The Visitation of Joy

~~~ Zephaniah 3: 14-18a ~~~ Is. 12 used as psalm reading ~~~ Luke 1: 39-56 ~~~

The Visitation

Mary and Elizabeth...spirit filled women...

greet and embrace one another

with great joy.

These two women are drawn together in celebration of life...new life...

a life overshadowed by the Spirit of God.

The very breath of God resided in each and is recognized by each woman.

The breath of God brings forth all of creation.

Amidst their amazement at what the Lord has done for them comes

theirgreat joy and humility. 

"The Almighty has done great things, and holy is his name."

The Word became flesh.

The promises of old fulfilled.

Mary and Elizabeth; modls of faith, trust, obedience, submission, and great joy.

When was the last time you experienced great joy?

What great things has the Almighty done for you?

The Visitation is a communion of the old and the new...the young and the aged...wisdom and simplicity.

Each has been set apart and given a unique position in our salvation story.

Elizabeth the first to recognize the presence of the Lord...the Word...coming down from the Father to live among us...to be one of us in all things but sin.

Elizabeth representing one is never too old to be used by God to further his kingdom.

Mary representing one is never too young either to be used by God.

We too can open ourselves allowing God to use us as he wills.

For he can do great things in our lives as well.

We may not be the bearer of the Messiah or a great Prophet, but

we can be the bearer of great joy in the wonders of the Lord.

For holy is his Name!

To Serve with Love

~~~ 1 Peter 1:18-25 ~~~ Psalm 14 ~~~ Mark 10: 32-45 ~~~

"...the word of the Lord remains forever."

"...love one another intensely from a pure heart."

Through the death and Resurrection of Jesus,

 we have come to place our faith and hope in God.

The tenth chapter of Mark continues to reveal to us just how naive and human the apostles were. They mirror who we are in many ways.

You tend to have unreasonable expectations when you do not have all of the facts or you simply do not understand.

James and John were so eager to be close to the Lord. They mistakenly believed that they were capable of more than they could have imagined.

Jesus wisely response to them, "You do not know what you are asking."

Jesus was reflecting at a much deeper level than James and John could understand.

They did not grasp that Jesus was acting on behalf of the Father.

Jesus offers them an analogy they could understand; that of the authority of a ruler who is controlling over all.

Instead Jesus flips this pyramid of power upside down.

"For the Son of Man did not come to be served

but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus came to serve. He made this very clear at the Last Supper when he knelt at the feet of each of his apostles and washed their feet.

Can you imagine Jesus kneeling at your feet today?

It is difficult to even let your imagination place you in such a scene.

We are surrounded with those who have a servant's heart every day. They are in our families, our churches, our hospitals, our homeless shelters, our crisis call centers, our military, our schools, in our restaurants. And I am sure you could continue the list with many more examples. In order to serve you need to put the needs of others above your own needs.

While we may never be able to simulate the great service of our Lord we can serve with a pure heart. We can serve out of love and not expect recognition for our service.

We are all called to serve in one way or another.

Today I invite you to take a look at how you serve.

I invite you to examine how your service is aligned

with the call to serve from Jesus.

Only you can answer the question of 'why' you serve.

"...the word of the Lord remains forever."

Service from the heart is love.

What? Who Will be First?

~~~ 1Peter 1:10-16 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Mark 10: 28-31 ~~~

I think today's readings are about expectations...our expectations.

We each have our own way of looking at the things that happen in our lives.

We each have our own reasons for doing the things we spend time doing.

The prophets had their expectations.

The angels had their expectations.

The obedient children had their expectations.

Peter's expectation is 'do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance...but, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct.'

He goes on to quote God's words from Leviticus,

"Be holy because I am holy."

No matter what you do in your life you act from a set of expectations that have been developed from outside forces over the years.We experience situations and circumstances in our lives that determine our outlook on life.

We soon learn to expect certain results and or consequences.

If we do not grow in our expectations life can become stagnant and tainted.

We can even become disillusioned when our expectations are not met.

Peter is writing this letter to encourage his followers to search

 for a higher perspective...

He is encouraging them to see all aspects of their lives

from the perspective of holiness.

Let your expectations emerge from your holiness.

View your expectations through the lens of your holiness.

But the caution here seems to be, if you see all things through the perspective of holiness; what keeps one from still having certain expectations.

If you have given up everything to follow Jesus you might expect to be rewarded in some fashion. Perhaps you think you should be granted special favors.

Perhaps you think you should be treated better than others.

Perhaps you want to be seated in the front at a place of honor.

But son we begin to see the prespective of Jesus through his words,

"But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first."

Okay. On second thought maybe we sould not be so caught up in our own individual sense of holiness. For we are consistently reminded about God's ways and our ways being so different.

Being holy obviously is not about giving up everything or about being first. Being holy is about living a life that is in union with God. A life that is abundant and full because of the love of God for us.

So what are your personal expectations?

Sometimes our own expectations can result in great disappointments.

Do you expect more because of your relationship with God?

Or are your expectations met with humility and gratitude?

We Remember with Gratitude

Memorial Day...

Time to Remember and Honor

~~~1Peter 1:3-9 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~Mark 10:17-27 ~~~

"...an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of god are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time."

Those who have lost loved ones protecting their country 'suffer through various trials'

 too many trials for most of us to appreciate. The trials they have endured testify to their 'genuineness of faith' for they believed in the freedoms held dear by their fellow countrymen. They have been tested by fire, enemy fire, and have proved themselves worthy of praise, honor, and glory. They fought for this county because they believed in our freedoms.

