Daily Thoughts - 09/17/2016

Daily Thoughts: I have often used the parable of the Sower and the Seed that we find in today Gospel in my mission preaching. And even though Jesus explains it to his disciples I usually use a different interpretation. Jesus talks about the different kinds of soil in the parable as being different kinds of people however I often use the different kinds of soil to represent different conditions of our hearts.

If we say that Jesus is the sower and our hearts are the field, then as Jesus sowers the seed his word, his grace, his blessing, his hope, his love in our life the seed encounter four different kinds of soil. Three of which do not allow the seed to grow and one of which does. In other words, perhaps our parable today asks us to look into our own hearts to see what might not allow God’s grace, God’s blessing, God’s hope or God’s love to grow within us.

It might be the hardness of the foot path. The place of our heart that have been hurt, stepped on by the struggles of life. All of us have been hurt in life, by words, actions, the lack of words or the lack of actions in life. When we are hurt we harden so that we don’t get hurt again.

We might have some rock, stones, pebbles or boulders in our hearts that take up room and don’t allow the seed to grow. Rocks and boulders you ask? Our sinfulness, our faults and failings, our character defects, the sins in our life that take up space in our hearts and do not allow anything to grow with in that place of our hearts.

Then there are the weeds and thorns, the stuff of life, sometimes good stuff that is over grown and chokes of whatever God plants. The things of life that often become more important than our relationship with God. Sometimes good things that become gods and choke off the grace, the blessing, the hope and the love that God offers us as a gift.

We want our hearts to be all good soil. Soil ready and willing to accept whatever God plants so that it will grow and produce fruit a hundredfold! Why not take some time today and look into your heart. What is not allowing the grace of God to be planted, take root and grow within you? What places in your heart need a little word so that they become good soil?

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

O God, seek us, O God, find us
In your patient care;
Be your love before, behind us,
Be around us, everywhere:
Lest the gods of this world blind us,
Lest they speak us fair,
Lest they forge a chain to bind us,
Lest they bait a snare,
Turn not from us, call to mind us,
Find, embrace us, bear;
Be your love before, behind us,
Be around us, everywhere. Amen!
(Adapted from a prayer by Christina Rossetti)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “Running transported him, taking his mind to another place, very deep within. Like prayer.” (Richard Christian Matheson, "Third Wind") Will be dare to let running and prayer take us to another place deep within ourselves today?

Daily Blessing: Saturday greetings and blessings of rest and peace to all today! I hope your day has started off well. It was a long day of taping yesterday but a successful one. Our new site at Immaculate Conception Parish turned out very nice and we are very happy with the results. I hope our television and on-line community will we too!

It is the start of a beautiful day here in Pelham and I am looking forward to the gifts that it will bring. I will be making final preparations today for a special journey that I will begin on Monday. More about this special journey tomorrow. I hope you will have a great Saturday and that you to will look forward to the gifts that this day will bring.

My prayer of blessing for all of you today is that God will bless all your endeavors, your encounters, your times of solitude, your moments of busyness and your times of rest today. May this day be what you need it to be. May it be a gift from God that enables you to find the present of God in your life, especially within yourself! Have a great Saturday and don’t forget to give a little time to God this weekend. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/16/2016

Daily Thoughts: “If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for, in detail, ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for.” (Thomas Merton)

In today’s Gospel (Luke 8:1-3) we are reminded of the importance of women in Jesus’ ministry. They were their supporting, taking care of, helping Jesus with their resources, their gifts, their talents, their faithfulness and their faith.

