In the Gospel we hear those familiar
phrases. “Do not let your left hand know what your right is doing.” ‘When you pray, go to your inner room, close
the door, and pray to your Father in secret.”
In each case the most important reward comes not in the world knowing
that we do things but in God knowing.
St. Paul seems to be saying that we need
to remember that the things we do come from God and the more cheerful we are;
the humble and open we are with the giving of our gifts then the more abundant
God will make our giving.
I think the grace and the challenge of
the message of these two readings today is that what we have is a gift from God
and in sharing this gift it becomes far more profound than we ever thought it
could be. However, for this gift to have power, impact and abundance we need to
share not it not for our glory and praise but for the glory and praise of God.
Daily Prayer: Eternal and loving
God, it is so easy for us to worship ourselves, to do things so that others see
and think highly of us. If we live our life this way, forgive us. If we trust
in our possessions, in our things, in our actions that are seen and in the
glory that they bring us rather than in you, forgive us. Heal the fear, the
doubt and the insecurity that may create faith in the wrong things. Restore a
wholesome perspective that put you at the center. We pray that through your
grace you will help us to live life around the lasting values of humble prayer,
cheerful service and our hope in you, our loving God. Amen!
Runner’s Thought: Let us run
today with a spirit of gratefulness. Before we begin our run, let us declare
our intention to look upon all we encounter with the freshness of the unexpected.
Let us run with a sense of miraculous expectation and allow a feeling of
gratitude for the extraordinary and the ordinary to flow through our being. (Adapted from Roger Joslin – Running The
Spiritual Path)
Who could be happier than a camel on
Wednesday? Yes friends, it is Hump Day! And hopefully we are at least as happy as a
camel today. Here in Pelham it is a beautiful day. The air is fresh and
energizing. I hope that same is true where you are. If your day has not started
off so well I truly pray that it will get better and that you will come to
enjoy the gift of this day, because your presence makes this day a gift!
In my ministry of prayer I pray today
for blessing upon your journey through this day. May the day be rich in
experience, in people, in smiles, in laughter, in fun, in love, in strength and
in God’s grace and peace. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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