Daily Thoughts - 06/01/2013

Daily Thought: Eugene Peterson in his book Subversive Spirituality writes, “Imagination is the capacity to make connections between the visible and the invisible, between heaven and earth, between present and past, between present and future. For Christians, whose largest investment is in the invisible, the imagination is indispensable, for it is only by means of the imagination that we can see reality whole, in context.”

After reading today’s Gospel (Mark 11:27-33), a question might be, do the chief priests, scribes and the elders, the religious leadership of Jesus’ time, lack imagination? It seems each time we meet them they just don’t seem to be able to make a connection between visible the invisible, between heaven and earth, between the present and the past, between the present and the future.

Perhaps an even more important question is; do we lack imagination in living out our faith?

Daily Prayer: Loving God, help us to see the invisible with the eyes of our heart so that wherever we look we will see your presence in our life. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: Ken Chlouber said when talking about running, “Make friends with pain, and you will never be alone.” I might say it a little differently, “Run with God and you will never be alone and you will always be loved!”

Happy Saturday, Happy First Day of June, everyone! A special shout out to my sister-in-law Rosemarie and brother James on their 28th Wedding Anniversary! I hope they are enjoying their day and celebrating a little. May the Good Lord bless you both today and always. Blessings and peace to everyone today and always...Enjoy! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 05/31/2013

Daily Thoughts: “How does this happen to me?”  We have probably used some form of this saying many times in our life; probably most often out of frustration. “Why is this happening to me?”  The frustration of bad things happening to good people or the frustration of being in a situation we would prefer not being in. Seeing something bad happen to family, friends or seemingly good people in life struggle. These words echo each time we encounter the tragedies of life; natural disaster like tornados, powerful storms, floods or unnatural disasters like terrorist bombs, gun violence, war, tragic accidents and we say “why is this happening?”

Yet these words spoken by Elizabeth today, “How does this happen to me?” are spoken out of excitement and joy. This ordinary woman encounters the mother of God, what a great gift! It is such a wonderful moment that all present are moved to celebrate even the child in her womb. It is not a time of frustration or struggle; it is a time of joy and hope.

In the times I have been to Israel one of my favorite stops has always been the village of Ein Karem. There your find the Church of St. John the Baptist and to the southwest high on a hill the Church of the Visitation. Even though it is a rather steep hill and a difficult walk for many making it to the Church of the Visitation is always a great treat and the words that always come to mind are, “It is good for us to be here!” As you enter the courtyard of the Church there is a statue of Elizabeth and Mary two pregnant women joyfully greeting, embracing each other.

Seeing the status of Elizabeth and Mary is always a moment of hope for me because seeing any pregnant woman is a hopeful gift. It is a sign of life, a sign of the future, a sign of hope. With today’s Feast of the Visitation we are reminded to be a people of life because it is in and through life that we encounter the gifts of hope and love and come to know the blessing of, “How this life happens to us!”

Daily Prayer: Loving God, we come to you this day as a people in need of hope. There are times when because of the experiences of life we feel helpless, when we feel weak and overwhelmed. So today we pray for your gift of hope. We need hope so that we might build a better future. We need hope that we might live a better life. We need hope that we might be a people of love and kindness.

It is often said that the sky is at it’s darkest just before the light. And so we pray that this is true, because often life seems dark and we need your light, O God, in every way. We pray that we will be filled with your light from head to toe. So that we might find the joy and hope that Elizabeth found when visited by Mary. That we might say with excitement not frustration or struggle, how does this life happen to me?

Help us to be people of hope today that all is right in the world, as you have planned, and as you want it to be. Help us to walk in your light, and live our lives in faith and hope. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: I am signed up to runner the NYC Marathon next November and I have taken as my theme, “I run for Life!” Wherever and whenever you run today run in the spirit of Elizabeth and Mary, run for life! Let us as we run be signs, witnesses and proclaimers of just how wonderful life is and can be!

TGIF everyone! Yes, we have made it to the end of another week and another month. My how time flies when you are having fun! On this Feast of the Visitation I send special greetings to all mothers, especially those who are carrying life at this time. Through the spirit of Elizabeth and Mary I ask God’s blessing upon all of you for the gifts of hope and love you give to the world. Mothers are truly special people.

I hope everyone has a great Friday and that as it draws to a close it will lead you into a wonderful weekend. I pray for blessings upon your work, your ministry, and your experiences today. I also pray for blessing upon those you love, those your encounter today and especially upon you! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 05/30/2013

Daily Thoughts: Thomas Merton once wrote:

“Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ has come uninvited. But because he cannot be at home in it, because he is out of place in it, and yet he must be in it, his place is with those others for whom there is no room.

His place is with those who do not belong, who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited, who are denied the status of persons, tortured, excommunicated. With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in this world.”

Perhaps Merton was thinking of our Gospel today (Mark 10: 46-52). Perhaps Bartimaeus represents all those who have been rejected, discredited and denied the status of person in our world. Jesus is here for them. He responds when the call out. He recognizes their faith and ee helps them to throw off their struggles and become part of the community.

Time and time again, Jesus stopped when the Bartimaeus’ of the world call out for help. Because they called out Jesus was able to acknowledge them, heal them, and include them. We might say that today’s Gospel not only challenges us to look beyond ourselves to those who are rejected, discredited and denied the status of person but it challenges us to pray. It challenges up to call out when we, when the world, is in need so that Jesus will hear us, recognize our faith and be able to stop, acknowledge, heal and include us in the Kingdom.

Daily Prayer: Compassionate God, at times our hearts seems troubled. When this happens everything becomes an effort, life is difficult and we struggle to be faithful. In these moments remind us of Jesus’ invitation “What do you want of me?” We want to see, we want to be faithful. Thus do not let us be afraid and give in to life’s troubles. Rather through your son help us stay close to you, by reaching out to others, doing something creative with passion and always living the fullness of life. Enliven us always in your Holy Spirit of faith, hope and love, so that we may live life with Passion together. And may the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts! Amen.

Runner’s Thought: Let us remember always when we run to search for God in the ordinary. Each run is a pilgrimage, not to Rome, Jerusalem or some other place we consider holy or important, but it is a pilgrimage nonetheless. Our run may be nothing more than a trip around the neighborhood or on our favorite running route but if our intention is to converse with God, then we are a pilgrim. It is the very ordinariness of the run that enables it to become a central part of our life. With each run we embark on a pilgrimage of the ordinary where we will always have the chance to find God! (Adapted from Roger Joslin)

Happy Thursday everyone! The heat has arrived in Pelham on this next to the last day of May, actually it arrived yesterday afternoon. I hope your day has started off well and that you are enjoying the warmth of these late spring days wherever you are. Have a great day and please know that all of you continue to be in my prayers. Blessing today and always…Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 05/29/2013

Daily Thoughts: Dietriech Bonhoeffer once wrote, “Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because Christians are talking when they should be listening.” We might say that in the Gospel today (Mark 10:32-45) Jesus is looking for an ear to listen and what he gets is people who want to talk.

Jesus shares with his friends what is ahead on their journey. He shares what he is going to go through and for this sharing he get a response that doesn’t concern him but those who are supposed to be listening.  James and John think only about their future not that of Jesus or others. Jesus has come to serve. Jesus has come to carry the cross. Jesus has come to be a saving gift for others.

There has been a lot of discussion, or what I like to call chatter, about Pope Francis’ homily last week concerning who is redeemed. The chatter has now turned to who is an expert that can speak or clarify to what Pope Francis meant. Or who is an official spokesperson of the Vatican who knows what Pope Francis meant.

Is the point of Pope Francis’ homily that someone should respond and tell us what he means or is the point of his homily that we should listen and think? Do we know the mind of God? Do we know the mind of Pope Francis? What if God wants to welcome an atheist into heaven is that wrong? Is God making a mistake? What if Jesus’ presence in the world was to redeem everyone is that so bad?

Through the Gospel today Jesus reminds us that in order to be a part of the Kingdom our life must be a life dedicated to the care and service of others. If we make this the focus of our life then the possibilities are endless because as Monday’s Gospel told us all things are possible with God.

Are we listening or are we talking?

Daily Prayer: Loving God, you are always willing to teach us how to listen. May we be willing to have our ears open and ready to listen to the many ways you teach us today.  Help us to listen to those who enter our life today, and give us the desire to serve and not be served. Help us move toward a greater wholeness in life that does not look to exclude but gifts us with the joy and hope of inclusion because all things are possible with God. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: Despite the fact that we love to run, there are days when we simply do not feel like running. Running takes discipline but if our discipline is too rigid we can take the joy and fun out of our experience. So let’s run in a way that allows us to find pleasure, fun and joy in the experience.

Who could be happier than a camel on a Wednesday? Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope your day has started well, if not may it become better as the day continues! We have begun with clouds and a few sprinkles of rain here in Pelham. We await the warmth and sun that is to arrive at some point today.

If the week so far has not been good may this truly be a hump day to get you over to the good side. If it has been a good week so far may this truly be a hump day to get you over to the downhill side of the week. Blessings on your work, your encounters, your experiences and all you meet today! Blessings upon you and those you love! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Memorial Day Thoughts - 05/27/2013

Daily Thoughts: What do we learn from the story of the rich young man in today’s Gospel, (Mark 10: 17-27)? Well I guess you could say we learn many things. We learn that it is hard to let go of things we think are important. We learn that possessions no matter what they are; money, power, possessions, fame, wealth, can hold us back from a relationship with God. We learn that while at times things seem impossible nothing is impossible for God!

