Daily Thoughts - 12/19/2016

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 and 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 Monday everyone!

A Thought for Today

“Some people prefer not to ask questions or seek answers; they lead lives of comfort, deaf to the cry of those who suffer. Almost imperceptibly, we grow incapable of feeling compassion for others and for their problems; we have no interest in caring for them, as if their troubles were their own responsibility, and none of our business. “When we are healthy and comfortable, we forget about others (something God the Father never does): we are unconcerned with their problems, their sufferings and the injustices they endure… Our heart grows cold. As long as I am relatively healthy and comfortable, I don’t think about those less well off.” (Pope Francis)

Daily Thoughts - 11/07/2016

“Communicating means sharing, and sharing demands listening and acceptance. Listening is much more than simply hearing. Hearing is about receiving information, while listening is about communication, and calls for closeness. Listening allows us to get things right, and not simply to be passive onlookers, users or consumers. Listening also means being able to share questions and doubts, to journey side by side, to banish all claims to absolute power and to put our abilities and gifts at the service of the common good.” (Pope Francis)

Daily Thoughts - 11/04/2016

Daily Thoughts: The Gospel for today (Luke 16:1-8), always seems to be a confusing one. What exactly is Jesus saying? It seems that Jesus is praising the unfaithful steward just because he figures out a way to land on his feet after being fired. Perhaps the key word for Gospel today is “prudence” or maybe a better word might be “cleverness.”

Jesus says the steward is prudent, that he is shrewd, pragmatic and has foresight. However as I said above we might also say that the steward is clever, meaning he is shrewd, ingenious, crafty and skillful. Prudence and cleverness share some of the same meanings and in some instances could be used to say the same thing.

As I prepared for mass this morning I has these thoughts about the prudent and clever steward and what Jesus might be getting at in the Gospel…

In our world there are many prudent and clever people. Often as a world, a culture, a society we put our cleverness to work in many ways. We invent machines and systems that can protect us and destroy our enemies. We have invented the internet, cellphones and computers that help us communicate better, work fast and be more productive. We invent sophisticated systems to warn us of impending disasters like hurricanes, tsunamis and other nature made events. We invent systems to spy on one another, to hack computers and disrupt communications. We invent instruments of war some of which that can destroy the world. We are very clever people.

Yet up to this point in history we have not been able to figure out how to feed everyone, how to cloth everyone or how to give everyone shelter. Perhaps this gets at the point that Jesus’ is making with his parable. The people of the world are very clever but sometimes people of faith are not. We put our prudence, our cleverness, our shrewdness, our foresightedness, our skillfulness to work for ourselves, but as people of faith, it might be time to put it to work for others.

We can learn for the cleverness of the world but only if our cleverness leads us to bring God to the world.

I think Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ said it best when he wrote, “Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, [humankind] will have discovered fire.”

Let us be clever people of faith and discover for the world God’s love once again.

Have a great Friday everyone!

Daily Thoughts - 11/01/2016

Today during his homily at a mass in Sweden Pope Francis proposed six new beatitudes for the modern era:
"Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others, and forgive them from their heart;
"Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized, and show them their closeness;
"Blessed are those who see God in every person, and strive to make others also discover him;
"Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home;
"Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others;
"Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians."

I am with him. Are you?

Daily Thoughts - 10/31/2016

"The internet can help us to be better citizens. Access to digital networks entails a responsibility for our neighbour whom we do not see but who is nonetheless real and has a dignity which must be respected. The internet can be used wisely to build a society which is healthy and open to sharing.” (Pope Francis) Sadly, if you wander through the internet and social media many people have not gotten the message especially Christians and Catholics!

Daily Thoughts - 10/29/2016

"Mercy is not indifferent to the pain of the oppressed, to the cry of those who suffer violence and slavery or are condemned to death. Suffering is a sad reality that afflicts every age, including our own, and often makes us feel helpless, tempting us to harden our hearts and think of other things. God, however, is not indifferent; He never turns away from human suffering. The God of mercy … intervenes to save, inspiring [people] capable of hearing the cry of suffering and of working in favour of the oppressed." (Pope Francis)

The Terrorism of Gossip

"Yes, there is an internal and underground terrorism that is a bad habit to root out. I describe the bad habit of murmurings and gossip as a form of terrorism. It is a form of deep violence that we all have available in our soul and it requires a profound conversion. The problem with this terrorism is that we can all implement it. Every person is capable of becoming a terrorist simply by using the tongue. I don't speak of the quarrels that are done openly, like wars. I speak about a sneaky terrorism that you do by throwing words like 'bombs' and that do a lot of evil. The root of this terrorism is original sin and it is a form of crime. It is a way to gain space for yourself by destroying the other. A deep conversion of the heart is necessary, then, to overcome this temptation, and we need to examine ourselves a lot on this point. The sword kills so many people, but the tongue kills more, the Apostle James says in the third chapter of his Letter. The tongue is a small member, but it can develop a fire of evil and burn all our life. The tongue can be filled with deadly poison. This terrorism is difficult to subdue." (Pope Francis)

Daily Thoughts - 10/28/2016

"Mercy is not indifferent to the pain of the oppressed, to the cry of those who suffer violence and slavery or are condemned to death. Suffering is a sad reality that afflicts every age, including our own, and often makes us feel helpless, tempting us to harden our hearts and think of other things. God, however, is not indifferent; He never turns away from human suffering. The God of mercy … intervenes to save, inspiring men capable of hearing the cry of suffering and of working in favour of the oppressed." (Pope Francis)

Daily Thoughts - 10/26/2016

"I like to dream of a Church who lives the compassion of Jesus. Compassion is to "suffer with," to fell what the others feel, to accompany them emotionally. It is Mother Church, who caresses her children with compassion like a mother." (Pope Francis)

Daily Thoughts - 10/24/2016

"Human beings, whenever they judge, look no further than the surface, whereas God looks into the very depths of the soul. How much harm words do when they are motivated by feelings of jealousy, hate and envy! To speak ill of othersputs them in a bad light, undermines their reputation, and leaves them prey to the whims of gossip and the trolling of social media. To refrain from judgment and condemnation, in a positive sense, to know how to accept the good in every person and to spare others any suffering that might be caused by our partial judgment and our presumption to know everything about them. But this is still not sufficient to express mercy. Jesus asks us also to forgive and to give. To be instruments of mercy because it was we who first received mercy from God. To be generous with others, knowing that God showers his goodness upon us with immense generosity." (Pope Francis)

Daily Thoughts - 10/22/2016

Daily Thoughts - A successful day yesterday of taping for the Sunday Mass. It was a long day with a few issues and hitches but all it all a good day. No rest for the weary though...Today I head to Woodbourne, New York to begin a Parish Mission this evening at Immaculate Conception Parish. I will be preaching all the mass today and tomorrow, plus I will be giving a talk to the CCD children and their parents between masses tomorrow. The Mission begins Monday morning and will finish Wednesday evening. If you are in the area of Woodbourne, NY about two hour north west of NYC stop in a help us celebrate the mission this week.

I will be back home either Wednesday night or Thursday morning and back in the Sunday Mass Office by noon on Thursday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Peace in Christ's Passion,
Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/23/2016

Daily Thoughts: Two summers ago in New York it was hard not getting caught up in Derek Jeter’s farewell tour. Now I am not a Yankee fan, I have always been a Pittsburgh Pirate fan, a National League fan, but I have to admit that during my 19 years of living in the Bronx and now Pelham I have come to respect and at times root for the Yankees because of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. During my time living in the Bronx they became two of the faces of baseball and all that is good about it for me.

The greatest player in baseball, for me, will always be Roberto Clemente and I will always be a diehard Pirate fan but at a time when it is hard to find good in sports. When the day to day news about sports is often negative, I truly believe Derek Jeter was a man, a player of class, integrity and dignity. I know that I don’t know him and he could be a real jerk outside of baseball but something tells me he isn’t.

Perhaps in much the same way last year around this time it was hard not getting caught up in the preparations for Pope Francis’ visit. Let Derek Jeter many last summer were asking the question who is Pope Francis? Certainly over the last few years I have come to respect and be in awe of Pope Francis because of the kind of man he is and the spirit of God he seems to bring to every encounter with others. I truly believe Pope Francis is a man of faith, a man of truth, a man of love and a man blessed by God in a world that is often violent, negative and life taking rather than life giving.

In the Gospel today (Luke 9:18-22), Jesus asks two questions of his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am? and Who do you say that I am?” I might be stretching things but in a way throughout Jeter’s last baseball season many baseball fans were asking the same questions about Derek Jeter. I am not comparing Derek Jeter to Jesus! I am just saying that a small part of the baseball season two years ago was, at least for me, defining who Derek Jeter was. Celebrating what he had been for baseball over the last twenty years. Perhaps looking at his twenty-year career in the major leagues and realizing he has been a great player, not the best, depending on how one defines the best, but a great player who touched the lives of many by the way he played the game.

In the Gospel, the disciples try to define who Jesus is for them and Peter is able to get it right, Jesus is “The Christ of God.” It is important for the disciples to come to know Jesus in this way because of where their journey with him is headed, the Cross and Calvary. They need to begin to see Jesus as he truly is in order to make the journey with him. With Jesus there is truly a time for everything under the heavens, an appointed time.

The same is true for us. In our journey of faith, we need to come to know who Jesus is in our life. We like Peter need to know him as “The Christ of God” because of where our journey is going and the things we will face with Jesus. There have been and will continue to be many crosses and many journeys up Calvary.

So today I would just like to say thank you to Pope Francis and Derek Jeter for sharing their appointed time in this life with us but most importantly I want to thank Jesus for being “The Christ of God” and for your continuing your appointed time in our lives!

Have a great Friday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God,

We have no idea where we are going.

We do not see the road ahead of us.

We cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do we really know ourselves,

and the fact that we think we are following your will

does not mean that we are actually doing so.

But we believe that the desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And we hope we have that desire in all that we are doing.

We hope that we will never do anything apart for that desire.

And we know that if we do this

you will lead us by the right road

though we may know nothing about it.

Therefore we will trust you always

though we may seem to be lost

and in the shadow of death.

We will not fear, for you are ever with us,

and you will never leave us

to face my perils alone. Amen!

(Adapted from a prayer by Thomas Merton)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “How can one learn to know oneself? Never by introspection, rather by action.” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) So to in the spiritual life…introspection can help us see things about ourselves but it is our actions, through prayer and service of others that will really help us to know ourselves!

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessings to all! I hope your day has started off well. We had more rain here in Kanab last night but I think it is to be a beautiful sunny day today. I will not know for about an hour though when the sun comes up. I hope wherever you are it will be a beautiful day too.

I would like to send a special shout-out to my great niece Emilia who celebrates her birthday today. Have a Happy Birthday Emilia with many blessings today and always. Have a great day and I hope you get to celebrate at least a little!

This will be my last regular post until Monday October 3^rd. Later today on my web site I will post a Daily Thoughts, a Runner’s Thoughts, a Daily Prayer and a Daily Blessing for each of the next nine days. It will be up to you to go to my web site each day to read my posts and musings. Also as of tomorrow morning I will go dark technology wise until Sunday October 2^nd, that means no email, no Facebook, no Twitter, no internet, no phone. Let’s hope that by Sunday October 2^nd I am still alive just a little sore nothing more.

As I have said I will be using my ultra-marathon as a kind of retreat which hopefully means a lot of prayer time. Now I know some of my prayer will be selfish, “O God, please get me through this!” However, hopefully a majority of my prayer will be for those who are in need of a prayer. I certain will hold all of you in my prayers as I make this journey.

For my prayer of blessing for all of you today is this – As you journey through this day may you be blessed with Christ within you, with Christ behind you, with Christ before you, with Christ beside you, with Christ to comfort and restore you, with Christ beneath you, with Christ above you, with Christ in your quiet moments, with Christ in your moments of struggle, with Christ in the hearts of all who love you, with Christ within of all your friends and every person you meet. May the presence of Christ’s be within you and bless your day, Amen!

I hope you will have a great Friday and that you encounter many blessings today and much peace. May you be graced by God in whatever you do and may you bring God’s grace to whomever you meet! Work, pray, travel, study, laugh, cry, talk, be silent, be intense or relax today rich in the blessing and presence of God. Until I sign on again sometime on Sunday October 2^nd be well and have a great week! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/22/2016

Daily Thoughts: As the saying goes curiosity killed the cat. But does it? Sometimes we think of curiosity only as something negative, something that will ultimately get us in trouble. However, curiosity can be a good thing. It can help us to encounter and experience many wonderful things that if we had not been curious about them we might have missed the experience. Think of all the wonderful things that have been discovered or invented because people were curious. Think of all the diseases that have been cured because people were curious. Curiosity can be a very positive experience.

Today in the Gospel Herod is curious about Jesus, just as he was curious about John the Baptist. I often get the feeling that Herod was not far from the Kingdom of God. He was not far from being a really good person. He was not far from following Jesus. However, Herod never really let his curiosity lead him to the Kingdom instead he worried about what others might think or say or do. He never let himself truly experience the presence of God in his midst. Herod curiosity led to fear rather than new life. Herod curiosity led to worldly things rather than to God.

We are all curious people but the question is – what do we do with our curiosity? Perhaps a few questions we might ask ourselves as we journey through this day are. Do we let our curiosity lead us to God or the world? Is our curiosity healthy and purposeful or unhealthy and destructive? Are we willing to let our curiosity led us to a deeper relationship with God or to a fear of God?

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer:  Grant, O God, that we may never fall away in success or in failure; that we may not be prideful in prosperity nor dejected in adversity. Let us rejoice only in what unites us and sorrow only in what separates us. May we strive to please no one or fear to displease anyone except you, our God. May we see always the things that are eternal and never those that are only temporal. May we shun any joy that is without you and never seek any that is beside you. Loving God, may we delight in any work we do for you and tire of any rest that is apart from you. Gracious God, let us direct our hearts towards you, and in our failings, let us always seek forgiveness with the firm purpose of being better people. Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “Running is a thing worth doing not because of the future rewards it bestows, but because of how it feeds our bodies and minds and souls in the present.” (Kevin Nelson)

Daily Blessing: Thursday blessings and greetings to all. I hope your day has started well? It looks like another rainy day here in Kanab. It rained all day yesterday and all through the night. There is flash flood watch until Friday and I am wondering what all this rain means for the race. Will I be running through the mud all next week? Well no sense worrying until then. I hope the weather is better where you are.

This is the last full day of rest until the pre-race activities start on Friday. In some ways I will be glad when Friday comes and things get started but it is also nice to have this reflective time.

Because come Saturday I will go dark technology wise on Friday I will post all my reflections, prayers, runner’s thoughts and blessings for next week on my web site – www.preacherman.org. Thus you will be able to go to my web site each day and get a little faith food for your journey. There will not be any Facebook reminders or tweets. If you want my thoughts, prayers and musings you will have to remember to go to the web site yourself each day. This is the best that I can do. I will be back up and running, so to speak, with my usually postings each day either on Sunday October 2^nd or Monday October 3^rd.

As I sit watching the rain this morning my prayer of blessing today is adapted from the Irish tradition - May God bless all of you today so that the road rises up to meet you and makes your journeys swift and easy. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. And if the rain has to fall may it be soft upon the land and upon you. And may you be truly blessed by God holding you in the palm of his hand throughout this day and always!

Have a great day everyone! May it truly be blessed with many wonderful experiences, many gifted and loving people and the energy that a new day can bring! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/21/2016

Daily Thoughts: I pass along this reflection that I once read for my reflection on this Feast of St. Matthew –

“The call of Matthew, the tax collector, is told in one single verse. The brevity raises many questions and invites speculation. Had Matthew met Jesus, or at least had he heard of him before the encounter? When he got up from his customs post, what did people think? How did the other disciples receive Matthew into the group? We marvel that Matthew could walk away from his familiar way of life so readily and completely. But we must remember: Matthew was not merely walking away from something, he was walking toward someone – Jesus! What have [we] left behind by following Jesus? Jesus many called Matthew a traitor, but you called him a disciple. Help [us] to see the good in someone [we are] struggling with right now.” (Sr. Melannie Svoboda, SND – Living with Christ – September 21, 2015)

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Grant us, O God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.”  (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are.” (Joan Benoit Samuelson) And everybody knows, praying is about more than just saying words; it is about our relationship with God, it is about our friendship with God. So let put our friendship with God into who we are today. Let’s pray as we run!

Daily Blessing: Wednesday greetings and blessings to everyone! I hope your day has started off well. It is a rainy early morning here in Kanab and it is to rain most of the day and into tomorrow. However, after Thursday is looks to be beautiful in this part of the world with sun, nice temperatures and no rain. I hope that makes for a good journey for me!

Yesterday day I pick-up my goody bag which also had all my instructions for the end of the week and the race. I also had my American flag and G2G patch sown on my shirt. I repacked my backpack trying to make it more balanced. I have two more days to get things in order before I get inspected on Friday for the race. The inspection will be to see if I have all the required items and the required amount of food. In my packet I got my tent assignment for the race. I will be sharing a tent with eight other people for the seven days of the race. Our tent name is Hualapai. It is the name of a Native American Tribe in the mountains of northwestern Arizona.

As I said above, I hope your day has started off well. My prayer of blessing today is that your Wednesday will be blessed with the richness of God's presence. May God touch you with his grace of faith, hope, love and joy today. May your day be blessed with the gift of faith filled people, wonderful experiences, safe travel and a productive day! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/20/2016

Daily Thoughts: “My mother and my brothers [and my sisters] are those who hear the word of God and act on it [live it].” (Luke 8:21) I added the word live to Jesus’ words today because I truly believe that is what he means.

The picture that the Gospel (Luke 8:19-21) paints today often creates concern and questions. Why would Jesus treat his family this way? Why would Jesus treat his mother this way? Isn’t family first? However, if we think about today’s Gospel in these terms we are missing the point. Jesus loved his mother greatly. Jesus was a good member of the family. But in the Gospel today Jesus shows all the boundless amounts of God’s love. We are all mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers in Christ. There are no exclusive places, no special privileges.

Today’s Gospel is a Gospel of hope. We are reminded of God’s great, unconditional love. Today’s Gospel gives us great comfort in knowing that God awaits all of us, accepts all of us. We can all be part of the family; we are called to be part of the body of Christ. All it takes is hearing the word of God and living it!

That is what Jesus is calling those gathered around him today to, that is what Jesus is calling us to. Do you hear the voice of Pope Francis in the Gospel today?

Have a great Tuesday everyone.

Daily Prayer:

Loving God, we pause for a moment and ask you hear and accept our prayers of praise for you today…

Be praised, loving God, through all your creatures, especially through my Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And Brother Sun is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, loving God, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, loving God, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, loving God, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, loving God, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, loving God, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, loving God, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for they will be crowned; happy are we today for in hearing your word you call us all to be sisters and brothers in you. Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “To me, there is no greater way to achieve clarity than to run alone, or share miles with a trusted friend. Epiphany comes as we sweat it out, or if epiphany is out of reach — then peace.” (Kristin Armstrong, "Bless Your Heart," Mile Markers column, RunnersWorld.com)

What a wonderful reflection about running and the spiritual life. We need solitude and community as people of faith. We need that time alone with God and we need that time with God in the midst of community, family and friends.

The definition for epiphany is: 1. a revelatory manifestation of a divine being; 2. a sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something; 3. a comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization.

In the spiritual life, like in running, our epiphanies come when we sweat it out, when we struggle and discover who we are and what we are made of. Even when the light doesn’t seem to go on when God seems out of reach, yet we believe that God is with us so there is peace.

Daily Blessing: Happy Tuesday everyone! I am sorry that my reflections are late today! There are three reasons why. First of all, I am now on Mountain Day Light Time, which means if you are in the east I am two hours behind you. Secondly it was a very long day yesterday so I am not moving too fast this morning and thirdly I have technical difficulties with my computer which has made for a frustrating morning so far. I trust your day has started better than mine!

As I mentioned it was a rather long day yesterday. It started at 3 am Eastern Time and I finally turned the light off last night at 10 pm Mountain Time. However, I did make it to Kanab, Utah. I arrived about four hour later than I had planned, due to weather and a mistake on my part at the rental car counter. But I made it. I am hoping to do a little exploring today but also to rest and just relax.

It looks to be a cloudy day here and they are talking about rain so I hope your weather is a little better than mine. I have to say the drive from Las Vegas to Kanab was just beautiful especially when I began to climb into the foot hills. There is read rock everywhere and stunning natural monuments carved out by water and wind over the centuries everywhere you look. Kanab is a western town, John Wayne, The Lone Ranger, Clint Eastwood everywhere you turn! It should be an interesting week before the race.

My prayer of blessing (all but a little late today) is that God’s blessings will be upon all of you today. May today be rich in the gift of family, friendship and peace. May you find the road today flat, smooth and easy to travel. May you find the gift and grace of God in everyone you meet and in everything you do. Most importantly may you find the gift of God within you as you live your life today! More adventures from Kanab and beyond tomorrow. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/19/2016

Daily Thoughts: In today’s Gospel we hear the familiar story of Jesus telling us not to hide our “light” under a vessel, a box or the bed but rather to place the our light where it will allow others safe passage as they enter the room. Doing this seems like a no brainer. Don’t we always light a light so that it gives light to the whole room? Why is telling us this so important to Jesus? 

There is another parable in Luke’s Gospel, in chapter 19 to be exact, the Parable of the Ten Coins that seems to focus on the same message.  A nobleman is going on a journey so he calls in ten servants and makes each one responsible for one coin. When he returns each servant comes forward to give an accounting of what he has done with the coin. One servant does nothing with his coin, in fact, he hides the coin in a handkerchief because he is afraid of the master. Both parables, the candle and the coins, speak to the same teaching, that we are to share our gifts so that we can help make the Kingdom of God present in the here and now. 

Both parables also end with an ominous warning: “To everyone who has, more will be given; from those who have not, even what they seem to have will be taken away.”  The servant who buried his coin rather than investing it like the others is sternly dealt with, he loses everything or to put it in terms of today’s parable, his light goes out and he is left with darkness. This is not about gaining or losing wealth, it is about gaining or losing the Kingdom of God. It is about living in the eternal light or being in the darkness outside where there is wailing and grinding of teeth.

Jesus is using an analogy to talk about discipleship, he is not discussing candles and coins. The candle light and the coins are the gifts and talents we have been given to be used for building the Kingdom of God in the here and now. They can be our skills, our talents, our relationships, our experiences of life, the blessings that we have received. The challenge is what do we do with them? Do we hide them away? Do we live in fear of God? Or do we invest them? Do we light our lamp, or candle and place it on a stand in the middle of the room so that it gives light to all? Do we share the person God has created us to be?

If we trust in our relationship with God. If we trust in ourselves then we will not hide our gifts but share them so that we and others will encounter the presence of God. By lighting our light for all, by sharing our gifts we welcome God into our hearts and share his Kingdom!

Have a blessed Monday everyone.

Daily Prayer: O Lord our God, grant us grace to desire you with a whole heart, so that desiring you we may seek you with a whole heart and find you; and so finding you, may love you, and loving you may hate those sins which separate us from you, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen (St. Anselm of Canterbury)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “It’s hilly and you have to watch your step, but the leaves inspire you.” (Carolyn Koleszar) So to in the spiritual life…

Daily Blessing: Monday greetings and blessings to all! It is just after midnight and in four hours a car will be here to take me to the airport. Today I begin what I hope to be an incredible journey though some might say a rather crazy journey. This morning I will catch a 5:55 am flight to Philadelphia and then change planes for an 8:00 am flight to Las Vegas. In Las Vegas I will rent a car and drive about four hours to a town in southern Utah named Kanab. Six days from tomorrow on Sunday Sept. 25^th I will begin the Grand2Grand Ultra Marathon (From the Grand Canyon to the Grand Staircase) that will cover seven days, six stages and 170 miles. I will be carrying as I run, walk and perhaps crawl all my provisions for the seven days, i.e. food, sleeping bag and mat, clothing and assorted other things. I will average about 26 miles a day, hopefully!

Come next Saturday, Sept. 24^th, I will go dark technology wise for the week, meaning no phone, no computer, no daily thoughts, no real communication with the world other than nature and the other people running the race. You might say it will be just me, the Utah wilderness and God.

I hope to use the time as a retreat. I hope to do a little soul searching, reflecting and praying. I know it will be perhaps one of the most challenging times in my life and maybe even one of the most difficult times in my life.

As this week continues I will give you more details about my journey and what this all might mean in my life. I hope to keep a journal as I run that eventually in the coming months I will share with you. As I said I hope to have a lot of prayer time and I will remember all of you in my prayers. I ask your prayers for me and all the runners that it will be a safe and life-giving journey for all of us.

As I said my day is starting early I hope by the time you read this your day has started well, full of life, energy and God’s grace. My prayer of blessing for all of you today is that as you journey through your day may it be a good journey. May you live by faith and trust in the gift that you are. May you place your gift, your light, on a stand in the middle of the room so that it will give light to the whole house, to everywhere you go and to everyone you meet. Blessings today upon all you do, upon everyone you meet and most importantly upon all of you! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/18/2016

Daily Thoughts: There is a story I often use about a young man who is searching for God so he goes to the cave of a holy man to seek wisdom in his search. The young man tells the holy man that he wishes to find God, to serve God.

The holy man says nothing but stands up and walks towards a lake that is near his cave. When the two men arrive at the lake the holy man invites the young man into the lake and they wade into the water until it is up to their necks. Then without saying anything the holy man pushes the young man’s head under the water and holds it there. The young man begins to struggle the longer his head is under the water. Then just when he is about to drowned the holy man lets go of his head. The two men walk back to the shore as the young man gasps for air.

Once back on shore the holy man turns to the young man and asks, “What did you want most when your head was under the water?” “Air!” the young man responds. “When you want God just as much as you wanted air then you will be able to find and serve God!” Replied the holy man.

This simple little story reflects, perhaps in a different way, the wisdom that Jesus is trying impart on his disciples. The only way to serve God is to go all in. We cannot have other masters in life and expect everything to go smoothly. Our focus and our desire must be centered in our relationship with God. The things in life, like money, power, influence and others can be and at times are important but not at the expense of our faith, our relationship with God. When we desire and serve God with all our heart, with all our soul, and all our being we will have found the right Master!

Have a blessed and holy Sunday everyone!

Daily Prayer: O God, help us to bring our worldly concerns under control, so that they never turn our minds from the higher things. Help us have earthly things for our use but not as objects of our desires. May there be nothing to hold back the desire of our minds; and do not let the delights of this world ensnare us. Amen (Prayer by St. Gregory the Great)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “I think running is important for my health and fitness. It’s important in terms of my well-being. In terms of managing the everyday stresses, I just think it’s a matter of balance.” (Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger)

Daily Blessing: Sunday greetings and blessings to all. In a couple of hours I will be heading out to Germantown, New York to help the Carmelite Sisters of the Aged and Infirm celebrate the third of their Sunday’s of Mercy. I will be hearing confession from 1:00 until 3:00 pm and then celebrating mass at 3:15 pm. After mass I will be returning home to make final preparations for my special journey which will begin very early Monday morning. (more about this interesting if not crazy journey later today.)

I hope your Sunday has started off well and I hope you will be giving God a little of your time today. The weather here in Pelham today will be a bit so-so. There is a good chance it will rain at least a part of the day. I hope the weather is a bit better by you.

Well until later today when I let you in on my upcoming adventure, I pray for all of you that your journey through Sunday may it be a good one. May you live by faith today and trust in the gift that you are. May God recognize your faith and bless you with the trust and willingness to let go and let God. If you are struggling with your faith may you find the strength to trust in the presence of God in your life. Blessings today upon all you do, upon everyone you meet and most importantly upon all of you. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/17/2016

Daily Thoughts: I have often used the parable of the Sower and the Seed that we find in today Gospel in my mission preaching. And even though Jesus explains it to his disciples I usually use a different interpretation. Jesus talks about the different kinds of soil in the parable as being different kinds of people however I often use the different kinds of soil to represent different conditions of our hearts.

If we say that Jesus is the sower and our hearts are the field, then as Jesus sowers the seed his word, his grace, his blessing, his hope, his love in our life the seed encounter four different kinds of soil. Three of which do not allow the seed to grow and one of which does. In other words, perhaps our parable today asks us to look into our own hearts to see what might not allow God’s grace, God’s blessing, God’s hope or God’s love to grow within us.

It might be the hardness of the foot path. The place of our heart that have been hurt, stepped on by the struggles of life. All of us have been hurt in life, by words, actions, the lack of words or the lack of actions in life. When we are hurt we harden so that we don’t get hurt again.

We might have some rock, stones, pebbles or boulders in our hearts that take up room and don’t allow the seed to grow. Rocks and boulders you ask? Our sinfulness, our faults and failings, our character defects, the sins in our life that take up space in our hearts and do not allow anything to grow with in that place of our hearts.

Then there are the weeds and thorns, the stuff of life, sometimes good stuff that is over grown and chokes of whatever God plants. The things of life that often become more important than our relationship with God. Sometimes good things that become gods and choke off the grace, the blessing, the hope and the love that God offers us as a gift.

We want our hearts to be all good soil. Soil ready and willing to accept whatever God plants so that it will grow and produce fruit a hundredfold! Why not take some time today and look into your heart. What is not allowing the grace of God to be planted, take root and grow within you? What places in your heart need a little word so that they become good soil?

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

O God, seek us, O God, find us
In your patient care;
Be your love before, behind us,
Be around us, everywhere:
Lest the gods of this world blind us,
Lest they speak us fair,
Lest they forge a chain to bind us,
Lest they bait a snare,
Turn not from us, call to mind us,
Find, embrace us, bear;
Be your love before, behind us,
Be around us, everywhere. Amen!
(Adapted from a prayer by Christina Rossetti)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “Running transported him, taking his mind to another place, very deep within. Like prayer.” (Richard Christian Matheson, "Third Wind") Will be dare to let running and prayer take us to another place deep within ourselves today?

Daily Blessing: Saturday greetings and blessings of rest and peace to all today! I hope your day has started off well. It was a long day of taping yesterday but a successful one. Our new site at Immaculate Conception Parish turned out very nice and we are very happy with the results. I hope our television and on-line community will we too!

It is the start of a beautiful day here in Pelham and I am looking forward to the gifts that it will bring. I will be making final preparations today for a special journey that I will begin on Monday. More about this special journey tomorrow. I hope you will have a great Saturday and that you to will look forward to the gifts that this day will bring.

My prayer of blessing for all of you today is that God will bless all your endeavors, your encounters, your times of solitude, your moments of busyness and your times of rest today. May this day be what you need it to be. May it be a gift from God that enables you to find the present of God in your life, especially within yourself! Have a great Saturday and don’t forget to give a little time to God this weekend. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/16/2016

Daily Thoughts: “If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for, in detail, ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for.” (Thomas Merton)

In today’s Gospel (Luke 8:1-3) we are reminded of the importance of women in Jesus’ ministry. They were their supporting, taking care of, helping Jesus with their resources, their gifts, their talents, their faithfulness and their faith.

I ran across a reflection that was very interesting in terms of today’s Gospel here is a reflection on the Gospel by Kevin Perrotta – “What is it about Mary of Magdala that cause so many misconceptions to sprout up around her? Some mark her as a great sinner; others suggest she had a romantic relationship with Jesus. Hacking our way out of this underbrush of speculation, we do know Mary had some wealth, since she supported Jesus and the male disciples. No husband is mentioned; was she widowed? Perhaps she ran her own fish business – a trade that flourished in Magdala. Rather than a repentant floozy, Mary may well have been a solid family and business woman – like many of the women in church on Sunday. Seeing her [this] way makes her a model for many of us today!” (Living with Christ)

Kevin certainly makes us stop and think about Mary Magdalene. Yes, our Gospel says seven demons came out of her, but who hasn’t fought with seven or more demons in life? In paraphrasing Thomas Merton – When trying to identify Mary Magdalene let’s not ask where she lived, or what she liked to eat or how many demons came out of her but let’s ask how she lived, what she lived for and what got in the way from time to time? If we ask these questions Mary becomes a woman of strength and great faith just like the others who followed Jesus and attended to his needs in daily life.

Let’s hear it for women today and every day! Friday blessings everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God help us to be grateful today. Help us to recognize your love in everything you have given us, because we know, we believe that you have has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of your love, every moment of existence is a grace, because it brings with it immense graces from you.

Gracious God, in gratitude we must never take anything for granted. We must never be unresponsive to your love.  We must constantly be awakening to new wonder and giving praise for your awesome goodness. We want to be grateful people because we know that a grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And this is what makes all the difference. Amen!

(Adapted from words by Thomas Merton)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “Finally, I could see with startling clarity that the time I had spent experiencing pain on a run was outweighed by the amount of time that I felt good about it. I was aglow. I was invincible. I was thinking I might be able to do it again.” (Alexandra Heminsley – Running Like a Girl)

Might we also say this about our faith, our relationship with God? Yes, we do experience pain, struggle, doubt and difficulty but they call can be outweighed by the grace, the blessings and the joy we encounter with God. In the glow of God, we become aglow, we become invincible, we want to continue the journey. So if you are a runner think of your runs as those times when we have a chance to get some clarity in our relationship with God. When we have some time to pray, when we have a chance even in the exhaustion of the end of a run to feel aglow in the presence of God, to feel invincible and to continue our journey of faith!

Run strong…run with God!

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessing to all. I hope your Friday has started off well and that today will be a somewhat easy day for you. If not and you have many challenges and/or struggles ahead before the day is done hang in there and know of my prayers for you. Remember it is only a day there is a lifetime ahead!

In a few moments I head to Jamaica Queens, NY to begin a long day of taping for the Sunday Mass. It is our first taping at our new parish in Jamaica, Immaculate Conception. It is a Passionist parish so being there is like being at home. We had a set-up and rehearsal day yesterday and I just pray that today will be a life-giving and faith filled day for all. Please keep The Sunday Mass crew in your prayers today!

For all of you I offer a prayer of blessing as this morning begins and as your journey through this day starts. May whatever kind of roads you take today be smooth and not crowded for your journeys, may the wind be gentle and always helping you along, may the sun shine warm upon your face helping you to smile, and if it rains may it fall gently upon you as you journey and, until the sun rises again tomorrow, may God hold you and all whom you love in the palm of His hand so nothing will harm them and you. Amen! Have a great Friday everyone. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/15/2016

Daily Thoughts: “We ask Mary that, as the first disciple, she teach us to remain watching, that she accompany us in patience, strengthen us in hope; we ask that she lead us towards the meeting with her Risen Son; that she free us from fear, so that we can hear the announcement of the angel... to announce it to others who need it so much.” (Pope Francis)

These words from Pope Francis help us to reflect on Mary’s place in our life especially as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows today. Yes, Mary experienced much in her life. She carried the awesome responsibility of being the Mother of Jesus. She encountered moments of great sorrow throughout her life, however Mary in many ways is our go to person. She was human, a person just like us who had great strength, great patience and great hope in the midst of a life filled with sorrow, disappointment and pain.

Mary, particularly as Our Lady of Sorrows, is an example, a grace and a blessing to us as we journey through our own struggles in life. Perhaps something else that Pope Francis said best reflects the gift of Mary in our life - “To be faithful, to be creative, we need to be able to change. To change! And why must I change? So that I can adapt to the situations in which I must proclaim the Gospel. To stay close to God, we need to know how to set out; we must not be afraid to set out.” (Pope Francis)

Mary certainly was faithful. Mary certainly was willing to change in order to adapt to the situations of her life. She stayed close to God and was not afraid to set out and proclaim the Gospel of her Son!

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Mary, woman of listening, open our ears; grant us to know how to listen to the word of your Son Jesus among the thousands of words of this world; grant that we may listen to the reality in which we live, to every person we encounter, especially those who are poor, in need, in hardship.

Mary, woman of decision, illuminate our mind and our heart so that we may obey, unhesitating, the word of your Son Jesus; give us the courage to decide, not to let ourselves be dragged along, letting others direct our life.

Mary, woman of action, [may] our hands and feet move “with haste” toward others, to bring them the charity and love of your Son Jesus, to bring the light of the gospel to the world, as you did. Amen.

(Adapted from a prayer by Pope Francis)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “My philosophy on running is, I don't dwell on it, I do it.” (Joan Benoit Samuelson) My theology of running is to not to just think about God as I run but to bring God with me one my runs!

Daily Blessing: Thursday greetings and blessings to everyone! It is a beautiful sunny day here in Pelham with not much humidity and a little touch of fall in the air at least this morning. A good day to be energized and I need one of those days as I have a lot of work that needs to get done as I prepare for tomorrow’s taping day. It is crunch time and I am sure my mind will be on overload today and into the night!

As we begin this day hopefully it will be a day rich in the blessings of God. I pray all of you will have a good day one touched by the grace of God. May Mary’s presence and faithfulness bring purpose and meaning to your day. May you encounter many smiles, many good people and much love.  May your day be filled with listening, decision and action that will give you life. Have a good day everyone and know of my prayers for you today and always. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/14/2016

Daily Thoughts: Today is a very special feast in the Church and the Passionist Community. It is the Feast of the Triumph or the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. So I offer you two simple prayers to guide you through this day and life...

The first comes from our Passionist tradition it is a simple prayer we utter each day - "May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!"

The second prayer was written by the great Jesuit theologian Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J. - "The Cross of My Lord, Be my Standard, Be my Comfort, Be the Answer to all dark questions, The Light of all nights, The Sign that You have chosen us, The mysterious and sure Sign that we are Yours for eternity. Amen."

These two simple prayers reflect the meaning of the Cross that we as Church and as the Passionist Community celebrate this day.

May the Passion and the Cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ be not a sign of violence, oppression, war and failure. May The Passion and Cross of Christ be a sign of God's great and unconditional love for us. May the Passion and Cross of Jesus be a walking stick that we can lean on to rest; be a protector in times of struggle and danger; and always be a reminder of just how much God love's us, no matter how imperfect we are as we journey through life!

Have a great Wednesday everyone.

Daily Prayer:

The Cross of My Lord,

Be my Standard,

Be my Comfort,

Be the Answer to all dark questions,

The Light of all nights,

The Sign that You have chosen us,

The mysterious and sure Sign that we are Yours for eternity.

Amen.

(Prayer by Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J.)

A Runner's Thoughts: At first an ordeal and then an accomplishment, the daily run becomes a staple, like bread, or wine... or air. (Benjamin Cheever, author and Runner's World contributor) We might also say that the daily run also becomes our prayer, our conversation with God each day!

Daily Blessing: Wednesday greetings to all and blessings on this Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross! I hope your day is getting off to a good start. If not, I hope as you live today it will grow into a day full of people and experiences that will be life giving for you.

As I expected, as the week has gone on my nights have become less about sleeping and more about thinking. We are making our way up to our first Sunday Mass taping day on Friday and there are still many things to do. My mind will just not turn off. I try not to fight it but it is a bit frustrating. Oh well, so goes the life of a worrier!

As I begin this new day my prayer for all of you is that you will have a good journey through this day. May you live by faith today and trust in the gift that you are. May God recognize your faith and bless you with the unconditional love that we are reminded of each time we look upon his Cross. If you are struggling today may you find the grace of hope, peace and love to see you through this day. Blessings today upon all you do, upon everyone you meet and most importantly upon all of you! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/13/2016

Daily Thoughts: “You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience.” (Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.)

This simple expression of life touches our readings today (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a and Luke 7: 11-17). In the Gospel Jesus reminds all gathered at the city gate that they are spiritual beings in the presence of God as he brings the widow’s son back to life. The value of our life rests in our relationship with God and when we trust that relationship wonderful things can happen.

Yes, the world around us is human, imperfect but we are created in the image and likeness of God. We are spiritual beings living this human experience. God is always present. If we invest in God’s presence, if we stay connected to God’s presence the richness of our relationship with God can be experienced. God is always waiting. God is always ready to help.

Our first reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians talks about the Church as one body with many parts. Once again if we listen to Paul’s words we learn that we are spiritual people, intimately in relationship with God. God needs to be first. Care and concern for others is the primary task. Compassion is the attribute that enable all to experience the presence of God. We are asked by Paul to strive for the spiritual gifts no matter where we find ourselves in the Body of Christ.

Today, on the memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, let us pray for all Church leaders that they will always serve with compassion and love. Let us pray for ourselves that we will always embrace the spirit of God as we journey through this human experience.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God,
Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.
For then we have you to lean upon.
Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.
For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.
Thank you for your presence during the Holy Days and Holidays.
For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends.
For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.
For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.
For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.
For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.
For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Loving God, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most—Peace.

(Adapted from a Prayer by Maya Angelou)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “My philosophy on running is, I don't dwell on it, I do it.” (Joan Benoit Samuelson) My theology of running is to not to just think about God as I run but to bring God with me one my runs!

Daily Blessing: Tuesday greetings and blessings to all. It is looks to be another beautiful day here in Pelham.  The last couple of days have been really nice with lower temps especially at night. I hope you morning and day are starting off well and that the weather where you are will energize you and help you to enjoy and live this new day!

As we begin this day hopefully it will be a day rich in the blessings of God. I pray all of you will have a good day one rich in the grace of God. May you encounter many smiles, many good people and much love.  Have a good day everyone and know of my prayers for you today and always. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul