As I write this article, I’m surrounded by children with the flu. Coughing, fever, body aches and calls for more Tylenol and water have been part of our hourly routine for the past five days. Even now, I’m fighting off the inevitable congestion and body aches and know my time with the virus is inevitable. Amidst the suffering, it’s easy to fall into a “why me” mentality, to focus on the tears and fevers around me and think of nothing else. And sliding into that mental loop of negativity only makes everything worse.

Times like these help me look at others who suffered far worse than me and come out on the other side for the better. One of the neatest things about our faith is that no matter how much we read, study and learn there is always more to discover. This month’s issue on Catholic spirituality certainly opened the door for me to do a deep dive on prayer traditions I was less familiar with—ones that tap into saints who endured tremendous suffering.

While editing Father Jacob Boddicker’s article on Ignatian Spirituality—a tradition with which I am familiar but don’t often turn to—I was reminded that in the midst of being bedridden, injured and bored to tears, St. Ignatius turned to the lives of Christ and the saints and to his own interior movements. And while I’m certainly not in a place in life where I can forsake my family and dwell in a cave for contemplation, I can make time to walk through the steps that Father Jacob shares in his article (pg. 27). In particular: “Ask God to enlighten your mind, heart and soul to better notice and understand how He has been at work in your life.”

In fact, all the steps Father Jacob listed for contemplation are very similar to those I learned through traditional therapy over the years for managing anxiety and depression—but these incorporate God and promote a greater sense of gratitude and optimism.

And so, as I continue to navigate this time of seemingly relentless illness in our home, I will reflect on Father Jacob and St. Ignatius’ advice, especially when I feel overwhelmed:

“Where did you experience God’s presence and love; how did you respond? Where did you experience His absence, distance; where did you move away from Him? Ask His forgiveness for any moments of sin.”

My hope is that instead of feeling sad and overwhelmed by all the illness that winter brings, I may instead find God’s love in these moments I get to experience at home with my children.

I hope that the wealth of wisdom on Catholic spirituality contained in this issue of The Catholic Telegraph may also inspire you to dig deeper into your faith and find God in the everyday, sometimes tedious, moments of your life.