Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. We must eliminate hurry in our lives. -John Mark Comer

October has been a blur of a month and I find myself working to ground my pace in ongoing spaces for reflection and prayer. I am definitely a work in progress. The other day I walked our dog by the San Francisco Bay around a new waterfront park nearby, and I recognized how blessed I am by the investment that San Francisco makes in its public parks. Taking the time to realize blessings like this is a gift.

Today I share some resources on the benefits of prayer. Blessings on your week ahead!

From Ronald Rolheiser

Our adult years are a marathon, not a sprint, and so it is difficult to sustain graciousness, generosity, and patience through the tiredness, trials, and temptations that beset us through those years. All on our own, relying on willpower alone, we too often fatigue, get worn down, and compromise both our maturity and our discipleship.

We need help from beyond, from somewhere even beyond the human supports that help bolster us. We need God’s help, strength from something beyond what is human. We need prayer.

The Difference- Grace L. Naessens

I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;

I had so much to accomplish, I didn’t have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me and grew heavier with each task;

Why doesn’t God help me, I wondered; He answered, “You didn’t ask.”

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;

I wondered why God didn’t show me – He said, “But you didn’t seek.”

I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock;

God gently and lovingly chided, “My child, you didn’t knock.”

I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day;

I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.

One love, one life, throw your hands up high ’cause all I am trying to do is stay human with you. -Michael Franti

I have a few things going on for work that are stretching me a bit in terms of new experiences, and some difficult decisions on the horizon. I strive to take the long view and I have learned that perspective really matters. I am reading Ronald Rolheiser’s Sacred Fire and I find it to be a grounding resource. This week I share some selections on the notion of justice and charity, along with a video link from artist Michael Franti. Blessings on your week ahead!

From Sacred Fire: A Vision for A Deeper Human and Christian Maturity Ronald Rolheiser

Charity, as we know, can sometimes operate independently of justice, especially of social justice. Jesus does not ask us to give in charity to the poor, he also asks us to work at correcting all the social, political, and economic structures that disadvantage the poor and help keep the poor. Charity seeks to give directly to the poor so as to help alleviate their poverty, Justice seeks to correct the structures that help create that poverty. And Jesus asks us to do both.

From Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s 1979 address to the De La Salle Brothers

You are the ones that as teachers can stand before the young as the presence of Christ. May the young people entrusted to you always be able to see Christ in you and be filled with his purity and goodness and justice. You are the people who have to lead them. Be the light to them. Be the light that will lead them to God. People, especially the young people, are hungry, hungry for God. You are there to satisfy that hunger.

From The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, Shane Claiborne

And that’s when things get messy. When people begin moving beyond charity and toward justice and solidarity with the poor and oppressed, as Jesus did, they get in trouble. Once we are actually friends with the folks in struggle, we start to ask why people are poor, which is never as popular as giving to charity. One of my friends has a shirt marked with the words of late Catholic bishop Dom Helder Camara: “When I fed the hungry, they called me a saint. When I asked why people are hungry, they called me a communist.” Charity wins awards and applause but joining the poor gets you killed. People do not get crucified for living out of love that disrupts the social order that calls forth a new world. People are not crucified for helping poor people. People are crucified for joining them.

No, I never saw an angel, but is irrelevant whether I saw one or not. I feel their presence around me. -Paulo Coelho

This morning I learned that today is the day that the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Who knew? I love learning. So I share a couple resources related to this idea, and give thanks to all the current, former and future angels in my life who God has sent my way. Throughout their lives, and even from the eternal life that awaits me, I continue to feel their love and am grateful. Blessings on your week ahead!

God shows God’s love for us by taking care of us as we make our way here below.  In addition to all that we receive through the ministry of the Church, we enjoy the help of the saints, those holy people who have preceded us, in heaven.  Still more, God also gives each person one of God’s holy angels to be a spiritual companion and guide.  This angel is charged by God to keep us safe from harm and give us help and encouragement…  We call upon our guardian angels with devotion and gratitude so that one day we may look upon the face of God in heaven with them. 

-from Magnificat magazine, October 2024

Where do we really stand? The Gospel on this feast of the Guardian Angels sets the bar for true greatness. Accept the vulnerability of [dependence upon] God, as a child depends on its parents, and embrace the obligation to take care of one another, especially children.

-from Peter Dwyer, Give Us This Day, October 2, 2024

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. -Ecclesiastes 3:11

I mark the recent transition to autumn with this poem that Brigid shared with our family last week. We’re in the midst of a flurry of activity, at work and on the home front, so I am grateful for the good weather and the beauty of autumn that awaits. Blessings on your week ahead!

Autumn – by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Don’t talk to me of solemn days
In autumn’s time of splendor,
Because the sun shows fewer rays,
And these grow slant and slender.
Why, it’s the climax of the year,—
The highest time of living!—
Till naturally its bursting cheer
Just melts into thanksgiving.

The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. -Barbara Kingsolver

Over the weekend, I walked our dog on Saturday morning in Golden Gate Park, one of my favorite locations in San Francisco. That I was able to do so after dropping my son off for Cross Country practice brought me such joy. The next day, after dropping my other son off at baseball practice, I enjoyed my morning walk alongside the ocean. I love where I live and hope for each of us that we find joy where we are.

I am happy to share a reflection from a great spiritual writer, Henri Nouwen. Along with this artwork that found its way into my inbox this week, these resources remind us of God’s invitation to serve our neighbor. May we do so with hope and zeal! Blessings on your week ahead.

Henri Nouwen, With Open Hands

When you pray, you discover not only yourself and God, but also your neighbor. For in prayer, you profess not only that people are people and God is God, but also that your neighbor is your sister or brother living alongside you. For the same conversion that brings you to the painful acknowledgment of your wounded human nature also brings you to the joyful recognition that you are not alone, but that being human means being together.

Compassion is daring to acknowledge our mutual destiny so that we might move forward, all together, into the land which God is showing us.

Awe heightens our awareness of being part of a community… of feeling embraced and supported by others. – Dacher Keltner

I am making my through an excellent source for reflection, the book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life. Author Dacher Keltner provides research-based insights into how – when we feel and experience a sense of awe – we are able to “place the stressers of life within larger contexts.” Dacher notes especially the importance of nature in promoting awe. Isn’t this the truth?!?

Today I post two additional resources, a below excerpt from a prayer at our virtual team meeting earlier this week. I also share some music I came across from my NPR Youtube feed. Enjoy and blessings and your week ahead!

On Listening to God’s Voice-
Dennis Hamm, SJ from Rummaging for God: Praying Backwards through Your Day


How do we hear the voice of God? Our Christian tradition has at least four answers to that question. First, along with the faithful of most religions, we perceive the divine in what God has made, creation itself (that insight sits at the heart of Christian moral thinking). Second, we hear God’s voice in the Scriptures, which we even call “the word of God.” Third, we hear God in the authoritative teaching of the church, the living tradition of our believing community. Finally, we hear God by attending to our experience, and interpreting it in the light of all those other ways of hearing the divine voice–the structures of creation, the Bible, the living tradition of the community.

I look to the future optimistically and wish for us all happy and productive lives. -John Coltrane

Yesterday a former colleague texted me this image of a quote from author Toni Morrison. In honor of Labor Day I share it with you in hopes that how you spend your time this week reflects who you are and what you value. I am grateful for the work I do, and the family I have, for allowing me to strive to do the same each day. Blessings on your week ahead!

Prayer awakens us to God’s presence and, at the same time, increases our experience of interdependence with each other and with all of humanity. -Robert Schieler

Today I share a couple nuggets of wisdom provided to me during a few meetings in recent days. I am leading through some instances of change management and I have found these quotes to be resourceful. I find prayer, being out in nature, and community to be so grounding to support these moments of change. Blessings on your week ahead!

“To practice active hope, we do not need to believe that everything will work out in the end. We need only decide who we are choosing to be and how we are choosing to function in relation to the outcome we desire, and abide by what those decisions demand of us.”  [Mariame Kaba] 

“People think of a moment of transition as uncertain and anxiety-filling. Delta means change. But deltas are also the most fertile places, where both the best aspects of land and water are available to us.” [Norma Wong, Nan Stoops, and Rosie Abriam]

God is much larger than our finite brains can comprehend. This God we know and love—this God we have experienced—is big enough to hold it all. The question is, can we put aside our fears and prejudices and get on board with that? -Shannon K. Evans

Yasmin Dodds recently authored this excellent article, Are You A Gracious Leader? , excerpted from her book Graciously Assertive: How Becoming a Better Human Makes You a Better Leader. Over the past week, I have benefited from several robust conversations with long-time collaborators, and I am grateful for this gift of time and space. I have spent time thinking about if/how I practice the important principles outlined by Yasmin. It’s definitely a process, but I am striving toward the better.

Over the weekend we visited an amusement park on Saturday, and spent the afternoon on the beach on Sunday. Watching our kids enjoy the water rides and rollercoasters, and play soccer on the beach together, brought happiness to our heart. This week, summer is over and school is back in session…God is good. Blessings on your week ahead!

“Gracious” Leadership Principles:

1. Value emotional safety. Create an environment where individuals feel safe to express their true thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or repercussion.

2. Practice radical humility. Approach interactions with humility, recognizing that you do not have all the answers and that every perspective is valuable.

3. Engage in active listening. Listen with the intent to understand, not just to respond. This involves giving your full attention and reflecting back what you hear to ensure comprehension.

4. Practice acceptance. Accept others as they are, without trying to change or judge them. This fosters a sense of belonging and respect.

5. Try being nonjudgmental. Suspend judgment and approach each interaction with an open mind. This encourages honest and open communication.

6. Demonstrate compassion. Show genuine care and concern for others. Compassionate leaders inspire trust and loyalty in their teams.

“Implementing these principles can transform your workplace culture. Start by setting the tone in meetings and interactions, demonstrating these behaviors consistently. Encourage your team to do the same by modeling active listening, empathy and nonjudgment. Becoming a better leader involves becoming a better human being.”

Because of our phones, we are forever elsewhere. – Sherry Turkle

I have spent much time this week thinking about presence and connectedness. Some of this reflection is motivated by the familiar familial whirlwind that is characteristic of our household experience during this time of year. We frantically purchase notebooks and school supplies, update multiple differing calendars and quickly immerse ourselves back into practice and school routines. I count our blessings that our kids are excited to return to their schools and are looking forward to being with their friends again.

I recently read this quote, cited in a San Francisco Chronicle article, and was reminded of the poetic leadership of a Daughter of Charity mentor of mine, Sr. Joyce Weller, DC. She often taught me- and others- of the importance of service and vocation in the midst of the business of our lives: “Sister Joyce Weller of the Daughters of Charity shared with me how in 1993 she came across a beautiful prayer posted on the wall of a hospital in Sierra Leone: When I die and happily meet my Creator, He will ask me to show Him my wounds. If I tell Him that I have no wounds, my Creator will ask: Was nothing worth fighting for?”

Here are a couple resources informing my thinking these days. Happy Back to School time! Blessings on your week ahead.

10 to 25: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation—And Making Your Own Life Easier.