Daily Thoughts: I remember 28
years ago today very clearly. It was the morning after my ordination day. All
of my family had gather in New York and after the ordination spent the night at
our Passionist retreat house in Jamaica, NY which is where the ordination took
place. At 10 am on that Thursday morning I was going to celebrate my very first
mass ever with my family. I would celebrate my official first mass on Saturday evening
but this morning would be my actual first mass. I had not looked at the
readings because of all the busyness leading up to my ordination day.
So early this morning 28 years ago, June
19, 1986, I awakened and wandered down the hall to the retreat house chapel to
look at the readings and prepared for my first mass. When I got to the Gospel I
could not believe what I read. It was today’s Gospel from Matthew about Jesus
teaching his disciples to pray, specifically to pray the Our Father. I put the
book down and tears welled up in my eyes and I just sat there for about an hour
unable to prepare any more.
For you see the Our Father was one of
the last prayers I prayed with my father before he died some four years before.
It was a December night in 1982, I was in my father’s hospital room late that
night and as I was about to leave he asked me to pray with him. I was more than
happy to do so and I asked him what prayer he wanted to pray and he said, “The
Our Father.” I began to say the words and notice that my dad was not praying so
I stopped and asked what was wrong. Dad said, “I don’t remember the words.” His
illness had begun to affect his mind. So I said, “No problem” and suggested
that I say a few words of the prayer and that he repeat them after me. Do you
know how hard it is to say the Our Father when you have to stop and think about
what you are saying? Well, we got through the prayer and dad became very
peaceful and for the most part remained peaceful over the last few weeks of his
life. I have always remembered that moment.
I had wanted my dad to see me ordained
but that was not to be but on that Thursday morning 28 years I realized that he
was with me and had been with me all along. I have never prayed the Our Father
at mass, during the rosary or at any other time and not thought about that
moment. What power there is in this simple prayer, what a gift this simple
prayer is to all who pray it.
I would invite you at some moment today
to pause and slowly, deliberately pray the Our Father. Listen to the words.
Realize what God offers you through the words of this simple prayer and what
God asks of you.
By the way thanks Dad! Have a great
Thursday everyone and don’t forget to make a joyful noise with your life today!
Daily Prayer: Our Father, Who
art in heaven hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
A Runner’s Thoughts: Let us remember
always when we run to search for God in the ordinary. Each run is a pilgrimage,
not to Rome, Jerusalem or some other place we consider holy or important, but
it is a pilgrimage nonetheless. Our run may be nothing more than a trip around
the neighborhood or on our favorite running route but if our intention is to
converse with God, then we are a pilgrim. It is the very ordinariness of the
run that enables it to become a central part of our life. With each run we
embark on a pilgrimage of the ordinary where we will always have the chance to
find God! (Adapted from Roger Joslin)
Daily Blessing: Happy Thursday
everyone! I arrived in Hawthorn Woods, IL yesterday afternoon and was able to celebrate
my brother’s birthday with a nice dinner out. Today will be a bit of a lazy
day. I will enjoy the down time before things get busy on starting Sunday and
lasting for the next three weeks!
I hope your day has started off well and
that you are enjoying the warmth of these days wherever you are. Have a great
day and please know that all of you continue to be in my prayers. May God’s
blessings today be upon your work, your travel, your encounters with others,
your struggling moments, your smiling moments and upon all that you do and all
whom you meet…Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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