Eucharistic Adoration energized me with gratitude.
Despite one of the busiest and most stressful weeks of the year at my job (we had a key member of our staff suddenly quit too) I was able to make the most of it.
Planning helped but shout out to my older kids for helping out.
Amelia had her First Reconciliation interview yesterday. She did great! Proud of her for practicing the Act of Contrition daily.I had her write out the prayer and practice before and after school. 🙂🙏
I published a review on the Piano Priest, finished my article for Saint Anthony Messenger, and started reading a book (to review) about Saint Maria Goretti.
All in all not too bad considering my store went through an entire grocery aisles reset.
Grateful for my wife and her encouragement and editing skills. Most thankful to have the opportunity to sit before our Lord during Eucharistic Adoration this week.
The world moves at lightning ⚡ pace and stress seems to compound faster than interest on payday loans.
Add the short-staffing crisis and the ongoing pandemic to the mix and it’s no wonder people’s mental health is on the brink of breaking (again and again).
Will the Stress Ever End?
I have suffered anxiety attacks at least weekly at work.
I often get frustrated at myself for not having more “strength” to weather the stress storm.
“My best is not enough” I think as I analyze the ever-growing list of things needed to do at work.
And it never will be enough.
You are not meant to have perfection or “enoughness” in this life.
Only One can fill your heart and mind with satisfaction and long-term peace, contentment and joy.
God.
Gratitude is our oxygen.
The pressures of the world make it appear survival is the only option. Inhale a large breath and make it last until you burst.
Taking a moment or two to exhale by taking in gratitude infuses new life.
God gives us grace (pure gift) to help us in times of trouble.
The catch?
Gifts are only help when you accept them
Ask and you will receive.
One way to receive grace is to practice gratitude.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 26, 2019 but the power of gratitude still remains relevant.
Today started out much like a normal day. I woke up. Ate breakfast. Got ready for work. Arriving at work, I encountered a lot of negativity. Frustration from customers. Lack of understanding from co-workers. Dullness, dreariness, pessimism besieged me.
My ego weakened and trust damaged I felt like giving up. Something provoked me to pause. Wait. Think it through. To fight back.
Gratitude caused me to push back against the negativity. Pulling out a post-it notes I quickly jotted a ton of things (ability to write, family, life, job, pens, calculator). Most of these were blessings immediately in front of me. I soon relearned that I have much to be thankful.
Stopping to reflect on my blessings put distance between myself and the negativity. Recognizing all the things large and small I have to be grateful for proved to be the turning point in my day.
Gratitude is the greatest weapon to defeat negativity. If you are encountering pessimism daily, at work or home, please don’t despair. Think about the blessings in your life great and small. Thanksgiving will help dispel the storm.
Nothing in life is guaranteed except for death, taxes and the deliciousness of Dr. Pepper.
When you approach things from an entitled mindset all the successes you achieved slowly topple over
An ungrateful person is a prideful one.
Pride, in moderation can help you gain confidence. But in excess it’s a problem.
And it leads (eventually) to a life of hopelessness.
Life is a gift— everything is gift.
Your wins. Losses. And boring practices.
Gratitude helps to color life. Thankfulness leads to color instead of black/white/grey drab living.
Give thanks to someone in your life.
I’m incredibly thankful for an amazing and understanding wife.
My Catholic faith has ensured me something additional— hope and that my suffering on Earth can be redemptive when united to the Cross.
Nothing is guaranteed except death, taxes, and deliciousness of Dr. Pepper.
But let’s add something to that list
Joy is guaranteed when you approach life with gratitude.
How do you foster a spirit of gratitude in your work and home life?
P. S. I’m thankful for the Dr. Pepper meme because it’s tied for the meme that makes me laugh no matter what. Yoda dying of Luke’s questions and the kid figuring out Santa isn’t the real Santa are the other two giggle guarantors (not sure if that’s the right word but I’m an alliteration addict☺) .
This year has brought a seismic shift to our way of life. Political tensions and race riots added to the stresses caused by the pandemic. Despite, all the changes, my faith in God remained as strong as ever.
How exactly do you find strength and calm during horrifying news like the McCarrick scandal?
It’s okay to be frustrated, disgusted, worried, angry, sad, or any other raw negative emotion. I am deeply saddened by the abuse and corruption in the Catholic Church. But the Church is a reflection of the Incarnation— it’s both human and Divine.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1118, ”
The sacraments are “of the Church” in the double sense that they are “by her” and “for her.” They are “by the Church,” for she is the sacrament of Christ’s action at work in her through the mission of the Holy Spirit. They are “for the Church” in the sense that “the sacraments make the Church,”35 since they manifest and communicate to men, above all in the Eucharist, the mystery of communion with the God who is love, One in three persons.
Individuals who life fully in the sacramental life and leave they previous life behind transform from sinners into saints. Holy men and women allow and cooperate with God so intimately they in a sense become “little Christs”. Jesus, Mary, and the saints always draw me back to the Truth as taught by the Catholic Church. Here is an updated list ten holy Catholics you should learn about.
Venerable Fulton Sheen
Reading the works of the American archbishop helped me learn my faith in a clearer and more articulate fashion. His book The World’s First Love: Mary the Mother of God influenced more than any other work on deepening my relationship with the Blessed Virgin. He famously said, “Judge the Catholic Church not by those who barely live by its spirit, but by the example of those who live closest to it.”
St. Josemaria Escriva
Since receiving his book The Way as an unexpected Christmas present, this Spanish priest became a huge role model for me. Fr. Escriva’s practical advice and wisdom on work being a pathway to holiness helped me become not only a better employee, but also a better husband as well.
St. Teresa of Avila
Saint Teresa of Avila is a wonderful role model for how to clear out the clutter of fear and sin in my life. I even named my youngest daughter (Avila) after this Doctor of the Church. My spiritual life need not be at the surface level. Her spiritual work, Interior Castle, helps me invite God past the entryway of my “spiritual home” and into the recesses of my heart.
St. Catherine of Siena
Over the past year, I had the privilege and joy of acclimating myself with the teachings of this Doctor of the Church. In light of the recent clergy crisis, I oftentimes sink into despair as I think that a simple lay person such as myself has nothing to contribute or weight to affect the good of the Church.
Reading the many letters of Catherine of Siena proved to me that even the laity have the ability—and the charge—to holiness and call on Church leadership to be good shepherds to lead the flock faithfully!
St. Maria Faustina
Being my wife’s confirmation saint, I did not learn about Sister Faustina until we started dating in college. Along with the impact the Polish nun had on my wife, her Diary of a Soul proved helpful for my spiritual life.
As a lifelong Catholic, I always knew of God’s mercy, but her ability to articulate boundlessness of Divine Mercy and the Divine Mercy icon now have become staples in my spiritual life.
St. Athanasius
Growing up as a cradle Catholic, I am ashamed to admit I never heard of this amazing doctor of the Early Church. Since taking a graduate course on Christology and reading [enter book title], St. Athanasius’ intrepid stand against the most sinister heresy—Arianism—in the history of the Catholic Church always inspires and fascinates me! I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read the sainted bishop’s On the Incarnation.
St. Pope John Paul II
The Polish pope overcome much adversity in his life: losing his immediate family members by the age of 21, living through Nazi and Communist regime, and suffering from polio at the end of his life.
John Paul II’s ability to suffer gracefully and his strong devotion and daily reception of the sacrament of Penance make him the perfect role model for faithful Catholics.
St. Francis de Sales
Although Frances was a bishop, his spirituality largely impacted the laity. His spiritual work Introduction to the Devout Life, remains as relevant now almost 500 years later.
St. Therese of Lisieux
Whether I experience doldrums or dryness in the spiritual life, reacquainting myself with the Little Way of St. Therese provides me spiritual nourishment to withstand those dry spells.
The simplicity of her spiritual helps to provide me perspective that I do not have to perform grandiose works to grow in holiness. Actually, that path it found through consistent prayer and trust in God’s will. I am thankful for her loving witness to trust in the Father’s Divine Plan.
St. Louis de Montfort
Every great saint has a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but arguably no other saint has written about the Mother of God with such clarity and beauty as Louis de Montfort. I learned about his books during a Marian consecration. True Devotion to Mary and The Secret of the Rosary are required items on your bookshelf. Re-re-reading both books have become a yearly tradition for me.
“[Mary] is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus and will surrender themselves to her, body and soul, without reserve in order to belong entirely to Jesus.” — St. Louis de Montfort
Bonus Catholic Role Model —J.R.R. Tolkien
While the father of fantasy and beloved creator of Middle Earth may appear as an outlier in this list, the late Oxford professor strongly influenced and deepened my Catholic faith in recent years. His ability to teach truth without sounding preachy is second to none.
Reading his works sparks my imagination. When I found out that his Catholic faith permeated his entire life, even his writing, I too dove deeper into the pursuing the joy of the truth founded in the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Editor’s note: Article originally published on September 11, 2019.
Gratitude is everything. Everything in this life originates proceeds through gratitude. I am incredibly grateful to have lived through a tornado and only have water in the basement it’s not even that much water.
According to Blessed Solanus Casey, “Gratitude is the first sign of a thinking, rational creature.” Thankfulness breeds kindness, productivity, and leads to reciprocity between individuals. Ingratitude walls us off from others. The primary culprit of ingratitude is selfishness—pride. Pride suffocates us. It kills us. Gratitude is the oxygen by which we breathe in blessedness and breathe out all other virtues.
Suffocation through Selfishness
I’ve been so selfish. Jealous. Of others’ successes over mine. I worry. I’m anxious. I doubt. I despair. Why? Because of I have not double downed on gratitude. I failed to always puts the big scope, the greater picture, in front of me. Life is like a mural. If you look at it too closely or only in portions you see ugliness.
Gratitude allows us to see our lives as chapter of a grander story. A good story. A beautiful story. A true story. I did not intend to write this post I don’t even know how these words are forming in my mind this is just me talking it out my feelings my gratitude now my sincere regret for being selfish and ungrateful. I’m just an instrument these are not my own words. These are His words.
Growth with Gratitude
I’ve been crying tears of joy this whole time I’ve been composing this post. That’s just so crazy for me to think about. The last day and a half I’ve experienced tangibility with the divine I can’t describe in words. But I do know that I am thankful. I am thriving since being more intentionally grateful.
It is both frightening and joyful. Have you ever had such an experience that is indescribable?
Please share your indescribable experiences and how you maintain a grateful attitude in the comments.
Hope you have a Happy Memorial Day! I am grateful for the incredible men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice to keep my country safe.
“Dear Lord Jesus and Mary, Mother of God, Hold all these brave souls in the palm of your hand, comfort them and their families. … On Memorial Day we not only remember those who have died, but also those who continue to serve and the families they have waiting for them
