Scripture:
Reflection:
“Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?” -Hebrews 13:5-6
I’ve often thought, I missed my vocation. I should have been an architect. I enjoy looking at spaces and imagining how a little tweak here or a change of furniture there would make a more welcoming space.
Is there anything more beautiful than a craftsman/woman working at their art creating useful gifts for themselves and the world about them? I think not! In 1963, shortly after Kennedy was assassinated, I left the small town of St. Paul, Kansas, where I was living in a loving community as a Passionist novice, and headed back to Chicago to reemerge back into the family life of my birth. That family life, while loving and caring had issues like every family, and I hoped that I could flourish and grow there like I had for the past five years living in the Passionist family.
The Passionists had given me a love of learning. With the help of neighbors and family, I was blessed with the gift of being able to continue my education. It was late December though, and it was too late to get into most colleges. the Art Institute of Chicago was offering a course in Interior Design and let me enroll. Among other things, that course gave me an appreciation for good furniture construction, teaching me about mortise and tenon joints as well as the tongue and groove joining of boards. It also introduced me to balance and space.
God, you call each of us to life. You bless us with all that we need. You called me, and with the help of the beautiful people and resources you put in my space, you led me to share the talents and gifts you gave me, bringing me and those around me much joy, love and peace. Help me to recognize the true gifts in my life today, to say yes to them and hopefully, bring a little bit more of your love into our world on earth.
Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists. He lives in Chicago.