I ran across a reflection that was very interesting in terms of today’s Gospel here is a reflection on the Gospel by Kevin Perrotta – “What is it about Mary of Magdala that cause so many misconceptions to sprout up around her? Some mark her as a great sinner; others suggest she had a romantic relationship with Jesus. Hacking our way out of this underbrush of speculation, we do know Mary had some wealth, since she supported Jesus and the male disciples. No husband is mentioned; was she widowed? Perhaps she ran her own fish business – a trade that flourished in Magdala. Rather than a repentant floozy, Mary may well have been a solid family and business woman – like many of the women in church on Sunday. Seeing her [this] way makes her a model for many of us today!” (Living with Christ)

Kevin certainly makes us stop and think about Mary Magdalene. Yes, our Gospel says seven demons came out of her, but who hasn’t fought with seven or more demons in life? In paraphrasing Thomas Merton – When trying to identify Mary Magdalene let’s not ask where she lived, or what she liked to eat or how many demons came out of her but let’s ask how she lived, what she lived for and what got in the way from time to time? If we ask these questions Mary becomes a woman of strength and great faith just like the others who followed Jesus and attended to his needs in daily life.

Let’s hear it for women today and every day! Friday blessings everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God help us to be grateful today. Help us to recognize your love in everything you have given us, because we know, we believe that you have has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of your love, every moment of existence is a grace, because it brings with it immense graces from you.

Gracious God, in gratitude we must never take anything for granted. We must never be unresponsive to your love.  We must constantly be awakening to new wonder and giving praise for your awesome goodness. We want to be grateful people because we know that a grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And this is what makes all the difference. Amen!

(Adapted from words by Thomas Merton)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “Finally, I could see with startling clarity that the time I had spent experiencing pain on a run was outweighed by the amount of time that I felt good about it. I was aglow. I was invincible. I was thinking I might be able to do it again.” (Alexandra Heminsley – Running Like a Girl)

Might we also say this about our faith, our relationship with God? Yes, we do experience pain, struggle, doubt and difficulty but they call can be outweighed by the grace, the blessings and the joy we encounter with God. In the glow of God, we become aglow, we become invincible, we want to continue the journey. So if you are a runner think of your runs as those times when we have a chance to get some clarity in our relationship with God. When we have some time to pray, when we have a chance even in the exhaustion of the end of a run to feel aglow in the presence of God, to feel invincible and to continue our journey of faith!

Run strong…run with God!

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessing to all. I hope your Friday has started off well and that today will be a somewhat easy day for you. If not and you have many challenges and/or struggles ahead before the day is done hang in there and know of my prayers for you. Remember it is only a day there is a lifetime ahead!

In a few moments I head to Jamaica Queens, NY to begin a long day of taping for the Sunday Mass. It is our first taping at our new parish in Jamaica, Immaculate Conception. It is a Passionist parish so being there is like being at home. We had a set-up and rehearsal day yesterday and I just pray that today will be a life-giving and faith filled day for all. Please keep The Sunday Mass crew in your prayers today!

For all of you I offer a prayer of blessing as this morning begins and as your journey through this day starts. May whatever kind of roads you take today be smooth and not crowded for your journeys, may the wind be gentle and always helping you along, may the sun shine warm upon your face helping you to smile, and if it rains may it fall gently upon you as you journey and, until the sun rises again tomorrow, may God hold you and all whom you love in the palm of His hand so nothing will harm them and you. Amen! Have a great Friday everyone. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/15/2016

Daily Thoughts: “We ask Mary that, as the first disciple, she teach us to remain watching, that she accompany us in patience, strengthen us in hope; we ask that she lead us towards the meeting with her Risen Son; that she free us from fear, so that we can hear the announcement of the angel... to announce it to others who need it so much.” (Pope Francis)

These words from Pope Francis help us to reflect on Mary’s place in our life especially as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows today. Yes, Mary experienced much in her life. She carried the awesome responsibility of being the Mother of Jesus. She encountered moments of great sorrow throughout her life, however Mary in many ways is our go to person. She was human, a person just like us who had great strength, great patience and great hope in the midst of a life filled with sorrow, disappointment and pain.

Mary, particularly as Our Lady of Sorrows, is an example, a grace and a blessing to us as we journey through our own struggles in life. Perhaps something else that Pope Francis said best reflects the gift of Mary in our life - “To be faithful, to be creative, we need to be able to change. To change! And why must I change? So that I can adapt to the situations in which I must proclaim the Gospel. To stay close to God, we need to know how to set out; we must not be afraid to set out.” (Pope Francis)

Mary certainly was faithful. Mary certainly was willing to change in order to adapt to the situations of her life. She stayed close to God and was not afraid to set out and proclaim the Gospel of her Son!

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Mary, woman of listening, open our ears; grant us to know how to listen to the word of your Son Jesus among the thousands of words of this world; grant that we may listen to the reality in which we live, to every person we encounter, especially those who are poor, in need, in hardship.

Mary, woman of decision, illuminate our mind and our heart so that we may obey, unhesitating, the word of your Son Jesus; give us the courage to decide, not to let ourselves be dragged along, letting others direct our life.

Mary, woman of action, [may] our hands and feet move “with haste” toward others, to bring them the charity and love of your Son Jesus, to bring the light of the gospel to the world, as you did. Amen.

(Adapted from a prayer by Pope Francis)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “My philosophy on running is, I don't dwell on it, I do it.” (Joan Benoit Samuelson) My theology of running is to not to just think about God as I run but to bring God with me one my runs!

Daily Blessing: Thursday greetings and blessings to everyone! It is a beautiful sunny day here in Pelham with not much humidity and a little touch of fall in the air at least this morning. A good day to be energized and I need one of those days as I have a lot of work that needs to get done as I prepare for tomorrow’s taping day. It is crunch time and I am sure my mind will be on overload today and into the night!

As we begin this day hopefully it will be a day rich in the blessings of God. I pray all of you will have a good day one touched by the grace of God. May Mary’s presence and faithfulness bring purpose and meaning to your day. May you encounter many smiles, many good people and much love.  May your day be filled with listening, decision and action that will give you life. Have a good day everyone and know of my prayers for you today and always. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/14/2016

Daily Thoughts: Today is a very special feast in the Church and the Passionist Community. It is the Feast of the Triumph or the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. So I offer you two simple prayers to guide you through this day and life...

The first comes from our Passionist tradition it is a simple prayer we utter each day - "May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!"

The second prayer was written by the great Jesuit theologian Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J. - "The Cross of My Lord, Be my Standard, Be my Comfort, Be the Answer to all dark questions, The Light of all nights, The Sign that You have chosen us, The mysterious and sure Sign that we are Yours for eternity. Amen."

These two simple prayers reflect the meaning of the Cross that we as Church and as the Passionist Community celebrate this day.

May the Passion and the Cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ be not a sign of violence, oppression, war and failure. May The Passion and Cross of Christ be a sign of God's great and unconditional love for us. May the Passion and Cross of Jesus be a walking stick that we can lean on to rest; be a protector in times of struggle and danger; and always be a reminder of just how much God love's us, no matter how imperfect we are as we journey through life!

Have a great Wednesday everyone.

Daily Prayer:

The Cross of My Lord,

Be my Standard,

Be my Comfort,

Be the Answer to all dark questions,

The Light of all nights,

The Sign that You have chosen us,

The mysterious and sure Sign that we are Yours for eternity.

Amen.

(Prayer by Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J.)

A Runner's Thoughts: At first an ordeal and then an accomplishment, the daily run becomes a staple, like bread, or wine... or air. (Benjamin Cheever, author and Runner's World contributor) We might also say that the daily run also becomes our prayer, our conversation with God each day!

Daily Blessing: Wednesday greetings to all and blessings on this Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross! I hope your day is getting off to a good start. If not, I hope as you live today it will grow into a day full of people and experiences that will be life giving for you.

As I expected, as the week has gone on my nights have become less about sleeping and more about thinking. We are making our way up to our first Sunday Mass taping day on Friday and there are still many things to do. My mind will just not turn off. I try not to fight it but it is a bit frustrating. Oh well, so goes the life of a worrier!

As I begin this new day my prayer for all of you is that you will have a good journey through this day. May you live by faith today and trust in the gift that you are. May God recognize your faith and bless you with the unconditional love that we are reminded of each time we look upon his Cross. If you are struggling today may you find the grace of hope, peace and love to see you through this day. Blessings today upon all you do, upon everyone you meet and most importantly upon all of you! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/13/2016

Daily Thoughts: “You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience.” (Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.)

This simple expression of life touches our readings today (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a and Luke 7: 11-17). In the Gospel Jesus reminds all gathered at the city gate that they are spiritual beings in the presence of God as he brings the widow’s son back to life. The value of our life rests in our relationship with God and when we trust that relationship wonderful things can happen.

Yes, the world around us is human, imperfect but we are created in the image and likeness of God. We are spiritual beings living this human experience. God is always present. If we invest in God’s presence, if we stay connected to God’s presence the richness of our relationship with God can be experienced. God is always waiting. God is always ready to help.

Our first reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians talks about the Church as one body with many parts. Once again if we listen to Paul’s words we learn that we are spiritual people, intimately in relationship with God. God needs to be first. Care and concern for others is the primary task. Compassion is the attribute that enable all to experience the presence of God. We are asked by Paul to strive for the spiritual gifts no matter where we find ourselves in the Body of Christ.

Today, on the memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, let us pray for all Church leaders that they will always serve with compassion and love. Let us pray for ourselves that we will always embrace the spirit of God as we journey through this human experience.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God,
Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.
For then we have you to lean upon.
Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.
For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.
Thank you for your presence during the Holy Days and Holidays.
For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends.
For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.
For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.
For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.
For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.
For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Loving God, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most—Peace.

(Adapted from a Prayer by Maya Angelou)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “My philosophy on running is, I don't dwell on it, I do it.” (Joan Benoit Samuelson) My theology of running is to not to just think about God as I run but to bring God with me one my runs!

Daily Blessing: Tuesday greetings and blessings to all. It is looks to be another beautiful day here in Pelham.  The last couple of days have been really nice with lower temps especially at night. I hope you morning and day are starting off well and that the weather where you are will energize you and help you to enjoy and live this new day!

As we begin this day hopefully it will be a day rich in the blessings of God. I pray all of you will have a good day one rich in the grace of God. May you encounter many smiles, many good people and much love.  Have a good day everyone and know of my prayers for you today and always. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/12/2016

Daily Thoughts: Today we celebrate the memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary. Mary was a popular name among the Hebrews, in memory of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. Thus some scholars think that this name is perhaps related to an Egyptian word for “beloved.” Out of love, God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. I have known may women with the name Mary in my life and all of them have had a wonderful impact on my life. As we celebrate the name of the most important Mary in our lives of faith let us always call upon her in our time of need.

“Faith is about doing. You are how you act, not just how you believe.” (Mitch Albom, Have a Little Faith: a True Story)

Perhaps Mitch Albom gives us some insight into the Gospel story today (Luke 7:1-10). The centurion’s faith was recognizable in his actions. He cared for the community he served, he even built them a place for prayer. He cared his own household. No treating them as property but valuing and caring for them. He recognized the presence of God in his life even though he did not belong to the faith community and perhaps most importantly he recognized his own unworthiness to be in the presence of God but trusted in God’s compassion and love.

These actions enable Jesus to see his true faith and looked what happened. How we act reflects what kind of faith we have. I pray today through the intercession of Mary, who acted on her faith, that all of us may learn to live and act as Mary and the centurion in the Gospel so that God finds great faith in us.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God, grant 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 mundane. May we shun any joy that is without you and never seek any that is beside you. May we delight in any work we do for you and tire of any rest that is apart from you. Let us direct our hearts towards you, and in our failings, always repent with a purpose of improvement. Loving God may we always live by faith! Amen. (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “I often hear someone say I'm not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner.”  (Bart Yasso) Might we also say this about people of faith? It is easy to judge, but we never know what is in a person’s heart. With that said I have never met a fake person of faith!

Daily Blessing: Happy Monday greetings and blessings to all. I hope on Sunday you took a little time to connect and be with God and to remember the events and people of fifteen years ago. I hope your weekend when well and that your favorite team or teams won if you are in to sports. If not, I hope you had a weekend was unbothered by sports and politics and full of what was life giving for you.

This week will be a very busy week for me. Our first taping of the season for the Sunday Mass will be Friday and there are still many things to do to get our new site ready. I also have a commitment over the weekend and then be leaving on a journey for a couple of weeks next Monday. So there is much to do and so little time to do it. I have a feeling there will be many sleepless night this week. Prayers requested!

Well enough of my tales of woe, the focus as always is today and I pray for all of you as you journey through your day may it be a good journey. May you live by faith and trust in the gift that you are. May God recognize your faith and bless you as he blessed the centurion in the Gospel today. If you are struggling with your faith may you decide to return home so that God can run to meet you and hold you in his arms as the father did in Sunday’s Gospel. Blessings today upon all you do, upon everyone you meet and most importantly upon all of you! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/11/2016

Daily Thoughts: Remembering the 15^th Anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001

“There is nothing that can replace the absence of someone dear to us, and one should not even attempt to do so. One must simply hold out and endure it. At first that sounds very hard, but at the same time it is also a great comfort. For to the extent the emptiness truly remains unfilled one remains connected to the other person through it. It is wrong to say that God fills the emptiness. God in no way fills it but much more leaves it precisely unfilled and thus helps us preserve -- even in pain -- the authentic relationship. Furthermore, the more beautiful and full the remembrances, the more difficult the separation. But gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as a thorn but as a precious gift deep within, a hidden treasure of which one can always be certain.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer says above there is nothing that can be said or done that replaces the loss of someone dear to us. But hopefully Bonhoeffer’s words can help to give comfort to all who lost loved ones fourteen years ago in Lower Manhattan, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania.

Perhaps, Bonhoeffer’s words can help all of us deal with what we as a city, a country and a world lost thirteen years ago. May his words give us pause to be grateful for the silent joy that all who gave their lives continue to give us. May those who lost their lives continue to be a hidden treasure for all of us, a treasure that we can always count on.

“In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

To the people who gave their lives, to the families who gave their loved ones we say thank you!

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

God of all peace and conciliation,
For those who went into danger, we give thanks.
For those who remained behind with the infirm and injured, we give thanks.
For those who thought of others first, we give thanks.
For those who offered comfort to others, we give thanks.
For moments of unknown, grant us courage.

In times of fear, grant us courage.

When called upon to stand for the rights of others, grant us courage.
When others call for our destruction, grant us courage.
When the enemies of freedom lash out, bless us with your peace
When the darkness of hatred descends, bless us with your peace
When we feel the urge to trample and destroy, bless us with your peace
When we look to the future of your universe, bless us with your peace
Through the living of life, let us be your peace
Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by Rabbi Matt Friedman)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “I run because if I didn’t, I’d be sluggish and glum and spend too much time on the couch. I run to breathe the fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary. I run…to savor the trip along the way. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that.” (Dean Karnazes)

On this day when so many lost their lives some of whom were runners let us run to breathe fresh air. Let us run to explore. Let’s us run to experience more than the ordinary. Let us run to savor the trip along the way. Let us run to remember and in remembering make our run a prayer for peace. Let us run to bring God’s presence to the world!

Daily Blessings: Sunday greetings and blessings to all! May we pause this morning to remember what happened that Tuesday Fifteen years ago and how it changed our lives. Perhaps you will think about where you were and what you felt as the tragic events of that day unfolded. Yet, here we are thirteen years later still searching for peace!

My thoughts and prayers today go out to all affected by the events of that day especially to the children who lost mothers and fathers. Nothing can fill the void of their loss. May what remains unfilled always keep them connected to the gift of the person, the treasure they lost!

I cannot help but reflect upon where we find ourselves today with the reality of so many wars, so many violence acts, so much anger, so little tolerance, so much need to blame, so much finger pointing, so much yelling, so much hate, so much condemnation, so much arrogance, so much self-centeredness, so little compassion, so little forgiveness, so little mercy, so little caring, so little chance for peace it seems – so my prayer of blessing for all of you  all today is - to ask God’s blessing upon you, may it be a solemn blessing rich in peace, strong in courage and graced by love. And may it be a blessing that you will bring it to those you love and to the piece of the world that you will touch today. May God bless you with the insight to see the gift, the treasure that you are and that you will share it with the world! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul