Catholic Faith – Guarding Your Heart and Mind

Rushed lives, lost meaning

By Dave Canovas

I know I’m rushing through life mindlessly when even my prayers feel hurried.

We live in an age of relentless acceleration. News reaches us within seconds, and life spins at such a dizzying pace that multitasking often feels like the only way to keep up. While multitasking can be productive at times, I’ve learned to listen to my heart. It sends a clear message: if rushing leaves me anxious or stressed, I need to slow down. Prayer can be a powerful tool to ground us, but if we rush through it, it risks becoming just another task, leaving life feeling chaotic and devoid of meaning.

For me, living at a hurried pace does more harm than good. It strips away my ability to focus and deliver excellence at work. It predisposes me to snap judgments and anger, especially in challenging conversations. I’ve found that slowing down helps tame my tongue and fosters clarity. But the greatest harm rushing does is that it robs me of patience and self-control—two fruits of the Holy Spirit that are especially essential in today’s fast-paced world.

In my classroom, I’ve seen the benefits of slowing down firsthand. When my students are restless, creating a slow, calm routine transforms our interactions. It fosters mutual respect and encourages self-regulation. When we slow down, we focus more deeply—on ourselves, on others, and on the present moment. We begin to notice and appreciate the journey rather than fixating on the destination. This shift allows us to discover new meanings and insights that would otherwise go unnoticed. By slowing down, we give patience the space to grow.

Prayer is one of the most profound ways to slow down. When we pray with intention—cherishing each word and speaking from the heart—it becomes an act of consecration. In these moments, we hear God’s voice more clearly. His voice soothes, heals, and refreshes our souls. Prayer is our sacred time with God, and He never rushes us. So why should we rush Him?

Decluttering Fear: Finding Power, Love, and Self-Control

By Dave Canovas

The world we live in today often feels like it thrives on fear.

For an idea or a person to grab attention or make headlines, they have to be the loudest, the most controversial, the riskiest, or the most sensational. And fear—fear is what sells. Think about the news we consume. With life becoming increasingly fast-paced, the front page is what hooks us, and the scarier it is, the more it draws us in.

Out of all the fears that society stirs up, the one that troubles me most is the fear of being disliked—or not being enough. I think about the young people of today, including my two teenage daughters. How do we teach them that they are already enough? How do we help them see that chasing the latest trends or having the “best” won’t truly bring them ahead in life? How do we help them navigate this culture of fear and come out stronger? This is no small challenge.

If you are someone who struggles with anxiety or fear, please know this: the world around you will never be the antidote. Trying to fill that void by giving in to its demands is like pouring water into a bottomless pit—it will never be satisfied.

Instead, to overcome our fears, we need to embrace simplicity and let go of the excess.

Before you click, before you buy, take a moment to pause and reflect. Impulsive buying, as many of us know, may bring fleeting satisfaction, but it often leads to regret or even stress afterward. The same goes for click-baits—they are traps, deliberately set to provoke anger, envy, or fear. Consider the motives behind these traps: they are rarely about your well-being.

As I said, this is a battle—one against habits and thought patterns ingrained over years. Breaking free won’t be easy, but remember this: we were not created to live in fear. As 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Stay watchful. As it says in 1 John 4:1:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Let’s take these words to heart and lead lives that are rooted in faith, clarity, and love.

The Power of Total Surrender

By Dave Canovas

Surrender often feels like the only option when life gets overwhelming. In those moments of pain, stress, or anxiety, letting go can seem like a way to unburden ourselves—a kind of magic that eases the weight we carry.

And it’s not wrong to surrender, especially to God, when we find ourselves at a dead end. It’s natural to seek comfort and guidance in difficult times.

But there’s a catch. If we only surrender when life gets tough, we risk missing the full beauty of what surrender really means. It’s not just about giving up our struggles; it’s about giving everything—our defeats and our victories, our joys and our pains, our highs and our lows. True surrender involves offering our whole life to God.

For me, I’ve noticed a pattern. I turn to God in my most trying times, seeking His help and strength. But when the storm passes and life feels calm again, I often let Him fade into the background of my life.

Real surrender, I’m learning, is about more than just the hard times. It’s about inviting God to take full control, to guide every part of my life, not just the moments when I’m struggling. When we surrender everything, we open our hearts and minds to His wisdom and allow Him to guide us into action.

So, let’s take that step. Let’s be ready to listen for His voice, to trust His guidance, and to live fully in surrender. Only then can we experience the true freedom that comes with letting go.