Daily Thoughts - 11/29/2015

Daily Thoughts: On this First Sunday of Advent I find one of my favorite lines of Scripture in today's Gospel. "But when these signs happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand." Now this might seem strange to you, and I have to say I might not say it in the same words, but I believe what Jesus is getting at is to be hopeful, confident and proud (good kind of pride) in your faith, in your relationship with God. I might say it this way, "Stand up straight, stick out your chest, hold your head high be ready for God's presence in your life!"

A number of years ago, when Pope Benedict was still pope, there was a synod of bishops in Rome that focused on the New Evangelization. During the synod one of the cardinals said that we need this New Evangelization because we are embarrassed by our faith. Now upon hearing this I took offence. I have never been embarrassed by my faith. I have been embarrassed by some of our leadership at times. I have been embarrassed by the institution at times. I have been embarrassed by the actions of some of the people with the Church at times. I have even been embarrassed by my own actions at times but I have never been embarrassed by my faith, my belief in God and my relationship with God, my membership in the Church and the Body of Christ. When it has come to my faith, I have always want to stand up straight, with my chest out and my head held high and believe!

Advent is a new beginning, a time of hopefulness, a time to look at the trials, tribulations, struggles, disappointments, difficulties of life and say I believe! To say we believe! As we begin our journey through Advent may we take the words of the scriptures to heart today and everyday throughout this Advent Season and make ready to "Believe" once again in our Faithful and Loving God!

Have a great Sunday everyone and don’t forget to give God a little of your time today.

Daily Prayer: Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in us a wonder at the wisdom and power of your Father and ours. Receive our prayer as part of our service of the Lord who enlists us in God's own work for justice.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in us a hunger for peace: peace in the world, peace in our homes, and peace in ourselves.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in us a joy responsive to God's joy. We seek God’s will so we can serve with gladness, joy, hope, and love.

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in us the joy and love and peace that is right to bring to the manger of our Lord. Enliven in us, too, sober reverence for the God who acted there, hearty gratitude for the life begun there, and spirited resolution to serve the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose advent we hail. Amen. (Adapted from a traditional Advent Prayer)

A Runner’s Thoughts: “As a runner, you have to face the truth about yourself on a regular basis, and it makes you more honest. You can't pretend to be faster than you are. You can't pretend that you are better prepared than you are. You cannot pretend to be a runner, you actually have to run.” (John Bingham) So to in the spiritual life… You cannot pretend to be a person of faith, you actually have to live your faith!

Daily Blessing: Sunday blessings and greetings to all and happy Advent! Yes, today we begin a new Church Year with the Season of Advent, a season that helps us prepare for the great feast of Christmas. A season that helps us pause in the midst of our journey of life to remember how things began and to where and what this journey of life is all about. I hope you will have a blessed and holy Advent this year, one that will enliven you with joy and hope for your journey ahead.

It is a rainy morning here in Fairfax, VA and I anticipate a rain drive back to New York later today. I cannot complain as the weather here has been beautiful the last few days which has made this year’s Thanksgiving a wonder celebration. I hope the weather by you is better today especially if you are traveling. Travel safe no matter what the weather!

Today as we begin this New Year, this journey of Advent once again I pray for God’s blessing upon all of us. I pray that God will bless all of us with the wonder and awe of God’s presence during this wonderful season and always. I pray that God will bless us with the wonders of His mercy, hope and joy. I pray - O come, O come, Promised One of the ages. Come into our lives, come into our work places, come into our faith communities, come into our families, come into our homes, sit at our tables; dwell with joy in each of our hearts. O come, O come, Emmanuel, and set our hearts, our faith on fire with your mercy, joy, hope and love.

Have a blessed and holy First Sunday of Advent everyone! May you find the time during this hope filled season to connect with God each day. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/27/2015

Daily Thoughts: Our readings today focus us on the end time as they have throughout this last week of the liturgical year. They ask the question are we ready for what is to come? Are we ready for God’s perfect kingdom?

We already know how to live in an imperfect world.  Jesus has shown throughout the course of his life how to live in this imperfect world, especially during the last days of his life – his dying and rising from the dead.  He brought the Kingdom of God to this very imperfect world and invited us to join with him by living lives that help to illuminate the Kingdom of God in our difficult times.

When we look at our world we can get scared by all the violence, anger, wars and rumors of war that threaten us daily – the most recent violence in Paris and Beirut.

Jesus has already shown us over and over again how to respond. We are to love God, neighbor and self. We are to live out the reality of the Beatitudes. We are to trust in the goodness of God. And finally we are to open ourselves to the poor and those who call out the Christ life that is within us.

