“The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way.'” -Today’s Gospel (Luke)

Yesterday I attended two insightful Zoominars.

“Whiteness and the Catholic Church” was sponsored by my alma mater, the University of San Francisco. This discussion invited participants to practice deep self-awareness along with continual reflection around race, place and history. Panelists discussed “how to create a sense of co-responsibility for all.” I enjoyed this scholarly and prayerful experience.

Last night my kids’ school sponsored a mental health workshop for parents on “Cultivating Resiliency.” Our guest speaker, a psychologist colleague and friend of mine, outlined helpful parenting strategies for coping with the ongoing experience of “ambiguous loss” that we are all undergoing. She asked us to determine our families’ “North Star” while considering “Five years from now, what will be my family’s story?” That’s a great question! We were also reassured of the resiliency of children, and how stable relationships with adults make such a difference when it comes to trauma-informed care. My family is blessed in this regard.

So as we go “on our way,” as invited by Jesus in today’s Gospel, I ask you: “What is your North Star for the weeks and months ahead?”