The gift
of the feast of St. Bartholomew (Nathanael) which we celebrate today is that
Bartholomew did not miss his encounter with God and that made all the
difference in his life. Throughout the Gospels we encounter people who miss the
presence of God. Who are blinded by power, authority and preconceived ideas
about people and life. Jesus walks into their midst and they miss their chance
to encounter God. They hang on to what is comfortable, what is familiar.
Through
the invitation of Philip, Bartholomew does not miss his chance, his
opportunity. He however has to let go of his preconceived ideas, his
comfortableness and when he does it makes all the difference. It leads him into
an encounter with God that forever changes his life.
Let us
ask the spirit of St. Bartholomew to help us let go and let God today. Have a
great Wednesday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Grant us, O God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, the wisdom to find
you, behavior pleasing to you, faithful diligence in waiting for you, and the
hope of finally embracing you. Amen. (Adapted
from a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas)
A Runner’s
Thoughts:
“I'm afraid the reason so many new runners quit is because they never get past
the point of feeling like they have to run.” (John Bingham) So to in the
spiritual life – people of faith give up on religion, faith and Church because
they never get past living their relationship with God out of obligation rather
than out of love.
Daily
Blessing:
Wednesday greetings and blessings to all! I hope your day has started off well
and that you have been gifted at least by nature with a beautiful day!
It seems
to be the start of another beautiful day here in Long Beach. It is interesting
how the lack of humidity changes people’s outlook and responds to a new day. It
is no longer a chore to navigate through the day but a morning full of energy
and hope that it is going to be a great day!
I pray
for God’s blessings upon all of you today that your day will be filled with
many positives and that the negatives will only be fleeting moments. May the
richness of God’s grace and blessings be upon all you, upon everyone you meet
and upon everyone you love! May there be many words, signs and people of
encouragement in your life today! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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