Daily
Thoughts:
Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents. It has special meaning for me because
when I took my vows as a Passionist my title was Paul Raymond of the Holy
Innocents. I took the Holy Innocents as my title, because before entering the
Passionists I worked as a social worker and my responsibilities were abused and
neglected children. I also worked with hard to place adoptive children. So when
I entered the Passionists I wanted to honor children particularly those often
forgotten by or unwanted by the world. I thought what better way to honor and
to remember the children I served, worked with and encountered by placing them
and myself under the protection of the Holy Innocents.
There is
not a day goes by that I don’t pause to remember many of the children that I
encounter in my work. I often wonder what happened to them. Many of them were
wonderful children who just need a chance to break the cycle of abuse and
neglect. They were children with gifts who often didn’t get the chance to
realize those gifts because of decisions that adults had made. I continue to
commend them and children around the world to the care and protect of the Holy
Innocents.
The Holy
Innocents are martyrs and saints. Spirit of God who cares for those often not
cared for or forgotten. Through the celebration of their feast today and
through their always present spirits may we come to value the gift of children
and the gift of life.
Blessings
upon all expectant mothers and upon all children today! Have a great Monday
everyone.
Daily
Prayer:
Loving Jesus, you once said unless we become like children we cannot enter your
Kingdom. So we pause in prayer today to honor your most Holy Innocents and we
call upon you through the intercession of these loving spirits to help us on
our journey of life to the Kingdom and so we pray – Angels of God, our
guardians so dear, to whom God's love entrusts us here; ever this day, be at
our sides to light, to guard to rule and guide. Amen!
A Runner’s
Thoughts:
“Running becomes religious in a robust sense when one infuses the experience –
not unnaturally – with religious meaning and purpose.” (Jeffrey P Fry – “Running Religiously” from Running and Philosophy a
Marathon for the Mind)
Daily
Blessing:
Monday greetings and blessings to all. I hope this finds you well and enjoying
this Monday morning in the midst of our journey between Christmas and New Year’s.
I would assume for some this is your first day back to work hopefully after a
very joyous Christmas celebration and for others it might be another day to
celebrate a little extended time off between Christmas and New Year’s. Whatever
this day is for you I hope above all it is a good one.
Well I am
still in darkness here in Pelham this morning I gather that our weather is to
be cloudy with cooler temperatures with rain moving in again tonight. Even
though our days have been warmer than usual lately we have gone through a rather
long stretch of cloudy, gray, gloomy days. I would like to see a little sun!
Today we
celebrate the feast of the Holy Innocents and so our focus is on children. May our
blessing today not only be upon us but also upon all children especially those
who are most vulnerable, those just conceived, those in their mother’s womb and
those who have just come into the world…Loving Jesus, through the spirits of
the Holy Innocents, we ask your blessing upon us and upon all your children
especially those in most need of your blessing this day.
You once
embraced the little children who came to you, and said: "Let the little
children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs
to such as these!" Look now with loving eyes on the innocence of all your
children and those who love them, and bless us all this day that we may never
forget the gift of life, the gift of children and their closeness to you.
Jesus in
your grace and goodness let us live life continually, longing for you and
loving you. Then we will surely come to our eternal home, through you, our
Savior. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen! Blessings upon all children,
upon all mothers and fathers and upon all of us today and always. Peace in
Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
No comments:
Post a Comment