Daily Thoughts: At times when I
look at the Church I think we are always trying to pour new wine into old wine
skins or we are trying to sow a new piece of cloth on an old piece of clothing
and the results are not so good! We seem to spend a lot of time looking back at
how things were, “the good old days” – “the golden age.” Then we try and hold the present moment in
these “days gone by” skins.
Perhaps it is a human condition that we
all are afflicted with, that desire to hold on to what we think was good, pure
and without problems. People often refer to the “good old days” with a sense of
longing and a memory that has forgotten many, if not all, of the struggles,
difficulties and problems. We long to put this moment, this time of life back
into those “good old days” but it never works.
In the Gospel today Jesus reminds us the
new wine needs to go into new skins, in other words we have to be about this
moment, this time not the past. We have to patch old with old and new with new.
We have to be in the present moment in order to encounter the presence of God
in our life today.
Jesus is not negating the old for the
new or vice versa he is just reminding us to always be in the present moment.
The Church is alive, it is a living structure and if something is living it
needs to grow. If it doesn’t grow it is dead. There is a famous quote from the
movie, The Shawshank Redemption, when Andy says to Red, “Get busy living or get
busy dying.” Perhaps that is Jesus’ challenge for us today.
So friends let’s get busy living! Have a
great day…
Daily Prayer: Loving God,
fill our souls with your holy joy, courage and strength so that we will serve
you throughout this day. Enkindle your love in us and then walk with us along
the next stretch of road we call this day. We cannot see very far ahead, but
when we arrive at the setting of the sun we know you will place a new sunrise before
us and with your help and grace we will greet it with peace. Bless this day
Lord with you love. Amen!
A Runner’s Thoughts: “An object at
rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion.” (Newton's
First Law of Motion) The living of life needs a balance between motion and
rest, between sound and silence, between company and solitude, but we always
need the friendship of God!
Daily Blessing: TGIF! Friday
blessings and greetings to all. Well we begin our last morning of retreat
actually we just have breakfast and mass so our time of retreat will be ending
around 10:30 am this morning. The Oblates had a very nice jubilee celebration
yesterday afternoon and evening at their shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. It
ran a little long than expected so we cancel the healing prayer service for
last night and we will fit it into our closing mass this morning. All in all I
think it has been a good retreat, at least I am still here and I have not heard
any complaints though the preacher of the retreat is usually the last to hear.
I thank you for all your prayers for the retreatants and their preacher. Please
offer a prayer today for the men who will be traveling back to their various
houses and ministries around the country that they may have safe travel.
I will be spending a few more days here
in St. Louis before heading home. I thought since I was out here I would take
some extra time with my niece, nephew-in-law and my grandniece. I just cannot
get enough of the little one! I will begin my journey back east on Sunday with
a stop in Carmel, IN to visit my sister and brother-in-law and I hope to arrive
in Pelham sometime on Tuesday. I am taking a little time of rest now because
when I get home things will get busy again!
For my prayer of blessing for all of you
today is this – As you journey through this day may you be blessed with Christ
within you, with Christ behind you, with Christ before you, with Christ beside
you, with Christ to comfort and restore you, with Christ beneath you, with
Christ above you, with Christ in your quiet moments, with Christ in your
moments of struggle, with Christ in the hearts of all who love you, with Christ
within of all your friends and every person you meet. May the presence of
Christ’s be within you and bless your day, Amen! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr.
Paul
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