Daily Thoughts - 09/29/2015

Daily Thoughts: Perhaps these words from Pope Francis are what Jesus is getting at in the Gospel today. “Before all else, the Gospel invites us to respond to the God of love who saves us, to see God in others and to go forth from ourselves to seek the good of others.”

Jesus sees God in Nathanael and all he has call to follow him. Jesus see God in all of us. All of us are invited to respond to God’s love!

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God, you have given us archangels to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.  Saint Michael is our protector; so we ask him to come to our aid, to watch over all our loved ones, and to protect all of us from danger. Saint Gabriel is a messenger of the Good News; so we ask him to help us to clearly hear your voice, to teach us your truth and to help us find the joy of your Word! Saint Raphael is the healing angel; so we ask him to take to you all our prayers for healing, lifting all in need of healing into your presence so that through your mercy, love and grace they may be delivered back to us through your gift of healing.

Help us, O God, to realize more fully the gift of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael and their desire to serve us. Archangels, protect, guide and help us through this journey of life. Amen.

A Runner’s Thoughts: Life can often pull us down and causes us to struggle however running, prayer and a focus on others always lifts us up. (Adapted from a quote by Jerry Hadfield)

Daily Blessing: Tuesday blessings and greeting and happy feast of the archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael! I hope you are having a good week and that Tuesday is off to a good start.

It has been a wonderful mission here at St. Augustine’s in Chester. We have had a nice group each of the first two evening with a great spirit and I am hoping for more of the same tonight for the closing mass. The weather has also been just magnificent. I have had the opportunity to see a little bit of the south shore of Nova Scotia and learn the history of this wonderful place north of the border.  It is truly a gift to be here and to experience to gifts of this wonderful place and its people. I ask that you continue to keep the good people of St. Augustine’s. St. Anthony’s and St. Patrick’s in your prayers today and if you have room for one more prayer could you also remember their preacher!

My prayer of blessing today is to ask St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael, the three archangels whom we celebrate today to protect, guide and help you as you journey through this day and life. May they bring God’s grace, joy and love into your life and energize you with strength, goodness and love that you might share with whomever you meet today. May St. Michael make your travels and your day safe, may St. Gabriel bring you God’s Good News throughout the day and may St. Raphael bring God’s healing love to your hurts, struggles and negative encounters this day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/27/2015

Daily Thoughts: Both Jesus and Moses respond in the same way when people who seem to be outside the “chosen few” make God’s presence known. They point to the fact that good things are happening and if something is good then it is of God and if it is of God then all the better no matter who is responsible.

God’s ways are not always our ways. God’s plans are not always our plans and God’s messengers are not always the people we think they should be. God's grace and blessing does not always come from the people we expect. It is an unfortunate that often our human condition leads us into envious reactions. These petty reactions often make us judgmental and resentful of people we have decided that followers of Jesus should do it the right way. In these moments of envy we miss the God’s grace, we miss God’s presence, we miss the opportunity to encounter in, through and with others the gift of God because we think it is not the right way, the correct way.

It is often easy to condemn others because we see them as sinners or because they do not follow the rules – we see them as cafeteria Catholics or worst because they don’t follow the rules as we see it. However Jesus sees the presence of the Spirit, where we do not.

The Gospel today encourages us to be less judgmental and look more deeply for the grace of the Holy Spirit working, rather than on the rules and regulations. Pope Francis has challenged us over and over again to see our life of faith through this lens. Every encounter with another human being can be an encounter with God.

Let us be grateful today and every day for the presence, grace and love of God and the many ways and people through which we get to encounter God’s grace, presence and love. Let us also be open always to God’s ways and the unique and sometimes even unorthodox people that God chooses to make his presence known.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, grant us a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen. (Adapted from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “We will not be put off the final goal. We have it hidden in us to attain.” (Robert Frost) Eternal friendship with God…

Daily Blessing: Sunday blessings and greetings to all. I hope your Sunday has started off well and that you are enjoying a beautiful day wherever you are. The sun is out here in Chester, Nova Scotia but the pastor informed me this morning that he had to turn on the heat in the church for the first time. It certainly is fall here in Nova Scotia and it feels great!

I had the 4 pm mass yesterday at St. Patrick’s Church in New Ross, Nova Scotia. It is a small farming community about a half hour from Chester. This morning I will have the 9 am mass at St. Augustine’s in Chester and then the 11:15 am mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Hubbards, Nova Scotia. These are the three communities that make up St. Augustine’s Parish. The mission will begin tonight at 7:00 pm at St. Augustine’s. So I would ask your prayers today for the people of these three communities especially those who will come to the mission. I would also like to ask for a little prayer for the preacher. Let us continue to pray for Pope Francis as he spends his final day in the United States. May he continue to be safe and enliven us with his joyful spirit. May he have a safe and rest journey home.

Whatever you are doing this weekend, relaxing, watching football, working, traveling, vacationing or just being I pray that God’s blessing will be upon your Sunday filling it with the richness of joy, hope and the goodness of God’s presence. May the precepts of the Lord give joy to your heart today! I hope you will be giving God a little time today? Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 09/26/2015

Daily Thoughts: Because I am on the road and it was a very late night and early morning my thoughts for today come from Sr. Melannie Svoboda, SND and her thoughts in Living with Christ…

“Today, we might find it difficult to follow Zechariah’s directive to sing and rejoice, for there is much in our world to be sad about: wars, violence, natural disasters, hunger, the abuse of children, dishonesty, greed, and injustices of all kinds… But Zechariah’s reason for hope is the same reason we have hope today. God is in our midst. Against the roar and clamor of bad news, we must listen for the whisperings of good news in our own hearts, families, churches, schools, workplaces, and peace negotiation tables – wherever people of good will are engaged in bringing peace into their specific situation and doing so with courage and love. Where is God in my midst today?” (Sr. Melannie Svoboda, SND – Living with Christ Saturday September 26, 2015)

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving Jesus, the love that gives love. You are higher than the highest star; you are deeper than the deepest sea; you cherish us as your own family; you embrace us as your own spouse; you lead us as your own citizens; you welcome us as your own dearest friends. Let us and all the world praise you today and always! Amen. (Adapted from a prayer by St. Hildegard of Bingen)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “But [as] with any obstacle in our lives, there are those moments, despite the setbacks, where there is a glimmer of hope.” (Rebekah Gregory) So to in the spiritual life…

Daily Blessing: Saturday greetings and blessings to all from Halifax, Nova Scotia. I hope this finds you well and beginning to enjoy your Saturday. It was a very late night, I did not arrive at the hotel until around 1 am this morning and the pastor from Chester, Nova Scotia picked me up at 9 am. I didn’t get much sleep and it is going to be a long day. Please pray for energy for this preacher!

Currently I am spending a little time at a parish, St. Bernard’s just outside of Halifax because Fr. Craig the pastor in Chester has a meeting to attend. Around 1:30 pm will head out for the mission parish for the 4 pm Saturday evening mass and then on to Chester for the night. I am truly looking forward to my time here from the little I have seen so far Nova Scotia is a beautiful place! It is a cool sunny day and it looks like the next few day will be the same way. By the way this is the first time I stayed in the Atlantic Time Zone. It is an hour earlier than the Eastern Time Zone.

I would ask your prayers this week for the people of St. Augustine’s Parish in Chester, Nova Scotia as they celebrate a time of mission. May this be a rich, spirit filled few day for them and if you could add a little prayer for their preacher it would be greatly appreciated.

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