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Everyday Life

On the Inside; On the Outside


 
Oct 07 2021
Love0

Pleasing me – it should not be!

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“Love God greatly; be always united to God; do everything for God; love everything for God.” ~St. Gerard Majella

While on retreat, my lodging accommodations found me in the St. Gerard hermitage. This was quite ironic as this is also my middle name. In my room was a little booklet with novenas to St. Gerard. Admittedly, I did not know much about him, other then he is known as the patron saint of pregnant mothers. (Apparently, my mother prayed to him when she was trying to get pregnant with me – which is where my name derived.) And reading about him was very timely as his feast day is October 16th.

I read this little novena book cover to cover and discovered many things about St. Gerard. He was so attracted by God that his whole life was immersed in the greatness of God, surrendering completely to him. He strived to make everything he did an act of love for God. And he had the gift of recognizing the presence of Christ in the faces of others. That is certainly a gift that we need to pray for in our own lives.

St. Gerard was all about living God’s divine will. He had a sign on his door that read: “Here the will of God is done.” If you were to summarize his life-long intention, it would be with this phrase: to always please God in whatever he did. This should be our goal as well.

Whatever tasks or duties that we undertake, these should all be done cheerfully. We need to change our mindset and truly believe that everything we do should give delight to God. According to Gerard, no matter what comes our way, even when the worst things happen, we need to accept it as God’s will (even if it doesn’t seem to be) and try to make it into something joyful.

We pray that we are able to know and love God, to do everything for God, and have the strength to carry out his will each and every day. Make us always aware that no matter what we do, it matters to God. May we want nothing for ourselves but strive to want what God wants for us. Amen.

Jul 11 2021
Love0

Chosen by Jesus

Posted by | Discipleship, Everyday Life | No Comments

I’d like you to imagine this scene. You are in grade school standing with a group of your friends on the school playground. Two people emerge as captains and begin picking their teams. You stand there, waiting for your name to be called and to be chosen. What are some of the emotions that are running through your mind? Is it excitement in anticipation of your name being called? Is it anxiety and the stress of waiting? Is it doubt that maybe you don’t feel like you’re worthy of being chosen? Or is it fear, thinking to yourself, “Please don’t let me be picked last.” Finally, you’re picked. What were you feeling? Was it relief that you landed on a team? Were you hesitant because you weren’t sure of what was to come? Or were you filled with exuberance, ready to jump in and get started? I remember one time in grade school, there was a boy named Billy who had absolutely no athletic skill at all, and neither captain wanted him on their team. Eventually he was the last kid standing. When he was finally chosen, he didn’t reluctantly mosey over to his team because he was last. He was filled with such joy and excitement that he began yelling at the top of his lungs, “Woo hoo! Yeah! Alright! Let’s do this!” The rest of us kind of looked at each other in complete shock because we had never seen anyone so excited to be chosen. Read More

Jun 13 2021
Love0

Growing into our Responsibilities

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When I was growing up, money was scarce at times, and we often had to do without. My dad worked two jobs to help make ends meet while my mom made every penny stretch as far as possible. That was probably the major reason why everything they gave me was always two or three sizes too large. I remember when I was 12 years old, I received a pair of roller skates – so large that I had to stuff an old sock in them to fill up the toe space. When I took them out of the box, I looked up and said, “Mom, I can’t skate with these.” She said, “Be grateful for what you have, Allen.” And then she said the phrase I had become so accustomed to hearing over the years, “Don’t worry; you’ll grow into them.” Read More

Nov 15 2020
Love0

Taking a Risk

Posted by | Discipleship, Everyday Life | 4 Comments

When I was in Cub Scouts many years ago, one of our big outings was to Eagle Cave in Wisconsin. My friend John and I were paired up to go on one of the more difficult cave hikes. As we stood in front of an extremely tight space that we needed to crawl through, we looked at each other with a sense of doubt. But John ventured right in. John, who was – shall we say – on the husky side, crawled on the ground and squeezed his way within the tight passageway – where he got stuck. After shifting and maneuvering for several minutes, he eventually got unstuck and made it through. Then it was my turn, and a sudden feeling of panic came over me. Now, I’m not one who is afraid of small, cramped spaces or even what might be crawling on the ground in a dark, slimy cave; but after watching John struggle, I was terrified to go any farther. I was afraid of taking a risk. Luckily, John kept me calm by saying everything was going to be fine, and that there’s no way that I would get stuck. (I was as skinny as a rail at that time.) And if I did get stuck, he said that he would be right there to help me. Well, I easily bellied through and when I emerged out of that tiny crevice, I was rewarded by seeing a vast and beautiful cavern. If I had not taken that risk, I would have not experienced the beauty of the cave. Read More

Sep 14 2020
Love0

7 Ways to Live Like a Monk (even during a pandemic)

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The year 2020 has certainly been one of those years for the record books. This global pandemic has really changed so many things in our lives – things that we used to take for granted. Our definition of freedom ‘to do what we want, when we want and where we want’ may never be the same.

I read an article about how our life in lock-down is forcing all of us to live like monks. As we have become somewhat accustomed to shelter-in-place and home-quarantine, this has hopefully given us the opportunity to get over our fear of solitude and fully embrace our spiritual connection with God.

Have we embraced our inner monk during this solitude? If not, here are seven ways that we can live like a monk every single day (pandemic or not). Read More

May 21 2020
Love1

We Are All in This Together

Posted by | Emotions/Feelings, Everyday Life | No Comments

Where is the one who brought up out of the sea, the shepherd of his flock? Where is the one who placed in their midst his holy spirit, who guided Moses by the hand, with his glorious arm? 

Where is the one who divided the waters before them— winning for himself an everlasting renown— who guided them through the depths, like horses in open country?

As cattle going down into the valley, they did not stumble. The spirit of the Lord guided them. Thus, you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name. ~Isaiah 63: 11b-14

 

Since the very beginning of this pandemic, there has been one phrase that we continue to hear: “We are all in this together.” It reminds us that you are I are not the only ones facing the challenges and struggles of COVID-19. Like it or not, we are all in the same boat.

As part of my day-job, I get to speak with people from across the globe every single day. This past week, I spoke with individuals from Japan, China, Sweden, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Every call begins with the topic of self-isolation, how we are surviving in this current environment, and if our families are safe. I see on a daily basis how we really are ‘all in this together.’ This is truly a global experience.

I have been thinking about this and how we can make a direct connection with our own Catholic faith. Catholic means universal. The Mass and the other sacraments are celebrated exactly the same throughout the world, bringing all Catholics together in a spirit of unity.

When I have attended Mass in other countries; even though I may not have fully understood the languages, I was fully aware of what was taking place. No matter where we may be, our Catholic faith is universal, centered around Jesus Christ and our belief in Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist.

But being Catholic is also about having an ongoing personal encounter with Christ so that we may be a witness of God’s love in the world. This means that we are called to live like Jesus and to work for peace and justice for one another by living out the Gospel.

We are part of this universal Church together, believing that God is not only present in the Eucharist, but is also present within us. This means that whatever we are going through, whatever comes our way, whatever obstacles we encounter, we are never left alone. God is always with us. Now I’ll admit, it’s not always easy to recognize Jesus when our eyes are cast down, when life is difficult, or when we find ourselves in our own personal pit of despair. But that is when we must fall back on our faith, trusting and believing that Jesus is the only one who can lift us out of our pit. We just need to be able to lift up our eyes and our hearts to see that Jesus is right there and to feel his presence.

My sisters and brothers, as Catholic-Christians “we are all in this together.” We always have been, and we always will be. May the spirit of the Lord guide us always and let us remember that Jesus is with us; Jesus is here – and we are never left alone.

Mar 26 2020
Love1

How to Work from Home (and not lose your mind)

Posted by | Everyday Life | 2 Comments

I am writing this as I sit secluded in my home office. Like all of us here in Illinois (and many other locations worldwide), we have been instructed to stay in and avoid leaving our homes. This, of course, is to prevent the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus. Thousands upon thousands are being mandated to work from home. Many of us have never done that before and may be struggling with this new concept. And if you have others at home with you (especially young children), you may be feeling the stress of wondering how you will be able to accomplish anything. Hopefully, I can help guide you through this challenging ‘remote worker’ journey.

        I’ve been fortunate to have been an exclusive work-from-home employee for nearly 8 years now. Prior to that, I was telecommuting several days each week for about 3 years. Over this period, I have learned how to be productive, efficient, and trustworthy. (Yes, trust is a big factor as your employer is trusting that you are doing what you are being paid to do – especially when not in the office and not directly supervised.) Therefore, I would like to share a few tips on how you can work remotely while maintaining your sanity as well as the sanity of those stuck at home with you.

  1. Start your day with prayer. There is no better way to begin your workday than by praying to your heavenly Father. By carving out a few minutes each morning for prayer, you will notice that your day runs more smoothly and that you can better handle what lies ahead. Remember, prayer changes everything.
  2. Make a to-do list. After praying, plan out your day and write down (either on paper or in an app) all that you need to accomplish that day. Prioritize your tasks and get to work. Having a plan is an excellent way to stay focused on what needs to be done.
  3. Find a space and create an environment. If you can claim a space in your home that is away from everyone, good for you. This is not always the case. If you cannot get away from the action, then find a space that is comfortable and functional. A kitchen table is not always the best choice, and neither is in front of a TV. Try a small desk in a bedroom or even at the dining room table. Create an environment that will put you at ease and let you focus on your daily tasks. Have some family photos nearby. Maybe light a candle or listen to some instrumental music, or even have a meditation fountain running. I like to have some religious articles in my sight to remind me that God is always with me during my day.
  4. Separate work (work) and home (work). A constant challenge for any remote worker is trying to keep your home life from creeping into your work life. It’s difficult to not think of all the things that you need to get accomplished at home, but you need to find a way to do this. If you need to put a sticky note on your computer to remind you to stay focused, then by all means do so. The mind always wants to wander. You must do whatever it takes to bring it back to reality – and to the work at hand.
  5. Set some ground rules. This is especially important if you have children at home. Make sure that they know that when the door is closed, you are not to be interrupted. Be creative. If the bathroom is the only isolation chamber in your house, then use it for those important phone calls. Setting some ground rules upfront will make all the difference.
  6. Take a break. Studies have shown that sitting and staring at your computer for a prolonged period of time is not good for your eyes, body, or mind. Set a timer for 50 minutes. When the timer goes off, take a 10-minute break. Don’t hit the snooze! Literally stand up and walk away from your work. Take a quick walk, do some yoga stretches, meditate or even pray. And don’t forget to eat. It sounds silly, but I cannot tell you how many times that I was so engrossed in my work that I had completely forgotten to eat. Try to stick with a similar time each day for lunch (or a walk). Doing this will re-energize your mind and body and better prepare yourself for getting back to work.
  7. Stay off of social media. Avoid the temptation of peeking at your social media accounts. Once you fall into this hole, it is extremely difficult to pull yourself out. If you are completely hooked, then at least try to save this for when you take your breaks or lunch.
  8. Be patient. Working from home is not always easy, and it’s not always for everyone. But cut yourself some slack. Noah didn’t build the ark overnight. It may take some time to find your groove. Just be patient with yourself. Ask God to help you if distractions keep making your mind drift. Perhaps God is trying to tell you something important with those distractions.
  9. Ask for help. In many cases, working from home will make your more productive. This is primarily due to missing out on some of the common distractions of being in an office. And as you become more productive, you may find that you are so involved in your work that you lose all track of time. This is truly the case if you have a private room tucked away from everyone else in the house. This is where my wife Stephanie has been invaluable to me. When I get too buried in what I am doing and it is getting late in the day, she will remind me that it is time to come out of my cave. I can’t tell you how many times I needed her to do that for me. Don’t be afraid to ask someone for help, someone who can remind you to come back to the family and back to reality.
  10. Adapt as required. Phones will ring, children will interrupt, dogs will bark, diapers need to be changed, etc. Life happens. Don’t lose your cool. Don’t turn a cut into an amputation. Once you realize that things happen (and you don’t get upset over these things when they happen), you will be in a better position to go with the flow.

One final thought. I always like to end my day with prayer. Whether doing an examination of conscience or any other type of prayer, it’s always a good idea to have the final words of your day be one of praise and thanksgiving to the One who made the day possible.

May God bless you and keep you safe during these difficult times.

Remember, we’re all in this together. I’d love to hear if you have some other tips that may be useful for others.