I used to have the ability to go to Mass just about every day. While admittedly, I sometimes felt it as an obligation, I always felt more at peace if I kept it up. One of my “resolutions” this year in my quest for peace is to try to get to Mass more often than just Sundays. I thought I would start with attending Mass on the first Friday of each month. I didn’t think about it again until this morning. I don’t know the reason, but I suddenly realized it was the first Friday. I looked up the Mass schedule for the nearby church and the time fell right into place for the day. I knew it was God giving me a nudge and I wanted to listen, so I headed to the church at noon. My parents and I had gone to this particular church before and my mom said that the deacon reminded her of my brother. He was there today and gave the homily. He talked about being a grandparent and how excited he and his wife are to see pictures and videos of their granddaughter who lives too far away. I could totally relate to everything he said. He expressed how the world around us can make us fearful, worried, and anxious. But if we trust in God, we can – and should – remain joyful. He said thinking about his granddaughter brings him tremendous joy. When we start to feel anxious, depressed, or worried, we can try to push away those thoughts and replace them with those that bring us joy. I appreciated his words and took them to heart.

I Found God today in a reminder of the joy in my life.