Daily
Thoughts:
I had a little sadness in pondering the readings today. Two stories of hope
about women who were unable to have children and God blessed them, especially
Elizabeth in her advanced years. We have two wonderful stories today alive with
the theme that anything is possible with God.
My
sadness comes from thinking about all the women who would love to have children
but cannot. Perhaps they do not struggle with cultural shame like Samson's
mother and Elizabeth, women of their time who were married and without children
bore a heavy burden of embarrassment and shame, but I think women of today do
struggle with a personal sadness, a personal burden, a personal loss, a
personal grief.
My own
sadness comes from the fact that so many women today who don't want children
look to end their pregnancy when so many others would give anything for the
chance to bring a child into the world. Perhaps it would be a wonderful miracle
from God, the making of something impossible, possible if all who do not want
children and become pregnant would just carry the child to birth and offer the
child to those who cannot have children but truly want them. What a beautiful
story, what a wonderful story of hope that would be.
Through
the intercession of Samson's mother and Elizabeth today I pray for all women
who want to be mothers and all women who do not want to be mother that they
might help each other make the life of children possible!
Have a
great Saturday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Loving God, graciously reveal your love to the world today. May we embrace with
integrity of faith the gift of your life and help make the impossible,
possible. Help us and our world to find
peace. Help us and our world to value all life. Help us and our world to find
your presence within us today. O God be with us today! Amen!
A
Runner's Thoughts: “How you do anything is how you do everything.” (Kristin Armstrong) So make your run
today about life, about the impossible becoming possible, about taking
advantage of God's presence in your life!
Daily
Blessing:
Saturday greetings and blessings to all. We find ourselves in the midst of the
last week before Christmas. I am sure the coming days will be busy and here in
Pelham the temperatures are at least for the time being getting colder. There
are Christmas cards to finish, countless trips to the post office to mail
Christmas gifts, lots of traffic and long lines. I hope you will survive this
last week until Christmas. I hope as today begins you are not too stressed and will
be able to enjoy the gifted of a new day and the true spirit of Advent.
Most of
my ministry responsibilities are done for the year except for various weekday
and weekend masses from now to the first of the year and anything else that
might come up in the next 10 days or so. I hope that this weekend will give you
a chance to get things done and thus be ready to celebrate the gift of
Christmas at home or wherever you will travel to. May this Christmas truly be a
blessed and holy one for all!
It is in
the spirit of the “O Antiphons” that I offer my daily blessing – O Root of
Jesse's stem, bless us this day with the confidence, the faith, the trust and
the hope to always respond with a “yes” to your invitation to live life. Help
us to be people of joy, of peace and of commitment. Grace us with the strength
to move beyond negativity of this world and see the possible in the impossible.
Protected us today, in our travels, our endeavors, in our busyness and gifted
us with many experiences of your love. Loving God, bless us all this day and
always. Amen. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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