Daily
Thoughts:
Pope Francis in an address on April 1, 2013 said the following: "The grace
contained in the sacraments of Easter is an enormous potential for the renewal
of our personal existence, of family life, of social relations. However,
everything passes through the human heart: if I let myself be touched by the
grace of the Risen Christ, if I let him change me in that aspect of mine which
is not good, which can hurt me and others, I allow the victory of Christ to be
affirmed in my life."
In our
first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles Peter and John challenge the
people about not being open to the presence of God in their lives, about not
being open to the Easter mystery, the Easter sacraments as Pope Francis put it.
They ask those gather to open their hearts to the grace of the Risen Lord, to
let it pass through their hearts and change them.
In the
Gospel the disciples at first are afraid of the presence of the Risen Lord but
Jesus offers them peace and the assurance that he is really with them so that
by the end of his visit they have opened their hearts to the grace and the
spirit of the ultimate Easter sacrament, Jesus. Their transformation has begun.
They have become the witnesses of this great sacrament and the power that it
can be in a person’s, a community’s life.
Our
readings and Pope Francis ask us to be open to the awesomeness of Easter, to be
open to the countless ways in which God becomes present in our lives each and
every day. Openness to the grace of the sacraments of Easter, openness to the
presence of the Risen Lord, openness to the awesome potential that God’s
presence and grace offers us can make all the difference in our journey through
life.
Thus
perhaps the question or the challenge at the beginning of this new day is – Are
we open to the grace of the Easter sacraments? Will we allow that grace to
change us?
A great
Thursday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Be with us today O God, be with us as we wake, be with us as we watch and live
this day, be with us if we weep and morn, give your angels and saints charge
over us when we sleep. Tend to us, O Lord, if we are sick today, help us if we
are weary to find rest today, journey with us through the last steps of life
today if you are calling us. Comfort us if we are suffering today, give
compassion to us if we are afflicted today and celebrate with us as we live
today in your joy. We ask all of this in the grace of your love and live this
day for the sake of your love for us! Amen (Adapted
from a prayer by St. Augustine of Hippo)
A
Runner’s Thoughts: “Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see.” (Jimmy Buffett) Thus, as we run let us
look at our run in this way today, everywhere we put our foot today we will
feel the presence of God. God is our friend and our closeness to our friend God
is in the placement of our foot with each stride we take during our run. We run
today knowing that God is underneath us, beside us, with and within us!
Daily
Blessing:
Thursday greetings and blessing to all. I hope this last day of March is
getting off to a go start. Yes, it is hard to believe that March is over and
tomorrow we will be in April though in some ways it seems like we should already
be in April because of the early warm weather and the early celebration of
Easter. Just remember be smart today so you don’t get fooled tomorrow!
I think
here in Pelham it is to be a sunny and warm day which I am looking forward to,
it will give me a chance to get out for a much needed outdoor run. I have been
inside on the treadmill for a while now. I have the 11 am mass at the Wartburg
Home but other than that today is a free day for me. The Day of Recollection
with the Ladies of Charity went well yesterday so I thank you for your prayers.
My prayer
of blessing today is that you will have a blessed day rich in the grace of
Easter. May the Risen Christ touch your life with the joy of the first Easter.
May you be touch by the newness of life as you encounter others, journey
through your day and celebrate the gift of life by living this day to the
fullest. Peace in Christ's Passion and the Risen Lord...Fr. Paul
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