Daily Thoughts - 03/21/2015

Daily Thoughts: In our scriptures today (Jeremiah 11: 18-20 and John 7: 40-53) we are reminded that Jesus really never had a chance with the religious leadership of his time, prophets, like Jeremiah, never fared well no matter where they came from but the thought that Jesus came from Galilee sealed the deal. The religious leadership had made their judgment and nothing was going to change it, not even one of their own, Nicodemus calling for justice.

Jesus throughout his ministry cautioned about making judgments. He healed, taught, forgave, showed compassion and asked us to love even our enemies. His parables always reflected ways to live and not to live. They always reflected a relationship with God so that people could understand the presence of God in their lives. He showed compassion to all and forgave sinners. All of this was too much for the religious leadership of his time. Jesus' way did not fit into their view of the world, their way of living in the world. They were prejudice in the case of place, they didn't like Galilee but at other times their prejudice took on different forms. The prejudices that we allow to make a home in us can often be the very thoughts and actions that judge us!

Jesus and Jeremiah became the trusting lambs led to the slaughter. They never had a chance because their message was of God not the world. Their actions, their teachings, their lives give us examples of how to trust and hope in God's love. They help us to look at life through the eyes of faith not the eyes of prejudice.

As we enter this day let us be aware of how we often judge people without listening to their story, without knowing who they really are. Let us trust in the presence of God that every person can bring to us. Let us be people of justice, truth, compassion and love. Let us be open to finding God's presence, God's goodness everywhere.

Have a blessed Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Compassionate God, make us channels of your faith, hope, love and peace. Grace us with hearts open to your loving presence in all that we meet. Help us with your wisdom so that we might let go of our judgments, our prejudices, and our condemnations. May we be people with generous hearts always rich in a harvest of compassion, mercy and love. Amen!

A Runners' Thoughts: Remember if we have the desire to run with God, then the specifics of the techniques used do not matter very much just keep hold of the desire and God will be with you!

Daily Blessing: Saturday greetings and blessings to everyone! I hope your Saturday morning has started off well. The snow continues to fall here in Pelham though it is not as heavy as it was yesterday afternoon and evening. As I have admitted often I am so over winter and with all the travel it has been a long Lent and I can feel myself getting tired yet there are miles to go, missions to give before I take a break so please pray that I maintain the mission spirit and energy so that I can be my best everywhere I go!

I head out in about an hour for Divine Mercy Parish in Peterborough, NH. I will begin my mission by preaching all the masses Saturday and Sunday and then celebrate the mission from Monday to Wednesday. The mission service will be after the 8:30 am mass and at 7:00 pm Monday through Wednesday. Please keep the faith community at Divine Mercy Parish and their preacher in your prayers this week!

And to add a little twist to my week my local community here in Pelham is beginning a mission at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Manhattan today. It will be a four day mission from Monday to Thursday at 7:00 pm and I am the mission presenter on Thursday evening. So I will finish my mission at Divine Mercy in New Hampshire and then head home Thursday morning so that I can be ready to close the mission at St. Francis de Sales Thursday evening. And they say life is not interesting. Yes, I am keeping busy and at least most of the time it keeps me out of trouble! So I also ask your prayers for the faith community st St. Francis de Sales Parish in Manhattan and their preachers!

My prayer of blessing today is that God will bless us all with the energy, the spirit and the enthusiasm to continue this journey of Lent and this journey of life. That God will bless us with a joy for life, for other people and for ourselves. And that whatever we do, wherever we go, whoever we meet will be touched by the joy that we bring! Have a great Saturday everyone. I hope you will get some time to rest and relax. I also hope you will be spending time with people you love. Remember to give God a little time this weekend! Peace...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 03/20/2015

Daily Thoughts: There seems to be much more tension between Jesus and the people in John's Gospel today (John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30). Certainly in these waning days of Lent as we read John's Gospel we are made aware of the struggle most likely between Jesus and the religious leadership.

The leadership seems to be drawing upon tradition and Jesus seems focuses on the moment, the work that needs to be done. The leadership seems to be living out the words that we hear in the reading from the Book Wisdom (Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22) today about the wicked ones. They don't like what Jesus is saying. His words are challenging and demanding in a way that is difficult for people who have settled into a routine of life. Who have found a comfort zone that they do not want disturbed.

Are not we all like these religious leaders at times. We find a comfort zone, a routine to life and then we become angry when someone or something comes along and disturbs us, challenges us. It is particularly difficult when we somehow know that the person, the challenge, is right but we just do not want to change. We want to stay in our comfort zone and so we begin to find things wrong with the person, the place or the situation. If we can convince ourselves that we are right and they are wrong then all will be well.

