Daily Thoughts - 06/29/2015

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 Monday and many blessings on this feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

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: 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: Monday greetings and blessings to everyone and happy Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul! I hope your Monday has begun well. The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity sister’s retreat here in Manitowoc, WI got off to a nice start last night and in a few moments I will head to the chapel for morning prayer and mass as our first full day begins. I would ask you to please keep the sisters who are on retreat in your prayers there about 35 of them and if you have the time to say a little prayer for their preacher it would be greatly appreciated. The weather here in Manitowoc is beautiful. The sun is out the temperature is in the high 60’s. I hope wherever you are the day is beautiful too!

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 St. Peter and St. 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 Monday everyone! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 06/28/2015

Daily Thought: In a phrase we might say that today’s readings are about “the value of life” or put differently “the value of each person.” In our political and religious rhetoric these days we hear a lot about the value of life and the person. We might say that as Catholics the value and importance of life is our prime objective however often it only refers to birth rather than the entire span of life. We are profoundly intent on bringing life into the world but how concerned are we about that life after it comes into the world?

In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom we hear that God did not make death, that the creatures of the world are wholesome and that God formed us to be imperishable; in the image of God we were made. In other words each one of us who comes into the world brings the image and likeness of God with us. We are each valuable, important, necessary and gifted. Each one of us is unique and special. Without our presence in the world a part of the image and likeness of God is missed.

St. Paul in the second reading continues this reflection on the value of life. He reminds of what Jesus has done for us. Jesus so loved us that he gave his life for us, that we might have life. In St. Paul’s words Jesus became poor that we might become rich. St. Paul’s point is that we each have a special gift and it needs to be shared. He asks us to be gracious and generous people. In St. Paul’s eyes, in God’s eyes, we are all equal and should share equally in the abundance of God’s love. If we happen to be blessed at a particular moment in life that blessing must be shared.

Finally in Mark’s Gospel we encounter the challenge of being gracious, generous and loving lived out in the person of Jesus. He puts the value of each person ahead of the rules and regulations of his own religion. Jesus steps across the boundary of becoming ritually unclean to heal. Jesus values the life and health of the woman with the hemorrhage and the official’s daughter because they are created in the image and likeness of God. In each case Jesus becomes ceremonially unclean and was not permitted to enter the synagogue or the temple to pray liturgically or publicly. It was not that Jesus wanted to challenge the tradition; he simply acted spontaneously and lovely because he valued life and the person, a stance that Jesus was more than willing to defend.

We can talk about the importance of life all we want but the proof of the pudding is in our actions. If we value life and making sure that life reaches the world then we must ask ourselves if we are willing to care for life from the moment of conception to the last breath? Do we value ourselves and others? Do we value the least and the best? Do we share our blessings so that all might encounter God’s love? Are we willing to step across the boundaries of culture, society and religion when someone needs us? Are we gracious, generous and loving people? These are the questions our scriptures ask of us today! What answers will we give?

Have a great Sunday everyone and do not forget to give God a little time today!

Daily Prayer: O God, you love us not in some aloof, impersonal way, but with the cherishing love a good mother pours out on her children; with the adoring love a good father delights to give the children in his life. With the disciplining love good parents give their children; with the protecting love shepherds shower on their lambs. Your love for us now is gift-love, faithful, committed, unchanging, inextinguishable. Grant us the grace to believe, to follow, to choose, to experience this love even when it is difficult, even when it doesn’t make sense, even when everyone else says differently. Grant us the hope of your eternal love so that we can keep our hands on the plow always look ahead. Amen!

A Runner’s Thoughts: 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: Sunday greetings and blessings to all! I find myself in Manitowoc, WI today. I arrived yesterday afternoon and have settled into my home for the next week. I will be giving a retreat to 28 of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity here at their Motherhouse in Manitowoc. This is my second year here so it was very easy to settle in and I am looking forward to beginning the retreat this evening. I would ask you to please keep the sisters on retreat in your prayers this week and if you could say and extra prayer for their preacher it would be greatly appreciated!

My prayer of blessing today is that you will 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. As you journey through this day may you know that God is with you always and will never leave you to face your struggles alone! Happy Sunday everyone! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 06/26/2015

Daily Thoughts: At times when I hear or read certain Gospel stories I think wouldn’t it be great if Jesus could do that today! In today’s story (Matt 8:1-4) Jesus encounters a leper. Leprosy in Jesus’ time made people outcasts. They were disconnected from the community. They had to keep their distance. They were relegated to living in community with only other lepers. They were not to touch or be touched by others. They were seen as unclean.

However the leper in the Gospel story has the courage to approach Jesus and for that courage he is rewarded with a healing. He is made clean so that he can live once again within the community. Jesus heals by touching, by crossing the boundary of culture, society and religion. Jesus deals with the person as a human being created in the image and likeness of God.

I guess my point is that in our day there are many people who probably feel like the lepers of Jesus’ time. People who are looked upon as unclean, who are looked upon as not part of the community. People who are looked upon by culture, society and especially religion as misfits, who are often are excluded. Wouldn’t it be great if Jesus were here today and like that day long ago as he came down from the mountain he would stop and talk with them, touch them, perhaps embracement and make them feel like a person again accepted, loved not feared.

Making someone clean has many connotations some positive, some negative. Making someone clean presumes that they are unclean. Was the leper of Jesus’ day really unclean? Are people in our time really unclean? Asking Jesus to make those that culture, society and religion often see as unclean, clean, might not mean curing them of some disease or condition, it might simply mean clearing the way, stepping across the boundary and changing the attitudes that will allow them to feel accepted, to feel they belong.

“Lord if you wish, you can make us clean.” Stretch out your hand today and will it!

Have a great day everyone!

Daily Prayer: Jesus, our benevolent friend, at every moment of our existence you are present to us. You are our loving Savior who is gentle and compassionate. Reach out your healing hand and touch us today. Help us to step beyond the boundaries of what divides and excludes like you. Help us to be present to one another so that our presence, like your presence, may be a strength that heals the wounds of time, and give hope to all people. We make this prayer through the grace of your compassion and love. Amen!  (Adapt from a Healing Prayer by the monks at Weston Priory)

A Runner’s Thoughts: Let us run in the present moment, not from something and not to something. Let us strive for a grace-filled run and well as a graceful run. Run today not for time but fore grace. Run with God! (Adapted from Roger Joslin – Running the Spiritual Path)

Daily Blessing: Friday greetings and blessings to everyone! I hope your week has gone well and that you are looking forward to a little rest and relaxation over the weekend. I am enjoying a nice relaxing day with my brother and his family just north of Chicago. We are headed to Lake Geneva in Wisconsin today for a little lunch and hopefully a nice boat ride around the lake. Tomorrow I head to Manitowoc, WI to begin a sister’s retreat on Sunday so I am glad to have this nice relaxing Friday.

Have a great Friday everyone! May it be blessed with family and friends, laughter, fun, joy, rest and relaxation. May you and those you love be safe everywhere you go and in everything you do.  Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Daily Thoughts - 06/25/2015

Daily Thoughts: There was a poster I once saw that said, “If you were to be put on trial for being a Christian, would you be found guilty?” Perhaps that is what Jesus is getting at in the Gospel today (Matt 7:21-29). It is not about what we say; it is about how we live especially when there is a storm.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” If we are to be people of faith, we need to be Christ like.

As Jesus images in the Gospel, our faith needs to be built on God, our rock, so that when the storms come and the winds blow we stand firm. It does not mean that we don’t sway a little; that we are not pushed at times to our limits; or that the electricity doesn’t go off from time to time. What it does mean is that when the storm is over, the wind stop blowing and the sun comes out we are still standing and a member of the Body of Christ!

Have a great day everyone!

Daily Prayer:

Loving God, help us today;

 To live life as an opportunity and benefit from it;

 To live life as beauty and admire it;

 To live life as a dream and realize it;

 To see life as a challenge and meet it;

 To live life as duty and complete it;

 To see life as a game and play it;

 To live life as a promise and fulfill it;

 To live life as sorrow and overcome it;

 To live life as a song and sing it;

 To live life as a struggle and accept it;

 To live life as a tragedy and confront it;

 To live life as an adventure and dare it;

 To live life as luck and make it;

 To live life as too precious and not destroy it;

 To live life as life and embrace it to the fullest. Amen!

(Adapted from a quote by Blessed Mother Teresa)

A Runner’s Thoughts: In an ancient rabbinic saying it is said that when we human beings journey we are preceded by angels crying, “Make way! May way! Here comes the image of God!” So when we run next let us be the image of God!

Daily Blessing: Thursday greetings and blessings to everyone! I hope you are having a good day! I will be leaving Notre Dame in a little while and heading to the northern suburbs of Chicago. I will spend a couple of days with my brother and his family before heading to Manitowoc, WI where I will begin a retreat for sisters on Sunday.

It is a rainy day here at Notre Dame. My run this morning was a little difficult with the rain but it was also refreshing. I hope the sun is out where you are but if it is raining see it as God refreshing you and the earth!

I pray that God is blessing you with a wonderful day. May all your endeavors be rich in the presence, grace, love, joy and hope of God. May God bless you with a joyful, hopeful presence and may you share it with all you meet today! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul