Happy Feast of St. Nicholas! Sorry that I am a little late today but it was a bust morning as I have to get things done before I leave tomorrow for a parish mission. I will be headed to Holy Family Parish in Nassau, Bahamas. I will be spending the week there celebrating the parish mission from December 9th through December 13th and then I will return to Pelham on December 14th. Yes, I know it is tough work but somebody has to do it and I will try to suffer in silent! Also I will try and stay warm...
Daily Thought: It is interesting I ended the parish mission last night with the parable of the Rich Fool! In today's Gospel Jesus speaks about the Wise and the Foolish Person. The question is on what foundation is our faith, our relationship with God built. Here in New York we got a very profound example of the power of the wind and the sea just a little over a month ago. Home take were build near the shore took a big hit, many were riped from their foundations. We know first hand the power of nature. Jesus is using the image of the power of nature to remind us that there are many things in this life that can pose a threat to our faith, our relationship and if we don't have it anchored well, if we have not build our relationship with God on a strong foundation the challenges, the struggles, the difficulties of life are going to ripe our faith from it's foundation. As we learned from yesterday's Gospel God will take care of us but we have got to trust and we have got to be willing to share. So today let us not be foolish, let us be wise so that our faith does not collapse but that it stands firm in the midst of the storms of life!
As extra thought to keep our faith rooted on rock...St. John Chrysostom days: "Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness."
Daily Prayer: O God, stir up your power and come. Help us with your mighty strength, your mercy and your grace to stand firm amid the storms of life. Bless us today with a strong foundation so that when the floods come, the winds blow and the rain falls we will have shelter and strength in your love! Amen!
Runner's Thought: A runner who embarks on the journey of prayer and running can expect surprises, missteps, and perhaps great leaps toward a relationship with God!
Have a great Thursday everyone! Hopefully, St. Nicholas left a little something in your shoes this morning, if not hopefully he will touch your life with a little blessing during the day! As I said above I leave for a parish mission in Nassau, Bahamas tomorrow so my Daily Thoughts and Prayers might be a little inconsistent over the next week. I will try to remain faithful! Please if you get a chance to offer a little prayer in the coming week for this humble preacher and the faith community at Holy Family in Nassau, that our mission together might be a time of grace and hope!
Just a heads-up I will be launching a new web site in the not too distant future with the help of the people at Upper Room Media. Hopefully it will be another way to connect, to get the Good News out and to promote the Passionist Preaching Ministry. I will keep you updated and let you know when "preacherman.org" is online! Great things happening in the New Year! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
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