The religious leaders try to do that today in the Gospel, the wicked ones try to do that in the Book of Wisdom and certainly from time to time we try to do it in our own lives. We cannot change the religious leaders of Jesus' time; we cannot change the wicked ones from the Book of Wisdom. These examples are history and told to us today so that we might not repeat their actions. Yes, our challenge is always to recognize God in our midst even if it means letting go of our comfort zone, even if it means changing our perspective, even if it means finding the truth in another.

We pray today Lord Jesus, be close to us because we do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from your mouth! We live on the gift of your presence and the hope that it brings to life.

Have a blessed Friday everyone!

Daily Payer: St. Augustine tells us that understanding is the reward given by faith so we should not try to understand in order to believe, but we should believe in order to understand. So we pray to you our loving God for the grace that will help us to always believe. Enliven us when we are weak with the strength to believe in your healing way and so that we may always live a holy way of life. Grant us the wisdom to recognize your presence in our lives that comes from within us and others. Be always near to us that when necessary we may take comfort in your love! Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: Remember the little miracles of God that we encounter during a run are not because we finish but are because we find the courage to begin!

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessings to everyone! In a few moments I will be heading into Manhattan as today we will be taping the Sunday Mass all day. So I have to be a bit brief with my daily blessing if I want to get it out to you. I hope your Friday is starting off well. They have predicted a winter storm for us today but so far no sign of any snow. Hopefully they are wrong and the gift of Spring will rule the day! I can hope can’t I?

I am headed out again tomorrow for a mission at Divine Mercy Parish in Peterborough, NH. I will be preaching all the masses Saturday and Sunday and then the mission will be Monday through Wednesday in the morning at 9:00 am and in the evening at 7:00 pm.

I hope everyone has had a good week. If not I hope you will have an easy Friday that will lead you into a relaxing and restful weekend. We are entering the 13 days of Lent which will bring us to the wonderful days of the Triduum and Easter. I will truly be praying for all of you during these days in a special way.

My prayer of blessing today is a simple one that all of us have a graced filled Friday, one that leads us into a weekend of rest and peace. May we all be blessed with richness of what matters to God and touched with the presence of God in all we do today and in whomever we meet! Have a peaceful Friday. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 03/19/2015

Daily Thoughts: “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” (Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel)

These are perhaps odd words from Pope Francis to use on this Feast of St. Joseph, yet I think they are words which reflect the life of Joseph. He was a laborer and he faced many challenges in his life especially when God came calling. St. Joseph was a person of life, an ordinary person who through faith did extraordinary things. St. Joseph is a wonderful image of the kind of Church Pope Francis wants, a compassionate, loving and joy filled Church.

Today we celebrate St. Joseph a person we know very little about but what we know can be an inspiration for all of us. He was a simple man skilled in the use of his hands to shape, form and build. He was an ordinary man place in an extraordinary situation. He was a faith filled man who staked his life on the promises of God.

St. Joseph wanders into our life through a few verses of scripture and leaves a lasting impression. In every situation we find him he pursues the right thing to do. He is righteous man who cares about the people around him. He is a loving man who protects those he loves. He is a hope filled man who places his trust in his relationship with God.

Yes, in his ordinariness St. Joseph stands as an example for all of us and we live our lives of faith. He is a model of quiet faithfulness. He is the hopefulness that fathers bring to a family. He is an example of loving attention to God’s presence. He is the humble father who reminds us of the gift of family life and the challenge of living for others!

As we celebrate St. Joseph today as the husband of Mary let us honor his faithfulness, his hopefulness and his love by letting him be an example that helps us to live our life of faith caring for those around us.

Happy St. Joseph’s Day to all, many blessing and have a great day!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, we honor your faithful servant, St. Joseph today. Help us with your grace to be your faith filled servants too. Enable us to be compassionate like Joseph to those around us. Give us the wisdom of Joseph so that we to will see your plan in every aspect of our lives. Gift us with a love like Joseph so that we to can make a different with our lives. Touch us with the joy of Joseph so that we will always find the gift of God’s presence in everything we do. Good St. Joseph pray for us and watch over us. Help us to always find the value of family life no matter how difficult the world makes it. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement. (Steve Prefontaine)

  

Daily Blessing: Happy Feast of St. Joseph and Thursday greetings and blessing to everyone! I hope your day has started off well. We had a very nice closing to the mission last night. Before I made my way back north to home after the closing of the mission I was able to have dinner with two longtime friends who live in the area which made for a very nice ending to a great week in Hainesport.

Today I will get caught up on mail and paperwork. I will also prepare of a long day of taping tomorrow at St. Francis de Sales in Manhattan for the Sunday Mass. Then it will be off to Peterborough, NH for my next mission starting Saturday evening. So as you can see I am keeping busy and out of trouble for the most part!

