Pause+Pray

Italians—and other southern Europeans—practice "the sweetness of doing nothing" with much of their lifestyle. They emphasize our God-given gift of rest.

After losing his family, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez could have become bitter and angry with God. Instead he became a Jesuit lay brother and served the community as a doorkeeper.

Knowing the right thing to do isn’t necessarily easy. Yet when we find there are many good options or only bad ones, we can always turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Some don’t want to hear that the material world is sacred, because they’d rather exploit it. Lord, give each of us the courage to do whatever we can to protect our earth--the only home we have.

Think of the children you regularly encounter in your family, neighborhood, parish, or workplace. They have much to teach us about the ways of God.

Sometimes stones surface in the landscape—on the surface, or at the searching point of my spade. The rock I carry in my pocket today will remind me to be centered on the Rock of My Salvation.