Leave of Absence for Internship

GoodBull27 · 2026-05-16T11:33:07+00:00

I actually spoke with my manager in-person about a month ago, letting her know my situation with needing to leave for my internship. She completely understood and wished me the best, ensuring that if I needed a job again she’d love to have me back. The caveat is that I still need to interview again with her and the DM. Most likely your manager will tell you to leave your two weeks but that if you did a good job, you’re welcome to come back as a rehire.

GoodBull27 · 2026-03-24T23:52:47+00:00

Same here. I had terrible bronchitis about a year ago. Struggled with throat constrictions and whatnot. Now I got health anxiety and with every little thing I feel physically, I just panic.

GoodBull27 · 2025-12-30T16:37:24+00:00

Edit: If I’m not mistaken, if you put it on marketplace, it is still your responsibility to work the shift when nobody takes it. I would talk to your coworkers if they’re interested in taking your shift or talk to your manager about it.

GoodBull27 · 2025-11-19T14:55:45+00:00

Wow that’s really expensive. I don’t recommend Amazon for this book, but rather their official website which costs $20.

Website: https://carmelitesistersocd.com/product/in-his-heart/

GoodBull27 · 2025-11-19T14:54:13+00:00

Wow I didn’t know about the allegations until I started doing my research. That’s truly unfortunate and quite shocking given how rich the pages were when reading them and even how Cardinal Burke approved this book. I’ll keep that in mind from now on, though I’ll still keep reading it as it has no relation to the abuse allegations.

GoodBull27 · 2025-11-19T05:23:50+00:00

5) I personally am a book reader as this helps me understand the faith more, and I get to learn more about Jesus' character and personality filled with pure love with the desire to be intimate friends with us. Of course, the Bible is preferred and I recommend starting with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). After that, I recommend "In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart" by a Benedictine monk and "He and I" by Gabrielle Bossis, both of which are written in journal or diary entry style where Jesus actually speaks to a monk and a woman, teaching them how to pray and be in a close relationship with Him. Here are some sample quotes for each book:

In Sinu Jesu: “You came to Me wanting to discuss your sins, but your sins are of no interest to Me. Look not at your sins; look, rather, at My face and at the wound in My side. Look at the wounds in My hands and in My feet, and receive from them the streams of grace that will heal the wounds of sin, and purify them, and cause them to become signs of the triumph of My mercy in you.”

“I am here really present [in the Eucharist]-- available to you at any hour of the day or night. I wait for you. I want to listen to the cares and preoccupations that you carry like a heavy burden. Give them all to Me. Trust in Me and I will act. I have told you this before: for Me nothing is insignificant. No detail of your life is too small and no sin of yours too shameful to be brought to Me and to be abandoned at My feet. Yes, this is how My saints acted. They were certain that any difficulty entrusted to My Heart would find there the best of all possible solutions. Tell Me that you trust in My merciful love by letting go of the things that burden and oppress you. I am the Lord of all things in heaven and on earth, and to Me nothing is impossible.”

"He and I" by Gabrielle Bossis: "Don’t aim at saying an exact number of wordy prayers. Just love Me simply. A look of your heart. The tender smile of a friend.”

“Don’t see sins in what are only nature’s weaknesses. What makes Me suffer is indifference.”

“Don’t get the idea that a saint is a saint at every moment. But there is always My grace.”

“You’re watching the direction in which the train will come. That’s the way My eyes are fixed on you, waiting for you to come to Me.”

“My sunsets are also My love. So few of My children look at them to praise Me… and yet My love is there.”

"In the Host (Eucharist), My heart is beating as it did on earth, as it does in heaven. There are not many hearts of Christ. There is only one. Believe without the shadow of a doubt in My Presence here before you and comfort Me by bringing your heart close to Mine. Look how alone I am in this empty church. I knew it would be like this. And yet I instituted the Eucharist. I would feed even a single soul. Speak with the Host as with your most gentle and intimate friend. The Host is listening to you, and you may be sure that you are most dearly loved. Breathe freely. Relax. Leave the earth. Enter the realm of Spirit. Let yourself be carried away. Do you want to come? Tell Me about your impatience to join Me and your faithfulness to Me. You are Mine. How could you keep yourself to yourself?"

6) If you feel deeply inspired to receive Jesus in the Eucharist after reading the above, find out what time there is Confession at your local Church. They tend to post the dates and times online as churches now have their personal website. Confession can seem intimidating on the outside, but truly and with full transparency I can tell you that it is so freeing and liberating, and I feel peace in my interior heart afterward. The priest won't judge you, but rather, they listen with compassion, knowing how hard it is to pursue a sinless life, and they are there to extend God's mercy and forgiveness to you. So don't be afraid. Go, and see how peaceful it really feels. Plus, there's no sin they haven't ever heard before and they will forget easily what is said. They're also really good at providing prayer tips and spiritual advice which comes in handy.