Perhaps we also learn that God wants to dwell in us and to fill us with grace, with love, with wholeness and with fullness of life. However, God does not push his way into our life. God loves us enough to wait until, out of our own free will, we invite God to come to us!

Jesus looks at us with love today what is our response?

Daily Prayer: Loving God, we thank you for wanting to enter our lives. Help us to let go of the things we think are so important yet they always seem to stand in the way of your presence in our lives. Grace us with the strength to open the door of our hearts today, so that as we ask you to come in nothing will stand in the way of our love for you. We want you to make our hearts your home, today and always. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: As you run today try to make you run a God-centered run. In other words make your run a run in which you honor God through the voices of nature. Let yourself experience all the sounds of nature around you as you run; the wind, the trees, the leaves. Listen to the sounds of water if you run near a creek, river or the ocean.  Smell the scents of nature around you. Remember in the Psalms, the rivers clapped and the ocean roar in praise of God, so join in the chorus with your run. Look, purposefully, for signs of God’s creation, offering praise. Become one among the many voices of creation to give praise as you run today! (Adapted from Roger Joslin)

Happy Memorial Day everyone! I hope you are enjoying your day. We paused at our community mass this morning to remember all who service us in the military and all who have given their lives over the years is service protecting our freedom. We pray that someday we will find a way to live in peace so that people will never have to train for and fight in war again!

I hope the sun is out where you are. It is here in Pelham and the air is warming up quickly! I pray that you day will take you outdoors in some way to enjoy the gifts of God’s creation!

May your Memorial Day wherever you are and whatever you are doing be blessed with the richness of family and friends. May it be a day of fun, laughter, joy and relaxation. May it be a safe day and may you be truly blessed by God’s love today and always! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Trinity Sunday Thoughts - 05/26/2013

Daily Thoughts: I am in the midst of reading a book entitled Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor. She is one of my favorite authors, I love the way she writes and how she tells a story. The other evening in the midst of the chapter that I was reading, Barbara told a little anecdote about life as pastor/rector of her first parish in northern Georgia. After services one Trinity Sunday she found a miniature Three Musketeer Bar and a note on her car. They were from an eccentric woman who lived across the street from the church. The note read, “One for all and all for one, Happy Trinity Sunday.”

I could not help but laugh as I read the story however the story has stuck with me the last few days and I keep coming back to it. Taylor writes the story as she is talking about settling into her first parish as a pastor/rector. It wasn’t easy, there were challenges and struggles, but this story seemed to reflect an acceptance, a fitting in for her.

Perhaps that is what this feast of the Holy Trinity is all about. We celebrate the mystery of God as Trinity, three persons but one God. Just saying it seems odd. How can we have three persons but just one God? How can we talk about three individuals yet still only be talking about one God? In human language it is impossible yet that is what we believe. We celebrate the gift of three person so connect, so intimate, so focused that they are one. Believing means that we are part of that one, members of the relationship, accepted.

We believe in, we celebrate our God today who is all for one and one for all. Happy Trinity Sunday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Eternal God! A Trinity of persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, yet one in being, whose presence in our life we honor today. You are the beginning and end of all things and it is in and through you that we live and move and have the very breath of life. So today we come before you in body, mind and spirit to honor and thank you for the gift of your presence in our lives. What can we offer you, O God, that will reflect and give thanks for all that you have done for us? All we can do today is give thanks for your Trinity of Love, and serve you all the days of our lives. So let each of us bless the Lord, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our being and let all that is within us give God thanks this day and always. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: Remember running in a different place every once in a while can bring with it a different set of experiences. Each new setting can provide an opportunity to practice our spiritual running by helping us to be aware of not only new things around us but also new things within us. Running in a new place stretches our ability to find God in our runs, in life and in ourselves!

Happy Feast of the Most Holy Trinity everyone! I hope you find yourself in the midst of a blessed Sunday and a relaxing Memorial Day Weekend. The sun has returned to us here in Pelham this morning but a north wind still blows thus we remain on the cool side. But warmth is on its way we just have to be patient!

I pray the weather is treating you well today and throughout this long weekend but if not be patient the rain, wind, cold or whatever the issue will pass too!

I pray for God’s blessing s upon all of you today and always. I hope you will be blessed especially this weekend with the richness of family, friends, warmth, peace and rest. May God truly be with you and those you love, keeping you safe as you enjoy the gifts of creation. Remember, “One for all and all for one!” Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul