God Works the Night Shift
There’s an old saying, “God works the night shift.” This maxim made me wonder about all those people among us who work the night shift too. Do we know who they are? Do we appreciate what they do for us? Do we ever thank them or pray for them? Here are a few thoughts about night shift workers and a short prayer for them.
It is estimated that 7.4% of the work force in this country work the night shift. This shift is sometimes called the third shift (often starting at 11:00 PM) or the graveyard shift. It is common in areas such as medical care, manufacturing, transportation, security, military, maintenance, and cleaning and food services. I would also incude all caregivers who are up regularly at night tending to someone else’s needs. In the business world, there are some benefits to working the night shift: increased pay, quieter work environment, and sometimes enhanced flexibility with your schedule. What’s more, you avoid rush hour traffic when you work nights!
But there are some negative consequences to working the night shift, namely, the disruption of the body’s natural circadian rhythms and the greater risk of chronic illness. There can also be negative social and spiritual consequences. Working nights can lead to a sense of isolation from others. And it may be harder getting to Church or finding time to pray. In Las Vegas, 30% of the work force does not work conventional hours. This has caused at least one church to spring up called “The Night Shift Church.”
I would include another group of individuals “who work the night shift”: those who are tormented by pain, worries, fears, or violence that prevent them from enjoying a good night’s sleep. Scripture offers us wisdom in this regard by saying that the wise person trusts in God. If you are wise and trust in God, says the book of Proverbs, Then “when you lie down, you need not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet” (Pr. 3:24). Sleep, however, is pretty impossible if bombs are exploding around you at night. But if we toss and turn at night due to useless worries, we can recall Jesus’ words: “Fear not, little flock.” Or his first words to his disciples after the Resurrection: “Peace be with you… My peace I give to you.” ( I realize this is often easier said than done. And sometimes we may need help if we suffer from chronic sleeplessness.)
For some individuals, working the night shift can be a blessing. Some find a special camaraderie with those who work alongside them. Others like the greater quiet this shift sometimes affords them. Here’s what one nurse said about working the night shift for five years. “It is a privilege to be on guard at night. Others trust you with their loved ones while the rest of the world sleeps. There’s peace at night that comes when the rest of the world stops, but you know that God is still there Sovereign in the darkness.”
Prayer for those who work the night shift
Beloved God, we pray for all those people who work the night shift: doctors, nurses, rescue squads, police, military personnel, maintenance and cleaning staffs, and all others who work through the night in service of others. Be with them as they work. Keep them alert and safe. Give them strength to persevere through fatigue. Instill in them a deep sense of your presence in the darkness. Bring them home safely when their shifts end. Help us to appreciate the sacrifices they often make for us. And inspire us to find ways to show our appreciation for all they do for our local community, our country, our world.
We pray also for all those who find it difficult to sleep at night–those in pain or are tormented by fears and worries. Give them the grace to realize that you are the God who works the night shift, so that they can have a good night’s sleep to gain strength for tomorrow.
We ask for these gifts from you, Our Beloved God of both day and night. Amen
For reflection:
Have you ever had to work the night shift? If so, what was that experience like for you?
Have you ever had to rely on someone who was working the night shift? What was that experience like for you?
Did anything stand out for you in this reflection? Or would you like to add something to this reflection?
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PS: Announcing: This year I’m celebrating my 60th anniversary as a Sister of Notre Dame. The actual date of my first vows was January 2, 1965. I was 20 years. To give me some extra time to celebrate with family and friends, I’m giving myself a little break. Next Monday, June 23, I will NOT post a new reflection. If you want, you can always go to the search box on the upper right side of this page, type in a topic, and see if I’ve written any reflections on it. Or type in any Monday date–as long as it’s February 2012 or later, and a reflection should come up. You have about 700 reflections to choose from! I’ll post my next new reflection on June 30th!
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I entitled today’s blog “God Works the Night Shift.” That’s another way of saying that God is with us–always. Here’s a song by the Afters entitled “God’s With Us.” I hope if nourshes your prayer.
I welcome your comments below. We love hearing from you1
The Doctor, the Nun, and the Handshake: The Origins of the Mayo Clinic
Two weeks ago I had the privilege of leading a retreat at Assisi Heights in Rochester, MN. Before going there, I was vagually aware that these Franciscan Sisters were somehow “connected” to the Mayo Clinic. But once I was on their beautiful grounds, their incredible story began to unfold for me. Here are a few highlights of that story.
On August 21,1883 a tornado swept across Rochester, MN killing 24 residents, seriously injuring over 40 others, and laying waste one-third of the city. Dr. William Worrall Mayo, Rochester’s leading physician, flew into action, transforming even the city’s dance hall into a temporary hospital. At one point he turned to the small community of Franciscan sisters for help. Mother Alfred Moes offered their empty classrooms for the injured plus two Sisters to help as nurses. Thus began an unlikely and extraordinary life-giving partnership.
Both Dr. Mayo and Mother Alfred were immigrants–he from England, she from Luxembourg. He was a Protestant physician, while she was a Catholic educator. But what they both shared was this: their profound commitment to care for suffering humanity. Shortly after the tornado, Mother Alfred approached Dr. Mayo with a proposal. In essence she said, “We need a hospital here. We Sisters will fund and build one, and we will serve as nurses, if you and your sons provide the medical care.” Dr. Mayo was reluctant at first. Rochester was too small to support a hospital, he argued, and the construction would be too costly. Besides, people shunned hospitals as “pest houses” where people went to die. Furthermore, who would come to a hospital in the middle of a cornfield? She persisted, and he finally agreed. They shook hands on it. In 1889 St. Mary’s hospital opened with 27 beds, six sisters, and three physicians, Dr. W.W. Mayo (as he was called) and his sons Charlie and Will. The sisters insisted that the hospital serve “all sick persons regardless of their color, sex, financial status, or professed religion.”
To save time and space, I will put in point form a few key aspects of this amazing story.
1. From the beginning, St. Mary’s Hospital had to deal with anti-Catholic sentiments that were rampant at the time. When Dr. Mayo tried to recruit doctors, he faced outright refusal. Some physicians did not want to be associated with anything Catholic. Others felt the venture was sure to fail because of its Catholic connection. In 1892 a rival protestant hospital was built in Rochester so that “ardent protestants” didn’t have to go to a hospital “that was managed by black-robed nuns in which there was a chapel set aside for the exercises of popery.” That hospital tried to woo the Mayos to their hospital, but the Mayos refused to leave St. Mary’s. Because of their decision, they endured severe public abuse. But their decision only strengthened the bond between the Mayos and the Sisters. (A few years later, the rival hospital closed when its founding physician abruptly left for St. Paul.)
2. After WWI, the Mayo brothers transformed the Mayo Clinic into a not-for-profit organization. They and their wives also donated the majority of their life savings as well as their physical properties to the hospital. At that time their gift was valued at $10 million. It would be many times greater in today’s terms. They decided that their doctors would receive salaries too, so that “All proceeds beyond operating expenses would be contributed to education, research, and patient care.”
3. From the beginning, the Mayos traveled the world in search of the latest medical practices. Infection was the surgeon’s greatest enemy. The brothers incorporated Scottish surgeon Joseph Lister’s practices of antisepsis into their surgery with astonishing results. Of the 1,037 patients admitted the first two years, only 22 died. Such high survival rates were unheard of. Cured patients went home and spread the good news about St. Mary’s Hospital. By 1906, Mayo surgeons had performed 4,770 operations, more than any hospital in the U.S. The Hospital also focused on research. Their doctors were pioneers in innovation and many went on to win Nobel prizes for their research. Mayo doctors gladly shared their expertise with surgeons from all over the world. In one old photograph (circa 1906) I counted 35 surgeons visiting St. Mary’s Hospital. They witnessed the Mayos doing surgeries and listened to them discussing surgical problems in their operating rooms.
4. During WWII, Japanese-American citizens were rounded up and hauled off to internment camps. It is a shameful chapter in U.S. history. But good nurses were in demand during the war. The head of St. Mary’s school of nursing, Sister Antonia Rostomily, recruited 15 young women from those camps and brought them to Rochester to study nursing. Fifty years later, in 1994, one of those students, Sumiko Ito, wrote a letter to the nursing school’s alumni office praising Sister Antonia. She said, “I have never forgotten her kindness and concern.”
5. Today the Mayo Clinic is ranked #1 in the U.S. and in the world! It has major campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. In 2022 it served 1.3 million people from all 50 states and 130 countries. But what impresses me even more than the Mayo Clinic’s current size and influence, were the Sisters of St. Francis whom I met during my week at Assisi Heights. At meals, I would ask them about their ministerial experience–past or present–and I heard responses such as these: taught in the school of nursing…in charge of the surgical floor for 20 years… taught grades first through eighth… 42 years working with Indigenious Peoples… served in pastoral care at St. Mary’s… doing spiritual direction and retreat ministry… am a pastoral associate in a parish… served in the Diocesan Tribunal for over 25 years… did pastoral care work in a detention center on our southern border… was in congregational leadership for 12 years. And one sister I met is currently the beekeeper on the motherhouse property! Before I left, I received a jar of her honey! I’ve already put some in my tea and it is yummy! (Thank you, Sister Alice, and thank you, Rochester honeybees!)
In 2018 the renowned filmmaker, Ken Burns, released a 2-hour documnetary called The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, and Science. The entire movie is available on PBS Passport. Here is a six minute interview with Burns about the film. This was aired on NBC’s “Today” show.
Did anything stand out for you in today’s reflection? I welcome your comments or reactions below!
An Image of Faith: Riding the Tractor with My Dad
June 2, 1914 was my father’s birthday. As a result, he’s always on my mind in early June. I think of him a lot in early August too, because he passed away on August 10, 2003 at the age of 89. I’m wondering: do you think about your deceased loved ones on their birthdays? What about on the anniversaries of their deaths?
Today I’m sharing something I wrote about my Dad a number of years ago. It appeared in my book Gracious Goodness (which is the updated version of my book Abundant Treasures.) This reflection highlights one of my personal images of faith–an image based on the first time my Father let me “drive” the tractor. I am including in this post pictures of some beautiful tractors… I hope you will enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed finding them!
But first, here’s a picture of the kind of tractor I remember as a child…
“Faith is Like Riding the Tractor with my Father”
I remember the first time my father let me ride the tractor. I was probably about five. My father climbed up onto the tractor first, leaned over, and with one effortless motion of his giant arm, swooped me up into the seat in front of him. I felt very important–and a little afraid. The seat was higher than it looked from down below.
My father said, “Ready?” I nodded my head. “Good,”he said. “Now you steer.” Immediatlely I grabbed the steering wheel with both hands. He turned the key, the engine made a loud noise, and the tractor shook beneath us. Over the roar of the motor, he said in my ear, “Now hang on,” and he gently released the clutch. Instinctively, I tighted my hands around the steering wheel. The tractor moved slowly at first, and then my father gave it more gas and we went a little faster until we were bouncing up and down over the fields.
I wish I had a picture of my father and me on that tractor that first time. If I did, I know what I would see. Me with my back arched, arms stiff, hands clenching that steering wheel. On my face is a look of grim determination. After all, I am steering that tractor! Or at least I think I am. The photo would also show my father smiling, his one hand unobtrusively on the steering wheel, the other around my waist holding me gently but firmly in place. He is smiling, because he knows the truth. He is in control of that tractor and he will see that no harm comes to me.
For me, riding the tractor with my father is a very good image of faith. Faith means being up high and moving forward. It means being eager, but maybe a little afraid too. It means keeping your hands on the steering wheel and doing your part. But, most importantly, faith means knowing whose hands are on the wheel with yours. It means knowing who is sitting with you and whose arms are cradling you. Faith means knowing no real harm can come to you because your father is riding with you all the way.
For reflection:
Did any words or phrases stand out for you in this reflection?
Do you agree with this statement: Faith in God presupposes a personal relationship with God.
Faith is more than simply trusting in God. It also means “partnering” with God to help bring about the better world we hope and long for. What are some of the small and big ways your faith is leading you to “partner” with God (and others) to help bring about a better world?
Do you have any favorite experiences with your parents or grandsparents that taught you valuable lessons about living and/or faith?
Do you have any experience with tractors you’d like to share with us?
Here’s an old but beautiful song, “This Is My Father’s World,” sung by Amy Grant. I thought the pictures of nature were lovely and uplifting…
I hope you will share below some of your thoughts on this reflection and on faith.
The Gift of Teachability
On his 51st birthday, writer H. Jackson Brown decided to jot down some of the lessons he had learned during his lifetime. As the top of a sheet of paper, he wrote, “I’ve learned that…” and came up with 25 lessons. So enjoyable was this excerise, he soon asked others to do the same thing. Before long he had hundreds of lessons people had learned in life. He compiled these lessons into a little book, Live and Learn and Pass It On. Here are three samples from individuals identified only by their age:
+ “I’ve learned that trust is the single most important factor in both personal and professional relationships.” (age 20)
+ “I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be a pain.” (age 82)
+”I’ve learned that you shouldn’t confuse a brown crayon with a Tootsie Roll.” (age 10)
Being a life-long learner is vital to a successful (and dare I say?) happy life. Says political scientist Benjamin Barber, “The question to ask is not whether you are a success or failure, but whether you are a learner or a non-learner.” It was the English statesman Disraeli who identified the “three pillars of learning”: seeing much, studying much (I prefer to say reflecting or pondering much) and suffering much.
Seeing: All learning begins with attention, with seeing, with noticing things. Good teachers know this. The success of a lesson largely depends on getting and sustaining their students’ attention.
Reflecting and pondering. But learning demands more than merely noticing things. It requires reflecting on what we notice or experience. Scientist Rebecca Rupp defined science as “a long and careful look beneath and beyond the world’s skin.” We can say that all learning involves a long and careful look beneath and beyond the surface of things.
Suffering. If we want to learn, we must be open to the possibility of pain. Yes, learning can sometimes be a pleasure and a joy, but the greatest lessons in life often entail some form of suffering. For example, when the little girl was asked how she learned to skate, she replied, “By getting up every time I fell.” Suffering can be the hard work involved with learning anything: how to grow a garden, how to raise a child, how to be a good leader, and even how to deal with the pain of loss.
If teachability is so important in life, then what are some warning signs that we are NOT teachable? Here are three.
1) When we are not present to where we actually are. If we are always preoccupied with the past or the future, we can miss seeing what is going on around us and inside of us here and now. If we are totally wrapped up in our own concerns, we can miss noticing the pain of a loved one, the goodness of our neighbor, the scent of lilacs in the air, the fear in the eyes of a child.
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2) When we think we know it all. If we think we know everything, then there’s no reason to learn anything knew. Wise people, on the other hand, know there’s always more to learn. And they know we can learn from all kinds of individuals–older or younger, highly educated or with little formal schooling, good friend or apparent foe. And we can learn in all kinds of circumstances–exciting or boring, stormy or calm, planned or totally unexpected.
3) When we try to shield ourselves from pain or suffering. When we’ve been hurt, we sometimes withdraw from engagement with other people and sometimes even from life itself. Years ago I studied with someone whom I suspected had been seriously hurt in the past. Although she was pleasant enough, she steered clear of every type of personal engagement with others that could lead to conflict. She said to me one day, “I don’t let anyone or anything bother me anymore. I tell people, ‘You live your life and I’ll live mine.'” I felt bad for her, for engaging with others is well-worth any “bother” it might be. For such engagements can often lead us to nourishing relationships and a meaningful life. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “Love one another?” How can we do that if we never engage with another?
