A Saint Like Me?

During the summer, life tends to slow down a little bit. (Though, admittedly, the to-do list for preparing for next school year keeps growing at the admin level.) Still, without the hustle and bustle of the students, parents, and teachers throughout our building, the pace is slower, the mornings are less rushed, and the work hours are, for the most part, shorter.

At least for me, with slowing down comes more time for quiet and reflection. Quiet time is usually a welcome thing, but sometimes it can bring a lot of thoughts, emotions, etc. to the surface, causing normal thoughts for the tasks at hand to be interrupted. In the words of a friend I recently spoke to about having silent time in the car, he said, "Ain't nobody wanna be in there. There's too much going on!" Um...same.

My thoughts have recently been vocational in nature - as in, I have no clue what I'm supposed to do with my life. (Well, that's a little dramatic - I guess I have some clue, as I definitely feel called to this whole Catholic education thing.) But even within Catholic education, what mark am I supposed to make? Am I doing everything I can with what I have to advance the Kingdom of God in the here and now? Am I meant for the single life, or is the good Catholic man I've been praying for going to enter my life at some point in the near future? (I could keep on listing the questions swirling around in my head, but I think this glimpse gives you the idea.)

In life, God tells us to be patient. And that's hard to do, as it's more about trust than patience, IMHO. What's also difficult (yet, I guess you could say freeing at the same time) is there are so many examples and models of how to live the faith. And, as any teacher can tell you, choice is good...until you are overwhelmed by too many of them. Such is how I feel with the Saints. But I was reading an article in the Salesian magazine a few days ago, and one of the things the sister writing the article said stuck out to me: "God knows the world needs a Saint like you, too."

And it's true. God doesn't need another Mother Teresa or Thomas Aquinas, a Therese of Lisieux or an Ignatius of Loyola. He needs us - in all of our brokenness, with all of our gifts. And that is a beautiful thought! So as the pace stays slower (at least for the immediate future), I'm going to take comfort in that. I may not know the road ahead, but I need to trust that God will guide my footsteps.

I hope you take some time to relax and reflect this summer too. And keep fighting the good fight because the world needs a Saint like you, too.

Be still

I honestly think I might have missed a calling to the contemplative life.

I relish the silence - those times when the grocery store is empty, when the Lakefront path only has a handful of runners or bikers, when my roommates have gone on vacation for the weekend or are out for the evening, when the church isn't quite full before Mass, when I'm bagging produce at Mission OLA when no one else is around, when you get to watch the sunrise over the mountains or lake at a National Park...

Don't get me wrong - I love people and excitement too: Notre Dame football weekends, theaters abuzz waiting for a performance to start, summer festivals and concerts, school playgrounds...these things are all absolutely wonderful.

But there's something so incredibly beautiful and renewing about the silence and stillness. And I find that it's harder and harder to find that in today's society. But that doesn't mean we should stop looking; instead, I think it's a challenge to try harder. For without the silence, how can we hear God? Without being still, how can we possibly settle our mind to be grateful for all God has given to us?

Maybe it's time I actually go on one of those silent retreats my friends keep telling me about...

Silence, Please

Our pastor's homily focused on something very important (and yet often overlooked in our society) today: QUIET/SILENCE.

He explained that if we don't take time to listen, then we will never learn. If we do all the talking, how can we hear other people? If we're always plugged in, what are we missing?

Very good thoughts. Very timely questions/reflections.

Silence is good. We all need more of it in our lives to better be in tune with God, with each other, and with ourselves.

Can you imagine what a better world we would live in if we all started listening just a little bit more...?

Experiencing God by Simply Being...

Contemplation - prayer in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself (from http://www.centeringprayer.com/)

Whether it's been on purpose or not, I have found myself in this type of prayer quite often lately. (I do think the cooler "fall" weather has something to do with it because I've been able to spend more time outside without dripping with sweat.) I don't actively think of anything (which is actually harder done than said), but, instead, I simply experience the moment - the sunshine, the breeze, the smiles on people's faces...

It's so peaceful.

And I know God is there.

Some of my students have said that contemplation is their favorite type of prayer that they've learned in class because they get to just rest and sit in silence/peace.

In the midst of their busy days, who can blame them?

In the midst of our busy days, maybe we could give it a try...

"Be still and know that I am God." (Ps. 46:10)

3 minutes...

I was watching a TED Talk (I only listened to the first one of the playlist) this morning, and one thing the speaker encouraged his listeners to do is to spend 3 minutes in silence each day. (But if you can't have silence, have quiet - that works too.) Really, 3 minutes is not that much time, but there is something to be said for it.

In our society and in our homes (and schools, etc.) it seems that every moment is being filled with some kind of noise or attention or conversation or television program. It almost seems that if you're silent (for an extended period of time) something must be wrong with you. Trust me, my students think sitting in silence is a punishment - "think time" becomes torture for some. I just don't get it...

Being a teacher, I've learned to appreciate the silence. Being in a big city, I've learned to appreciate the silence. Being a constant on-the-go young adult, I've learned to appreciate the silence.

