Daily Thoughts - 09/03/2013

Daily Thoughts: “Our duty, as men and women, is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist. We are collaborators in creation.” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)

This quote by the great philosopher, theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin came to mind as I was praying earlier day and making some final adjustments to a homily that I preached this morning to a high school faculty. The readings for the day (1Thess 5:1-6, 9-11 and Luke 4:31-37) speak about being a teacher and trusting in what we know and the gifts we have.

In his First Letter to the Thessalonians Paul is asking the community to trust in what they believe in, in other words to have faith. He points to the things going on around them, the uncertainly of their times and that some people are saying, “Peace and security,” in other words everything is fine, while others are say “ruin and disaster,” in other words, life is a mess! Paul says let’s trust in our relationship with God. Let’s be faith filled people and live life “as if limits to our ability [do] not exist.” Let work with God.

Jesus on the other hand in the Gospel is helping people to experience the gift of God in their lives. His teaching has power and authority. But what gives Jesus’ teaching so much power and authority? We might say it is because he is the Son of God and we would not be wrong. But I think Jesus’ teaching had power and authority because of how he treated people. In the Gospel today he expels a demon spirit so that a man can get on with his life. Over and over again Jesus takes people where they are and helps them to grow, to recognize the grace and presence of God in their lives.

Jesus knows that limits to our ability do not exist, because anything is possible with God. So let’s live this day in God’s presence. Let’s look beyond what appear to be our limits and let’s work with God to make a better world. Let’s be collaborators with God to bring about peace!

Daily Prayer:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that we may not so much seek

 to be consoled as to console,
 to be understood as to understand,
 to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
(Adapted from a the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)

Runner’s Thought: “The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” (John Bingham) The miracle is also trusting in the presence of God, then finding, embracing and acknowledging that presence as we run!

Happy Tuesday everyone! And happy first day of school to all teachers and students who headed out the door this morning for the first time. I know there are many who have been at school for a while already, but here in New York today was the beginning in many places. I pray that all students and those who help them to learn and grow will have a great year!

I hope everyone else had a nice Labor Day weekend and that you were able to let go of work a little and just celebrate life with family and friends. It is hard to believe that it is already September. My how time flies when you are having fun!

In some ways I have a busy fall ahead of me in other ways I do not. Ministry in these next few months will be a little light unless I can pick up some last minutes jobs here and there but I do have a full schedule of running over the next three months. Three marathons in three months, now where was my brain when I thought this one up? I am nervous but also looking forward to the challenge as I close in on my 60^th birthday.

Just a reminder I will be running NYC Marathon in memory of my good friend Roseann Quinn who died two years ago. This will be the third time I have tried to run it in her memory so I am hoping three is a charm. You might remember Roseann died from cancer and I am running in her memory for Fred’s Team. The team raises money to help Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Hospital.  I have reached 84% of my goal of $10,000. I know many of you have already given over the last two years but if you haven’t or know someone who would like to give to please stop by my fundraising page - http://mskcc.convio.net/site/TR/FredsTeamEvents/Freds_Team?px=1984802&pg=personal&fr_id=1930

I certain appreciate any help you can give so that I can reach my goal!

Have a great Tuesday everyone! A big shout out to my niece Mindy who celebrates her birthday today – Have a Great Day Mindy!

And please join me in praying for peace in Syria, Egypt and everywhere else in the world where people wake up each day and have to live with violence. Pope Francis has asked us to fast and pray for peace on Saturday September 7^th. I will be fasting and praying before the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday from 7 pm until Midnight here in our little chapel in Pelham. I ask you to join me in spirit at some point during that time by giving up something a TV show, a football game, a baseball game or something, and spend just a little time in prayer. Let’s believe that all things are possible with God and so our prayer can make a difference.

Again, blessings today upon everyone! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 08/31/2013

Daily Thought: “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.” (Thomas Merton)

Perhaps this is the spirit of today Gospel (Matt. 25:14-30) that we take the chance and invest our life. There are always risks involved but in the end wouldn't it be great to hear God say to us, "Well done good and faithful servant, come share my joy!"

Have a great day everyone! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 08/23/2013

Daily Thoughts: “Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved. It leaves all the other secondary effects to take care of themselves. Love, therefore, is its own reward.” (Thomas Merton)

Perhaps this is what Jesus is getting at as he answers the scholar of the law in today’s Gospel (Matt. 22: 34-40). Love sits at the heart of any relationship, of any friendship and the first mark of a good relationship, a good friendship is benevolence. Actively, seeking and finding the good in another. In today’s Gospel Jesus reminds us that we are to love God and love others and love ourselves. In order to do this we must find the good in the ones we love, God, others and self. As Merton says if we can do this the gift of love will be our reward!

Have a great rest of the day everyone and a relaxing weekend and don’t forget to give God a little time!

Daily Prayer:  Loving God, teach us to love as you love. Help us to make our love unconditional, honest, and kind. Help us to ask nothing in return and to let our love encompass the whole of humankind. 

Loving God, let us offer our love without speaking. Let it radiate as it shines forth from us. Let it be seen in our faces, in our eyes, and let it be simple, sincere, and shame free.

Loving God, show us how to forgive as you forgive and help us to not burden another with guilt. Help us to not play the role of the martyr but to be a rock on which trust may be built. 

Loving God, let our love for you and others be greater by far than any love that is offered to us. Let our love be always led by the Spirit, inspired of you our God and as forgiving and free as Jesus’ love. Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by Virginia (Ginny) Ellis)

Runner’s Thought: “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” (Dean Karnazes) So to in the spiritual life!

TGIF everyone! Thanks for all the kind words on my anniversary of religious profession yesterday, a special shout out and thank you to my sister and niece, Alice for their loving words!

I hope your Friday is going well and that you are looking forward to a fun and relaxing weekend. In about an hour or so I will be heading to the lake house with the Wiecks. I am looking forward to a boat ride on the lake. It should be a great couple of days!

May the rest of your Friday not be too busy and may you be blessed with a restful, relaxing and fun filled weekend! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 08/22/2013

Daily Thoughts: “Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)

I have always liked this quote from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and I think it ties into the thinking of Jesus in today’s Gospel (Matt. 22: 1-14). We sometime get caught up in all the things the world defines as important and we lose sight of what God finds important. If we can tap into God’s energy, if we can hear God’s invitation we will not find ourselves outside in the end.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer:  Grant, O 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, our God. 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. Loving God, may we delight in any work we do for you and tire of any rest that is apart from you. Gracious God, let us direct our hearts towards you, and in our failings, let us always seek forgiveness with the firm purpose of being better people. Amen! (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)

Runner’s Thought: “Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from places a shower will never reach.” (George Sheehan – From Runner’s World)  We might say prayer is the sweat of the spiritual life and it too cleanses from within and it touches places no rituals can reach. So if we pray while we run we can cleanses our total self!

Happy Thursday everyone! I made it to Shelby yesterday via sometime in Charlotte. The sun is out today and I am being a bit lazy!

It is the 31^st Anniversary today of my first vows with the Passionists. August 22, 1982 was a very hot Sunday and Pittsburgh, but seven of us along with Passionists, family and friends spoke of our desire to live the Passionist life keeping alive the memory of Christ’s Passion through our lives, our ministry and our prayer. Three of us remain from the hot August afternoon, Fr. Melvin Shorter, C.P., Fr. Chris Cleary, C.P. and myself. It is interesting to note that we were the three oldest members of the class. I am not sure what that means, maturity, intelligence, wisdom or we just had given up too much to turn back. Who knows! I am thankful to my two classmates for an interesting 32+ years, for their friendship, for their faithfulness, and for being there on the journey. I am thankful to all of you for your love, support and prayers that have kept me going!

Have a great day everyone! May it be blessed with many wonderful experiences, may gifted and loving people and a piece of chocolate, an ice cream treat or a beer if you are like me! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 08/20/2013

Daily Thoughts: “For [humankind] this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Perhaps what can help to make things possible is a sense of gratitude for all God has graced us with. Perhaps it is in letting go of our own need to control and live with gratitude and gratefulness toward God because it just might make all the difference.

Perhaps Thomas Merton says it better than me… “To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us - and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God we come before in prayer grateful today grateful. We are grateful for this moment of life. We are grateful for each breath we take. We are grateful for our life. And so we thank you for our challenges for they help us to grow. We thank you for our many gifts for they help us to smile. We thank you for our many circles of support for they hold our hand. We thank you for our body for it is our vehicle of living. We thank you for our heart for it reminds us to love. We thank you for our mind for its abundance. We thank you for our friendship with you for it inspires us. Loving God, we thank you and we are grateful for life and the opportunity to live it with you! Amen.

Runner’s Thought: “There is something magical about running; after a certain distance, it transcends the body. Then a bit further, it transcends the mind. A bit further yet, and what you have before you, laid bare, is the soul.” (Kristin Armstrong) And when you get to the soul you will find God!

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope your day has started off well. They say it will be a warm and humid one here in Pelham. Back to the dog days of August I guess! May it be a bit cooler where you are.

I am hoping to go through the day without hearing the names Alex Rodriguez or Ryan Braun but the only way I think I can make this work is stay away from TV, radio and the computer. I was watching the Little League World Series yesterday and I could not escape their names! Oh for the days when baseball was just baseball, I guess never again! At least my Pirates won…

Well enough of my baseball woes…I am sure for most of you there are many more important things in life. May what is important to you be blessed today and I pray you will have a good day and be blessed and graced in God’s love in all your endeavors.  Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 08/19/2013

Daily Thoughts: A sad moment in the Gospel (Matt. 19: 16-22), the young man just cannot let go of the world. He could not respond to Jesus’ call, Jesus’ invitation. There was too much to lose.

Thomas Merton talked about call, vocation in this way, “Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess. Vocation does not come from a voice out there calling me to be something I am not. It comes from a voice in here calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God.”

Perhaps the young man could not hear the voice within. Perhaps he was too focused on a prize outside himself. Perhaps he really did not know his true self, the treasure that he was.

Two questions for each of us today. Do we know our true self? Do we know and accept the treasure that we are? Have a good Monday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

O Loving God, today we pray three things, to see you more clearly, to love you more dearly, and to follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen! (Adapted from the Godspell Song Day By Day)

Runner’s Thought: “Running is about finding your inner peace, and so is a life well lived.” (Dean Karnazes)

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend and that in the busyness of life you got a little rest and relaxation. As per earlier post my weekend for the most part was a busy one but I did get the chance to just relax and enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon and evening.

This week will be busy at the beginning as I get work done so that I can leave here free and clear on Wednesday morning for Shelby, NC. I am looking forward to my time with my North Carolina friends.

Have a great Monday everyone and may God bless you with a week gifted by laughter and love! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 08/17/2013

Daily Thought: In Aramaic, the word for child, servant, and slave is the same, which reflects the cultural attitude of first-century Palestine. But Jesus says “for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” What a switch! Jesus is turning the social structure upside down! What does Jesus see that the learned and clever cannot see?

Children are vulnerable and totally dependent. Because they lack power and control, they live in trust. Relying totally on their parents, they learn and grow. This is the stance that Jesus took when he taught his disciples to pray. We need to do the same. (From Living with Christ – August 17)

Daily Prayer: Loving God, help us today and always, as Jesus said, to become a child once again. Help us to know that we are loved by you. Help us to let go of pride and pretense. Help us to trust so that we can let go of all our futile and unnecessary attempts to prove that we are worthy of your love. Let us know the humble prayer of being your much loved child. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: “Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself - expanding and learning as you go - you're choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip.” (Dean Karnazes)

Happy Saturday everyone! It is another beautiful day here in Pelham. Around noon I will be headed to Tobyhanna, Pa for 3:15 pm Confessions and 4:00 pm Saturday Evening Mass. It will be a 230 mile round trip but I am helping our Passionist Community in Scranton, Pa with one of their Sunday calls. They are a little short of priests this weekend. Tomorrow I will rise 4:45 am so that I can get to Central Park by 6:30 am and be ready to run 20 miles by 7:00 am. So as you can see I have an interesting life if not one bordering on crazy!

I hope your weekend will be a little less crazy and busy. I hope after a week of work you are getting some time to rest and relax. I also hope it is with people that will bless your life with laughter, smiles and fun. Don’t forget to give a little time to God this weekend. Remember one hour is not a lot of time and God will appreciate hearing from you!

Blessings to all today and throughout the weekend, be safe if you are traveling and don’t forget to smile. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul