Daily Thoughts: “You do not
need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going.
What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the
present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.” (Thomas
Merton) I thought of these words by Merton today as I celebrated mass on this
Feast of St. Martha. I think Martha fits these words well.
In the Gospel reading (John 11:19-27) we
see a different side of Martha than the one in Luke (10:38-42). It is as if Martha
has grown in her faith, her relationship with God and in her understanding of
her friendship with Christ. In John, Martha is a faith filled woman, who does
not fully understand but recognizes the possibilities and challenges and
embraces them with courage, faith and hope. She seeks God in the present moment
and in the end is greatly blessed.
We all need to pause and allow the gift
of St. Martha’s spirit to enliven our own spirits today. May the spirit of St.
Martha gifted us with the courage, faith and hope to live this day ready to
recognize the possibilities and challenges and embrace them with the grace of
God’s love.
Happy Tuesday and blessing to all on
this Feast of St. Martha!
Daily Prayer: Loving God, you
have promised to remain forever with those who do what is just and right. Help us to live in your presence this day and
always. Help us to live Jesus’ commandment of love and bring your peace and joy
to others. Keep us ever mindful of the
wisdom and love you have made known in Christ. Grace us with the courage, faith
and hope to make your presence known though our words and actions. Amen!
Runner’s Thought: “...there was
some kind of connection between the capacity to love and the capacity to love
*running*. The engineering was certainly the same: both depended on loosening
your grip on your own desires, putting aside what you wanted and appreciating
what you've got, being patient and forgiving and... undemanding...maybe we
shouldn't be surprised that getting better at one could make you better at the
other.” (Christopher McDougall, Born to
Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never
Seen)
Daily Blessing: Tuesday
greetings to everyone! I hope everyone had a good Monday and that your week has
gotten off to a good start.
My Monday was a rather busy one as I
began preparations for my Lourdes Pilgrimage which begins next Monday (August 4th).
I hosted the fourteen people who will be traveling with me last night so that
we could get to know each other and talk about our journey together beginning
next Monday.
One of the things on my “to do” list
this week in preparation for the journey is to work on the masses that I will
celebrate over the 10 days with the group. We will be having mass each day and
I am excited that among the place I will be celebrating mass are two chapels at
Lourdes (Chapel of St. Anne and Chapel of St. Joan of Arc), also in the Chapel
of Bernadette in Nevers, the Cathedral in Chartres and the Basilica of Saint
Therese of Lisieux in Lisieux. These are some very interesting places and I
will be honored to celebrate mass with the group. I think all in all this will be
a wonderful trip! My “to do” list is a long one so each day this week will be a
busy one!
I hope your week is not too busy in fact
I hope some of you are on vacation and enjoying some time of rest and
relaxation! I hope all of you will have a great Tuesday no matter where you are
or what today will bring! I pray for God’s blessings upon all of you as you go through
your day. May God bless all your endeavors, may God be with you in all of your
challenges and in all of your struggles. Please trust in the presence of God
that you carry within you and don’t be afraid to share your gift. Peace in
Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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