How do I find silence? It's hard when I'm surrounded by kids and co-workers all day, and it's hard when I come home to an apartment with roommates. It's hard to find silence when I hang out around town or go to a function at Church or with friends. But I get up earlier than I need to so that I may sit with my cup of coffee and the prayers in my heart and just be.

Yes, in the wee small hours of the morning, when the whole wide world is fast asleep...that's when I find the silence. That's when I feel closest to God. That's when I'm a good "listener" and when I can get recharged for the day.

What about you? How do you find your silence?

Peace in the Busyness

I probably spent close to 2 hours in the car this evening en route to visit with a family with whom I was friends in Arizona. (It's a long story, but it'd been awhile since I'd seen them...and they had my Girl Scout cookies.)

It actually brought me back to the good old Arizona days, where it was just me, my car, the radio (sometimes), and my thoughts.

And it's amazing what thoughts some quiet alone time can bring.

With so much coming at us each day by the internet and society (and our jobs, friends, etc.), it is refreshing to take a step away and just breathe. Yes, traffic wasn't the best - I ran into a few rough spots. But I found myself not minding at all because, in the busyness, I found peace.

Tomorrow, my students have the opportunity to share in the silent, "desert-like" Lenten experience as they do a half-day retreat in the morning. I hope that they take this time seriously and prayerfully, understanding that the quiet is okay - in the quiet, God speaks to us.

Please keep them in your prayers!

Alone Time...

Being busy has its perks...and that's good because these past few weeks (and the ones leading up to Christmas break) have been (and continue to be) pretty darn packed.

But there is something to be said for alone time too... 

I just got home from wing night, which was so much fun, especially since I hadn't been in quite some time. Thanks to getting together, plans are now tentatively made to hang out with some friends on Saturday night, and other plans are taking form to do quite a few other Church-, school-, and friend-related activities over the course of the rest of the weekend too. (My weekend got packed so fast!)...

But right now, I am sitting in my living room. The smell of my cinnamon candle is permeating the room, and the sounds of instrumental holiday classics are filling the room. The t.v. is off, and my roommates are not yet home. The radiator is hissing, and the heat coming from it is almost as comforting as the sweatpants I am currently wearing. The knowledge that tomorrow is Friday (and that there are only 2 more weeks until Christmas break) is refreshing and motivating.

Alone time.

Thank God for moments like these.

Trying to find the words

I got plenty of nothin'

Nothing's plenty for me...

Over and over I've started and erased tonight's blog post for no reason other than I just can't find the right words today.

But maybe silence is exactly what I need tonight in order to refresh for tomorrow.

Have you enjoyed a moment of silence today?

Just stop, stop, stop running...

Life flies by quick enough as it is - there's no reason to help it go by even faster.

Rush, rush, rush. First, first, first. This is what culture often dictates to (and demands of) us. Even in the microcosm of the classroom, it boils down to who can be first in line, who can pack up the fastest, who can get the newest textbook, who can finish the test first...

Do we see a trend here? And, more importantly, do we see a problem with this logic? We're on a race to nowhere, even in the fourth grade. What's the rush? Honestly, have we, as a society, created a mindset so averse to waiting for directions? to exercising patience? to showing appreciation?

Yes, even as adults, there are countless activities we run, run, run among each day. (And, by no means am I belittling any of the tasks at hand.) But we need to be present in the current activity rather than let thoughts about the next hundred things we need to accomplish consume our time and energy. (Don't worry - I acknowledge I need to work on this too - note the "we" - so I'm right there with you!) Seriously, what good does worry do? It only takes us away from enjoying and experiencing what is right in front of us.

And if common sense wasn't enough in this situation, the Gospel spells it out too: "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself..." (Mt 6:34)

So, let's allow the following question/song lyrics marinate in our minds and hearts tonight:

"Can we slow down, just take our time,

Close our eyes and just enjoy the ride?"

Grotto candles bring a sense of serenity

I encourage (and, in a way, challenge) you to just take a deep breath and take in the moment. 

(I personally think the view is much nicer when life's not in fast forward.)

Finding God in the Everyday

If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint. 

-Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Why begin today's entry with this quote? Well, as it happens, today is the feast of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. It was not until last summer, actually, that I became aware of St. Ignatius and his forms of prayer. (I've always been accustomed to the Salesian order, having gone to a Salesian high school, served as a counselor at a Salesian summer camp, and, finally, worked at a Salesian elementary school. Yes, once a Salesian, always a Salesian.)

Quite frankly, I find Ignatian prayer/spirituality (I recommend using the Examen) a most marvelous and meaningful addition to prayer life because at its heart is the idea of God being intimately involved in our lives in even the smallest and most mundane ways.

And it is about taking time to reflect on and recognize those instances where God has made himself truly present to us, whether it be through a friend, through nature, through work, or even through a complete stranger.

I personally like finding God in nature...

Flowers in Loose Park, Kansas City

view from the dock, Michigan

Now, doesn't thinking about God's presence in our lives in such a manner make the day just that much better?