erinmonnin

“We must be convinced therefore that work is a magnificent reality, and that it has been imposed on us as an inexorable law which, one way or another, binds everyone… It is an indispensable means which God has entrusted to us here on this earth. It is meant to fill out our days and make us sharers in God's creative power. It enables us to earn our living and, at the same time, to reap 'the fruits of eternal life'…” 1   St. Josemaria Escriva’s words challenge the common way many of us view our work. His statement is [...]

As Catholics, we are blessed to have a plethora of prayers, reflections, meditations, spiritual readings, and so much more at our fingertips that nurture our faith and allow us to grow closer to Our Lord. While we strive to live our lives in the way God is calling us to, oftentimes we seek a deeper, more intricate prayer life and wisdom from the Holy Spirit that comes with that. The Bible, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and popular prayers, such as the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be are frequently what we turn to—and we should! After all, these [...]

“As Catholics, we bring the richness of our faith to the public square. We draw from both faith and reason as we seek to affirm the dignity of the human person and the common good of all.” 1 There seems to be a lot of confusion in the Catholic Church surrounding the upcoming election. Priests and bishops are supporting both candidates, congregations are hearing mixed messages, and people are looking for truth in the wrong places. With this election being one that will change history and our country as we know it (whether for the better or worse is [...]

A global pandemic, racial injustices, and an election year each on their own are enough to make anyone crazy. But this year brought us all of it. We’ve had to adapt to new ways of living and “being.” We’ve watched and experienced true devastation. Our faith and hope have been challenged in ways that we never thought possible or perhaps never expected in our lifetime…And the year isn’t over yet. It’s easy to get caught up in everything, to add fuel to the fire, to be angry. And there are plenty of people doing this already. But as Catholics, [...]

I was in my first semester of my freshman year at Arizona State University. As a Catholic who desired to continue living my faith in college, I hoped to find a community of people desiring the same thing. However, my shy personality combined with how overwhelming this new college experience was made me too scared to venture over to the Catholic Newman Center on campus. About a month in to the semester, by what I believe was Divine providence, a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary, Anna, met me on campus and invited me to the women’s Bible [...]

I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit tired of hearing the word “coronavirus.” It seems to be all anyone is talking about right now. I do not say this to diminish the problem and I acknowledge that we do need to be concerned. It is unlike anything our world has seen for a long time. And we each have our own ways of dealing with it. Yet what I’ve noticed is that many of us are acting out of fear and responding in panic.  A few days ago, I was on the phone with a close family [...]

“Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others…” Colossians 3:23 Work is a blessing because it was ordained by God. It is a great gift to be able to get up each morning with a purpose and intent for the day, knowing that what we do will bring in support for ourselves and our families. There is also great opportunity in our work and God opens doors through the things we put our time into each day. He gives us opportunities for growth, connection, relationship and fulfillment. Without some sort of work, [...]

Everyone has a desire to belong and it’s this desire that drives us to pursue friendships with the people in our lives. We were made for friendship and community, in our homes, in our workplaces, and elsewhere. For now, we will take a closer look at building friendships at work, which is so integral to our mission at Tepeyac Leadership Initiative. The American Time Use Survey found that employed persons between the ages of 25 and 54 spend an average of 8.8 hours working or in work-related activities every day. (https://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/chart1.pdf) If we are spending so much of our time [...]