Daily Thoughts - 06/02/2014

Daily Thoughts: “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” The last sentence of today’s Gospel from John (John 16:29-33). It reminds us that being a person of faith is not easy, that we will find ourselves struggling with many things in our world, culture and society. In fact we will struggle with many things even within our own faith community because as an institution it is part of the world and run by human beings who are imperfect. Living this life will give us trouble from all sides.

However, we are not to fear because Jesus has conquered the world. He has made this life only part of the journey. There is more to life than this world; there is more to life than what we face each day. There is an eternal life where there is no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death just the eternal presence of God. As people of faith that is where we are headed but there is still this life, this world to navigate through.

Each day we need to look for the Spirit. We need to look for those people like St. Paul who can help us connect with the Spirit, because it is the Holy Spirit who will guide us through the troubles of this world. It is the Holy Spirit who will bring to life the gift of God within us.

So be on the lookout today for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can come to us in many different ways, through creation, through the people we meet, through the people we love and yes, the Holy Spirit can even come to us through ourselves. Let us be the breath, the life, the Spirit of God today!

Have a great Monday and don’t forget to make a joyful noise with your life today!

Daily Prayer:  Come, O Holy Spirit of Life and help us in our weaknesses, in our troubles and in our struggles.  We do not always know how to pray as we should, so we ask you to intercede for us. Grace our prayers with your groanings too deep for words and set our hearts on fire with your love. Help us to be re-created in your love so that we might renew your hope throughout the face of the earth this day and always. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: When you finish your run today or any day, take a moment to reflect on the sense of balance, the sense of energy, the sense of renewal that results from your run. Think of the moment when you felt God’s presence. Think of the ways you felt God presence. Now take that energy, that balance, that presence with you throughout the day!

Daily Blessing: Happy Monday and June blessings to everyone! I hope you had a great weekend and feel refreshed and ready for a new week! If not I will offer a prayer for you this morning that you will find the energy today that will take you through this week and make a it a good one.

I have found summer! Here in West Texas the temperatures have been in the 90s during the day since I arrived and the forecast is for 100s before I leave on Saturday. So hello summer! That is one thing about traveling you often go from one kind of weather to something very different in a matter of hours. At least the retreat center here in San Angelo is air conditioned and a very comfortable place. Once again I would ask your prayers for the priests of the Diocese of Lubbock, Texas who will begin retreat with me this evening. I think there is to be about 45 priests on retreat and I am told the bishop will be here too. So in your prayers remember those on retreat and the preacher!

As I said above I hope your Monday, your new week, has started well. I pray that your day, your week, will be blessed with many wonderful and life giving experiences. I pray that you will take sometime today to smell the flowers, to enjoy the colors of creation and to let yourself be loved! May the blessing of God’s love be with you today and always. Peace in Christ’s Passion and Joy in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 05/31/2014

Daily Thoughts: “How does this happen to me?”  We have used some form of this saying at times in our life; probably most often out of frustration. “Why is this happening to me?”  The frustration of bad things happening to good people or the frustration of being in a situation we would prefer not being in. Seeing something bad happen to family, friends or seemingly good people in life struggle. These words echo each time we encounter the tragedies of life; natural disaster like tornados, powerful storms, floods or unnatural disasters like terrorist bombs, gun violence, war, tragic accidents and we say “why is this happening?”

Yet these words spoken by Elizabeth today, “How does this happen to me?” are spoken out of excitement and joy. This ordinary woman encounters the mother of God, what a great gift! It is such a wonderful moment that all present are moved to celebrate even the child in her womb. It is not a time of frustration or struggle; it is a time of joy and hope.

I have been to Israel many times and one of my favorite stops has always been the village of Ein Karem. There your find the Church of St. John the Baptist and to the southwest high on a hill the Church of the Visitation. Even though it is a rather steep hill and a difficult walk the Church of the Visitation is always a great treat and the words that always come to mind are, “It is good for us to be here!” As you enter the courtyard of the Church there is a statue of Elizabeth and Mary two pregnant women joyfully greeting, embracing each other.

