Daily Thoughts - 02/21/2016

Daily Thoughts: We begin this day with the opening line from the Responsorial Psalm, “The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom should I fear?” A good thought to begin our day wouldn’t you say?

In our Gospel Peter, James and John are given the opportunity to see and hear Jesus differently, not just through the eyes and ears of the world but also through the eyes and ears of faith. What they see and hear is terrifying, awesome and wonderful.

Abram is promised many descendants and their own land through a renewed covenant with God. He is asked to see and hear his life differently, not just through the eyes and ears of the world but also through the eyes and ears of faith. For Abram what he sees and hears is terrifying, awesome and incomprehensible. It is a promise that had to be overwhelming and confusing for Abraham but one that called on a faithfulness in his relationship with God. It will be Abram's faith that send him and his family on the journey of a lifetime.

For Peter, James and John they too are gifted with God's presence. It is a presence that is also overwhelming and terrifying. They encounter the breath of God's covenant and the essence of Jesus divine nature. They want to hang on to both but quickly learn that they cannot. It is an encounter to be remembered, an encounter that they can take with them as they return to the life they live. It becomes for them an encounter of hope. Even though they must return to their everyday life, to the struggles, difficulties, the challenges, even though they must go back down the mountain and continue their journey to the next mountain, Calvary, they have this memory that will keep alive the hope they need no matter what they encounter. This encounter with God and their faith will take them on the journey of a lifetime!

And so it is for us as we continue this journey of Lent, this journey of life. We too have an encounter with the presence of God. It perhaps doesn't seem as terrifying or as awesome as Abram's or Peter, James and John's. It sometimes is quickly forgotten but if we have faith it is the very hope that will help us continue this journey with all its struggles, with all it difficulties, with all its challenges. Our encounter with God is the Eucharist. It is our covenant, it is our mountain top, it is our moment to see and hear God not through the eyes and ears of the world, but through the eyes and ears of faith! It is our moment to once again begin a journey of a life time by proclaiming The Lord is our light and our salvation; whom should we fear?

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, you invite us to listen to and walk with your chosen Son, Jesus. Nourish us today with his Word and Eucharist that we might have the spiritual sight and hearing that only a life of faith can bring. Help us to rejoice in the hope of your presence in our life. Grace us with your love that we may always hear your voice and see your face and live with you as our light and salvation. Bless us with a faith that always keeps us amazed and open to your loving presence. Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: Sometimes we think of Sunday as a day of rest, yet we want to run. Perhaps we need to think of our running today and every Sunday as a time of rest, as a time of prayer, as a time that will renew, strengthen and enliven us for the new week ahead!

Daily Blessing: Sunday greetings and blessings to all. It is an early Sunday morning for me. I was up at 5:30 am and in about an hour I will head over to church for the first of 5 masses that I will preach today beginning with the 7:30 am mass. It will be a long day because not only will I preach the five masses but then I will begin the mission this evening at 7:30 pm. The Lord is my light and my salvation!

I hope today will be a day of rest for you, though I know many of you have busy lives and today might include some busyness. If so I hope you find at least a little time of rest during the day!

I ask your prayers for the faith community here at St. Bernard’s Parish in Levittown, NY and for their preacher that we might be gifted with a journey to the mountain top these next few days as we celebrate a time of mission.

My prayer of blessing is that today will offer all of us the opportunity to be blessed with a restful and peaceful day that will nourishes and refreshes us for the journey of a new week and whatever it brings to our life! I hope and pray that you find a little time for God today and when you do may you be blessed with the richness of God’s presence, grace, mercy and everlasting love. Remember as we hear in the Responsorial Psalm today, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?” From my perspective it is a wonderful thought with which to begin a new day! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul