Daily Thoughts - 04/20/2013

Daily Thoughts: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Another great moment in the life of Peter, things are falling apart, there seem to be chaos, confusion and disarray. Yet, Peter knows right where to go. Peter knows the value of his relationship, his friendship with Jesus.

Perhaps, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” should be a prayer we pray each and every morning before we do anything. Perhaps it should be our prayer each night as we ready for bed. In each moment we would stop and center ourselves in the presence of God. We would center ourselves in our friendship with Jesus. We would remind ourselves of the source by which we should live our life.

This week has been a crazy, chaotic and confusing. It has been a week of great loss and sadness. It has been a week when we have questioned things that we value and hold near and dear. It has been a week when we have wondered about the future. It has been a week of anger, frustration and profound struggle. It has been a week of prayer, a week of searching for hope. It has been a week to remember the innocent and honor the brave.

Perhaps it has also been a week that reminds us to whom we should always go. Who it is that has, the Words, the gift and the hope of eternal life!

Daily Prayer: O God, we come to you today because you do have the words, the gift and the hope of eternal life. We remember all who have fallen this week especially in Boston and Texas. We thank you for the gift of their lives and we ask you to now hold them dearly. We thank you for the many brave people we ran into the valley of death and offered comfort and hope to the many others we were hurt and struggling. We thank you that the terror of these last days is over for the moment yet we know that evil still walks among us! Help us to hear your words of eternal life today as they are spoken in our world and in our hearts. Grace us with the gift of your loving presence today and always. Loving God, we know we must always some to you in good time and bad because you do have the words of hope that will help us continue our journeys to eternal life. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: Run strong today! Run for those lost and hurt in Boston. Run for those lost and hurt in Texas. Run for those who bravely helped in both places. Run strong against terror, run strong for peace. Run strong with God!

Blessing on this Saturday to all! I hope you have begun a weekend that will give you a chance to rest and relax at least a little. It has been a long week full of much stress and sadness. Hopefully we have turned the corner toward sunny, warm and hope filled days.

The mission at Sacred Heart Parish, in Mount Holly, NJ fished up wonderfully on Wednesday. There was a great spirit there. Friday I celebrated a Confirmation Retreat with some students of St. Barnabas Parish in the Bronx. It was a very spirit filled day also. I will keep these young people in my prayers as they continue to prepare for their Confirmation next month. Today I head out to Long Island and the town of Wantagh where I will begin a mission tonight at St. Frances de Chantal Parish. I am looking forward to my time there. If you are in the area why not come and join us on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. There is a morning mission talk after the 9:00 am parish mass and an evening mission service at 7:30 pm.

Again, blessing to all today and throughout the weekend, may you truly find time to enjoy the gift of life especially with family and friends. Peace in Christ’s Passion and Hope in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 04/17/2013

Daily Thoughts: When I read the accounts in today first reading from the Acts of the Apostles about the things that happened after St. Stephen’s death. I am always caught by the fact that even though Saul was hell bent on destroying the Church God was able to change his heart and lead him to become the great Apostle Paul. It gives me hope that someone so focused on the negative, so much wanting to destroy, so much against the presence of some people in the world was able to become a person of joy, of peace, of love and of hope.

God did not fight Saul’s attack on his Church with vengeance, with force, with power, with war. God did not seek to destroy Saul. God did not seek to judge Saul. No God dealt with Saul’s attack through truth, compassion, love and with an invitation to be part of the community. Somehow with words of kindness, with words of compassion, with words and gestures of love God turned Saul’s heart and created someone new Paul.

Often as we encounter our world and all its problems we think we must fight, we think that we must eliminate our enemies. We think that making fun of them, that degrading them with our words, that attacking them with half-truths, cartoons and witty jokes we will overcome them. We think that pointing to their faults and failings, that being hurtful we are doing God’s will and that we will win the battle and the war.

Yet, God has always showed us that power, vengeance and war never works. These are not the solutions to our problems or the avenues to peace. In Saul’s case God invited him to become part of the community. God invited Saul to see God in his life in a different way. God invited Saul to choose life not death. God invited Saul to a change of heart. God invited Saul to be a man of hope and love. God turn Saul’s energy of violence and hate into an energy of love, compassion, hope and peace.