One of my favorite cartoons is “Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson. Calvin, you may remember, was a little boy who had a stuffed tiger named Hobbes. Hobbes was inanimate if other people were around, but when Calvin was alone, Hobbes came to life and was Calvin’s wise friend. There’s one cartoon that says something about learning.
Calvin and Hobbes are talking together. In the first panel, Calvin says, “I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want to know anything new!”
In the second panel, he says, “I already know more than I want to. I liked things better when I didn’t understand them!”
In the third, he says angrily, “The fact is, I’m being educated against my will. My rights are being trampled!”
In the final panel, Hobbes asks Calvin, “Is it a right to remain ignorant?”
Calvin says, “I don’t know, but I refuse to find out.”
For reflection:
On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being unteachable and 10 being very teachable), where would you rate yourself? Why?
What are some of the ways you take time to reflect and ponder your personal life, the people you engage with, the things that are happening in your life, our country, our world? (One hint: you’re reading this blog, aren’t you?)
Can you give a time when pain or suffering led you to greater and more valuable knowledge than you had before the pain and suffering?
Did any of the photos capture your attention today?
PS: Thank you for your prayers for the retreat I led at Assisi Heights in Rochester, MN. There were over 100 retreatants: Sisters, cojourners, and lay people. They attended the retreat inperson, on closed circuit TV, and via Zoom. I want to say a BIG thank you to the retreat staff–especially Sister Linda, Sister Judi, and Bob our tech person who helped make the retreat run so smoothly for us all. This particular group of Franciscan Sisters were the Sisters who partnered with Doctor William Mayo and his two sons to start the Mayo Clinic in 1883. That story is so fascinating, I plan to write about it soon in a future blog. Stay tuned!
PS #2: A Happy and Blessed Memorial Weekend to all of You! Let us give thanks for all those men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and for the freedom of people all over the world!
Our song today is “Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord.” The words and music are by Mansell Ramsey and the song is sung here by Sarah Baute. It is a fitting prayer for this reflection.
I invite you to leave a comment below. Our readers and I always enjoy hearing from you!
How Well Do You Know Mary?
I can’t let May slip away without saying something about Mary, the Mother of Jesus. So, I thought we’d have a little fun today. Here’s a 12 point quiz on Mary for you to take. (I can hear some of your groaning… “A quiz? You think that’s fun?” But let me ease any anxiety you may have by saying this: There is little we know for sure about Mary. Some answers below, though, are based on pretty good archeological studies of first Century Palestine. So, if unsure of the answer, just take your best guess. Then I’ll give you the “correct” answers. (I’m indebted to my friend and fellow writer Sister Kathleen Glavich, SND for some of the answers from her book The Catholic Companion to Mary.)
1. What was Mary’s real name? In other words what name did her parents give her?
2. Did Mary own a cat?
3. What language did Mary speak?
4. Could Mary read and write?
5. Which of the following tasks did Mary do regularly: a) build a fire, b) fetch water from the well, c) bake bread, d) wash dishes, e) spin and sew, f) milk a goat, g) work in the fields, h) go to the synagoue on Saturdays, i) all of these, j) none of these.
6. Did Mary drink tea?
7. Did Mary ever sleep outdoors under the stars?
8. Was Mary kind and thoughtful?
9. Did Mary pray?
10. Did Mary suffer?
11. TRUE or FALSE: Mary lived during very peaceful times.
12. Did Mary ever appear on the cover of National Geographic Magazine?
Here are the “correct” answers to the questions.
1. Mary’s real name was Miriam or Miryam. Mary is the English translation of her name. Here are some other forms of Mary. Some may surprise you: Marie, Mariah, Mariel, Marietta, Maureen, Mae, Manette. Some nicknames based on Mary: Maia, Maja, Mame, Masha, Mia, Mimi, Mitzi, Molly, and Polly.
