The Fear of Being Alone

~~~ Jeremiah 17:5-10 ~~~ Psalm 1 ~~~ Luke 16: 19-31~~~

Jesus, the master storyteller, gets the attention of the Pharisees
with the description of the main character....

'There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.'

This is a description that would appeal to the Pharisees 
because they were very concerned about appearances.
The Pharisees wanted to be a part of the elite aristocratic group.

The Pharisees were more approachable by the common people.
This was a story for them.
They could identify with the poor sick homeless man.
We can also identify with Lazarus because we too have seen
the sick, lonely, and the homeless alongside the road.
One of our fears is that we could be alone and sick one day too.

Jesus continues his story of Lazarus dying
and being carried away by angels.
This too appealed to the Pharisees
because they believed in a resurrection of the body.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.

Those who hope in the Lord will have no fear of being sick and alone.
They will draw their strength from the Lord
just as the roots of a tree draw up the water.
They will be not afraid when the devastating events of life
bears upon them.
They will remain, with eyes fixed on the Lord.
Even though they walk in the valley of dark they will not be afraid,
because they know he is with them.
He will sustain us with his living waters.
Their heart will know the love that can only come
from the source of love...God

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

His love will never fade or fall away
as a withered leaf falls from its branch.
His love remains until the end of time.
You are loved.

Surrender Your Spirit to God

~~~ Jeremiah 18: 18-20 ~~~ Psalm 31 ~~~ Matthew 20: 17-28 ~~~

The theme of humility continues to resonate in the readings for today.

'...Remember that I stood before you
to speak in their behalf,to turn away your wrath from them...'

Jeremiah has had a pretty rough life...

He remains faithful to God in spite of what happens to him.

He is speaking to God here, but

he is also affirming for himself that he interceded 

before God on the behalf of others.

He was not thinking about himself with the exclusion of the others.

Humility...relying on God...thinking of others more than yourself.

Jeremiah is in the right place, but things have not gone 

as he would have expected.

Psalm 31 continues with pleas to God for freedom.

The psalmist surrenders himself completely into the hands of God.

'...Into your hands I commend my spirit...'

Humility calls us to a type of dying...the dying of the false self.

The true self knows that our mere existence is because of the love of God.

The death of the false self should precede the death of the physical body.

Striving toward a greater humility brings us ever closer to Our Lord.

Is this not the highest goal of our existence here on earth;

to get closer to God?

'...my trust is in you, O LORD...'

In the gospel we see the proud mother trying to make a special place for her sons.

She may be filled with great love for her sons, but she does not

understand the importance of humility in this case.

Jesus himself exhibits his humility before the Father....

'...to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give...'

He reminds her of how the rulers have treated the Gentiles...

how they did not rule with justice and compassion.

...But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus came to serve not to be served...

this is what humility is all about;

doing the will of the Father.

Only God can chose who will sit to his right and left.

He is looking for his humble servants.

Those who believe they have come to do his will.

There is no other God.

Even a loving mother's wishes for her sons cannot 

replace the Father's will.

Be content that you are exactly where God intends for you to be;

right now in this very moment in time.

You are loved.

Humility: Sets Things Right

~~~ Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~~ Matthew 23:1-12 ~~~

Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

It is clear from scripture that God values humility far above other virtues.

Jesus humbled himself to become one of us.

He emptied himself of everything to do the Father's will

and secure our salvation.

Jesus knelt down and washed the feet of his disciples.

This is a profound act of humility.

He lowered himself to the ground to serve those

present at his last supper.

Humility is one of those words that makes us wince just a tad.

What if we are taken advantage of...

What if we are misunderstood?

Jesus humbled himself unto death for us.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself,

but thinking of yourself less.

C.S. Lewis

Jesus says,

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am meek and humble of heart;

and you will find rest for your selves."

Matthew 11:29

No matter how much we may accomplish in this world

we can rightfully only give God the credit.

In God we can do all things.

Without him we are nothing.

It is by his grace that we are who we are today.



Humility

Micah 6:8 tells us to,

"...walk humbly with God."

There is no replacement for humility.

The greatest people who have ever walked the earth from Moses and Jesus

to the saints and corporate leaders have exhibited the virtue of humility.

Take a moment now to reflect on those who have been important to you.

Did they not possess the virtue of humility?

Humility comes from the word "humus".

That's right, the earth which is under our feet.

If you want to be obedient to God

you must begin with humility.

Humility opens your soul to the possibilities in life

that can only come from God.

A humble person willingly submits themselves to God.

They sing out 'Here I am Lord. I come to do your will.'

Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD.

How Do You Measure?

~~~ Daniel 9:4b-10 ~~~ Psalm 79 ~~~ Luke 6:36-38 ~~~

 

 

O LORD, we are shamefaced...
for having sinned against you.

But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!

 

The prophet Daniel writes words appropriate for us today.

We are shamefaced for the many offenses we have committed against God.

We face our weaknesses and short comings.

We must admit where we need to improve for the future.

The main reason we are able to face our sinfulness is because we believe

our God is compassionate and forgiving. 

 

Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.

 

In addition to the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God,

Jesus is consistently giving us little kernels of advice.

Keeping the commandments is important, but there is more we can be doing.

He gave us the perfect prayer...the Our Father.

Now he is speaking to us about how we should live our lives.

 

If we live according to these simple phrases

we will find keeping the commandments to be much easier.

 

When I was young there was a children's program called Romper Room.

Mr. 'Do Bee' was regular character.

Today Jesus is giving us some simple 'Do Bees' and 'Don't Bees'.

Jesus knew that that the more often he could give us

 these nuggets of guidance the more likely

we would be to remember them later.

Just as the creators of Romper Room were delivering

little reminders for proper behavior.

 

 

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be merciful...
Stop judging...
Stop condemning...
Forgive...
Give...
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

How would you characterize your ability to measure goodness out to others?

There is never a time when you have given enough goodness.

You can always extend a greater abundance of goodness to others.

Practice just for today...

challenge yourself to give more goodness to those you meet.

You are Loved beyond measure!

His Radiant Face

 

~~~Second Sunday of Lent~~~

~~~ Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18~~~Psalm 27~~~Philippians 3:17—4:1~~~Luke 9:28b-36~~~

 

The Transfiguration is how Jesus revealed to his closest companions his true self.

They were given a glimpse of his glory.

They were given the privilege of hearing the voice of the Father

speaking of his beloved Son.

 

The readings today contrast to me darkness and light.

God led Abram away and darkness fell over him,

but from the darkness a light of fire erupted.

God did not leave him in the terrifying darkness.

 

Abram put his faith in the LORD,

As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

 

God will not lead us into darkness just to abandon us there.

Most of us do not like to be in the dark. We feel more vulnerable.

We feel uneasy, unsure of our surrounding.

 

God promises to be our light.

He is the light of the world.

He dispels the darkness...literally and figuratively.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

Lent is a somber season for Christians,

 yet we are given this glorious vision of what we too have been promised.

When we will be joined with God in heaven our body will also be changed.

We will be taken in to the glorious light of the Trinity.

 

'...we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body...'

 

 

 Our face will become radiant with his glory.

We will hear the sound of the voice of the Father

claiming us as his own beloved son or daughter.

 

Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transform before their eyes.

They  understandably were awe struck beyond words.

 

While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.

becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory

 

By this time they had become comfortable keeping company with Jesus.

All that he had attempted to tell them was now revealed to them.

He truly was the Son of God

they saw his glory.

Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

 

They heard the words that we all long within our hearts to hear.

We want God to be proud of how we have lived this life

he so graciously gave to us.

We want to know we have pleased him.

 

Lent is a time for conversion and today if there was any doubt about why...

we have been given the answer...

So that we can share in the light of the glory of God for all eternity in heaven.

 

May the presence of God give you strength and perseverance

during these forty days of Lent.

Fix your eyes on the glorified face of Jesus.

Today we are given the reason for our faith in the love of God.

Are You Up for the Task?

~~~ Deuteronomy 26:16-19 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Matthew 5:43-48 ~~~

Today you are making this agreement with the LORD:
he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways
and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees,
and to hearken to his voice.

 

And today the LORD is making this agreement with you:
you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you;
and provided you keep all his commandments,
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory
above all other nations he has made,
and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God,
as he promised.”

 

The passage from the book of Deuteronomy today contained such an important message for us.

 I included most of the text here for you to read.

 

In this agreement we have entered into with God we have agreed to

'hearken to his voice'

that is we have agreed to listen to what God is saying to us personally.

It is imperative that we keep our ears and our hearts open to be receptive.

If you do not have your computer connected to the internet you will not have access to your emails;

it is the same with God. You must turn on your connection with God

in order to hear his voice.

 

In return for doing our part God agrees that we will be sacred to him.

We will be holy.

We will be drawn to him and held close to him.

We will be dedicated to him. We will be set apart for him.

Objects are often considered sacred if they are used for a spiritual purpose.

Wow! Are you letting God use you for a holy purpose?

Or are you just stumbling along with each passing day in a state of 'whatever'?

We have a tendency these days to over use this compound word...

whatever.

If we are set apart as sacred for God himself...can never be business as usual...

it can never be viewed as 'whatever'.

 

This is so awe inspiring and humbling to think that God,

 the creator of the universe,

would offer this to us as part of his agreement.

 

 

So it follows the if we are sacred to God then we must constantly be about improving ourselves...

trying to have a closer relationship with him.

 

Matthew writes about being perfect in his Gospel.

Being perfect literally is out of our realm of possibility,

 but remaining close to God is the best way to make a genuine attempt.

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

 One of the most challenging components of being holy and perfect for God is...

to pray for those who persecute you

 

This is so hard when your natural tendency is the total opposite reaction.

It is most difficult when a real situation arises, when you must stop yourself...

when you must remind yourself...

I have been set apart as sacred by God himself.

What exactly is the 'perfect' response?

You and I know the answer is always

LOVE.

Lord, give me the desire in my heart to pray for those whom

 I feel do not deserve my prayers.

Pray for those you find hard to love.

Pray for those who find it hard to love you.

(Oops, yes they might be out there.)

You are sacred to the Lord...hold it dear to your heart.

Chair For the Shepherd

~~~ Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle ~~~

~~~ 1 Peter 5:1-4 ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ Matthew 16:13-19 ~~~ 

Today the church celebrates the papacy of St. Peter.

Peter recognized Jesus for who he really was...

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

It was within this conversational context that Jesus gives Peter his name.

Jesus declares that Peter is the Rock upon which he will build his church.

Jesus gives Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

And  he gives Peter the power to forgive sins.

Peter now becomes the shepherd for the whole church.

Jesus knew that he was not going to be able to stay and participate in the

full growth of his church.

He had to make some important decisions before his death 

so that the structure of the church could be maintained.
Peter really was the most logical choice.

Peter was the successful fisherman businessman.

Peter was also the most impulsive.

Peter was the risk taker in the group.

Who else jumped out onto the water before thinking?

It was Peter of course.

Peter was given the task of leading the whole church.

He took the teachings of Jesus and preserved their essence for the future.

Peter goes on to instruct those who came after him as to their duties.

Their responsibilities to the people...

Tend the flock of God in your midst,
overseeing not by constraint but willingly...

as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.

He goes so far as to urge them to be examples to all of us.

If you are the shepherd of the flock you are to a person of exemplary character.

This is not to say that they should be perfect, because we are all frail humans.

If you are to follow in the footsteps of Peter and sit in the

'Chair of Saint Peter' a certain standard of holiness is expected.

Sitting in the 'Chair of Saint Peter' comes with great humility.

It is a huge responsibility requiring much grace and physical stamina today.

Jesus chose Peter to be the first in a long succession to sit in his place...

to represent him here on earth.

It is much more than a mere piece of furniture that we celebrate today.

We celebrate the papacy itself and all that it represents today.

Someone's Answered Prayer: is You

~~~ Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25 ~~~ Psalm 138 ~~~ Matthew 7:7-12 ~~~

Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Queen Esther is a good example for how we are to pray.

She literally threw herself at the feet of God and prayed for him to intercede.

She purposefully made herself vulnerable.

So often we want to appear strong not only before our friends but also before God.

We cannot grasp the meaning of relying solely upon God.

Esther prayed for God to put the right words in her mouth.

How often do we ask God to give us the gift of his words?

I would guess not very often.

If we do ask God for his words to be spoken by us...

we must wait and listen attentively with an open heart.

The homilist today offered something for us to ponder.

He said, "Have you ever thought that you might be the answer 

to someone's prayer?" 

We tend to expect God to be the one to answer our prayers, but it could very well be another person. God uses all ways to answer our prayers.

We are part of the Body of Christ, therefore it should not come as a surprise

 that we could be used by God to answer another's prayers.

When I stop to consider that possibility it brings me joy.

It brings me to joy to reflect on how God might use me to respond to another.

He might use me as answer without my even knowing...

that is even more beautiful.

In Esther's prayer she also recalls precious memories from her childhood.

"...As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers
that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you."

She returned to something that had made an impression on her as a young child.

Could this have contributes to her child like prayer before God?

Often when we are in stress we revert back to behaviors from our childhood.

They are automatic, almost reflexive and they often bring us comfort.

Finally Esther ends her prayer in a most beautiful way.

"...turn our mourning into gladness
and our sorrows into wholeness."

Who thinks to ask God to transform one feeling into another?

This is not about conversion of heart;

this is about turning water into fine wine.

This is about turning the bread into his precious Body...

the Eucharist turns our brokenness into wholeness.

Esther gives us a model for how we should pray, not just in time of crisis, 

but on a regular basis.

I invite you to read this passage from the book of Esther

keeping in mind how you can imitate her form of prayer.

Esther is an example of a woman who has a strong faith in the power of prayer.

Pray first and then everything else will fall into its proper place.

Lord, grant me the unwavering trust in the power of my prayers.

You are the answer to someone's prayer today.

Let it be through the power of prayer.

The Belly of Conversion

~~~ Jonah 3:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Luke 11:29-32 ~~~

A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Every year during the season of Lent we are given the opportunity to repent.

The people of Nineveh proclaimed a fast put on sackcloth and covered themselves with ashes.

The entire city joined in this great outward sign of conversion,

including the king.

Today we are not being asked to take part in such a public

demonstration of our repentance.

But we are being called to return to the same God...

the same God that sent Jonah to bring the people to conversion.

Even the king of the city got the message and made

the personal decision to also repent.

No matter who tells you to repent it will always be your personal decision.

The people of Nineveh were so moved to respond to the message

delivered through Jonah that they even imposed this fast upon their animals.

I do find this curious since the animals had nothing for which to repent.

Perhaps the message here is that all of creation bows to God

and is made holy by the creator himself.

Or the people could have just been going to the extreme with their penance.

The important fact is; they heard the message and they acted accordingly.

When Jonah does finally surrender his control to God the results are far reaching.

Jonah was taken into the darkness of the belly of the great fish.

 It is there, in the place of darkness and isolation, that Jonah was  

able to give up all control of his life.

This place where he did not want to be became his greatest saving grace from God.

It is here where God is finally able to get his attention.

Jonah was deprived of what he previously knew to be his life.

From the belly of the great fish, God led Jonah

 into a greater life more closely aligned with God's plan for his life.

There have most likely been times in my life and your life

where we did not want to give up control to God.

Sometimes he, God, must take us deeper and deeper until finally

we have no other option but to say 'I surrender'.

God brings us to the depths into the darkness

to teach us to rely completely on him.

When we have no where else to turn he is there...

in the darkness...

when we feel isolated...

when we feel abandoned...

he is there.

He is there waiting to bring forth wondrous things from

his humbled servant.

Sometimes it is hard to pray the words...

Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will...

especially when it pains you with perceived loss.

The presence of God is with you in the darkest of times.

From His Lips

~~~ Isaiah 55:10-11~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 6:7-15 ~~~

 

Jesus teaches us to pray with intention today.

 

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Babies babble because they do not yet know how to formulate correct words.

Babies babble because they cannot yet form words with their lips.

Babies babble because they have not yet learned the proper way to talk.

 

In many ways when it comes to prayer we are just like the baby.

We often do not know the best way to bring our needs before God.

 

Jesus, knowing our dilemma, gave us the beautiful words of the

Our Father.

This prayer has been used in prayer for over two thousand years now.

It remains the best prayer one can pray.

It is a pray we usually learn as a young child.

It is a prayer that comes to mind in times of need.

It is a prayer that can bring comfort to the one and reciting it and to those listening.

 

 

The Our Father is the perfect prayer.

It contains all the components of the ideal prayer.

It is a balanced prayer.

Oftentimes our prayers are lop sided or one sided.

We just come before the Lord to ask without first

giving thanks for what we have already received.

 

There has been much written about the Our Father,

but for me two parts stand out...

doing the will of the Father and forgiving those who wrong us.

 

If we can only say one prayer the Our Father should be that prayer.

It is the only prayer given to us directly from

the lips of Jesus himself.

 

“This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

There is nothing left to say except...

