The Holy See has designated Sept. 20 as the Jubilee of Justice, a day to recognize those involved with bringing about God’s vision of justice for the world – both in secular and canon law. Sharing his reflection on this is Brendan Scott, a litigation lawyer at a Toronto law firm and member of the Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Toronto. He is married to the love of his life and has three children.

1. From Pope Francis’ letter on the Jubilee year: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision." How does having a profession in the legal system impact your efforts to create a more just and hopeful society?

Being a lawyer often allows me to give people hope that their legal issues are not as bad as they might seem. In that way, I concretely give people hope. Through the legal system, I try to help people obtain legal solutions to their problems, to achieve a just result, and restore justice to their life.

2. What are the ways you bring your faith into your work? How do you exercise hope in the day-to-day tasks of your profession?

Being a litigation lawyer is inherently adversarial. Having a firm belief in a loving God helps to put all of my disputes into perspective. My job gives me no shortage of opportunities to try to apply Jesus's call to love those adverse to you. 

 I try to remember that I am in the presence of God as I work. I work with the confidence that trying to fulfill all of my tasks as a lawyer - even the more tedious tasks - is what God wants me to do. Sometimes I find it helpful to say a quick prayer or to have an intention for a particular task. For example, I might offer a difficult meeting for the intention of someone that needs a prayer. 

3. How do you strive to nurture your relationship with God and fruitfully live out your vocation of marriage and family life while juggling work demands?

This is a question I am constantly thinking about and working on. If I am going to give myself any credit, it is for being deliberate about trying to do all these things. One thing that helps is having a clear sense of the priority that each responsibility has; God comes first, my vocation as a husband comes second, followed by my children and then my work.

Also, my spiritual director helps me to keep things in perspective. 

I try to begin each day with some time in prayer, preferably before our Lord in the tabernacle. I now crave that time. I try to let the love of God come over me so that I can share it with others throughout the day.

Spiritual reading is a major part of my time in prayer and I let the Holy Spirit help me find a text or book to meditate on. Fr. Conor Donnelly has some incredible mediations on Spotify and the transcripts to the meditations are readily available. He reflects on themes from the gospels such as service, and sacrifice; I try to apply these principles to my life.

Finally, the gift of the sacrament of reconciliation is crucial to my life. It continually gives me the opportunity to begin again and to bring to the Lord ways I need to improve as a Catholic, as a husband, as a father, and as a lawyer.

For more information on the Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Toronto, please visit https://thomasmoreguild.ca/.