2. Mary could have had a cat. Cats were plentiful in first Century Palestine. Archaeologists believe that some people had them as pets.
3. Mary’s language was Aramaic–“a sister language of Hebrew–probably with a Galilean accent that was considered backwards” by some people. (Do we consider some accents in our country as “backwards?”) She most likely heard Greek, Latin, and Hebrew spoken in her town and probably knew some words in those languages too.
4. Most women did not read or write in first Century Palestine. But Joseph and Jesus, being men, were probably literate. Did either of them ever teach Mary to read and write? Who knows?
5. Mary did all of these tasks regularly throughout her life.
6. Mary drank tea. But not coffee. Coffee beans hadn’t made their way to first Century Palestine yet.
7. Yes, Mary slept outdoors under the stars. When their house was too hot, the Holy Family most likely would have gone up on the roof to sleep to get relief from the heat.
8. Yes, Mary was kind and thoughtful. “Love God and love others” would have been ingrained in her from childhood. Plus, the first thing Mary did after Gabriel’s startling visit, was to scurry over the hills to help her cousin Elizabeth. And at the wedding in Cana, she asked her son to do something about the shortage of wine to prevent embarrasment to the young couple.
9. Yes, Mary prayed. When Jesus was in agony in Gethsemane, he begs “Abba” to “remove this cup,” his impending crucifixion. But then he adds, “But not what I will, but what you will.” Where did he learn to pray like that? Don’t his words sound eerily similar to Mary’s words at the Annunciation? She said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your will.” And just take a good look at her Magnificat to get an insight into who God was for her!
10. Yes, Mary suffered. That 100-mile trek to Bethlehem when she was nine months pregnant was certainly no picnic! … And what about losing her 12-year-old son in the humongous city of Jerusalem for three agonizing days? … And what was going through her mind and heart as she watched her beloved son die a horrific death on a cross, unjustly executed as a criminal?
11. Mary lived during very violent times. The Romans had to resort to brutality to control their vast Empire. Where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus lived “was a hotbed of hatred for the Romans and therefore the home of rebels.” In 6 A.D. in a city called Sepphoris, just four miles north of Nazareth, there was a violent Jewish uprising against the Romans. Some historians say, in retaliation, Roman soldiers burned the city to the ground, sold its inhabitants into slavery, and crucified 2,000 men. Most likely Mary would have been well aware of this awful event. One tradition even says this city was her birthplace. Would she have known any of its inhabitants? Did she see any of those 2,000 men dying on their crosses?
12. And finally, yes, Mary did appear on the December 2015 cover of National Geographic with the caption: “Mary, the Most Powerful Woman in the World.”
For reflection:
Did anything stand out for you in today’s reflection? If so, what?
Would you like to add anything about Mary? If so, just add a comment below.
What does Mary mean to your personally? In other words, who is she to you?
There are so many beautiful hymns devoted to Mary that it was hard for me to choose one. But then I decided to go with something a little different, something that blends together devotion to Mary, beautiful music, a dear prayer, and lovely ice-skating! So, our video today is Olympic Gold Medal winner Peggy Fleming skating to Frantz Schubert’s “Ave Maria.” A little background. Schubert was only 28 when he wrote this “masterpiece.” The original lyrics were based on the epic poem “The Lady of the Lake” by Sir Walter Scott. Later the words of the “Hail Mary” were substituded for this piece. Peggy Fleming won her gold medal in Grenoble in 1968 when she was 20 years old. Biographers say her performance there “was a watershed in the development of an artistic component of competitive skating.” In this video, Fleming skated to “Ave Maria” in 1997 when she was 49 years old. I have never forgotten this performance, so I was happy to find it on YouTube. Here is the prayer “Hail Mary” “prayed” with harp and violin, and incorporating the “ballet of ice-skating.”
Please add your comments below about anything in this reflection–the words, the pictures, the reflective questions, and/or the video. We all enjoy hearing from you!