Although they did not see God he was by their side. Although we no longer see our fallen heroes we continue to love them.

"...even though you do not see him now...you believe in him,

you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,

as you attain the goal of faith,

the salvation of your souls."

Today we remember those fallen in battle who have long been forgotten.

We remember those fallen who left behind their spouse and their children.

We remember today the mothers and fathers who have lost a child in combat.

We join with them in praying psalm 130:1 

'Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!'

It is only through strong faith that a human can endure such painful trials.

We are steadfast in believing, 'If, then, we have died with Christ,

we believe that we shall also live with him.' Rom. 6:8

Let the Spirit of peace brought down to us by the very breath of Jesus

 after his being raised from the dead fill our hearts.

 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God"

Mathew 5: 9

May all nations know peace; a peace that can only come from God.

"For men it is impossible, but not for God.

All things are possible for God."

Mark 10:27

May the souls of all our fallen men and women rest in peace and the love of God.

May their loved ones have faith that their death was not in vain.

Today let us remember the brave men and women

who paid the price for the rest of us.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Come Holy Spirit, Renew the Face of the Earth!

Acts 2:1-11~~~Psalm 104~~~Cor. 12:3b-7,12-13~~~John 20:19-23

The Holy Spirit (he) will glorify me (Jesus) because he will take
what is mine and declare it to you.

Whatever comes to us from the Holy Spirit comes from the Father,

because they are all one in the same.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of us, your faithful,

and kindle in us the fire of your love.

The Spirit comes as tongues of fire, the breath of Jesus, and strong driving wind.

The Spirit comes with the unseen

power of God the Father and the undying love of the Son.

The Spirit brings spiritual gifts to each individual for some benefit.

Do you know your gifts?

Are you using your gifts to benefit someone else? 

Are you denying your gifts?

Are you misusing your gifts?

If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.

If we live in the Spirit we too bear the fruit of the Spirit...

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience,

Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness,

Gentleness, and Self-Control.

Even though we are many we are one body, just as a body is one

though it has many parts. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.

We were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Locked doors cannot keep the Holy Spirit from entering, but a closed locked heart
can deflect the realization of the gifts of the Spirit.
May the embers in the bottom of your heart be fanned into vibrant
flames for the Lord today. We are anointed in the Spirit today and sent forth...
We cannot stay behind closed locked doors.

Come Holy Spirit renew the face of the earth.
Instill in our hearts the desire to make visible the fruit of your Spirit.
Always giving credit to the one who sends down the Spirit.

Though many we are one body in Christ and we come to do your will.
Receive the Holy Spirit...
Peace be with you!

~Be Who You Are~

~~~ Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 ~~~ Psalm 11 ~~~ John 21: 20-25 ~~~

Today's scripture gives us the two strong 'P's'...Paul and Peter.

The first a convert and the later a close follower of Jesus.

They each offer much for us to learn about them but also ourselves.

Paul is put under house arrest where he remained for two full years receiving all who came to him. Chained to his residence nothing stopped Paul from proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus Christ.

Paul is a wonderful example of perseverance and determination. He did not give up in the face of adversity, false acquisitions, or imprisonment.

How easy it is when we are faced with far less to give up, walk away, and quit.

Paul might have easily been content with his own love and knowledge of God. He could have gone on as a free man with the knowledge of his own salvation.

But instead Paul was so convicted by his beliefs that nothing stood in the way of his inviting others to come into the fold.

Peter is inquisitive about who is to betray Jesus when later it would he who would deny knowing Jesus. Jesus replies with a reprimand, "...What concern is it of yours?"

Ouch! Peter must have felt the blow to his ego without even realizing his ego was asking the question.

Why is it that we measure those around us by our own standards?

We want to know about those with whom we associate.

Peter wanted to know who Jesus was allowing to be in his inner circle knowing he would betray him. I suppose Peter would have been more than willing to remove Judas from their group had he known in advance.

Had Jesus allowed that to happen where would we be today? This betrayal had to be allowed for the fulfillment of the scriptures. Peter could not have been permitted to prevent it from occurring; even though he meant well.

John goes on to write at the end of his Gospel that so numerous were the things that Jesus did, that 'the world could not contain the books that would be written.'

What this inspires in me is that no matter how creative I can be in thinking about all that Jesus did while he walked our earth...it could never be near enough.

We cannot fathom the infinite possibilities of the power of Jesus,

 acting always on behalf of the Father.

Jesus wants us to follow him...he does not want us to constantly compare

ourselves to those around us. We each have been given individual

gifts and they can all be used for good. For God even used the betrayal of his Son to bring about good...a good so profound that we are still reaping the benefits.

Be Blessed in all your works.

How Will YOU Answer?

~~~ Acts 25:13b-21 ~~~Psalm 103 ~~~ John 21:15-19 ~~~

Poor King Agrippa, even when he is on the road traveling he gets presented with the flimsy charges against Paul. Paul's accusers just wanted someone...anyone besides themselves to condemn Paul for his preaching about Jesus' Resurrection.

The King admits he is ill-prepared to rule on the charges made against Paul.

How many times do we find ourselves in situations where we are not prepared to make an important decision? And how many times do we seek counsel? How often do we jump to an incorrect decision?

I have heard that we should never make hasty decisions. The King was reluctant to give his decision because he knew the charges were not under his authority.

Jesus gives Peter three times to profess his love for him.

"Do you love me?"

Peter's three confident answers of 'Yes' are in stark contrast with

 his three denials of Jesus in the courtyard.

