Daily Thoughts - 01/05/2016

Daily Thoughts: Our readings today offer us a challenge. In the first reading (1 John 4:7-10) John continues his emphasis on love as the key element for knowing God. Without love we are lost. The way we find love, experience love is through God, because God so loved us that he gave us his only son, God teaches us about love.

The Gospel (Mark 6:34-44) echoes John's reflections but in a different way. Jesus become the picture of love that John is talking about in the first reading. Jesus lives out the love that John in speaking about.

In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to focus beyond ourselves, to have love for others. He is moved with pity at the vast crowd, he wants to help them spiritually but also physically. They need to eat; they need to be nourished. The disciples want Jesus to send them home, to get rid of them. Let them take care of themselves! Not Jesus, he cares not just about himself, his disciples, but about everyone. God so loves all of us.

Now for me the interesting part of the Gospel is how Jesus goes about teaching here. Now before I go any further I need to say that I truly believe a miracle took place here. Jesus did take the five loaves and the two fish and feed the five thousand. It was a miracle, but he also taught his disciples and us a valuable lesson, he taught us to sharing. If we look around at what we have, we can make it work for ourselves and others. Yes, a miracle fed the five thousand but a teaching about sharing what we have out of love for the other was the main objective. Jesus did not feed the five thousand from nothing, he asked what was available and from what people had he fed the crowd. It was not magic it was a miracle!

Sometimes we get caught up in what we need and we forget the person beside us. All of us have more than we need and sometimes what we have can help others. What we have put together with what others have brings about a miracle. Love needs to be share for its true value to be experienced!

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, teach us today to look beyond ourselves, to see the needs of others and respond to those needs out of the gifts, talents and abilities we have. Help us to bring about a miracle that feeds the many in need of God's love today. Transform us into people alive in your love! Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: “But I also realize that winning doesn't always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself.” (Meb Keflezighi) Transform an ordinary run into a sacred run by bringing to the run a sense of God presence in you!

Daily Blessing: Tuesday greetings and blessings to all. I find myself in Baltimore this morning where like the rest of the east it is very cold. Yes, winter has finally arrived.

We began the retreat last night and I have a busy day ahead. There are fourteen men on retreat who range in age from their late twenties to the mid-fifties. All of them are in pre-theology studies for the priesthood. I would ask that you keep these fourteen men in your prayers today and throughout this week and if you could say an extra prayer for their preacher it would be greatly appreciated.

With the on slot of winter I seem to become more aware of those in our world who are homeless. Especially when I am in Manhattan, I find it difficult seeing homeless people sleeping in doorways and other places on the streets.

A couple of years around this time I spent after an afternoon and evening in Manhattan and I was making my way along 47th Street on my way to the train and I pass a mother and two children. They were begging. At first I just walked by trying to pretend like I didn’t see or hear them, however something, someone, inside my heart told me to stop and go back. I reached into my pocket and gave the woman what I had and said please get something to eat. She smiled and said thanks as did her daughter and son.

I walked away feeling good for the moment. However, all the way home on the train I wondered where will they sleep tonight? The image of that mother and children still haunts me today. I continue to wonder where do they sleep each night and there are so many more just like them across our country and around the world. We have so much to offer as a country, as a nation, as a world but people go to bed each night hungry and not in their own home or any home. Why don’t people have food and a warm and safe place to sleep?

There are probably many answers to these questions and some are beyond our control but somewhere along the line we have got to learn to care for people. It is the challenge of our Gospel, it is the challenge of this Holy Year of Mercy!

I pray today for all of us that we will learn to not just ask for God’s mercy but also to share God’s mercy. That we will learn to share what we have so that a miracle happens in our life time where no one is hungry and that everyone goes to sleep safe and warm. May our merciful God bless all of us today with the wisdom, understanding, compassion, and love to be people willing to share the gift of ourselves with everyone we meet. May God’s blessing help us to remember that sharing our gifts can make the impossible – possible!

Pope Francis has told us be people who - “Instead of imposing new obligations, (Christians) should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet.” (Pope Francis)

Let’s take up the challenge of the Gospel and give a simple gift to someone today in honor of the magi, in honor of the Holy Family, in honor of God’s mercy in your life!

I pray today that you have a blessed and holy day and may you encounter only the Spirit of God in your work, your travels and your living of life! Blessing to all today – Be well, be safe and be warm! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul