Giving oneself to others

Because of the nature of our work, we often emphasize the importance of professionalization, both in the activities we carry out ourselves and in those we encourage our clients to undertake. Although we operate within an ecosystem that is deeply rooted in values, it is essential that our work not be amateur in nature, limited to our spare time—if we have any—or overly dependent on volunteer labor. In short, we have repeatedly stressed that if we want professional outputs, we must provide professional inputs. Expecting outstanding results from an amateur level of “investment” would be naive.

However, we believe that this time of year offers an excellent opportunity to highlight the importance of genuinely selfless work as well. It is worth noting that selfless, or nonprofit, does not have to mean low quality. In fact, many of the tasks we perform purely out of love are the ones that bear the most beautiful fruit. This is what a mother does when she cooks for her family, or a father when he tells his children a bedtime story.

Today, April 17, Lent comes to an end, a period of preparation for the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. On this Holy Thursday, Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples gathered to celebrate Passover at the Last Supper, during which the Lord instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood. From that moment onward, as the Gospels recount, the events of the Passion unfolded without pause: the Death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, his burial, and his subsequent Resurrection.

We therefore stand before the ultimate act of self-giving and generosity, embodied in the Cross of Christ—an act of redemption and liberation for humanity. Jesus paid for our freedom with the price of his blood and, through his sacrifice, merited our salvation so that we might be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven.

For our part, in addition to contemplating the mystery of Redemption from a spiritual perspective, we can also practice small or great acts of self-giving, service, generosity, and charity toward others. These are selfless acts of love in which we devote our time, money, knowledge, or skills to helping others.

From Fortius, we encourage everyone to find ways of making a real and personal impact—a dimension that is sometimes forgotten amid the intensity of the battle of ideas and culture—while also setting aside a few days for recollection and reflection on what we commemorate.