 I have no doubt that Jesus knew how much Peter loved him,

but he still wanted to hear Peter speak the words.

When you hear your own voice speaking it somehow makes the words more real.

You are using your sense of hearing when you speak aloud. When I was teaching reading in elementary school; oral reading was a vital part of my reading class.

When you speak out loud you are focusing your attention

on the words you are saying.

Peter did not once, during this conversation with Jesus, even hesitate with his response.

Peter already had his response in his heart.

It was only when Peter was paralyzed with fear for his own safety

did he waiver with his answer to knowing Jesus.

To Peter's credit he now answers with conviction each time Jesus asks,

 'Do you love me?'

Each answer is followed with an assignment from Jesus

to feed...to tend....to feed again.

Jesus says if indeed you love me as your words indicate then you will take care of those who are in need. You will watch and care for the others who also love me.

Finally Jesus speaks a prophecy to Peter

about his own death where someone else will dress him and

lead him where he does not want to go.

Jesus went to his death because

the Father sent him. He willingly submitted to being led

through the streets humiliated and scorned.

If Jesus stands before you today...

looks into your eyes

and asks the question...

"Do you love me?"

How will you answer?

Will you immediately answer, 'Yes'?

Will you hesitate?

Will you be anxious as to what Jesus might ask you to do?

Will you first need clarification?

Will you question in your heart, 'what will I be asked to do?'

Love is an action word; it requires the lover to do something.

What are you willing to do for Jesus because of your love for him?

How are your actions aligned with your profession of this Love for Jesus?

King Agrippa was not prepared to give an answer...Peter gave an answer that earlier he had not been able to speak aloud.

That We May Be One

~~~ Acts 22: 30, 23: 6-11 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~John 17: 20-26 ~~~

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:

"I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe

 in me through their word..."

This prayer for us is so profound that the church divides it into two readings.

So if you missed the message from yesterday you get another chance today.

I cannot help but think of the lyrics from We are One Body...

we are one body one body in Christ. This is exactly what Jesus is praying for;

for us all to be one.

To be one in the Spirit. Of course years later we are still struggling with what this concept of unity should look like.

Is it a unity in words? Is it a unity of thoughts?

It is a unity of practices or rituals?

It is a unity as we stand together at the table of the Lord?

What does this unity imply?

Does this unity mean that everyone must be of the same thought?

Is it possible to have unity within our diversity?

Does unity mean we are preaching the good news to others?

How do we keep our unique identity within this unity?

Does unity mean we get lost in the crowd?

Does unity mean we are merely an anonymous number?

How does this prayer for unity effect us today?

How can we not be in unity? We have been brought to God the Father through the intercessory prayers of Jesus, the Son.

Jesus and the Father have the same substance...

the same DNA in lay terminology.

Jesus became one of us and gathered us to himself

so that we might become one with him in our mind, body, and soul.

He sent down the Holy Spirit that we might have the power of God

to strengthen our resolve to remain in unity.

To remain in unity in love for one another.

It is this love of God that sustains our desire to have this unity

that Jesus so fervently prayed for us.

If this unity were not important then I do not believe that Jesus

would have lifted his eyes to the Father with such a prayer.

This unity of course does not trump our free will.

We can always reject this prayer of unity.

We can take another path leading away from the love of Jesus.

If you are reading this you too most likely desire a greater unity with God.

This desire gives us the incentive to pray for those who do not hear

this prayer of Jesus for us. It gives more purpose for our prayer life.

This prayer gives us cause to thank Jesus for praying on our behalf. 

On the other hand we only have our own interpretation of this unity for which Jesus is praying, and there could be a much broader unity in play here.

For as we know God's ways are often so unlike our ways.

Our ways are always biased to some extent.

If we believe God too is biased; his bias is always through the lens of LOVE.

Jesus became human through pure love.

It is only possible to have true unity through pure love...

This pure love will forever be the greatest commandment.

We cannot experience this pure love until we have been united in death with Christ in the hope of being raised with him to share in the beatific vision.

Jesus Prays for You

~~~ Acts 20: 28-38 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ John 17: 11b-19 ~~~

" Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one."

Are you paying attention to what is happening here in John's Gospel?

Jesus is praying to the Father; no surprise, except this time he is praying for us.

Jesus is praying for each of us. He is lifting us up to the Father.

He is speaking on our behalf. Almost giving testimony as to why the Father should she hear his prayer.

Jesus is asking the Father not to take us out of the sinfulness of the world, but to protect us from Satan, "...keep them from the Evil One."

Jesus is asking God the Father to extend his power over the evil one so as to keep us safe. Jesus knows that whatever he asks in the Father's name will be granted.

Jesus is confirming through his prayer for us that we do not belong to this world. We were created to be in heaven with the Lord. God placed a longing actually a holy longing to be reunited with him.

He gave us a hunger to be reunited with him in heaven.

Jesus is honoring his Father as being all powerful, even over the 'evil one'.

Jesus consecrates us in truth; not human truth but the truth that is from God.

In truth we can find the joy that our heart desires.

The truth is that we can only find true joy in loving God.

How awesome it is to think that before our physical existence Jesus was already interceding on our behalf.

Next time you are in a state of mind where you may think nobody cares

return to this passage and trust that Jesus himself prayed for you before the Father.

May this Truth calm your weary heart.

May you experience the Peace of the Lord.

Homecoming

~~~ Acts 20: 17-27 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ John 17:1-11a ~~~

The Gospel today sounds to me like an excited Son looking forward to being home with his Father. Jesus has been away from his Father and his home for thirty three years and is eager to return.

Unlike the Prodigal Son, Jesus has done all that the Father asked of him. Jesus carried the message of the Father within everywhere he went. It was a huge sacrifice for the Father to send the Son down to earth. As we know the son paid the ultimate price for our salvation...that is he gave his life for us.

I remember when our son was living in Japan for three years it was exciting each time he was able to make the trip home. The anticipation was just as joyful as the time he spent with us. There is something special about being home in your familiar surroundings.

Jesus wants to get back to his familiar surroundings...his heavenly home.

So now the time has come for him to return to the Father; this Beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased. I am reminded of friends who have loved ones away from home serving our country and how their homecoming brings great joy.

Jesus says, "I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you,

with the glory that I had with you before the world began."

Jesus almost sounds homesick and anxious to return to his state of glory.

He is longing for his return to the glory he had before the world began.

When Jesus took on the human form in order to dwell with us to become one of us he had to keep his innate glory hidden from those around him.

It was a special and rare occasion when he allowed his glory to shine forth.

The Transfiguration was one such occasion...when his glory was revealed for Peter, James and John to witness.

What does 'homecoming' mean to you?

Is there something that would bring joy to your life if you were to return to it?

Is there a family relationship that needs to be reconnected?

Is there a prayer style that you have found

worthwhile in the past that you no longer practice? 

You too can have a 'homecoming'...God is here for you today because you are his.

Yes, Jesus returned to the Father, but the Holy Spirit was sent down to us in his place.

The Holy Spirit, by divine design has no need to hide his glory.

Take Courage in Jesus

~~~ Acts 19: 1-8 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ John 16: 29-33 ~~~

"...when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them..."

"...Now we realize that you know everything...

you do not need to have anyone question you...

we believe that you came from God..."

"...In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world."

The readings today should give us some consolation for the times when we do not seem to be understood. For years Jesus had been preaching, teaching, healing, forgiving, even feeding the apostles and his disciples, but they still could not grasp his real message.

Finally the 'light bulb' so to speak has come on...they are getting the message.

Oftentimes in my life something I have heard many times finally falls into my heart with new meaning...or rather with the intended meaning.

I am sure you too have had those 'AHA' experiences.

One thing I treasure about scripture is that no matter how many times you hear a scripture passage there comes a day when you hear it with 'new' ears.

You are in a different place in your life. Things have happened to change who you are from the heart...both positive and negative.

We never know what God has in store for us. Scripture truly is the living word of God.

Anyone that believes otherwise is just fooling themselves. The Bible is timeless yet holds a timely message for each of us. No matter what is happening in your life there is an appropriate scripture passage.

I would have enjoyed meeting St. Paul. It is obvious from today's reading that he was indeed an instrument of God. Paul was gifted with powers from the Holy Spirit that he could pass on. I wonder...what does it feel like to have the Holy Spirit come upon you?

Those in Corinth spoke in tongues and prophesied, but does not the Holy Spirit come upon each one of us.

I pray to be open to the Holy Spirit in my life, but I do not speak in tongues nor can I prophesy. What I can do is be aware of when the Holy Spirit is working through me and give him thanks, credit, and praise.

I welcome the opportunity to be the conduit of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus leaves us with such beautiful words in today's scripture...

'...have peace in me...take courage...

I have conquered the world.'

When can come to Jesus with anything and he will understand.

Open yourself to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Ascension...I Go Before You

~~~ Acts 1: 1-11 ~~~ Psalm 47 ~~~ Eph.1: 17-23 ~~~ Mark 16: 15-20 ~~~

Today we celebrate Ascension 'Thursday' Sunday. This feast was a holy day of obligation until it was changed to the Sunday before Pentecost so that more of the faithful could come to appreciate this feast. For many working people coming to Mass on a Thursday proved to be a hardship, that is no longer an issue.

So what is the Ascension about?

The Ascension is about God making good on his promise.

God promised to send the One would save us.

God promised to send the One who would show us the Way.

God promised to send the One was the Truth.

God promised to send the One who would be the Life.

God never makes empty promises. God always honors his promises.

God made a covenant with his chosen people...us, we were called by name.

God promised to prepare a place for us.

In fact he has prepared a place in heaven with many rooms.

After Jesus Ascended into heaven he opened wide the gates so that in time we too could follow him into heaven.

Jesus says, 'I go before you always'...popular lyrics in one of our hymns today.

"Be Not afraid, I go before you always..."

God sent Jesus to be one of us. He is our model in all things.

The Ascension is God drawing back to himself his beloved Son, whom he gave to us.

Jesus is our Savior...our teacher...the light of our world.

He came to show up the way to heaven.

God is love in all ways in all manners.

There is no greater love.

Those gathered to witness the Ascension were blessed with this vision that now becomes part of their legacy of faith for us who have come and will come afterward.

Our faith is built upon the faith of all those who have gone before us.

We therefore will be the ones for whom those who come after us will build their faith upon too. We become part of the family of believers.

Live like you Believe!

Someone is counting on your faith!

Who do You Pray to?

~~~ Acts 18: 23-28 ~~~ Psalm 47 ~~~ John 16: 23b-28 ~~~

"Until now you have not asked anything in my name;

ask and you will receive,

so that your joy may be complete."

Jesus is affirming the strong connection between himself and the Father.

Jesus is giving us permission to come to him in prayer with our needs.

Jesus wants us to believe that he is not the only one who loves us, that indeed the Father loves us as well. I think Jesus was trying to say no matter what image you may have come to believe about the Father...he too is love.

