I met Mary five years ago through church in my hometown of Elkhart, Indiana. We had great conversation and I was instantly intrigued by her passion and purehearted approach to the world. Many people are searching for hope and direction right now and Mary offers this in for other in many different forms.
LAS114: How to find Spiritual Wellness with Mary Kloska
Mary’s Background
She holds a Facebook live show called “Mornings with Mary” at six in the morning, she just recently published her first book, she creates spiritual icons that she has opened an artist shop for, and she is in the process of releasing her own CD. In other words, she is a very busy person allowing God to take her where she should go next.
Her sister was the one to reach out to her about the podcast and asked if she would participate in praying the rosary and leading meditations. She usually has a cup of coffee with her and spends an hour on the show. She has shared her show with multiple platforms and reaches about 30-80 thousand viewers during the live and that day just on one Facebook page alone.
While attending college at Notre Dame she decided to study Russian because she wanted to go back there one day. A priest suggested to take up Italian too, however, after a few years she recalls only wanting to pray and decided to switch her major to Theology. She mentions being only a few credits away from being a triple major. When she graduated she met a hermit priest who suggested taking a year to discern what God wanted from her life. The priest told her that plenty of people leave college and go right into careers they think they want and end up asking for advice and feeling miserable fifteen years down the road. Mary says,
“It works when people take time before they start life to pray about what God is asking them. Take a time of prayer or time of service. Take a deep breath before jumping into the world.”
Mary then lived as a hermit in South Texas before eventually moving to Easter Siberia on a mission for three years. After her time in Siberia she spent time doing missionary work all over the world. She says, “You name it, I’ve done it.” She recalls the life of prayer during that time being powerful.
After living her life on a donations based income she realized she needed a job to bring in money. Her skillset being children, she moved to Chicago to be a nanny for a wealthy family with triplet babies. This moved her from being the poorest of poor to the opposite end of the spectrum. Today she nannies to pay the bills and has successfully published a book and runs a podcast as well.
What does spiritual wellness mean to you?
Mary says that we have to look at the big picture of humanity. “We were created by God, in love, for love with the purpose of receiving His love and sharing it with other people.” She says that we should keep that perspective as we go through life. This can look differently based on your life and background.
Mary does this by living in the sacraments of the church. But we can work every day to insert times of prayer or silence. “Take time to talk to God and keep a relationship with Him. It’s personal.”
Why is this idea so important today?
“It’s always been important. Something is important if it’s beneficial to you, which it is. God is worth our love and He wants for us everything that we could desire and more. He wants our good more than we do. God is all powerful and all love. People don’t see it that way. Our world doesn’t have peace but peace begins in the heart.
When you find peace of heart you can save 1,000 other souls around you.”
The Five Areas of Spiritual Wellness
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Baptism – Entering into a community. Baptism makes you a child of god and gives you brothers and sisters.
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Confession
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Mass – entering into time of calvary to have a conversation with Jesus.
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Taking a time of personal prayer every day – make a spot in your home to be quiet with God.
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Spiritual reading or education – a podcast, book, or documentary depending who you are or where you are.
Mary says that these things are like upkeep for us. It is something that makes you step back from this world of money, sports, malls and politics and pulls you back. If you have that in your mind you will judge everything differently. Keep in mind that you’re created to know, love and serve god here on earth and in the next.
How have you navigated your own path in today’s secular world?
“God navigates it. I don’t have TV or the internet and withdrew from that life. For people who are in the world that way, create a time without all of that. Turn off the TV and pick up a book. It does something to your heart- silences the spirit. Take a step back and have one ear attuned to something more spiritual.”
“Be in the world but not of it.”
How has your church provided to overcome these modern challenges?
“By giving me the sacraments. Having the access to confession. When I mess up I can go to God and say I’m sorry. Confession is giving special grace to not sin again. I’ve been given strength to grow spiritually. Also mass and eucharist and to be able to meet with God in that way. We have this daily and you are connected to people all over the world praying the same thing. In that way I was provided with soul food.”
How have you been so committed vs. the rest of your family and friends?
“By the grace of god. I see how I could be like people who are very lost in life if I hadn’t been given the family, training and education that I was. It makes me committed for praying for people to have the same thing. My dad always used to tell me that many are called, few are chosen.God calls everyone but most people don’t listen and don’t respond. I have given God the freedom to do whatever He wants with my life.
Can or should women play a different role in church today?
“They should be holier. The holiest woman was the mother of Jesus. Her place wasn’t to be a leader like Jesus was, it was to be a helpmate and a mother. Mary helped the apostles and was full of the Holy Spirit. She did that to guide them. She did it to help. Women in the church today need to learn the holiness of womanhood. What God did in creating the gift of woman. We are gifts and we have gifts. Our job is to help more than anything. To serve, to teach, to form children, to pray. “
How do you find inner peace?
“You find peace by finding God. The truth and the love of God gives you peace. Authentically search out the truth. Spend time with God in prayer. Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. If you don’t have peace you know that the Holy Spirit isn’t in something. “
How can you be positive for spirituality?
“This is about having hope. To be thankful and remember the good things God gives us. Remember what you did right and the blessings He gave you each day. There is a reason to have hope: Christ already conquered. Always look at the positives and remember that God is bigger than any reality we see.”
Do you think travel is important for spiritual wellness?
“It’s not necessary but it’s helpful. We have pilgrimages. Leave your everyday life and go somewhere. The trip itself is a prayer. To step away and give that time and space to God. It’s helpful to know that America isn’t the whole world. Visiting different places and seeing how other people live makes you less egocentric. The whole world operates differently than us. It’s a reminder of the big picture.”
What gives you confidence?
“Jesus. I am a beloved child of God seeking to do His will so He’s happy with me. It doesn’t matter what other people say, so I am confident in Him. If you know that, you know nothing else matters. If I get afraid or don’t have confidence, I withdraw to Him and pray for confidence. Keep that love of Jesus around you as much as you can and you’ll keep that confidence.”
What do you wish you really understood?
Jokingly, “the internet.” The love of Christ more and more. When you’re in love with someone you want to learn more about them. It’s a fire to know Jesus more and more.”
Which book changed your life?
The Bible, but also Pope John Paul the second’s Theology of the Body. It takes you back to Genesis with Adam and Eve and why and how God created us and how men and women fit together. It’s a beautiful perspective to keep on everything we do in life.”
Learn more about Mary:
Facebook – Mary Kloska (personal and public page)
All information on www.marykloskafiat.com
Book on Amazon – The Holiness of Womanhood
Instagram- @marykloskafiat
