Daily Thoughts - 11/20/2013

Daily Thoughts: Today readings (2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-30 and Luke 19: 11-28) are long and tough. In the first reading we hear about a mother who must watch her seven sons die. In the Gospel we hear another version of the talents story with a twist. Violence abounds in both stories. They do not seem to be stories that can send us on our journey through this day in a positive way, We might even say that these stories show us another side of God, one that we might not understand.

Yet I think we can gleam a positive focus for our day from our scripture stories. The thread that runs through both stories is that of faith. The mother in 2 Maccabees wants her sons to be faithful even if it means death. Their faithfulness will not only help them but also the community.

In the Gospel parable Jesus is asking us to take a risk, to trust, to have faith, He asks us to use our gifts and talents to the best of our ability. He asks us to invest in ourselves and others. He doesn't want us to fear God but to trust God, to trust ourselves and to live by faith.

Yes, sometimes the scripture can seem negative, the stories seem violent and overwhelming but if we stop to consider God's word and let it touch us we will always be able to find the challenge and the loving presence of God to take us through the day! Trust my friends, be faithful and may God be with you and bless your day!

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 you 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: “Running, much like life, [faith and the spiritual life], has its hills and valleys. On any given run, and particularly in most marathons, we come across easy stretches and seemingly impossible challenges. I have learned to just keep going. The tough moments never last, and the easy stretches are always a joy. The same is clearly true in life [in faith and the spiritual life], if we just keep going we'll get to that finish line with water, massages, and bananas! [And friendship with God!] (Main part of quote by Will Starr, Runner's World Challenger of the Week – I add what is in the brackets)

Daily Blessing: Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope your day has started off well? Here in Jacksonville I am getting ready to begin the final day of the mission. First up on the agenda for today is a school mass at 9:00 am and the morning mission talk. It will be a busy day! It has been a busy week here so far but a good one. It is nice to be back into ministry in this way. At the end of the day I am tired but it is a good tired! So as you begin your day which I hope will be a good one please offer a prayer for the people here at Holy Family and for their preacher so that this closing day of the mission will be a good one filled with spirit, energy and life.

My prayer of blessing for all of us today... May God bless us all today – Loving God bless us – Bless us and keep us safe. Let your face shine upon us and show us your compassion especially in those moments when we may struggle. May your love and peace embrace us, all we meet and especially those we love. May our journeys be safe and may we find our way home tonight to enjoy your gift family and rest. Amen! Blessings to all and enjoy your day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/19/2013

Daily Thoughts: We encounter the famous story of Zacchaeus in today's Gospel (Luke 19:1-10). Zacchaeus had to liabilities, one he was short and the other was that he was a tax collector.

Now he could not do anything about his shortness, that was with him to stay. Being a tax collector seemed to be his choice. We do not know how he got the job or why he wanted it but it put him in a bad light with many people and the religious leadership. He was seen as a sinner, someone who sold out to the Romans and someone who was cheating his own people just to get ahead in life.

However there was something honest and interesting about Zacchaeus. When he heard that Jesus was in town, he wanted to see him, catch a glimpse. So as the story goes he climbed a tree and we might say the rest was history. Jesus saw him and invited him down for a closer look.

We find out through the conversation between Jesus and Zacchaeus that Zacchaeus is trying to be an honest man and he is willing to go the extra mile if he has hurt or harmed anyone by his position and he is rewarded for his honesty and good heart as Jesus comes to his house.

Zacchaeus was able to take his shortcomings, his liabilities and turn them into strengths. He was able to make a positive situation out of what seemed to be a negative.  All he need to do was seek out God in his life.

With this story Jesus once again reminds us that good things, faithful things can come from unexpected situations and people. Like Zacchaeus we need to be on the lookout for the presence of God in our life and be bold when our chance comes to encounter that presence!

Have a great day 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." (By Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J.)

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: Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope this finds you well and enjoying the gift of a new day. If not, if things are a little rushed, disorganized and you feel like you have gotten off on the wrong foot, hang in there, you are in my prayers and I will take your struggles with me into this second day of mission with the hope that all will be well by the end of the day!

