Daily Thoughts: I had a little
sadness in pondering the readings today. Two stories of hope about women who
were unable to have children and God blessed them, especially Elizabeth in her
advanced years. We have two wonderful stories today alive with the theme that
anything is possible with God.
My sadness comes from thinking about all
the women who would love to have children but cannot. Perhaps they do not
struggle with cultural shame like Samson's mother and Elizabeth, women of their
time who were married and without children bore a heavy burden of embarrassment
and shame, but I think women of today do struggle with a personal sadness, a
personal burden, a personal loss, a personal grief.
My own sadness comes from the fact that
so many women today who don't want children look to end their pregnancy when so
many others would give anything for the chance to bring a child into the world.
Perhaps it would be a wonderful miracle from God, the making of something
impossible, possible if all who do not want children and become pregnant would
just carry the child to birth and offer the child to those who cannot have
children but truly want them. What a beautiful story, what a wonderful story of
hope that would be.
Through the intercession of Samson's
mother and Elizabeth today I pray for all women who want to be mothers and all
women who do not want to be mother that they might help each other make the
life of children possible!
Have a great Friday everyone!
Daily Prayer: Loving God,
graciously reveal your love to the world today. May we embrace with integrity
of faith the gift of your life and help make the impossible, possible. We
continue to pray for families in grief; for little ones whose lives were too
short; for teachers, administrators and responders who put others first; for a
community that must find a way to live; for all of us who seek a world of
lasting peace! God be with us today! Amen!
A Runner's Thoughts: Make your run
today about life, about the impossible becoming possible, about taking
advantage of God's presence in your life!
Daily Blessing: TGIF everyone!
It has been a busy week with cold temperatures, Christmas cards, countless
trips to the post office to mail Christmas gifts, lots of traffic and long
lines. I hope you are surviving this last week until Christmas. I hope today
finds you not too stressed and enjoying a day gifted by the sun, and perhaps
even with warming temperatures, though that might be a little much to ask for
because I think a storm is on its way for next week!
Most of my ministry responsibilities are
done for the year except for a funeral tomorrow and various weekend masses from
now to the first of the year and anything else that might come up in the next
10 days or so. I hope that this weekend will give you a chance to get things
done and thus be ready to celebrate the gift of Christmas at home or wherever
you will travel to. May this Christmas truly be a blessed and holy one for all!
It is in the spirit of the “O Antiphons”
that I offer my daily blessing – O Root of Jesse's stem, bless us this day with
the confidence, the faith, the trust and the hope to always respond with a
“yes” to your invitation to live life. Help us to be people of joy, of peace
and of commitment. Grace us with the strength to move beyond negativity of this
world and see the possible in the impossible. Protected us today, in our
travels, our endeavors, in our busyness and gifted us with many experiences of
your love. Loving God, bless us all this day and always. Amen. Peace in
Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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