Daily Thoughts - 09/24/2013

Daily Thoughts: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on [life] it.” (Luke 8:21) I added the word life to Jesus’ word today because I truly believe that is what he means.

The picture that the Gospel (Luke 8:19-21) paints today often creates concern and questions. Why would Jesus treat his family this way? Why would Jesus treat his mother this way? Isn’t family first? However if we think about today’s Gospel in these terms we are missing the point. Jesus loved his mother greatly. Jesus was a good member of the family. But in the Gospel today Jesus shows all the boundless amounts of God’s love. We are all mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers in Christ. There are no exclusive places, no special privileges.

Today’s Gospel is a Gospel of hope. We are reminded of God’s great, unconditional love. Today’s Gospel gives us great comfort in knowing that God await all of us, accepts all of us. We can all be part of the family; we call be part of the body of Christ. All it takes is hearing the word of God and living it!

That is what Jesus is calling those gathered around him today to, that is what Jesus is calling us to. Do you hear the voice of Pope Francis in the Gospel today?

Daily Prayer:

Loving God, we pause for a moment and ask you hear and accept our prayers of praise for you today…

Be praised, loving God, through all your creatures, especially through my Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And Brother Sun is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, loving God, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, loving God, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, loving God, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, loving God, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, loving God, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, loving God, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for they will be crowned; happy are we today for in hearing your word you call us all to be sisters and brothers in you. Amen!

(Adapted from a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi)

Runner’s Thoughts: “To me, there is no greater way to achieve clarity than to run alone, or share miles with a trusted friend. Epiphany comes as we sweat it out, or if epiphany is out of reach — then peace.” (Kristin Armstrong, "Bless Your Heart," Mile Markers column, RunnersWorld.com)

What a wonderful reflection about running and the spiritual life. We need solitude and community as people of faith. We need that time alone with God and we need that time with God in the midst of community, family and friends.

The definition for epiphany is: 1. a revelatory manifestation of a divine being; 2.

a sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something; 3. a comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization.

In the spiritual life, like in running, our epiphanies come when we sweat it out, when we struggle and discover who we are and what we are made of. Even when the light doesn’t seem to go on when God seems out of reach, yet we believe that God is with us so there is peace.

Daily Blessing: Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope your day has started off well, if not hang in there I pray that it will get better!

My thoughts and prayers continue for the people of Kenya as they live through terror. I remember the people who died and all those affected by this act of evil. May if come to an end and may there be peace.

I ask God’s blessings upon all of you today. May today be rich in the gift of family, friendship and peace. May you find the road today flat, smooth and easy to travel. May you find the gift and grace of God in everyone you meet and in everything you do. Most importantly may you find the gift of God within you as you live your life today! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

PS Go Pirates!

Daily Thoughts - 09/20/2013

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)

You can hear Pope Francis’ voice in the first reading for today’s mass (1Timothy 6: 2c-12). If fact we have been hearing his voice through our reading of Paul’s First Letter to Timothy. Paul and Pope Francis are telling us what it takes to be a good leader, a good minister, a good person of faith. Today, Paul remains Timothy to be a person that lives for something important and life giving. Paul also reminds Timothy to always reflect on what is holding him back from living to the fullest.

In perhaps a similar way we hear Pope Francis’ voice in the Gospel for today (Luke 8:1-3) also. 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 don’t think hearing Pope Francis voice in the scriptures is going to be all the unusual in the days, weeks, months and years ahead. He speaks from the scriptures more than any other Pope I have encountered and so each time we go to the Gospels, each time we hear the scriptures read or read them for ourselves, we will hear God’s voice, Jesus’ voice, the Spirit’s voice and Pope Francis’ voice! Because of that I will continue to look forward to the Word of God each day.

Make sure you know what you are living for and what at time hold you back from living fully. Friday blessing 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)

Runner’s Thought: “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: TGIF everyone! 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!

For all of you I offer a prayer of blessing as your journey through this day. 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 gentle as you journey and, until the sun rises again tomorrow, may God hold you and all you whom you love in the palm of His hand so nothing will harm you. Amen! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/19/2013

Daily Thought: “If I wait to be perfect before I love myself I will always be unsatisfied and ungrateful. If I wait until all the flaws, chips, and cracks disappear
I will be the cup that stands on the shelf and is never used” (Joyce Rupp)

A little wisdom for your afternoon and evening!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, sometimes we look in the mirror we are not too happy with what I see. We see imperfection, self-centeredness and ego. Please help us to see the person you created in your own image and likeness, a person of beauty, compassion and love. Help us to hold this image in our mind and heart as we live the journey of life in our own unique way. Allow others to see your image within us as we live with confidence, grace and a smile on our face. Amen.

Runner’s Thought: “The task ahead of you is never greater than the strength within you.” (Unknown)  Our journey of faith through life is never without the presence of God.

Daily Blessing: Happy Thursday everyone! Blessings upon your afternoon and evening, upon your work, upon the people you love and upon you, please know as you live life you are in my prayers! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/18/2013

Daily Thoughts: I think we have all had the experience of not liking a person. I certainly have and if I don’t find a way to see some good in the person at some point I struggle. When there is something about a person that I don’t like it begins to color everything they do. Because of this I then find it easy to criticize, make fun of or dismiss them. No matter what they do it is wrong. If I or someone else does the same thing it is just fine, but because this person does it, then it is wrong.

When I catch myself in this mood or judgmentalness I feel embarrassed and ashamed.  I know it is a human behavior, a human feeling and sometimes the person involved has done things that validate these feeling, yet I know that my behavior, my judgmentalness is wrong and because of it I push God away.

Jesus seems to be remaining us of this in today’s the Gospel (Luke 7: 31-35). No matter what he does the religious leaders and some of the people of his time do not believe in him or his message. John the Baptist and Jesus approach life from two distinct directions. John does not eat or drink, he fasts and is austere in his lifestyle, while Jesus does eat and drink, he is always going to someone’s home for a meal. His lifestyle is more socially oriented. Yet for the religious leadership and some of the people they both, John and Jesus, are wrong. John is crazy, possessed and Jesus is a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of sinners.  No matter what John and Jesus do to help people encounter the presence of God they are wrong.

The religious leadership and some of the people in the crowd are closed to the gift and presence of God that John and Jesus bring. Their eyes are blinded by attitude and judgment. When I find myself like the religious leadership of Jesus’ time my eyes too are blinded by attitude and judgment and I miss the presence of God in that moment, in that person.

We are remind to be open to all the possibilities of God today even in the people, situations and experience that often seem to make our life hard and difficult. We are reminded that God can come to us in many ways through many people. Let us not be judge, jury and executioner. Let us be children of wisdom and hope open to the gift of God in others and ourselves!

Have a great day everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God help us to remember that you are with us today.
Help us to bring to mind your loving presence within us and around us.
Never let us be closed to your loving presence in the world, in others and in ourselves.
Never let us be closed through judgmentalness, negativity and anger.
Open our minds to remember your presence.
Open our mouths to speak your wisdom.
Open our hearts to extend your love.
Open our hands to serve you generously.
Open our whole being to you this day and always.
Amen!
(Adapted from a prayer by Joyce Rupp)

Runner’s Thoughts: “There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life. But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you. Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be.” (George Sheehan – Runner’s World Daily Kick in the Butt)

Yes, there are many reasons to run. I run because I am a man of faith, created in the image and likeness of God, a Passionist, a priest, a human being who wants to be the best person I can be. I run because God is present in nature, it people, in the gift of a new day and if I am running I encounter all these things. I run because with each breathe there is hope, there is beauty and there is life. So as George Sheehan says above, “Find your own play, your own rewarding compulsion, and become the person you are meant to be.” Become the person God has created you to be.

Daily Blessing: Uh-oh! Guess what day it is?? Guess what day it is! Whoot Whoot! It is Hump Day! So happy Hump Day everyone! Yes, I am as happy as a camel on Wednesday! And you thought I had forgotten it!

Well I hope everyone’s day has started out well. It is another beautiful day here in Pelham. The air is crisp and energizing. It will be a good day for a run. I hope where you are life is full of energy today too.

My thoughts and prayer remain with those who lost loved ones in Washington, DC on Monday and those who were touched and are still affected by those events. I would like to hope something like this will never happen again but that is a hard thing to hope for given our world and the violence we encounter throughout it each day. Let us pray that one day we will encounter an all-inclusive peace!

My prayer of blessing for all of you today is that today will be rich in the gifts of love, hope and peace in your life and that if you encounter anger, violence and negativity it will be short lived because you are blessed with loving, caring people in your life. I pray that you will be open to the many ways that God will touch your life today and that you will trust in the gift of God that you are and bring that gift to every person, to every place and to every experience you have. May God bless you and be with you today and always. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/17/2013

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

This simple expression of life touches our readings today (1 Timothy 3:1-13 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 Timothy talks about the attributes of bishops and deacons. Once again if we listen to Paul’s words those called to these positions of leadership need to be spiritual people. 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.

Today let us pray for 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.

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)

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

Daily Blessing: Happy Tuesday everyone! While it is a beautiful day here in Pelham the heaviness of yesterday’s tragedy in Washington, DC still hangs in the air. My prayers and thoughts are with all who lost loved ones and to all who had to encounter such violence in their life. Will we ever as a nation come to the realization of how senseless guns are? Perhaps not but that will not stop me from praying and hoping for a world without guns, without violence – a world at peace!

As we begin this day hopefully it will be a day without tragedy and one 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 - 09/16/2013

Daily Thoughts: “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 that all of us may learn to live and act as the centurion in the Gospel so that God finds great faith in us.

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)

Runner’s Thought: 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!

Today's Blessing: Happy Monday everyone! 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 unbothered by sports and full of what gives you life.

As for me, my Pirates took three out of four games from the Cubs, (sorry Chicago fans) and remain tied for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals. My Steelers play tonight and I ran 18 miles on Sunday and continue to live to write about it though I am walking a bit slower this morning! So all in all I can say it was a good weekend! This week I will reduce my running mileage to prepare for a marathon next week in Columbus, IN. It will be the first of three marathons in a six week period. Now don’t I know how to have fun! Prayers requested!

Well enough of my crazy tales, the focus as always is today and I pray for all of you as you journey through today may it be a good journey. May you live by faith today 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 - 09/14/2013

Daily Thoughts: Today is a very special feast in the Church and the Passionist Community. It is the Feast of the Triumph of the 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!

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." (By Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J.)

Runner's Thought: 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!

Happy Saturday everyone and Happy Feast of the Triumph of the Cross! I hope your weekend has stared off well and that you are enjoying some beautiful weather like we are here in Pelham, NY. Though I do know that in some parts of the country the weather is making life difficult! I am resting today as I have an 18 mile race tomorrow in Central Park. It begins at 7 am and hopefully I will be done before 10 am which makes for an early and eventful Sunday! I hope your Sunday and weekend will remain a little more relaxing. As you know when I run I pray and while my prayer is often, "Please God help me to breathe so that I can finish," I will make sure to include all of you in my prayer through Central Park tomorrow! Have a great Saturday, enjoy, be safe and know that God's loves you! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul