Daily
Thoughts:
“To become saints, only one thing is necessary: to accept the grace which the
Father gives us in Jesus Christ.” (Pope Francis)
Today,
we remember, we honor and we say thank you to all the women and men whom the
Church calls saints, but also whom we call saints. People who have touched our
lives down through the centuries. People who shared their faith and perhaps
more importantly lived their faith so that we might encounter the presence of
God, so that we might grow into the people God created us to be, so that we
might believe. They were mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sisters-in-law,
brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, friends, teachers, grandparents, uncles,
aunts, cousins, neighbors, strangers, companions on the journey, ordinary people
who lived extraordinary lives of faith.
Pope
Francis talks about the saints in our lives this way; “I see the holiness in
the patience of the people of God: a woman who is raising children, a man who
works to bring home the bread, the sick, the elderly priests who have so many
wounds but have a smile on their faces because they served the Lord, the
sisters who work hard and live a hidden sanctity. This is for me the common
sanctity. I often associate sanctity with patience: not only patience as hypomoné
[See note], taking charge of the events and circumstances of life, but also as
a constancy in going forward, day by day. This is the sanctity of the militant
church also mentioned by St. Ignatius. This was the sanctity of my parents: my
dad, my mom, my grandmother Rosa who loved me so much. In my breviary I have
the last will of my grandmother Rosa, and I read it often. For me it is like a
prayer. She is a saint who has suffered so much, also spiritually, and yet
always went forward with courage.”
Note:
(Hypomoné is a New Testament Greek word meaning – the capacity to endure under
difficult circumstances; bearing everyday tasks, contradictions, tribulations.)
Pope
Francis also says that – “We need saints without cassocks, without veils - we
need saints with jeans and tennis shoes. We need saints that go to the movies
that listen to music that hang out with their friends.... We need saints that
drink Coca-Cola, that eat hot dogs, that surf the internet and that listen to
their iPods. We need saints that love the Eucharist, that are not afraid or
embarrassed to eat a pizza or drink a beer with their friends. We need saints
who love the movies, dance, sports, and theatre. We need saints that are open,
sociable, normal, happy companions. We need saints who are in this world and
who know how to enjoy the best in this world without being callous or mundane.
We need saints.”
So
to all those who have touched us with sanctity and helped us to be the people
we are today…we say thank you!
Have
a great Sunday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
All-Powerful and ever-living God, today we rejoice in the holy women and men of
every time and place. Holy people known to us and that cloud of witnesses so
numerous to count who cheer us on as we journey through life. May their present
strengthen our faith and lead us to the gift of eternal life. May their spirit
of prayers bring us your forgiveness, joy, hope and love. We make this prayer in
the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Adapted from a prayer in the Liturgy
of the Hours)
A Runner’s
Thoughts:
Some words of inspiration and faith are - “You have to wonder at times what
you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to
keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to
self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.” (Steve Prefontaine) And sometime
in the journey of faith you wonder why you keep moving forward, why you believe
and there are thousands of doctrines, dogma, codes of cannon law, commandments,
precepts of the Church that gives you reasons to believe but I always come back
to where it started. My faith comes down to the Cross the sign of God’s great
love for me!
Daily
Blessing: Sunday
greetings and blessing to all and blessed feast of All Saints! I hope you
remembered to turn your clocks back last night as you went to bed. Though in
the digital age many clocks do it themselves. I also hope you got to enjoy that
extra hour of sleep!
I
find myself today in Columbus, Indiana at St. Bartholomew Parish. I began a
mission here last night with the preaching of the 5:00 pm Saturday evening
mass. I will continue today with three masses and then open the mission
formally this evening at 6:00 pm. I would ask your prayers these next four days
for the faith community here at St. Bartholomew’s that this time of mission
might be spirit filled and renewing. I would also ask you to include their
preacher in your prayers as it would be greatly appreciated.
I
offer a simple and peaceful blessing to all today – May our good and gracious
God, bless us all as we celebrate this first day of November. May God bless us
with gratitude for the gift of life, for those saints in our lives especially
those who gave us life. May God bless us with gratitude for the opportunity to
celebrate and live life with people we love. May God bless us with gratitude
for the many people who touch our lives each day and bring us in touch with the
presence and grace of God. May God, continue to bless us with people, places,
experiences that give us strength to believe, to be faithful, to have hope, joy
and to love. And may God bless us with the grace to keep living the gift that
we are! I ask this blessing for all of us through Christ our Savior and Friend.
Amen!
Have
a great Sunday! And don’t forget to give God a little time today too! Peace in
Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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