Daily Thoughts - 01/07/2014

Daily Thoughts: Our readings today offer us a challenge. In the first reading (1 John 4:7-10) John continues his emphasis on love as the key element for knowing God. Without love we are lost. The way we find love, experience love is through God, because God so loved us that he gave us his only son, God teaches us about love.

The Gospel (Mark 6:34-44) echoes John's reflections but in a different way. Jesus challenges us to focus beyond ourselves, to have love for others. He is moved with pity at the vast crowd, he wants to help them spiritually but also physically. They need to eat, they need to be nourished. The disciples want Jesus to send them home, to get rid of them. Let them take care of themselves! Not Jesus, he cares not just about himself, his disciples, but about everyone. God so loves all of us.

Now for me the interesting part of the Gospel is how Jesus goes about teaching here. Now before I go any further I need to say that I truly believe a miracle took place here. Jesus did take the five loaves and the two fish and feed the five thousand. It was a miracle, but he also taught his disciples and us a valuable lesson, he taught us to sharing. If we look around at what we have we can make it work for ourselves and others. Yes, a miracle fed the five thousand but a teaching about sharing what we have out of love for the other was the main objective. Jesus did not feed the five thousand from nothing, he asked what was available and from what people had he fed the crowd. It was not magic it was a miracle!

Sometimes we get caught up in what we need and we forget the person beside us. All of us have more than we need and sometimes what we have can help others. What we have put together with what others have brings about a miracle. Love needs to be share for its true value to be experienced! 

Daily Prayer: Loving God, teach us today to look beyond ourselves, to see the needs of others and respond to those needs out of the gifts, talents and abilities we have. Help us to bring about a miracle that feeds the many in need of God's love today. Transform us into people alive in your love! Amen!

Runner's Thought: Transform an ordinary run into a sacred run by bringing to the run a sense of God presence in you!

Daily Blessing: Happy Tuesday everyone! I offer my congratulations to all the Florida State fans today and my condolences to all the Auburn fans. As for me it was nice not to be emotionally involved so it did not matter who won or lost!  

To all who are dealing with the extreme cold and must be out and about in it my prayers are with you. Yes, it is very cold and windy here in Pelham but I realize there are many other places around the country dealing with more extreme cold and have been dealing with it much longer. My thoughts on days like today always seem to focus on the people of the streets. Often when I am in Manhattan I see people sleeping in doorways, on sidewalks and where they can get shelter. How do they survive cold like this?

Just a little over a week ago I spent the afternoon and evening in Manhattan, as I was walking along 47^th Street on my way to the train I pass a mother and two children. They were begging. At first I just walked by trying to pretend like I didn’t see or hear them, however something, someone told me to stop and go back. I reached into my pocket and gave the woman what I had and said please get something to eat. She smiled and said thanks as did her daughter and son. I walked away feeling good for the moment. However, all the way home on the train I wondered where will they sleep tonight? I wonder today, where did they sleep last night? We have so much to offer as a country, as a nation but why are people hungry? Why don’t people have a warm and safe place to sleep?

There are probably many answers to these questions and some are beyond our control but somewhere along the line we have got to learn to care for people. It is the challenge of our Gospel today and every day!

I pray today for all of us that we will learn to share what we have so that a miracle happens in our life time where no one is hungry and everyone goes to sleep safe and warm. May our loving God bless all of us today with the wisdom, understanding, compassion, and love to be people willing to share the gift of ourselves with everyone we meet. May God’s blessing help us to remember that sharing our gifts can make the impossible – possible!

So in the words of Pope Francis let us be people who - “Instead of imposing new obligations, (Christians) should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet.” (Pope Francis)  Blessing to all today – Be well, be safe and be warm! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

PS For more from the Preacher on the Run go to www.preacherman.org