Good morning. As I write this blog this morning I awoke to the news as did most of you of the horrendous tragedy in a movie theater in Colorado, a reminder to us of how fleeting and unpredictable life can be. My prayers go out to all the victims and their families and to everyone involved. I am sitting in a hotel room in Indianapolis writing this blog this morning and in a few hours I will be joining other Catholic social workers for our annual conference and looking to those things as social workers that really matter. As I reflect back to discussing the formation of this group of social workers at a McDonald’s restaurant in Sullivan, Indiana with Joan and Kathleen, I recall how excited I was at the prospect of forming a group of social workers whose purpose would be to approach their professional lives with a focus on what truly matters. In fact the whole situation reflecting back on it was quite providential. I had been preparing for the formation of a professional group of Catholic social workers at the same time as these two women, who were graduate students at the time, and they were likewise looking to form a Catholic organization for social workers. My boss at the time mentioned to me that he had heard of these two women who were looking to form this organization and suggested that I meet with them, and so we did. And, Catholic Social Workers National Association (CSWNA) was formed. It was decided in Sullivan that we would join our efforts together for the Glory of God and the pursuit of those things which truly matter. Speaking of things that matter, I’m looking forward to meeting Teresa Tomeo this evening, I enjoy her articles in Our Sunday Visitor and I look forward to hearing her remarks this evening on what matters in Catholic social work.
Those in the know, know. Those in the know realize that there is more to life than the temporal things we tend to surround ourselves with. Those who know realize that our foremost duty in life is to love and serve God, and as a result know life is about doing whatever builds the Kingdom of God. Those in the know, know what truly matters. Those in the know have an attitude, an attitude that says gratitude. Those in the know awaken daily to looking to all the possibilities of joy and fulfillment that surround them beginning with their spouse and their families. Those in the know live their lives aware of the message Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel, that we are to live our lives sharing and caring for each other, and focusing on those things that truly matter, those things which truly bring us joy. We so often lose track of those things which truly matter. Saint Margaret, whose life we honor today serves an example to us of focusing on those things which truly matter in life. Do we appreciate and acknowledge the goodness that surrounds us? Do we take time to fully embrace and appreciate those things which really matter in our lives? Did we let our spouse know how much they are appreciated today? Did we offer appreciation to God for the gift of our spouse today? Joy begins with appreciation. I look forward to a joyful day today meeting other Catholic social workers, and discussing things which matter. May we all be about those things today which truly matter. Make a great day!
Today we recall the good life, gifts, and work of Saint Margaret of Antioch.
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