The Powerful Examen Prayer

I’m always surprised by the parallels between our physical and spiritual lives.

With strength training, a workout often agrees with our bodies while we are doing it, but then later that day, or the next day, we realize you did too much or that a particular lift or movement doesn’t agree with our body. That realization and reflection on what we did well and what might need to change moving forward is very important for growth and sustainability in physical training.

In the same way, reflection on how we are doing in our daily relationship with God and with each other is something that requires reflection for growth and sustainability. As it turns out, a couple friends in a discipleship program which I’m a part of shared the role of the examen prayer in reflecting on their daily lives. I wanted to learn more so I’ve been exploring the Ignatius Examen that is part of his Spiritual Exercises (#43) and I have enthusiastically incorporated this method of prayer into my life.

Generally speaking, the Ignatius Examen has five parts which include: gratitude for the blessings of the day, petitioning God for his grace and strength to see where we can do better, reviewing the day through spiritual eyes, asking for forgivingness where needed, and planning for the next day. Examen prayer time typically begins and closes with prayers of your choice. From what I’ve learned, the examen is meant to be brief and simple, but it can often lead us into the deep waters of discernment and growing in love of God and neighbor.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

There is so much to the examen, and I am new to it, but there are two books that I found helpful: Reimagining the Ignition Examen by Mark Thibodeaux, SJ and The Examen Prayer, Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives Today by Timothy M. Gallager, O.M.V.

As someone who prays mostly in morning, I felt a void in my spiritual life not praying in the evening. Praying an evening examen has become a way to review the day with God to see where he was working and where I was and wasn’t cooperating with his grace. I also sometimes do a mini examen at lunch time or after key events of the day. For me, it’s been 5-15 minutes most days and I look forward to it.

There are times of course when I’ve had a ‘bad day’ where things didn’t go well and I didn’t respond with love — and it can be easy to decide to avoid the examen on those days, so as to not face my failings, but what I’ve found most interesting is that on those ‘bad’ days there are so many blessings, so much to be grateful for that I am actually lifted up by the examen prayer rather than feeling discouraged by my weak responses to the events of the day. Those days often increase my resolve to call on God more the next day (as we know, going it alone never works.)

At the essence of the examen is the daily practice of discernment in our lives. Where is God? Where am I? Am I seeking him, thanking him, responding to his grace throughout the day? Am I allowing him to work through me to others? Where can I do better? What needs to change in my life? How can I see God more fully in my daily adventure with him? What virtues and habits can I grow in to live the next day even better?

I think that is the key point — that through this practice of honestly reviewing the events of the day with God, we begin to respond with more faith, hope, love, wisdom and understanding the next day and the next day — on this journey toward sainthood.

It has been an interesting journey so far. It takes some real effort to make the examen a daily habit, and I can see the challenge of making it sustainable over years, but I also see how active God is in every minute of the day, the gift of his grace that is being poured out, and how he desires that we be more attentive vessels. From Ephesians 2:8, “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you, it is the gift of God.”

All that is Beautiful

I’ve always been struck by the beauty of movement, whether it’s a ballerina gracefully moving across the stage, a baseball hitter’s powerful swing, a skier masterfully navigating the mountain, or an athlete in the gym maneuvering heavy weights with ease. 

Beauty is all around us in many forms and I try to take the time to appreciate how the many hours of repetitive practice allow the human person, at every level of athletics, to move with beauty, grace and ease. Thanks be to God for the incredible design of the human body and all that it allows us to do

The ability to appreciate beauty, in any form, is truly a gift from God. I was reminded of this recently as I listened to a Catholic podcast and the topic was goodness, beauty and truth. This time of year especially, when the trees are budding, the flowers are blooming, and all of nature becomes a flourish of green, it is a easy be thankful for the goodness, beauty and truth of God displayed in the majesty of His creation.

Beauty resides not only in our vistas and valleys, but also in literature, art, music, theatre, gardening, cooking, woodworking, athletics, and most especially in how we love and serve. Beauty resides in really any activity that we unite with God and that lifts our eyes and hearts to Him in thanksgiving. God generously pours his grace into us as we live, laugh, love, pray, play, move, share and create—each of us in our own way—and so we all contribute in some way to the beautiful tapestry of God’s creation.

What a powerful prayer to ask God to guide us in our creative, artistic and physical endeavors and that we do everything with pure hearts rooted in His love. Let us nurture and share our gifts and talents freely so that the goodness, beauty and truth of God flow out from us to others.

The pinnacle of beauty is love in the human soul. St. Pope John Paul II referred to the human person as the “masterpiece of God’s creation.” May we give thanks for the inner beauty of every soul which is like a shimmering jewel illuminating the light of Christ, each in our own way. 

St. Augustine said, “How does that beauty bring us closer to Him? Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.”

Help us Lord to appreciate the goodness, beauty and truth of both the joys and the sufferings that we will inevitably experience in this life — and by your grace, may we unite all of it with the love of your Son Jesus Christ, who by the Cross, gives us new life.

Woe to Compare

One of the tenets of physical strength training is to listen to your body and go at your own pace. It can be tempting to compare our progress to others, but comparison can lead to discouragement and frustration. It can take the fun out of our little successes.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

In the spiritual life, comparison can also lead to discouragement. God gives each  of us different gifts and inspirations about how to use them. Praying for guidance, being faithful to the Sacraments, and learning about ourselves through the study of scripture are some ways God reveals who we are through Him and how we are called to use our gifts and talents to accomplish our unique mission.

St Paul addressed comparison in 2nd Corinthians 10:12, “Not that we dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”

As Christians, we are called to support, encourage, love and be inspired by each other. We are on the same team! We are each given unique gifts for the purpose of lifting up the Body of Christ and bringing people to Christ. How ineffective we would be if we all had the same gifts! 

God is so generous, and has such great plans for each of us that if we wallow in the fact that some people have more gifts (or what we consider better gifts) than we do, we may miss out on our unique mission and purpose. Most certainly comparison opens the door to Satan to discourage us and perhaps even stop us from striving for holiness (and sainthood!) altogether.

Christ knows our individual strength and weaknesses and he works with us just as we are — so let us seek Him rather than looking to people to give us our mission and identity.  St. Francis de Sales said, “Be who you are and be that well.”

Let us pray for the humility to be honest with ourselves about our gifts and to patiently discern how to use them. Often our mission is small and hidden, but of no less importance than what appears to be someone else’s grandiose mission. May we be grateful for whatever gifts we have and pray to find God’s peace and joy in living authentically with Him as our guide.

Our Call to Greatness this Lent

Mediocre is such an odd word. It’s Latin root is ‘medius’ meaning middle and ‘ocris’ which means rugged mountain. So mediocre is being about half way up the mountain. I don’t think any of us want to be mediocre in any area of our lives, but ’mediocre' is a good word for us to consider during this season of Lent in which we are called to go all in with spiritual practices for 40 days.

Spiritual mediocrity can mean something different for each of us. I think that we can agree that we want to keep climbing the mountain, the entire 40 days of Lent, and not be stuck halfway up with habits of prayer, fasting and almsgiving that fizzle, become ho-hum, or are cast aside altogether.

We are all called to greatness. Each. And. Every. One. Of. Us. How we get there is very individual, between each of us and God. It is not something we can do on our own and it often doesn’t feel like the world is helping us much.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”

The secular world doesn’t encourage the sacrifice and selflessness that we seek during Lent. It is however, the giving more of ourselves that helps us lean into Jesus and his love more deeply, richly and purely.

I want Lent to be meaningful for you and for me. I want to pray more, be faithful to holy and healthy habits that will help me grow closer to Jesus and grow in holiness. Of course, our desire needs to be paired with solid actions that we discern and implement to see real, sustainable changes in our attitudes and actions, to avoid mediocrity.

Journaling is something I have added to my prayer life this Lent, so I can reflect on the Gospel, a saint, or my love (or lack of love) of neighbor. I haven’t journaled for a while, but so far it is revealing a lot about my motivations, where I am weak or strong, and I think this practice will bear good fruit over time.

As we seek to implement Lenten actions that help us rise above mediocrity, the word ‘courageous’ comes to mind. Feeling called to a new spiritual or physical practice this Lent? Do it. Go for it. Be courageous and give your yes to God! 

I’ll close with these encouraging words St. Pope John Paul II, “It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”

St. Augustine's New Years' Wisdom

The New Year is always filled with promise. Something shifts in us that makes us want to become more holy and healthy. Maybe its the change of routine during Christmas and New Year, the travel, or our over-indulging in things of the world (like cookies and wine) that make us ready to begin anew in January.

It’s a great to build new habits of exercise and healthier eating patterns, but more importantly, this is an excellent time of year to renew our commitment to prayer, fasting and receiving the sacraments. Developing strong holy habits now can help us have a more holy and healthy Lent (which is just around the corner.)

As it turns out. St. Augustine has some priceless and even humorous words of wisdom about the power of habits and the role of God in our lives. 

He said, “Such is the strength of the burden of habit. Here I have the power to be but do not wish it. There I wish to be but lacks the power. On both grounds, I'm in misery.”

I laugh (and cry) in agreement with him. I want so much to be faithful to holy and healthy habits that will help me grow and to more fully live out God’s mission for me, but I try and fail, try and fail, again and again. Oh misery!

He encourages us. “You aspire to great things? Begin with the little ones.”

Small steps daily, little things with great love, small changes like 10 more minutes of prayer, offering kind words to others, doing a chore without complaint, starting a Holy Hour. A series of small steps can be a gift, a surprise of happy and holy changes that take root and bear fruit in our lives and in the lives of those we love.

St. Augustine said, “For if God is man's chief good, which you cannot deny, it clearly follows, since to seek the chief good is to live well, that to live well is nothing else but to love God with all the heart, with all the soul, with all the mind.”

And so in our steady stream of resolutions, goals and desires for achievement, we are reminded by this dear saint to stay the course, to pray, to listen and rely on God by seeking his will and loving him with all we’ve got.

When the discipline of holy and healthy habits becomes wearisome, we are reminded that what we are trying to do here on earth is filled with temporary toil and that our true destiny is to be with our God one day in heaven. 

St. Augustine said, “When I come to be united to thee with all my being, then there will be no more pain and toil for me, and my life shall be a real life, being wholly filled by thee.”

Just in case we become full of ourselves with all of our trying, controlling and doing to improve conditions for this temporal body, St. Augustine points us to hope in our mighty Lord and the powerful union we have with him as his beloved sons and daughters.

“Now, may our God be our hope. He Who made all things is better than all things. He Who made all beautiful things is more beautiful than all of them. He Who made all mighty things is more mighty than all of them. He Who made all great things is greater than all of them. Learn to love the Creator in His creature, and the maker in what He has made.”

May this new year be a joyful kickstart of holy and healthy habits for you, with our mighty God at the helm, and with a new appreciation of God living (and working) within each of us.

In Training to Grow in Holiness during Advent

Most of the people I work with want to get stronger and move better for everyday life. They want to be healthy and able to enjoy their families and friends, to travel, and be able to take care of themselves as they age and have the ability to serve others.

So the approach I use in teaching fitness is moderate and consistent physical activity. I refer to physical activity as ‘training’ instead of ‘working out’ because the word ‘training’ sounds like we are on a journey — which we are — to provide consistent care for the gift of this human body so we can serve God and neighbor to the best of our ability while we are here on earth.

