Daily
Thoughts:
As I celebrated mass this morning and read the Gospel (Luke 14: 1-6) I could
not help but think about all the article, comments, reflections and
commentaries that I have heard and read over the last two years concerning the
Synod of the Family. Many of the comments concerned the doctrine and laws of
the Church and people’s concerns as to whether things would change or not.
There were fights over words and translations. There were comments, articles
and reflections from the proverbial right and left, conservative and liberal,
traditionalists and progressives. There was talk about remaining true to dogma,
doctrine and law. There was talk about mercy, forgiveness and compassion.
If
we listen to the Gospel today Jesus is confronted in his day with perhaps the
same issues that Pope Francis is confronted with today. The religious
leadership of Jesus’ time is concerned about the law. You do not eat with tax
collectors and sinners and you do not heal on the Sabbath! Jesus meanwhile is
concerned about the person in front of him, a man struggling and while the law
says “no healing today,” Jesus responds with mercy and compassion.
I
don’t know what will happen with the Synod on the Family. I don’t know what
will happen with the rest of Pope Francis’ journey as pope but what I take way
from today’s Gospel is the hope that God will bless Pope Francis with the
strength and courage to always see the person, the people, in need and respond
to them out of mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love and to help and teach us
to do the same.
Yes,
I know that laws, doctrines and dogmas are important but if I read the Gospel
right today, when needed mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love always trumps
law, doctrine and dogma!
Have
a great Friday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
(Remembering my mother today on the
fourth anniversary of her death.) – Good Saint Rita, during your entire
life on earth you found your happiness by following the will of God. Help us to
be as trusting of God in all of what God asks of us this day and always. Help
us this day to give ourselves to God as you did, without limit, without fear,
without counting the cost. Help us to be – generous in serving the needs of
others, patient in all difficulties, forgiving toward all who hurt us. Help us
to learn more deeply the great mystery of the Cross of Jesus, so that by
embracing it as you did, we may come to experience its power to heal and to
save. Amen (Adapted from a Prayer to St.
Rita of Cascia)
A
Runner’s Thoughts: Some words of inspiration and faith for today are –
“Running isn't a sport for pretty [people]...It's about the sweat in your hair
and the blisters on your feet. It’s the frozen spit on your chin and the nausea
in your gut. It's about throbbing calves and cramps at midnight that are strong
enough to wake the dead. It's about getting out the door and running when the
rest of the world is only dreaming about having the passion that you need to
live each and every day with. It's about being on a lonely road and running
like a champion even when there's not a single soul in sight to cheer you on.
Running is all about having the desire to train and persevere until every fiber
in your legs, mind, and heart is turned to steel. And when you've finally
forged hard enough, you will have become the best runner you can be. And that's
all that you can ask for.” (Paul Maurer, The Gift - A Runner's Story) And if
you add the word faith alongside the word running you have a picture of a
runner and a person of faith!
Daily
Blessing:
Friday greetings and blessings to all. I pray that your day has begun well, if
not please know you have been in my prayers since very early this morning. In
about an hour or so I will celebrate mass in memory of my mother on this the
fourth anniversary of her passing and I will ask her to bless us with her heavenly
spirit today, so if things aren’t going well trust that they will get better!
After
mass at some point this morning I will begin my journey west to great state of
Indiana. I will be celebrating a parish mission from Saturday to Wednesday at
St. Bartholomew Parish in Columbus, Indiana which is located in south central
Indiana. The parish is beginning its 175 Anniversary celebration with the
mission and I am honored to be a part of the celebration. I would ask your
prayers this coming week for the good people of St, Bartholomew’s and for their
preacher.
My
prayer of blessing for everyone today is adapted from a prayer known as Saint
Patrick's Breastplate – I ask God’s blessing be upon all of us today so that
Christ will be with us; Christ will be before us; Christ will be behind us;
Christ will be in us; Christ will be beneath us; Christ will be above us;
Christ will be on our right; Christ will be on our left; Christ will be where
we lie; Christ will be where we sit; Christ will be where we arise; Christ will
be in the hearts of every person who thinks of us; Christ will be in the mouth
of every person who speaks of us; Christ will be in every eye that sees us;
Christ will be in every ear that hears us; God’s blessings through Christ be
upon all of us this day! Have a great Friday everyone. Peace in Christ’s
Passion…Fr. Paul