AMEN.

The Challenge of Being Holy

 

~~~ Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Matthew 25:31-46 ~~~

 

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’

 

God lays before us the formula for leading a holy life.

He urges us to be holy just as he is holy.

This may seem like a daunting command,

 but the words of scripture today give us some concrete guidelines.

 

We should not steal, lie, swear, curse, defraud, trick, act dishonestly, spread slander,

on perhaps the most important command is

You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.

 

Having been a recent victim of theft I can say

not bearing hatred in your heart is challenging.

I have prayed for the thief, but I still find it hard to excuse the personal violation.

 

Unfortunately we live in a society where lying, cheating

 and stealing is becoming the norm.

We are beginning to forget what it means to have values.

Every day we come into contact with people who have no character.

They have no respect for someone else's property.

There is no such thing as boundaries.

Loving someone who wrongs you takes a conscious act of will.

 

 

What if you can only go through the motions of loving

someone who has wronged you?

Are you then also unpleasing before God?

 

I have prayed that this person would have a conversion of heart.

I am not hopeful, however, that this will happen.

 

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you

 

Help me Lord to keep the thoughts of my heart pleasing to you.

I have made an effort to be more kind to others.

 I am hoping that the small difference

I can make will somehow contradict the evil in our society today.

 

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

Beware: Too Good to be True

First Sunday of Lent



Deuteronomy 26:4-10~~Psalm 91~~~Romans 10:8-13~~~Luke 4:1-13

 

Lent begins with Jesus going away to fast and pray for 40 days.

The devil takes advantage of his isolation and tries

 to work his evil temptations on Jesus.

 

'Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.'

 

You undoubtedly have experienced your thought processes

 being clouded when you are hungry.

You can also become grouchy and more likely to be vulnerable.

Jesus was human so the devil thought he had a chance

to make Jesus listen to his lies.

The devil grossly underestimated who he was dealing with that night.

Jesus had the reinforcements from the one who sent him;

God the Father.

  

Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

 

The words of psalm 91 gives us the assurance

that God has given his angels to guard over us.

When Jesus was tempted he did not hesitate to call on his Father.

We must teach ourselves to make calling on the Father for protection a habit.

We must practice this way of praying when we are not in the throws of temptations.

 

 

 

God is closer than you might think...right in your heart. 

 

The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart—that is, the word of faith that we preach— 

 

God will not abandon or forsake you when you call on him.

 

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

When the devil is placing before you a picture too good to be true

listen to the small voice of truth inside. 

The word of the Lord is spirit and truth.

The devil may not be able to outsmart Jesus,

but we must be vigilant to his trickery.

 

The Lord is near to all who call on him.

Lord, your presence in my life makes it more likely

 that I will be able to call for your assistance. 

The Tax Collector Hosts a Dinner for Jesus

~~~ Isaiah 58:9b-14 ~~~ Psalm 86 ~~~ Luke 5:27-32 ~~~

 

When the tax collector hears the call from Jesus to Follow him,

he immediately leaves his money table.

He walks away from his well paying job.

Later that same day he calls his friends together for a banquet in honor of Jesus.

Who knows this could have been equivalent to a political fund raiser

in today's environment.

 

"...leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.
Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors
and others were at table with them..."

 

Little did the tax collector know that he was exposing his unsavory friends

 to the presence of a holy and righteous man...Jesus.

The Pharisees and the scribes were well aware that tax collectors

 were not considered to be among the holy.

They were not known for keeping the Jewish laws or rituals.

 

 

Jesus on the other hand accepted the invitation from the tax collector.

Jesus did not try to judge the intentions or the tax collector's friends.

 

Jesus had a stronger personality.

He could not be influenced by their potential corrupt ways.

Perhaps the presence of Jesus coupled with the conversion of the tax collector

 made an impact on these guests.

Perhaps they were affected for the better.

The Bible does not provide for us every detail of those who were influenced by Jesus.

 

All who come in contact with Jesus, however, leave as a changed person...

some more than others.

Some walked away from their former life immediately.

Some were changed in ways less obvious,

but all were changed.

 

We have the same situation.

We too are changed whenever we come into contact with Jesus...

especially through receiving the Eucharist in Communion.

 

Jesus came to earth for everyone...he does not discriminate. 

We have much to learn from just this one dinner.

 

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

 

We follow Jesus because he is loving, kind, and

accepting of all who come to him.

Jesus was all inclusive;

 there were no private exclusive parties.

Lord, help me to be more loving of others and less judgmental.

I choose to be more aware of your presence today, Lord.

 

Humbled Heart

~~~ Isaiah 58:1-9a ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 9:14-15 ~~~

 

Instead of fasting and walking around in sack cloth do something charitable for others.

Instead of 'showing off' how you are afflicting yourself share with others...

reach out to those less fortunate.

If you do something to help others God will be more pleased.

 

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

God cares more about your naked honesty with him than

all the external actions of 'chest beating' you can perform.

He is not interested in whether or not you look the part.

 

When you are helping others; that is when your light will shine forth.

When you are thinking of others your problems begin to fade into the background.

Soon what you thought was of utter importance has passed.

 

Then you are able to hear God say, Here I am.

I am here for you. I have heard your cry for help.

 

 

 

A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

You can maintain a humble and contrite heart without marking yourself with ashes,

 fasting or inflicting corporal punishment on your body.

 

Seeking forgiveness from God with a sincere heart is of utmost importance.

 

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

 

The prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi comes to mind.

Let me be an instrument of Peace.

 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

 

Be aware of the Lord's presence in your life today.

Facing Crosses with Hope...Daily

~~~ Deuteronomy 30:15-20 ~~~ Psalm 1 ~~~ Luke 9:22-25 ~~~

 

 

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

 

"...I have set before you life and death,
the blessing and the curse.
Choose life, then..".

 

"...If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me..." 

 

 

Today is Valentine's Day.

Above are three verses that especially spoke to me

from today's readings.

 

The psalm speaks of hope.

Hope is a belief that events will turn out for the best.

We all reason to hold on to feelings of hope.

If it were not for hope we would live in a very dark and desperate world.

Hope gives a person a reason to keep trying...to keep believing.

If we did not have hope in the promises made to us by God

how we lived our life might look very different.

 

 

 

If we are to be ambassadors for Christ then we must choose life over death.

Likewise to be an ambassador of Christ, who died for us,

we must daily take up our cross.

 

Through the grace of hope we can bear whatever crosses comes our way.

 

Sometimes the cross set before us to bear seems closer to death than to life.

So how can we accomplish this task?

 

Life in Christ is a life that includes the good, the bad, and the unpleasant.

Certainly you would agree that, all things did not go to Jesus' liking.

He endured much for us as he fulfilled the will of the Father.

 

We can expect to have times of trials.

We should expect to have periods when life seems remote.

I have experienced the sense that I was living my life in a kind of remote

limbo type of environment.

Where I was being asked by God to embrace one more 'cross'.

After all I have chosen to follow him.

I have chosen to be one of his ambassadors.

 

Some days present themselves with more crosses than others.

Each day we are to choose life in Christ.

Jesus is the Hope of the World.

I pray for strength and perseverance.

O Lord, hear my prayer.

Ashes of Forgiveness

 

Ash Wednesday

~~~ Joel 2:12-18 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 ~~~

 

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

Saint Paul says we are ambassadors for Christ.

What does that mean especially as we begin another Lenten journey?

Every year we pray in psalm 51

for a clean and contrite heart...

a renewed spirit...

a restoration of salvation joy...

and lastly a willing spirit.

 

You may believe you have a willing spirit until the 'hammer hits the nail'

until something happens to you that causes you to stop.

Until you have personally experienced a situation where

you must admit whether or not you really can have a willing spirit.

 

When someone does something wrong against you,

it is challenging to be an ambassador for Christ.

You want retribution.

You want the wrong done to be fixed.

You often do not want to forgive the person who wronged you.

If you do not know the person it is not any easier to forgive them.

 

We are signed with ashes today as a reminder of God's mercy.

The ashes upon our forehead also serve as a reminder to ourselves

that if we are to be ambassadors of Christ we must

 emulate his same mercy and forgiveness.

 

 

If I am to be an ambassador for Christ then I must strive to model him.

This is often not an easy task.

In our frustration we sometime cry out to God,

'this is too hard'

 

Every day of Lent is another opportunity to live the gospel message

of forgiveness and repentance.

We have forty days to practice forgiveness and repentance.

Current research finds it takes at least 21 consecutive days to create a habit.

The church has given us 40 days, plenty enough time to solidify the habit of forgiveness.

 

Take baby steps, begin with the small things...the minor irritations.

Begin forgiving people you do not even know.

Forgive those closest to you; this could be the most difficult.

 

Make yourself a calendar reminder to forgive at least one person each day.

Forgive without judging...

forgive without making excuses for either yourself or the other person.

 

Above all remember that you can only change yourself.

In order to create a new habit you must be aware of what you are doing.

Creating a new habit in this case is connected to our prayer

for a clean heart.

 

Habits are things we gradually do without thinking about them.

I know I have plenty habits that I should stop.

Habits that are not indicative of my being an ambassador for Christ.

 

During this Lent I invite you to create the habit of forgiveness in your life.

When you have the impulse to lash out pause for a moment;

forgive that person instead.

Be conscious of this decision.

By the time we arrive to Good Friday our heart will

be in a better state of openness to God's forgiveness of our offenses.

 

Sustain in me a willing spirit, Lord.

A spirit of forgiveness creating in me a clean heart.

The Divine Image Within

~~~ Genesis 1:20-2:4a ~~~ Psalm 8 ~~~ Mark 7:1-13 ~~~

"...God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them...."

We have a tendency to forget this verse contained in the book of Genesis.

So many times it seems we get this backwards.

We were created in his divine image.

If you think about being created in his divine image;

how can you be anything but humbled.

God created us in his image and then gave us

the rights to care for the rest of his creations.

Sometimes I wonder how well we have carried out that directive from God.

God certainly could have made a different scenario.

He gave us the means to provide food and shelter for ourselves

using what he had provided for us.

But I want to return to the first few words in this verse...

God created man in his image.

Too many times we act like God created himself in our image.

We have this tendency to try and confine God within our human parameters.

We have been created in the image of God so that we can better love him.

Both man and woman was created in this image of God.

So it is unlikely that we can take this in the literal context.

It is not so much about the physical appearance of God.

It is more the spiritual makeup of God that we should focus our attention.

We have a part of God inside of us...

our soul.

We live and move and have our being in God.

He is what gives this physical body what we call life.

Every breath we take is a result of the divine living within us.

If we truly recognize the divine living within us;

how is it that our hearts far from God himself.

How can we just turn away and ignore?

As we begin Lent this year make a promise to yourself to pray

each day for the grace to be more aware of the divine presence within your own heart.

If we can become more conscious of our connection to the divine

I think we will make better choices, more loving choices.

May you each be blessed by the presence of the divine inside.

"...God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them...."

Healing Waters

Our Lady of Lourdes

~~~ Genesis 1:1-19 ~~~ Psalm 104 ~~~ Mark 6:53-56 ~~~

The God who created heaven and earth.

The God who said, "Let there be light"....

The God who brought forth all manner of life in the universe...

The God who placed the sun and the moon in the skies...

this is the God who also created you.

This is the God who walked the earth in the person of Jesus

healing and blessing others.

This is the God who sen his Son to be born of a woman.

This is the God who came down to live among us.

This is the God in whom we place our trust.

This is the God in whom we profess to be our Lord.

It is this same God whom people long ago flocked to for healing.

This same God is here for you today.

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.

Touching the tassel from his cloak was sufficient to heal.

Or was that the only contributing factor to one's healing?  

Perhaps there was something invisible occurring within each person who was healed...

they had faith...they believed something so slight as touching a few threads

from his clothing had his power to heal.

They came...they touched...they believed.

So often a healing will happen in an unanticipated fashion.

A part of you will be healed; if not physically,

then in mind, spirit, or soul.

Whatever the healing it will come through love and compassion.

God created you and wants you to be whole,

united with him...united with his will for you.

God has seen fit to imbue the waters at Lourdes with his healing power.

Just as at the wedding at Cana the Blessed Mother intercedes on our behalf.

If God is truly God, which we know him to be,

then changing water into wine...allowing his healing to pour forth as water,

pales in comparison to his creation of water itself.

He can do all things.

Ask for the healing you desire,

knowing that God will give you the healing you need more.

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

O ever immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comfort of the afflicted,

you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; deign to cast upon me a look of mercy.

By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary,

whence you dispense your favors, and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities,

both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence,

to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests.

 I will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that I may one day share your glory,

and bless you in eternity. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord let his face shine upon you and keep you safe

in mind, body, spirit, and soul.

You are loved more than you can understand.