Peace to you!

Each week, the Monk Mindset newsletter comes with:

Monk Mindset for Living Well

Monk Mindset 3
Be More Human at Work: Work and Study

Reflection on the Monk Mindset and Quote

When I was in the monastery, I met a sister who had lived with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. I asked this sister, “Do you have any stories about Mother Teresa?” The sister told me this one: 

“When mother cleaned the sink, she always left it cleaner than before the last person used it.”

In other words, Mother Teresa cleaned the sink like she did everything else – by giving it her best and paying attention to the details. 

There’s a saying: “the devil’s in the details.” Well, actually “God is in the details.” Perhaps more than anywhere else His presence is in the humble activities that we want to brush aside – or hire someone else to do. 

The ordinary is actually where we can meet the extraordinary. 

St. Teresa of Ávila, despite having regular mystical experiences, understood that the divine is not reserved for cathedrals, mountaintops, or moments of silent prayer. God is present in the kitchen, at the desk, in the workshop, and on the factory floor.

The echo of her words, “God walks among the pots and pans,” is a gentle, radical invitation: every task, no matter how humble or routine, is a meeting place with the sacred.

Too often, we divide our lives into “spiritual” and “mundane,” believing that only certain moments or tasks are worthy of reverence. 

But the monastic tradition teaches that the smallest detail matters. The way you wash a dish, answer an email, or organize your notes is not beneath your dignity—it is a canvas for grace. Each action, however simple, can be an act of love, attention, and presence.

To work with the mind’s eye on the spiritual reality within us is to recognize that God is with us in every moment. The divine is not watching from a distance, but walking with us, sleeves rolled up, hands in the suds, present in every detail. 

When we bring our full attention and care to our work, we allow it to be sanctified through us. The ordinary becomes extraordinary. The routine becomes radiant. The pots and pans become means of grace, and the kitchen becomes a sanctuary.

Put It Into Practice This Week

Right now, pick one simple task ahead of you this day that you’re not particularly looking forward to — maybe it’s tidying your desk, replying to an email, or washing a dish.

Pause, take a slow breath, and remind yourself: “God walks among the pots and pans.” Imagine doing this task with your full attention, as if it were sacred.

Follow through today on this visualization and commitment. 

As you finish the task, see if you can notice how intentionality can transform the ordinary into something meaningful.

Wishing you abundant peace this week,

John