Beyond Sunday. Teresa Tomeo

can you legitimately expect God to do in your life? You’ll learn that spiritual disciplines are not burdensome. Did you know that something as simple as reading a short chapter of Scripture a day will immediately begin to enrich your life? Would you like to converse with God? Would you like to actually pray and not just “say prayers”? Not just talk, but listen? Beyond Sunday will show you how. Teresa’s breezy and candid style highlights a host of practical points designed to transform you into a 24/7 Catholic, a disciple, a learner in the school of Jesus Christ. He designed you to flourish for eternity. So why not start today by going beyond Sunday?

      — Al Kresta CEO of Ave Maria Radio, host of Kresta in the Afternoon, apologist, author, and speaker

       Introduction

       Living a Truly Abundant Life

       “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

      — John 10:10

      A few years ago, as part of a professional growth seminar, my husband and other executives at his architectural engineering firm were asked to read Jim Collins’ book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t. The book, which was based on extensive research of top companies that made the leap from good to great and sustained that greatness over the long term, had a very positive effect on my husband, and not only on a professional level. There were so many parallels between a company making the efforts and changes to be the best in its field and a Christian trying to live the Gospel faithfully. Take, for example, this quote: “Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.”

      If you’re reading this book, chances are you have come to realize that a “good” life is simply not enough. As Christians, we’re called to something even better. The Gospel of John tells us what God wants for each and every one of us: not just a “so-so,” mediocre, or even a good life, but a great life, complete with long-lasting joy. This is what will not only satisfy our deepest personal longings but will in turn allow us to make a difference and leave a legacy.

      That’s why going beyond Sunday is so important, because deep down, isn’t that what we all want? Even if our faith life is pretty good, why settle for that when we could have a faith life that is great? And this abundance is available to us, if we have the courage to tap into it. When we are truly happy, when the deepest longings of our heart are being addressed, when those big questions that keep cropping up about why we’re here and where we’re going are answered, our direction is clear. We experience true purpose and meaning. True joy and happiness are contagious in a good way. They bubble over into all areas of our lives and send positive ripple effects into our own circles and beyond.

      And that’s why I wrote this book. Beyond Sunday is about obtaining true greatness, not in terms of business or worldly success, but from God’s perspective. This is everything. And as I have learned from many years of studying at the school of hard knocks, it’s the only thing.

      In 2004, during his World Youth Day address to young people, Pope John Paul II, now a Catholic saint, urged the youth to begin the greatest quest of their lives, imitating a group of Greek people mentioned in the Gospel of John: “So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus’” (Jn 12:21). The pope said:

      I want you too to imitate those “Greeks” who spoke to Philip, moved by a desire to “see Jesus.” May your search be motivated not simply by intellectual curiosity, though that too is something positive, but be stimulated above all by an inner urge to find the answer to the question about the meaning of your life.… The desire to see Jesus dwells deep in the heart of each man and each woman. My dear young people, allow Jesus to gaze into your eyes so that the desire to see the Light, and to experience the splendor of the Truth, may grow within you.¹

      This book is my personal invitation to you to “see Jesus” and the Catholic Church like never before. It is my hope that, reading this book, you will encounter God in a whole new way, not just in the pew on Sunday, but every day of the week. I am so excited about the effort of going beyond Sunday, and all that it has to offer you, that I want to shout from the housetops: “Come on in! The water is not just fine — it’s fantastic!”

      Okay, so my enthusiasm might seem a little corny or maybe a little out there, but I just can’t help it. I am so very grateful that someone who made so many mistakes (yes, that would be me) has been given so many second, third, and fourth chances, and I want to show that gratitude by again extending an invitation. It is okay if you don’t feel ready to dive into the pool head first. I get it, and I have been there. Hopefully, though, what you find on the following pages will encourage you to do more than just stick your spiritual toes in the water. It’s my sincere prayer that eventually you will want to immerse yourself as I did, let go of the ladder, and swim. Or, as that old cliché puts it, “Let go and let God.”

      We don’t ever have to be afraid of sinking or drowning. That’s because, wherever we’re at in the journey, God loves us — you, me, every one of us, right where we are. He’s the number one lifeguard in the universe.

       “I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” — Steel Magnolias

      Many years ago, my faith journey left me a bit empty, and I was lost. The world told me that it was all about me, and in particular, as a woman growing up in the 1960s and ’70s and entering the very competitive and extremely demanding career of broadcast news in the early ’80s, that it was all about the career. Nothing else mattered — not family, and certainly not faith. Full speed ahead. Whatever it takes to be successful.

      I was raised Catholic and still believed in God, but I really didn’t understand (or, quite frankly, didn’t feel a need to understand) more about him than going to weekly Mass, if that. As the title of this book suggests, I never took my faith “beyond Sunday.” Through lots of ups, downs, twists, turns, and personal challenges that I will share later, this lost sheep finally made her way back.

      Eventually, I came to realize I was needing more direction in my life and wanted to go deeper into my faith. Something told me I was missing out, despite my worldly success, and I was looking for more. I wondered how one goes about practically applying faith to everyday activities and decisions while still living a balanced life. What does that really look like? Does it mean walking around in sackcloth and ashes or never meeting friends for happy hour again because you’re spending all of your spare time at the local parish? If any of these scenarios were true, I would be in big trouble. I really enjoy clothes, as well as a good glass of wine and the occasional happy hour. Thankfully, I learned that living my faith with more intention does not necessarily mean giving these things up. In fact, I can honestly say I am having more fun in my life now than I ever did in my days as a nominal Catholic, and I don’t want to keep this all to myself. It’s too amazing. God and his Church have so much to offer.

      Early in his pontificate, Pope Francis reminded Catholics that we need not be pickled-pepper Christians. After all, who wants to hang around with a bunch of sour-faced folks? A godly life is one of joy and, yes, that includes plenty of good, clean fun — not to mention, some good vino. Oh, and by the way, I never met a mall I didn’t like. Or a sale that didn’t have my name on it.

      I’m really glad you’ve picked up this book. And I hope that once you are done reading it, you’ll pass this information on to others. I am excited that you are joining me on this journey of going beyond Sunday.

       A Road Traveled by One Too Many

      In his famous poem “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost happily tells us that he took