
By Matt Patella
Before Jesus started his ministry tradition holds that he was a carpenter, a trade that was passed down to him from Joseph. That means that Jesus had to do all the things that business owners do, set prices, make profit, buy materials, etc…
Why does this matter?
It matters because we hear a lot and will continue to hear a lot about what elements of business are good and which are bad. There are those who are skeptical of profit, believing that it is wrong, and then there are those who think that profit is the only goal of a business. This is what we as Catholics can say for certain: the Church has been writing on business and labor longer than any organization. It has been almost 125 years since the publication of Rerum novarum and since then the Church has been thinking about business in many ways.
So now what?
Now we look at the questions, criticisms, and concerns. We Catholics can approach the hard questions better than most because of our depth of information. That is what I will attempt to do in these posts I will try and look at what people are saying and respond with Church teachings. Business reaches from getting a paycheck to helping raise money and all things in between. We need to make sure we are not intimidated to talk about money, business, and its effect on our world and lives. Feel free to post any questions that you might have let’s approach this topic together.
As a Catholic business owner, I feel that Protestants have a better understanding of the importance of strong businesses in a healthy society. Not sure why that is, but that’s been my perception, much to my surprise, since I opened my own business 4 years ago.