As we say yes to the walk of faith, we too can find our place in the greatest story ever told, the story of God’s purposes lived out in and through our simple existence. -Ruth Haley Barton

As I write this post, my children are in the room next to my home office, playing Pictionary together after a relaxing morning of art, backyard basketball, practicing guitars and plenty of time on the phone for our oldest child. It’s great for them to have a break from school and sports’ practices, and I look forward to joining them at the end of this week for our upcoming “staycation.”

Last night we rode the cable cars to the handmade gingerbread house at the Fairmount Hotel, one of our favorite Christmas-time traditions. This and other recent activities mark the first time in three years that as a family we have re-engaged with some revered local customs that were interrupted by the pandemic. I am reminded of how much I love where we live and how fortunate I feel for our family to once again be celebrating Christmas in San Francisco. And we work hard not to rush into the season ahead without proper recognition of this special time of Advent.

Personally, the example of Joseph, the father of Jesus, is one that grounds me in my reflection upon Advent. In her Transforming Center blog, Ruth Haley Barton describes Joseph’s discernment and decision-making as a “walk of faith.” I couldn’t agree more.

Enjoy this inspiring rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to assist our moment of reflection. May we each walk in faith throughout these concluding Advent steps ahead!

With love and patience, nothing is impossible. -Daisaku Ikeda

Advent is a time of waiting, and I am enjoying this reflective season. Being intentional, spending time outdoors, pacing myself amidst a flurry of activities (both personal and professional) and keeping my daily reflective practice routines have been essential. As I’ve previously referenced, one of these disciplines is an “Advent Attitudes” email from Loyola Press – I am pleased to share this below excerpt on “Patience.”

Patient people are more flexible with time than impatient people. Impatient people exist in only one time frame—their own. They are comfortable with only one schedule—theirs. They want things done when they want things done. And they expect the rest of the world to adapt to their schedule. If they want their child to be potty trained by twenty-four months and he is not by twenty-six, they get angry. If they have to stand in line at the store while an elderly lady ahead of them carries on a brief conversation with the cashier, they get upset because that lady is disrupting their schedule.

Patient people, on the other hand, can flow back and forth between different time frames. They know, for example, that potty training a child may necessitate entering a time frame other than their own. Waiting in line for a few extra moments while an elderly lady chats with a cashier invites patient people to momentarily set aside their own schedule. They enter with compassion the schedule of another, someone who is lonely and who may have more time than she knows what to do with.

Recently I did some creative imagining and took a walk with Patience. When I asked her, “What can I do to become more like you?” she thought for a moment, smiled warmly, and said, “Plant an acorn. . . .Befriend a turtle. . . .Teach a child.”

—Excerpted from Gracious Goodness by Melannie Svoboda, SND

This week I also came across this wonderful show from the sacred space of Preservation Hall in New Orleans, LA (one of my favorite towns). The band, Rising Appalachia, provides a soulful and soul-filled virtual experience. I have listened to this while I worked, shared it with friends, and I hope you find it a helpful resource as well. Blessings on your week ahead!

Joy is at the very heart of the Kingdom of God. If we are inviting someone to enter the Kingdom of God, we had better show some joy. -Joe Paprocki

This Advent season I am enjoying daily email reflections from Loyola Press. Apparently author Joe Paprocki contributes to these reflections with excerpts from his book, Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ. Enhancing my daily prayer practice during the season of Advent is helpful in grounding me throughout these hectic weeks.

In the midst of holiday business, I attempt to “take it all in” in terms of my family. We’ve started new seasons in CYO basketball and soccer, and my wife and I attempt to tri-locate on one evening each week when all three of our kids practice at the same time in different locations. We haven’t quite figured that one out yet but we are continually learning patience and flexibility.

I recently read “Best Jazz Albums of 2022: In a year of growth and reflection, the music stretched and relocated in often unpredictable ways,” and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed artist Samara Joy as a result. She performs the classic, “Can’t Get Out of This Mood” in this youtube clip, which reminds me of Barbara Holme’s article, “Jazz and the Blues as catalysts for communal contemplation.” Listening to good music always feeds my soul and brings me joy.

I came across this quote recently and it spoke to my understanding of a faith that does justice. This concept, too, brings me joy. May we each be inspired to work toward justice during this Advent time. Blesssings on your week ahead!

Our faith has been about the communities faithfully modeling a way of being in the world, of being in relationship with each other and with the prisoner and the hungry. It has been about Amos, standing up to the establishment in the name of God and in the name of justice. So, I believe that the future of Christianity is indeed its past and present. —Nontombi Naomi Tutu

The greatest manifestation of the power of God comes when we work together to find ways to be together and do justice together and love together and stand together. —Yvette Flunder

I hope that this Thanksgiving week affords each of us some time to reflect and discern how we can give back, in appreciation for the gifts God affords us. In particular I pray that our common humanity may inspire us to prioritize those in our society in greatest need. As for me, I am most excited about being home after several months filled with much travel; I look forward to the time with my family! Some of our upcoming annual holiday activities will be coordinating our family charitable giving and also designing our ADVENT-ure calendar activities for the month ahead.