Yes, I am into the second day of the mission here in Jacksonville and Holy Family Parish. It was a great first day and I am looking forward to this second day. There is a good spirit and I hope to build on that today. Please keep the faith community here in your prayers and if you get a chance say a prayer or two for the preacher!

So let's go forward into this new day whether it has started off well or not by asking for God's blessing on all that we will do and upon all we meet but also let's God's blessing upon us that like Zacchaeus we will not miss the gift of God in our life today!

Loving God, bless our families, our friends and all your faithful people so that we, like Zacchaeus, will always try to live your truth; express your love by our lives; share your passion by our enthusiasm; take action with your grace; walk by faith; dance and sing to the gift of your spirit and embrace your unimaginable blessings. Help us make today worth remembering because we know that you created us out of love. God's blessings on your day everyone! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/15/2013

Daily Thoughts: I think the following quote from Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ touches on the message from the Book of Wisdom today (Wisdom 13:1-9). We certainly can learn a lot from nature, God’s creation however we have to be observant. We need to look around us and see the blue skies, the many colored leaves, the red, yellow and pink roses, the majestic trees, the soaring birds, the never ending oceans and wonderful night sky. St. Paul of the Cross once talked about stopping to hush the flowers because they were speaking to him of God too loudly. God is all around us, God is within us but we need to take the time to see and hear what nature, what God’s creation has to say to us!

“By means of all created things, without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us, and molds us. We imagined it as distant and inaccessible, when in fact we live steeped in its burning layers” 

Stop and take it in today! Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, we join today with every creature, every plant, every rock and grain of sand to proclaims the glory of our Creator. We celebrate this day through color, shape, scent and form. It is our multi-sensory song of praise.

God creator of all, we join with the whole of your creation in praising you through the fragrance, melody, harmony and spirit of our lives. Amen!

(Adapted from a prayer found on Faith and Worship - Christian Prayers and Resources)

Runner’s Thoughts: “For every runner who tours the world running marathons, there are thousands who run to hear the leaves and listen to the rain, and look to the day when it is suddenly as easy as a bird in flight.” (George Sheehan)

Daily Blessing: Friends, I leave later today for Jacksonville, FL where I will begin a mission tomorrow evening at Holy Family Parish. I will be preaching all the masses over the weekend and the mission will be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with a talk in the morning and a mission service in the evening. Please say and prayer that this will be a special graced time for the faith community of Holy Family and that their preacher truly lets God work through him. If you happen to be in the area why not come and join us!

I hope all of you are having a good and productive Friday and looking forward to a restful and relaxing weekend.

For my blessing prayer today I am going to use an old Irish Blessing and it is my prayer for all of you today – “Deep peace of the running wave to you.  Deep peace of the flowing air to you.  Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.  Deep peace of the shining stars to you.  Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.” Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/14/2013

Daily Thoughts: “The Kingdom of God is among you.” These are Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel (Luke 17:20-25). What do they mean?

On the one hand Jesus could be talking about himself. He is the Kingdom of God at that moment. The religious leaders are looking around for God and signs of God yet God is in their midst. The Kingdom of God is among them and they are missing it!

Another way of looking at Jesus’ words is that Jesus does not say that the Kingdom of God is in us or above us or around us; Jesus says the Kingdom is among us. Perhaps Jesus is saying that none of us alone possesses the Kingdom of God. Each of us shares in the Kingdom, thus we need each other for the Kingdom to be fully appreciated.

With this in these two understandings of Jesus’ words today our challenge is to be on the lookout for marks of the Kingdom. We need to be on the lookout for the presence of Jesus in our life. And what will help us not miss the marks of the Kingdom and the presence of Jesus? Well as the first reading tells us (Wisdom 7:22b-8:1) the gift of the spirit of wisdom and remember wisdom produces friends of God!

Have a wise and wonderful Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer: O God of all wisdom, hear our prayer today, as we call upon your spirit of wisdom, and grace us with your spirit of wisdom so that we may know and understand what things we ought to do and say. Touch us with your presence so that we may have grace and power to faithfully accomplish all that is put in front of us today. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ our loving Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Runner’s Thoughts: “I run because it's so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought.” (Arthur Blank)

Daily Blessing: Happy Thursday everyone! I hope your day has started off well? If not just remember you are in my prayers throughout the day in the hope by the end of this day you will have encounter the presence of God that will make all the difference.

My prayer of blessing for all us today is – Loving God, giver of all good gifts, bless us today with hearts that love you, so that by deepening our sense of respect and reverence for you we may nurture within ourselves and others only what is good. Bless us with your watchful care throughout this day so that wherever we go and whatever we do it will be for you. Bring us home safe to those we love that we might celebrate the gift of family, of friendship, of community, of your love so that our sleep will be restful and we will be energized to welcome you tomorrow! Blessings upon everyone as you journey through this day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/12/2013

Daily Thoughts: There is a quote from St. John of Damascus that goes, “What is more precious than to be in the hands of God? God is Life and Light, and those who are in God’s hands are life and light.” There is something very beautiful and comforting about these words as there is about the words in the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 2:23-3:9) our first reading today.

We most often hear this reading or at least part of it at a funeral mass. I always find it comforting to think that the person that I have come to remember is now in the hands of God and that they are at peace. I think back to my mother’s death and the years of struggle that proceeded that moment. She struggle with dementia for over ten years. She was not herself.  She was not the woman who brought me into the world or raised me to be the man I am today. At times she did not know me or anyone else in the family. Her life memories were all jumbled up somewhere in her brain. The expressions on her face were often those of confusion and struggle but at the moment that I celebrated her funeral mass I was comforted by the fact that she was now with God, she was now at peace!

The words of the Book of Wisdom and St. John of Damascus comfort us today especially as we think of those important people in our life that we have lost.  Yet, Jesus, in the Gospel (Luke 17:7-10), reminds us that throughout our life good works are expected of us. Living life in relationship to God is what is expected of us. We are not special because we do good things; we are simply God servants, no more no less. The gift of being at peace, the gift of being in God’s hands, the gift of being life and light are just that gifts given us by God.

We should not expect praise and honor because we live a life of faith. It is expected of us. Yet in living a life of faith we are comforted by the end of the journey when God, who is Life and Light, will hold us in peace!

Have a great day everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Day by day
Oh Loving God,
Three things we pray
To see you more clearly
To Love you more dearly
And to Follow you more nearly
Day by day – Amen!
(Adapted from the Song: Day By Day from Godspell)

Runner’s Thoughts: “Life is for participating, not for spectating.” (Kathrine Switzer) The same is true about faith, thus if we say we believe, we have faith then we need to be participating not spectating. So get out there and be a person of faith today – and maybe run a little too!

Daily Blessing: Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope your day has started off well? Here in Pelham we have seen the little white stuff coming down from above off and on. It is not sticking to the streets, sidewalks or driveways but it hangs around on the plants, trees, bushes and grass for a little while. I guess winter is upon us at least for the moment!

It has become a busy week here with a lot of things to get done before handing to Jacksonville, FL on Friday to begin a parish mission at Holy Family Parish on Saturday. So let’s pray for each other that this is a good week one filled with spirit, energy and life.

May God bless us all today – Loving God bless us – Bless us and keep us safe. Let your face shine upon us and show us your compassion especially in those moments when we may struggle. May your love and peace embrace us, all we meet and especially those we love. May our journeys be safe and may we find our way home tonight to enjoy your gift family and rest. Amen! Blessings to all and enjoy your day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/11/2013

Daily Thoughts: I found it rather interesting and even ironic as I read about St. Martin of Tours this morning before celebrating mass. St. Martin was born in Pannonia (Hungary). In his teens he became a Roman soldier following in his father’s footsteps but at 18 he was baptized and decided that his new found Christian values and military service were incompatible so he got his release from the army. He moved to the Gaul region of France where he founded a monastery with a small group of disciples. Eventually despite St. Martin’s strong protests the people of Tours proclaimed him their bishop.

The irony of the above story is that every year we celebrate Veterans Day in the United States on the feast of St. Martin of Tours, yet it was Martin who chose to leave the military because he felt his Christian values were incompatible with it.

The second thing that caught my attention about St. Martin’s story is that it was the people of Tours who made St. Martin their bishop.

Now we have to put this story in context. St. Martin lived in the fourth century and obviously life was different, military service was different and Church was different. As a Church over the centuries we have changed our stance on serving in the military and on how we choose bishops. Yet it is interesting how this story about the life of St. Martin of Tour can make us stop and think about life today and the choices and decisions that we make in regards to our faith and our Church.

Perhaps when we find ourselves in these situations, confronted with these and similar choices we become aware of the challenge of our first reading today from the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 1:1-7). Wisdom tells us today that no matter what we face, no matter what choices are in front of us, what decisions we are challenged to make – what is most important is our continued trust in God.

If we look at the history of the world, the history of life, the history of the Church, great decisions have been made but so to have mistakes and poor choices. Things have constantly changed sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse yet what has endured is our trust in God.

As Jesus tells us in the Gospel today, faith and forgiveness are key ingredients in the journey of life. We need to have faith, to trust in God. We also need to be forgiving and trust that no matter what choices or decisions we make we can also count on God’s forgiveness.

Blessings and peace to all Veterans today and happy St. Martin of Tours feast day to all! Enjoy your Monday everyone!

Daily Prayer:  

Loving God, on this Veterans Day –  
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 God of Peace, 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 prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)

Runner’s Thoughts: “For every runner who tours the world running marathons, there are thousands who run to hear the leaves and listen to the rain, and look to the day when it is suddenly as easy as a bird in flight.” (George Sheehan)

Daily Blessing: I hope everyone had a good weekend and that you got at least a little rest and relaxation. I hope your team or teams won and if not remember there is always next week! November seems to be moving quickly and before we know it the holidays will be upon us so make sure you stop and take a deep breathe every once in a while and look around at life so that you don’t miss today!

And so I ask God to bless us all today with a sense of reverence for the presence of God that we will encounter during our journey through this day. A presence that we will find in the people we meet, in the places we go and in the things we do. A presence that is first a foremost with us each of us and so loving God make sure we take the time to reverence ourselves today too!

Loving God bless us also with your peace so that the struggles, the difficulties and the challenges of this day do not get us down but help us to know of your presence and love in our life!

Loving God renew our spirits so that we may live this day in your service, in your presence and in your love. Amen! Blessings to all Veterans! And blessings to all who serve in the military may you make it home safely and soon! Happy Veterans Day to all! Happy Feast of St. Martin of Tours to all! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Saturday Thoughts - 11/09/2013

Daily Thoughts: Celebrate each moment as it comes to you…with faith, trust and gratitude. Because all that happens in our life has God’s mark on it. Each day offer a simple fiat…It can be as simple as taking a breath, or the beat of our heart, but let it say thanks God!

Seek God each and every day, not in some far off place, not in the trappings of history but in the world around us. God is always right here, in this place, in our hearts. God is right here, where we stand, where we walk, where we run, where we sit, where we lie down, in the everything we do. God is right here, in our family, in our friends, even in strangers we meet.

God is in our workplace, our homes, our yards, our living rooms, our family rooms, our bed rooms. Because these are all places, altars where offer and receive love and thankfully God is there!

Celebrate life; celebrate life with gratitude and thankfulness today and always!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Give thanks to God, for God is good and God’s love is everlasting. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: “Struggle is the food from which change is made, and the best time to make the most of a struggle is when it's right in front of your face.

Now, I know that might sound a bit simplistic. But, too often we're led to believe that struggling is a bad thing, or that we struggle because we're doing something wrong.

I disagree. I look at struggle as an opportunity to grow. True struggle happens when you can sense what is not working for you and you're willing to take the appropriate action to correct the situation. Those who accomplish change are willing to engage the struggle.” (Danny Dreyer)

Daily Blessing: May our Loving God the source of all blessings grant us the grace of integrity of faith, endurance of hope, perseverance of love and patience in the living of life. May God bless us with peace today and always! Blessings to all! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul