Making a Joyful Noise through Lent – 03/08/2014

Making a Joyful Noise through Lent – 03/08/2014

“I never tire of repeating those words of Benedict XVI which take us to the very heart of the Gospel: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction”.

Thanks solely to this encounter – or renewed encounter – with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self-absorption. We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being.” (Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel)

Perhaps these words from Pope Francis give us insight to our Gospel (Luke 5: 27-32) today. Levi (Matthew) is invited into a relationship, a friendship with Jesus. Jesus brings Levi beyond himself; he gives his life new direction.

Jesus invites Levi to follow him. Jesus invites a tax collector a profession that made the people involved hateful to society. Yet, Jesus brings them into the community of faith. Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners and the religious leaders are taken back, Jesus brings those who are thought to be outside the community into the community. Yes, Jesus in the true "repairer of the breach and restorer of ruined homesteads.

However, these words and this story are not just about Jesus. Jesus is giving us an example. The transformation that Pope Francis talks about means that we are to become the repairers of the breach and restorers of the ruined homesteads. It is our job as members of the faith community to reach out and make those on outside welcome within the community, we are to extend God’s joy to all.

So often we find within the faith community people who find it much easier to judge, to exclude, to criticize, to question the actions of people then to reach out and help. So often we find people within the faith community who create the breach and ruin the homesteads.

As people of faith we live with the hope that the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 58: 9b-14) are fulfilled in the person of Jesus but we also live with the challenge that as a disciple of Jesus we need to keep that hope alive. It has been said that through what God "does" we come to know who God "is." I think this can also be said about us. Though what we do for others as a people of faith people will come to know who we are. They will come to know God’s joy!

As we try to make a joyful noise this Lent let us respond to Jesus' invitation to follow and give joy and hope to life as repairers and restorers!

Daily Lenten Prayer: Almighty and ever-loving God, look with compassion on our humanness, on all our struggles and weaknesses. Strengthen us for the journey ahead. Give us the wisdom to follow your call. Enliven us with the grace to be repairers and restorers of your joy and love. Help us to be people of joy and hope and to bring that joy and hope to all we meet. Amen!

Runner's Thought: As we run today and always let us find the grace and strength to choose the narrow road, the steep uphill climb, the rocky trail, the muddy path because these choices are made by few and these choice can at times make all the difference!

Daily Blessing: Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you are having a restful and peaceful Saturday. If it happens to be a busy one may you find a little time in the midst of today to at least take a little breather.

I head out this morning for Rockville, MD where I begin a mission this evening at St. Elizabeth Parish. I will be preaching all the masses today and tomorrow and then the mission with be from Monday to Wednesday at 11:30 am and 7:30 pm. If you are in the area come and join us.

My prayer of blessing for us today is that no matter what we are doing today, whether it be resting or busy about many things that God will bless us with the wisdom and grace to recognize the present of God within us and in the people around us. Blessings to all and again, enjoy your day; enjoy your weekend. Do not forget to give God a little time this weekend! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Making a Joyful Noise through Lent Friday at Ash Wednesday – 03/07/2014

Making a Joyful Noise through Lent – Friday at Ash Wednesday  03/07/2014

“There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter. I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty. Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.” (Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel)

Pope Francis reminds us that there are many ways in which joy is expressed that it depends on the circumstances and experiences of life. However what is most important and most helpful about his word today is that no matter what is taking place in our lives, even if we are in the midst of profound struggles – joy is there. Perhaps our challenge is to find it!

In our scriptures today we are confronted with the question who shall know the mind of God? No one really, God's thoughts are not our thoughts; God's ways are not our ways. I find the reading from Isaiah (Isaiah 58: 1-9a) rather interesting today. It confirms for me something about my faith that I have struggled with for many years, the idea of doing things to be seen rather than doing things to make a difference.

In recent years there has been a movement among some to kneel down or bow profoundly when receiving communion. There are those in high places who commend this practice and there are others who think all should be doing this. However, if we apply Isaiah's words to the situation it might sound something like this, "Do you call receiving communion in this way what I want? This rather, is the receiving communion that I want, I want you to receive and then take me into the world, help others, be the presence of God everywhere you go!

However we receive communion is not the point or the importance it is what we do once we receive the Lord. It is how we treat people that makes all the difference. God does not put a lot of importance in the "show" of things, in the "how" we do it, in the "what" we look like when doing it, in how many people see it, in the how reverent it is. God puts value in the way we live our faith, the way we interact with the world, the way we treat others, the way in which we bring God's compassion and joy to the world.

In the Gospel (Matthew 9:14-15),  the religious leaders are once again hung up on the rules, regulations and rituals but Jesus in about the living of life, the joy of life. Jesus is about recognizing God in our midst. Lent keeps reminding us that our thoughts are not God's thoughts and our ways are not God's way, yet we have the opportunity to recognize the presence of God in our life and change the way we think and the way we act so that we are about God and not ourselves, so that we are about making a Joyful Noise!