“To become fully human means learning to turn my gratitude for being alive into some concrete common good. It means growing gentler toward human weakness. It means practicing forgiveness of my and everyone else’s hourly failures to live up to divine standards. It means learning to forget myself on a regular basis in order to attend to the other selves in my vicinity. It means living so that ‘ I’m only human ’ does not become an excuse for anything. It means receiving the human condition as blessing and not curse, in all its achingly frail and redemptive reality.” – Brené Brown

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Gratitude] bravely pauses and takes account of life—of everything going on—and chooses to say thank you for the whole of it. Vinita Hampton Wright

I read this brief reflection at the start to my week: Finding Your Perfect Point of Gratitude. It has framed my attempt to approach this week with increased awareness of the everyday blessings that God affords me – and yes, even those which are wrapped up as challenges. Noteworthy experiences include an alternate route through San Francisco on my ride home from the office that took me through the Presidio (depicted)…to my daughter’s enthusiasm for the eco-challenge at her school which inspired her to go completely waste-free (a.k.a. wrapper-less) in packing her lunch. Yesterday’s contrasts included my oldest son’s excitement at the receipt of his 8th grade sweatshirt at school, a rite of passage of sorts for his classmates and him….to the long, quiet ride I enjoyed through the city with my other (more introverted) son as together we enjoyed some calm music and breathtaking views throughout a crisp, clear and beautiful city afternoon (en route to the orthodontist, of all places!).

Mercy in a World Becoming – Madeline Ducket RSM

Blessed be the mercy we hold deep in our hearts.

Blessed be the boots that carry us to action

for mercy´s sake in our world.

Blessed be rest times when boots are taken off.

Blessed be the prayer that rises in our boots off resting.

Blessed be the sacred balance of rest and contemplation.

Blessed be mercy received from others

And mercy given to all we meet

Blessed be the mercy journey

That beckons us forward to need.

Blessed be the journey´s end

When we take the final step into eternity.

Blessed be God, The Source,

Centre and End of all our mercy walking.

Amen

From Boots Cracked Pot and a Place at the Table.

I loved this poem above shared at a meeting I logged into this morning. It reminds me of November serving as a “Month of Remembrance” whereby we recall those loved ones- family, friends and colleagues – who have gone before us. In that spirit, I am also happy to share a moving rendition of a classic song, “Wish You Were Here” that acknowledges the emotion involved in the process of of healing.

May God continue to empower us to embrace the mercy we receive from God, ourselves and others. Blessings on your week ahead!

Transformative relationships are formed when we exchange pieces of our humanity with each other. -Shawn Ginwright

Tomorrow night I am providing a reflection at the parent meeting for our son’s school on “The Power of Gratitude.” I am pleased to share some of the resources that I am considering. For me it’s all about relationships, rooted in joy, happiness and love. I remain grateful for my mentors along the way, and for the gifts that God continues to bless with me through the people and experiences in my life.

On Joy

“Our greatest joy is when we seek to do good for others…

being created by [this] God, we are created to flourish.

And we flourish in community.”

(Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Book of Joy, p. 61-62)

On Happiness

“[The] recognition that we are all connected- whether Tibetan Buddhists or Hui Muslims – is the birth of empathy and compassion…

A compassionate concern for others’ well-being is the source of happiness.”

(The Dalai Lama, The Book of Joy, p. 37 and 47)

On Love

“Our greatest danger is not our sins but our indifference. We must be in love with God.

It is not so much to change what we are doing, but our intention, our motive.

It is not sufficient that we refrain from insulting a person; we must love…

When we say that we love God with our whole heart, it means whole.

We must love only God. And that sets up the triangle – God, the soul, the world.”

(Dorothy Day, The Reckless Way of Love, p. 33)

Prayer For Our Community- Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM 
 God, Lord of all creation, lover of life and of everything, please help us to love in our very small way what You love infinitely and everywhere. We thank You that we can offer just this one prayer and that will be more than enough, because in reality every thing and every one is connected, and nothing stands alone. To pray for one part is really to pray for the whole, and so we do. Help us each day to stand for love, for healing, for the good, for the diverse unity of the Body of Christ and all creation, because we know this is what You desire: as Jesus prayed, that all may be one. We offer our prayer together with all the holy names of God, we offer our prayer together with Christ, our Lord. Amen.

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. -St. Augustine

This week I am surrounded by Lasallian educators from around the world. By sharing a common purpose as part of a worldwide organization dedicated to the education of youth, together we learn, grow, and stretch ourselves in how we can best live out our educational mission. I am inspired by our commonalities across such differing situations, settings, and cultures.

We are challenged by the visioning task at hand- to be broad enough in our aspirations to respect the varying local realities, yet specific enough to make an impact. Our shared approach of listening and encounter has much to offer our society that often instead focuses on that which divides us. I am reminded of the foundational importance of trust and mutual understanding, and I have frequently appreciated the value of process, people, and community. 

I feel like I belong, which is what my colleagues and I have been promoting across our schools in terms of supporting our students and educators. To be known, valued, and loved is a gift from God. And I consider myself blessed. 

This video from Gurdeep Pandher, who I follow on Twitter, illustrates the warmth in my heart right now. Plus he honors a holiday near and dear to my heart.

Enjoy the week ahead!

If now isn’t a good time for the truth, I don’t see when we’ll get to it. -Nikki Giovanni

This week I was in DC for a conference and I took advantage of some down time yesterday to visit some of the museums. My high school history teacher had the following quote on his bulletin board (which I recall nearly thirty years later!): “How can we know where we’re going if we don’t know where we’ve been?” I consider myself a bit of a history buff, and so it was a blessing to spend a few hours visiting some powerful exhibits at the US Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian and the National Museum of African American Culture and History. What a privilege that these museums are free and accessible!

On a Zoom meeting yesterday, a colleague shared the below reflections based upon one of my favorite biblical quotes, Micah 6:8. They remind me of our invitation to reflective practice and intentionality in our leadership and in our lives. May God bless you in the week ahead.

Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly

Act Justly – Brother Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría, FSC. In a Christmas Letter to his Brothers as Superior General on December 25th, 2010

Our vows of association for the service of the poor and of poverty are a prophetic word in favor of the small and the excluded. Our vow of poverty has to do with the coming of the Kingdom. Service of the poor does not come from a kind of generosity added to the object of the vow of poverty, it is an integral part of it. To live in poverty means, in a positive way, to feel grasped and possessed by the God’s will and to spend oneself totally so that “the Kingdom come,” especially about those who hope for it the most and who are its principal targets: the abandoned and the marginalized. We could also identify our vow of poverty with the call
made to us by the prophet Micah: act justly (Micah 6: 8).

Love Tenderly – St. Maria Faustina Kowalska –  Diary #140

Pure love is one that flows directly from the Heart of Christ to and through your life.  This holy love has beautiful characteristics.  First, it is plentiful.  When we love with the Heart of Christ we love in abundance.  There is no limit to how much love we can share.  It’s like the brightness of the sun at noon casting rays on all below.  Second, it’s ingenious, doing what is pleasing to God.  It is not cautious or calculated.  It does not hesitate or evaluate.  Rather, the wisdom of love is immediate and knows in each moment how to radiate God’s love.  And third, it is happy.  Even when love calls one to heroic sacrifice there is great delight in this total self-giving.

Walk Humbly – Excerpt from “What the Bible Says to the Business Leader.” LMW Press

The Hebrew word for humbly suggests modesty. As one of God’s followers, you are to walk modestly or meekly with Him, not proudly or arrogantly; you are not to exalt yourself over others, treating them as though they are of less worth than you. If you are walking humbly with God, you will not be proud or self-reliant, depending only on your own strength. Rather, you will continually seek strength from God, calling on Him to help you, guide you, and deliver you from temptation. Walking humbly with God means you will not seek honor for your own name but for God’s Name. All of this is because you know that it is God who has gifted and enabled you to achieve and succeed. Therefore, you want the honor and glory to be His. This is what it means to walk humbly with God.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. -Harriet Tubman

“Daddy, I’m a big girl and can cross the street by myself,” my daughter said to me last night when I dropped her off at volleyball practice. When I returned home, one of my son’s stated, “Dad, look at my teeth? Aren’t they straighter now thanks to my braces? And I’m even brushing them, too!” I’m enjoying a nice week at home, sandwiched in between other weeks of travel for work. So I am soaking up all these parenting memories and quotable quotes from my kids.

This morning I read, How to Embrace Doing Nothing, and I thought this article provided a nice representation of the need to prioritize rest and rejuvenation. This concept is something I speak of often, yet I must admit I am not too great at practicing myself. Recently, I’ve begun journaling “Daily Intentions” each morning to assist my efforts at remaining grounded during what feels to be the busiest I have been in years. Family, friendships, work, life – all seem back to a familiar, and quite frankly a welcome, pace…but I also do my best to integrate some of the best lessons learned in recent years around connectedness, centering, and reflection. Some days are better than others!

I leave you with this song, selected by one of my children as I dropped them at school this morning. Although their point of reference is from the movie, Sing, I do think this rendition from Sir Elton rings true today. May we celebrate perseverance and persistence across our relationships and lives.