Composed by: Dominic

When it comes to serving others, one of the things I'm thankful for is learning under the influence of my parents. They taught me how to give, to give much and to give often.

Through the years, I would always see my parents serve the families of our household on a weekly/daily basis. It wasn't until I started working a full time job that I realized how well my parents balanced their full time jobs, vocation of marriage and leading in ministry full time. They did everything joyfully and quietly, working diligently to provide for everyone who came to them in need and for me and my brothers. Those who were fortunate enough to meet them could tell through their witness how much they loved the Lord by their words and actions.

For me, their heart of service is the greatest teacher of love. It was through love that enabled them to continue giving despite feelings of sickness and fatigue. About two years ago, there was a period of time when my mother was sick and her kidneys were failing. Long story short, she needed a transplant. Through God's providence, my father tested to be an exact match for a kidney transplant and they soon underwent the procedure. Although the procedure limited the extent of their activities and travel, they still continue to do what they can. Since then, they have made a full recovery and are back to work and ministry full swing. I often forget that my parents are human, prone to error and fatigue. And yet to me, their pace seems never to change, they seem never to tire.

Recently, I joked with my dad, "I wish I could buy a day's worth of your time, so that you and mom can rest." He smiled and said nothing.

Composed by: Sr. Catalina Rosa

I set aside time strictly for prayer by (1) leaving a buffer of time between my departure from work and my ministerial/volunteering/social endeavor of the evening for silent prayer on weekdays and (2) making myself arrive early or stay late after Mass for silent prayer on both weekdays and weekends. I also offer my day each morning to God, and I thank Him before I fall asleep for the blessings of the day. Even if I had a "bad" day, making myself thank God for my blessings helps me "get over myself" and realize that, yes, I do have blessings, and, yes, they come from a loving God. In the spirit of the words of the morning offering--"O my God, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You..."--I've recently started to take seriously the need to have a friendship with God, and with the Blessed Virgin, too! So, throughout the day, I tell Jesus and Mary what I think and feel--just as I do with my close friends. Also, since I ride public transit, I almost always take each bus or subway ride as an opportunity to listen to beautiful music on my phone via earbuds (the combination of placing earbuds in my ears and playing music shuts out the din that I usually hear while riding public transit) and pray a Rosary, pray the Divine Office, or read a reflection. (Side note: I'm a musician, and so I've also come to learn that offering each day to God includes offering the music I play and hear to Him, and includes using music as a way to talk to Him.) No, this isn't enough! To improve my prayer life further, I can continue to be comfortable with silence, continue to unplug myself from the world (there's a difference between being aware of current events and doing what I can in response to them, versus being consumed with worry about all that's wrong in the world)--and continue to grow in friendship with Jesus and Mary.