Today we are joined by Brother Isaiah, a Franciscan friar who lives in the Bronx. He shares how little by little, he came to love God, discover his calling towards religious life, and use his musical gifts to serve the Lord. He also shares three pieces of wisdom that will deepen your prayer life and elevate your ministry.

Allen has suffered through a lot of embarrassment in his life. So, he stopped trying to avoid it, and started trying to embrace it. Shortly after making this decision, he ended up saying his own name wrong during an audition – a situation that could have been a complete disaster, but was actually a great opportunity.

This week, think of an embarrassing story about yourself, and, when the opportunity arises, embrace it by telling a friend. For inspiration, check out this article, Music Ministers Share Their Most Embarrassing Moments.

"God knows we have lots of awkward moments as human beings, so just embrace it."

In the midst of a hectic fall schedule, busy Catholics need to do everything in their power to make time to be with God in prayer or adoration. Let go of your to-do list for at least thirty minutes a day and make prayer your top priority.

If you aren’t sure where to start, read this prayer from Charles de Foucauld:

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures -
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul:
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.

"How can we be in love with Christ if we don’t spend time with him in prayer? How can we actually love those we serve if our hearts don’t belong to Christ?"

When Kanye West was interviewed in 2013 by the New York Times, he told the reporter, “I am so credible and so influential and so relevant that I will change things.” Allen says this is the worst mantra for anybody working in the Church, but it seems like there have been plenty of undercover Kanye Wests who have infiltrated the Church at so many levels.

Here’s what we have to remember: if we want to change things and influence things, we need to be leaders whose main priorities aren’t gaining influence and credibility and being relevant. We need to be leaders who imitate Christ. He gained both popularity and notoriety, but never once made a decision based off of what others were going to think about him. Christ had one purpose—doing his Father’s will.

As a leader, are you like Kanye, or are you like Jesus?

From his years of experience in youth ministry, Allen shares two things that kept him grounded when staff changes threatened to throw him off balance.

1. It’s God ministry, we are merely stewards of it. When people leave, the ministry remains. There will always be people who need us to reach out and provide an opportunity to grow their relationship with Christ and the Church.
2. Working with new people provides an opportunity to cast vision. Don’t look at it like another person you have to train or get caught-up, look at it like another person with whom you get to share your vision.

"People come and go in Church ministry, but the parish remains and the ministry remains. So it’s God’s ministry, we are simply stewards during this time. Our job is to continue to pray and discern what God’s will is with that ministry while we’re stewards of it."