I also like to think that we are in training to grow in holiness each day. When we rise and pray anew, frequent the sacraments and try to be loving and giving to others, we are in training in a way — to grow in holiness.

The special seasons of the Church, Advent and Lent, offer us a unique opportunity to double-down on our training. Just like the times of training intensity in our physical training, our spiritual lives can also have times of more intensity. The special seasons of the Church invite us into a deeper and more intense experience of knowing and loving Jesus, serving our neighbor and growing in holiness.

I’m a realist and when I look back over the years, I’ve had some really fruitful times during Advent and Lent, and other times where I can say that, for different reasons, I didn’t give the time or effort that Jesus was calling me to. I have let worldly things crowd out my time with Jesus, but that inspires me to get back up and keep training to grow in holiness with more gusto. I’ve set my heart anew on making this Advent a peaceful and fruitful time with Jesus.

How about you? How has Advent been for you this year? I have learned that for me, it’s best to stick to my routines of prayer, Adoration and Mass. I try to spend a little more time in quiet prayer and reading of spiritual books. I also like to take advantage of parish Reconciliation services and listening to moving music this time of year. I decorate my home simply, and I have realized that for me, doing less during this busy time gives me joy and time to spend with Jesus.

From 1 Timothy 4:7-8, “Train yourself for devotion for, while physical training is of limited value, devotion is valuable in every respect, since it holds a promise of life both for the present and for the future.”

I pray that Advent has been, and continues to be, a peaceful time of training in holiness for you and yours with an eye on the eternal prize. May your Christmas be a time of gratitude for the gift that each of us is called to grow in holiness and may we each courageously respond to the call from Jesus.

From Within the Familiar

In physical training, there is much to gained by training a limited number of key exercises. I think good coaches don’t seek to entertain, but rather help people learn, grow and progress with a small set of lifts and movements that have the most potential to help them achieve their goals. People like familiarity, and in the familiar, they gain the courage and strength to move to new heights.

I was re-reading the Gospel of Matthew recently, and though I have read and participated in bible studies many times, I am amazed how the familiar words moved my heart in a new way. This time, the familiar became a catalyst for something new.

I love how Matthew describes Jesus and the disciples teaching, healing, praying and responding to the actions of Pharisees and Sadducees. The stories are familiar and comforting, but in this reading, I became almost solely focused on how often Jesus went away to pray alone.

From Matthew 14:23, “And after he dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”

What does it mean when scripture jumps off the page and into our hearts in a new way? Most of us have been introduced to Lectio Divina in some form — the reading and prayerful reflection of scripture to allow God to work in us, but discerning the meaning in our lives can take time. 

I wanted a quick answer, but instead felt called to go up the mountain to pray. For me this is on our back dock by the pond, or in my favorite chair in the family room, or walking around our yard in the sunshine. Probably much like you, I have lots of ‘mountains’ in which to pray.

In the familiar stories of Matthew, God was trying to teach me something new or to take me to new heights. I began to set aside time to pray, not with my usual routine of Mass readings, the Rosary and Chaplet, but instead being quiet and listening, asking, waiting and allowing God more time and space to work in me.

I asked for a saint to assist me in praying more from the heart and St. John of the Cross turned up; I found this deep and tender prayer from him that revealed more of what I felt God was trying to teach me.

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in Thee. Let Thy mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O thou King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By thine own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in Thee. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like Thee. Amen.

Our amazing God can break through, crack us open, and pull us closer to him through the words of scripture — and in any other way he desires. May we be watchful for these breakthroughs from within the familiar — as the familiar may be just the catalyst that God uses to move us to new heights.

Love of Neighbor

When COVID-19 started, the gym where I teach closed and I began video recording myself and my husband working out in the basement. I also loaned out my equipment so my students could continue their training at home. There were challenges, but we persevered. 

Gyms opened at the end of May and we moved to outdoor classes in the parking lot. New challenges emerged as we had to deal with the heat, wind, rain, humidity and having limited equipment to work with. But we adapted and thankfully we stayed healthy.

Now we are indoors and a whole new set of challenges is upon us with face coverings, social distancing, equipment cleaning, and concern about touching surfaces and equipment.

This experience has reaffirmed for me that the only way to get through change and challenging times is to turn to God in prayer to be filled with his strength. By his grace, and his grace alone, can I be kind, patient and loving to my neighbor. Faith applies 100% to daily life and that is more real to me now than ever.

I see the challenge of loving my neighbor most clearly in my secular activities —  living my faith is hardest in the day-to-day, nitty-gritty details of ordinary life. God sees those times where there is angst in my heart as I discern how to respond to a concern, complaint or a difficulty. I want to be a vessel of his love, I truly do, so I regularly unload on him in prayer to help me to be more loving, patient and kind as we are all adapting to the new norms related to COVID-19.

When I give in to my weaknesses, I am reminded how selfishness brings sorrow, not joy, for us and for others. Our weaknesses are immensely powerful teachers and I have been asking God for the light to see my failures with more patience and gentleness — and with a sense of humor — how can I be so silly to let little things get to me or drive me to annoyance or impatience? Acknowledging our weaknesses, with an ardent desire to learn and grow from them, can set us on the trajectory to be more loving, kind and gentle with ourselves and others.

From 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

This time of living with COVID-19 continues to be a time of learning how to love my neighbor more fully, with the heart of Christ, and with the gentleness of his Blessed Mother. May this scripture encourage us on our journey. From 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”

Encouragement

Any teacher or coach knows that while we our job is to instruct others, there is also the aspect of encouragement that is an important part of our role.

I teach group strength classes and each student is different in the type of encouragement they need to excel. For example, some need encouraged to try heavier weights and others need to be encouraged to pull back so they don’t overdo it.

Encouragement is part of the instructional process no matter what we are coaching or teaching and it applies to all areas of our lives.