Pope Francis reminds us over and over again that we are to do something in our life that counters the bad news and negativity that we see daily on TV and listen to on the radio every day.  We all need to be encouraged that our attempts to bring love into a loveless world because these simple gestures, these random acts of goodness are themselves gifts of God.

We are asked to see the “end is near” visions of our readings today as challenges and blessings from a loving God.  Our simple acts of faith, hope and love have effects that go way beyond the present moments into a future and a hope that God has planned for us.  We face a world that wants to imprison us, but God’s Kingdom calls us into a future of promise and hope. So rejoice, stand erect and raise your heads because the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Daily Prayer: O God, Creator of all, hear the prayers of your people today. Prayers that seek peace. Prayers that seek truth. Prayers that seek your love. Help us to know what is most important in life in the midst of a world that often speaks to us words that are not life giving, placing importance on the trivial. May we hear with our hearts your words of everlasting life! Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: When you run be a pilgrim. As you run search for God in the ordinary. It is not a pilgrimage to some place special. Your run may be nothing more than a trip around the neighborhood but if your intention is to talk with God, then you are a pilgrim!

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessings to all. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I must admit I am moving slowly this morning too much excellent food yesterday. There is a thought in my head that says go out and run five miles but I am fighting that wisdom today!

It looks to be another beautiful day here in Fairfax. I hope that same is true where you are. You could not have ask for a nicer day yesterday in order to enjoy the gift of Thanksgiving.

My prayer of blessing today is… Loving God bless us – Bless us and keep us safe. Let your face shine upon us and show us your compassion especially in those moments when we may struggle. May your love and peace embrace us, all whom we meet and especially those whom we love. May all our journeys be safe and may we continue to enjoy your gifts of family, friends and rest this day. Amen! Have a great day everyone! Shop if you must but also take some extra time with family and friends to just enjoy life! Blessings today and always. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 11/26/2015

Daily Thought: If you use the readings for the Mass of Thanksgiving Day in the Gospel you hear the story of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19) once again. We had the same story about two weeks ago. It is a rich and challenging story especially as we come together across our nation to celebrate this special day in our history.

The story of the one returning person who had been cured reminds us that in the midst of the busyness of life we have got to pause and be thankful. Life is not always about "me!" It is about being grateful, being thankful and going to the Source of our Life with that gratitude! Shopping can wait, partying can wait – God, prayer, family and friends are in need of our attention! It is a matter of faith and that can make all the difference.

St. Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians says – "I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace, [the gifts] of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus…." As we journey through life on this Thanksgiving Day let us be aware of God's grace and God’s many gifts and then think first about who makes this grace and these gifts possible and not just about ourselves and then be grateful even when it might be difficult.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your day and all who you will gather with to celebrate be blessed!

Daily Prayer: Loving God of all thankfulness, your gifts of love and goodness are infinite, help us to pause this day and every day with gratitude for your kindness, mercy and love. Open our hearts to have concern for every person so that all may share your gifts. Finally help us to always recognize your gifts and return to give thanks! Amen!

A Runner's Thoughts: If you run today run with a mindfulness and a thoughtfulness of gratitude for the gift of running and all the gifts you encounter on a run. If you do not run today be sure to take time to give thanks!

Daily Blessing: Thanksgiving greetings and blessings to everyone! A special shout out to my niece Sarah who celebrates her birthday today! Happy Birthday, Sarah and many more! Ah, to be young again!

It looks to be a beautiful day here in Fairfax and I hope the weather by you is making your day a beautiful one too! I pray that you are where you want to be or are in the process of getting there safely!

I am going to take my prayer of blessing today from one that I offered you a few days ago.

This Thanksgiving Day I pray that you will always find the blessing of thankfulness in your life. – God of all blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace. We thank you for the gift of life: for the breath that sustains life, for the food of this earth that nurtures life, for the love of family and friends without which there would be no life.

We thank you for the mystery of creation: for the beauty that the eye can see, for the joy that the ear may hear, for the unknown that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder, for the expanse of space that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.

We thank you for setting us in communities: for families who nurture our becoming, for friends who love us by choice, for companions at work, who share our burdens and daily tasks, for strangers who welcome us into their midst, for people from other lands who call us to grow in understanding, for children who lighten our moments with delight, for the unborn, who offer us hope for the future.

We thank you for this day: for life and one more day to love, for opportunity and one more day to work for justice and peace, for neighbors and one more person to love and by whom be loved, for your grace and one more experience of your presence, for your promise: to be with us, to be our God, and to give salvation.

For these and all blessings, we give you thanks, eternal, loving God, through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. May the blessing of thankfulness be with you as you journey through this Thanksgiving Day and always!

I pray that today will be filled with family, friends, food and thankfulness! Be safe today if you are traveling. Pray for peace in our families, our cities, our nations, our World and in ourselves. Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul