Daily
Thoughts:
I think we have all had the experience of not liking a person. I certainly have
and if I don’t find a way to see some good in the person at some point I
struggle. When there is something about a person that I don’t like it begins to
color everything they do. Because of this I find it easy to criticize, make fun
of or dismiss them. No matter what they do it is wrong. If I or someone else
does the same thing it is just fine, but because this person does it, then it
is wrong.
When
I catch myself judging someone this way I feel embarrassed and ashamed. I know it is a human behavior, a human
feeling and sometimes the person involved has done things that validate these
feeling, yet I know that my behavior, my judgmentalness is wrong and because of
it I push God away.
Jesus
seems to be remaining us of this in today’s the Gospel (Luke 7: 31-35). No
matter what he does the religious leaders and some of the people of his time do
not believe in him or his message. John the Baptist and Jesus approach life
from two distinct directions. John does not eat or drink, he fasts and is
austere in his lifestyle, while Jesus does eat and drink, he always to be going
to someone’s home for a meal. His lifestyle is more socially oriented. Yet for
the religious leadership and some of the people both, John and Jesus, are
wrong. John is crazy, possessed and Jesus is a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of
sinners. No matter what John and Jesus
do to help people encounter the presence of God they are wrong.
The
religious leadership and some of the people in the crowd are closed to the gift
and presence of God that John and Jesus bring. Their eyes are blinded by
attitude and judgment. When I find myself like the religious leadership of
Jesus’ time my eyes too are blinded by attitude and judgment and I miss the
presence of God in that moment, in that person.
We
are reminded to be open to all the possibilities of God today even in the
people, situations and experience that often seem to make our life hard and
difficult. We are reminded that God can come to us in many ways through many
people. Let us not be judge, jury and executioner. Let us be children of wisdom
and hope open to the gift of God in others and ourselves!
Have
a great Wednesday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Loving
God help us to remember that you are with us today.
Help
us to bring to mind your loving presence within us and around us.
Never
let us be closed to your loving presence in the world, in others and in
ourselves.
Never
let us be closed through judgmentalness, negativity and anger.
Open
our minds to remember your presence.
Open
our mouths to speak your wisdom.
Open
our hearts to extend your love.
Open
our hands to serve you generously.
Open
our whole being to you this day and always.
Amen!
(Adapted from a prayer by Joyce Rupp)
A
Runner’s Thoughts: “There are as many reasons for running as there are
days in the year, years in my life. But mostly I run because I am an animal and
a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you. Find your own play, your own
self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be.”
(George Sheehan)
Yes,
there are many reasons to run. I run because I am a man of faith, created in
the image and likeness of God, a Passionist, a priest, a human being who wants
to be the best person I can be. I run because God is present in nature, it
people, in the gift of a new day and if I am running I encounter all these
things. I run because with each breathe there is hope, there is beauty and
there is life. So as George Sheehan says above, “Find your own play, your own
rewarding compulsion, and become the person you are meant to be.” Become the
person God has created you to be.
Daily
Blessing:
Wednesday greetings and blessings to all. I hope your day has started out well.
It is a beautiful day here in Pelham. The air is crisp and energizing. I will
be sitting at my desk most of the day doing paperwork again. However at some
point it just might be a good day to get off my butt for a run. I hope where
you are life is full of energy today too.
My
prayer of blessing for all of you is that today will be rich in the gifts of
love, hope and peace in your life and that if you encounter anger, violence and
negativity it will be short lived because you are blessed with loving, caring
people in your life. I pray that you will be open to the many ways that God will
touch your life today and that you will trust in the gift of God that you are
and bring that gift to every person you meet, to every place you go and to
every experience you have. May God bless you and be with you today and always.
Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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