JOY, a reminder (4/25/20)

"Our Call to Joy"
Poem of the Day - 4/25/20
Audio Version of Today's Poem

I was reminded in a homily today
About our call
As Christians
To spread the Good News
With JOY
Such a powerful reminder
Especially in our current climate
As we strive to put Jesus first
Through prayer
And virtual Mass,
And then comes others
By reaching out to our neighbors
And staying in touch with family
And,
Finally,
Yourself -
Still important,
For we cannot serve from empty vessels,
But not more important
Than the other two
Joy -
Hard to sometimes define
But never possible to be mistaken
When you come across
A joy-filled and joyful witness

Joy...always

Who would have thought that getting 8 teachers together to learn a 2 minute dance in the school's musical production of "Mary Poppins Jr" would be so supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? (Sorry, I had to throw that descriptor in somewhere.)

But seriously - Educator life goal of making a cameo appearance in the school play complete. (But hey, if the opportunity presents itself, I'll do it again in the future...just sayin'...it doesn't have to be a one and done thing.)

Check out the whole dance HERE. :)

Best bloomin' chimney sweeps around, eh?

What strikes me about this group of fabulous educators, led, of course, by our principal (third from the left), is the constant JOY they emanate and the energy they bring each day to their classrooms and lessons. In a Catholic school, joy should always be what grounds us in the education of minds and hearts.

And I think as we prepare for Catholic Schools Week, we need to remember this. It's likely, from time to time, that many of us will lose that sense of joy, even if ever so briefly. (Trust me from personal experience on this one.) We get caught up in deadlines, paper grading, student misbehavior or frustration, lack of time, too many meetings, parent communication, etc. etc. etc. And then, we get disheartened, frustrated with ourselves and our students, and we wonder, Am I really cut out to be a teacher? (Spoiler alert: The answer is most likely yes.)

To be joyful is a choice, and it comes from first being filled with joy from knowing and loving God, letting our hearts be filled with the Holy Spirit. It comes from Mass, and prayer, and time, and commitment. It comes from surrounding ourselves with good people, others who have discovered their same God-given purpose in Catholic education. And it comes from helping our students recognize and find that same joy in their own relationships with Jesus.

So, as we gear up for Catholic Schools Week, we need to lift one another in prayer to our Father and ask that He fill our hearts with joy and gratitude so that through our work as educators we continue to make Him known, loved, and served.

Christmas is coming...right?

Advent is my favorite liturgical season...and not just because I get to wear purple and pink (err...I mean, rose). I love the anticipation, the joy, the hope that the season brings. I love the idea of trying to simplify and refocus, even when it seems that everyone else around you is getting busier and stressed.

But usually it feels more like Christmas right about this time. (Happy third Sunday of Advent, by the way.) I was talking with some friends last night as we were in the lobby before taking our seats for a show, and we were mostly in accord about this - the feeling of the holiday season just hadn't hit us yet, even though the stores are wall to wall Christmas decorations and we've done our shopping and our trees/lights are up... What was going on this year?

It's funny how things change so fast. As noted, the above conversation was in the lobby as we waited for a show. When we came out of the show at its conclusion, it finally felt like Christmas. Yes, there were holiday songs and Christmas lights in the theater, but that wasn't the reason. Yes, it was an adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," but that wasn't it either... 

I think what made it finally hit was the contagious joy and beautiful messages conveyed cleverly and beautifully through the play. As I looked around the audience at various times during the play, everyone was smiling - they just couldn't help it. The show just gets it right. One "catchy" message that comes in the final song is this: "Christmas is not about presents but about being in the presence of the people you love." (And here's a short reflection from America Magazine that's along these same lines.) As I sat in a long row with 12 of my friends, I realized how true this is. It doesn't matter what we have or give but how we love and accept others' love in return. It's an age-old message, but one worth repeating over and over.

What a group, what a night! The holidays finally feel here. :)

I'll leave you with a few photos from the day/evening - I love bringing good people together:

Patrick couldn't quite get the camera to work at first, so here's a candid shot.

Now we're in business!

I'm getting better at these large group selfies with practice!

Best show (and great new venue)!!

These people bring me so much joy - love them!!

waiting with great anticipation

These smiles say it all - what a show!

Love and Joy Made Manifest

As a teacher you can be strategic about a few things...especially field trips. The students at my school were long overdue for a visit up to Misericordia, an amazing home and facility for people with developmental and physical disabilities, so I worked with the eighth grade religion teacher and other service club moderator to plan this trip. We were looking forward to this day for a long time...and it finally arrived!

It's hard to put your finger on it, but there's something incredibly special about this place. Love and joy are expressed tangibly through the interactions of the staff with each other and with the residents and with guests such as ourselves. We watched a brief film about the services and facilities provided for residents before getting a tour around the grounds, in the bakery, by the coffee-packaging, and to the art studio (where they told us to look up this amazing video about their rhino art project with the zoo). We ended our morning there with a visit from the executive director, who also happens to be the great aunt of one of our eighth graders.

The bus ride back was rather loud, as you can probably guess if you know anything about middle school students, but I was able to get some time to think to myself, sitting towards the back amidst the students but in my own seat by the window. And I couldn't help but think about all we heard and saw. When I think of places that make a difference, Misericordia is up at the top without a doubt. It is a living and breathing example of Catholic Social Teaching, which calls us to care for the (poor and) vulnerable. And the staff carry this out with such love and grace.

It's so easy to get swept up in our day to day - we tend to worry about things that, in the grand scheme of life, do not really matter. Trips to places like Misericordia put life in perspective. We (and I include myself very much in this blanket statement) take so much for granted - walking, dressing, working, etc. but the residents and staff at Misericordia do not. Everything is a gift in their eyes, and it rightly should be in our eyes as well. All life has value and worth, even if society places more value on some types of people over others. Our city is so blessed with this wonderful place, and our school is so lucky to be connected with it (in a small way) too.


If you live in or near the Chicago area, I highly recommend you take yourself up there for a field trip. (They are always looking for volunteers.) If you are reading this from a more distant location, at least check out their online store - I highly recommend the bakery section...

October Consolations and Joys

October has been a blur. So I wanted to take a moment and reflect on some moments of consolation and joy, from small to medium-sized things...

1. Student responses on assessments and projects --> It always brings a smile to my face when students recognize certain things, especially those things about which I am not explicit...even if they get the test item somewhat incorrect...

2. Gratitude journal --> I've taken up this practice during the school week, as I keep the journal on my desk. It helps me focus on the positive in my day and to keep an eye out for things that happen that are worth adding.

3. Grad school reminders --> Yes, we have weekly assignments and long-term projects, but what is it, exactly, that I committed to in the first place? This was a wonderful reminder, as I found it on accident fishing bobby pins out of my purse for a co-worker. God shows up in the most mysterious ways!

4. The Chicago Theater Scene --> Tickets for $10 each?! We'll take 'em! On Friday night my sister and I saw a unique take on Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," which was set in the 1920's during the push for women suffrage and the passing of the 19th Amendment. There were a lot of Chicago references too. I highly recommend it!

5. BONUS - Beautiful Sunsets --> Admittedly, this means I've been in my car going to meetings, volleyball games, etc. far too late in my evenings, but I'm rewarded every once in awhile with the natural beauties of our world. Again, God shows up. I'm on the lookout!

I'm excited for November - a retreat, a trip to the west coast, Thanksgiving with the fam... It's going to be a wonderful month ahead. :)

One word: Joy

It's a great day for the Irish - well, it would have been a better day if we could have "flown the W" like the Cubs (holler!).

But talk about game day picture-perfect: amazing weather, plenty of time to tailgate hop with friends (it was a night game, after all), and lots of beautiful expected (and unexpected!) faces.

One word: JOY!

On Facebook, I posted these photos with a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "I didn't find my friends; the good Lord gave them to me." This could not be more true! Days like yesterday remind me of this, and I have to pinch myself.

Now, as Sunday night is upon me, I look back with gratitude over my weekend experiences (except the part where I had to turn around after getting to the grocery store on Friday to get my phone I had left at school - ah!) and look ahead with hopeful anticipation. Let us keep one another in prayer.