Have a great Friday everyone!

Lenten Daily Prayer: O God, help us to walk in your ways, help us to make a joyful noise today. May our lives be about the gifts of your love and may our words, actions and works bring life and joy to others and ourselves. May we never do anything for show but for the honor, glory and joy of the kingdom. May what we do always reflect a concern for others. Be with us always and when we struggle may we always hear your voice say "Do not fear, here I am!" Rejoice! Amen!

Runner's Thought: As we run today let us think of our breathing as inhaling God and exhaling extraneous thoughts, ideas and struggles. Let us allow all those thoughts that are buzzing about in our heads to move through our bodies and be expelled through our breath so that God has more space to be within us!

Daily Blessing: Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have had a good week. I hope you have had a good beginning of Lent, because it is going to be a long journey. I am looking forward to getting back on the road after an unexpected week off. Tomorrow I head out to my next mission at St. Elizabeth Parish in Rockville, MD. So as you journey through your weekend and into next week I ask your prayers for the faith community at St. Elizabeth Parish and for their mission preacher.

A special shout out to my niece Sarah and her husband, my nephew, Dominick, who are headed to the doctor today to check on the newest member of their family who will join us sometime in July. They are hoping to find out whether the little one is a she or a he. May she or he most importantly be healthy! Let us remember all mothers and fathers who are on the journey of waiting for a new family member to arrive, we thank them for bringing life into the world, we pray for a healthy child and we ask God’s blessings for a wonderful family!

I pray today for God’s blessings on all of you who stop to journey with me through this life, may today be a good end to the work week and may it be the beginning of a restful and relaxing weekend. Blessings on our Lenten journey of Joyful Noise be with all of us! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Making a Joyful Noise through Lent 03/06/2014

Making a Joyful Noise through Lent

“I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”.1 The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms." (Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel)

These words from Pope Francis seem to echo our readings today. In our first reading (Deuteronomy 30: 15-20) we hear Moses tell the people, “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom...I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life..." Moses presents to the people, he presents to us two roads for the taking and suggests to us that we choose the road of life. Pope Francis also suggests to us that we take the road of life, the road of Jesus, the road of joy!

Many years ago as I was entering religious life my sister gave me a gift; I think it was for Christmas. It was a picture of a road sign, with an arrow pointing in two directions. It is the kind of sign that you find as a road comes to an end and as a drive you have to make a choice to go either right or left. Beneath the picture were the last three lines of Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken.

"Two roads diverged in the woods, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

The picture has hung on my wall where ever I have lived over the years and has been an inspiration; it has been a reminder that the journey that I have traveled even though difficult at times has been the right journey.

We might say that Moses is presenting to us two roads that diverge in the living of life. That we stand before those two roads that Moses calls Life and Death, blessing and curse, prosperity and doom. There are no signs just the choice of two roads, two ways to live life and we have to choose. Moses suggests that we choose life. Pope Francis suggests that we choose life. In many ways these suggestions are the road less traveled because it is not always comfortable, it is not always self-gratifying, it is not always easy and it is not always the road everyone else is traveling. The road of life, the road of Jesus, the road of joy can be filled with crosses, struggles, challenges, steep hills and selfless responses.

The road of life has none of the allurements that you often find on the other road, power, wealth, instant gratification, self-importance, status and greatness in the eyes of the world. Yet, on the road of life you also do not find loneliness, judgmentalness, selfishness, greed, anger and death. On the road of life you will find the joy of a community. It is a community ready to help, ready to walk with you. It is a community with a vision, a purpose beyond this life. It is a community of faith, of hope and of love. On the road of life your faith will be strengthened, your hope will be enlivened, love will be the order of the day and the joy of the journey will sustain you along the way!

Yes, as we begin Lent we are presented with two roads diverging in front of us. There is a great crowd walking down the one, no so many on the other. Which road are we going to choose? My hope is that we choose the road less traveled and make it more crowd and more traveled, my hope is we choose life, we choose Jesus, we choose joy because that will make all the difference!

Happy Thursday everyone and don’t forget to make a Joyful Noise with your life today!

Lenten Daily Prayer: O God of Life, as we stand before the roads that this day presents to us, enliven us with the wisdom to choose the road of life, the road of Jesus, the road of joy. As we walk this road less travel keep us ever mindful that we are not alone that you walk with us. Strengthen us for the crosses, the challenges of this road. Grace us with the hope that we will always find your presence, your forgiveness, your mercy, your truth, your love and your joy as we make this journey. May we choose the road of joy today and let it make all the difference in our life and in the lives of all we meet! Amen!

Runner's Thought: Perhaps as we run today we too should choose the road less traveled: the road of awareness as we run, the road of revelation as we run, the road of intention as we run, the road of mindfulness as we run, the road of imagination as we run, the road of prayer as we run. Today let's pick a road we have not traveled lately and let it make a difference in our life today!

Daily Blessing: Happy Thursday everyone! I trust you made it through Ash Wednesday and are now ready to set sail through Lent by making a Joyful Noise along the way. The sun is out here in Pelham but the temps are still on the cold side but we live in the hopefulness that spring is not far away.

My prayer of blessing for today is that God will bless us with the energy to be joyful people today. That we will see the gift of the road that we have chosen and celebrate that gift with all we meet. My we all make a Joyful Noise today in the living of life, through the strength of our faith, the energy of our hope and the richness of our love! Blessing to all today. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Lent - Make a Joyful Noise!

A Joyful Noise – Ash Wednesday – The Beginning of Lent

“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew…. A joy ever new, a joy which is shared.” (Pope Francis – Apostolic Exhortation – Evangelii Gaudium)

For the next 40+ days we are going to make a joyful noise with Pope Francis as our conductor. It is going to be the joyful noise of the Gospel. Over the past eleven months Pope Francis has inspired us, awed us, and challenged us to see life differently and to live life differently. He has challenged us to see the world around us, not just our comfortable world, but the whole world. He has promised us that if we do this our hearts and our lives will be touched and filled with joy.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of our journey through Lent. With the cross of ashes signed on our forehead we are sent forth into the world reminded of our fragileness, our humanness, our connection to the earth we stand on. We are reminded of our sinfulness, our faults and failings. We are reminded that at the end of this life our fragile bodies, these earthen vessels will return to their beginning the earth. Yet, as St. Paul says, these earthen vessels hold something special, the gift of God’s presence, they hold a joyful noise!

In the opening lines of Evangelii Gaudium, the apostolic exhortation given us by Pope Francis last November he tells us that joy fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. He tells us that this joy is always new and it is a joy which needs to be shared. So whatever you do this Lent to better yourself, perhaps you are giving up something, perhaps you are doing something a little extra or different – no matter what you are doing or not doing for Lent make sure that you share the joy of your encounter with Jesus. Let it out, let it be heard, let it be seem!

Neil Diamond wrote a song many years ago called “Beautiful Noise.” I am sure he had in mind music and not the Gospel and Jesus but if you read the words or perhaps listen to the song I think you will find a connection between the beautiful noise of music and the Joyful Noise of the Gospel.

So take some time to read the lyrics of the song below and let it become our theme song for Lent and let us remember that we are dust and to dust we will return. Let us repent and believe in the Gospel but most importantly this Lent let us make a Joyful Noise!

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone and have a great Lent!

"Beautiful Noise" by Neil Diamond

What a beautiful noise

 Comin' up from the street

 It's got a beautiful sound

 It's got a beautiful beat

 It's a beautiful noise

 Goin' on ev'rywhere

 Like the clickety-clack

 Of a train on a track

 It's got rhythm to spare

 It's a beautiful noise

 And it's a sound that I love

 And it fits me as well

 As a hand in a glove

 Yes it does, yes it does

 What a beautiful noise

 Comin' up from the park

 It's the song of the kids

 And it plays until dark

 It's the song of the cars

 On their furious flights

 But there's even romance

 In the way that they dance

 To the beat of the lights

 It's a beautiful noise

 And it's a sound that I love

 And it makes me feel good

 Like a hand in a glove

 Yes it does, yes it does

 What a beautiful noise

 It's a beautiful noise

 Made of joy and of strife

 Like a symphony played

 By the passing parade

 It's the music of life

 It's a beautiful noise

 And it's a sound that I love

 And it makes me feel good

 Just like a hand in a glove

 Yes it does, yes it does

 What a beautiful noise

 Comin' into my room

 And it's beggin' for me

 Just to give it a tune

Daily Lenten Prayer: Loving God, we come to you today on this Ash Wednesday to begin our journey of Joyful Noise. We are reminded by the cross of ashes on our forehead that we are dust and to dust we will return. We are reminded that we need to repent and be faithful to the joy of the Gospel. Give us the strength today and always to seek out Jesus so that our hearts and lives will always be filled with Gospel joy! If is a beautiful noise so Loving God give it a tune and we will make it a Joyful Noise! Amen!

Runner’s Thoughts: “It's important to know that at the end of the day it's not the medals you remember. What you remember is the process – what you learn about yourself by challenging yourself, the experiences you share with other people, the honesty the training demands – those are things nobody can take away from you whether you finish twelfth or you're an Olympic Champion.” (Silken Laumann)

Daily Blessing: Happy Ash Wednesday everyone – welcome to Lent! I hope you will take the time each day to journey with me through Lent making a Joyful Noise with the help of Pope Francis.

I hope you will find the time today to say a little prayer and to be signed by the cross of ashes that will send you on your own journey of Lent.

My prayer of blessing today comes from the liturgy itself – I pray that God blesses us all with the wisdom to know just how fragile we are that we came from dust and it is to dust that our bodies will return. I pray for God’s blessing of strength that we can turn away from the things that lead us away from God and that we can be faithful to the Gospel. I pray that this Lent and always our hearts can be filled with the Joyful Noise of the Gospel. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul