Daily Thoughts: The readings
today are interesting on the one hand we have the famous story of Herod and
John the Baptist. It is a rather gruesome story, it is hard sometimes to think
of a young girl being presented with some one's head and then turning and
giving it to her mother. Yet, I guess gruesome things happen in life every day,
thankfully not in my life.
I am always struck in this story with
the fact that Herod is moved by John, that he likes to listen to him, yet he
gives in to the worldly pressure around him. I get the feeling Herod knows that
John is right, but his power, his self-importance; his ego will not let him say
yes. Herod has surrounded himself with people who push him in the wrong
direction, he give in to the peer pressure of his time!
There is a great line in the Letter to
the Hebrews that says, "Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some
have unknowingly entertained angels." It is great advice! Perhaps it is
advice that Herod should have heard or heeded. He certain had one of God's
angels, John the Baptist in his presence.
We need to be aware that God can come to
us, be present to us in many ways. We need to trust that God is with us always.
We need to remember that we are a community of faith not just individuals and
we need to always be aware of the struggles and joys of others because they can
often bring God into our midst.
Let us today live by the phrase, God is
my light and my salvation, whom should we fear? Jesus is the same yesterday,
today and forever!
Have a great Friday everyone!
Daily Prayer: O God, help us
to always love and reverence your presence in ourselves and others. Keep us
always trusting of your presence and love and help us to be hospitable to all
we encounter especially the angels you send into our life! Set out life today
on a firm foundation of your love so we may live with the hope and trust that
you will never forsake or abandon us because you are with us always! Amen!
Runner's Thoughts: Let's make our
run today a God centered run. Let us honor the voice of God in nature,
experiencing all the sounds and sights of nature as we run. We can let our
breath join in the chorus and we look purposefully for all the signs of God in
nature because if we do this we surely will not be running alone!
Daily Blessing: Happy Friday
everyone! Well we have made it to the end of another week. For many it has been
a long week of battling snow, rain, ice and cold and the forecast is for more
of the same come Sunday, however we have survived and will continue to survive
knowing each day brings us a little closer to spring!
Late this afternoon I will be blessed
with a journey to Tampa, Florida. Yes, for the next two weeks I get to escape
the cold wintery weather for what I hope will be the warmth of the Florida sun.
I have two missions, one in Punta Gorda, FL and the other in Inverness, FL.
Yes, it is a tough job and someone has to do it! I am going to enjoy the warmth!
It was a wonderful retreat here in
Jamaica, NY this last week and I was honored to celebrate it with my brother
Passionists. I came into it with a great deal of anxiety but it was truly a
blessed time. I would like to offer many thanks to the Jamaica community and
their wonderful spirit and hospitality.
My prayer today as I prepare to travel
is for God’s blessings upon all of you wherever you are and in whatever you
will encounter today. I pray you stay safe, warm, and have a great day. May you
find the richness of God’s presence in your life today and always. Also I pray
that the end of this day will bring you to the beginning of a restful and
enjoyable weekend. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
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