Daily
Thoughts:
“We have never preached violence, except the violence of love, which left
Christ nailed to a cross, the violence that we must each do to ourselves to
overcome our selfishness and such cruel inequalities among us. The violence we
preach is not the violence of the sword, the violence of hatred. It is the
violence of love, of brotherhood, [of sisterhood,] the violence that wills us
to beat weapons into sickles for work.” (Oscar
A. Romero, The Violence of Love)
Jesus and
Paul in our readings today (1 Corinthians
3: 1-9 and Luke 4:38-44) tell us that they have come to proclaim the Good
News. Jesus does it directly and Paul indirectly. Their goal is to bring the
Good News to whomever they meet, whether it is the community of believers at
Corinth or the people in Capernaum or the many towns beyond.
The Good
News that Jesus and Paul bring is the same Good News brought by Bishop Oscar
Romero many centuries later. It is the Good News of love. It is the Good News
of the Cross. It is the Good News of community. It is the Good News of no more
war!
I believe
there comes a point in a believer’s life when we need to say enough. Enough
violence! Enough war! Enough hate! Enough disrespect for life! Enough bullying!
Enough negativity! If we are truly a great silent majority, if we truly want a
world based on peace then it is time to say enough with one great voice! It is
time to proclaim and live the Good News.
Have a
great Wednesday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Lord,
take us where You want us to go;
Let us
meet who You want us to meet;
Tell us
what You want us to say; and
Keep us
out of your way. Amen
(Adapted from a prayer by Fr. Mychal Judge)
A
Runner’s Thoughts:
“There are no standards and no possible victories except the joy you are living
while dancing your run. You are not running for some future reward-the real
reward is now!” (Fred Rohe, The Zen of Running) And you are not running
for some experience of God in the future when you run you are running with God
now! So enjoy the company!
Daily
Blessing:
Wednesday greetings and blessings to all! I know my musings are a bit late
today. It was not such a good night as I am in worry mode these days which
often means my brain doesn’t shut off. This mode of mine often means sleepless
nights which was the case last night. This too shall pass but at the moment it
makes for difficult mornings and days!
I hope your
day has started off well. It is a hot muggy day here in the New York area and
they say we might encounter some storms this afternoon. As I look out my office
window clouds seem to be gathering and they don’t look friendly. Wherever you
are may you day be a little more friendly and less stressful than mine!
My prayer
of blessing for all of us today is that as we get ready to move on this last
day of August into the busyness of September, that God will bless us with some
time to pause and take into account our blessings, our gifts. The hopelessness
of violence, anger and negativity seem to be all around us but as I have often learned
if I pause and take some time away from the busyness of life I many times encounter
God’s gifts in very real and wonderful ways. God’s presence is all around us,
we just have to not let the noise of the world distract us from God. May God
bless us with the gift of his presence today is some small way so that we know we
are loved and not alone!
Have a
great Wednesday everyone and please know as always you are in my prayers! Peace
in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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