Daily
Thoughts:
“If God is for us who can be against us?” (Romans 8: 31b) This verse and the
verses that follow in today first reading (Romans 8: 31b – 39) is one of my
favorite passages in St. Paul’s letters. The verses Romans 8:38-39; “For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor present things, nor future things, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus
our Lord” sits on the wall over my desk. It is a passage in St. Paul that we
should read every morning before we do anything and every evening as we close
our eyes to sleep.
Think
about it, Paul’s question to us is – “if God is for us who can be against us?”
Paul’s answer is nobody and nothing! A second question is – “who or what can
separate us for God’s love?” It seems that Paul’s answer to this question is
the same, nothing and no one! However, that is not really true because for me
Paul leaves out one thing – us. We are the only ones who can separate us from
God’s love. We are the only ones who can get in the way.
Our
challenge today and every day, if I can paraphrase Jesus in today’s Gospel,
“[We] must continue on [our] way today, tomorrow, and the following day.” (Luke
13: 33) but we do it knowing that God is for us and nothing but ourselves can
separate us from God’s love. Thus if we are true, faithful, joyful, hopeful and
committed to our friendship with God it is always going to be a great day!
Have
a great Thursday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
O God, lover of all who hope in you, without whom nothing has foundation,
nothing is holy, grace us in abundance with your love, compassion and mercy and
grant that, with you as our friend and guide, we may use the good gifts that
are within and around us in such a way so that we will hold fast to a hope that
will endure. We make our prayer today through Jesus Christ our Lord in whom the
love of God for us is always present. Amen!
A Runner’s
Thoughts:
“I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a
few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the
other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me
where I want to go.” (Dean Karnazes)
And I believe, I have faith in God, in Christ, in the Spirit, because long
after I am gone maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy road, hit
the Eucharist, prayer and community, put one foot in front of the other, and
come to the same conclusion I did: I believe because it always takes me to
God’s love!
Daily
Blessing:
Thursday greetings and blessings to all. I hope your morning is going well; it
was a busy one for me. The day here in Pelham looks to be a nice one. It seems
the heavy rain from yesterday has finally passed and there is some brightness
in the sky. I know the day is going to be a nice one because the leaf blowers and
lawn mowers have already started. I hope it will be a nice day wherever you are.
It
will be a busy day for me as I make final preparations to head out tomorrow for
Indiana and a mission at St. Bartholomew’s Parish in Columbus, Indiana begin on
Saturday. I have a mass at the Wartburg Home this morning and the rest of the
day will be spent getting my things together to make the journey west.
As
this week winds down I offer this prayer of blessing for all of you today –
Loving God, give us friends who will love us for who and what we are, and keep
ever burning before our vagrant steps the kindly light of hope... And though we
come not within sight of the castles of our dreams, teach us to be thankful for
life, and for time's olden memories that are good and heartwarming. And may the
evening's twilight find us gentle still and at peace. Blessings to all – Amen!
Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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