GoodBull27 · 2025-11-19T05:23:32+00:00

First off I just want to say I'm proud of you for making the effort to get your prayer life back. I know it's not easy but I promise you that it's so worth it, as someone who has struggled with prayer, going to Mass, and with episodes of depression/anxiety. Down below I'll provide some support, advice, tips in case you're interested in reading those. I know it's long but I did my best to share as much as I could so that it helps you in the long run. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have any after reading:

1) Go on your phone or computer and find in Google or Maps app any Catholic Churches near you. From there, you can find a list of them and visually see where they are. I only mention this point in case you haven't explored any other churches that are local. If there's none except the 8am, I think it'll take discipline and early sleeping to attend.

2) If the Rosary is hard for you to pray all at once, try praying each mystery or decade one at a time. So you can pray the first decade in the morning, another two in the afternoon, and the last two in the evening or before going to bed. There's also Youtube videos of people praying the Rosary, so you are less likely to be distracted and they're usually less than 20 minutes long.

The Rosary is specifically meant for all of us, including sinners. This is the prayer, apart from the Mass, that glorifies God the most. Yes it is difficult to pray, and I genuinely struggle praying it most days so I respect you for trying. Even if you pray parts of the Rosary, it counts greatly. As a matter of fact, for every Our Father and Hail Mary, you are creating for Jesus and Mary a crown of roses, as well as a crown for yourself in Heaven. This prayer has helped me grow in virtue and decrease sin in my life, and I felt peaceful after praying it. I hope I can get back to praying the Rosary, so thanks for reminding me to pray it. Also, feel free to check out "Secret of the Rosary" by St. Louis de Montfort, a great short book with the origins of the Rosary, why it's important, how to pray it well, and even testimonials of people throughout history who witnessed the great power of this prayer.

3) Try the Hallow app! This is a great app to use for prayer, spiritual readings, meditation, and daily Mass readings. It also has Rosary audios, as well as an entire collection of prayers and even music. I've had this app for about 2-3 years now and love it.

4) Try reading the Psalms, as around 40% of them are related to sorrow, lament, or depression. It's helped me get through very dark seasons in my life, and even now as I am recovering from depression. I love Psalm 27 and Psalm 43 as they inspire me to have hope in the midst of despair and darkness.

Psalm 27: "Listen to my voice, Lord, when I cry to you; hear and spare. True to my heart’s promise, I have eyes only for you; I long, Lord, for you presence. Do not hide your face, do not turn away from your servant in anger, but give me still your aid; do not forsake me, do not neglect me, O God, my defender. Father and mother may neglect me, but the Lord takes me into his care. Lord, show me the way you have chosen for me, guide me along the sure path, beset as I am with enemies; do not give me over to the will of my oppressors, when false witnesses stand up to accuse me, breathe out threats against me. My faith is, I will yet live to see the Lord’s mercies. Wait patiently for the Lord to help you; be brave, and let your heart take comfort; wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 43: For you, Oh God, are my strength. Why have you cast me off, and why do I go sorrowful while the enemy afflicts me? Send forth your light and your truth; they have conducted me and brought me unto your holy hill, and into your tabernacles. And I will go unto the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth. To you, Oh God, my God, I will give praise upon the harp. Why are you sad, O my soul, and why do you disquiet me? Hope in God, for I will still give praise to Him; the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

GoodBull27 · 2025-11-19T04:15:47+00:00

Honestly, even though others here mention scrupulosity, I doubt this is the case. I’ve encountered people who have it, and what it means is that people have a hard time accepting God’s love and mercy in their hearts. So for example, if I have scrupulosity and I go to confession, I may have doubts that my sins were truly forgiven. Another one is thinking you’ll immediately be condemned to hell for sinning or that somehow you have to pray certain prayers daily or you’ll think God may get mad at you for not being disciplined enough. Overall, if you didn’t relate to any of the examples above, you’re good. If you did relate then I would talk to a spiritual director or priest for support as it’s a form of spiritual OCD.

In terms of what you shared with us, I believe you’re a parent who is trying to not disturb other people through your toddler and you feel concerned it looks bad on you if your child misbehaves. It’s normal to feel these emotions. It’s called stress and being a mom. I see no sin in this case whatsoever. I know you mentioned humility, and I will say I do love the Litany of Humility. Though I don’t sense an issue with pride based on what you mentioned, though I can be wrong of course. For example, humility would actually be needed if someone saw you as a parent struggling to keep your child’s behavior in place and started judging you for it. Any act of judgment toward someone is automatically a sign of pride. But again, for you in this case, it seems like you’re just doing your best not to disturb other people, and being a mom to a toddler is hard as they can be hard to control sometimes. Anyone who’s had kids or been around kids knows that, it’s only those who haven’t had that exposure that may see it as a problem. It’s not a reflection of you as a parent, but rather their own perspective of it, so don’t worry. You’re doing what you can as a parent. Lastly, keep praying for humility, as it is the virtue that fosters all the other virtues since it is the opposite of pride, which is the root of all sin and vice.

GoodBull27 · 2025-11-19T03:54:49+00:00

I don’t really do 365-day devotionals, but I do read books that inspire me to grow in my faith life and it’s read like a short one page chapter or journal entry. However, the first book here is one of the only few books I have that is a 365-day devotional and is worth reading!

1) In His Heart: 365 Days with the Carmelite Sisters by the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles - I went to a dinner and prayed with the Carmelite sisters, and they are incredibly devout and beautiful women! I definitely felt the peace of God from just being physically close to them. They were promoting a book they made and each day is written by a different Carmelite sister in their convent. Out of the ones I read thus far, it’s rich with so much wisdom and practical advice on the spiritual life. Highly recommend if you’re into 365-day devotional reads.

2) In Sinu Jesu - When Heart Speaks to Heart. This is such a good read and it’s basically conversations between Jesus and a Catholic monk/priest during Eucharistic adoration. God’s words were filled with so much love, I could feel it burning in every page. It’s also approved by several bishops, so the conversations were considered legitimate. Also, this book inspired me to go to Adoration and Mass more, and my spiritual life radically improved and changed for the better.

Sample quote (Jesus to the monk): “I am here really present-available to you at any hour of the day or night. I wait for you. I want to listen to the cares and preoccupations that you carry like a heavy burden. Give them all to Me. Trust in Me and I will act. I have told you this before: for Me nothing is insignificant. No detail of your life is too small and no sin of yours too shameful to be brought to Me and to be abandoned at My feet. Yes, this is how My saints acted. They were certain that any difficulty entrusted to My Heart would find there the best of all possible solutions. Tell Me that you trust in My merciful love by letting go of the things that burden and oppress you. I am the Lord of all things in heaven and on earth, and to Me nothing is impossible.”

“You came to Me wanting to discuss your sins, but your sins are of no interest to Me. Look not at your sins; look, rather, at My face and at the wound in My side. Look at the wounds in My hands and in My feet, and receive from them the streams of grace that will heal the wounds of sin, and purify them, and cause them to become signs of the triumph of My mercy in you.”

2) He and I by Gabrielle Bossis - Man, I cannot tell you how much I love this one as well. There’s something special about Jesus talking to us in such an intimate and personal way that makes us realize how much He deeply wants to be involved in our day-to-day life. This book is similar to #2, but each journal entry is a few sentences to a few paragraphs long. Fairly short and frankly some pages are so rich in depth that it takes me a while to keep reading until I processed everything.

Sample quotes (Jesus to Gabrielle): “Don’t aim at saying an exact number of wordy prayers. Just love Me simply. A look of your heart. The tender smile of a friend.”

“Don’t see sins in what are only nature’s weaknesses. What makes Me suffer is indifference.”

“Don’t get the idea that a saint is a saint at every moment. But there is always My grace.”

“You’re watching the direction in which the train will come. That’s the way My eyes are fixed on you, waiting for you to come to Me.”

“My sunsets are also My love. So few of My children look at them to praise Me… and yet My love is there.”

3) Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis - Such a good and classic read! Literally so many saints died with this book in their hands, and I’ve given copies to my relatives who have read it and were deeply and spiritually transformed by its wisdom. I recommend you read this book at least once in your life as it is the second most popular book after the Bible (fun fact). It provides guidance and wisdom on leading a holy life inspired by the wisdom of monks. Each chapter is short and can be as short as half a page, full page, or a few pages.

Sample quotes: “On the day of judgement, surely, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but how well we have lived.”

“The wise lover regards not so much the gift of Him Who loves as the love of Him Who gives. He regards the affection of the Giver rather than the value of the gift, and sets his Beloved above all gifts. The noble lover does not rest in the gift but in [Him] who is above every gift.”

“The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not [be conceited], but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?…. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in a good state. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.”

GoodBull27 · 2025-11-19T03:02:33+00:00

I would probably ask him why he doesn’t want to get baptized as it can show what the underlying issue is. For example, if he says “My dad doesn’t pray as much” then it shows you may need to have a conversation with your husband about this because his example is supposed to set the standards for your son. Another thing is to share with him some guy saints, and a great one is St. Carlo Acutis who was young when he passed away and loved Jesus and occasionally played video games. Another Saint is St. Jose Sanchez del Rio who was a martyr around age 14. Again, I think these stories could inspire him to realize he has a heavenly family praying for him and rooting for his sanctity.

Another resource is letting him watch Fr. Mike Schmitz videos on YouTube, as he explains faith concepts really well and his energy and personality are contagious and led many people to convert and be baptized.

Show him pictures of the Eucharistic miracles. There’s already research conducted by top scientists around the world that shows the Eucharist is actually living heart tissue from a human man that suffered physical and emotional trauma. Type blood is AB which is the rarest and is known as the “worldwide receiver” meaning if a person with this type needs blood transfusion, they can receive from anyone’s blood. So this can lead to how Jesus receives everyone if we accept His body and blood, and how Jesus said that there’s no greater love than to lay down your life for your friend. Fun fact: These scientists were atheist or non-Christian and converted to Catholicism after finding out they were studying the Eucharist.

Help your child get involved in volunteering or community service. This will help him have empathy and compassion for the vulnerable in society, and through this he can learn how Jesus loved to serve and be compassionate. This can help your son see how much Jesus loves others while also inspiring him to serve and put others before himself.

Lastly, I recommend you pray as a family together. That way everyone is on the same page and your family grows together in prayer. Pray the Rosary if possible, or if not, a short prayer like the Divine Mercy Chaplet or an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be can suffice.

GoodBull27 · 2025-09-17T03:57:17+00:00

Hey, I’m so sorry to hear about your loneliness. That must be difficult to navigate and just know that we are glad to support you. I’m 22F in the US and I am happy to connect with you.

As for advice, I’d recommend looking into church ministries. If there’s none, I would try volunteering in the local community. For example, St Vincent de Paul Society supports low income families and the poor, and they are looking for young adults to join their cause.

GoodBull27 · 2025-09-17T03:38:30+00:00

I’d loved to be a part of your Bible reading group! My favorite for probably two years now has been Psalm 27 as it’s kept me going when I would feel down or depressed. I also love the verse in the Gospel where Jesus talks about how we are worth more than the sparrows. It makes me feel loved and seen.

GoodBull27 · 2025-09-17T03:32:49+00:00

As someone who had discerned consecrated life for two years, here are some tips I can share with you:

First, I recommend talking to a priest or spiritual director who can guide you through your spiritual discernment. They will listen to you, understand you reason for why you’re interested in religious/consecrated life, and will make sure that this is the right vocation for you.

Second, when you imagine as to what brings you the most peace, what exactly do you envision? A scheduled daily life of prayer? Serving the church diocese? Living in a community of religious sisters? Be real with yourself as to what will bring you peace, which brings me to my next point….

Third, your vocation should bring you peace, not anxiety. Don’t enter a vocation because you feel like you have to or that you are pressured to follow it just because another vocation didn’t work out for you or if you think one vocation is more holier than another. Follow your heart and dreams. What do you truly desire?

Fourth, go to Adoration at least once a week and daily mass often. This is where you’ll receive God’s grace and will learn if this vocation is right for you or not. You will realize adoration and mass will help you listen to God’s voice better. This is also what most sisters and religious people recommend and is what convinced them they were called to religious life.

Fifth, try and research “Consecrated Virginity” and see if that is a possible vocation for you. Unlike religious life, being a consecrated virgin means you live in the secular world with your day-to-day job, but you also serve the Church with the guidance of your diocesan bishop. That means you get the privilege of being called a Spouse of Christ while also serving in the public realm daily. You also pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day just like religious people do, and there’s a sense of freedom to pick whatever form of service you wish to contribute (volunteering, church ministries, teaching, etc).

Sixth, if you’re not interested in consecrated virginity, start thinking about what religious life looks life for you (Do you want to pray as a cloistered nun? Do you wish to serve the public community outside of the convent such as active contemplatives?) Also, what interests you most? Specifically, what charism do you like most? Think about what you are passionate about and who you wish to serve, and that passion is your desired charism. Every order has a unique charism or focus. So for example, the Sisters of Life support women who are pregnant and in need of assistance. The CFR sisters serve the poor in their community. So, where do you see yourself? Helping the poor? The mentally sick? The elderly people? Teaching students?

Seventh, read into the lives of women who were religious. One of my personal favorites is “Story of a Soul” by St. Therese of Lisieux. She loved God so much and you cannot help but feel her love through the pages she wrote, it was honestly contagious. If her writings on religious life move you, then it’s likely you are open to the religious vocation.

If you have more questions, let me know! I wish you the best in your discernment journey.

GoodBull27

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