Daily Thoughts - 01/30/2016

Daily Thoughts: The Gospel story today (Mark 4:35-41) reminds us that in the storms of life, when the waves rise and the surge comes Jesus is still with us in the boat on the journey. All we need is to have faith.

In the Gospels faith often makes all the difference. It can enable us to be healed. It can save us. Faith can make us part of the community again. Sometimes it is not just about our faith, but the faith of friends that can make all the difference. In our Gospel story today it is faith that not only can save but get us to the other side, in other words help us to grow in our journey.

God reminds us over and over again that he is not going anywhere. God is always with us never leaving us to face our perils alone. All we need is faith so that we can trust the God is with us, though often invisible or unapparent, God/Jesus is always in the boat helping us through the storms of life.

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer: May God grant us, in accord with the riches of God’s glory, to be strengthened with power through God’s Spirit in our inner self. May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith, so that we, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Amen. (Adapted from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 3:16-21)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “It is distance, not speed, that holds the answers. The reward comes with crossing and confronting the boundaries of fatigue.”

(John Bingham) So to in the spiritual life reward comes from the journey of faith!

Daily Blessing: Saturday greetings and blessings to all. I hope this finds you having a good Saturday. I find myself this morning in Washington, PA where I spent the night after a seven-hour journey through New Jersey and most of Pennsylvania yesterday. In a little while I will continue my journey to Granville, Ohio where I will begin a mission this afternoon at St. Edward the Confessor Parish. I would ask you prayers for the faith community at St. Edward’s and their preacher!

Today January 30^th is always a special day in my life. One hundred and one years ago my father was born. Now he only made it through 67 of those years but that was enough to fall in love with my mother and together they by the grace of God gave life to three children who are most grateful for their love and the gift of life! So Dad, Happy Birthday Day and thanks!

I would also like to send a shout out to my nephew-in-law as today is his birthday. Happy Birthday, Jurek! Many blessings today and always and I hope you will get a chance to celebrate at least a little!

I offer a simple prayer of blessing on this last Saturday in January that all of us will be blessed with the grace of God’s presence in our journey through this day. May all we do be touched by God’s Spirit. May all we meet be touched by God’s love. Blessings to all on a well-deserved Saturday and may your day be productive and full of energy if you need it to be. May your day offer you time for rest and relaxation after a long and busy week. May you have a day rich in God’s grace so that even in the midst of storms that can arise in life you will know that you are never alone. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Happy Eternal Birthday Dad!

Daily Thoughts - 01/29/2016

Daily Thoughts: I often look back over my life and am struck with the thought, “my how things have changed!” Jesus talks about farming during his time in the Gospel today. The farmer goes out and plants the seed but then waits to see what happens. The farmer doesn't know why or how it happens there is a profound trust in God and hope that the seeds planted will produce a wonderful harvest.

Today we know, for the most part, the why and how of farming. There is a lot more science and technology that goes into farming these days yet I cannot help but think there still needs to be trust in God.

The mustard seed is a wonderful image of God's Kingdom. Just think of the creation of a person, the tiny sperm and egg come together and begin to grow as one. This conception of the sperm and egg, this coming together, becomes a person growing each day within the womb. Then in nine or so months this person arrives and begins the journey of life outside the womb. God's Kingdom is made up of millions upon millions of people and trillions upon trillions of harvests. We sleep, we wake, and we wait. Day in and day out we see the many gifts of God's Kingdom, it is a wonderful harvest and yet like the farmers of Jesus' time we still don't know how or why it happens.

We don't know everything and the more we accept this fact the more we will encounter God's Kingdom each and every day we live. So like it says in says in the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:39), “We are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and will possess life.” God’s Kingdom of mercy is now. It is all around us. We don’t know how or why, we just need a profound trust in God’s merciful love and we will have life eternal.

Have a great Friday everyone.

