"Just Thinking Out Loud!"

As anyone who has stopped to read my at my blog or web site knows I am not a great writer. I cannot use words like a painter uses a brush and colors to create a beautiful picture or like a great musician uses an instrument to give life to music written on a score. My words are ordinary, mundane and imperfect. They are not elegant or masterfully crafted. You might say when I write I paint stick figures and create predictable sounds.

Yet on this anniversary of President Kennedy’s death I would like to share a few thoughts with you. They might not come out with power or be able to hold your attend for long and they certainly will not be Pulitzer Prize musings but they are from my heart.

These are the thoughts about today yet they stretch back some fifty one years. These are thoughts about our nation, about us and perhaps what we learned and what we have forgot over the past fifty one years.

Today as a nation we recall a tragedy that took place fifty one year ago. It is the Fifty-First Anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. I was just ten years old and I remember the day very well. The most vivid image I have is returning home from school to find the TV repair man trying to fix our TV and my mother ironing cloths in the kitchen crying. I would guess at age ten I did not truly understand the magnitude of the events of that day but I certainly do today!

Fifty years ago our nation had a profound sadness, whether you were a republican, democrat, independent or whatever this day brought great sadness. We were one on this day fifty one years ago. Our dreams and hopes of a new way of life were crushed by an assassin’s bullet. President Kennedy had given us a vision, a hope. It was going to be a long journey and there were many obstacles in the way but we had hope. There were struggles, disagreements, challenges and opposite sides but we had hope. To many it might have seemed like a fairy tale, but we had hope. There were republicans, democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, progressives, traditionalist, but we had hope!

However, it is my feeling that today hope is often hard to find. We have wandered very far from what this day meant fifty one years ago. As I journey through the land of the technology, television, the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, to name just a few I often have a profound sadness. We are now a nation divided, angry and profoundly disrespectful. We would prefer to tear down then to build up. We would prefer to be against than to find a way to be united. We would prefer to ridicule rather than honor. We want it only our way and have no use for what others think unless they think like us. We often use the technology we have to make fun of, criticize, bully, degrade and be negative rather than find common ground and grow. Today we have republicans, democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, progressives, traditionalist, tea partiers and little cause to hope!

I wonder if President Obama where to assassinated would the nation be one? Would we grieve, would we mourn, would we come together? Sadly, I think not! The prejudice, negativity and hate that consumes us at time as a nation continues to be fed and fortified with every Tweet, Facebook posting, Instagram cartoon and 24 for hour news channel. We are a nation divided, angry and selfish. We are a nation were hate and prejudice has become the norm. We are a nation that has lost our focus, our respect, as a people of faith, as people united, as people working for a better world, as a people of hope.

Might we pause for a moment in the midst of this anniversary to consider what we value, to consider what is important and perhaps just for a day not bash one another, not degrade one another, not disrespect one another. Say something good about another person on Facebook today. Say something good about another person on Twitter today. Say something good about the President today on Facebook and Twitter or any place else today. Say something good about our nation and the people in it no matter where and how they have come to this land!

Let us remember what we lost fifty one years ago. Let us remember what made us sad; what made us one, fifty one years ago today. Let us be dedicated to honor, respect, vision, life, faith and all that can be good when people listen, talk and think beyond just themselves. Let us find hope once again!

Daily Thoughts - 11/22/2014

Daily Thoughts: And Jesus said, "They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God...God is not the God of the dead, but of the living for in God all are alive." Two important gifts we need to remember that we are children of God and God is about life not death. How do we live these gifts? Do we recognize that we are children of God? Are we always about life?

Daily Prayer: O God, source of all life, keep us faithful. Grant that we will always recognize the gift of life in all people and may we always be your children in truth and love. Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: Judge the quality of your run by the steadfastness of your movement towards the presence of God no matter what the struggle!

Daily Blessing: Today is the feast day of St. Cecilia. She was one of the most venerated martyrs in the early Church. She also associated with music and is patron saint of musicians which stems from a story that on her wedding day she sang to God from her heart. So happy feast day to all musicians out there and a special shout out to my great niece Emilia who is in the process learn the violin may St. Cecilia guide your hands, fingers and heart to make wonderful music!

Today is also the 61^st anniversary of my baptism. Yes, 61 years ago on November 22, 1953, 20 days after I was born I was welcomed into the Church. Thanks to my parents I was dedicated to God this day and welcomed into this wonderful faith community called Church.

As a nation we are focused on the tragedy of President Kennedy’s death 51 years ago today so in the spirit of this day and what it means to our nation I ask for God’s blessing upon us – Loving God keep us alert today and always to your unpredictable answers, to your unexplainable surprises and to your unrelenting presence. By your grace and love, make us ever grateful that we are one of your surprises each day of our lives. Bless us today and always with a faith, that moves mole hills and mountains, has often an unseen healing touch, lives everyday stories, celebrates simple suppers, and carries Crosses of Life which turn into Resurrections of hope. Help us to be people of faith, hope and love who are positive, respectful and open to all that is good and life giving. Amen.

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone. May you have many blessings today and always. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/21/2014

Daily Thoughts: The Jesus we find in the Gospel today (Luke 19: 45-48) was an observant Jew. He valued his community of faith. Sometimes it is the Jesus who ate with sinners and crossed the boundaries of his faith that we are drawn to, but we also need to remember the Jesus was profoundly respectful and observant of his faith.

Jesus was also zealous as we see today, his anger at the commercialism of the temple area had its roots in a deep respect for the purpose and place of the temple in the life of the people. It was to be a place of prayer. It was to be a place to go to get away for the everyday busyness and business of life.

What we learn from today’s Gospel is that no matter what approach to life that Jesus took it was not going to be good enough or right for the religious leadership. If we was eating with sinner or healing on the Sabbath or talking to women, he was wrong. If he was driving out merchants for the temple area he was wrong. The religious leadership did not seem to like the zealousness of Jesus for life and his faith.

Our challenge today is to learn from Jesus - when, why and how to be zealous. When, why and how to bring energy, enthusiasm and spirit to our life. We need to be observant Christian, we need to value and respect the places and structure of our faith community. We also need to be about life and finding ways to include everyone in the journey no matter what the cost!

Have a great day everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God, make us instruments of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Creator of all that is good, grant that we may not so much seek

 to be consoled as to console,

 to be understood as to understand,

 to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

(Adapted from a prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)

A Runner’s Thoughts: As prayerful runner we always seem to find it inadequate to sit and wait for the Spirit to appear. As prayerful runners, we always want to run towards God but if we are prayerful runner’s what we always find is that God is running toward us at twice the speed! (Adapted from Roger Joslin – Running the Spiritual Path)

Daily Blessing: TGIF to all! I hope your day has started off well. It is a sunny but windy and cold morning here in Pelham. I cannot complain though as I think of all especially in northwestern New York who are dealing with not only cold and wind but also so much snow. My prayers are with them today!

Today is the feast of The Presentation of Mary a day when many religious, especially women religious take their vows and/or renew their vows. So a special shout out to all taking or renewing their vows today may the spirit of Mary guide, strengthen and grace you on your journey through this life you have accepted and are trying to live out.

Just a note – on November 30^th, the First Sunday of Advent a year dedicated to the Consecrated Life within our Church will begin. So please keep all those women and men who dedicated themselves to God in various ways of religious and vowed life in your prayers.

My prayer of bless for all of us today is – Loving God keep us alert today and always to your unpredictable answers, to your unexplainable surprises and to your unrelenting presence. By your grace and love, make us ever grateful that we are one of your surprises each day of our lives. Bless us today and always with a faith, that moves mole hills and mountains, has often an unseen healing touch, lives everyday stories, celebrates simple suppers, and carries Crosses of Life which turn into Resurrections of hope. Help us to be people of faith, hope and love who are positive, respectful and open to all that is good and life giving. Amen. Blessing to all today! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/19/2014

Daily Thought: There are perhaps many ways to interpret today's Gospel; one way that I have often used is to ask the questions, "What is your image of God? And are you afraid of God?" In the story the man gives his servants gold coins and says go out and trade with them. Some of the servants go and trade and make more coins. One servant hides the coin in a handkerchief so he has it ready when the master wants it back. The servants who traded are rewarded and servant who stored the coin in the handkerchief has even the coin taken away. The servants who trade took a risk, they could have lost. The third servant took no risk, why? As the story tells us because he was afraid of the master!

We are given many gifts from God and all we are asked to do is use them as we live out our life. I have come to the conclusion that our image of God makes all the difference in how we use the gifts.

If we are afraid of God, afraid of making a mistake then we probably will not take any risks with God's gifts. We will hang on to them, hide them away. If we see God as a friend, a companion, someone who takes risks, who wants us to take risks then we will probably invest God’s gifts. For example, if we see Jesus as someone who took one risk after another; if we see him as someone who invested his life every day then we hopefully will do the same. So I believe that it comes down to how we envision, understand and live out our relationship with God.

Another question I often ask is, "What if the first two servants had traded with the coins and lost them?" I cannot answer the question for sure but my guess is the master says the exact same thing, "Well done, good servant!" Why because no investment is ever lost it is always out there working in some way.  Thus perhaps a challenge for today is to ask ourselves the question, "Are we willing to take a risk and bring God to the world today or are we going to hide God safely away?"

Have a great day everyone!

Daily Prayer: Two prayers for the price of one today!

O God, Giver of all good gifts, grace us with trust in you so that we will let the gifts of your Spirit flow throughout our entire life. Help us to take a risk and share your gifts with the world. Cast out our fear with a love that enables us to take a chance letting your gifts increase and multiply making us and the world so much richer! Amen!

Loving God help us to be grateful today. Help us to recognize your love in everything you have given us, because we know, we believe that you have has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of your love, every moment of existence is a grace, because it brings with it immense graces from you.

Gracious God, in gratitude we must never take anything for granted. We must never be unresponsive to your love. We must constantly be awakening to new wonder and giving praise for you awesome goodness. We want to be grateful people because we know that a grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And this is what makes all the difference. Amen! (Adapted from words by Thomas Merton)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “Running, much like life, [faith and the spiritual life], has its hills and valleys. On any given run, and particularly in most marathons, we come across easy stretches and seemingly impossible challenges. I have learned to just keep going. The tough moments never last, and the easy stretches are always a joy. The same is clearly true in life [in faith and the spiritual life], if we just keep going we'll get to that finish line with water, massages, and bananas! [And friendship with God!] (Main part of quote by Will Starr, Runner's World Challenger of the Week – I add what is in the brackets)

Daily Blessing: Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope your day has started off well? Once again our day here in the Northeast is a cold one but certainly not as bad as those who live around the Great Lakes, for them it is snow upon snow upon snow. I was reading a story this morning about the Niagara University Women’s Basketball Team returning home for a game in Pittsburgh got stuck on the New York Thruway for 30 hours just 45 minutes from home. My prayers certainly go out today to all those fighting winter in profound ways, whether you are sitting in buses, walking the streets or any other ways that you are battling the effects of winter’s sting.

A shout out to the Archdiocese of Chicago, you have a new Archbishop who seems like a wonderful man and a fine leader. Many blessings upon his journey and upon all who will be led by him!

My prayer of blessing for all of us today... Loving God bless us – Bless us and keep us safe. Let your face shine upon us and show us your compassion especially in those moments when we may struggle. May your love and peace embrace us, all whom we meet and especially those whom we love. May our journeys be safe and may we find our way home tonight to enjoy your gift family and rest. Amen! Blessings to all and enjoy your day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul