Daily Thoughts: It is always nice to celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul and then to remember his two friends Timothy and Titus the next day. I think if I had ever married and had more than one son, I would have considered the names Timothy and Titus. My first born son would have received the name Paul, there would have been no discussion about that!
I find the readings interesting today. The Gospel is short and to the point. The crowds are pressing in on Jesus, he does not have a moment to breath, pray or eat and his family and friends are not too sure about all that he is doing, they go so far as to say, "He is out of his mind." I have always found that an interesting line in the Gospel. I don't think we often, if ever, use the phrase, "He us out of his mind." to describe Jesus. It almost seem irreverent! Yet that is what his family and friends thought and in a way it is comforting. I don't know how often people have thought that "I am out of my mind," because of the things I have done or the busyness of my life or the thoughts that I express or the stands that I take. It is comforting to know that at least for a moment Jesus and I share the same struggle concerning how people see us.
Perhaps many of the the things Jesus did, experienced and lived out seem crazy. How often today does someone point out that Jesus would have done it this way and because it doesn't fit with how we very life we think or say the person is crazy. Jesus asks us to do a lot of crazy things, love our enemies, pray for our persecutor, forgive, be in the company of sinners, accept people for who they are, step across boundaries in order to bring about healing and life. It may seem crazy, in doing these things it might seem like we are out of our minds, but remember we are in good company!
My last thought about today's readings comes from Paul's Second Letter to Timothy. In it Paul says to Timothy, "For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord...but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God." I love the first line of this section of the letter, "stir into flame the gift of God." In other words be alive, be energized, be excited about the gift of your friendship with God. I have often thought this would be a good quote to begin each day with among others.
So friends as you travel through this day, stir your gift from God into a the flame of life and don't worry if people think you are out of your mind because you are not alone!
Daily Prayer: O God, we are out of our mind in love with you today. Help us to stir into a flame the fire of this love so that may never be ashamed of our friendship with you. Entrust us with the the power and hope of peace and your love in this life and the gift of eternal life with you. Amen!
Runner's Thought: Try to transform your run today from just a run to a sacred experience by letting God run with you!
Happy Saturday everyone! Hopefully the deep freeze is beginning to break near you and if you are in a warm place hopefully the deep freeze will not find you. I want to send a shout out to all women out there with the name Lois and Eunice. You got a special mention today in the first reading from Paul's Second Letter to Timothy because as the grandmother and mother of Timothy Paul thinks you did a great job! So many blessing today to all those who are named Lois and Eunice especially if you are mom's and grand mom's! Blessings to all on your journey through Saturday see you on Sunday! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Conversion of St. Paul Daily Thoughts - 01/25/2013
Daily Thoughts: I have to confess I slept in today, forgot to set my alarm last night. I missed the community mass so I just finished celebrating mass myself, not something I like to do but I had to celebrate today, cannot miss the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul!
There are two choices today for the first reading, both for the Acts of the Apostles. In the first option from Chapter 22, Paul retells his experience on the road to Damascus and in the second option from Chapter 9 Luke is telling the same story. I could not help but smile a little as I considered the two options, they tell the same story but just a little differently. I thought of that game where someone starts off by whispering a story to the person next to them and it goes around the circle and the last person tells the story out loud and it is always a bit different.
Whether the stories are exactly alike is not important, what is important is what happen on that road to Damascus. Paul or Saul, as he was called then, has a change of heart, has a change of direction. He leaves that spot on the road a changed man, no longer a persecutor, now he is a preacher of the Good News. If anything the story of Paul reminds us that people can change, that people can come to see life differently. It doesn't take violence, anger, insult or judgement to make them change. Sometimes all it takes is a different vision, a different perspective, a different way of seeing things. God gives Paul the opportunity to see things differently and he accepts the chance.
Paul put his original energy of faith to work with anger, resentment and violence, Jesus invited him to see things a different way. His energy did not go away it just got refocused in a positive life giving way. He no longer walked in fear, anger and in judgment but he walked in the Good News and in hope.
As we celebrate life today, as we seek the sacredness and giftedness of life in our world, let us not walk in fear, in anger, in violence, in judgment, let us walk in the light of the Good News! St. Paul walk with us, give us your energy to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, of God, of the Spirit to the world!
Daily Prayer: O God, give us the strength, the energy, your Spirit to go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Enable us to let go of fear, anger, insult, violence and judgment so that in proclaiming the Good News of Life we might grow stronger and confound all we meet! Amen!
Runner's Thought: Remember it is your intention that sets you apart from every other runner. So today have the intention of life and the willingness to celebrate the gift of life!
