Daily Thoughts - 10/16/2015

Daily Thoughts: “Do not be afraid.” Jesus’ words toward the end of today’s Gospel. At first glance, this passage from Luke’s Gospel (Luke 12: 1-7) today it is a bit confusing. Jesus first talks about who to fear. We are to fear the one who can take eternal life from us. But then Jesus tells us not to fear because God is with us, God cares, God has our back!

I could not help but think about St. Paul’s words from the eighth chapter of Roman when he says, “If God is for us who can be against us!” I have often said we should right this down and keep it next to our bed and read it when we wake up each morning and before we close our eyes each night. “If God is for us who can be against us!” What a wonderful thought. Perhaps Jesus is saying the same thing when he tells us we are worth far more than many sparrows.

God knows us intimately, he knows every hair on our head. God has our back so even though life presents us with many reasons to be afraid Jesus reminds us not to be because, to paraphrase the words of Thomas Merton, God will never leave us to face our perils and fears alone!

Have a blessed Friday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God,

We sometimes feel like we are crossing a barren desert but we know you will not let us die of thirst. We sometimes wander far in safety though often we do not know the way. We speak your words, O God, sometimes in foreign lands and we pray people will understand. We hope to see the face of God and live.So Lord, we will not be afraid because you always go before us, we will come and follow you because we know you will give us rest!

Sometimes it feels as if we are passing through raging waters in life, that we are in the sea, but we trust you will not let us drown. We know that if we walk amidst the burning flames of life you will not let us be harmed. And if we stand before the power of hell and death is at our side we know that you are always with us through it all. So Lord, we will not be afraid because you always go before us, we will come and follow you because we know you will give us rest!

Lord, blessed are the poor, for you told us the Kingdom will be theirs. Blessed are all of us who weep and mourn because one day we shall laugh. And if hurtful people insult and hate us because of you may we to be blessed. So Lord, we will not be afraid because you always go before us, we will come and follow you because we know you will give us rest. Amen!

(Adapted from the song “Be Not Afraid” by Bob Dufford, S.J.)

A Runner’s Thoughts: Remember that if during our runs we have the desire to run and pray then our runs can transform the simplest moments into divine encounters!

Daily Blessing: Happy Friday everyone! Yes, we are at the end of another work week and in a few hours our weekend will begin. As for me it will be a busy Friday as it our October taping day for the Sunday Mass. I will be leaving the house around 6 pm and not returning until around 5 pm. Please keep the Sunday Mass crew in your prayers today.

We also continue to pray for the Synod on the family taking place in Rome and the Passionist Synod of Provincials taking place at our Generalate in Rome. We pray that God’s Holy Spirit of Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding will guide the participants of these synods so that growth will take place within our Church and within the Passionist Congregation.

In the Gospel (Luke 12: 1-7)) today, as I said earlier, Jesus tells his disciples, “Do not be afraid.” So as a hopefully a faithful disciple and preacher I ask God to bless all of you with the courage and strength to not be afraid as you go through your day and life. I ask God’s blessing on all who find themselves sick and or struggling in some way may this blessing bring you healing and peace! But most importantly I ask God’s blessing upon all of you that you will always know that you are never alone that God is standing with you and will never leave you to face your perils, to face life alone! All of you are worth much more than many sparrows! Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend everyone! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 10/15/2015

Daily Thoughts: “Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” Strong and challenging words of Jesus in today’s Gospel. I wonder how many of those participating in the Synod on the family in Rome these day paused when they heard these words proclaimed during mass today? At the very least they should be food for thought.

The readings today urge us to consider our faith, our relationship with God as the lens through which we view life and make decisions.  We certainly need to respect the law but our readings today challenges the laws that do not promote love, acceptance of and advancement of people even people we disagree with.  We are asked as people of faith to promote love, forgiveness and respect all God’s people.  Perhaps a few questions we might ask are – Over the course of history what has God done for us? And today what does God want me to do, what does God want us to do when opting for a direction or making a decision in life?

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, let nothing upset us today, let nothing startle us today. All things pass – You do not change. Patience wins all it seeks. Whoever has You lacks nothing – You alone are enough. Amen! (Adapted from a poem by St. Teresa of Avila)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “That's the thing about running: Your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is.” (Kara Goucher) So to in the spiritual life…

Daily Blessing: Thursday greetings and blessings to all! I hope your Thursday is starting off well. We are awaiting the arrival of some colder weather here in Pelham. I think we have a day or two longer of seasonal temperatures and then we just might get a preview of winter. I guess it was just a matter of time.

Let us continue to pray for the Synod on the family taking place in Rome and the Passionist Synod of Provincial also taking place at our Generalate in Rome. May God’s Holy Spirit of Wisdom, Compassion and Love touch both of these meetings and enliven all participating.

I pray for all of you that you will have a great day filled with many blesses, boundless love and much of peace. May you be found rich in faith, hope and love which God has planted with in you. And may the wonderful spirit of St. Teresa of Avila guide you through this day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 10/14/2015

Daily Thoughts: Our readings today (Romans 2: 1-11 and Luke 11: 42-46) focus on judging others. We are challenged not to be judges but to be people of compassion, to be people of mercy.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer speaks to Paul and Jesus’ message today with his own reflection on judging. “Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”

As does Henri Nouwen with his word;  “As long as we continue to live as if we are what we do, what we have, and what other people think about us, we will remain filled with judgments, opinions, evaluations, and condemnations. We will remain addicted to putting people and things in their "right" place.”

The question that we might ask ourselves today is do we want to be blind and addicted? Hopefully not which means we need to remember to let God be the judge and every time we are tempted to point out another’s fault, we should think of our own shortcomings. If we approach life this way we will be graced by God’s mercy and patience!

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, you know the ways that we treat people that we do not like. You know that we judge them, we avoid them, we gossip about them, we hassle them. However wanting to be your people of faith, your people of love, we do not want to be this way, to treat people this way anymore. So we ask you for the grace and strength to learn how not to judge but how to be forgiving and compassionate people today and always. We want to learn how to forgive and also how to ask for forgiveness when we struggle and fail. Help us God not to be judging people but to be a forgiving people just as you are forgiving! We pray this today and always the Jesus Christ, your Son and our friend. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: Running can be so symbolic of life and faith. In running like in life we have to drive ourselves to overcome the obstacles. At times we feel that we just cannot do it. But then we find an inner strength, an inner presence and realize that we are capable of so much more than we thought. And like in faith when we run we often realize that we are not alone. That God runs with us!

Daily Blessing: Wednesday greetings and blessings to all. It doesn’t quite feel like a usual Wednesday because of Monday being a holiday but we are still at the midpoint of our work week so let’s celebrate! I hope your day is going well and moving quickly. I hope it is filled with many good experiences and a people. If it is not then trust in who you are and that even though life and people might seem like a struggle you are making the day a good day for anyone who encounters you!

My friends my God’s blessing be with you today and always. May the richness of who you are as a person created in the image and likeness of God touch the lives of all you meet. May you bring God’s presence to every experience and each moment of this day. May the world you journey through be a better place because of you today. And at the end of the day may you smile with the tired satisfaction that because of you today was a good day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul