Tag: relationship

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What to Do When You Get Interrupted

An interruption is anything that takes our attention away from our primary task. We may think our days are filled with interruptions: people cutting us off in traffic, a slow internet connection, etc. But in order to truly be interrupted, we have to have a primary task. We live in a world that is constantly trying to distract us, so much so that if we really start to think about what our primary task for today is, we may not be able to come up with one. What if we lived every day with the primary task of strengthening our relationship with Christ, and hedging our way towards eternity in Heaven? Today, Fr. Mike explains the purpose interruptions have in our lives, and how they can even guide us back to our primary task of reaching Heaven.

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Minute Meditation – The Power of Enough

We know there is power in the word enough. We carry this capacity to honor the present into every encounter and relationship, meaning that we honor the dignity that is reflected by God’s goodness and grace. Every encounter, every relationship, is a place to include, invite mercy, encourage, receive, heal, reconcile, repair, say thank you, pray, celebrate, refuel, and restore.

— from the book This Is the Life: Mindfulness, Finding Grace, and the Power of the Present Moment by Terry Hershey

//Franciscan Media//

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I Heard God Laugh – Sharing the Joy

One of the best gifts you can give is the gift of joy. And it’s one of the best gifts you can receive, too. But where does it come from? True joy can’t be found on the shelves of any local stores. It can’t be found while online shopping. It’s found in a personal relationship with God. Developing a habit of daily prayer is the surest way to find joy in your everyday life.

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Turn Your “No, But” into a “Yes, And”

When was the last time you said “yes” to God?

In improv, there’s a practice where participants are encouraged to never respond with “no, but” and to instead offer a “yes, and…” This allows for not only growth in the scene but in the actors as well. Similarly, God is always offering us different “scenes” to get us to sainthood. How are we responding? Turning our “no, but” into a “yes, and” opens our life to Christ’s will, and is the quickest path to sanctification.

Today, Fr. Mike explains how we can practice a better relationship with God by just saying “yes, and…”

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Learning to be Alone

Being alone isn’t supposed to be scary. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz shows us how solitude can be an invitation and doesn’t have to lead to loneliness. God himself has revealed to us how he is a relationship of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Made in his image, we are also made for relationship—with God and with one another. When we feel alone, it is because we were made to give ourselves to others as God gives himself to us.

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Minute Meditation – Unconditional Love

I am afraid we are all born rather egocentric. We are the only reference point that we have, at least initially. “It’s all about me, and why shouldn’t it be?” If Mom and Dad mirror us well, we soon develop “mirror neurons” for empathy and relationship with others, but even other people can still be seen as mere means to my own power and pleasure. Or I can think I deserve everything, which we call a sense of entitlement. 

Unless there is some pressure, social or parental, pushing the infant beyond the pleasure principle, human nature tends to largely take the path of least resistance. We really do need prods, goads, ideals to help us think outside of the little boxes we all create for ourselves. That is the function of laws and commandments. Only in the more mature person can love and grace take over—or even be understood.

—from the book Wondrous Encounters: Scriptures for Lent
by Richard Rohr, OFM

//Franciscan Media//