  Apostles•  ParableoftheTalents(Mt25)

ParableoftheTalents•  Theentrepreneuristheonewhoprecisely“invests”the“talents”Godhasgivenhim

•  Godgivesustalentstocreate,buildup,mul0ply,invest•  ThewealthisalwaystheMaster’s.WearecalledtouseitfortheKingdom.

•  TheMastercarefullyassessesthenaturalabili0esofeachservant,butheisverygeneroustoeach

•  Itisnotimmoraltoprofitfromtheresources,wit,0meandworkGodhasgivenus

•  God’sjoyatandextraordinaryrewardforthosewhodeveloptheirtalents:•  “Welldone,goodandtrustworthyservant;youhavebeentrustworthyinafewthings,Iwillputyouinchargeofmanythings;enterintothejoyofyourLord.”

ParableoftheTalents•  TheProblemwiththeThirdServant•  Timidity• Was0ngoftheGi`•  Idleness•  Securityoverreasonablerisk-taking.Outoffearoffailure,hehasrefusedeventotrytosucceed.•  “Wickedandslothful”•  Nocontri0on•  ActuallyblamestheMaster•  Didn’teventry.

ParableoftheTalents•  Theimportanceofsubsidiarity,solidarityandtrust•  Trust:TheMasterallowshisservantstodecideuponthebestmannerofinvestment.Hedoesn’tmicromanage,butunleashesthegi`•  Subsidiarity:theflourishingofhumanbeingsentailsthebestuseoftheirintelligenceandfreedom.•  Solidarity:Inaworkplace,themorepar0cipatoryit,themorelikelyworkerswilldevelop.•  Godhasexercisedsubsidiarity,solidarityandtrustinmakinghumanbeingsco-creatorswithGod•  Businessleadersshouldseektomodelasimilarsubsidiarity,solidarityandtrusttoupholdthefullhumandignityofemployees

ParableoftheTalents•  OtherLessons•  Anunequaldistribu0onofwealthassuchisnotunjust•  Makingaprofitcannotbenotequatedwithgreed,butcanandshouldbeaproperuseofthegi`

•  Whatweseeaboutthe“realloca0onofresources”:•  Amoralsystemisdoesn’ttrytomakeeveryonethesamebutrecognizesandtriestoassisteachpersontousehisorhertalentstothefullest.

•  Macroeconomiclesson:•  8talentsentrustedbecame15•  Oneperson’sgainisnotanother’sexpense.•  Inagenuinefreemarketeconomy,thesuccessoftherichdoesnotcomeattheexpenseofthepoor.

LivingWellVocationWell

•  Entrepreneursarecalledtosanc0tyinbusiness,tobegoodstewardsoftheMaster.

•  EntrepreneursmustdependonGod,receivinghisgi`sandrespondingtothem.

•  Entrepreneursmustbewareofallgreed•  Entrepreneursmuststrivetomaintainaunityoflife•  Entrepreneursmuststrivetoformacommunityofpersons•  Entrepreneursmustseektruesolidaritywiththepoor•  Theentrepreneuriscalledtobecharitableinhisworkandasaresultofhiswork

•  Entrepreneursoughtnotfacilitatethemetastasisofconsumerism

•  Entrepreneursmustproperlyvaluerestandtakeit.

Conclusion•  “Thevoca0onofthebusinesspersonisagenuinehumanandChris0ancalling.ItsimportanceinthelifeoftheChurchandintheworldeconomycanhardlybeoverstated”(TheVoca.onoftheBusinessLeader).

•  Everyvoca0onrequiresafreeandresponsibleanswer.•  “Muchwillberequiredofthepersonentrustedwithmuch”(Lk12:48)

•  TheVoca0onoftheEntrepreneuristobecomealivingcommentaryofthefirsttwoservantsintheParableoftheTalents

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