The holy man says nothing but stands up and walks towards a
lake that is near his cave. When the two men arrive at the lake the holy man
invites the young man into the lake and they wade into the water until it is up
to their necks. Then without saying anything the holy man pushes the young
man’s head under the water and holds it there. The young man begins to struggle
the longer his head is under the water. Then just when he is about to drowned
the holy man lets go of his head. The two men walk back to the shore as the
young man gasps for air.
Once back on shore the holy man turns to the young man and
asks, “What did you want most when your head was under the water?” “Air!” the
young man responds. “When you want God just as much as you wanted air then you
will be able to find and serve God!” Replied the holy man.
This simple little story reflects, perhaps in a different
way, the wisdom that Jesus is trying impart on his disciples. The only way to
serve God is to go all in. We cannot have other masters in life and expect
everything to go smoothly. Our focus and our desire must be centered in our
relationship with God. The things in life, like money, power, influence and
others can be and at times are important but not at the expense of our faith,
our relationship with God. When we desire and serve God with all our heart,
with all our soul, and all our being we will have found the right Master!
Have a blessed and holy Sunday everyone!
Daily Prayer: O God, help us to bring our worldly concerns
under control, so that they never turn our minds from the higher things. Help
us have earthly things for our use but not as objects of our desires. May there
be nothing to hold back the desire of our minds; and do not let the delights of
this world ensnare us. Amen (Prayer by
St. Gregory the Great)
A Runner’s Thoughts: “I think running is important for my
health and fitness. It’s important in terms of my well-being. In terms of
managing the everyday stresses, I just think it’s a matter of balance.” (Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger)
Daily Blessing: Sunday greetings and blessings to all. In a couple
of hours I will be heading out to Germantown, New York to help the Carmelite
Sisters of the Aged and Infirm celebrate the third of their Sunday’s of Mercy.
I will be hearing confession from 1:00 until 3:00 pm and then celebrating mass
at 3:15 pm. After mass I will be returning home to make final preparations for
my special journey which will begin very early Monday morning. (more about this
interesting if not crazy journey later today.)
I hope your Sunday has started off well and I hope you will
be giving God a little of your time today. The weather here in Pelham today
will be a bit so-so. There is a good chance it will rain at least a part of the
day. I hope the weather is a bit better by you.
Well until later today when I let you in on my upcoming
adventure, I pray for all of you that your journey through Sunday may it be a
good one. May you live by faith today and trust in the gift that you are. May
God recognize your faith and bless you with the trust and willingness to let go
and let God. If you are struggling with your faith may you find the strength to
trust in the presence of God in your life. Blessings today upon all you do,
upon everyone you meet and most importantly upon all of you. Peace in Christ’s
Passion…Fr. Paul
No comments:
Post a Comment