Friday, May 22, 2015

Daily Thoughts - 05/22/2015



Daily Thoughts: As I was reflecting on the readings late last night as I was trying to get ready for the Sunday Mass taping day which I will be leaving for shortly and once again two quotes from rather famous Jesuits came to mind.

The first was a quote that I have always liked from Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ. – “Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”

And the second is a prayer written by St. Ignatius of Loyola, SJ. – “Take Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me. To you, O Lord, I return it. All is yours, dispose of it wholly according to your will. Give me only your love and your grace, for this is enough for me.”

Perhaps this is another one of my Jesuit days. In reading the Gospel this late last night these words from two great Jesuits came to mind. In the Gospel Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” and three times Peter says, “Yes!” Our relationship, our friendship with God centers on love, God’s love for us and our love for God.

This exchange between Jesus and Peter along the shore of the Sea of Galilee after the Resurrection puts an exclamation point of their relationship and sends Peter out into the world to discover the energies of love, to discover fire once again all in the service of God!

Love is only realized, only understood in terms of action. How we live it out determines its power and presence. If Peter loves Jesus then he must live that love out, he must share it with the people of God and so must we!

Have a great Friday everyone and a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Daily Prayer:
Take, Lord, receive all our liberty
Our memory, understanding, Our entire will.
Give us only your love and your grace, that's enough for us
Your love and your grace are enough for us.
Take, Lord, receive all we have and possess.
You have given all to us, now we return it.
Take, Lord, receive, all is yours now
Dispose of it wholly according to your will.
(Adapted from the song Take Lord Receive by Fr. John Foley, SJ)

A Runner’s Thoughts: Remember running is not just conquering, hills, distance, weight, injury, illness or pain. Running is most often conquering ourselves. We can try to do it alone but it is so much easier when we let others journey with us and we are always at our best when we run with God!
 
Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessings to all! I hope your day is starting out well. In a few moments I will be off to St. Francis de Sales Parish in Manhattan for our final Sunday Mass taping day before we take a break for the summer months. We have six masses to tape today and hopefully they will go well. As the taping day comes to an end we will begin the Memorial Day weekend which will not be too busy for me though on Sunday I will be the master of ceremonies for the Fiftieth Anniversary of Priesthood celebration of Fr. Lucian Clark, C.P. The mass and dinner will take place at the Passionist parish in Jamaica, New York on Sunday afternoon. It should be a wonderful celebration of fifty years of priestly ministry and I would ask you to keep Fr. Lucian in your prayers this weekend!

May God bless all of you this day with the Spirit of Love and through your work, your travels and your interaction with others may Jesus truly know that “Yes, you do love him!” May God’s blessings be upon your Friday, upon your Memorial Day weekend and upon your celebration of Pentecost Sunday. May you have a restful, peaceful, fun filled and Spirit filled weekend with those who are most important to you. Peace in Christ’s Passion and Joy in the Holy Spirit…Fr. Paul

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