Spiritual Hippo

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

~ James 4:14

You “gained” an hour back in your life recently.  What did you do with that wonderful gift? Did you prioritize your next moves, to build relationships and serve others?  How prepared are you for the uncertainty of the future? We cannot predict the future, when our plans don’t come to fruition then we are challenged to look beyond them and seek better ways to be part of this world.  Humility and trusting in God’s goodness can be a way through the uncertainty.

Lead me from death to life,
from falsehood to truth;
Lead me from despair to hope,
from fear to trust;
Lead me from hate to love,
from war to peace;
Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe.

~ Satish Kumar

Frequently attributed to Mother Teresa, who encouraged her co-workers and others to use it, I share this prayer with you post election. Our divided community can and must reunite. What if you start here and take the next step to loving each other again? It would be an amazing start indeed.

“Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” ~ Bishop Fulton Sheen

Seems simple and not always easy. Especially in today’s polarized world of politics, culture and technology. It’s not a rainbows and unicorns type of optimism. It’s knowing who you are and what you want now and next that acts as a framework for exuding optimism. I like to say “when you stay in the present, your future writes itself”. Optimism is a very present state.

“Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” ~ Bishop Fulton Sheen

Seems simple and not always easy. Especially in today’s polarized world of politics, culture and technology. It’s not a rainbows and unicorns type of optimism. It’s knowing who you are and what you want now and next that acts as a framework for exuding optimism. I like to say “when you stay in the present, your future writes itself”. Optimism is a very present state.

“I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.”   ~ Mother Theresa

In 1982 I had the amazing good fortune to meet Mother Theresa.  She passed by me, greeting those of us working that year’s graduation ceremony, on her way to speak to a room full of senior clergy and other dignitaries.  She touched my hand and at the time I didn’t really know or understand who she was. When I heard her speak, I knew she was important to us, and to God. Over 40 years later I came across this quote while reading about her recently.  This is the best explanation of prayer that I’ve ever seen. 

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”  ~  Mother Theresa

Teamwork, co-creation, interests in a common cause for the greater good of something and someone.  When leaders can spot the talent, the different skills of others, different from each other and from themselves, greatness is available.  How available are we to see each other’s differences and greatness? And ultimately, accept them, and embrace them for their differences? Greatness awaits you.

“Whoever wishes to rank first must remain the last one and the servant of all”. 

~ Mark 9:35

Ambition, pride and hubris…among all the other ways we can channel our behavior; is human.  There’s so much talk about servant leadership today and still, rarely is it exhibited, even in the occasional way.  I had an interesting exchange recently in a faith based setting that caused discomfort when I mentioned this was not only needed, and also demanded of us to live a truly righteous, fulfilled life.  So even the most aware of these teachings struggle with this.  Have you noticed that the greatest of us tend to also be some of the most humble, and giving?  Servant leadership: It takes practice.

“Whoever wishes to rank first must remain the last one and the servant of all”. 

~ Mark 9:35

Ambition, pride and hubris…among all the other ways we can channel our behavior; is human.  There’s so much talk about servant leadership today and still, rarely is it exhibited, even in the occasional way.  I had an interesting exchange recently in a faith based setting that caused discomfort when I mentioned this was not only needed, and also demanded of us to live a truly righteous, fulfilled life.  So even the most aware of these teachings struggle with this.  Have you noticed that the greatest of us tend to also be some of the most humble, and giving?  Servant leadership: It takes practice.

Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, ~ Titus 2:7

While on a recent pilgrimage, attending daily mass, my homilist conveyed his concern for the lack of guidance from leading generations to emerging ones. That younger, emerging generations are truly falling behind. Not just in what is needed to be fruitful, also what is needed to be a fulfilled, compassionate and ultimately wise steward of the world. We need to be there for them. To listen to them. To show them different, better ways to walk through this world, not relying on solving its problems with man’s ideas. What are you doing to serve those who would benefit from what you know to be the truth? How are you helping others not be so in love with this world that they have lost sight of what is truly important and available to them and others in God’s world and beyond? Here’s a secret: they are waiting and wanting us to be there for them! So let’s be there for them and each other. I’m in. Who’s with me?

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.” ~ 2 Peter 1:5-7 I came across this passage very recently and it struck me in this way: it’s not about falling in love with the world’s things and what it is offering you.  Love is truly the end goal for everything we are and everything we do and what really honors our faith, our relationship with God.  We have a responsibility to live our lives in…