Daily Thoughts - 07/01/2014

Daily Thoughts: Calming the storm. We have all been there; things are going along just fine. Sure there are a few bumps in the road but that is to be expected in the living of life but we have got things under control. Then it happens, all hell breaks loose and we are hanging on for dear life. All our planning, all our preparations, all our good intentions seem to go right out the window. We are now hanging on by our finger tips any moment life will come crashing down on us. We followed our plan. We did the right things. Why is this happening to us? Our life is simply out of control and we are doomed!

“Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Why are we terrified? Have we lost faith? Have we lost faith in God, faith in others, faith in ourselves? Have we forgotten all the hard work we have put into life? Are we unwilling to trust ourselves any more just because a storm has entered our life? Are we really that fragile? Have we forgotten to trust who has brought us to this moment?

Storms in life are fearful moments. They seem to take control, if we really ever had it, away from us. They bring to the surface all kinds of doubt from the dark reaches of our hearts. They scare us and sometimes make us think the worst. They take us out of our comfort zone. Yet, we are reminded today that no matter what, we never face the storms of life alone. Paraphrasing the words of Thomas Merton’s famous prayer, “We should not fear because God is always with us and will never leave us to face our storms alone.”

On this lazy summer day whether we find ourselves in the midst of a calm day, looking at a horizon full of storm clouds or right in the middle of an all-out storm, let us have faith in God, faith in those important in our life and faith in ourselves so that no matter what this day brings our faith will see us through.

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

Scripture Readings: Amos 3: 1-8; 4:11-12; Psalm 5: 4b-6a, 6b-7, 8; Matthew 8:23-27)

Daily Prayer: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. (Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude)

A Runner’s Thoughts: I have two thoughts for you today… Remember that if we are meditative runners, if we are runners at prayer then with each run we are fortunate to have found a way to refreshes not only our bodies but also our spirits. You might say with each run we give ourselves the change to be born again in friendship with God! (Adapted from Roger Joslin – Running the Spiritual Path)

“You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone.” (Percy Cerutty)

Daily Blessing: Happy Tuesday and Happy first day of July everyone and may you be rich in God’s blessings today!

Things are well here in Manitowoc today, storms rolled through last night but it is a beautiful sunny morning. I hope the weather is good by you today. While there were storms last night I was out for a walk around 8:45 pm and I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets ever. I did not have my phone with me so I could not take a picture but with the storm clouds and the setting sun it was just spectacular! Also off to the east there was a rainbow, not so much a bow but a pillar of color running up into the sky. It was a profound evening perhaps an evening like the one pictured in today’s Gospel Matthew 8:23-27). There was the storm and then the calm the beautiful sunset and rainbow, Jesus calming things down, reminding us of our faith!

Please continue to keep the sisters on retreat in your prayers and if you get a chance to offer an extra prayer for their preacher it will be greatly appreciated.

Have a great day everyone wherever you are. Blessing upon your work, your ministry, your experiences, those whom you encounter, those whom you love and especially upon you! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 06/30/2014

Daily Thoughts: I think today’s Gospel (Matthew 8:18-22) can be reduced to two words, essentials and incidentals. Jesus seems to be saying that there are essential things in life and there are incidental things in life and we have to figure out which are which. To follow Jesus means that we invest in the essentials and we let go of the incidentals, however this is not always easy. What is an incidental for Jesus a lot of the time is an essential for us.

Now we are never really sure what the scribes are up to, often they seem to spend their time try to antagonize Jesus. Are Jesus’ answers in the Gospel today in response to an antagonist or words for all of us to live by? I vote that they are words for all of us to live by even though they might be difficult.

Making a commitment to follow Jesus involves letting go. The Gospel today gives us a perfect example of what it takes to let go. Jesus basically says, “If you are going to follow me it’s now or never!” He doesn’t invite us follow tomorrow, in a couple of weeks or a year from now—we are invite today…Now! Following Jesus is not easy, especially when it’s not on our terms. Living this life is about battling our own needs, wants and desires every day. As Jesus say, following him means “Picking our cross and follow each day!”

A question for today might be what do we think are the important things in life and are we willing if necessary to let them go to follow Jesus?

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

Daily Prayer:

Loving God, we pray today to be one of your disciples so we ask that you:

Liberate us from our desires to be wealthy, and our belief that ‘a little bit more’ will make us happy!

Liberate us from our daydreams of self-sufficiency, in which we see ourselves as makers of our own life, controllers of our own destiny, advancers of our own cause, and the only recipient of credit for our accomplishments.

Liberate us from our attempts to buy a sense of worthiness, by our eye-catching good deeds and public acts of service.

Show us a better way – to be your disciple so that we might come before you with open hands and open hearts.

Show us the deep connection we between our sisters and our brothers, and the way in which you created us to live in loving trust of each other.

Show us how to be compassionate, merciful, meek, clean of heart and peacemakers. That we might bring these gifts to everyone we meet.

Show us how to hunger and thrust for justice that we might truly be people of life.

Show us the fullness of your kingdom, in which you call us to participate – here and now – not by our own perfection, but by the grace you offer us through Jesus Christ.

Grace us with the strength to look beyond the insults, the negativity, the hurts and the ridicule to the gift of our love that travels with us never letting us face the perils of this way alone. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: Mother Teresa saw Christ in the face of everyone she met; it is possible to conduct a run that models her behavior. So as we run, let’s place a smile on our face and thus offer a blessing to everyone we meet on our run today!

Daily Blessing: Happy Monday and blessings upon everyone today! I trust you had an enjoyable weekend. The weather at least in this neck of the woods was beautiful. If your weekend didn’t go so well I pray that as we begin this new week things will get better!

I began my second retreat with the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity last night. The group is smaller this week but it looks to be a good group and I am looking forward to the journey of retreat. Please pray for the sisters and their preacher!

Well we find ourselves journeying through the last day of June. My how time flies when you are having fun, sometimes I would just like to slow time down so I can fully enjoy the moment. But onward we journey so I guess it is up to me to stop and smell the flowers every once in a while. I will not be able to do that for a while as my calendar is full for the next few months!

My prayer of blessing for all of you today is that this new works week, or vacation week will be blessed with the rich presence of God in your life. May you find that presence in the people you meet, in the places you go, in the experience you and most importantly within yourself. Many blessings today, have a great day and please know my prayers go with you. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 06/29/2014

Daily Thoughts: Today we celebrate the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, two very prominent figures in our story of faith, two men who grounded and push forward the early Church but who did it in very different ways. We celebrate two men who remind us why we are Church, two men who reflect what it means to be Church.

I sometimes think that Sts. Peter and Paul reflect the Church though it might be nice to have a triptych of saints today with perhaps the third being a woman, like St. Mary Magdalen. If Mary were included our celebration today our feast would surely be a more complete picture of the Church and the Body of Christ.

However, we celebrate Peter and Paul, two people of different approaches to life, different ways of living, different ministries. They didn’t always agree yet they forged an energy, a spirit that remains with us today.

St. Peter was a passionate man but one who was easily swayed by the moment. St. Paul was a man of conviction, spirit and energy but at least early on it was misguided. Both had to be challenged by God to accept their roles as leaders, preachers and persons of faith.

We celebrate them today by asking them to intercede for us before God so that we might be graced with the strength, the perseverance, the energy, the spirit and the faith to live as a Church, as the Body of Christ. We seek their passion so that we too might recognize God in our midst and be able to proclaim as we journey through our life of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and “To God be glory forever and ever, Amen!”

Have a great Sunday and many blessings on this feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Don’t forget to make a joyful noise with your life today and give a little time to God!

Daily Prayer: O God, source of every good gift and sure foundation of our life together as Church, today we honor and celebrate Saints Peter and Paul, grace us with a share in their zeal for preaching and living the gospel. Strengthen our faith to be witnesses, even unto staking our lives on your promises. We offer this prayer today and always through our one Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

A Runner’s Thoughts: Runner’s: Let us remember that if we run the spiritual path, God is the source of our strength, God is our footpath, and God is the finish line. If we run consciously, with the intention to move closer to the presence of God, then our movement, the sound of our breath becomes a profession of our faith! (Adapted from Roger Joslin, Running the Spiritual Path)

Daily Blessing: Happy Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul and many blessings upon everyone! I hope your Sunday has begun well. I had a very nice day off yesterday. After celebrating the closing mass of the retreat I traveled northwest of here to Green Bay, Wisconsin and visited the famed football stadium Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers. I am a Pittsburgh Steeler fan but the chance to visit Lambeau Field could not be passed up, also I truly do respect the Packers and all they have stood for in the history of professional football. You cannot beat their history especially the years of Vince Lombardi.  It was a very nice experience and if you are ever in the area it is certain worth the stop!

My prayer of blessing today rests in the spirits of the saints we honor, St. Peter and St. Paul. I pray that the spirits of Sts. Peter and Paul may be with all of you today. May you be blessed with the spirit of faith to help you on this journey of life. May you be blessed with the spirit of hope to get you through the rough times. May you be blessed with the spirit of love to remind you in whose image and likeness you are created in, how special you are and that you are never alone. May you be blessed with the spirit of strength to not be afraid to proclaim the Good News and to not be afraid to make a mistake. Through the spirits of St. Peter and St. Paul  know that God is with you always and will never leave you to face your perils alone! Happy Sunday everyone!

Don’t forget to give God a little time and don’t forget to make a joyful noise with your life today! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 06/28/2014

Daily Thoughts: Today we celebrate the second half of our focus on the heart. It is Mary’s Immaculate Heart that we honor today. There are many things we can say about Mary’s heart but the virtue that stands out most to me about Mary is strength. I think Mary’s heart was truly a heart of strength.

In the Gospel today Luke tells us that Mary kept all the experience of Jesus in her heart. She kept the joys and sorrows, the miracles and the opposition, the quiet moments and the great crowds, the mother and father moments of family and the community moments of discipleship. Mary kept the triumphant moments of shepherds, angels, kings and palms and failing moments of whips, nails, wooden crosses and death on a hill. Yes, Mary kept all things in her heart so she needed a very strong heart to hold all the experiences of life that she encountered from early on. Mary was truly a woman, a mother of great strength, a strength that came from and was nourished, feed and supposed by her heart.

As I said yesterday the heart is central to who we are as a human being. Whether we are speaking about our physical, emotion or spiritual life the heart plays a central role in how we live our life. Mary’s heart was a heart of strength carrying the grace of God’s presence in her life. Her strength enabled her to say “yes” to God and then watch as that “yes” unfolded in the life, passion, death and resurrection of her son, Jesus.

Mary, woman of strength, hold us in your heart that we too may be strong in living our journey of life!

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

Daily Prayer:

All Loving God, as we honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary this day, we ask that by the help of her prayers we might strengthen our own hearts and come to share your blessings this day and always.

O holy Mary, mother of all mercy, you are our life, our love and our hope. This day we call out to you, in all our humanness, in all our failings. To you we send our prayers, our thoughts, our tears, our joys. Turn your eyes, O most loving Mother toward us that we might always hold the presence of your Loving Son in our lives.

O Compassionate, O Loving, O Tender Mother Mary. Direct our prayers always though Christ, your Son, our Savior.  Amen! (Adapted from the Prayer - Hail Holy Queen)

A Runner’s Thoughts: One way to look at running is as a tool, a device or practice that aids the user in our quest to pray. If we are intent about moving along the spiritual path, then it only makes sense to use those aspects of our live that already fill our days. So spend some time in prayer today go for a run! (Adapted from Roger Joslin)

Daily Blessing: Happy Saturday everyone and blessing on this Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! I hope everyone’s Saturday has started off well and that you are looking forward to a great day!

It is a beautiful sunny day here in Manitowoc. We will finish up our week of retreat this morning with the celebration of mass in about 45 minutes. I think it has been a good week I have gotten a lot of nice feedback from the sisters. Please offer a prayer for the sisters who have been on retreat this week that they will be truly renewed as they return to their ministries and communities.

I have a little break now until I start a second week of retreat here tomorrow with a new group of sisters so I am headed to Green Bay today to visit Lambeau Field. I figured being I am this close I should visit one of the great cathedrals of football!

my prayer this morning is that Good will bless all of you today with a beautiful day, one in which you will get to celebrate the gift of life with family, friends and people who enjoy life. May you be blessed with a day that is fun and filled with moments and people of joy and hope. May you be blessed with a day of rest and enjoyment. Please know as always, you are in my prayers. Be safe today if you are going to be out and about. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

PS There is an interesting article in NCR worth the read… http://ncronline.org/news/people/could-baseball-player-roberto-clemente-become-saint