This month’s theme, “Pause and Practice” is an invitation to reflect on your growth. Each Sunday throughout this month we will offer a practice you can use to help you unearth the still voice of God calling you to a deeper wholeness. 

Too often in life, we run from one event to the next or from one crisis to the next without taking the time to reflect on what happened and how we are changing and growing as a result. Here at Retreat, Reflect, Renew, our retreat season is like a school year, running from September through June. My intention with these reflections is to create a journey for you throughout the season.

You may think you don’t have time for this kind of thing. Speaking strictly as an adult, you probably do not, and that is entirely the point of the exercise.

Work hard, serve, do your duty, sacrifice. Know your mission, purpose, and influence. These are words and phrases I remember hearing a lot about from childhood through adulthood.

I have always been one who never wanted to miss anything. Anything fun, that is, even going so far as to create a system for myself so that I wouldn’t miss anything.

I invite you to connect with the God of Play. Try skipping, humming, dancing, singing, even daydreaming, and invite God into those moments with you. Invite God into your laughter as a way of recognizing the joy in the ordinary and accepting the imperfections of life. 

With so much suffering and violence around the world, it is easy to forget about joy. And if you are dealing with a stressful life change, joy may be the last thing on your mind and heart. Yet this is the exact time when reflecting on the meaning of joy can be the most helpful and hopeful.

Are you sensing you are ready for a change in the way you deal with the ups and downs of life, or wanting to experience your faith differently?

I have found that transformative transitions hold long periods of uncertainty for me. For most of my life, almost nothing has been harder to sit with than uncertainty, yet I have come to befriend it.

If there is one thing that has helped me the most in all of my times of transition, it is letting-go rituals. If you feel as though you are holding a lot of emotion—whether it is joy, gratitude, grief, or worry—rituals are a powerful way to express yourself and connect with God's Grace.

A life change rocks your world. You feel as if you are in a state of free fall. You may be disoriented, even lost.

I was in a rush to the grocery store to pick up some fruit on my way to our Sacred Self, Sacred Community gathering. In my haste and diligence, I didn't even stop to get a shopping cart, wanting to ensure I wasn’t late for our 10 AM gathering. 

For much of my life, I carried a quiet ache I didn’t fully understand. I knew I was hurting, but I did not always have the words for it. Something inside of me felt unsettled, as though childhood pain had planted itself deep in my spirit and continued to grow, even when I tried to ignore it.

I recently stayed with friends in Portballintrae, a coastal village in Northern Ireland. On one rainy day, I was watching the wind and waves from inside our cottage. I soon became aware that at any given moment there were both potential challenges and signs of hope—it all depended on where I put my focus and how I interpreted what I was seeing.

There is something mystical about the moment you see a rose about to burst open and reveal its divine beauty. It looks and smells like hope and can bring you closer to God's love and comfort. Give yourself a moment with this reflection on finding new life outdoors.

Growing up Catholic, I always participated in the practices of Holy Week, known as the most sacred seven-day period of the liturgical year, commemorating the final days of Jesus Christ’s life.

When I reflect on hope, I fall (metaphorically) into the arms of God. It is there—in the safety and care of the Divine Presence—that I feel most hopeful.

My spiritual director and I were conversing, and she asked me how I am doing in my spiritual walk. “Well,” I said, “ I think I have weathered the storm of transition pretty well over the last few years, with retiring and moving to Mexico with my husband.”

Lent has become a special time for me. I love the call to the desert and taking time to listen for God to “speak tenderly” to my heart (Hosea 2:14).

A scary health challenge brings a deeper understanding of God's Grace. A touching Lenten reflection to help fuel your hope.