by Leela Ramdeen, Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice
Today, Pentecost Sunday is a good time for us to reflect on whether or not we are opening our hearts and minds to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to renew the face of the earth.
We are the Body of Christ in the world. This fact forms a key aspect of our Catholic Culture and Identity. My experience at the recent Congress in Rome (May 16-18) on Justice and Globalisation, made me even more determined to continue raising my awareness and that of the faithful of what it means to be the Body of Christ in the world; what it means to be a Catholic in T&T.
The mandate to which the 233 participants at the Congress responded is the same mandate given to us Catholics in Trinidad and Tobago – to love one another as Jesus loves us (John 13:34). To be true witnesses to our faith we must take into account Luke’s words (4:18): “The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.”
We have duties and obligations to God, neighbour, self and creation. But fear not, the Holy Spirit will help us to fulfil these. Jesus kept his promise to His Disciples in John 14:16, that he would “ask the Father and He will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that Spirit of truth…”
The Holy Spirit, our Comforter, is still with us today and inspires us as we seek to proclaim the Good News to the world; to build a world in which justice, peace, truth, love, freedom and forgiveness can become a reality. It is the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us that will make us credible witnesses.
One such “credible witness” is Oscar Chan, CEO of San Jose Kitchen Cabinets Manufacturing Co, who shared with us at the Congress information about his successful Profit Sharing System.
Oscar’s company, established in 1982 in the Philippines, makes kitchen cabinets, wire basket dish organisers and counter tops. He employs about 50 persons. Between 1987 – 2009 he has distributed to his employees about US $558,139 of the profit made by his company (based on 50% profit sharing).
His system covers all employees. Inter alia, distribution is based on weight of responsibility within the company and performance. You can access the paper he presented on: http://dottrinasocialedellachiesa.net/?page_id=7 to see the way in which the system works and the formula he uses.
“Profit sharing is an organisational incentive plan whereby companies distribute a portion of their profits to their employees in addition to prevailing wages. Profit sharing can generate benefits to the company by fostering greater employee cooperation, reducing labour turnover, raising productivity, cutting costs, and providing retirement security. Profit sharing gives employees a direct stake in the profitability of a company, creating an atmosphere in which employees want the business to succeed as much as management does. The annual US Chamber of Commerce Employee Benefits Survey shows that approximately 19 to 23 percent of US companies have offered some form of profit sharing since 1963.” (www.referenceforbusiness.com – see outline of three basic types of profit sharing plans and the advantages and disadvantages of such plans).
This is one way of promoting integral human development and building the common good. As Oscar said, it is a “win-win formula”. He outlined the key principles underpinning his system. He believes that “in any economic activity, there are always two partners that are necessary: employees and capital. One cannot exist without the other, thus both deserve a share in the fruits of their partnership. Before sharing the profit, we must satisfy the basis need of each partner. Employees need to receive a regular income to maintain their physical and mental health. On the other hand, capital needs to receive additional funds to correct its value due to inflation.”
CCSJ invites you to submit to us written/oral contributions of ways in which you have made a difference. Read 10-year old Cherisse Hawkins’ poem (CCSJ’s website) about how she made a difference. As today’s reading (1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13) reminds us, the different gifts we have come from the same Spirit for a good purpose. How are we using our gifts?
