What the Sabbatical Is Teaching Me
I've been on sabbatical from active parish ministry for a couple of weeks now.
People keep asking what I'm doing with the time. The honest answer is: less than I expected.
I'm praying. I'm journaling. I'm sitting with questions I've been too busy to sit with. And I'm learning things I couldn't have learned while moving at full speed.
The first thing: What to stop doing. I took on a new role a few weeks ago that seemed like a good fit. Within days, I knew it wasn't right. The demands and rewards weren't aligned with what I'm called to at this point. So I walked away. Sometimes the bravest thing is to stop doing something good so you can focus on something better.
The second thing: What I actually want to build. When you subtract the noise, you see more clearly. Domus. The writing. The consulting work. The new venture I'm calling Ad Alta.
The third thing: What I'm actually seeking. I went to confession today. The priest reminded me that Jesus' first words in the synoptic Gospels were: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Origen's insight came back to me: "The Kingdom of God is Christ himself." To seek first the Kingdom is to seek first Him.
Read the full reflection: What the Sabbatical Is Teaching Me
Introducing Ad Alta
Yesterday I launched something new: Ad Alta Weekly.
It's a newsletter for executives, founders, and senior leaders navigating the second half of career - substantive but not exhausting, professional but not corporate-generic, informed by my Catholic faith but written for anyone thinking seriously about what their work is actually for.
Ad Alta is Latin for "to the heights." The name comes from Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati's Verso l'alto - his signature exhortation, written on his last photograph before his death at twenty-four. He wasn't calling people away from ordinary life. He was calling them to ascend through it.
Issue #1 - "The Next Climb" - is about integration. The discovery that leaving Adobe wasn't the end of the integration work - it was the first summit. The territory ahead is about continuing to lean bravely into it.
If you're a leader in transition - or know someone who is - I'd be honored if you subscribed.
Matthew Update
One week into Basic Training. No letters yet - that's normal for the first week or two. But we did have a surprise call from him a few nights ago and had a few wonderful minutes to talk with him. We send him letters every day, though, and he should start receiving them soon.
We're praying. We're waiting. We're trusting the One who said: My word shall not return to me void.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out, prayed, and provided thoughts and encouragement.
This Sunday's Readings
The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time brings the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds - and a line from Romans that has become an anchor for me in this season.
"The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings."
We do not know how to pray as we ought. That's the honest truth of discernment. You don't always have the words. You don't always know what to ask for. But the Spirit intercedes - even when all you can offer is groaning.
And the Gospel reminds us: Let the wheat and weeds grow together until harvest. Not everything has to be sorted out right now. Some things only become clear in time.
Two Lamps
Last Friday: Issue 10
The series continues every Friday at 6 AM Central. Short fiction braiding the lives of two saints across centuries.
Lux Perpetua
The Living Thread and The Lost Crown continue. The two tracks are converging.
What I'm Praying This Week
For clarity - not rushing it, but staying attentive.
For Matthew - his first weeks of formation.
For the Ad Alta launch - that it reaches who it's meant to reach.
For all of you in your own seasons of discernment.
Domus Formation
WeAreDomus.com - Start a free trial. Hearth & Altar for families. Eventide & Altar for the second half of life. Iron & Altar for men. Vessel & Altar for women.
WeAreDomus.com/Daily - The free daily email. Catholic news for families.
Final Word
"The Kingdom of God is Christ himself."
— Origen
To seek first the Kingdom is to seek first the King.
Michael
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