Daily Thoughts - 08/13/2016

Daily Thoughts: The last couple of days I have been reflecting on my trip two years ago to France and one of the aspects of that trip that I have reflected on was the gift of children in life. Whether it was my encounters with families especially children at Lourdes and at other points during the journey or thinking of the children that are important in my life these days, like my three grandnieces and grandnephew. St. Bernadette and St. Thérèse of Lisieux where both children when they were profoundly touched by God.

In Aramaic, the word for child, servant, and slave is the same, which reflects the cultural attitude of first-century Palestine. But Jesus says “for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” What a switch! Jesus is turning the social structure upside down! What does Jesus see that the learned and clever cannot see?

Children are vulnerable and totally dependent. Because they lack power and control, they live in trust. Relying totally on their parents, they learn and grow. This is the stance that Jesus took when he taught his disciples to pray. We need to do the same.

We need to value the gift of children in our lives. They should not be silenced, or abused, or hidden away, or seen but not heard. They should be in our midst always reminding us to be vulnerable, dependent, trusting and loving. They need to remind us to have joy always in our hearts!

Have a great Saturday everyone and be aware of the gift of children around you today because they know the Kingdom!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, help us today and always, as Jesus said, to become a child once again. Help us to know that we are loved by you. Help us to let go of pride and pretense. Help us to trust so that we can let go of all our futile and unnecessary attempts to prove that we are worthy of your love. Let us know the humble prayer of being your much loved child. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: “Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself - expanding and learning as you go - you're choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip.” (Dean Karnazes)

Daily Blessing: Saturday greetings and blessings to all. It is another hot and humid day here in Pelham. Once again storm pasted through last night but the humidity did not break. It feels like an open oven when you walk outside. Very difficult weather to sun in. I hope the summer weather is a little more life giving and energizing by you.

Today will be a preparation day as I look toward Sunday Mass in Chappaqua and then head to Long Beach and St. Ignatius Martyr Parish for the next two weeks. I have a few things I need to get done before I head out to Long Beach on Monday morning.

My prayer of blessing for all of you today is that your weekend will be a restful and relaxing far from the busyness that life often heaps upon us. I pray you have had a good weekend whether you were working, vacationing or traveling. I also pray that your day will be blessed with people that will gift your life with laughter, smiles and fun. Don’t forget to give a little time to God this weekend. Remember one hour is not a lot of time and God will appreciate hearing from you!

Blessings to all today and throughout the weekend, be safe if you are traveling and don’t forget to smile. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul