By Anni Harry

 

 

The alarm goes off and the mad dash to start the day begins. By mid-day, I am up to my eyeballs either in demands of the family or demands of work. There once was a popular phrase, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground.” And, I can assure you, by day’s end, there has been little down time. Perhaps the only down time I typically experience is waiting for dinner to cook on the stove, or the laundry to finish drying, or the printer to finish its job. At the end of the day, I find myself exhausted, flopping onto the bed craving the sweet, uninterrupted slumber that I know are only made of dreams. Because, let’s face it, as a nursing mama, a full night’s rest is simply that… a glorious dream.

I know my busy days pale in comparison to other women’s busy. Some women, regardless of whether or not they are married or have children, have exceptionally long, exhausting, stressful days. Some women’s roles lead to life-death decisions on a regular basis. Other women balance motherhood as single women, while struggling to meet the demands of multiple employers. Still others are facing trying to balance the demands of school and work, with the added responsibility of bills and no extra income.

Life is tough for all of us. It is stressful!

The absolute last thing in the world that is desired is yet one more item to add to our to-do list.

The Feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is today, the thirteenth of November. Known for being the first American citizen canonized, she lived from 15 July 1850 to 22 December 1917. During her lifetime, she was plagued by illness, which prohibited her from entering her first convent of choice. Eventually, she would found the Missionary Sisters of Sacred Heart in Italy, whose charism focused on taking care of poor children in schools and hospitals. She would then bring her religious Order to the United States, where she founded sixty-seven different organizations devoted to the causes of her Order’s charism. She died only eight years after being granted American citizenship, and since her death, has become patron of hospital administrators and immigrants.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini knew a thing or two about life’s hectic pace.

Yet, she devoted her days to pursuing God’s will. In fact, all of our saints did precisely that – whichever moment they stood in history, they paused in the midst of their crazy schedules and lives and took a moment or two every day to greet Him… to meet Him… to rest in Him.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is credited with saying, “Go often my dear ones and place yourself at the feet of Jesus. He is our comfort, our way, and our life.”

In the midst of these busy days, find comfort in the words of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini. Find a way to the feet of Jesus. Simply ask Him, and He will give you strength to carry forth your work.

About the author:

Anni is a proud Army wife, and mom. She currently works as the Catholic Religious Education Coordinator at her family’s military chapel. She can be found on social media at A Beautiful, Camouflaged Mess of A Life on FB, @beautifulcamouflagedmess on IG, and @BeautifulCamoMe on Twitter. She also writes for her own blog, in addition to other Catholic women outlets.