The intersection of professional ambition and spiritual obligation often creates a profound internal conflict for those navigating the modern corporate landscape. This tension was recently brought to the forefront during an annual silent retreat hosted in Palm Springs, California, where 30 business executives gathered to contemplate their roles within the framework of Christian service. For four days, these leaders stepped away from the relentless pace of their various industries—spanning law, finance, and hospitality—to engage in a rigorous process of self-examination and spiritual discernment. The central question of the gathering focused on how high-achieving professionals can reconcile their career successes with the biblical mandate to serve the poor and marginalized.
Silent retreats have long been a foundational element of Catholic spiritual practice, designed to strip away the noise of daily life to facilitate a deeper interior focus. During these periods of extended silence, participants typically refrain from all verbal communication, instead spending their hours in prayer, meditation, and the study of sacred texts. The goal of such an exercise is to listen for divine guidance regarding one’s life path and ethical responsibilities. In this specific instance, the retreatants were guided by the life and legacy of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, whose work with the destitute remains a global benchmark for humanitarian and religious service.
The atmosphere of the retreat was shaped significantly by the communal listening of biographical accounts of Mother Teresa. The group focused on the narrative of Jim Towey, a former Washington political figure who abandoned a high-powered legal and governmental career to serve as a companion and advisor to Mother Teresa. Towey’s story presents a radical model of sacrifice, involving the liquidation of personal assets and a total pivot toward the service of the vulnerable. For the business leaders in attendance, this narrative served as a catalyst for intense introspection, prompting many to wonder if their pursuit of wealth and commercial expansion was fundamentally at odds with their religious convictions.
The demographic of the retreat participants highlighted the broad appeal of this spiritual inquiry. Attendees ranged in age from their early 30s to their late 70s, with a median age just under 50. Many of the younger participants are currently in the growth phases of their careers, managing startups or expanding mid-sized firms with significant earning potential. For these individuals, the example of Mother Teresa and Jim Towey raises difficult questions about the timing and nature of charitable commitment. The internal struggle for many was whether the call to “sell what you have and give to the poor” requires a literal abandonment of the marketplace or a transformation of how one operates within it.
One participant, a 71-year-old entrepreneur with a history of founding law firms, accounting practices, and hotel ventures, noted that the silence provided a mirror for his own lifelong drive for success. Having been involved in business since childhood, the executive questioned whether his philanthropic efforts, including the founding of Catholic schools and nonprofits, were sufficient or merely a compromise. This sentiment of potential squandered time is a common theme among older professionals who, upon reaching the later stages of their careers, begin to weigh their professional legacy against their perceived moral duties.
However, the retreat led to a nuanced theological conclusion regarding the nature of vocation. The collective reflection suggests that while few individuals are called to the specific, radical poverty practiced by the Missionaries of Charity, the spirit of that service must animate all professional endeavors. This perspective aligns with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which posits that goods and wealth acquired through honest work should be managed as a form of stewardship. From this viewpoint, the earth’s resources are entrusted to humanity for the common good, and the business leader acts as a steward who must ensure that their enterprises benefit the greatest number of people possible.
This interpretation of “heroic charity” shifts the focus from the act of leaving business to the ethics of staying in it. It suggests that a professional has a moral obligation to lift up the less fortunate through the very mechanisms of their work, such as responsible job creation, the provision of essential services, and the development of products that improve the quality of human life. The ethical framework developed during the retreat requires that business decisions be preceded by spiritual reflection. Leaders are encouraged to ask whether their ventures are intended to serve others or if they are driven by a desire to stifle competition through immoral practices or the pursuit of self-interest at the expense of the common good.
The conclusion of the four-day silence allowed the participants to share their realizations, revealing a shared sense of renewed purpose. Many reported that the retreat helped them identify the danger of innate human selfishness, which can often be masked by the complexities of corporate strategy and market competition. By viewing their resources as being at the disposal of a higher calling, these executives expressed a desire to integrate their faith more fully into their daily operations. The consensus was that heroic charity is not reserved for those in religious orders but is a universal duty that can be expressed through any vocation, provided the individual prioritizes the needs of others.
The legacy of Mother Teresa served as the ultimate bridge between these two worlds. Her life’s work suggests that sanctity is found in the fidelity to one’s specific calling, whether that calling is in the slums of a major city or the boardroom of a corporation. The retreat emphasized that the “deafening message” of her life is the universal accessibility of service. For the modern professional, this means that the marketplace is not a secular void but a primary site for the expression of faith and the exercise of charity.
As these business leaders returned to their respective firms, the impact of the retreat was described as a shift in perspective rather than an immediate abandonment of their roles. The integration of prayer and reflection into the business cycle is seen as a way to ensure that the pursuit of profit does not eclipse the pursuit of justice. By fostering an environment where job creation and ethical commerce are viewed as forms of ministry, these leaders aim to fulfill their spiritual obligations without retreating from their professional responsibilities. The experience underscores a growing trend of faith-based leadership in the American corporate sector, where the “interior life” is increasingly recognized as a vital component of sustainable and ethical management.
Ultimately, the retreat in Palm Springs functioned as a reminder that the loudest messages often emerge from the deepest silence. By taking the time to dwell on the difficult questions of faith and finance, these leaders sought to ensure that their professional trajectories remain aligned with their personal values. The challenge remains to maintain this clarity of purpose amidst the distractions of the global economy, but the retreat provided a framework for ongoing discernment. The participants left with a commitment to view their influence and resources not as personal trophies, but as tools for the advancement of the many and the fulfillment of a sacred duty.
