Making a Joyful Noise through Lent 04/10/2014

Making a Joyful Noise through Lent – 04/10/2014

“I never tire of repeating those words of Benedict XVI which take us to the very heart of the Gospel: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction”.

Thanks solely to this encounter – or renewed encounter – with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self-absorption. We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel)

The words of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict today touch on the theme of our scriptures. Who are we? What are we about? Seems to be the question asked in our readings (Genesis 17: 3-9 and John 8: 51-59). Abram is to become the father of a host of nations, his name is even changed from Abram to Abraham. He is redefined as a person because of his personal encounter with God. Abraham is now a friend of God.

Jesus does not make himself out to be just anybody, Jesus is “I AM” and if we believe we have the gift of eternal life. It is a hard pill for the religious leadership to swallow. Jesus is not able to break through their stony heart with this personal encounter, in fact they pick up stones to do away with him. They cannot be liberated from their narrowness or self-absorption.

Perhaps our challenge today is to renew ourselves in light of our personal encounter with Christ, to have faith in the covenant, to believe in Jesus as “I AM,” to trust in our friendship with God. We are challenged today to let God bring us beyond ourselves to attain the fullest truth of who we are so that we can live this day a God’s joy filled friends who share our joy with everyone we meet!

Have a blessed Thursday everyone and Don’t forget to make a joyful noise with your life!

Daily Lenten Prayer: Jesus, My Faithful Companion, As we live in your hope,

we commit ourselves today: to live deeply, with purpose, to live freely, with detachment, to live wisely, with humility, to live justly, with compassion, to live lovingly, with fidelity, to live mindfully, with awareness, to live gratefully, with generosity, to live  hopefully, with enthusiasm and joy, to live fully, in Your Love.

Help us to hold this vision and to renew it each day in our hearts, becoming ever more one with you, Our truest Self.  Amen.

A Runner’s Thoughts: “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” (Dean Karnazes)

Daily Blessing: Happy Thursday everyone! I hope this finds you well and enjoying the beginning of a new day. If that is too optimistic for you, I hope this finds you well and beginning a new day with the hope of a good day or at least a day that will get better than this moment!

Our mission here at St. Mary’s had a great end last evening. As the days before it our closing day was spirit filled and energizing. As I have said earlier the faith community here at St. Mary’s is small but very faith filled!

I am feeling a little under the weather today, I think the winter and the busyness of life has caught up to me. I pray that whatever this is that I have is short lived as my schedule does not slow down any over the next two plus weeks. I cannot afford to be sick and today I am trying to tell myself that I am not. I will make the journey back to Pelham and get a little rest and hope that this too will pass!

Even though being under the weather I still have the strength to offer a prayer of blessing for all of you today. May God bless you with a day rich in faith, alive with hope and one that will embrace you throughout the day with God’s love. May God bless you with safe travels, with life-giving encounters, with an abundance of energy and with the richness of people who love you! Have a great Thursday everyone! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul