Reflection Starter from St. Theodora Guérin

"We are not called upon to do all the good possible, but only that which we can do." - Saint Theodora Guérin, whose memory the Church celebrates today (3 October), in a letter to Fr. J. Kundek.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Symphony No. 6 in F flat major

It's time for some classical music. This is a presentation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's “Symphony No. 6 in F flat major”, as played by the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner:

 

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for assigning each of us a guardian angel and for the blessing this guardian angel is for us.

Leadership in Adversity

"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny." This quote by C.S. Lewis opens Nathan Lambert's Psychology Today article "How Greater Challenges Help You Grow." Lambert shows how the adaptations we're forced to make due to adversity are often the very things that lead to greatness.

Lambert profiles a number of people with life-circumstances that prompted growth. For instance, one woman, who was particularly tall, realized that she could use her stature to become a stronger leader, rather than allowing herself to feel self-conscious about her height. She said, "I think the biggest thing is just to have good posture, be proud of it and be radiant! It does make you stand out; it makes people look to you. It can make you a natural leader because people will look to you first. So it can really be a benefit in terms of leadership and taking charge if you let it."

Aside from learning how to use adversity to cultivate leadership skills, Lambert also shows how life's challenges can make us stronger, help us learn to deal with our emotions, and inspire us to exert greater effort. He quotes one woman from Japan struggling to achieve academically in a learning environment that is not her first language. She says, "In school, it's hard for me to get good grades because English is my second language. But because I know I'm different because I'm not American, I work harder to be one of you guys . . . because I'm different, I do put in extra effort."

That extra effort she feels compelled to put in to overcome learning in a second language is exactly the thing that will set her apart and help her to succeed in a myriad of circumstances throughout the rest of her life. This is exactly how we should approach adversity, by adjusting to meet the challenges put before us and allowing those adjustments to form our character for the better.

Lambert writes, "Growing because of trials can be compared to the oyster that has a little piece of sand lodged inside. In response to this intruder, the oyster makes the most of its trial and makes a beautiful pearl! Without the challenge or setback of having this uncomfortable piece of sand, the oyster would never have made the pearl."

One of the most profound observations Lambert makes is about the healing that can take place within ourselves when we learn to master our emotions even in times of adversity. It helps us to be less judgmental of others, more forgiving, and more capable of understanding where people with whom we disagree are coming from. And these are some of the most important attributes we can have during times of adversity.

The world is in need of leaders capable of building bridges between people, and in order to build bridges, we must first listen and understand where people of different backgrounds and perspectives are coming from. So we must remember that, before assuming a leadership role in life, we must first listen and understand, which requires the patience we learn through personal adversity.

It is important for us all to remember that, as we go through our own trials, we are building character traits that will not only help us to succeed, but that will prepare us to help others. In this way, we join our efforts to Christ, who showed us the true path to using all of our suffering and adversity to change the world for the better.

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column by Father Ed Dougherty, M.M., The Christophers' Board of Directors ; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events. 

Background information:

The Christophers

Reflection Starter from St. Francis de Sales

"Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs." - Saint Francis de Sales

National Custodial Workers Day

Tomorrow, 2 October, is being observed as National Custodial Workers Day, an observance designed to celebrate and show appreciation to the many men and women who clean and maintain the many buildings (including schools and other municipal buildings) that are used for all kinds of reasons on a daily basis.

Happy Belated Birthday, Jim

Belated birthday greetings to Jim Kirch, husband of niece Lori, whose birthday was the day before yesterday!!! May the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Holy Father's Prayer Intention for October

The Holy Father's prayer intention for October is:

The Laity's Mission in the Church: "We pray that by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church."

The Buffalo Bills: "My Blue Heaven"

It's time for some more barbershop harmony. Here is a presentation of "My Blue Heaven"" by The Buffalo Bills:

 

Thank You, Lord

 Thank you, Lord, for the precious gift of life.

U.S. Bishops’ Pro-Life Chair Launches Respect Life Month and Invites Catholics to "Live the Gospel of Life"

October is being observed as Respect Life Month, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities recently issued a statement encouraging Catholics to allow "the Gospel of Christ to touch and transform our own hearts and the decisions we make."

Archbishop Naumann's full statement as as follows:

"As Catholics in the United States, we will soon mark our annual observance of October as Respect Life Month. It is a time to focus on God's precious gift of human life and our responsibility to care for, protect, and defend the lives of our brothers and sisters.

"This year's theme, 'Live the Gospel of Life,' was inspired by the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's encyclical, The Gospel of Life. Pope John Paul's masterfully articulated defense of the right to life for children in their mothers' wombs, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the marginalized is more relevant today than ever before.

"Last November, the U.S. bishops reaffirmed that 'the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed.’'While we noted not to 'dismiss or ignore other serious threats to human life and dignity such as racism, the environmental crisis, poverty, and the death penalty,' we renewed our commitment to protect the most fundamental of all human rights ' the right to live.   

"This past January, I shared with Pope Francis that the bishops of the United States had been criticized by some for identifying the protection of the unborn as a preeminent priority. The Holy Father expressed his support for our efforts observing that if we fail to protect life, no other rights matter. Pope Francis also said that abortion is not primarily a Catholic or even a religious issue, it is first and foremost a human rights issue.

"The Gospel of Life provides a blueprint for building a culture of life and civilization of love. The important work of transforming our culture begins by allowing the Gospel of Christ to touch and transform our own hearts and the decisions we make. May we strive to imitate Christ and follow in his footsteps, caring for the most vulnerable among us. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, may Our Lord grant us the grace to live courageously and faithfully his Gospel of life."

 

Reflection Starter from St. Thérèse of Lisieux

"Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love." - Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (Saint Thérèse of Lisieux), whose memory the Church celebrates today (1 October)