In my continuing quest to become a de facto Jesuit priest (albeit one who is married, and whose current ministry is staring at countertop samples at kitchen design stores) I’m reading another fine book from James Martin, S.J.

In one chapter, he discusses the blessings of friendship – how vital it is to our thriving, and how fulfilling it has been for him to live in this particular community and develop long relationships that change and grow over the years. Describing his fellow religious, he says: “The men I’ve lived with for the past twenty-one years are joyful, prayerful, hard working–and so different from one another!”

Reading this, I realized that this is a fantastic description of who and how I’d like to be. Joyful. Prayerful. Hard Working. Different.  I’m not those things now, at least not consistently. I have these ebbs and flows. But it gives me a goal to steer toward. I believe it will make me a better friend. (Actually, I believe it will make me a better everything.)

So I took out a piece of paper and wrote out these words, and stuck them to the fridge with a magnet. From what I’ve gathered about Jesuit spirituality, it’s very much about reflection on-the-go: considering who and how you are, and who and how Jesus is, WHILE you’re in the midst of the call of your day. I’m hoping this attempt at refrigerator spirituality will help form me into someone who lives into these fun, inspiring words.

What are your words?