Are you busy all the time but never feel accomplished?
Does your busyness get in the way of your relationship with Christ?
Do you feel guilty about putting off your faith until Sunday morning?
I have experienced all of these disappointments and emotions myself. If you are looking for a better way forward, I think I’ve accidentally stumbled into one.
I’m a college professor, which means my days are filled with tasks: giving lectures, grading papers, holding office hours, and running from meeting to meeting. Usually, by the midpoint of the semester, I’m running on my reserves and by the end of the semester — I’m near my wit’s end. This semester, I set out to do things differently.
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Planning ahead was the first change I made. I am fortunate to teach at a Catholic university that holds daily Mass, but my schedule has rarely allowed me to make time to attend. Prior to this semester, I worked with my dean to schedule my classes in such a way that I could go to Mass one day a week.
Making plans with a colleague/friend was the second thing I did differently. I approached a colleague who I knew was also Catholic and we both had the same idea to lead a Rosary group for our university community, which includes students, faculty and staff. We agreed that he would lead a Rosary before Mass on Monday and I would lead a Rosary after Mass on Tuesday. We advertised the Rosary gathering schoolwide in the university newsletter as well as on the bulletin boards in our buildings.
With my schedule sectioned off and an accountability partner secured, the only thing left was to follow through. When Mass was over, I motioned the remaining people to come sit around me. I asked them one by one what their intention was for this Rosary, and, to my everlasting surprise, everyone has had something to share even when put on the spot.
The people who attend the prayer time are a combination of students, staff, faculty, and nuns, plus my wonderful wife. Sometimes we have only 2-3 people, other times we have close to 10. Regardless of number, I am always touched by the oneness of our prayer — by the very real sense that we are offering something shared.
Truthfully, it has been challenging to lead the Rosary when our numbers are few, but God has gently pointed out that this hang up comes from my own wounds and not from him. I have been reminded, time and again, that gathering in Christ’s name with one other person is enough for him to be present (Matthew 18:20). This doesn’t mean that God is not with us when we pray on our own of course, but it does mean that something different is happening when we draw together for the purpose of collective prayer.
Perhaps my story resonates with you and you would like to start a weekly Rosary group at your workplace.
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But how can you partake if you work outside the Church? What if religion is a four-letter word in your workplace?
Start by identifying a set time during the week when you can be free for 20 minutes. Then, figure out a space where you can easily gather once a week — this could be an office, a nearby church, a restaurant booth, or even someone’s roomy car. What matters is that you set aside time and a place to pray for Mary’s intercession in your life and in the lives of all the participants as well.
Who should you invite? Invite anyone you know in your workplace who is Catholic to participate in your weekly Rosary. Ask them if they know anyone else in the company who is Catholic and to invite those people as well. If you have a bulletin board or message board where you are allowed to post things, make a flyer inviting people to a weekly Rosary (no experience praying necessary). If all else fails, you can approach the people that you know best at the company and invite them, even if you are not sure of their religious affiliation. If you approach them with respect, extending the invitation with gentleness, the worst thing that can happen is you get a “no.”
The best thing that could happen is that two or three people gather in Christ’s name and, in the middle of your average workday, Christ stands in your midst. How much different would your work week be if you spent even 15-20 minutes in Jesus’ presence?
