Daily Thoughts - 02/27/2016

Daily Thoughts: The story of the Forgiving Father is what we are asked to reflect on today. I have used this parable many times, often when I am preparing young people for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. For me the first half of the story about the younger son and his return home is a great image for the sacrament. All the elements of the sacrament are there, recognition of sinfulness, the journey to the sacrament, saying we are sorry and forgiveness.

The second half of the story about the older brother reflects another side of sinfulness. We often only think of sinfulness as bad things that we do. We think of the Ten Commandments. However, sin can be what we don't do. Sin can be standing in judgment, self-righteousness, pride, envy, jealousy and anger especially when we think we are right. Sin can be refusing to be part of the family, part of the faith community. Sin can be thinking only of ourselves and playing the victim card.

I have always felt this story presented the two sides of sin and often for many of us the older brother is where we usually find ourselves. The hopeful sign in the story is that the father is in the whole story. He is wherever we are. Always willing to forgive, always willing to welcome us home, always willing to come out and welcome us into the family, into the celebration. All we have to do is let go of what we have done or failed to do and accept his forgiveness, his love!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Compassionate God; grace us with the strength to make the journey home to you. Give us the wisdom to see our faults, our failings, our struggles and to accept your mercy and forgiveness. Fill us with a hope that helps us to see past our disappointments, that helps us to let go of our pride, our envy, our jealousy, our resentment, our anger so that we may always be a part of the family, a part of the celebration. Embrace us with your presence so that we may always believe that you are our kind, merciful and loving God. Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: As you run look for good in the world that you pass by, look for good in the people you encounter, sense the good in you and know you do not run alone, God runs with you!

Daily Blessing: Saturday greetings and blessings to all! For Passionists everywhere today is the Feast of Saint Gabriel Possenti, C.P. also known as St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows so I send a shout out to all Passionists and everyone who is part of the Passionist family to say happy feast day!

I would also like to send a shout out to a good friend Peggy Walsh-Kinamore on her birthday. Happy Birthday Peggy! Many blessings today and always. Have a great day and I hope you will get to celebrate at least a little!

I hope everyone had a restful night, one that has allowed you to rise refreshed and ready to begin a new day. It looks to be a sunny day here in Pelham and I am hoping it will be a little warmer than yesterday. I hope the weather is nice by you today too!

This afternoon I begin a new mission at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Pelham Manor, NY. The parish is only about a mile from home so I am not traveling this week. It will be a nice little respite as I get to sleep in my own bed during this mission week. For all of you in the Pelham area the mission will be Monday thru Wednesday at 9:00 am and 7:00 pm. The morning mission talk will take place after the 9:00 am mass and the evening talk will be a prayer service at 7:00 pm. If you are in the area come and join us! As always I ask your prayers this coming week for the faith community at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and for their preacher!

My prayer of blessing on this Saturday is that your love may more and more abound both in understanding and wealth of experience and that through the blessings of God love you will always value the things that really matter. May God blessing us all with the mercy of the God this day and always! Remember to give God a little time this weekend. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 02/26/2016

Daily Thoughts: Our scriptures for today present us with two issues that we often face in life. They are jealousy and holding on to what we think is best and not what God thinks is best.

Certainly the familiar story of Joseph and his brothers reminds us of what jealousy, what envy can do to us. How they can make us think and act toward others, even people we love. Perhaps like the religious leaders of Jesus' time Joseph's brothers reflect only on the narrowness of their life rather than seeing the bigger picture. Rather than trusting in their father's love.

I think it is only human to want to be recognized, to want to be valued, to want to be loved. The story tells us that Israel loved his sons but that he had a special affection for Joseph because he was the last and the son of Israel's old age. How often do we hear the saying, "Mon and dad liked you best!" It happens, or it seems to happen. Mothers and fathers often have a special feeling for one of their children but it never means that they do not love the others. Yet, that human emotion of wanting attention, of wanting a special love can overwhelm us and make us do stupid things.

Thinking we know best is equally as troublesome. The religious leaders get a lesson in what they have done wrong from Jesus today. How they have ignored God's ways and walked down their own path. How they have ignored the presence of God in their life in order to hold on to their own power, authority and way of life. God is in their midst yet they fail to see. They fail to respond. They fail to grow!

What can we take away from our readings today perhaps that they are an opportunity to reflect on our own lives? How often do we look around and feel sorry for ourselves because God seems to love others more than us? How often does the presence of others make us uncomfortable even jealous because we think they have something we do not? Yet, we are all blessed by God; we are all created in the image and likeness of God. We all have a place, a purpose and meaning here in this world. God loves us all. The question is can we recognized, accept and live out that love. Can we believe and trust in God's love for us?

Finally, are we willing to accept and buy into God's way or does it always have to be our way. In the midst of living life are we willing to see God's presence and grow in the presence? Can we recognize God standing in our midst or do we have a better idea?

Have a great Friday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Almighty and ever living God, strengthen us on our journey through life today. Help us to be open to your presence in the many different ways you might walk into our life. Give us the wisdom to recognize you and the trust to follow your way. Bless us with the hope and joy that all things that come from you are gifts of your love. Forgive us for our moments of selfishness and envy. Enliven our hearts so that we will always be your joy and love in the world. Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: “Every major decision I’ve made in the last eight years has been prefaced by a run. Where else do you get those uninterrupted hours to do nothing but think?” (Casey Neistat) So as we run today let us think of the impossible made possible through hard work, dedication and the prayer that we allow our runs to become.

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessings to all. I am up early this morning just trying to enjoy a little peace and quiet before my day actually begins. Not that I have a very busy day ahead but sometime I just like to be up with the house is quiet before the sun comes up. There is a peacefulness to this time of the day. Later this morning I will be headed out to the Wartburg Home for mass again but that will be the busiest part of my Friday.

I hope your Friday has started off well. I hope your end of the work week is a good one and that you are looking forward to a great weekend with a little rest and relaxation! If things are busy today I hope it is a good busy. If not, I hope you can make it through today and that tomorrow will be better.

My prayer of blessing today is a simple one that all continue to be blessed by God so that we can truly be people of God’s mercy on our journey through Lent and life. I pray that in some way we all will feel and experience God's blessing, God’s joy, God’s mercy and God's love today! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 02/25/2016

Daily Thoughts: Well our scriptures today continue the theme that has been with us for the last few days; it is the theme of looking beyond ourselves. We have in the Gospel today the famous story of the rich man and Lazarus the poor man who sits at the rich man door. Lazarus is covered in sores. At first glance we might say that it is the rich man’s wealth that is the problem and I am sure that many preachers have taken that approach in preaching about this Gospel. However, at closer inspection, it is not wealth that is the problem it is the rich man's way of life, it is how he lives. It is how he uses his wealth. He fails to see Lazarus at his door and if he does see him he ignores him.

In the Gospels when Jesus talks about wealth it is never to condemn the person just because they have wealth it is always about what we do with it. Do we hoard it? Do we only care for ourselves? Or do we see the world and the needs of the world? Do we let our wealth work for the betterment of others? Do we help those in need with our wealth?  This not only pertains to money and possessions, it is also about the gifts and talents that we have that can not only help us but others. Once again like the last few days this is about service, it is about being humble because all that we have comes from God and needs to be shared!

In the first reading from Jeremiah we are reminded that one of the important values of our life is trust, specifically trust in God. This value can help with the above challenge of service. If we trust in God, if we make God part of our life then our riches, our gifts, our talents, our resources are much easier to share, because we know that God is with us.

Our challenge is to think outside the box. Conventional wisdom says store up treasures for ourselves, make sure our life is comfortable, eat, drink, rest, be merry. But as people of faith God demands our lives. We are to be disciples, we are to be servants, we are to make what we have work for the good of others. We are to be people whose trust and hope is in God. We are to be rich in what matters to God. Remember "the Lord, alone probes the mind and tests the heart, and rewards everyone according to her or his ways, according to the merits of her or his deeds." Let us be people who trust and hope in God. Let us be people rich in the presence of God!

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, direct our hearts this day to be your servants in all we do. Enliven us with the fire of your Spirit of Love. Grace us with a steadfast faith, a spirited hope so that all we do will be effective in helping ourselves and others experience your loving presence. You are the Heart of Love and we want to place all our trust in you. We know that we are not perfect, we struggle with our weaknesses but we place our hope in you to bring about the richness of life this day from your goodness. Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: “A course never quite looks the same way twice. The combinations of weather, season, light, feelings, and thoughts that you find there are ever-changing.” (Joe Henderson) So run without fear today, breathe, run and permit the spirit of God's loving presence to be in each stride you take!

Daily Blessing: Thursday greetings and blessings to all! I drove home in the pouring rain and heavy wind with a few flashes of lightening last night but this morning it looks like a beautiful sunny day. I am not sure what the rest of the day is to bring but it is nice to see the sun. I hope your day is starting off well. I have an 11 am mass at the Wartburg Home today and then I think I am just going to relax the rest of the day. I know that you might be in the midst of a work day so I will take some time to pray that it goes well for you wherever you are and in whatever you are doing.

The mission at St. Bernard’s in Levittown, NY ended nicely last night. It was a wonderful and spirit filled three days and four evenings even with the rain and I think many good things happen. I thank you for all your prayers this week. I have a little break now before I begin a mission at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish here in Pelham Manor on Saturday. It will be a nice change of pace as I get to sleep in my own bed each might and I only have to travel a mile away.

I pray for God’s blessings upon everyone today that we will have a peaceful Thursday without too many struggles or problems. That today will be rich in presence of God especially in the people we encounter throughout this day. Blessings upon everyone today, have a great day and enjoy the day wherever you are! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul