Daily Thoughts: Today we
celebrate the second half of the Church’s focus on the heart. Yesterday we
celebrated the Sacred Heart of Jesus and today it is Mary’s Immaculate Heart
that we honor. There are many things we can say about Mary’s heart but the
virtue that stands out most to me about Mary is strength. I think Mary’s heart
was truly a heart of strength.
In the Gospel today Luke tells us that
Mary kept all the experience of Jesus in her heart. She kept the joys and
sorrows, the miracles and the opposition, the quiet moments and the great
crowds, the mother and father moments of family and the community moments of
discipleship. Mary kept the triumphant moments of shepherds, angels, kings and
palms and failing moments of whips, nails, wooden crosses and death on a hill.
Yes, Mary kept all things in her heart so she needed a very strong heart to
hold all the experiences of life that she encountered from early on. Mary was
truly a woman, a mother of great strength, a strength that came from and was
nourished, feed and supposed by her heart.
The heart is central to who we are as a
human being. Whether we are speaking about our physical, emotion or spiritual
life the heart plays a central role in how we live our life. Mary’s heart was a
heart of strength carrying the grace of God’s presence in her life. Her
strength enabled her to say “yes” to God and then watch as that “yes” unfolded
in the life, passion, death and resurrection of her son, Jesus.
Mary, woman of strength, hold us in your
heart that we too may be strong in living our journey of life!
Have a great Saturday afternoon and
evening everyone!
Daily Prayer:
All Loving God, as we honor the
Immaculate Heart of Mary this day, we ask that by the help of her prayers we
might strengthen our own hearts and come to share your blessings this day and always.
O holy Mary, mother of all mercy, you
are our life, our love and our hope. This day we call out to you, in all our
humanness, in all our failings. To you we send our prayers, our thoughts, our
tears, our joys. Turn your eyes, O most loving Mother toward us that we might
always hold the presence of your Loving Son in our lives.
O Compassionate, O Loving, O Tender
Mother Mary. Direct our prayers always though Christ, your Son, our
Savior. Amen! (Adapted from the Prayer - Hail Holy Queen)
A Runner’s Thoughts: One way to look
at running is as a tool, a device or practice that aids the user in our quest
to pray. If we are intent about moving along the spiritual path, then it only
makes sense to use those aspects of our live that already fill our days. So
spend some time in prayer today go for a run! (Adapted from Roger Joslin)
Daily Blessing: Saturday afternoon
greetings and blessings to all on this Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! I
hope everyone’s Saturday is going well and that you are having a productive day
or a restful day or maybe even both!
It is a sunny and hot day here in
Indianapolis. I arrived here Friday afternoon after my journey out of New York
and across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio. I will be here until Monday
morning and then continue my journey west to St. Louis. It is nice having this
little stop over at my sister’s home.
I would like to send a little prayer out
to my niece Sarah, nephew-in-law Dominick and grandniece Natalee Ann as they
spend this weekend in the Minneapolis area looking for a new home. May they
find what they need and want quickly and may their journey of moving from St.
Louis to Minneapolis go smoothly in the coming weeks and months!
My prayer this afternoon is that God has
blessed all of you today with a beautiful day, one in which you are celebrating
the gift of life with family, friends and people who enjoy life. May you be
blessed with an afternoon and evening that is fun and filled with moments and
people of joy and hope. May you be blessed with an evening of rest and
enjoyment. Please know as always, you are in my prayers. Be safe if you are out
and about. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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