Daily Thoughts - 11/19/2014

Daily Thought: There are perhaps many ways to interpret today's Gospel; one way that I have often used is to ask the questions, "What is your image of God? And are you afraid of God?" In the story the man gives his servants gold coins and says go out and trade with them. Some of the servants go and trade and make more coins. One servant hides the coin in a handkerchief so he has it ready when the master wants it back. The servants who traded are rewarded and servant who stored the coin in the handkerchief has even the coin taken away. The servants who trade took a risk, they could have lost. The third servant took no risk, why? As the story tells us because he was afraid of the master!

We are given many gifts from God and all we are asked to do is use them as we live out our life. I have come to the conclusion that our image of God makes all the difference in how we use the gifts.

If we are afraid of God, afraid of making a mistake then we probably will not take any risks with God's gifts. We will hang on to them, hide them away. If we see God as a friend, a companion, someone who takes risks, who wants us to take risks then we will probably invest God’s gifts. For example, if we see Jesus as someone who took one risk after another; if we see him as someone who invested his life every day then we hopefully will do the same. So I believe that it comes down to how we envision, understand and live out our relationship with God.

Another question I often ask is, "What if the first two servants had traded with the coins and lost them?" I cannot answer the question for sure but my guess is the master says the exact same thing, "Well done, good servant!" Why because no investment is ever lost it is always out there working in some way.  Thus perhaps a challenge for today is to ask ourselves the question, "Are we willing to take a risk and bring God to the world today or are we going to hide God safely away?"

Have a great day everyone!

Daily Prayer: Two prayers for the price of one today!

O God, Giver of all good gifts, grace us with trust in you so that we will let the gifts of your Spirit flow throughout our entire life. Help us to take a risk and share your gifts with the world. Cast out our fear with a love that enables us to take a chance letting your gifts increase and multiply making us and the world so much richer! Amen!

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)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “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? Once again our day here in the Northeast is a cold one but certainly not as bad as those who live around the Great Lakes, for them it is snow upon snow upon snow. I was reading a story this morning about the Niagara University Women’s Basketball Team returning home for a game in Pittsburgh got stuck on the New York Thruway for 30 hours just 45 minutes from home. My prayers certainly go out today to all those fighting winter in profound ways, whether you are sitting in buses, walking the streets or any other ways that you are battling the effects of winter’s sting.

A shout out to the Archdiocese of Chicago, you have a new Archbishop who seems like a wonderful man and a fine leader. Many blessings upon his journey and upon all who will be led by him!

My prayer of blessing for all of us 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 whom we meet and especially those whom 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 - 11/18/2014

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.)

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: 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 my new day with the hope that all will be well by the end of the day!

For those of us in many parts of the country today while being a new day is also a cold day. I was standing outside after mass on Sunday and a woman came up to me and said, “Winter is here!” and I said, “Yes, it is and I am already tired of it!” It must be the fact that I am getting old. I just really do not like the cold anymore. I have no plans to move so I guess I should just smile and get one with life!

So in the midst of a cold wintery morning 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 whom we meet but also let's ask 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 - 11/17/2014

Daily Thought: I have two thoughts about the scripture today, one is my own the other is from a reflection I heard from one of my brother Passionist a couple of years ago. Both thoughts I think have a similar focus...

Now I am not a big fan of the Book of Revelation. I have always found it a tough read and an even tougher preach! Yet, early this morning a line in today's reading struck me, "Yet, I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first." The Lord has just praised the Church of Ephesus for a number of good things it has done however, the Lord is upset because the community has lost its initial fervor, its first love!

I think this struck me because I always remember some advice given me just after I was ordained by a wonderful older Passionist who was in the last years of his life. One day shortly have I was ordained he appeared at the door of my room and said, "Son, I don't have a lot to offer you these days but I will give you a bit of advice, always celebrate mass as if it is your first and your last!" I have always remembered this and certainly every time I have celebrated mass I have tried to celebrate as if it is my first and last mass. Yet, I know sometimes I don't have the initial energy, that first love that I had the day of my first mass. I don't have that sense of urgency that I would have if it were my last mass. Whether it is the powerful images of the Book of Revelation or a saintly Passionist wisdom figure the message is the same from God, "stay in love with me and live out of that love!"

At a community mass a couple of years ago one of my brother Passionist reflected on today's Gospel and he challenged us with the point that sometimes we would prefer not to see. The blind man in the Gospel wants to see but sometimes we find it easier not to see, it means less responsibility, less hurt or pain, less expectations on us. If I look into my own life I would have to say his observation is true. I think there have been times when I really didn't want to see, it was easier not to!

If we can find and enliven that first love for God, others and ourselves then we will always want to see! Or perhaps if we ask God in faith to see then our first love will once again come to life! May this day be one of seeing and rich in energy grounded in love!

Have a great day everyone!

Daily Prayer: God of Great Mystery, Giver of all good gifts, enliven our hearts with that first love of you, so that we might see all that is good in our world, in one another and in ourselves. Deepen our sense of reverence for you and for all of life. Nurture in us what is good and grace us in your ever loving care this day and always! Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: "Run to glory, or at least to the end of the block!" or "Would we be doing any of this if Pheidippides had been in just a little better shape?" (Bob Schwartz)

Daily Blessing: Welcome to Monday everyone! I hope you had a restful, relaxing and or productive weekend. Perhaps just resting and relaxing was the productivity that you needed! We have entered the last full week before the holiday season begins. It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is approaching and Christmas and the New Year will not be far behind. I pray today that the holidays will not come and go too quickly and that all of us will find the time to be thankful and enjoy the gifts of family, friends and the presence of God in our life. Yes, you will have to give a lot of time to shopping and preparing but also try to give some time to God throughout this holiday season!

My prayer of blessing for everyone today is that during our journey through Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas and the New Year God will bless us with the grace of a first love, of the gift of sight so that we might let go of the demons of hate, racism, anger, bigotry and vengeance so that we might see all people as God’s gifts and have a faith that not only saves us but that brings peace to our life and the life of the world! Have a wonderful day and many blessings to see and love today and always! Peace in Christ's Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/15/2014

Daily Thoughts: Sorry for not posting Daily Thoughts yesterday but we were taping the Sunday Mass yesterday all day, if fact we were celebrating Christmas and the Christmas season as we taped yesterday. So it was a long day we left the house at 6:15 am and did not return until 7:30 pm and by the time I got back to my computer last night I had no brain power left to offer you some thoughts. But today is a new day so on to some Daily Thoughts...

Early this morning as I spent some time in prayer I was struck by Jesus’ closing words in the Gospel today, "But when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:1-8)  I guess that is always the underlying question when it come to our human condition. There are so many experiences that seem to make faith difficult. That seem to direct our attention away from our relationship with God. In the Gospel today Jesus reminds us to pay attention and be persistent. In many ways it is these two qualities that will help keep our faith alive so that when Jesus does return he will find faith! ... Key thought for our journey of life today..."Being attentive to God especially through persistence in prayer!"

Remember to give God a little time today and have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, may your overabundance of mercy, patience and grace lead us through the many obstacles that we place in the way of your love today and always! (Adapted from St. Gertrude the Great)

A Runner's Thoughts: When we run with God we can expect surprises, missteps and great leaps toward our understanding and in our relationship with God but we will never be alone!

Daily Blessing: I hope your Saturday is off to a good start. May your day be blessed with the warmth of the sun lighting up a beauty of God’s creation today and the warmth of many smiles greeting you and guiding you through the gift of all the experiences that this day will bring. May your day be rich in the blessings of God’s grace, mercy, hope, joy and love wherever you go and in and through whomever you meet. And may you always be blessed in finding God’s presence within yourself! Have a wonderful day with many blessings! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/13/2014

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 St. Paul in our first reading tells us (Philm 7-20) by refreshing our hearts in Chrtist!

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.

A 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) So to in the spiritual life…

Daily Blessing: Happy Thursday everyone! I am back! Yes, it has been almost ten days since I unplugged! Cormaria Retreat House in Sag Harbor, New York is a wonderful place and I have to say that with the exception of one day, last Thursday when it rained all day, the weather was just awesome! I ran every day and I had a lot of quiet time with God looking out over the bay. There were beautiful sunrises and sunsets and reflective walks through the town. It was a great time of retreat and I feel very refreshed. Thanks for all your prayers during my retreat please know you were in my prayer throughout my time of quiet prayer! 

I hope your day has started off well? If not 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! It is good to be back connected with you. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul