Daily Thoughts: Throughout the
scriptures we encounter many things that seem to go against what the world
tells us is important. We must loose in order to gain. We must die in order to live. We must be lost
in order to be found. We must be last in order to be first and our readings
today take us even further by telling us that we must be poor in order to be
rich, we must be blind in order to see, deaf in order to hear and lame in order
to walk. In other words over and over again we are reminded that our way is not
God’s way.
How can we understand these perplexing
paradoxes that the scripture presents to us? Well perhaps by understanding one
simple position in scripture – life is God’s gift. Unless we are grounded,
focuses and invested in God’s way we don’t have life. This is not a solitary
journey. It is a relationship, a friendship and if we choose to walk alone then
we will be blind, deaf and lame.
Everything comes from God, especially
the gift of life that is why we value it so much. Throughout his ministry Jesus
worked at restoring God’s gift of life by teaching us how to gain by losing,
how to die in order to live, how to be lost in order to be found. Jesus made
sure that the blind could see, the deaf could hear and the lame could walk so
that all could encounter the gift of God’s presence, life, grace and love.
Jesus lived Isaiah’s proclamation in our first reading, “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be
strong; fear not! Here is your God.”
And yet not all heard, saw or walked
toward the presence of God in their life. They remained blind, deaf and lame
because they thought they could do it all by themselves. They placed value and
importance on worldly things that would not last. They forgot that all of life
is from God.
I know I use this phrase often but it
seems to sit at the heart of our scriptures today because they are asking us to
“Let go and let God.” They are asking us to die with Christ in order to live
with Christ. They are asking us to place ourselves in God’s loving hands so
that we can see, hear and walk in the presence of God.
Have a blessed and holy Sunday everyone!
Daily Prayer: Loving God,
grant us a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct
pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of
finally embracing you. Amen. (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)
A Runner’s Thoughts: “A lot of
people say they love running because of how they feel afterward. Not me. Well,
I love that, too, but it's also so much fun while I'm out there.” (Dick Beardsley) So to in the spiritual
life…
Daily Blessing: Sunday blessings
and greetings to all. I hope your last Sunday of the summer season has started
off well and that you are enjoying a beautiful day wherever you are. The sun is
out here in Long Beach, there is a nice breeze I think it is going to be a beautiful
day.
I had the 5 pm mass last night and the 8
am this morning and in about 20 minutes I will celebrate the 10 am so you might
say it is a busy morning for me but isn’t it supposed to be! I truly enjoy my
opportunities to celebrate with a community on Sundays there is something very
life giving for me to lead a community in prayer and the sacramental life. I hope
you will be giving God a little time today?
Whatever you are doing this Labor Day weekend,
relaxing, watching football, working, traveling, vacationing or just being I
pray that God’s blessing will be upon your Sunday filling it with the richness
of joy, hope and the goodness of God’s presence. May you be strong and fear not
today because your God is here! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
No comments:
Post a Comment