Choose Peace

We live by busy schedules.

We race for the train or endure slow moving traffic on Rt. 206.

We try to get to the gym, but there’s a meeting, a load of laundry to be done, homework to be checked, an email to send or a grocery list waiting for us.

And there are the daily stresses we face:

My child is applying to college,
My marriage has hit a rough spot,
My parent’s golden years are tarnished by illness.
My job is crushing my spirit.

Amid all of these things, an inner voice reminds us to be grateful:

For the friend who did a favor,
The employer who understood,
The food on our table each night.

We may live different lives and make different choices. But on the road of life, each of us needs time for quiet, for renewal, for listening and reflecting. And for fun. On the journey, we need to choose peace.
It is peace that enables us to face the challenges, to deal with the stress and to be grateful.

• Some of us choose peace by taking a walk, appreciating the flowers, a beautiful sunset and even the deer that will eat the Hosta.
• Others take the time to meditate or write or pray.
• And still others choose peace by keeping a Sabbath each week with others in a house of worship.

Peace is a choice.
• It requires the willingness to step out of our busy lives.
• It means taking the time for quiet, for listening and for gratitude.
• It recognizes others are making the journey with me.

Peace is a choice.

We have found that peace by gathering each week for quiet, for renewal, for listening, for prayer and reflecting. And for fun.

Our door is open.
And we are always ready to talk with others about
how, even in the toughest times, we choose peace.

The Catholic Community of St. Charles Borromeo
www.borromeo.org