The central challenge for Christians today is to put God first.

Work, family responsibilities, and leisure easily consume our attention, but they should not be allowed to displace God as life’s central reality.

Putting God first, however, does not mean withdrawing from ordinary life. God is present as we work and care for our families. By remembering His presence, Christians can turn a demanding day into a conversation with Him.

Service to others

In his teachings, Saint Josemaría Escrivá said we should work well without falling into perfectionism.

Work is valuable, but it is a means rather than the goal of life, said Monsignor Fazio. Through work, people support their families and serve others.

Every honest occupation can become a service to others and a place to encounter God. Work, however, should not displace time for God, family, friendship, and those in need.

St Josemaría called this integration of faith and life “unity of life”, and Christians should live their faith at Mass, at home, at work, and among friends.

Who you become

Addressing young people, Msgr Fazio cautioned against treating life as a checklist of achievements.

A life built entirely on achievement can become fragile when success does not follow.

While professional success matters, it is not the sole measure of a fulfilling life, he said. What is more important is the person one becomes: a good citizen, spouse, parent, sibling, son or daughter, and someone willing to make time for others.

A life built entirely on achievement can become fragile when success does not follow.

Faith helps people accept their limitations, face disappointment, and recognise that happiness is found not merely in success but in loving God and giving themselves to others.

The gift of self

In an individualistic world, people tend to think of themselves first.

Christianity proposes another path. Quoting Gaudium et spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Msgr Fazio explained that the human person “cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself”.

This is not merely a pious ideal. It is the key to Christian happiness and the foundation of a better society. Christ reveals its meaning in His life and death, in which He gives Himself completely for others on the Cross.

Giving oneself also does not mean neglecting one’s dignity. It means looking beyond personal worries and becoming attentive to family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours. In serving others, people often discover a deeper happiness.

In serving others, people often discover a deeper happiness.

A culture of encounter

The gift of self also supports a “culture of encounter”, a phrase Pope Francis often used, grounded in humility, listening, and respect.

This can bridge generational differences. Young people can learn from their elders, while older people remember that they, too, were once young and felt misunderstood by their own elders.

The same principles apply when Catholics face hostility or fear being “cancelled” for living their faith.

Christians may reject an action, said Msgr Fazio, but should not hate the person.

Their response should be calm and respectful, ready to forgive even when respect is not reciprocated. Their mission is to overcome hatred with love and to become sowers of peace and joy.

Changing the world begins with the world around each person.

Msgr Fazio proposed a practical habit: devote at least five undistracted minutes each day to a sincere conversation with God. That encounter can sustain awareness of His presence throughout the day.

Key takeaways

• Put God first by cultivating His presence and spending at least five minutes with Him each day.
• See work as a means of serving God and others, without allowing it to be more important than prayer and relationships.
• Measure life not only by achievements, but by the person you become and the love you give.
• Meet differences, disagreement, and hostility with humility, dialogue, forgiveness, and love.