I’ve been thinking about encouragement in spiritual terms lately. One of the primary roles of a Christian is to lead others to Christ. To do that we need to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to encourage people on their journey of growing in relationship with Jesus. 

Much like coaching and teaching in our temporal roles, this encouragement is a very individual process and we are called to simply give what we have been given. Encouraging people with love, being authentic — and following the promptings of the Holy Spirit is what we are asked to do. The rest are up to him.

We can look to Jesus in the Gospels as our model of how to encourage others. Encouragement is rooted in love, forgiveness and being willing to stand up for others and to share the truth. Never has there been a time when our culture needs love and encouragement rooted in faith in God. May our role of encourager foster hope and healing in those who are hurting, angry, and feel misunderstood.

St. Paul said, the second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy, 4:2, “be persistent; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” He is one of many saints who encourage us to persevere constantly no matter what the circumstances. In fact, the saints are the embodiment of encouragement.

St. Teresa of Avila is one of my favorite saints when it comes to simple, everyday words of encouragement.

She said, “May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.”

She also said, “May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.”

One more beautiful thought from St. Teresa, “May you be content knowing you are a child of God.”

Encouragement. It’s simple, but not easy in a world where we are busy and often too focused on ourselves rather than lifting up others. Telling someone they are a beloved child of God is amazingly encouraging. God loves us and asks only that we pass on his great love. May St. Teresa’s message inspire us to be courageous encouragers in our everyday lives.

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which to look out
Christ's compassion to the world
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.”

Time to Ponder

For people who have a consistent exercise routine, there is sometimes a need for what is called a ‘deload’ week. This is a voluntary break from our regular exercise routine to allow the body and brain to rest, refresh and renew with a set time away from training. Rather than losing their fitness level, this rest helps people come back stronger with a fresh attitude and a rested body to help prevent injury and burnout.

I’ve been looking at our stay-at-home order during COVID recently as a deload time as it is a break from the normal routine of all the things we humans do, such as working, running errands, going to restaurants, volunteering, visiting family and friends, attending Mass, events and so much more.

The Holy Spirit has given me optimism about this deload time and I’m trying to allow the Holy Spirit to guide me in how I use it. Some of the fruits of this forced rest so far for me include learning how to use technology and social media in new ways to work from home and to stay connected with family and friends. I have more time to pray, read and listen to God. I spend more time with my loving husband. I’m learning how to talk on the phone again with family and friends near and far. I have time to cook nice meals, clean the house, listen to music and play outdoors. 

There are times of peace and joy throughout the more unstructured pattern of my day that are unexpected such as ‘attending’ Mass, Adoration and other group prayer events online in different chapels, at different times around the country. I have more time to exercise than ever before. I am also aware of Spring bursting forth in a way that feels hopeful and personal and getting outside is life-giving.

I also think there is a big opportunity here to take advantage of the little crack of open space in our lives for some carefree timelessness. With more time at home, and by moving through daily life at a slower pace, there is the potential to spend time pondering what is going on around us. We have the beautiful example of our Blessed Mother who pondered all things in her heart to encourage us in this practice of spending time in prayerful contemplation amidst the trials and mysteries of our lives.

So rather than choosing to complain, worry, predict, panic, regret or fear, our faith in Jesus Christ calls us to trust in him without reserve as our Blessed Mother did — and to do this we might feel called to spend quiet time pondering the events of our lives and how we are called to respond to them with and through Jesus Christ.

I didn't research the definition of pondering, but my definition would be to think and reflect about an event with a loving countenance, asking God to enlighten me and to help me keep an open heart and mind as I prayerfully seek to learn from the event or experience.

Pondering feels like a deep place of honesty even though it doesn’t always feel comfortable. Pondering can be a time of reflection and discernment, a time of growth in virtue, that when paired with prayer, can be this amazing gift, that when unwrapped, allows us to discover more about ourselves and how we are called to fulfill the mission God’s has for each of us.

Pondering feels like a deep place of honesty even though it doesn’t always feel comfortable. Pondering can be a time of reflection and discernment, a time of growth in virtue, that when paired with prayer, can be this amazing gift, that when unwrapped, allows us to discover more about ourselves and how we are called to fulfill the mission God’s has for each of us.

May we be open to this unusual gift of time to ponder our lives, our mission, our relationships, and the role of Jesus and Mary in our lives. May we also ponder how we can become more fully alive to love and serve others — with the possibility of coming out of this time stronger in the virtues of faith, hope and love. In the words of St. Catherine of Siena, and in the joyful spirit of springtime, “Ponder that fact that God has made you a gardener, to root out vice and to plant virtue.”

Focusing on Our Spiritual Fitness

This is the time of year that we often focus on physical New Year’s resolutions … eating healthy, getting into shape with exercise, creating new habits that will help us feel and look better. All of that is well and good, but keeping our focus on our spiritual fitness is an even greater priority.

I have worked in the field of fitness for a while now. The longer I do this work, the more I see our cultural obsession with our physical bodies. Over time, the Lord has shown me that we can easily miss the point of our lives when things of this world begin to play too big of a role or become our identity

My goal as a strength coach has always been to help people learn to move well, lift heavy things to get stronger, and to have fun doing it, with moderation and consistency. While this is a good thing, it began to change for me when I realized I was spending too much time and energy on it and not giving enough time to God.

I am learning to approach any and all goals, physical or otherwise, from a spiritual perspective. Jesus is with us 24/7 and he cares about everything we think, say and do. He and His Mother will help us discern and guide us to enjoy recreation (and any secular activities) with moderation when we seek their help — as it is our spiritual fitness and fulfilling our vocational call from God that matters most.

There was a time when I was new to coaching (this was a second career for me) and I exercised 2-3 hours a day. I was learning how to teach and that’s how I justified the amount of time I spent on physical activity. I was aware that I exercised far more time than I prayed, but it was new, fun and exciting. Eventually, the Blessed Mother intervened and set me on a more spiritually healthy trajectory by straightening out my priorities.

One day when I was swinging a kettlebell in the gym, the Hail Mary prayer kept coming into my heart. I put the weight down and took an honest look at my spiritual life. I wasn’t praying the Rosary any more and I knew that I needed more prayer time in general. I had a desire to go to daily Mass, but I hadn’t made the effort to make it happen with my teaching schedule. I wanted to give my time and talent more freely to those in need. This all came bubbling up as I prayed for Our Lady’s intervention, so I put the kettlebells away and went home to ponder these things in my heart.

Our Lady of the Rosary

That moment with Our Lady in the gym prompted a big change in my life. I was led to SoulCore Rosary prayer and exercise, attended their retreat, and started leading SoulCore Rosary prayer and gentle movement in parishes.

I made other changes too. I changed the location of my gym to reduce maintenance time. I decreased the number of classes I offered. I exercised for only an hour a day (and now it’s less than that and fewer days per week) and I’m healthier, happier, my life is more balanced and I have a loving and active relationship with Jesus and Mary.

Most importantly, God is first in my life, my prayer time is far longer than my exercise time, I’m able to attend daily Mass, be a volunteer, and enjoy the richness of family, friends, parish and diocesan life in a more peaceful balance with my physical life.

My identity is a child of God, a woman in love with the Lord, a wife and mother, a SoulCore leader, and a servant and sinner who is striving for holiness. My role as fitness coach is very small and I’m thrilled about that. It’s not who I am, it’s something I do — and I ask God to sanctify it every day. There is real spiritual freedom in not allowing a secular activity to own the lion’s share of my time and energy.

So in this new year, I pray that we focus on our spiritual fitness first, keep Jesus at the center of our lives, and ask him, and his Mother, to help us discern how to approach any and all New Year’s resolutions.

Set the World on Fire

I have always loved these words from St. Catherine of Siena, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” We see this on tee shirts, journal covers and I even have it in my email signature.

But what do those words really mean, practically speaking, in our daily lives? I don’t know about you, but I often don’t feel like my ordinary life is setting things on fire.

But then let’s think about starting a fire. We have an old-fashioned wood-burning stove in our kitchen, with no gas starter, so It’s really challenging to get a fire going. We use different types of kindling and patiently feed a few sparks with more wood until it catches on and ignites the bigger logs — which eventually results in a strong blaze … and a nice warm kitchen.

If we look at starting a fire in a spiritual sense —lighting up our souls with prayer, Scripture study, the Sacraments, and acts of charity — over time these habits ignite our hearts with more love for God and neighbor. When the flame of faith is fanned, it catches on to others. The spiritual life takes patience, care and nurturing, like starting a fire; if we don’t stay united to God in this process, the embers of love can quickly fade and die out.

Let’s look at setting the world on fire. Some saints did visibly great things, but most saints are relatively unknown and grew in love (greatness) over the course of a mostly hidden life. They were often of ill health and had to persevere through many obstacles to do God’s will. One thing they had in common was the fire of faith that carried them through their lives and grew into magnificent flames of love by the time they were called to their eternal home.

It seems that setting the world on fire is the result of patiently seeking to be the person God created us to be with our unique mission and circumstances — and persevering through all of it with great love. So that fire is love … and if it is real, the flame of love will grow and ignite others.

A friend of mine died of cancer recently and I had the privilege of visiting her in Hospice before she passed into eternal life. God has given me the grace to be comfortable in a Hospice environment and I love being with the sick and dying near the end of their lives as God is so present there. 

My friend told me she loved God and she was grateful to have received Last Rites. Her family was by her side through the entire cancer journey and they had done everything that was medically possible. She said she was at peace, grateful for the loving support of family, friends, and her trusted medical team and she was ready to go home to God.

She was setting the world on fire for all who were touched by her illness and passing. By God’s grace, she was able to do, what we all hope we can do in death … trust in God and be at peace in his embrace as we return home. Her faithful witness was a form of evangelization on her death bed. I believe that the impact of her joyful witness will stay with me forever. 

The fire of her love for God was ablaze in her heart, and since our time together, I have shared her story with many people, and now I am sharing it with you. So the fire of her faith continues to burn bright and set others aflame even though she isn’t physically here anymore — all praise and glory to God!

So I think my takeaway is this … setting the world on fire is about being true to what God is individually calling us to do — right here and right now — sharing whatever gifts we have with as much love as we can muster. The example of St. Therese’s ‘Little Way’ challenges us to love the people God places in our ordinary lives and this may be exactly what God is calling us to do to set the world on fire.

Our fire may not be fully visible to anyone except God (many did not truly know St. Therese’s holiness until well after her death), but that doesn’t matter. God sees and loves even a tiny flicker, a small burning ember, and the more we lean on him, the more he fans the flames of love in our hearts. Be who you were meant to be and you will set the world on fire.

God's Work and Our Effort

It takes a lot of effort to start a new exercise routine. Sometimes people are not ready, but when they are, it is a beautiful thing to behold. As they learn to move in new ways, you can almost see the pathways expand in their brain and body as they respond to the new impetus. When it clicks, it is pure joy to help that person move better and get stronger.

So let’s look at effort in our spiritual lives. We know that it takes effort to start anything new and to build strong relationships with people in our lives. It’s the same with growing more in tune with God’s will for our lives. We have to give time and effort to God so that he can work in us and through us.

Our Catholic faith teaches us that God responds to our efforts. It might not be in the way we expect, in fact most likely, it will not be our way at all. In faith, we trust that he recognizes even our tiniest desire to give more effort to our relationship with him and with our neighbor — even if our response is slow and weak.

We had a discussion in bible study recently about allowing God to be the pilot in our lives. It seems that many of us were catechized in a way that places us as the pilots with God as the co-pilot — myself included. It is interesting to take this to prayer and ask God to show us where we are depending too much on our efforts, where we are holding back something from him (and why) rather than allowing God to be fully in charge of our lives.

It is good to remember that God is the one who inspires us to make any effort in the first place — and that thought makes me crazy happy. Our effort is the result of cooperating with God’s grace received through the Sacraments, in prayer and scripture study, and in loving and serving others. He is first and we are second. He is pilot and we are co-pilots, no matter what is going on in our lives.

St. Teresa of Avila said, “The feeling remains that God is on the journey too.” 

Do we give God full reign of our efforts on this journey, in all matters, temporal and spiritual? Do we trust that his way, and our effort to cooperate with his grace, will lead us to greater joy, freedom and peace on our journey to eternal life with him?

From the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, 1:11, “To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith.”

God brings fulfillment to our efforts. He makes our crooked lines straight. He is almighty and all powerful and has our best interest in mind. He love us and doesn’t give up on us — and I pray that we don’t give up on him — no matter what is going on in our hearts, families, parish, community, country or world. 

May we make every good effort to know, love and serve God, using the gifts and talents that he has given us so he can do amazing things with us and through us. Cooperation with his grace is a beautiful thing to behold.

The Power of the One-to-One Encounter

In my group strength classes, every now and then, students are busy traveling or working and only one person shows up for class. That student doesn’t usually like it at first because all of the attention is focused on her. However, it usually ends up being a great session as we talk, laugh and deepen our friendship and understanding of each other.

It got me thinking about the power of the one-to-one encounter. Having time with that one person is special and is important in building a more authentic and caring relationship. 

How often did Jesus, in the midst of a crowd, have a personal and life-changing encounter one-to-one … like the woman who came up behind Jesus to touch his cloak to be healed, and Zacchaeus the tax collector who climbed the Sycamore tree to have a better view of Jesus, and Nicodemus the Pharisee who came at night to question Jesus about his teachings.

In our daily lives, we are called to a one-to-one encounter with God in the Sacraments and through personal prayer. By giving time and attention to our relationship with God, we receive his grace so we can be Jesus to others. I know that when I’m not attentive to my prayer life, it’s harder to be loving and patient with people amidst the challenges of everyday life.

One of my favorite saint quotes is from St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “Don’t wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” Her entire ministry was working one-to-one with the dying and the sick, strengthened by her one-to-one time with God in daily Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Her ministry, and that of the Sisters of Charity around the world, is about the power of being 100% present to that one soul in need. 

I’m blessed to take communion to a hospital and there have been times when only one person has received — for various reasons. At first I was discouraged when people declined the Eucharist, but over time, God has shown me that I’m simply to be his hands and feet and to trust the results to him. He is teaching me to pray more fervently for the sick, to be a joyful and authentic witness to him, and to savor each one-to-one encounter. Even if no one receives, I trust that God will bring about a greater good than I could never imagine.

I was sharing my one-to-one thoughts with a friend recently and she said that in our world of ‘how many Likes on Facebook’ it can be terribly easy to overlook the power of one. Never fear, there might be only one Like, but thanks to the algorithm of Facebook, thousands of people may have seen the post and who knows how it may have impacted that one person!

I remember a priest telling me that he didn’t get caught up in whether people liked or disliked his homily message. He said that he wrote his homilies in prayer, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that perhaps the message was meant for just one person; in writing his homilies, he simply desired to be an obedient servant.

So let us try to do what God is calling us to do, trust the results to him, and remember that touching one soul always matters. From 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.”

Endurance

Endurance in sport is cultivated with patience and time, training and conditioning, under the guidance of a good coach.

In the same way, we seek to build endurance in our spiritual lives with Jesus guiding us. Our journey to spiritual maturity is a life-long process of growing in virtue. This quest for holiness requires patience and time, training and conditioning with an unwavering commitment to a sacramental life, prayer, study and service to others. It isn’t easy, but there is no greater goal for the Christian.

Psalm 136 reminds us that God is Endurance as his love and mercy endures forever. He never gives up on us and desires only to bring us closer to him.

Praise the LORD, for he is good;
for his mercy endures forever;
Praise the God of gods;
for his mercy endures forever;
Praise the Lord of lords;
for his mercy endures forever.

We see in the lives of the saints these amazing people who endured temptations, difficulties and trials of every kind. We could use the words ‘saint’ and ‘endurance’ as synonyms since there every saint ended their lives with an enduring love of God and neighbor.

St. Gregory of Nyssa said of endurance, “He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.”

When we reflect on St. Gregory’s words, we see that spiritual endurance is just that — going from beginning to beginning — every day, every situation, every conversation, every interaction, literally every moment of every year is a new beginning for us to do what we know we should do — love more fully to become the person God desires us to be on our journey from this world to the next.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque said, “Let us begin in earnest to work out our salvation, for no one will do it for us, since even He Himself, who made us without ourselves, will not save us without ourselves.”

So we work side-by-side with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with the loving intercession of Our Lady, to grow in holiness, to love more perfectly, to forgive ourselves and others, and to share the truth of the Gospel each as we are called.

Just as endurance in sport requires both mental and physical work, there is great work for us to do in the spiritual life. Let us see each day is an opportunity to grow closer to God as we train to have more faith, hope and love. May each day be filled with with training in virtue so that we persevere with love when the going gets tough.

As athletes depend on their coaches, peers, tools and training methods, we too, in the spiritual life, have help  … from the Holy Trinity, our sisters and brothers in Christ, the great Communion of Saints and all that Holy Mother Church gives us so that we can grow and endure with love.

We can be inspired by the subject of endurance in Scripture. From Deuteronomy 31, “Be strong and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the Lord, your God, who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you.”

We do not run this race alone. God is with us to aid us in this pursuit.

Let us pray: Father God, give us endurance in the spiritual life and help us to trust in the strong and mighty shield of your love which endures forever, Amen.

A Baseball Story

My husband and I enjoy watching professional baseball. This year, we were blessed to attend Spring Training in Goodyear Arizona and we met one of our favorite pitchers. He was staying at our hotel and we met his wife and youngest son relaxing in an outdoor area. This pitcher is a father of five children and is an active Catholic. It was fun to see him interact with his wife and youngest son in a casual setting. He spoke with my husband at length and I was impressed with his kindness and humility. We are so used to seeing him on television that it’s easy to forget that he is a regular guy just like the rest of us.

Recently this same pitcher, at the age of 32, announced that he was diagnosed with Leukemia. His version of this disease is treatable with oral medication, but he’ll be out of baseball for a while. We all deal with family and friends being diagnosed with disease, and facing other hardships, but it still comes as a shock that rocks our world almost as if it’s happening to ourselves. It reminds me how much we are all connected, that we need to pray for each other, and that we should give thanks every single day.

This pitcher makes millions, but money can’t cure this disease for him. Just like the rest of us, he’ll pray, do what his doctors advise, and rely on faith, family and friends to persevere in this challenging time.

I’m sharing this story with you because I think sometimes, even for those of us with strong faith, we can get drawn into things of this world in a way that can separate us from God. I’m not saying the pitcher did this, but his situation really made me think about how money, fame and comfort (at any level) are fleeting, and that we should give thanks to God because it all comes from him.

I am also struck by the fact that this pitcher is a professional athlete who is in top physical condition, spends hours every day addressing his physical health by eating right, training, practicing and doing everything a multitude of coaches tell him to do, but he has no control over his body when it comes to this disease. Our culture places more emphasis on caring for the body than caring for the soul, so when a physical hardship hits, I consider it a blessing that if, by God’s grace, we are made humble and seek a greater reliance on God.

This pitcher has the potential to be an amazing example for us with his public platform. Surrounded by his teammates at the 2019 All Star game he was crying and I was too. Our adult son texted us that he watched and he was moved to tears. It is easy to take our good fortune for granted — whatever it might be — but it can change in an instant. Perhaps God is using this man’s situation to soften our hearts, to harken us to pray more, to move us forward in our mission, and to remind us to let go of material concerns that can drive us away from God.

May we never forget that we are here to live out our God-given mission, to care for those people God has placed in our path, and with great detachment, to enjoy some of what God has created on our journey home to him. The material comforts are a gift, but they do not define us; let us give thanks that we are all children of God.

St. Peter the Rock

It is both holy and healthy to reflect on the New Testament readings from daily Mass this Easter season as the apostles are on fire with the Holy Spirit and begin to teach, preach and evangelize freely.

From Acts of the Apostles 4:13-14, “Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.”

Peter went from denying Christ to preaching boldly in the name of Jesus at risk of imprisonment and even death. His courageous words challenge us to live and share our faith with others in our daily lives.

It can be difficult to know how to specifically do this in our lives today, but if we stay committed to a daily prayer life and receive the Sacraments as frequently as possible, we might be surprised how God’s grace will work in us to inspire, form, transform, and enliven us with the Holy Spirit to be more fully alive in our faith — and willing to bravely share the Gospel message in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.

I’d like to use the Knights of Columbus as an example. Their humble service in parishes around the world is a beautiful example of being St. Peter-like by serving in many ways in their families, parishes, communities as a result of their relationship with Jesus. 

We are all called to serve and evangelize in different ways — most often the ways are quiet and behind-the-scenes, such as cleaning up after a Fish Fry, adoring our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, making dinner for a sick friend, and even allowing someone to go ahead of us while we are driving, but Jesus sees all and loves all that we do — even the tiny seeds of desire to serve that haven’t sprouted yet do not go unnoticed by our Lord.

It is my hope and prayer that as we move through this Easter season we do so with an uncommon courage and glorious hope in the power of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

St. Charles Borromeo said, “God wishes us not to rest upon anything but His infinite goodness; do not let us expect anything, hope anything, or desire anything but from Him, and let us put our trust and confidence in Him alone.”

Let us spend time in silence to get to know Jesus even better and to open our hearts to what he is asking of us. It matters not whether our time with God involves a walk in nature, listening to spiritual music, reflecting on sacred art, reading scripture, or just sitting quietly in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

May we take to heart these words from St. Peter the Rock in 1 Peter 3-5: 

“By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Conversion

I’ve been helping people get physically stronger for nearly eight years. In that time, I’ve gone through a lot of changes in how I teach others and how I train and care for my own body. I’ve watched my students learn and grow. I’ve seen my training program, change, evolve and it continues to do so.

Change is inevitable in all areas of our lives, and it can be good, but sometimes life hits us hard with any number of challenges in family, work and life. On top of that, we are aging and dealing with forms of physical suffering, such as injury, illness and infirmity. In our physical difficulties, we learn about the spiritual power of suffering with love and perseverance—and by God’s grace, we have an opportunity to grow spiritually and to develop more compassion for the hardships faced by others.

Spiritual conversion is similar in that changes occur in us that can be both uplifting and challenging. We may experience many conversions in our lifetime as God seeks to bring us closer to him to help us grow in holiness. Changes, both big in small, by the grace of God, can lift us up, lead us into darkness, move us into new ways of serving, living and doing for God and for others. The changes might surprise us, even frighten us a little, and we may, believe it or not, even have an occasional longing for some sins that we’ve left behind.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1989: “The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high.”

Sometimes conversion, or this movement away from sin and toward God, means we change how we use our resources, our time, our energy, and even the people we spend our time with. We might be called to simplify, to give more, to lead or to follow in new ways, to pray more, or to just be more. God works with us so personally that the path of conversion is not predictable nor is it ever universal.

I look to the saints for wisdom on this journey of conversion which we pray continues throughout our lives here on earth. The saints are regular people who had many points of conversion in their lives and grew to great holiness by their gradual, yet eventual submission to God’s will.

Pope Saint John Paul II encourages us. “I plead with you! Never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, never become discouraged. Be not afraid.”

The fruit of conversion can in fact, be the gift of journeying more fully with and for others. Other times, it can be more of a dark and lonely road like St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta experienced when God didn’t feel near to her — and so we rely on faith to keep moving forward without the clear light of His presence guiding us.

In our physical journey, as in our spiritual journey, there will be changes, conversions, movements, big and small, good and not so good — I pray that we listen to our bodies and respond with prudent care — and more importantly, listen to God, accept and cooperate with his grace with a steely focus on the ultimate goal of eternal life.

St. Padre Pio knows well the struggles we face. “The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the heart of its perfection except at the price of pain.”

Wideness

Wideness is interesting word to ponder in spiritual terms. There is a beautiful hymn called the “Wideness of God’s Mercy” and that hymn inspired me to think about the many ways the Wideness of God can shape our lives.

God’s mercy is so magnanimous that it’s incomprehensible—and yet we are called to that same mercy with each other, 70 x 7 times. To think of the Wideness of God’s mercy as a never-ending, vast stream of love washing over us, healing us, forgiving us and bringing forth new life is a beautiful image that fills me with hope.

Wideness is akin to openness—the openness we are called to with God in prayer— sharing our triumphs and challenges, joys, sins and sorrows—giving him room to work to help us grow stronger. We are also called to live this openness with our brothers and sisters by authentically celebrating and protecting the good in them.

In Luke, 9:11 we see the Wideness of Jesus’ love as, “He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured.”

Wideness lends itself to an image of big, outstretched arms welcoming another with a hug and a smile in a spirit of hospitality. May the Wideness of our thanksgiving for each other carry us out of the narrow focus on ourselves. May we instead be poured like a libation into a Visitation frame-of-mind where we live in the Wideness of loving and caring for each other.

Wideness can be giving God the time and space to work in our lives, whether through the Sacraments, in reading Scripture, by adoring him in the Blessed Sacrament, and with prayerful listening for God amidst the activity of family, work and play.

Let us give God the latitude to transform us by inviting him into the great expanse of us … body, mind and soul. May we magnify the Lord by courageously seeking his strength rather than limiting the fullness of God’s plan for us.

Lyrics from “Wideness of God’s Mercy” speak of the majesty of God. “There is grace enough for thousands … For the love of God is broader than the measure of our mind;  And the heart of the Eternal is most kind.” He pours his grace out to us constantly… do we notice and do we respond? 

Let us boldly ask God for the “strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth” giving thanks for the miraculous Wideness of God’s merciful love.

Our Lady of Good Help National Shrine - A Place of Hope and Healing

Lori originally wrote this post for the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference blog, January, 2019.

I was very excited to recently learn about the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help located in Champion, Wisconsin, 17 miles north of Green Bay.

This is the site where our Our Holy Mother appeared to a young Belgian-born woman, Sister Adele Brise, 160 years ago in 1859. The apparition was formally approved on December 8, 2010, by Bishop David Ricken, becoming the first Marian apparition approved by the Catholic Church in the United States. In 2016, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) officially designated these grounds as a National Shrine.

The National Shrine is open every day of the year, and welcomed 160,000 visitors last year, and continues to welcome pilgrims from around the world, including Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Much like the apparition sites of Lourdes, Fatima and Guadalupe, the National Shrine is the site of numerous miracles and graces to this day.

National Shrine Marketing and Development Director Corrie Campbell said that when people visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, they experience an “overwhelming peace, healing grace and a heaven-like feeling that can often be quite emotional. Many carry this in their hearts for their entire lifetime. Many young people come and experience the joy of hope and healing in this holy place which is so needed in our times.”

Adele Brise

The story of Our Lady of Good Help began in the Fall of 1859 when Our Holy Mother appeared three times to Sister Adele Brise and asked her to teach the children in the area about their Catholic faith.

Our Holy Mother had already appeared twice to Adele between two trees – one a maple, the other hemlock – along a rural trail. When she appeared for the third and final time, young Adele asked, “What more can I do, dear Lady?” Mary’s direction was simple: “Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”

“But how shall I teach them who know so little myself?” Adele asked.

Mary replied, “Teach them their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments; that is what I wish you to do. Go and fear nothing. I will help you.” Adele devoted the rest of her life to spreading Mary’s good news.

The Great Fire

In 1871, there was a great fire in the area and the families that Adele visited gathered at the site of Our Holy Mother’s visits to pray the Rosary for the safety of their community. The fire raged and burned everything around them, but the fire stopped exactly at the line of Shrine location.

The National Shrine Today

Today the National Shrine enjoys the help of 200 volunteers—most of whom had their lives touched by Our Lady of Good Help in some way as many are the great grandchildren of those who experienced Our Holy Mother’s intercession during the great fire.

The National Shrine offers Masses and the Sacrament of Reconciliation and hosts many special events during the year. They recently opened a new prayer and event center. In remembrance of Our Holy Mother’s care during the fire, they host an overnight rosary event on October 8 and 9 with a procession and an an all-night prayer vigil in which the Rosary is prayed every hour, on the hour.

From October 1-9, we are all encouraged to pray the National Novena to Our Lady of Good Help for her intercession. The National Shrine also sponsors a 21-mile walking pilgrimage in the area. Please visit their event calendar for more information.

May we all prayerfully consider making a pilgrimage to this holy and wooded location in Wisconsin to grow closer to Jesus through Our Holy Mother. Our Lady of Good Help, pray for us!