Admittedly, today’s world is far from the Garden where the world began.
If we think of our vocations as “recovering the Garden,” we may wonder whether it is best to go out into the world with a missionary spirit or retreat to morally safer spaces and protect the flame. Which has the better impact on the world and our families? Can one go into the world and not lose his soul? And what does the world really need from us?
In his annual Headmaster’s Lecture, Alvaro de Vicente encourages us to encounter the world with Christian confidence. We win it back through our families and professional work—and we should prepare our sons to do the same. For, Mr. de Vicente argues, there is no tension here: going into the world to serve with a Christian spirit is good for the world and good for the man.
Chapters:
3:52 Our sons going into the world
6:11 The world: God’s gift to man
13:15 Sin: breaking the gift
18:32 Christ: redemption of the gift
20:42 “Evil resides where good leaves”
28:81 How to win the world back
30:12 How the Church views worldly professions
39:56 What work is for
42:30 The limits of “good” work
48:19 Good work is formative
50:22 Encouraging the next generation
Links:
“Chapter V: The Manners of the Christians” in Epistle to Diognetus by Mathetes
Forty Gospel Homilies by Pope St. Gregory the Great
The Way of the Cross by St. Josemaría Escrivá
Gaudium et Spes pastoral constitution by the Second Vatican Council
Also on the Forum:
The World Needs Your Son to Be Professionally Ambitious by Alvaro de Vicente
Elon Musk, Mother Teresa, and Why Catholic Schools Should Be Secular by Nate Gadiano
Featured Opportunities:
Fall Open House at The Heights School (October 24, 2026)
Fatherhood Conference at The Heights School (November 7, 2026)
Convivium Conference for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 11-13, 2026)