My prayer of blessing today is that all of us remain focused on our faith, on our relationship with God and on all the wonderful things God has done for us. May we never give in to hopelessness and look elsewhere to a god the world creates. Many blessings to all today, success in your endeavors, safety in your travels and many experiences of God’s presence throughout the day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 03/18/2015

Daily Thoughts: “If we are to share our lives with others and generously give of ourselves, we also have to realize that every person is worthy of our giving. Not for their physical appearance, their abilities, their language, their way of thinking, or for any satisfaction that we might receive, but rather because they are God’s handiwork, his creation. God created that person in his image, and he or she reflects something of God’s glory. Every human being is the object of God’s infinite tenderness, and he himself is present in their lives. Jesus offered his precious blood on the cross for that person.

Appearances notwithstanding, every person is immensely holy and deserves our love. Consequently, if I can help at least one person to have a better life, that already justifies the offering of my life. It is a wonderful thing to be God’s faithful people. We achieve fulfilment when we break down walls and our heart is filled with faces and names!” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel)

These are wonderful words from Pope Francis today. In a couple of my mission talks I touch on the very image that Pope Francis touches on. I certainly do not do it is eloquent as Pope Francis but I think I get the message across. We are all created in the image and likeness of God that makes us unique, special and important. I love Pope Francis’ last line above, “We achieve fulfilment when we break down the walls and our heart is filled with faces and names.” If we are looking for intimacy with God, if we are looking for God, the gift, the presence of God - God is all around us!

Within our scriptures today there is the thread of intimacy and relationship running through them. In the first reading from Isaiah (Isaiah 49:8-15) we hear Advent like images of how God enters our life and helps us to make the journey home. We hear how much God desires a relationship with us and how far God is willing to go for that relationship. There is the famous image in the reading about the child in the mother’s womb and even if that mother were to forget about the child God will not forget about the child and us.

In the Gospel (John 5:17-30) it is John’s image of the relationship between the Father and the Son. Throughout John’s entire Gospel we constantly hear about the intimate relationship that Jesus has with the Father. If you see Jesus you are looking at the Father. The two are inseparable, they work together. They know each other’s thoughts, words and actions. We are invited to have this same kind of relationship with Jesus and the Father.

Intimacy is something we all want, something we all need but it is something many of us find difficult because of what it demands of us. It demands commitment, time, energy and a willingness to be truthful and honest. It demands a willingness to see the good in others and to understand their struggles, their faults and failings. Intimacy means we are willing to stand by the other even when it is not easy, even when it is not popular.

Much talk time and print space has been given to celibacy and chastity in recent years, some of it positive and much of it negative. Being one who has tried to live this vow I know that the most difficult part is intimacy and I am not just talking about physical intimacy. I think we all have a great need, desire, longing for and deep connection with another, a person to share our joys, fears, sadness, struggles, triumphs, feelings and love. We want that soul friend who knows us, understands us, values us, forgives us and loves us no matter what and yet whether celibate or not this friend is hard to find.

Many of the great saints talk about finding this relationship after a long struggle with God. I am not a great saint so my struggle for intimacy goes on. It is a great need in everyone’s life and sometimes it is a life-long search. For me there is always sadness when I see this intimacy devalued or absent. When I see a mother or a father forget their child, either through abuse, neglect or when their life become so self-centered they don’t make the connection. I am also encouraged and hopeful when I see the wonderful gift of intimacy at work in the lives of people, when they don’t forget!

Throughout Lent we have been reminded that living a life of faith demands looking beyond ourselves, it demands being other oriented. Relationships and intimacy are the way we can keep ourselves focus on others, focused on God. Let us live the journey of life today open to the gifts that others can bring to our lives!

Have a blessed Wednesday everyone!

Daily Prayer: O God, you call us to be in love with you just as you are in love with us. Give us the grace to not be afraid of your gifts of love and mercy in our lives. Help us not to fear your invitation to intimacy and may we never hesitate to share your love with another. Grant us the strength to never forget the tenderness of your joyful loving presence and to trust that you will bring us home. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: The next time you run, finish your run with a burst of speed no matter how far you have run. As you run all out those last few steps imagine receiving a greeting from God. God embraces you and holds you as you catch your breath. God offers a few good words to welcomes you home.

Daily Blessing: Wednesday, “Hump Day” greetings and blessings to everyone! I hope this week has been good to you so far, if not there are still three plus days left for things to get better.

We had two very good mission sessions yesterday and today is the closing. The parish is also doing a Reconciliation Service before the mission tonight so it is going to be a busy day with a number of people coming to see me individually plus the mission service and reconciliation. I will be heading home tonight as I have two busy days before heading out Saturday morning for my next mission in New Hampshire. Please keep the faith community here at Our Lady of Peace in your prayers today and if you could add an extra prayer for their preacher it would be greatly appreciated!

My prayer of blessing today goes out to everyone that you may encounter the love of God in some special way today; through the gesture of another person, through an experience of life, through an encounter with God within yourself. May God’s love enliven a well-spring of joy within you that you can share with all you meet today. And may you find the joy of God within you and share it with the world! May today be a day of many blessings and a day without too much stress! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul