Tag: Catholic

Inspiration

Day 37: God Always Sees Me

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Reflection by Jacquelyne Rocan

Was I hurt today without anyone noticing?

Last year, I celebrated a work anniversary milestone.  During a staff meeting, my manager presented me with a token representing my years of service and then quickly moved on to other business.  I was a little surprised but did my best not to dwell on it as this is not unusual for where I work.  Then, two weeks ago, one of my colleagues celebrated the same work anniversary milestone as I had the prior year, but this time, there was a big celebration and a lot of recognition for my colleague.  It was hard for me not to compare the two situations and become upset by what I perceived to be disparate treatment.  I was hurting but did not share that hurt with my colleagues.

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Inspiration

Day 36: Grateful for Today

Smitten With Goodness
Reflection by Jacquelyne Rocan

Do I practice gratitude in my daily life?  

It can be easy to take for granted all of the many blessings and gifts that God has given me, and focus instead on what I do not have or on negative events in my life. At times, I feel like the blind man in the Gospel, not physically unable to see, but blinded by impatience, anger, indifference or thoughtlessness to the beauty and graces provided to me by God. To open up my eyes (and heart), I started a gratitude journal and followed the prompt to note five items or events to be thankful for each day. I feel the scales falling from my eyes and my heart growing as I learn to identify and focus on both the great and small gifts in my life.

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Inspiration

Day 35: Attitude of Gratitude

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Have you learned the holy habit of gratitude? 

Saint Francis lived with his heart wide, open to receive the ever-glowing gift of God ‘s love in every single reality – from the smile of a friend to the smell of a flower to the whisper of a refreshing breeze. His life, his words, desires, actions, and decisions became a song of thankfulness to the god of infinite goodness. Gratitude so filled his soul that it crowded out anxieties, doubts, and sorrows. 

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Inspiration

Day 34: The Ear of the Soul

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What do you hear in silence?

The ideal disposition for the divine encounter is silence and alert attentiveness. The practice of interior silence gradually produces the voice in the vision and the capacity to listen. It draws the false self from its self-centeredness and allows the true self to emerge into our awareness. 

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Inspiration

Day 33: New Way of Thinking

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What new thoughts visited me? 

Our body and mind hold onto what we tell ourselves as well as how we perceive particular situations. I’m trying to expand my emotional language and self-awareness to shift my thinking. I have always been a high energy person able to accomplish a lot, but I’ve learned to train myself to sit still, and just be. 

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Inspiration

Day 31: Effort Well Spent

Smitten With Goodness
Reflection by Jacquelyne Rocan

What did I learn today?  

There is so much information in the world today and we have relatively easy access to gather information about almost any topic by reading a book, conducting a Google search, watching a YouTube video, you name it.  It is harder, though, to find the time to actually sit down and learn about a new topic, a new language, or a new skill.  How do I slow down and take the time to learn something new?

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Inspiration

Day 30: Divine Moments

Smitten With Goodness
Reflection by Jacquelyne Rocan

Have I had any visitations from the past or the future today?  

In the beautiful and haunting painting by Jules Bastien-Lepage that hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, St. Joan of Arc is shown as a young woman in the garden of her home, with the transparent figures of St. Michael the Archangel, St. Margaret, and St. Catherine hovering above her.  It is believed that this painting depicts the first time that St. Joan of Arc heard the call to arms to save France (when she was about 13 years old). 

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Inspiration

Day 29: Striving to do Better

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Reflection by Jacquelyne Rocan

Did I do one thing to improve myself today?

When I was in school, it was easy to find ways to learn and grow each day.  I was always finding new information to read and explore to improve my mind. I also had opportunities to exercise and stretch myself through physical education and sport activities.  Attending Catholic schools provided me with ways to grow spiritually through Mass attendance, daily religious education, and exposure to priests and nuns that taught in my schools.  After I graduated and began working, though, the opportunities to make myself better each day — intellectually, physically, and spiritually — were not always readily available.  It takes more initiative and effort to find opportunities and engage with them so I can continue to grow and flourish.

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Inspiration

Day 28: The Gift of Forgiveness 

Smitten With Goodness
Reflection by Jacquelyne Rocan

Who did I forgive today?

For those of us that live in large cities with miles and miles of freeway, it is inevitable that we have been confronted with drivers that speed, change lanes constantly, and veer into other lanes without warning.  I often find myself angry and frustrated by near misses from other drivers (and have had a few uncharitable thoughts and words about other drivers).  I struggled with my response and how I could better react to these situations that arise on an almost daily basis.  

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