The Father is not the God of the Old Testament who destroys and sends plagues. No the Father loves each of us...he sent down his Son to be with us.

The Father sent his Son as a visible tangible sign of his love.

Today our country sends out diplomats to foreign countries way ahead of the President's traveling there. God sent his prophets ahead of to prepare the way, for the coming of his Son.

Jesus is encouraging us to believe that our prayers are heard by the Father

even as they come through the Son. Since the Father and the Son are one

our prayers are always heard by both.

It is easy to understand that a son, having a wonderful father,

would want others to love him and see him in the same light.

Who is God to you?

Who do you pray to; God the Father or God the Son, Jesus?

I must say I do usually pray to Jesus. It is easier, for me at least, to visualize talking with Jesus. It seems more natural to enter into a story from the Gospel and walk with Jesus and the apostles.

Prayer is about developing a relationship whether with God the Father or Jesus.

They are one and very soon we will draw attention to the third person of the Trinity; the awesome Holy Spirit.

This Kaleidoscope image reminds me of the Trinity.

The center symbolizing the Eucharist to me...the ultimate tangible concrete

reality of the unity of the Trinity.

"...the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me

and have come to believe that I came from God"

We have come to believe!

Overshadowing Joy

~~~ Acts 18: 9-18 ~~~ Psalm 47 ~~~ John 16: 20-23 ~~~

"...your grief will become joy."

Even a devout Christian has difficulty waiting patiently for the joy when in the midst of a time of grief. There are times when you cannot se 'the light' at the end of the tunnel. There are times in grief when you fell trapped inside of a dark cave.

The light of joy must be one of faith. We are asked to believe in this joy through our faith in the promises of God.

"...she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy

that a child has been born into the world..."

Just last night I caught the end of a program spotlighting the struggle and pain of unwed mothers who make the difficult decision to give up their child for adoption.

Having dear friends who just adopted I was compelled to listen as each of these mothers struggled with making the choice. Each of them admitted from their heart they knew giving up their baby was in the best interest of the child. Parallel to their child's best interest was their emotional pain and profound sadness for themselves.

While they were joyful at having given birth to a beautiful healthy child their personal emotional anguish was great. I pray for these women and the courage they have for not terminating their pregnancy. Once you see your child giving him or her up for adoption takes great love.

The adoptive parents too experience emotional pain of waiting for the birth mother's final signatures. It is not until all signatures are obtained before the adoptive parents can breath a sigh of relief and thanskgiving.

Adoptive parents acknowledge tremendous gratitude

for the great gift they have received.

"But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,

and no one will take your joy away from you."

This scripture verse is one of comfort for anyone who is mourning and grieving the loss of a loved one. Jesus was talking to the apostles as they were sad about his leaving them. Jesus is saying to them don't be sad it will be alright...I will see you again and when that does happen it will truly be a glorious time.

Jesus closes this section with more words of assurance...

"Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father

 in my name he will give you."

When you are grieving hold on for the Joy.

Ask for joy to be born into your heart.

Wait for the Joy to overshadow the pain.

In a Little While

~~~ Acts 18: 1-8 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ John 16: 16-20 ~~~

Jesus said to his disciples:
“A little while and you will no longer see me,
and again a little while later and you will see me.”

While there is never a passage from scripture that is not layered with meaning; today I want to focus on a minuscule section.

The phrase "A little while..."

I am reflecting on the many times I myself have used those very words.

It is interesting that those words refer to the passage of time. A undefined segment if time. God certainly does not operate within our definition of time. For God time is no consequence, because to God all is present. God exists in the N-O-W.

For Jesus to use the words 'a little while' he was speaking from his humanity and to others humans. We tend to label most things in a time frame. Our lives are governed by the particulars of the passage of time.

When our children were small it would be common to answer one of their many questions with, 'in a little while'. They were temporarily satisfied, yet we knew these words were not really an answer.

In my classroom I would often say, 'in a little while' we will be ... whatever the next task would be. I came to realize that it was better to say something like, 'you still have 5 minutes to complete this math assignment.'

Exact times have become a part of who we are. This is one reason why even though people look forward to vacation they often do not know how to stop and relax.

We live in a busy world where 'a little while' just stirs up anxiety.

I have been waiting in a doctor's office and been told, the doctor will be in in a little while. Well that little while can vary from 5 minutes to 25 minutes...it is very vague.

So I can only imagine how confused and anxious the apostles must have felt as they listened to Jesus that day. What did Jesus mean? How long is a little while? Should they stay there and wait? Would he give them a more definite time frame later?

In addition to the vague sense of time Jesus further confuses them by telling them they would not see him and then later they would see him.

It was the ultimate illusion...now you see me...now you don't.

Of course now we know what Jesus was trying to tell them, but then they did not.

Jesus was trying to prepare them for his death and resurrection all within one sentence.

What a challenge!

Jesus would have left great Twitter messages. He would have had no problem keeping within the 144 required word limit. I am sitting here smiling just thinking about the one-liners Jesus could have posted on his Twitter account.

"Come, follow me."

"I am the Vine you are the Branches."

"Love one another."

"Be not afraid. It is I."

Jesus wanted the apostles to be prepared

but he did not give them the exact time frame.

It is the same today in our lives.

What does "in a little while" mean to God when it comes to our lives?

Life is short.

In reality we are only here on earth for a little while.

Next time you say these few words really pay attention

to what you mean and how they may be received by the listener.

Carpe Diem!

