Daily Thoughts: The Gospel
(Mark 4: 1-20) reminds us that we have work to do. Jesus has given us the gift,
but what do we do with the gift? Do we plant it and let it grow into a
wonderful harvest of life that brings us to God or does the gift get wasted?
I have often used the parable of the
Sower and the Seed in my preaching and the way I look at it is that in life
there are four different kinds of soil, three of which do not allow the seed of
God's Word, Grace and Presence to grow and one that does. I often image our
hearts as the field, the soil and so a good question to ask is what condition
our hearts are in? Is it good soil? Can God's Word, God's Grace, God's Presence
grow there? Or is it the foot path, the rocky ground, the patch of weeds and
thorns that will not allow God to grow?
Why might our hearts be like to foot
path? Because we have been hurt at times in our life and we have hardened, we
don't let God or others in? Why might our hearts be rocky ground? Well, because
we are all sinners. The rocks, boulders and pebbles are our sins. Why might our
hearts be clutters with thorns? Well, because the thorns are the things of my
life that have become more important than God.
So in order to have hearts full of good
soil that produces a bountiful harvest we need to loosen up the hard places,
move the rocks, boulders and pebbles and do some weeding. Then our hearts and
our lives will truly be places where good things grow. Our hearts will be
places that will bring to life the gift of Jesus!
Have a great Wednesday everyone!
Daily Prayer: Loving God,
strengthen us with the power of your love. Fill our hearts with your
unrelenting presence. Help us to work the soil of our hearts by loosening the
places that have become hard, by seeking the help of your forgiveness to move
the rocks of our sinfulness and by finding the strength to pull the weeds and
thorns that are over grown and choking off your presence. May our hearts become
the good soil that bears the fruit of your love thirty and sixty and a
hundredfold. Amen!
An Extra Daily Prayer: Grant, O Lord our God, that we may never fall away in success or in failure; that we may not be prideful in prosperity nor dejected in adversity. Let us rejoice only in what unites us and sorrow only in what separates us. May we strive to please no one or fear to displease anyone except You. May we see always the things that are eternal and never those that are only temporal. May we shun any joy that is without You and never seek any that is beside You. O Lord, may we delight in any work we do for You and tire of any rest that is apart from You. Loving God, let us direct our hearts towards You, and in our failings, always repent with a purpose of amendment. Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)
An Extra Daily Prayer: Grant, O Lord our God, that we may never fall away in success or in failure; that we may not be prideful in prosperity nor dejected in adversity. Let us rejoice only in what unites us and sorrow only in what separates us. May we strive to please no one or fear to displease anyone except You. May we see always the things that are eternal and never those that are only temporal. May we shun any joy that is without You and never seek any that is beside You. O Lord, may we delight in any work we do for You and tire of any rest that is apart from You. Loving God, let us direct our hearts towards You, and in our failings, always repent with a purpose of amendment. Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)
A Runner's Thoughts: Imagine that as
you stretch your muscles before you run that you are also stretching your
spirit and giving it the flexibility it needs to engage God. Make each stretch
a simple prayer!
Daily Blessing: Happy Hump Day
everyone – I hope everyone has a great Wednesday may it truly be downhill the
rest of the week!
I would first like to send a shout out
to all Dominicans and theologians on this feast of the great Dominican
theologian and philosopher, St. Thomas Aquinas. Blessings on all Dominican
women and men, especially Fr. Don Goergen, OP – and Happy Feast Day!
I know some of you out there are
struggling with flu, winter colds and winter itself, especially those affected
by the storm Monday and Tuesday, so I will say a special prayer for all
struggle with the effects of winter today. If you are under the weather may you
get better soon!
I pray that God will bless all our
endeavors, all our interactions, all of our challenges, all of our travels, all
of our meetings, all of our ordinary tasks, all of our relationships and all
whom we love and us today. May we bring the gift of God to our world and may
today be a day truly blessed by God’s love so that we all have a day rich in
what matters to us and God! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul
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