Daily Thoughts: The Jesus we
find in the Gospel today (Luke 19: 45-48) was an observant Jew. He valued his
community of faith. Sometimes it is the Jesus who ate with sinners and crossed
the boundaries of his faith that we are drawn to, but we also need to remember
the Jesus was profoundly respectful and observant of his faith.
Jesus was also zealous as we see today,
his anger at the commercialism of the temple area had its roots in a deep
respect for the purpose and place of the temple in the life of the people. It
was to be a place of prayer. It was to be a place to go to get away for the
everyday busyness and business of life.
What we learn from today’s Gospel is
that no matter what approach to life that Jesus took it was not going to be
good enough or right for the religious leadership. If we was eating with sinner
or healing on the Sabbath or talking to women, he was wrong. If he was driving
out merchants for the temple area he was wrong. The religious leadership did
not seem to like the zealousness of Jesus for life and his faith.
Our challenge today is to learn from
Jesus - when, why and how to be zealous. When, why and how to bring energy,
enthusiasm and spirit to our life. We need to be observant Christian, we need
to value and respect the places and structure of our faith community. We also
need to be about life and finding ways to include everyone in the journey no
matter what the cost!
Have a great day everyone!
Daily Prayer:
Loving God, make us instruments of your
peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Creator of all that is good, grant
that we may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to
eternal life.
(Adapted from a prayer attributed to St.
Francis of Assisi)
A Runner’s Thoughts: As prayerful
runner we always seem to find it inadequate to sit and wait for the Spirit to
appear. As prayerful runners, we always want to run towards God but if we are
prayerful runner’s what we always find is that God is running toward us at
twice the speed! (Adapted from Roger Joslin – Running the Spiritual Path)
Daily Blessing: TGIF to all! I
hope your day has started off well. It is a sunny but windy and cold morning
here in Pelham. I cannot complain though as I think of all especially in northwestern
New York who are dealing with not only cold and wind but also so much snow. My
prayers are with them today!
Today is the feast of The Presentation
of Mary a day when many religious, especially women religious take their vows
and/or renew their vows. So a special shout out to all taking or renewing their
vows today may the spirit of Mary guide, strengthen and grace you on your
journey through this life you have accepted and are trying to live out.
Just a note – on November 30th,
the First Sunday of Advent a year dedicated to the Consecrated Life within our
Church will begin. So please keep all those women and men who dedicated
themselves to God in various ways of religious and vowed life in your prayers.
My prayer of bless for all of us today
is – Loving God keep us alert today and always to your unpredictable answers,
to your unexplainable surprises and to your unrelenting presence. By your grace
and love, make us ever grateful that we are one of your surprises each day of
our lives. Bless us today and always with a faith, that moves mole hills and
mountains, has often an unseen healing touch, lives everyday stories,
celebrates simple suppers, and carries Crosses of Life which turn into
Resurrections of hope. Help us to be people of faith, hope and love who are
positive, respectful and open to all that is good and life giving. Amen.
Blessing to all today! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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