“I’m fine,” “Oh, I’m making it, I guess” and “I’m here,” are just a few of the most common responses I hear when I ask the question, “How are you doing?” Honestly, anyone of these responses are many times, my response as well. Recently, I was in the grocery store and bumped into an acquaintance. When I saw him, I said “Hey! How are you doing?” He replied, “Fantastic! I couldn’t better.” Then proceeded to share with me some of the great things happening in his life. It wasn’t until later that evening that the gravity of this encounter hit me. I thought about how seldom I respond with the excitement for life that my friend displayed.
How do I truly find joy in my day to day activities, even if they are the same each day?”
So many of us are busy—just trying to get through the day. After a while, the days can become monotonous, each day similar to the previous. Each week can seem like a copy of the one before. We were made for more; I don’t mean in reference to what we are doing each day, but how we experience what we are doing. I finally found the question that I needed to ask myself, “How do I truly find joy in my day-to-day activities, even if they are the same each day?”
Through reflection and prayer, the answer came that I am a child of God, a reflection of Jesus Christ. There is nothing boring or monotonous about that! My baptismal call is to reflect the light of Christ in everything I do. So, when I am driving my son to sports practice for the fifth time this week, I can be a reflection of Christ to him by being present to him, asking him questions, engaging in his life and finding new ways of connecting with him. When I am answering the 15th email of the day, I can engage the recipient of that email by asking about their family or revisiting a conversation we recently had. When I arrive home from work and enter into the nightly routine of dinner, homework, chores, etc., I can be sure to say ‘Thank you” and show gratitude for the dinner and the completion of chores.
I realize that each interaction that I have is an opportunity to reflect the light of Christ, as well as to receive the light of Christ from the other person. It doesn’t matter what we are doing, but rather how we are reflecting the light of Christ in each of our interactions. So, the next time someone asks you, “How are you?” consider your answer being rooted in the knowledge that you are a child of God and a reflection of Christ.
Chris Rogers
Director of the Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Published January/February 2020 Catholic Life