Every Breath You Take

~~~ Acts 17: 15, 22- 18: 1~~~ Psalm 148 ~~~ John 16: 12-15 ~~~

Today the reading form the Acts of the Apostles

gives one of the most beautiful verses...

"For 'In him we live and move and have our being'..."

How can you read those few words and not rejoice?

How can you read those words and not be filled with gratitude?

He sustains us each and every day through his love for us.

I am truly sad for those who try to deny God in their lives.

I am sad for those who want to condemn even God

 instead of giving him praise and thanksgiving

for their very breath.

He, our Lord and God gives life to each and every living thing.

He created us in his image, 'we are the offspring of God'.

As Pentecost approaches let us be aware of the Wonder and Awe of God.

Wonder and Awe is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

More on those in future posts.

Also in Acts today a word of caution...

"We would like to hear you on this some other time"

it might not be such a wise decision to put God on the side until later.

When the Holy Spirit is acting in your life and stirring up your heart

it is time to listen.

It may also be time to take action.

We do have a patient and polite God...

I would invite you to think twice before asking him

to wait until 'some other time'.

Do not put of until tomorrow what God is asking of you today.

He may only make the offer one time...Who knows?

Be open to the Holy Spirit...sent by the Father to be with us

after the Son returned to him.

The Father just keeps on giving us priceless gifts...

first his Son and then the Holy Spirit.

"For 'In him we live and move and have our being'..."

What more could we possibly ask of him?

"Everything that the Father has is mine;

for this reason I told you that he will take

from what is mine and declare it to you."

We humbly stand before the Lord unworthy as we are

to receive his many gifts.

To him we give praise and glory.

Let each breath you take be a reminder that we do indeed

live and move and have our being

in Him.

Freedom in the Spirit

~~~ Acts 16: 22-34 ~~~ Ps. 138 ~~~ John 16: 5-11 ~~~

In Acts today we hear a powerful conversion story of a prison guard.

His job was very important and he took it seriously.

Not only his life depended on how well he did his job,

but his family's well being would have also been in jeopardy

 had he failed in any way.

On this particular occasion all was going as usual...the hymns of praise and worship could be heard from the cell of Paul and Silas...and they were under lock and key.

They even had shackles around their ankles which were staked to the ground.

Suddenly without warning a strong earthquake shook the jail, opened the cell doors, and the chains were all pulled loose.

Now this is the stuff movies like to portray but the guard was in fear for his life that the prisoners had escaped. But to his surprise that was not the plan of God. Instead God wanted to demonstrate his power to the guard which resulted in his conversion.

This conversion story is given to us as one more example of how God went about touching the lives and hearts of the early church. God wants people from all walks of life to come follow him.

The message Jesus came to deliver was for all people not just a chosen few.

We have each been called by name.

In John's Gospel Jesus is addressing the grief of his disciples at just the thought of not having his presence with them. He has revealed to them that he is going to the one who sent him...the Father. Jesus is trying to get them to grasp a very difficult concept...that of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate. He says if I do not leave the Holy Spirit cannot come down upon you.

We know now that the Holy Spirit did come down to the people. We know now that the Holy Spirit is here and will be here for all time. We can no longer see Jesus but his presence is with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

As a human person Jesus was limited as to whom he could physically reach, but now all physical limitations are gone. Through the Resurrection the chains of death were broken and the Spirit was sent forth to all.

Just as the earthquake broke the chains of Paul and Silas in the prison.

The movement of the Spirit is free and inspires the hearts of all

who are open to receiving.

True freedom comes from living in the Spirit of God.

True freedom is living in love not in fear.

If there is anything in your life that is keeping you in shackles ask God to intervene. Tell him you must rely on him. Tell him you believe he can free you in mind body and soul. The prison guard had his fears dissolved as soon as he was assured that all was as it should be...they, the prisoners, had not endangered his life

by claiming their own freedom.

Remain in My Love

~~~ Acts 1: 15-17, 20-26 ~~~ Ps. 113 ~~~ John 15: 9-17 ~~~

Today is the third time we hear these verses of love from the Gospel of John. Why do you think the church gives us this same passage? Is it because we don't listen and pay attention very well? Is it because we are slow learners? Surely there were many other texts that could have been chosen.

I think we have been drenched in these words about love because we need to be reassured over and over again. We need to hear the words over and over again that we are loved by Jesus just as the Father loves the Son, Jesus.

We can never hear too often about God's love for us. If we truly truly believed this about God's love for us we would never want to act in such a way as taint that love.

As a parent I can understand in a small way this immense and lasting love. As a parent you love your children in spite of what they do or how they act.

As a parent loves their child God loves us and then some.

God's love for us keeps the soul alive in a way that no other love can compare. Without this love from God we most likely would not exist or ever would have existed. God's love is sustaining us...giving us our every breath.

Without love we would vanish into the thin air of nothingness.

Without love our life would have no purpose.

Without love the human race would disappear.

Today I think of how humbled Matthias must have felt after being discerned to join the twelve apostles in the place of Judas. He must have expressed his gratitude with these words from psalm "Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever...He raises up the lowly from the dust...to seat them with the princes of his own people."

"Remain in my Love."

Nothing else matters where there is love.

Love does bear all things...

The Spirit of Love

~~~ Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 ~~~ Ps. 98 ~~~ 1 John 4:7-10 ~~~ John 15: 9-17 ~~~

While the central focus of today's message is obviously love, I want to look at a couple less obvious points...The Holy Spirit and the concept of friendship.

If you ever wonder or doubt about God 'thinking out of the box' just listen closely to today's passage from the Acts of the Apostles.

We have been hearing for weeks about how the early church made decisions to allow us, the Gentiles, to become Christians. I wonder if you noticed the sentence telling of the Baptism of those who already had the Holy Spirit?

'...the believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should been poured out on the Gentiles...'

Yes, the Holy Spirit did not wait for these believers to be formally Baptized. The Holy Spirit does not adhere to our guidelines...instead he goes and blows at his own discretion.

Then the Holy Spirit inspires the early disciples to accept these people who had been touched by the Holy Spirit and welcome them with the formal rite of initiation...Baptism.

God knew that in order for Christianity to flourish and remain there needed to be a sweeping conversion movement. If in the early church thousands had not become believers, where would Christianity be today? The Holy Spirit went to work right away showering the people with the gift of desire, with the flame of belief.

This is the picture you want to see...people flocking to embrace Christianity. This is still what we want today in our churches. Missionaries in foreign countries receive those people who come in hope of finding the missing part of their life. But what we may overlook is that many times the Holy Spirit has preceeded the missionaries, just as it happened in the early church.

I am so enriched each year as I get to know our converts. I am eager to hear their conversion stories. How they came to the church. How they made the choice.

I am constantly amazed at the workings of the Holy Spirit...past...present...and I am sure the future as well. The Holy Spirit is busy spreading love throughout the hearts of people all over the world. And thank God for that, because then they do not have to wait on the rest of us to reach them.

God calls us friends. A friend shares your love, hopes, joys, sorrows. A friend cares. A friend understands when you have no words to speak. A friend stands by you no matter what. A friend tells it like it is...even if it hurts. A friend extends unconditional love.

I could go on, but if you have a true friend you know what I am speaking about here.

So when Jesus calls us friend it is very special.

To think about my Creator as a friend is a bit mind boggling and

at the same time wonderful.

If Jesus is my friend there is nothing I should fear or be anxious about because friends want only goodness for one another. Friends want to be together.

Friends want to share experiences with each other.

Talk to Jesus as you would your best friend...he will listen.

He only wants what is best for you.

The greatest commandment is Love.

Whether through the actions of the Holy Spirit or those of your closest friends

love says it all.

The Spirit of Love is all around.

May you be blessed with this unbounding love in your life.

Love Makes the World Go 'Round

~~~ Acts 6: 1-10 ~~~ Psalm 100 ~~~ John 15: 18-21 ~~~

Throughout the days and weeks between Easter and Pentecost the church nourishes our faith; providing numerous accounts of how the number of believers grew.

"Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number."

We are also given the history of our own path to Christianity. If the early believers had not been open to the urgings of the Holy Spirit we might not be Christians.

It is good that we hear these stories each year as our faith is built upon the faith of all those who have gone before us.

Psalm 100 says,

"Know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are;

his people the flock he tends."

God has been with us and looking after our well being throughout all of the ages. We were always a part of the divine plan. God uses his people to accomplish his works on earth now just as he did in the early church.

Less we forget; we do not belong to the world...we belong to God. We are only here for a short time. Our home is in heaven with God. We belong to him and he will call each of us home when the time comes.

Jesus says, "I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you."

 The world is wrought with evil and filled with temptation. Daily we are faced with the opportunity to confess that we do not belong to this world. This world cannot bring us true peace or joy because those only exist in their pure form in heaven.

In this world we settle for what we know as peace and joy, even though this satisfaction falls short of what is in store for us in heaven.

Because God loves us he has granted us bits of consolation in this world through those who love us. We too have been commissioned to extend this same measure of consolation through loving others.

The greatest commandment is to love.

Love makes the world go 'round.

In 1965 Burt Bacharach  composed a song titled, "What the World Needs Now; one of the lines says 'love is the only thing the world needs more of'. I think intuitively many know that love is the only thing that makes this world inhabitable.

So today as I celebrate my fortieth anniversary with my husband, I stand to give testimony to the power of love. With love it is possible to make marriage commitment until death parts us.

I am happy to have the love of my husband and my family.

Look around you today for the signs of love this world can provide.

Perhaps it is the softness of a baby's cheek.

Chosen to Bear Fruit

~~~ Acts 15: 22-31 ~~~ Psalm 57 ~~~ John 15:12-17 ~~~

"It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you

We tend to think that it is best if we are in control of all aspects of our lives. Some people even struggle with letting others help them. Some think only they can do things 'the right' way. Today God is saying, 'you cannot go around boasting about your accomplishments, because it is all done through me.'

Have you ever gone to chose a pet? Maybe you go the the local pet store or maybe you prefer a rescued dog from the local shelter.  No matter where you go the preocess is the same. You go by all of the cages looking for the perfect pet...the pet that will love you and respond to you. When at last you find that perfect pet; it is the one with the wagging tail, the bright eyes wth a playful nature.

You chose the one that in effect chooses you.

You might say it is mutual affection from the beginning.

Now imagine if you will how much more profound is the choosing when God is doing the choosing. The thought of being chosen by God should fill your heart to overflowing with his abundant love.

God has chosen each of us, called us each by name. The sad reality is that some do not respond even after God has chosen them for his own. God on the other hand does not require us to respond before he will love us. We are his creation, we belong to him. It is right for us to return our affection through praise and worship.

Along with being chosen by God comes our responsibility.

and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,

With this gift of being chosen comes the sending forth. God does not want us to sit at home and relish in how special we are for being chosen. No. He wants us to go out and bear fruit. Do something with this gift of love.

Go out and make a difference in someone's life even if for just a moment or possibly for their lifetime. It is not always apparent when we are able to bear fruit by our actions, words, or prayers. Perhaps when we get to heaven we will have the blessing to see the good we brought forth with our lives tha we never knew. The flip side of that may also be true...in case you were wondering.

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you."

Because you were chosen you can freely go to the Father ask for what you need. Asking and at the same time accepting that God knows what is best for us. God knows what we need to help us grow in holiness.  

When you are chosen you need not be anxious about approaching the Father.

He will only look upon you as his beloved chosen one.

For if your new pet chews up your favorite shoes; you will still look into his bright eyes and forgive his puppy playfulness.

Of course you will scold him, but with love.

We are not God's little puppies so imagine how much more loves us...

his chosen sons and daughters.

JOY...the Divine Intoxication

~~~ Acts 15: 7-21 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ John 15: 9-11 ~~~

"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete."

Yesterday we have the words of God's peace and today we have the gift of joy.

Until today I have not given much thought about the joy of the Lord. His personal joy, that is. How is it possible to begin to imagine God's joy? I am not sure.

The dictionary on joy...

the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.

I guess we can only have the experience of complete joy when we are in the presence of the Lord. Does this mean we must wait until after death?

I certainly have had many times in my life I would describe as joy-filled experiences.

My wedding day or the birth of our children, but do these represent complete joy?

Is complete joy different for each person?

I think perhaps we have the ability to create joy in our lives through the choices we make every day. I believe we can chose joy. We can keep our eyes and ears open to those things in our environment that are exceptionally good.

When something is complete there is no need for more. Complete is being whole...when we have the joy of the Lord we will surely be complete. There will be nothing more; all the pieces of our life will came into place as they were meant to be...

It is then that we will be filled with the emotion of great delight...Joy.

The joy of the Lord is proclaimed all around us...look for it...

acknowledge its presence in you life.

Celebrate the joy...imprint it on your heart...

remember it in times of darkness.

The Joy of the Lord is a pearl of great price.

 I pray that your soul drink in the Joy of the Lord today.

The great Divine intoxication...

JOY

What is Really Important?

~~~ Acts 15: 1-6 ~~~ Psalm 122 ~~~ John 15: 1-8 ~~~

Today's reading from Acts speaks of circumcision; as a woman I will not be writing about that topic in case you were wondering.

What I will say is that the early church had many decisions to make since others beside the chose Jews were wanting to sign up...to belong to this community of believers.

So as the elders met their real task was to determine what was of real importance. What mattered in the greater scheme of things. These very dilemmas still exist in the church today...and they always will.

We do not live in a stagnant world things are constantly changing evolving; if you will.

We belong to a church that is alive, full of living breathing people of God.

Even though the teachings left for us by Jesus were so carefully modeled

we are part of the living vine.

We must strive for ways to live out our faith and the promises made to us by the Father within the world we live in today. This does not mean we abandon any of the Divine teachings; on the contrary we must pray for the vision to see how we can live them to the fullest within todays' framework.

This task is only possible to accomplish if we remain connected to the vine. We must remain connected so that he can reside in us. It is then that he will remain in us. As he remains in us the Holy Spirit guides and leads the way.

I suggest one other connection between the readings; removal of what no longer serves a purpose. The vine grower knows when it is time to remove the branches. The vine grower knows which branches, when removed, will produce the most new growth.

So today let us look at what is really inportant in our lives.

Do you have the strength to honestly look at your life and decide

what might better trimmed back?

Do you have the confidence to say

this habit is not bringing me closer to the Lord?

Visiting with a spiritual director may help you in seeing

where God is leading you and what he really is asking you to let go.

The vine and the branches are connected...commited to each other in a very intimate way. The branches flourish through the nourishment of the vine. The branches are supported by tiny wispy tendrils holding them in place near the vine.

The vine is the source of life.

I pray that today you each find comfort and peace connected to the Vine.

Peace...Pass It On

~~~ Acts: 14:19-28 ~~~ Ps. 145 ~~~ John 14: 27-31a ~~~

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

Wonderful words to read, hear and reflect upon. But in reality I must ask do we really know what it means to have this peace from Jesus?

If you listen to the news reports from around the world you would not be inclined to think of Peace. If you listen to the reports from around our own country Peace would not be in the forefront of your mind.

Jesus wants us to receive his gift of peace, but it challenges us. It challenges us because we must learn to accept this peace in spite of what we may be hearing and seeing. This is a peace coming freely...a peace that surpasses all other peace.

A few weeks ago I was speaking with a young crew member from Russia. He was sharing about his life on the cruise ship. The crew has a difficult schedule they work long hours every day. He spoke about keeping a good attitude and how vital it was to his emotional well being. He had a kind positive manner about himself.

He had decided to make the best of his work environment

no matter what he was asked to do. Each time we got the opportunity to share a few words with him we tried to make him feel appreciated.

If we can just learn to find ways in our life to embrace this peace from Jesus;

we will find ourselves in a better place. It we can gradually become more in tune with this peace, we will see it in more areas of our life.

Peace is not something that we can experience by reading a book.

Peace must be experienced within your soul.

During the Mass when the part comes to extend peace to those around you, make the intention to really let it come from your heart to their heart.

Peace around the world must ultimately be up to each one of us. We must decide to make peace within ourselves a priority before we can extend this peace out to others.

If we cannot have peace without hatred in this world let us remember to always nurture peace within ourselves. I pray that I can always be the one to tip the scale in favor of peace. Not my peace, but peace coming from Jesus.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

As Julian of Norwich says, 'All will be well'.