If we truly want our world, our culture, our society to change then perhaps rather than waging war, rather than fearing those we see as enemies, rather than attacking, rather than dismissing or making fun of those we don’t like, we should invite them into the conversation. We should extend the hand of friendship. We should invite them to be part of the community. We should show them the value of faith, hope and love. We should help them to see the light of life!

Daily Prayer: O God, the Eternal Runner, bless us this day with a faith that can move mole hills and mountains, that has an unseen healing touch, that lives everyday stories, celebrates simple suppers and helps us carry the crosses of life so that they turn into hope filled resurrections. Help us to see the goodness in ourselves and others. Grace us with your loving presence and enliven us with hope so that we can share your presence with everyone we meet. Keep us ever mindful today of those who lost their lives in Boston, those who mourn the loss of loved ones and friends and those who were hurt, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Help us to live this day alive in faith, hope and love for them and for all who struggle, for all who carry crosses, for all who seek peace! Amen!

Runner’s Thought: Once again let us dedicate our run today to all in Boston. Let us run today Boston Strong! Let us run with God, the Eternal Runner, beside us and within us. If we can’t run, let us walk Boston Strong, with God the Eternal Walker, beside us and within us.  If we can’t walk let us remember Boston Strong . Whatever we can do today let us do it as a prayer so that one day we will all live in a world at peace!

Greetings on this Wednesday, this “Hump Day” everyone! I hope and pray you are having a good day. My prayers and thoughts remain with the people of Boston. Here is Mount Holly, NJ we are bringing the mission here at Sacred Heart Parish to an end this evening. Each day has been spirit filled and the prayers of this faith community here are rich in faith and hope filled.

I pray for blessings upon all of you today were ever you are, upon whatever you are doing and upon whomever you meet. May all of you be gifted with a blessed, holy and faith filled day rich in the presence and grace of God! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Hope in the Risen Christ…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 04/16/2013

Daily Thoughts: It is hard to begin this daily reflection without mentioning Boston and tragic events that happened there yesterday. I am a runner and I have run the Boston Marathon twice in my life. It is a great city and the marathon is a great experience and I certainly feel for the city and the people today. I like many struggle today with the unanswerable question “why?”

It was interesting early this morning as I reflected on the scripture preparing for this new day that the story of St. Stephen’s death made me think of Boston. Here was Stephen just being a good and faith filled person and a crazy mob comes along and stones him to death. A mob of people not thinking about life, about goodness, about being positive but a mob of people only thinking about themselves. A mob of people focused on selfishness, on fear, on evil.  Stephen remain the “bigger person” Stephen remained the faith filled person, Stephen remained the person of life not death.

In Boston yesterday many people were about life, were about hope, were about joy, were about all that is good in our culture and our society and like Stephen they paid the price. Some with their lives, some with their injuries and all with what a brief moment took away from their, bodies, their spirits and their souls. It perhaps was not a mob, it might have been one person or a small group of people but they were people about death, about negativity, about fear, about evil. If any of the ones who carried out this selfish, evil act claim that God is happy with them they are sick and more evil than I thought.  Perhaps they are misguided, perhaps they are just evil and unfortunately as good people we are often reminded by the misguided of how much evil is still present in our world.

But like Stephen I think the people of Boston, the runners, the spectators, all good people need to remain the “bigger person,” we need to remain faith filled people, we need to remain the people of life and not death. We need to remain the people of light not darkness. We need to remain people of trust and freedom not fear. We need to remain people of hope not despair.

My thoughts and prayer continue for all in Boston, those who lost their lives and their families, those who were injured physically, those who were injured emotionally, those who were injured spiritually. I pray in thanksgiving for all who responded and helped, for all who cared, for all who cried, for all who comforted. I pray for the people of Boston. I pray for peace!

Daily Prayer: Once again I would like to adapt Thomas Merton’s prayer and make it my prayer, our prayer for all today! - My Lord God, we have no idea where we are going. We do not see the road ahead of us. We cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do we really know ourselves, and the fact that we think we am following your will does not mean that we are actually doing so. But we believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And we hope we have that desire in all that we are doing. We hope that we will never do anything apart for that desire. And we know that if we do this you will lead us by the right road though we may know nothing about it. Therefore we will trust you always though we may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. We will not fear, for you are ever with us, and you will never leave us to face our perils alone. Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by Thomas Merton) - I pray, we pray this for all in Boston, for all of the good people in the world, and like Stephen we pray for all people today!

Runner’s Thought: Let us dedicate our run today to the people of Boston. Let us dedicate our run today to those who lost their lives and their families and friends who grieve their loss. Let us dedicate our run today to all those injured in body, mind and spirit. Let us dedicate our run today to all who responded with courage, compassion and care. Let us dedicate our run today to all who did not get a chance to finish their run yesterday. Let us dedicate our run today to the city and people of Boston. Let us dedicate our run today to peace in our world that we may one day run free in faith, hope and love! Let us dedicate our run today and every day!

Greetings everyone on the Tuesday! I hope you are all well and finding a way to cope with the events of yesterday. As I mentioned at the beginning of my daily thoughts I am a runner and I have run the Boston Marathon twice in my life. It was truly a great experience and the events of yesterday touched me deeply. I am giving a Parish Mission here in Mount Holly, NJ at Sacred Heart Parish and I want the people of Boston to know that we are holding you in our prayers.

I also want to thank the many people who have contacted me in some way over these last 24 hours with concern and care. Some thinking I might be in Boston running the marathon other knowing that I wasn’t but thought of me because I run. Thank you so much for your care and concern! It really touched me. One of my nieces sent me a beautiful texted this morning it truly made my day but then I have always known that is what nieces, nephews, family and friends do that is why I am so blessed!

I am praying that we all have a better day than yesterday. May you all truly be safe. May you all find peace today. May you all be held closely by God today and may you all truly know that you are loved today! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Hope in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 04/15/2013

Daily Thoughts: Today’s readings are preludes to tomorrow stories, the martyrdom of Stephen and Jesus’ discourse on the “Bread of Life.” In some ways we can say that today’s readings are about seeing and hearing and we learn that some people only see and hear what they want to see and hear. When we live life this way we open ourselves to the possibility of missing the gift, the presence of God in our life.

The religious leaders surrounding Stephen today only see and hear what they want to see and hear. They miss the very gift from God that Stephen brings to them, the very gift of God that Stephen is. They miss a chance to grow, to see and hear thing differently. They have already decided who and what Stephen is thus God has no chance.

The people following after Jesus in today’s Gospel are caught up in the miracles that Jesus has performed. They are not listening to his words, they are not open to the presence of God, they want more miraculous things. Jesus reminds them that in order for good things to happen they have to be open to the gift and presence of God in their lives. That they have to believe not in what they see and hear but in the presence of Jesus in their lives!

Often we only see and hear what we want. God can be speaking to us, calling us down a new path but we miss it. Today let us open our eyes, our ears and our hearts to the many different ways that God can be present in our lives especially those ways beyond what we want to see and hear!

Daily Prayer: Loving God open our minds and hearts to the gift of your presence. Helps us to see you and hear you in every person we encounter, every experience we have, every moment we live today. Grace us with eyes and ears that don’t just see and hear the obvious but that are open to every way you come into our lives. Enable us to be your Easter people of faith, hope and love today and always. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: As we run today let us look are our run this way that everywhere we put our foot today we will feel the presence of God. God is our friend and our closeness to our friend God is in the placement of our foot with each stride we take during our run. We run today knowing that God is underneath us, beside us, within us!

Happy Patriots Day and Happy Tax Day everyone! Especially all the runner’s currently running the Boston Marathon. A special shout out to a friend, Mark who is running today…my prayers are with him and all the runners, may their run be a good run and safe run!

I hope everyone is having a good start to this new week. I find myself in Mount Holly, New Jersey where I began a mission this weekend. Sacred Heart is a prayerful parish with a lot of spirit and enthusiasm. We had a great weekend together and this morning’s opening mission service was well attended and spirit filled. Please keep the faith community here at Sacred Heart and their preacher in your prayers these days.

Blessings upon everyone this week have a great Monday and a great week. You can be assured of my prayers and those of the faith community here at Sacred Hearts as you journey through this week. I hope your weather is warming up and that you will have a rich and faith filled week! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Joy in the Risen Christ…Fr. Paul