Happy Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle! To all who celebrate the feast many blessings and much peace. I always celebrate the gift of St. Paul when ever I can. Today is one of my favorite feasts throughout the year! I started slow this morning but I am now picking up speed. May the spirit of St. Paul the Apostle be with you throughout the day. May his energy enliven your work, your ministry, your living of life today. Many blessings and remember with St. Paul's help we too can get up when we are knocked down and life will be better because we do! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
PS Please check out my new web site www.preacherman.org I will be moving my blog to the site soon so check it out today and mark it as favorite so we can continue the journey together!
There are two choices today for the first reading, both for the Acts of the Apostles. In the first option from Chapter 22, Paul retells his experience on the road to Damascus and in the second option from Chapter 9 Luke is telling the same story. I could not help but smile a little as I considered the two options, they tell the same story but just a little differently. I thought of that game where someone starts off by whispering a story to the person next to them and it goes around the circle and the last person tells the story out loud and it is always a bit different.
Whether the stories are exactly alike is not important, what is important is what happen on that road to Damascus. Paul or Saul, as he was called then, has a change of heart, has a change of direction. He leaves that spot on the road a changed man, no longer a persecutor, now he is a preacher of the Good News. If anything the story of Paul reminds us that people can change, that people can come to see life differently. It doesn't take violence, anger, insult or judgement to make them change. Sometimes all it takes is a different vision, a different perspective, a different way of seeing things. God gives Paul the opportunity to see things differently and he accepts the chance.
Paul put his original energy of faith to work with anger, resentment and violence, Jesus invited him to see things a different way. His energy did not go away it just got refocused in a positive life giving way. He no longer walked in fear, anger and in judgment but he walked in the Good News and in hope.
As we celebrate life today, as we seek the sacredness and giftedness of life in our world, let us not walk in fear, in anger, in violence, in judgment, let us walk in the light of the Good News! St. Paul walk with us, give us your energy to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, of God, of the Spirit to the world!
Daily Prayer: O God, give us the strength, the energy, your Spirit to go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Enable us to let go of fear, anger, insult, violence and judgment so that in proclaiming the Good News of Life we might grow stronger and confound all we meet! Amen!
Runner's Thought: Remember it is your intention that sets you apart from every other runner. So today have the intention of life and the willingness to celebrate the gift of life!
Happy Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle! To all who celebrate the feast many blessings and much peace. I always celebrate the gift of St. Paul when ever I can. Today is one of my favorite feasts throughout the year! I started slow this morning but I am now picking up speed. May the spirit of St. Paul the Apostle be with you throughout the day. May his energy enliven your work, your ministry, your living of life today. Many blessings and remember with St. Paul's help we too can get up when we are knocked down and life will be better because we do! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
PS Please check out my new web site www.preacherman.org I will be moving my blog to the site soon so check it out today and mark it as favorite so we can continue the journey together!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
January 24th Daily Thoughts - 01/24/2013
Daily Thoughts: As I read the Gospel this morning the thought that came to mind was "A Day in the Life." This is the title of a 1967 Beatles song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. While the Gospel and the song have nothing in common I thought of the title in terms of what picture the Gospel paints for us today, A Day in the Life of Jesus.
It is interesting, I did a little research about the song, Lennon and McCartney wrote their sections of the song at different times, Lennon using accounts from the newspaper and McCartney using memories from his youth. The two sets of lyrics were then put together with orchestral glissandos. What does this have to do with the Gospel, well think about how the Gospels were put together. The days of Jesus' life, not a daily rendering but events tied together by the overarching story of his life.
Today, we have a day in the life of Jesus, crowds coming from every corner of the world it seems, healing with every touch, demons proclaiming his "the Son of God," people everywhere! No room, no time for himself, no space to breath. When you think about it Jesus had a very difficult life long before he got to Calvary. He was always in demand. How did he do it? How did he balance his ministry and his need to just be, to pray, to connect with friends? How did he stay focused? Stay refreshed? Stay motivated?
Sometimes seeing a picture of a day in the life of Jesus can be inspiring, sometimes it can be troubling, sometimes it can be tiring, sometimes it can be overwhelming. What does today's picture of a day in the life of Jesus say to you? To me it says he loved us very much!
Daily Prayer: Loving God, help us in the midst of our busy day to see what is truly holy, life giving, and of you. May we always find the time to be grateful for your gifts and your presence in our life. May this day in our life truly reflect your love. Amen!
Runner's Thought: Remember the little miracles of God that we encounter during a run are not because we finish but are because we find the courage to begin!
Have a great Thursday everyone! I want to send a shout out to my youngest grandniece, Kristina Marie, who is celebrating her third birthday today! Happy Birthday, Kristina! May you have a great day with many blessings and a cake with many sprinkles! Your Uncle GUP always loves you! To everyone else have a grace filled day. If you are in the cold, stay warm; if you are in a place of warmth send some our way; if you are busy take a little time for yourself; if you are relaxing enjoy it! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
It is interesting, I did a little research about the song, Lennon and McCartney wrote their sections of the song at different times, Lennon using accounts from the newspaper and McCartney using memories from his youth. The two sets of lyrics were then put together with orchestral glissandos. What does this have to do with the Gospel, well think about how the Gospels were put together. The days of Jesus' life, not a daily rendering but events tied together by the overarching story of his life.
Today, we have a day in the life of Jesus, crowds coming from every corner of the world it seems, healing with every touch, demons proclaiming his "the Son of God," people everywhere! No room, no time for himself, no space to breath. When you think about it Jesus had a very difficult life long before he got to Calvary. He was always in demand. How did he do it? How did he balance his ministry and his need to just be, to pray, to connect with friends? How did he stay focused? Stay refreshed? Stay motivated?
Sometimes seeing a picture of a day in the life of Jesus can be inspiring, sometimes it can be troubling, sometimes it can be tiring, sometimes it can be overwhelming. What does today's picture of a day in the life of Jesus say to you? To me it says he loved us very much!
Daily Prayer: Loving God, help us in the midst of our busy day to see what is truly holy, life giving, and of you. May we always find the time to be grateful for your gifts and your presence in our life. May this day in our life truly reflect your love. Amen!
Runner's Thought: Remember the little miracles of God that we encounter during a run are not because we finish but are because we find the courage to begin!
Have a great Thursday everyone! I want to send a shout out to my youngest grandniece, Kristina Marie, who is celebrating her third birthday today! Happy Birthday, Kristina! May you have a great day with many blessings and a cake with many sprinkles! Your Uncle GUP always loves you! To everyone else have a grace filled day. If you are in the cold, stay warm; if you are in a place of warmth send some our way; if you are busy take a little time for yourself; if you are relaxing enjoy it! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
January 23rd Daily Thoughts - 01/23/2013
Daily Thoughts: My thoughts today center around a single phrase in the Gospel, "Jesus looked around at them with anger...." It is comforting to know that Jesus was angry from time to time. That he got frustrated with others, particularly others who should have known better. Today it is the religious leaders once again, they still don't seem to get it. Life, the quality of life, is much more important that rulers and regulations.
This week, for that matter everyday, we as people of faith are focused on life. It is profoundly important to us. It is a gift from God that we do not want to see abused, neglected, devalued, taken, lost or discarded. We pray for it, we walk in support of it. We cherish it in our own lives and families. Life is primary to what we believe. Yet, at times we get so focused on one aspect of life we miss many others. We miss many opportunities to honor it, acknowledge it, celebrate it and heal it because of rules and regulations!
Jesus was always about life, honoring it, acknowledging it, celebrating it and certainly healing it. May we find a way like Jesus to turn anger into healing, to turn anger into life!
Daily Prayer: O God, as we live this new day, please send the gift of your hope into our hearts so that we can turn our moments of anger into healing, life and your loving presence. May we always be people who celebrate life in the midst of a world that often seem focused on taking life. May we never let anything stand in the way of an opportunity to heal and celebrate life. Amen!
Runner's Thought: As you run today, "Seek God, and you will find God and everything good as well. Yes, with such an attitude you could tread upon a stone, and that would be a more godly thing for you to do than to receive the Body of our Lord." (Meister Eckhart)
Have a great Wednesday everyone! For those like me that are living through the very cold, please stay warm. Blessings on all your endeavors today, on all your meetings and on all your moments with others. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
This week, for that matter everyday, we as people of faith are focused on life. It is profoundly important to us. It is a gift from God that we do not want to see abused, neglected, devalued, taken, lost or discarded. We pray for it, we walk in support of it. We cherish it in our own lives and families. Life is primary to what we believe. Yet, at times we get so focused on one aspect of life we miss many others. We miss many opportunities to honor it, acknowledge it, celebrate it and heal it because of rules and regulations!
Jesus was always about life, honoring it, acknowledging it, celebrating it and certainly healing it. May we find a way like Jesus to turn anger into healing, to turn anger into life!
Daily Prayer: O God, as we live this new day, please send the gift of your hope into our hearts so that we can turn our moments of anger into healing, life and your loving presence. May we always be people who celebrate life in the midst of a world that often seem focused on taking life. May we never let anything stand in the way of an opportunity to heal and celebrate life. Amen!
Runner's Thought: As you run today, "Seek God, and you will find God and everything good as well. Yes, with such an attitude you could tread upon a stone, and that would be a more godly thing for you to do than to receive the Body of our Lord." (Meister Eckhart)
Have a great Wednesday everyone! For those like me that are living through the very cold, please stay warm. Blessings on all your endeavors today, on all your meetings and on all your moments with others. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
January 22nd Daily Thoughts - 01/22/2013
Daily Thoughts: Sorry for my absence the last few days it was a combination of reasons, the cold/flu bug had me and it made concentrating a little more challenging, also I was busy giving a retreat on the weekend and had limited wifi, so there were a number of challenges to getting the Good News out these last few days, If I want to keep up my daily thoughts I am going to have to find a system that helps me when things get busy which is going to be pretty soon so please be patient with me!
In reflecting on the readings today two themes struck me about our faith, continuity and change. The first, continuity, the consistency of God. In the Letter to the Hebrews we are reminded that God has made an oath with us, that he will be with us forever. This is a consistent theme throughout scripture. It is a ray of hope, God will not forget us, God will not leave us. God will be with us always. We can count on it. We can take it to the bank. We might not understand why God continues to hang around with everything humankind seems to do to chase God away, but God will always be with us!
On the other hand, if something is alive that also means change. Jesus in the Gospel to the horror of the Pharisees indicates that things are not always going to remain the same. Change is in the air. The sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the sabbath. Jesus is asking people to look at their faith differently. The sabbath came into being to help humankind take time to focus on God. But the sabbhath is not great than the needs of people. In other words, the actions, the rituals, the customs, the reality of the sabbath is not what is most important, it is people and their relationship with God. On a side note I wish we might understand that about our own rituals and practices!
Life means changes and as we go through life the things that connect us with God are going to change, take on different forms and different importance but God's commitment to us, God covenant with us will never change! Two of God's great gifts to us Life and hope are always guiding us, always nourishing us.
Daily Prayer: O God of eternal hope, help us always to remember your faithful promise to be with us always. Guide us through this ever changing life with your gifts of courage, strength and grace so that we might help to build a world of justice and peace for all. Amen!
Runner's Thought: As you run remember with each plant of your foot you feel firmness under you that is the presence of God running with you!
Have a great Tuesday everyone! If you were off yesterday I hope you had a relaxing day or a day that helped you to catch up in this busy life. If you are under the weather my prayers and thoughts are with you. I know how it feels first hand! Be well today and may you encounter many blessings as you live this day! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
In reflecting on the readings today two themes struck me about our faith, continuity and change. The first, continuity, the consistency of God. In the Letter to the Hebrews we are reminded that God has made an oath with us, that he will be with us forever. This is a consistent theme throughout scripture. It is a ray of hope, God will not forget us, God will not leave us. God will be with us always. We can count on it. We can take it to the bank. We might not understand why God continues to hang around with everything humankind seems to do to chase God away, but God will always be with us!
On the other hand, if something is alive that also means change. Jesus in the Gospel to the horror of the Pharisees indicates that things are not always going to remain the same. Change is in the air. The sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the sabbath. Jesus is asking people to look at their faith differently. The sabbath came into being to help humankind take time to focus on God. But the sabbhath is not great than the needs of people. In other words, the actions, the rituals, the customs, the reality of the sabbath is not what is most important, it is people and their relationship with God. On a side note I wish we might understand that about our own rituals and practices!
Life means changes and as we go through life the things that connect us with God are going to change, take on different forms and different importance but God's commitment to us, God covenant with us will never change! Two of God's great gifts to us Life and hope are always guiding us, always nourishing us.
Daily Prayer: O God of eternal hope, help us always to remember your faithful promise to be with us always. Guide us through this ever changing life with your gifts of courage, strength and grace so that we might help to build a world of justice and peace for all. Amen!
Runner's Thought: As you run remember with each plant of your foot you feel firmness under you that is the presence of God running with you!
Have a great Tuesday everyone! If you were off yesterday I hope you had a relaxing day or a day that helped you to catch up in this busy life. If you are under the weather my prayers and thoughts are with you. I know how it feels first hand! Be well today and may you encounter many blessings as you live this day! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
Sunday, January 20, 2013
January 20th Daily Thoughts - 01/20/2013
Daily Thoughts: Sorry for not posting yesterday but I am in the midst of celebrating a retreat with deacons and their wives and I have limited Internet access. I hope everyone is having a good weekend! I find myself still a bit under the weather but surviving. I will continue my post later after the retreat but I just wanted to wish you all a blessed and holy Sunday. Hopefully it will be a day that brings some rest and relaxation. Be well and know that you are in my prayers today especially in the celebration of the Eucharist! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
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