Daily Prayer: O God, whose wisdom never fails, protect us from all harm this day and help us to work for all that is good. Bless us with the gift of wonder and awe that we might never forget your wondrous mercy and love as we encounter it in ourselves and others. Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: “When people ask me why I run, I tell them, there’s not really a reason, it’s just the adrenaline when you start, and the feeling when you cross that finish line.” (Courtney Parsons) So transform an ordinary run into a sacred run by bringing to the run a sense of God presence in you!

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessings to all. I hope your Friday has gotten off to a good start and that your day will go smoothly. It looks to be a nice day here in Pelham today, however I will only be here another few hours and then I will head west to Ohio. I am hoping the weather will be reasonable across Pennsylvania for my trip.

I begin a mission in Granville, Ohio tomorrow at St. Edward the Confessor Parish. I am looking forward to getting back on the road and beginning a long stretch of preaching ministry. I will be busy preaching until the end of June with just a couple of breaks in between. I would ask that you keep me, my ministry and my travels in your prayers during this time. I would also ask you to pray for the faith communities that I will be visiting.

I offer a simple prayer of blessing today that all of us will be blessed with the grace of God’s presence in our journey through this day. May all we do be touched by God’s Spirit. May all whom we meet be touched by God’s love and at the end of the day may we all find ourselves at home with the people we most love. Blessings to all on a well-deserved Friday and may your day be productive and full of energy. May your day move swiftly and may it come to a relaxing and restful end. May you have a day rich in God’s grace and a peaceful and restful night so that you will rise refreshed to meet a new day! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 01/28/2016

Daily Thoughts: A passage in the first reading today from the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:23-25) gave me pause for thought. "Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works... [and] encourage one another." Our life needs to be about hope and encouragement not judgment, finger pointing, hate and exclusion. We believe and we hold on to that belief because we have hope in God presence in our life and in our world after all that is God's promise to us!

Then as I read today’s Gospel (Mark 4: 21-25) I think Jesus puts what I read in Hebrews a little differently. In his wonderful image of a lamp the question is asked, do we hide the light or do we put it on a stand and let it fill the whole room? The light, God’s gift, needs to be placed on a stand. It needs to be made visible by the way we live our life, by the way we treat others and by the way we trust the mercy and promises of God!

Remember as Jesus tells us today, "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to [us]." So let's be the light on the stand in the middle of the room today. Let's be the one who rouses everyone else to love and good works. Let's be the one who trusts in the mercy and promises of God and thus bring the gift of hope to all we meet this day!

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Grant, O Lord our God, that we may never fall away in success or in failure; that we may not be prideful in prosperity nor dejected in adversity. Let us rejoice only in what unites us and sorrow only in what separates us. May we strive to please no one or fear to displease anyone except You. May we see always the things that are eternal and never those that are only temporal. May we shun any joy that is without You and never seek any that is beside You. O Lord, may we delight in any work we do for You and tire of any rest that is apart from You. Loving God, let us direct our hearts towards You, and in our failings, always repent with a purpose of amendment. Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)

A Runner's Thoughts: “You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.” (Steve Prefontaine) So remember if we have the desire to run with God, then the specifics of the techniques used do not matter very much just keep hold of the desire and God will be with you!

Daily Blessing: Thursday greetings and blessings to all. I hope you Thursday has started off well. I would first like to send a shout out to all Dominicans and theologians on this feast of the great Dominican theologian and philosopher, St. Thomas Aquinas. Blessings on all Dominican women and men, especially Fr. Don Goergen, O.P. – and Happy Feast Day!

I have spent this week trying to prepare a long run of ministry that will begin tomorrow and run all the way until the end of June. There will be a few short breaks but basically I will be on the road for the nest five months. So as I get ready to hit the road please know you will be in my prayers throughout my time of ministry. I would ask that you keep me and the many faith communities that I will be visiting and celebrating with in your prayers.

My prayer of blessing today is simple that God will bless us as we wander through this day. Helping us to keep our energy high and giving us the grace to hang on so that the everyday struggles do not get us down. I pray today that God will bless us all with much hope, strong faith. lively joy and many measures of love! Enjoy the day, stay warm, be safe and above all may God bless your day! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul