Made for greatness
The world needs your gifts
When I started The SundayMonday almost six years ago (!!), it was because I wanted to share the stories of the incredible women I knew who were living their lives, and sharing their gifts, in a way that honored God. Each was so unique, so beautiful, so captivating that I wanted the world to know their stories. At the heart, I was then (and still am) inspired by the magnanimity of the women around me.
As Lent marches on, I’ve been thinking a lot about Pope Benedict XVI’s quote: “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” I think there’s often a false humility we feel as Christians to be smaller, to be less than what God calls us to be, out of fear of standing out. But God created you to be unique, unrepeatable, and great! And through your greatness, you are called to inspire others to be more and more themselves.
This past week, as I pondered what being more magnanimous in my own life might look like, I was struck by the witness and example of two of my truly magnanimous friends, both of whom I would be so honored to emulate in even a small way.
First is my friend Michelle. On a Saturday in the summer of 2024, I was feeling a little restless and wanted to find a way to serve my community. I remembered a Monday morning opportunity to serve at a homeless breakfast at my church, and made a mental note to reach out to learn more. Just four hours later, I met Michelle at a party, and she told me that she attended that very breakfast every Monday and invited me to join her. Less than 48 hours after the thought crossed my mind, I was in the basement of the church serving at this breakfast with Michelle. I have been back almost every week since.
Michelle is the most popular person at breakfast. Whenever she is not there, our guests ask me (ad nauseam), “Where is Michelle?” They love Michelle because Michelle loves them. She started a group called “Coffee with Christ,” and once a month she gathers a group for prayer, and then they take a thermos of coffee and little gift bags with prayer cards and rosaries to hand out to people they encounter on the streets of DC. I saw Michelle give a talk on this ministry last week, and it brought me to tears to see how her passion and openness to the Holy Spirit had impacted not only the hundreds of people she’s met on the street, but also the dozens of volunteers who have joined her on these outings.
Michelle is a normal (very holy) girl with a full-time job in DC. Yet, she has allowed the Lord to ignite her heart, and she offers her gifts and talents to selflessly love and serve our community.
Second is my friend Alison. This past weekend, we celebrated her book launch. She’s been working on this book for the better part of two years, and my eyes teared up when I saw the stacks of books on the table ready for her to sign.
Alison has had an incredible career in public service and law. But a few years ago, she decided to turn her passion for etiquette into a full-time job. She’s worked so hard to build up a following online, and she’s booked and busy offering etiquette classes and seminars to professional groups and companies all over the country. She dared to take a big leap and jump into a niche industry, and she’s found remarkable success. On top of that, she is a wonderful friend — she hosted a graduation party for me when I returned to DC a couple of years ago, and it was one of the kindest and most generous things anyone has ever done for me. She is gracious and loving and I couldn’t be more excited for her book to launch into the world — just another step in her journey of being who God created her to be.
One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis is “How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been; how gloriously different are the saints.” I think about this quote all the time — but especially now, as I reflect on my friends and the extraordinary, unique, and beautiful ways they offer their gifts and talents to the world and ultimately to God.
Michelle and Alison are not the only people who have been given gifts and talents from God, gifts to radiate out into the world. We all have gifts to share. And God is not calling me to be Michelle or Alison. He’s calling me to be Jane. And he’s calling you to be you. Seeing Michelle and Alison live their lives as an outpouring of their passions and talents is an inspiration for me to live my life more completely as an outpouring of mine. And it’s a beautiful place to pause in this Lent and ask God how I can be more me, for Him, to be truly magnanimous.
Lord, what am I holding back? Please reveal to me the places where I am not loving or serving as I should. Please give me the grace necessary to love you and others more, and to share my gifts and talents generously.
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
I loved this from yesterday’s first reading
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
These words from the Book of Isaiah really hit my heart yesterday during Mass. I love moments when I am reminded of how God delights in us — He wants us to enjoy our lives! A beautiful reminder to start the week.
Mentioned above — buy Alison’s book, out TODAY!! It’s so dang good, I cannot recommend it more, and it’s already been such a joy to jump into!
“ChatGPT won’t heal you”
For Lent, I gave up ChatGPT. There are many reasons I did this. First, I love to write — both this newsletter and for work. I found myself turning to ChatGPT when I was exhausted and wanted to edit my writing more quickly. But it never quite worked, and I found myself rewriting everything again. Second, I found myself going to ChatGPT with little questions or when I needed immediate advice or feedback. A friend of a friend commented on that usage of ChatGPT, to solve problems that we are just impatient to get out of the way: “What’s your relationship with the Holy Spirit?” And that hit me as a really good question.
ChatGPT is so attractive because it gives us quick answers and affirmation — but by using it, I knew I was trading speed for wisdom. In my experience, the Lord moves with great wisdom, at His perfect pace (which is often slower than mine!!). I don’t want to lose the ability or patience to discern, so I have logged out indefinitely. Pope Leo is thinking about this, too. I loved his reflection on AI in which he said, “Faces and voices are sacred.” We are made for incarnational relationships. This homily was so good, too. AI might be part of our world, but we have the freedom to determine its place in our lives.
The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor
I love this big book of stories, and this weekend I was inspired to read “Revelation” after it was referenced in a priest’s homily. It was a thought-provoking short story about hypocrisy, judgment, and mercy. Flannery is so funny. I want to be better about picking this book up and reading little stories from it more often!
Happy St. Joseph week!
Thursday, March 19, marks St. Joseph’s feast day. I love St. Joseph — he has been a phenomenal intercessor for me, in both my life and my work. His integrity, strength, faith, and trust in God inspire me to grow closer to him. If you want to learn more about St. Joseph, or strengthen your relationship with him, I highly recommend Fr. Calloway’s 30-day Consecration to St. Joseph! And don’t forget to celebrate his feast on Thursday :)
This song has (already) smashed my 2026 Wrapped
It’s on perpetual replay. It makes me feel like I’m in a French monastery. The harmonies. The echo. The solo at 1:48. If I feel stressed or overwhelmed, one listen to this will get me right back down to earth (or looking up to heaven). I cannot stop listening. Do they sell Gregorian chant vinyl records? Asking for a friend.
Prayer intentions
For a special intention
For Joe Bear’s healing
For the healing of my brother’s concussion