Alliance for Catholic Education
As a Catholic leader, I’ve always felt deeply called to serve. When I was a high school principal, my days were filled with meetings, planning, and responding to the needs of students, families, and staff. I loved the work—it was meaningful, challenging, and rooted in mission.
But my spiritual life has always been my anchor.
Every morning on my way to drop off my son at his elementary school, we would recite our prayers in Spanish. Then, after I dropped him off and I would drive to work, I would listen to the daily Gospel and reflection with the FaithND podcast, letting the Word shape my heart before I stepped into the school building. Then every few weeks, I would do service work—something simple, but grounding. These practices helped me stay connected to God, to my purpose, and to the people I served.
Still, it’s easy to let them slip.
One morning, I skipped prayer to catch up on an important call while I drove my son to school. Another day, I turned off the podcast to rehearse a presentation without my son interrupting me. Service days got postponed due to after school meetings—then forgotten because I was exhausted. I was still leading, still doing good work. But something inside felt off.
One evening, sitting in my car after a long day and before picking up my son from school, a wave of guilt washed over me. I realized we hadn’t prayed in weeks; I skipped over the daily gospel reading to listen to something else; and my evenings were filled with email replies and preparing board reports after my son went to bed. I was giving everything to my school, but not enough to the One who called me to Lead with Zeal. My once-passionate spirit had slowly dwindled, leaving me feeling completely burned out. At that moment, I felt horrible and embarrassed for letting such a simple yet important practice fall by the wayside.
That night, I recommitted—not to more tasks, but to more presence. I returned to our morning prayers, the Gospel reflection, and my volunteer work. I remembered that to Lead with Zeal is not just to work hard—it’s to make God known, loved, and served.
And that begins within me.
Veronica Alonzo, Ed.D.
Executive Coach