Daily Thoughts - 03/05/2016

Daily Thoughts: In today's Gospel (Luke 18:9-14) we are reminded that it is not the quantity or style of our prayer. It is not the position we hold or all the things we can point to that we do. It is the quality of our prayer and how we live our life that counts.

The Pharisee had all the right words, all the right actions but not the right intention. He knew the law but the not the spirit. The tax collector on the other hand certainly struggled in his life but when it came to prayer, when it came to speaking with God he was right on.

Humility is a valuable gift yet one that not many people have. We grow up trying to develop our self-confidence; we try to be independent, self-assured and self-reliant. We are often told that we must promote ourselves in order to get anywhere. Yet, humility can help us recognize God, in ourselves and others. Humility can help us recognize the presence of God in the living of life.

The response to the responsoral psalm today is "It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice." As merciful people we are called to be humble. We must realize that we are not perfect we are human, with faults and failings just like everyone else. If we are willing enough and humble enough to seek God's mercy, then we will be able to offer mercy and compassion to others.

As St. John Chrysostom put it, "We cannot be saved by seeking just our own individual salvation. We need to look first to the good of others."

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, help us to live as humble, compassionate, joyful people today and always. May we always pray with openness to your mercy and love just like the tax collector. Grace us with hearts that recognize your gifts in our lives and an openness to share joyfully these gifts with others. Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: Running is a lot like life, sometimes it is energizing and sometimes it isn't but it always has meaning!

Daily Blessing: Saturday greetings and blessings to everyone! It looks to be a sunny day here in Pelham and I in a little while I will pack my bags once again and head out this afternoon to Lindenhurst, NY and Our Lady Perpetual Help Parish. That is where I will call home for the next five days as I begin another Lenten Mission. I once again ask that you keep the faith community at OLPH in your prayers during these days of mission and if you have a little extra time could you include their preacher in your prayers too.

I would also like to send a shout out to my nephew, Paul, who celebrates his birthday today - Happy Birthday, Paul! Hopefully you will get a nice present from your Dayton Flyers today, who seem to be playing well, as they take on VCU at home, perhaps you are even going to the game. Once again, Happy Birthday and many blessings today and always! Have a great day. Go Flyers! (I really didn't say that). And blessings great sensei!

Well friends I must now be busy about many things so I send you greetings and blessings this day and prayers that you will have a good Saturday. May God bless you with a restful Saturday, may it be gifted with the presence of people you love and may it be rich in the presence of God! If it happens to be a busy one may you find the gift of God’s blessing within your busyness. And may you be blessed with a little warmth in your life. Blessings to all and remember to give God a little time this weekend. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 03/04/2016

Daily Thoughts: I have always been a bit jealous of the scribe in today's Gospel because Jesus says at the end of the exchange that the scribe is not far from the Kingdom of God. For me it would be a comfort to know that I was not far from the Kingdom. It is one of my greatest worries. I try to live a good and faithful life but there are times when I look around and wonder if I have missed the boat! I listen to people talk about their faith, I see their actions, I am aware of what they think is important and valuable in terms of faith, church, belief and religion and I wonder if I have taken the wrong path.

Sometimes I wonder if what I believe brings me close to the Kingdom? The Church as it stands today seems a far cry from the Church that Jesus seems to be putting together as we read the Gospel. Our religious leaders often, not always, seem to be closer to the scribes and Pharisees than to the disciples of Jesus. The institution we call Church often seems closer to the institution that Jesus often challenged and confronted during his ministry.

We seem to take some words in the scriptures at face value but others are glossed over and interpreted in ways other than what they say. We seem to be absolutely sure of what Jesus said, meant or wanted in certain situations and yet we discount or ignore other things because they don't seem to fit into the institution.

I pray. I try to love whomever I meet. I truly value my relationship with God. I care about people no matter who they are and what they have done. I try to find God in all people. I value life in all forms. I want to be of help to people who struggle. I want to be a welcoming, forgiving person, religious and priest. I want to help people know and believe in God. Yet at times I am not sure whether I am on the right path. I don't always pray in traditional ways. I am more willing to accept a person where they are even if they don't fit into the laws of the institution. I want to dialog. I want to find a way for all to be close to the Kingdom. I don't want to judge. I don't want to be self-righteous and I certainly don't have all the answers.

I want to live Hosea's words today, I want to return to the Lord, but I am not always sure the institution takes me in that direction. I live to be a man of faith, I live to be a man of hope and I live to be a man of love. I pray that like the scribe I am a man close to the Kingdom of God!

Have a blessed Friday everyone!

Daily Prayer: O God of all good gifts, fill our hearts with your loving presence. Grace us with the wisdom to recognize the way to your Kingdom. Enliven us with your word, your spirit that we may walk the path you have set before us. Give us the understanding to live your commandments of love with joy. Help us to get beyond ourselves and value the gift of others. May we always be a people who seek your Kingdom by living in the hope of your mercy, joy and love. Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: Remember running can give us spiritual focus. When we run we have the time to be a person of prayer. It can be a prayer of few or many words. It can be one prayer or many prayers. It can be a simple breath that brings God into our being and it can be the exhaustion of giving all to God as we finish our run.

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessings to all. I hope you have had a good week. I am in the midst of getting caught up on mail, emails and paperwork that have crossed my desk in the last week. There are always things to do. I always seem to be looking ahead preparing for missions, retreats and other commitments down the road. It is hard to stay in the moment.

Today will be headed to Mount St. Michael’s High School in the Bronx for a 7:30 am mass and then it will be on to the Wartburg Home for an 11 am mass. The rest of the day will be spent preparing for my next mission.

Tomorrow I head out to Lindenhurst, New York on Long Island to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. Yes, I said Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Two weeks in a row I will be celebrating mission under the direction of Mary’s title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Do you think the Good Lord might be trying to tell me something?

My blessing prayer today is that God will bless all of you with a peaceful end to this work week and the joy of entering a weekend with family, friends and many good experiences. Be well and safe my friends, have a great day and the beginning of a wonderful weekend wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Please remember me and the people who will have to put up with me in the coming week’s mission in your prayers! God’s blessings upon all today and always! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 03/03/2016

Daily Thoughts:  "If today you hear [God's] voice, harden not your hearts." The response for the psalm today seems to say it all. In the first reading the faith community has hardened their hearts toward God. They are not listening or responding to the word or presence of God. In the Gospel there are some who have hardened their hearts for they cannot recognize God in their midst.

In the opening talk of my missions, I talk about how we at times harden perhaps not our whole heart but pieces or areas of our hearts. The primary reason is because we have been hurt and we harden ourselves so that we cannot be hurt again. Sometimes the hurt comes from another person, or a group of people, or an institution or from someone or something outside of us. Yet often we think the hurt comes from God and we harden our hearts to the grace, the word, and the presence of God. In doing this we very often miss the opportunity to experience the presence and the gift of God in our life.

Jesus reminds the people today that bad things do not come from God. God only wants good for us. God loves us, created us and desires a relationship with us. It is the world around us that can hurt. It is often the world within us that can hurt.

We don't want to make the mistakes of our ancestors that are talked about in our first reading from Jeremiah today. We don't want to make the same mistake of the people who question where Jesus is from in today's Gospel. We want to open our hearts, make our hearts places of nothing but good soil so that when we encounter God, when we hear God's voice the grace, word, strength, blessing and presence of God will be planted within us and grow producing a harvest that is hundred fold.

Please as you journey through this day do not harden your hearts but be open to hear God's voice and encounter God's presence in your life!

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Daily Prayer: Almighty and eternal God, may we always walk in your ways but especially as we begin this new day. Enliven our hearts with joy so that they will not be hardened by the struggles, hurts, pains and difficulties of life. Help our hearts to remain open to hearing your Word and recognizing your presence. Too often because of life we begin to wander away from you, too often we fail to hear you or recognize your presence in our life. Help us to always have the strength to walk, to live in your ways and hear your voice. Bless us with the gift of your Holy Spirit of joy and hope this day and always! Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: “I always loved running – it was something you could do by yourself and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” (Jesse Owens) So – running can give us an inner strength that can change our life. Just putting in the time, finishing a run can have an enlivening effect on your confidence and self-esteem. Running can also touch us in a spiritual way that makes us aware of God's presence in our life!

Daily Blessing: Thursday greetings and blessings to everyone! I hope your day has started off well. We had a great third day and evening of the mission yesterday. I am thankful for my time at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and for the spirit and faith of the community there.

I will be home here in Pelham until Saturday afternoon when I will head out to Lindenhurst, New York to begin a mission at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. I will keep busy however over the next couple of days with morning masses at the Wartburg Home and a visit to the dentist. During these days between missions I am always playing catch-up with paperwork and other assorted responsibilities.

I would like to pause for a moment and remember my mother and father today because today is the 73^rd Anniversary of their wedding. Back in the midst of World War II they gather with just a few family and friends at the 7:30 am mass to express their love for each other. I am so grateful for their love as it brought me and my sister and brother into the world. I know that they are celebrating in the gift of eternal love today! Thanks Mom and Dad and enjoy your day!

I am hoping all of you will have a blessed day. My prayer of blessing today is that you may it be rich in many life-giving experiences, in many faith filed people and touched with the gifts of joy, hope and love. Be well and safe my friends enjoy your day and know you are in my prayers! And may God bless all of you today and always. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul