Daily Thoughts: “I ask you, is
it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather
than destroy it?” (Luke 6:9) This is perhaps an important question for us to
consider today as a nation and as a world. What are we about? Doing good, saving life or doing evil and
destroying life? Some might say it is all in how you look at it.
Yet in the Gospel today that is exactly
what Jesus is getting at. How do you look at life? Do you look at with an open
mind or a closed mind? Do you look at life through the lens of possibilities or
through the lens of only one possibility? The scribes and Pharisees had only
one lens through which they looked at life, the law. They could see no other
possibilities.
I have always admired people who walk
into a situation open to seeing whatever the possibilities are. They might have
their opinion but they are also open to what others say and do. They have their
own lenses yet they can see other perspectives. Would that we all could see and
live life this way!
The scribes and Pharisees only looked
through one lens. Jesus was open to all possibilities especially when the
possibilities meant life. We pray today that we too with the grace of God will
always be open to the possibilities that produce life.
Have a great Labor Day everyone.
Daily Prayer:
For the expanding grandeur of Creation,
worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and
challenging our imaginations: We give thanks this day.
For this fragile planet earth, its times
and tides, its sunsets and seasons: We give thanks this day.
For the joy of human life, its wonders
and surprises, its hopes and achievements: We give thanks this day.
For our human community, our common past
and future hope, our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work
for peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression: We give thanks
this day.
For high hopes and noble causes, for
faith without fanaticism, for understanding of views not shared, for the gift
of many possibilities: We give thanks this day.
For all who have labored and suffered
for a fairer world, who have lived so that others might live in dignity and
freedom: We give thanks this day.
For human liberty and sacred rites; for
opportunities to change and grow, to affirm and choose: We give thanks this
day.
For doing good and saving life: We give
you thanks this day.
We pray that we may live not by our
fears but by our hopes, not by our words but by our deeds. Loving God, We give
thanks this day! (Adapted from a prayer by O. Eugene Picket)
A Runner’s Thoughts: “Struggling and
suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing
yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself -
expanding and learning as you go - you're choosing a numb existence. You're
denying yourself an extraordinary trip.” (Dean Karnazes)
Isn’t this true also of life and what
Jesus challenges us with in the Gospels? Jesus always moved beyond his comfort
zone. He always demanded more of himself and those around him. He always asked
those who would listen, those who believed, to learn so they could expand their
thinking and their life.
Jesus always wants to take us on an
extraordinary trip so when we run let’s make sure we take him with us!
Daily Blessing: Labor Day
greetings and blessings to all! I trust you are having a good Labor Day weekend.
I hope your favorite teams won throughout the weekend and if they didn’t, well
there is always next time!
I hope you were able to find a little
time for God and prayer over the weekend. I had a wonderful weekend celebrating
three masses on Saturday and Sunday in the parish, I had a little prayer time and
of course I enjoyed a number of boardwalk walks! I will be heading home later
this morning after I run in the annual 5 mile Labor Day race here in Long
Beach.
Have a great Labor Day everyone and may
you be blessed throughout this day with the gift of God’s grace to help you be
the wonderful person that God has created you to be – a person who moves beyond
the comfort zone to do good and find life in all that you say and do. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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