Daily
Thoughts:
“If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or
how I comb my hair, but ask me what I am living for, in detail, ask me what I
think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for.” (Thomas
Merton)
In
today’s Gospel (Luke 8:1-3) w are reminded of the importance of women in Jesus’
ministry. They were their supporting, taking care of, helping Jesus with their
resources, their gifts, their talents, their faithfulness and their faith.
I
ran across a reflection was very interesting in terms of today’s Gospel here is
a reflection on the Gospel by Kevin Perrotta – “What is it about Mary of
Magdala that cause so many misconceptions to sprout up around her? Some mark
her as a great sinner; others suggest she had a romantic relationship with
Jesus. Hacking our way out of this underbrush of speculation, we do know Mary
had some wealth, since she supported Jesus and the male disciples. No husband
is mentioned; was she widowed? Perhaps she ran her own fish business – a trade
that flourished in Magdala. Rather than a repentant floozy, Mary may well have
been a solid family and business woman – like many of the women in church on
Sunday. Seeing her [this] way makes her a model for many of us today!” (Living
with Christ)
Kevin
certainly makes us stop and think about Mary Magdalene. Yes our Gospel says
seven demons came out of her, but who hasn’t fought with seven or more demons
in life? In paraphrasing Thomas Merton – When trying to identify Mary Magdalene
let’s not ask where she lived, or what she liked to eat or how many demons came
out of her but let’s ask how she lived, what she lived for and what got in the
way from time to time? If we ask these questions Mary becomes a woman of
strength and great faith just like the others who followed Jesus and attended
to his needs in daily life.
Let’s
hear it for women today and every day! Friday blessings everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Loving God help us to be grateful today. Help us to recognize your love in
everything you have given us, because we know, we believe that you have has
given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of your love, every moment
of existence is a grace, because it brings with it immense graces from you.
Gracious
God, in gratitude we must never take anything for granted. We must never be
unresponsive to your love. We must
constantly be awakening to new wonder and giving praise for your awesome
goodness. We want to be grateful people because we know that a grateful person
knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And this is what
makes all the difference. Amen!
(Adapted
from words by Thomas Merton)
A
Runner’s Thoughts: “Finally, I could see with startling clarity that the
time I had spent experiencing pain on a run was outweighed by the amount of
time that I felt good about it. I was aglow. I was invincible. I was thinking I
might be able to do it again.” (Alexandra
Heminsley – Running Like a Girl)
Might
we also say this about our faith, our relationship with God? Yes, we do experience
pain, struggle, doubt and difficulty but they call can be outweighed by the
grace, the blessings and the joy we encounter with God. In the glow of God we
become aglow, we become invincible, we want to continue the journey. So if you
are a runner think of your runs as those times when we have a chance to get
some clarity in our relationship with God. When we have some time to pray, when
we have a chance even in the exhaustion of the end of a run to feel aglow in
the presence of God, to feel invincible and to continue our journey of faith!
Run
strong…run with God!
Daily
Blessing:
Friday greetings and blessing to all. I hope your Friday has started off well
and that today will be a somewhat easy day for you. If not and you have many
challenges and/or struggles ahead before the day is done hang in there and know
of my prayers for you. Remember it is only a day there is a lifetime ahead!
In a
few moments I head into Manhattan to begin a long day of taping fro the Sunday
Mass. I will be ending my day in Sag Harbor, NY beginning s retreat with a
group of women so my prayer of blessing for all of us today will be short and
to the point so I can be on my way.
For
all of you I offer a prayer of blessing as your journey through this day. May
whatever kind of roads you take today be smooth and not crowded for your
journeys, may the wind be gentle and always helping you along, may the sun
shine warm upon your face helping you to smile, and if it rains may it fall
gentle as you journey and, until the sun rises again tomorrow, may God hold you
and all you whom you love in the palm of His hand so nothing will harm you. Amen!
Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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