Seeing the status of Elizabeth and Mary is always a moment of hope for me because seeing any pregnant woman is a hopeful gift. It is a sign of life, a sign of the future, a sign of hope. With today’s Feast of the Visitation we are reminded to be a people of life because it is in and through life that we encounter the gifts of hope and love and come to know the blessing of, “how this life happens to us!”

Happy Feast of the Visitation and have a great Saturday everyone and say a special prayer for all pregnant women that Elizabeth and Mary will walk with them as they bring new life and hope into the world! And don’t forget to make a joyful noise today!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, we come to you this day as a people in need of hope. There are times when because of the experiences of life we feel helpless, when we feel weak and overwhelmed. So today we pray for your gift of hope. We need hope so that we might build a better future. We need hope that we might live a better life. We need hope that we might be a people of love and kindness.

It is often said that the sky is at its darkest just before the light. And so we pray that this is true, because often life seems dark and we need your light, O God, in every way. We pray that we will be filled with your light from head to toe. So that we might find the joy and hope that Elizabeth found when visited by Mary. That we might say with excitement not frustration or struggle, how does this life happen to me?

Help us to be people of hope today that all is right in the world, as you have planned, and as you want it to be. Help us to walk in your light, and live our lives in faith and hope. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: I always use as my running theme, “I run for Life!” Wherever and whenever you run today run in the spirit of Elizabeth and Mary, run for life! Let us as we run be signs, witnesses and proclaimers of just how wonderful life is and can be!

Daily Blessing: Saturday blessings everyone! On this Feast of the Visitation I send special greetings to all mothers, especially those who are carrying life at this time and in a particular way I remember my niece, Sarah. Through the spirit of Elizabeth and Mary I ask God’s blessing upon all of you for the gifts of hope and love you give to the world. Mothers are truly special people.

In about an hour I will be heading to the airport to begin my journey to San Angelo, Texas. I will have a busy week ahead as I celebrate retreat with the priests of the Lubbock Diocese. Please pray for the priests who will be on retreat and if you feel generous say a little prayer for their preacher!

I hope everyone has a great Saturday and that you continue to have a wonderful weekend. I pray for blessings upon your work, your ministry, and your experiences of life today. I also pray for blessing upon those you love, those your encounter and especially upon you today! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Joy in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 05/30/2014

Daily Thoughts: “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.” – “Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” Perhaps these are two of the hardest statements in the scripture to trust.  They come to us today from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 18: 9-18) and John’s Gospel (John 16: 20-23). The first the Lord speaks to St. Paul one night in Corinth and the other Jesus speaks to his disciples.

How often have we asked God for something and yet it doesn’t happen, we don’t get it, we have to settle for life as it is not as we want it to be? How often are we called to speak or we feel compelled to speak because of our faith but the words just will not come out because we are afraid of the consequences?

Living by faith is no easy task, it wasn’t in Paul’s time, and it wasn’t in Jesus’ time. The world is often a cruel place, a place where words and actions can cause us pain, sorrow and problems even if they are true and right. The feelings and emotions of the mob are usually what rules. The Gospel message is not for the weak or afraid because many leave it at the church door on Sunday, if they have heard it at all.

Our faith tells us that God is with us. That whatever we ask in Jesus’ name we will be given, then why is there so much sickness, death, pain and sorrow in the world? Wars and violence happen every day, 300 young women are taken from their homes. Did no one ask for the violence to stop, for the women to be returned in Jesus’ name?

It is easy to say that we are Christian and call ourselves Catholic but living out our faith is never easy. In some way God is always there, God always responds to us, God always gives us what we need, God always stands beside us when we speak the truth. However the world always makes it hard to hear, feel, see and know God’s presence in our life.

As we live today, as we wonder through this life trying to believe, trying to speak, trying to trust in God remember love casts out fear. It makes us able to speak even in the most difficult times and it makes present the most profound gifts that God gives to us!

Friday blessings everyone and don't forget to make a joyful noise with your life today!

Daily Prayer:  Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace that is enough for me. (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

A Runner’s Thoughts: As runners in faith, if we embark on the path of praying while we run we can expect surprises, missteps, and perhaps great leaps toward a personal relationship with God. We might think of running as our escape from the struggles, tensions, problems and issues of life but through prayer it can also be a moment, a time, when God will reach out to us in unique ways!

Daily Blessing: TGIF everyone! The sun has risen in Pelham and it looks and feels like it is going to be a beautiful warm day. I hope that is true wherever you are too! In about eleven hours the weekend will officially begin and I pray you are looking forward to a restful and fun filled weekend.

This is my last day of preparation here at home tomorrow I head to San Angelo, Texas where I will begin a retreat for priests on Monday. I am heading out a little early mainly to save money and make sure I am there on time for the retreat. The early start will give me a little time to settle in and be at my best for the week long retreat. Next week please keep the priests of the Lubbock Diocese of Texas in your prayers and if you get a chance say a little prayer for their preacher too!

I offer a simple prayer of blessing this morning for all of you on this final Friday in May. May you be found rich today in the grace and presence of God. May your travels, your endeavors go well and be safe. May your interactions with others be blessed with the presence of God. May you enjoy your day and may it lead to a great weekend! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Joy in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 05/29/2014

Daily Thoughts: Being in one of the few places in the States that still celebrates the Ascension today I am working off the readings for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

“Men Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?” I have always liked this little phase at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. For me it sets the stage for everything that Luke is going to tell Theophilus about Jesus and this community call Church. Perhaps this question directed at Jesus’ followers just after he ascended into heaven sits at the center of our life as Church.

Sometimes as a Church I think we are standing there look up at the sky. We are looking at the past. We are looking at what use to be and not what is. We are looking back hoping the past will be the present and the future.

The angel’s question to the disciples perhaps was not just a question but a challenge. Are you going to continue to stand here and just look up at the sky? Are you going to live in the past, put your hope in the past? Or are you going to get busy and be about the ministry Jesus has entrusted you with, are you going to get busy about living of life.

In the movie the Shawshank Redemption Andy at one point tells Red, “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying.” Perhaps that is what the angel is asking Jesus’ disciples the day of the Ascension. What are they now going to do with the mission, the ministry that Jesus has entrusted them with? Their choices are to stand here and keep looking up at the sky, waiting for Jesus to return, thinking of the past or they can get busy living the life, the faith, the hope, the love that Jesus has entrusted to them.

We might say that this celebration of the Feast of the Ascension challenges us in the same way. Are we as a Church just going to stand around looking, waiting for Jesus, are we going to stand in the midst of the past and wait or are we as a people of faith going to get busy living out our faith through the gifts of the Spirit?

Happy Feast of the Ascension everyone whether you celebrate it today or this coming Sunday, may you truly be busy about living your life with faith, hope and love in God!

Daily Prayer: O God of all life, enliven us with the gift of your Spirit to be busy about living not busy about dying today. Help us with your grace to live life to its fullest and not stand gazing back into the past hoping for what was. Today is a new day and may we live it with energy, enthusiasm and faith. Grace our hearts with the fire of your love that we might bring the gifts of faith, hope and love to a world so in need of them. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: Let us think of each run we make as having two distinct parts. I will call them the outward run and the inward run. The outward run is what we encounter as we run, creation, people, sounds, experiences, how we feel, the distance involved. The inward run is what we encounter about ourselves as we run. How we are feeling. What struggles we have physically, emotionally and spiritually. What we bring on the run that is within us, good and bad. Both parts of our runs are physical, emotional and spiritual. So let us be aware, let us listen, and let us focus outwardly and inwardly because each part of our run can bring us to God.

Daily Blessing: Ascension blessings everyone, whether you are in the part of the world celebrating it today or on Sunday! May we always be people who are busy about living!

I off this morning to St. Barnabas Parish in the Bronx to celebrate the 9:00 am mass for the school children. Then it is back home and my continued preparation for my journey to Texas on Saturday. The sun is out here in Pelham and it should be a nice day at least weather wise! I trust your day will be a good one rich in the grace of God.

My prayer of blessing today comes from St. Anselm of Canterbury. O God, let us know you and love you today so that we may find our joy in you; and if we cannot do so fully in this life, help us to at least make some progress today and every day, until at last we may know the fullness of your joy and love! O God, bless us this day make it a day rich in your joy and love. May we not stand just looking but may we bring you to the world! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Joy in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul