Daily Thoughts: The disciples
left behind rather normal lives, fishing, collecting taxes, among other things
and they did it all in order to follow Jesus. As we here in Matthew’s Gospel
today now comes the hard part. The kingdom that Jesus speaks about will not be
established by might but by suffering and death. Jesus is not a political or
military leader. His power is not to take things by force. His way is not the
way of the world. It is to die to self. It is to let go of what the world think
is important. It is to grab onto a relationship with God and not let go.
Following Jesus and dying to self,
letting go, is not an easy task. The cross presents itself to us daily in many
different ways. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once put it “Cheap grace is grace
without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ,
living and incarnate.”
So we are called today and every day to
find that place deep within each one of us, where God is calling us, through
the paschal mystery, into a relationship of love – and it is that relationship
that holds the promise of a joyful, rich, and never-ending life in the kingdom.
Have a holy and blessed Friday everyone.
Daily Prayer: To you, O
loving Creator, of nature, humankind, truth and beauty we pray today. Hear our
voices, for they are the voices of the victims of all wars and violence among
individuals and nations. Hear our voices, for they are the voices of all
children who suffer. Hear our voices when we beg you to install into the hearts
of all people the vision of peace, the strength of justice, the joy of
friendship and the embrace of your love. Amen (Adapted from a prayer by St.
John Paul II)
A Runner’s Thoughts: Why do we run – well I suppose there are many
reasons. We run because if we didn’t, we would be lazy and negative and spend
too much time on the couch. We run to breathe the fresh air. We run to explore.
We run to escape the ordinary. We run to savor the journey of life. We run to
connect with God through creation, through being in touch with ourselves,
through the experiences and people we encounter on the run. When we run our
relationship with God and life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more
intense, a little more real and hopefully we like that. (Inspired by a
reflection by Dean Karnazes)
Daily Blessing: Friday
blessings and greetings to everyone! I hope your week has gone well or if not
may it end on an up note and allow you to enjoy the gift of a weekend.
Our retreat is at its midpoint and it is
another beautiful day here in Sag Harbor. I ask your continued prayers for
those on retreat and if you could say a short prayer for the directors it would
be appreciated.
I hope all of you will have a great Friday,
blessed by God’s unrelenting presence and unconditional grace. May your day be
rich in the goodness of others, the joy of tasks completed and the peace of
safe travels. May you share the gift you are with everyone you meet. I also
pray that your weekend will be one filled with family, friends, laughter, fun,
rest and relaxation. If you need some non-people time, quiet time, I hope you
get that too. Enjoy everyone and be safe! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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