Daily Thoughts: Recognizing and responding to God seems to be the tread that connects out two readings today. In the first reading from the Book of Jonah, Jonah is finally convinced by God to go to Nineveh and preach his message. Before Jonah gets half way through the city the people begin to repent. They proclaim a fast and put on sackcloth. As the word of God's message gets to the king, he puts on sackcloth and sits in ashes. In other words, much to Jonah's surprise the people hear God's word and respond to it right away. There is no debate, no bargaining, no resistance, the people hear the word of God and repent!
In the Gospel Jesus uses the example of Jonah to make his point to the people he is preaching to. His point is that God is in their midst but they are missing this gift. Other people, people you would not expect, people outside the faith community hear the word of God and respond but people in the faith community do not. They want signs and yet God in right in their midst.
Recognizing and responding to God, that is always the challenge. It is certainly the challenge for us today. How many times is God present in our lives and we fail to recognize him? How many times does God speak to us and we fail to hear or listen?
God is profoundly compassionate and forgiving but we have to recognize him, we have to hear and respond. This was the biggest problem for the religious leaders of Jesus' time, God was right in their midst and they did not recognize him, they did not hear and respond to him. Let us not make the same mistake. Today let us be open and aware to the many ways God enters into our lives and invites us into his mercy and love!
Daily Prayer: O God, look kindly on us today. Help us to recognize you in the many ways you will be part of our life today. Enable us to hear your word and respond to it with energy and enthusiasm. Grace us with humble and contrite hearts open to your presence and word. Fill us with your hope so that we may live always in your love! Amen!
Runner's Thought: Life like running contains elements of challenge, difficulty, and pain...life like running hurts, it wounds, it calls on us to rise above conditions that seem beyond what we are capable of doing...life like running is a thing
worth living and doing not just because of the future rewards, but because of how it
feeds our bodies and minds and souls in the present and makes us aware of God's presence.
Blessings on your Wednesday everyone! I hope you will have a great day where ever you are and whatever you will be doing. We bring the mission to a close here at Assumption Parish in Peekskill, NY today. It has been a spirit filled three days. I would like to thank my friends from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Shrub Oak for making the trip down to the mission each evening. Again I ask your prayers for this final day, for the faith community and the preacher. Have a great day everyone and know you are in my prayers! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
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