Daily
Thoughts:
Last summer and early fall living in New York it was hard not getting caught up
in Derek Jeter’s farewell tour. Now I am not a Yankee fan, I have always been a
Pittsburgh Pirate fan, a National League fan, but I have to admit that during
my 19 years of living in the Bronx and now Pelham I have come to respect and at
times root for the Yankees because of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. During my
time living in the Bronx they became two of the faces of baseball and all that
is good about it for me.
The
greatest player in baseball, for me, will always be Roberto Clemente and I will
always be a diehard Pirate fan but at a time when it is hard to find good in
sports. When the day to day news about sports is often negative, I truly
believe Derek Jeter was a man, a player of class, integrity and dignity. I know
that I don’t know him and he could be a real jerk outside of baseball but
something tells me he isn’t.
Perhaps
in much the same way over the last few months it has been hard not getting
caught up in the preparations for Pope Francis’ visit. Let Derek Jeter last
summer this summer many have been asking the question who is Pope Francis?
Certainly over the last few years I have come to respect and be in awe of Pope
Francis because of the kind of man he is and the spirit of God he seems to
bring to every encounter with others. I truly believe Pope Francis is a man of
faith, a man of truth, a man of love and a a man blessed by God in a world that
is often violent, negative and life taking rather than life giving.
In
the Gospel today (Luke 9:18-22), Jesus asks two questions of his disciples,
“Who do the crowds say that I am? and Who do you say that I am?” I might be
stretching things here but in a way over throughout the baseball season last
year we may have been asking ourselves the same thing about Derek Jeter. I am
not comparing Derek Jeter to Jesus! I am just saying that a small part of last
year’s baseball season was been about, at least for me, defining who Derek
Jeter was. Celebrating what he had been for baseball over the last twenty
years. Perhaps looking at his twenty year career in the major leagues and
realizing he has been a great player, not the best, depending on how one
defines the best, but a great player who touched the lives of many by the way
he played the game.
In
the Gospel, the disciples try to define who Jesus is for them and Peter is able
to get it right, Jesus is “The Christ of God.” It is important for the
disciples to come to know Jesus in this way because of where their journey with
him is headed, the Cross and Calvary. They need to begin to see Jesus as he
truly is in order to make the journey with him. With Jesus there is truly a
time for everything under the heavens, an appointed time.
The
same is true for us. In our journey of faith we need to come to know who Jesus
is in our life. We like Peter need to know him as “The Christ of God” because
of where our journey is going and the things we will face with Jesus. There
have been and will continue to be many crosses and many journeys up Calvary.
So
today I would just like to say thank you to Pope Francis and Derek Jeter for sharing
their appointed time in this life with us but most importantly I want to thank Jesus
for being “The Christ of God” and for your continuing your appointed time in
our lives!
Have
a great Friday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Loving
God,
We
have no idea where we are going.
We
do not see the road ahead of us.
We
cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor
do we really know ourselves,
and
the fact that we think we are following your will
does
not mean that we are actually doing so.
But
we believe that the desire to please you
does
in fact please you.
And
we hope we have that desire in all that we are doing.
We
hope that we will never do anything apart for that desire.
And
we know that if we do this
you
will lead us by the right road
though
we may know nothing about it.
Therefore
we will trust you always
though
we may seem to be lost
and
in the shadow of death.
We
will not fear, for you are ever with us,
and
you will never leave us
to
face my perils alone. Amen!
(Adapted
from a prayer by Thomas Merton)
A
Runner’s Thoughts: “How can one learn to know oneself? Never by
introspection, rather by action.” (Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe) So to in the
spiritual life…introspection can help us see things about ourselves but it is
our actions, through prayer and service of others that will really help us to
know ourselves!
Daily
Blessing:
Friday greetings and blessings to all! I hope your day has started off well. It
looks to be another beautiful day here in Tarrytown and I hope the same is true
for you. I certainly enjoy these early fall days the night are cool and the
days are sunny and energizing!
This
morning I will celebrate the closing mass of the retreat and then head to
Pelham for a short stop over to wash my clothes, re-pack and head to Kennedy
Airport to catch an evening flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I will begin a
mission in Chester, Nova Scotia on Saturday. I would ask your prayers for the
sisters ending their retreat today, for safe travels and if you had a little
extra time a prayer for this itinerant preacher would be appreciated. Let us
also continue to prayer for Pope Francis as he continues his visit to the
United States that it will continue to be a safe journey and one that inspires
us with his spirit.
For
my prayer of blessing for all of you today is this – As you journey through
this day may you be blessed with Christ within you, with Christ behind you,
with Christ before you, with Christ beside you, with Christ to comfort and
restore you, with Christ beneath you, with Christ above you, with Christ in
your quiet moments, with Christ in your moments of struggle, with Christ in the
hearts of all who love you, with Christ within of all your friends and every
person you meet. May the presence of Christ’s be within you and bless your day,
Amen!
I
hope you will have a great Friday and that you encounter many blessings today
and much peace. May you be graced by God in whatever you do and may you bring
God’s grace to whomever you meet! Work, pray, travel, study, laugh, cry, talk,
be silent, be intense or relax today rich in the blessing and presence of God.
Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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