Rejection Reality

~~~Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church ~~~
~~~  Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23 ~~~ Psalm 88 ~~~ Luke 9:51-56 ~~~

Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

There are times when each of us can say we have felt rejected.
Maybe it was within your family. Maybe it was
 in your neighborhood or in the work place.
Rejection cuts to the core in many ways.
Perhaps you have received the dreaded job rejection letter...
you just don't quite measure up to their requirements.

Maybe you were passed over for a promotion.
Maybe your were not invited to a special gathering.
Maybe you were invited only to find out
you were seated with the 'casual' acquaintances not the close friends.
Sometimes we make up reasons for feeling rejected that are far from the truth.

Job was feeling rejected. It is evident in much of his writing.
Job does not even know why he was allowed to be born.

Why did I not perish at birth,
come forth from the womb and expire?

Rejection affects the person in much the same
way as physical pain does...
no wonder it makes you feel so bad.
For some reason the brain can remember
the pain of rejection more vividly than physical pain.
Just ask any woman who has given birth to compare that pain
to the pain of being rejected by their best friend.
The physical pain is soon forgotten while the pain of rejection
will quickly bring forth the same emotional pain.

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem where he is rejected in Samaria.
Jesus did experience rejection even in his own home town
The disciples wanted to retaliate against the people,
 but Jesus took it all in stride.

One of our basic needs is the need to belong.
Rejection stirs up just the opposite feelings.
The apostles needed to feel like they belonged
 because they were with Jesus.
So when he was rejected they took it personally
explaining why they wanted to strike back.
Rejection is dangerous because it creates
 the perfect environment for anger.

Rejection needs to be faced and not just ignored.
Jesus handled his rejection by moving on
thus protecting his self-esteem.
Jesus did not allow rejection to control his future actions.
Jesus understands when we are faced
 with the emotional pain of rejection.

Come to him with your pain.
Know that he will never reject you no matter what you do...
even if you intentionally reject him.
Blessings from the one who understands best.
~~~Peace~~~

Angelic Defenders

~~~ Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels ~~~
~~~ Revelation 12:7-12AB ~~~ Psalm 138 ~~~ John 1:47-51 ~~~ 

Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

Whether or not angels exist is not determined
by whether or not we believe they do or do not exist.
How many times have you believed in something because you needed to?
There was some benefit to your believing.
Maybe believing in angels brings you comfort.
Perhaps you believe because of the Bible stories
surrounding angel appearances.
Angels are messengers from God.

Today we have the archangels...the highest rank among angels.
They are given the title of saints because they are 'holy ones'.
Typically there are believed to be seven archangels.

Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are among the most
well known of the archangels.
They each have special significance...
Michael, who is like unto God,
defeated Satan protects us in our faith.
Gabriel, strength of God, heralds the mysteries
of God such as the Incarnation.
Raphael, healer of God, helped Tobit of his blindness
and aided in the marriage of Sarah.
He is the patron of travelers and of nurses, because he is associated
with moving the waters in the healing pool of Bethesda.

We are constantly being seduced by the devil and fooled by his schemes.
The devil never tires of trying to attack and destroy us.
Today we should ask these archangels for their protection
 over ourselves, our country, and our world.

“They defend mankind and defend the God-man, 
the superior man, Jesus Christ who is the perfection 
of humanity, the most perfect,” he said.

Words from Pope Francis in his homily
delivered today speaking about the Archangels.

The Archangels are beside us to do battle against the attacks of Satan.
We too must enter into this battle in our own defense.
Nathaniel took it upon himself to position himself
 where he could take in the full view of Jesus.

He climbed up into the tree so he could see,
but Jesus noticed him while he sat quietly under the fig tree.

God sends his Archangels to act against the devil,
but we are called to seek the presence of Jesus.
In the presence of Jesus we are better
equipped to discern the shadows of the evil one.

It is when we are not paying attention
that the one who desires our eternal condemnation
 sets his claws into our heart and soul.

Prayer is our best defense when in battle with the darkness of Satan.

The Archangels are here to support us in our battle...
be determined to resist the evil disguises.

Blessed with God's angelic defense team.

~~~Peace~~
Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael,
pray for us.

How Many Times?

~~~ Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~
~~~ Ezekiel 18:25-28 ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ Philippians 2:1-11 ~~~
~~~ Matthew 21:28-32 ~~~ 

Remember your mercies, O Lord.

How many times Lord have we strayed from your path?
How many times did we say, 'yes, Lord'
only to go off about our own way?
How many times have we turned
 and walked away refusing
to do the right thing?
How many times Lord, will we seek your mercy?
How many times?

...complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.

Paul makes his plea to the faithful Philippians.
Keep your mind set on that which we have learned from Jesus.
Love with the same intensity that he loves...love with his open heart...
love those who do not deserve your love.

It is only possible to be of the same mind if we are also united in heart.
The heart of Jesus was pure, filled with love and mercy.
Open your heart as a flower opens its petals to be
 united with the heart of Jesus.

Jesus emptied himself, if we are to join our thinking
with his then we too must be humble.

We must not think ourselves better than anyone else.

Complete joy can only come through uniting with Jesus.
He allows us to join with him because he is a merciful God.

We are constantly given another chance to do the right thing

no matter how long or numerous the offenses.
The mercy of God will never run dry.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus.

This alone assures you of continued Blessings of his grace.
~~~Peace~~~

Would You Want to Know in Advance?

~~~ Saint Vincent de Paul ~~~
~~~ Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8 ~~~ Psalm 90 ~~~ Luke 9:43B-45 ~~~

Saint Vincent de Paul dedicated himself to serving the poor.

He is known for his compassion, humility, and generosity.
"The Great Apostle of Charity"
Vincent himself was captured and auctioned off to the highest bidder as a slave.
He lived in slavery for two years.

The Vincentian order of missionary priests remains in existence today.

“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” 
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

They did not understand...its meaning was hidden from them...
There have been so many times in my life when
I was not able to understand why certain things happen in my life.
Sometime later on I was able to see how God's plan was better,
of course, then what I had in mind.

God has told us that his ways are not our ways,
which means to me that we are not equipped to understand his ways.
We are limited in our view of even our own life.
If God had revealed to anyone who has survived a catastrophic
what was going to happen to them it would have
had them trembling with fear.
God cannot reveal to us in advance exactly
how the events in our life will work out. 

The way we come to some understanding God's ways
 is to pay attention to what he is telling us,
but to also pay attention after the fact to the outcomes and results.

God does have a plan for our lives...it is for good
even when it seems otherwise at the moment.

Many times we may never know the good that has occurred.

Perhaps you were in the right place
 at the right time without ever knowing it.

Since we cannot understand the ways of God
we are left with one alternative...
We must place our trust completely in him.
We must trust even as we ask why.

The Blessings we receive every day
are not contingent upon our understanding.
Trust in his wisdom.
~~~Peace~~~

A "Time" to Answer the Question

~~~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 144 ~~~ Luke 9:18-22

There is a time for everything under the sun.

There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.

These eleven verses from Ecclesiastes put all things into context.
We have no need to be anxious about our everyday life.
There is a time for everything...
a time for happiness, a time for sadness,
an allotted time to do all things...
to experience all things...
Maybe you have a bucket list...maybe you are wondering
 if you have the time to get to each entry.
When I was working I tried to set a specific time for certain tasks.
I would try to be very organized and timely.
Do you think one can be too organized...and over scheduled?
At some point you must prioritize.
What is really important, what can be left for another time
and what can be omitted completely.

In today's Gospel we have the familiar question posed by Jesus...
“But who do you say that I am?”

Having written about this verse many times before on this blog;
I was wondering. Do you think the answer to that
question has anything to do with the time of your life?

In other words, when you are older is your answer different
 than when you were young?

I would have to say yes.
When I was young I am not sure I had a very clear concept
 of who Jesus was other than what my holy cards depicted.
 He was not a real person to me.

He was laying in a bed of straw, he was nailed to a cross,
he was raised from the dead. That was pretty much all I knew.

Now that I am older I can look back and identify times in my life
that began to reveal the person of Jesus to me.

There is an appointed time for everything...

Maybe we are presented with this question
so often in our readings precisely
 so that we can stop.. so that we can take the time
 to survey our current position...
to search our heart and soul for the answer.

If each time we can see a change in our answer then
 we are growing in our relationship with Our Lord. 

If we are not in a close relationship with Jesus
 then we are not even in a position to answer the question.

Maybe you cannot even relate to the question.

There is an appointed time for everything...

Today it is time to spend the time...take an inventory of your heart.
A time to get out of your head and into your heart.
Who do you say Jesus is today, right now?
Blessed to know that tomorrow I can be better.
Blessed to know that today I can be better than I was yesterday.
Look into your heart and find your answer.
~~~ Peace~~~

Is God Your Bezzie?

~~~ Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 ~~~ Psalm 90 ~~~ Luke 9:7-9 ~~~

Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!”
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.

Every year there are actually new words
added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Recently this year three new words were added...
bezzie, hashtag, and selfie.
Bezzie, was new to me, it means a person's closest or best friend.
Hashtag (#), is used mostly in social media circles
 symbolizing a specific topic.
And then we have selfie, which is a cute little word
meaning to take a picture of yourself with your smart phone to post.

The book of Ecclesiastes can sound pretty depressing
if you read it all the way to the end.
Perhaps 'nothing new' is meant for us
 to contemplate the permanence of God.
As you know, God is timeless therefore
there would be 'nothing new' from his view point.
The sun rises...the rivers flow...the ocean never gets too full...
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.

We always seem to be craving more...
more beauty to see, more sounds to hear...never satisfied.
There is nothing new because God is the creator
of all things great and small.

For all ages God has been with us.
For all ages he has been blessing us.
For all ages he has been loving us.
For all ages he has been calling us to come closer.
For all ages he has been touching our heart.
For all ages he has been offering himself up for us.

In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

We can be at peace because what has been will be
and what has been done will be done.
God is constant he never changes...it is we who must change.

While we are going about entertaining ourselves with new words;
let us remember that what really matters will never change...
God's love for each of us.

Is God your bezzie? I hope the answer is yes.
If God took a selfie, would he also see you?
God is bigger than any hashtag could possibly encompass.

There is nothing new because God is always with us.
He blesses us every day in more ways than we can grasp.

Nothing is new under the sun...
~~~Peace~~~

The Benefit of Nothing

~~~ Proverbs 30:5-9 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 9:1-6 ~~~

Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.

These last twenty-four months I have been traveling nearly every week.
At first I was packing a suitcase, a carry on bag, and my purse.
I pack a couple bottles of water.
Often I would pack a lunch to eat along the way.

After my suitcase was stolen from the bus I had to rethink
what I really needed to carry with me.
Now I only carry one small backpack, water,
and peanut butter crackers.
Take nothing for the journey...
I had to learn that the hard way...
by having the things I valued disappear.

I do not carry a walking stick but I do faithfully carry my umbrella.
Sometimes I need it for cover from the rain, but sometimes
 it is the only shade near by.

I no longer carry a suitcase full of clothes.

It is hard to imagine the disciples leaving for their journey with nothing.
Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.

They had no need for anything except the words
 they had absorbed from Jesus.

The men were commissioned to make a journey...
to take action on his behalf.
Jesus did not say watch me. He did not say to follow him
simply just for the action of walking beside him.

Jesus expected his little chosen band of men
to do something with their calling.

He sends them out with nothing but the knowledge
and faith that they were ready to tell others
what they had come to believe.

He is calling us to do the same...go out and tell the good news.
We have the responsibility to acquire as much
knowledge as possible about our God.
Reading the Bible, contemplating on his words,
receiving the Sacraments
these are some of the ways we can
better prepare ourselves for his calling.

...shake the dust from your feet in testimony...

Do not be discouraged thinking that you do not have
enough knowledge or that you will say the wrong thing.

Do not let any rejection penetrate into your mind, heart, or soul.

The journey is about continuing to move forward.
The journey is not ever about giving up.
Rejection gives us the opportunity to start afresh.

The journey for Jesus has no hidden agendas.
The journey for Jesus has no need for
outside support, such as a walking stick.
The journey we are on for and with Jesus is pure and simple...
take nothing for the journey.

Blessed with each step we take on the path he illuminates.
There is no benefit in even carrying forth
 the dust on our tired worn feet.

~~~Peace~~~

In His Palm

~~~ Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 8:19-21 ~~~

Like a stream is the king’s heart in the hand of the LORD;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.

The manner in which water flows is consistent...
it seeks the lower ground.
It seeks the lower ground because it is longing to merge with the
nearest greater body of water.
A stream would not be content to remain
disconnected from the nearby lake or river.
A stream wants to be a part of something bigger than itself.

So it is with us as well. Our heart wants to be a part
of something bigger than ourselves.

Our heart wants to join with the heart of God...
to be one with his Sacred Heart.
We too are in the hand of God.
He directs our heart in the manner he wishes it to move.
He causes love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness
to move like a stream within our heart.

Our task is to 'go with the flow'...
to let God take control of our life...to surrender to the flow.
The flow that leads us to the greater body of Christ here and in the hereafter.

We are the sisters and brothers of Christ now.
We belong to him...We are in the palm of his hand.
He is the path...he leads the way.
He is the greater source of all that is good.
Blessed to be led by Him.
~~~Peace~~~

Glow of Grace

~~~ Proverbs 3:27-34 ~~~ Psalm 15 ~~~ Luke 8:16-18 ~~~

For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,

and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.

It is often said that pregnant woman has a special glow.

The miracle of new life permeates a woman's entire body.

The grace which we receive from God also has a certain glow.

It is the glow from within our soul that permeates out toward others.

This glow of grace can be subtle or it can be blinding.

The saints are wonderful examples of blinding glow...

their lives are beacons

passed down to us through the years.

We can see the night light of those who reach out to those 

who suffer from all sorts of diseases.

The person who visits the sick in their hospital

 room just to offer a prayer of hope...

to be the light of Christ to them.

What are you doing with your light?

We all have been given the glow of God's grace.

Where have you put yours?

You cannot hide it. Light is able to escape even 

through the smallest little crack.

Light has power. Light knows no boundaries.

The Lord blesses the dwelling of the just and

to the humble he shows kindness.

The Lord curses the evil and wicked; for such persons

flee from the glow of grace.

The more often we practice kindness and justice toward others

 the brighter will God's grace glow within our hearts.

Let God's loving grace glow brighter

 as you reach out toward those around you.

There is really no need for words when your light is glowin.

Just as with the mother to be, you too 

will be a living testimony to God's glowing grace.

Be aware today of how blessed you are

 to have the glowing grace from God.

Glowing for God.

~~~Peace~~~

Heavenly Generosity

~~~ Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 55:6-9 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Philippians 1:20C-24, 27A ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 20:1-16A ~~~

Life and Death...we are caught between the two.
We hold on to life to those we love,
 yet we long to see God to be with God.

I am caught between the two. 
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better. 
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.

It is difficult to let go of what we know.
While we know what it means to be alive
we also long to be with Christ.
We believe it is much better to be with God
but we don't want to let go.

We get frustrated with the challenges
of everyday life, but it is our life.
We grow into the life we live every day.

While we are confined by our physical limitations
we are also confined to our understanding of the mechanics of life.

The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

We want to believe that the Lord is near to us.
Yet we are challenged because we cannot see the Lord.
We look for signs of his presence...ways that he reveals himself to us.

While we are caught between these two worlds of heaven
 and earth we can magnify the Lord to others.
We can be the face of the Lord to those in need.

The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner...
The kingdom of heaven is open to anyone who is invited to enter.
There is no age limit. There is no prescribed length of time it should take.
There is no amount of money that can secure your entry.
It does not matter when you enter into heaven, the rewards are glorious.
The rewards are incomprehensible, yet this is
precisely what we are longing for...
Our vision of heaven is the reward we are striving toward.

The landowner is our best example of the generosity of God.
So while you are between the two worlds know
that the Lord is near to you.
He wants you to believe that he is near to you.
He wants you to know that there is a place for you in heaven. 

Blessed to be counted among those who seek the Lord.
~~~Peace~~~

The Blossom No Longer Needs the Seed

~~~ 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49 ~~~ Psalm 56 ~~~ Luke 8:4-15 ~~~

 ...the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.

While we are of our human existence we also hold our eternal existence.
The seed holds the leaves, flowers, and the fruit.
In looking at the seed it is only because we believe
 that we can see what this seed truly holds within.
So it is with  our own resurrected body...
we hold our resurrected spirit within our souls.
The blossom no longer needs the seed;
the resurrected spirit no longer needs the physical body.

Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,

we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.

Read those words slowly and carefully let them soak into your soul.
We have been told that we were made in the image and likeness of God.
But is it logical to assume we have also been made
to bear his heavenly image too?
This is above our comprehension; for this we must rely on faith.
Our whole relationship with God is pure mystery
 even though he consistently reveals himself to us.

I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.

Someday all will be as it should be...
we will be with God in heaven.
His presence will no longer be something we wonder about,
no longer something we long for...it will be the new reality.

But all of what we think we know about reality will cease to exist.

The light of the living we will see
 will be the light of the presence of God.
His son, Jesus, in his resurrected glory will be the light
we have longed for our entire life.

Blessed now by the mystery of what is to come.
You will become the beautiful blossom.
What is to come is our reunion with the reality
of the existence of God.

~~~Peace~~~

Ground Bound No Longer

~~~ 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 ~~~ Psalm 17 ~~~ Luke 8:1-3 ~~~

If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then neither has Christ been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, 
then empty too is our preaching;
empty, too, your faith.

We are either whole complete believers or not;
there can be no gray area.
If you do not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead
then what is the point in believing anything else?

Nothing else matters if you do not believe in the Resurrection.
If there is no Resurrection then there is no forgiveness of sins.
If there is no forgiveness of sins then we have no reason to believe...
we have no reason for hope.

If this life is all there is; I for one will be very disappointed.
If there is no after life why should we even want to be a better person?

When we believe in the Resurrection it gives more depth to our life.
Believing in the Resurrection takes out further than our current reality.
It just plain feels good to believe there is something more.
Not that I am advocating we should base reality on our feelings.
But there just has to something more.

I am sorry for those who do not believe in the resurrection.
The hope of our resurrection gives us something to look forward to...
There is something better, the emergent butterfly is proof.

Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

The small caterpillar appears to have fallen asleep
 until the unfolding of the wings begins.

The butterfly is more beautiful...more delicate than its previous self.
Who is is say the some thing does not happen to us?

The life of a butterfly, to me, is pure joy.
I believe our state of resurrection with Christ
 will also be one of pure joy.

In dying we do not perish...
in dying we become the beauty of pure joy.
We are free of our ground bounded existence.
Free to be resurrected joy with Christ in heaven.

I believe there is more than our life here on Earth,
because God created us to live happily in eternity with him.
Does your faith hinge on the promise of your personal resurrection?

Blessed in believing that the Resurrection is real.
If Christ was raised from the dead we will be too.
God wants us to believe.
He gives little hints...clues to what is in store
 for our future life with him.

I believe someday we will be reunited with those we love.
Our new existence will be in this wondrous state of joy.
Until that day comes I will believe in the Resurrection.

Until that day comes when I can unfold my wings I will live
my life in reflection of the resurrection.
~~~Peace~~~

Outside the Boundaries

~~~ 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~ Luke 7:36-50 ~~~

The gift of anointing...the gift of debt forgiveness.

The gift of humility...the gift of power...

Jesus accepted the invitation to dine in the home of a Pharisee.
Jesus made the effort to draw his greatest critics into
opening their minds and hearts.

We do not know the exact circumstances but a 'sinful' woman
came to Jesus while he was reclining at table with the Pharisee.
She carried with her an alabaster flask of ointment.
The Pharisee is quick to pass judgment not only on the woman
but also on Jesus for not knowing what a sinful life this woman led.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day 
in accordance with the Scriptures...

This sinful woman saw something in Jesus
 that the Pharisee never saw.
Do you have the courage to go out of your comfort zone for God?
Are your actions always within the acceptable range?
This woman acted in spite of the possible consequences.
Would you consider that too risky?

But by the grace of God I am what I am...

By the grace of God we can go beyond...we can live on the edge.

Do not ever become satisfied with your spiritual progress.
There is always better.
There is always deeper holiness.

There is always a more sustaining joy.
There is always numerous ways to love.
There is always reason to forgive.

 ...the grace of God that is with me.

All of the above are possible with this hidden
 yet present force called grace.

The gift of God's grace was present in the sinful woman
who knelt and wept at the feet of Jesus.

Grace was a living force at work in the life of Saint Paul.
Grace is within you too.
You cannot feel grace or hear it or or see it,
but the truth remains grace is real.

Blessed to have God's grace.
Blessed to know it will take me and support me
outside the boundaries of my box.
~~~Peace~~~

Love is the Reason

~~~ 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ Luke 7:31-35 ~~~

You cannot have your cake and eat it too.
Is life really about either or.
Why can't we have it all?

But wait Saint Paul sums it up for us
 in his first letter to the Corinthians...
Love is the key...love is all that matters...
love makes all the difference.

Paul explains in detail the full meaning of love.
Love is not just a word to be casually thrown about here and there.
Love has requirements. Love has responsibilities.
Love has consequences.

Without love there is no reason to go on living.
Love knows no bounds...no ending.
Love surpasses everything else in life.
We exist because of the love of the Father for us.
We are saved because of love.
We have the opportunity for eternal life because of love.

LOVE...
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, love is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Each time this passage comes to you there is a new message.
Are you dealing with a family member
 who is trying your patience today?
Are you struggling with feelings of jealousy?
Are you acting and thinking in very selfish ways today?
Are you angry with a loved one today?
Are you holding on to past hurts today?

Love is stronger because...
love believes, hopes, and endures all things.
Love conquers all.
Nothing can stop the one who loves.
When we love we come closer to God
 that is why loving is the greatest commandment.

Without love we are empty.
Look for new opportunities to expand the love in your life.

The more you love the more Blessings
 will be realized in your life.

You are loved.
~~~Peace~~~

Be Yourself

~~~ Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs ~~~

~~~ 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31A ~~~ Psalm 10 ~~~ Luke 7:11-17 ~~~

Now you are Christ’s Body, and individually parts of it.

We are each created in the image and likeness of God.
We are each created unique in every way.
We each have been given our special gifts by God.

That being established; stop trying to be someone else...
someone other than what God
created you to be...YOU.

No one can be you. No one can replace you.
No one can play your part in God's Divine plan.
You do not have an understudy.
You either show up or something does not get done...
something does not get started...
something does not get completed...
Some one does not receive your blessing.

“God has visited his people.”

Ever since God sent down the Son to be one of us
we became one with him.

We are his people, we are part of his flock.

We are part of his body here on Earth.
We have a specific role to play in this body;
just as each part of our body has a specific part
 in the proper functioning of the whole.

Sometimes a part of the body gets out of sync.
 When this occurs help may be needed to restore proper function
 in balance with the whole body.

If you are healthy; your body is functioning as it was designed.
If one part of your body is not working properly
 it effects the whole body.

It is your responsibility to keep yourself in good repair
so you contribute to the health of the whole body.
The brain is good at conserving energy and cells.
If a part of the brain is not being used eventually
the brain snips off some of those cells.

Do you want to be snipped off or do you want to be
a thriving part of the Living Body of Christ?

What part of the body do you want to be?
Do you want to be a fingernail routinely filed shorter
or do you want to be part of the heart pumping
 the blood to all of the body?

It is up to you.
You can decide just how vital you are
to the rest of the Body of Christ.
Maybe God shifts the parts around
depending on where you are needed the most.

Whatever part of the Body you are Blessed to be there.
You are a unique part of the Body of Christ.
Be the best part you can be
 by being all that you can be
being yourself.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Her Pierced Heart

~~~  Our Lady of Sorrows ~~~
~~~ 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33 ~~~ Psalm 40 ~~~
~~~ John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35 ~~~

Every mother knows their life will be punctuated with
joys and sorrows; Mary was no different.
As a mother you pray that the joys will be
greater than the sorrows.

The greatest sorrow for any mother is to survive
the death of one of her children.
In the Blessed Mother's case, her only child.
Mary was warned in the temple by Simeon
when Jesus was just an infant.

Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce

The language here is so brutally descriptive...a sword will pierce.
This sword which literally pierced the side of Jesus
would pierce the heart of his mother.
A mother can not separate herself from her child's suffering.
A mother would gladly change places with her child
 to spare him/her such pain and suffering.
Mary was not allowed to make such an exchange with her son.

Try to imagine the tears Mary must have cried as she
and Joseph carried their young son from the temple that solemn day.

For thirty-three years even the joy she experienced
was clouded by the words of the prophets.

Until the day comes when she finds herself
standing in the crowded street as her son passes by.
He is bloody and barely able to carry the heavy cross.

The Roman guards taunt him, call him names.
They strike his body with their leather whips;
her heart is over flowing with sorrow.

Each time you find yourself struck with sorrow turn to Our Lady.
She can give you comfort. She understands.
 She has had her heart helplessly pierced right before her face. 

Turn to Our Lady in times of sorrow she
can bring you peace.

She watched as her son, Jesus, surrendered his body
 without resistance until the last drop of blood
 flowed forth from his body.

She watched knowing that she would have to go
on living without her beloved Son.

She knew the great sorrow of accepting
 what she could not change.

Come to her in pray when you are facing sorrow.
She will give you the grace to move forward as she did.
She believed in her Son.
She believed in his message.
She believed he was sent by God
 to redeem the world.
She lived in the unfolding of the prophecy.
She lived with the piercing sword of sorrow
 deep within her heart.
We never need to be alone in times of sorrow, she is there with us.
May Our Lady of Sorrow, bless you with comfort.

~~~Peace~~~

Two Pieces of Wood

~~~ Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ~~~

~~~ Numbers 21:4B-9 ~~~ Psalm 78 ~~~ Philippians 2:6-11 ~~~ 

~~~ John 3:13-17 ~~~

Today we remember and honor in a special way
 the cross upon which Jesus died for us.
If do an historical search on the true cross
 you will find that is had quite a journey.
It was buried, excavated several years later,
captured after a battle, and finally returned to Jerusalem.

The person who carried it to its original location was dressed
in his finest garments lavishly decorated in jewels.
He was accompanied with a great procession.
When he arrived at the gate of Jerusalem which led to Calvary
he became unable to take another step.
It was not until he removed his fine robes
 and put on a simple cloak that he was able to walk again.

The cross was bare, there was nothing regal about the two pieces of wood.
What made them special was whose body was nailed upon the wood.

Normally we would consider the cross to be a burden,
but for Emperor it was his regal clothing...
the evidence of his materialism...his connection to the world.

What is the message here for us?
It it the cross we carry that burdens us or is it our worldliness?
What is it that you consider your cross to bear?

Have you ever wondered what happened to the cross
 the day they removed the body of Jesus?
His body was laid to rest in an empty donated tomb.
The last thing the apostles of Mary was
thinking about was the cross.
Perhaps they could not even bear
 to look upon it for one more minute.
It represented what they believed
was the end of their best friend and beloved son.

Tradition says the cross was thrown into
 a ditch or well and covered with dirt.
The cross was recovered, this inanimate object
 became the very symbol we identify ourselves with as Christians.
The cross is a reminder to us that Jesus gave up everything.
The cross is a reminder that Jesus completely
 surrendered to the will of the Father.
Jesus never considered himself to be equal to God.
He came down to Earth to do the will of the Father;
the cross gives us something tangible and visible as proof.

The Cross is the ultimate symbol of God's unconditional love for us.
Jesus died upon the cross because his desire for us to be with him
 in heaven someday was to great to ignore.
There is nothing more sacred than the cross
upon which the blood of Jesus was shed for you and for me.

Let us often look to the cross with love, compassion, and humility.
The cross...two pieces of wood made sacred and holy by the blood of Jesus.
For without the cross we could never have been
Blessed by such a heart as that of Jesus.
~~~ Peace ~~~

The Cup of Blessing

~~~ Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church ~~~

~~~1 Corinthians 10:14-22 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~  Luke 6:43-49 ~~~

The cup of blessing that we bless,

is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ?

The bread that we break,

is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?

What is the cup of blessing?

How do we get one of our own? Where can we find one?

Does Amazon carry a cup just for blessings?

Does something special happen to us when 

we drink from this cup of blessing?

Is the blessing from this cup filled with vitamins?

All kidding aside.

This cup we drink from is filled with his saving blood.

The very blood he shed to save us from eternal loss.

The breaking of the bread is our participation in his very body.

The body that was broken and beaten for our sins

 and those of the whole world.

...though many, are one Body...

We come together as one within our small church community,

while at the same time belonging to the great 

community of the Body of Christ.

He has drawn us to himself to be a part of his mystical body.

Here we find the wealth of his blessings.

We come together...we come to participate in the divine mystery.

The mystery of blessings which we long to receive.

We cling to His broken, wounded, bleeding body.

We participate because we believe in his love.

 ...from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

Whatever words come forth from our mouths

 were first found deep inside our hearts.

If you want to speak words of love 

put words of love into your heart.

If you want to speak words of compassion 

put words of compassion into your heart.

If you want to speak words of forgiveness

put words of forgiveness into your heart.

If you want to speak the words of Jesus

put his words into your heart.

Read the Bible daily.

Guard your heart for whatever you let in does eventually come out.

Let only words and images of beauty, grace, and love reside within.

If you can accomplish this

 your words will always be a joy to receive.

Blessings of love in words steeped within my heart.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Our Personal Trainer

~~~ 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22B-27 ~~~ Psalm 84 ~~~ Luke 6:39-42 ~~~

Blessed the men whose strength you are!
their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage...
a religious journey, expedition, crusade.

This is the real deal.
One minute we are in the stands cheering;
the next minute we down on the field running.

 no reason for me to boast...
We are not practicing...we are not just shadow boxing
we are participating in real time.

I have become all things to all, to save at least some.

We are not weak. We gather our strength from the Lord...
the giver of all gifts...the one who supplies the necessary stamina.
We are either sitting in the stands cheering or
we are down on the field as participants.
This stadium never closes...the lights do not dim.
The training is ongoing day after day.
The prize of eternal life ever present in our hearts, minds, and bodies.
We consistently improve the more dedicated we become.
Nothing is done in vain...it all has purpose.

We are on the pilgrimage of our life....
the pilgrimage for our life...
our life with God in heaven.
We are in the arena along with every other believer.

...grace and glory he bestows;
The LORD withholds no good thing
from those who walk in sincerity. 

The glory of heaven will be ours when our goal is reached.
Until our race is finished the stadium manager, God,
withholds nothing from us.
He gives everything we need. He is the best trainer.
He is our personal trainer.
How can we possibly not succeed?

We are Blessed with purpose...
we do not run aimlessly...
we do not run alone.
~~~Peace~~~

Practicing Compassion

~~~ 1 Corinthians 8:1B-7, 11-13 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Luke 6:27-38 ~~~

There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.

Today we remember those who lost there lives thirteen years ago
 in the World Trade center attack.
The individuals involved lost their way and chose
 to travel down the path of darkness.

They unplugged their conscience.
They gave up their desire to live in this world.
They lost all respect for life, their own and the life of others.
It truly was a sad day for the whole world.
God Bless all who came to the aid of so many people that day.

I pray that compassion will prevail in our hearts today.

Eventually you can desensitize yourself
if you do something enough times.
This is the danger in exposing yourself
to a continuous stream of violence.
You become so accustomed to watching violence
 being acted out you become numb to such crimes.

Thirteen years ago we could not leave our television sets...
we could not believe what our eyes were telling us.
We cried tears until our eyes were red and swollen.

The more we sin the less uncomfortable or guilty we feel.
If you miss Mass the first few times it feels wrong,
but if you miss Mass enough times it will no longer bother you.
Most people who are caught shop lifting admit
 that it was not their first offense.

If we let sin gradually take root in our soul
we will not even notice when it has taken control.
We must examine our conscience often
 just to make sure we are not becoming numb to the world
around us...just to make sure we are not letting
sin get the better part of our soul.

We are born with a pure heart.
We learn through trial and error as
 to how far we can push the envelope.
Young children are masters at seeing just how far they can go...
to see what they can get away with.
Usually the parents will intervene setting the limits. 

Now that we are adults we must set our own limits...
limits bounded by love and compassion.

~~9/11/ 2001~~
Love and Compassion rose above this horrible situation
 to prevail in the hearts of thousands.

May God Bless us with a conscience formed
by love and compassion.

God did bless many people on that
 terrible day in our country.

Peace be with you.

One Afternoon Sermon

~~~ 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 ~~~ Psalm 45 ~~~ Luke 6:20-26 ~~~

Luke gives us his version...the Sermon on the Plains.

He, like Matthew, has blessings and woes. 

Luke also focuses on the physical and emotional.

Was this whole sermon just a ploy to conjure up some sort of reaction?

Was Jesus just trying to see if anyone was really listening.

Was he trying to generate some conversation among the disciples?

Was Jesus trying to create a scenario where everyone 

was included and excluded at the same time? 

His language was upsetting to the normal person who was listening.

He was speaking to all yet speaking to none.

What was he talking about?

Why was this an important sermon to give?

Why was it important to hear?

Why is it important for us to hear today?

Jesus has just chosen his small group of ordinary men

 to be his apostles and then he begins to look up

at them giving this complex sermon.

I wonder if any of them were having second thoughts?

How could they follow someone they could not understand?

How could they be an apostle for someone

 who's teachings they themselves 

could not explain or repeat?

Was he really blessing those in poverty 

and condemning those with abundance?

Blessed are you who are poor,

for the Kingdom of God is yours...

...But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.

So much to include in one afternoon's sermon.

The new apostles must have been feeling very inadequate.
God never wants us to feel like we are not prepared...
not smart enough...not good enough.
He wants us to trust that if he sends us out
on a mission he will be with us.
He will put the necessary words on our lips.

Jesus was looking at the apostles.
Was he telling them
what not to be concerned about.
Is the message for us today too?

If we follow Jesus we will not be spared
from poverty, hunger, sadness, or being hated.

If we follow Jesus we don't have to be wealthy or happy...
people may actually hate us and speak ill of us.

None of this matters as long as you keep
your eyes fixed on the Lord.

There is no promise of an easy life
just because we are believers.
The promise is eternal life.
The promise is you have been saved by our Creator God.
The promise is you are loved beyond measure.

He Blesses us no matter what our situation.
God is Love.
~~~Peace~~~

Among the Ordinary

~~~ Saint Peter Claver ~~~

~~~ 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 149 ~~~ Luke 6:12-19 ~~~

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.

Jesus separated himself from the disciples
 and the crowds of people coming to be healed.
He went away in the darkness of night.
He went away into the silence of the night.
He went away to the stillness of the mountain.
Jesus prays alone to the Father for guidance.
He was about to make a big announcement...
naming his chosen apostles.
Apostle...one sent out, a missionary sent to preach the word of God.
He named twelve ordinary men as his closest companions.

This definition permits us to include many others
under the title of 'apostle' including Saint Peter Claver.
He spent much of his priesthood ministering
 to the large population of salves.
He served them and catechized them as often as he was allowed.
He called himself "the slave of the slaves."

After spending all night in prayer Jesus chooses his 

twelve apostles from among his disciples.
Then together they come down...
...he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.

They came down together to level ground.
They were joining the people.
They were with the people. Jesus did not set himself apart.
He made himself accessible. 

A large number of people came from all of the neighboring towns.
Jesus is teaching his new apostles his life of compassion.
He could have gone back to the village to rest and sleep,
but instead he comes to the people who were waiting for him.
They wanted to see him and hear his holy words.
But most importantly they wanted to touch him...
they wanted to be touched by him.

Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

When you imagine such a scene how can you not
be in awe and wonder at the person of Jesus?
His entire ministry was one of self sacrifice, love, and compassion.

We may not be able to physically touch Jesus today,
but that should not stop us from believing
that his power is just as real today as it was two thousand years ago.

Jesus chose twelve apostles in hopes that we
would also want to join their ranks.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

The Lord takes delight in you right now today.
Do you want to be one of his chosen?
Do you want to be one of his 'apostles'?
You must be willing to preach the word of God.
As Saint Francis of Assisi says,
use words if necessary.

The power that came forth from Jesus was the combined
power he shared in with the Father. 

They are still willing to send down this power to us.
God invites us to work together with him.

Be Blessed with the assurance
 that God takes delight in the ordinary person;
that would include you.

Don't let him down.
~~~Peace~~~

Submitted into Evidence for Us

~~~ Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~~~

~~~ Micah 5:1-4A or Romans 8:28-30 ~~~ Psalm 13 ~~~
~~~Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 ~~~

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”

Mathew begins his Gospel with
the genealogy of both Mary and Joseph.
The prophets proclaimed that the Messiah would
come from the house of David.
The lengthy descendant list is the written
 confirmation of the prophecy message.
Jesus does indeed come from the house of David.
Now we can get on with the important business
 of the salvation of human kind.

Once the lineage is officially recorded
 there will be no doubt...no questions.
Jesus is indeed a descendant from the proper household.

Even today royal families all over the world record
and preserve their descendant line.
The site Ancestry dot com prides themselves in having access
 to the lineage of more people than any other site.
They claim to be the world's largest online family history resource.
Matthew had access to no such resource
he had to rely on the oral history.

Having had some experience in doing such research
for my own family, it can be very frustrating and time consuming.

 ...all things work for good for those who love God,

who are called according to his purpose. 

The fact that Mary and Joseph came from the house of David
did not make their personal situations any less unusual.

Mary became pregnant while she remained a virgin...
She and Joseph had only promised to marry.
The casual observer of their situation would not have given
 them much hope for a good marriage.

That is mostly because we think like short sighted humans.
It is impossible for us to think like God.
We cannot see how all things work for good,
when it comes to ourselves or to others.

For this to be true in your life
you must first love God
secondly we must be called according
 to God's purpose.

If you are acting in defiance or against God's will for your
life then things may not turn out for the good.

Those who go about spreading evil and hatred cannot expect
their actions to turn out for the good.

God does not respond to our spoiled child attitude.
God does not give in to our self centered ways.
God promises that if you are doing good in your life
even those things which do not appear to be good really are good.

Joseph and especially Mary faced a situation that
even today would not be seen as a good. 

Pregnancy out of wedlock
is a challenge for all persons involved.

God chose for Mary to remain a virgin.
God chose for this virgin to bear and give birth to a son...
not just any child, but the messiah.
God chose Joseph to stand with her...to protect her
and yes to love her. I believe that Joseph did love Mary.

God will go to extreme circumstances
 to use his people for his good purpose.

I invite you to question God's purpose
 the next time you
 find yourself in a situation
 that does not seem to be good.

Is this sliver of time to become
 a significant part of something bigger?

Sometimes God does reveal his purpose for situations in our life.
but often he does not.
What are we to do? Trust in him. Wait on him.
Be ready to accept never knowing his purpose.

God wants to make all things good

in your life.
He will give you the grace and blessings
 not to question his decisions for your life.

While Mary and Joseph
 had their doubts they did walk the path God created for them.

You too can walk the path God lays out before you.
Are you willing? Do you trust him enough?
Today's food for thought.
~~~Peace~~~

Who Do You Pray With?

~~~ Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~
~~~ Ezekiel 33:7-9 ~~~ Psalm 95 ~~~ Romans 13:8-10 ~~~~
~~~ Matthew 18:15-20 ~~~

 ...where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.

There are so many ways for us to join with others in prayer.
Jesus is careful not to stipulate that those
praying together must be in physical contact with each other.
He dos not say they must be in the same place...
under the same roof.
We only need make the intention to join with
others in common prayer.
We can join together in prayer at a specific time
to pray for a specific intention.
I have been asked to join others in prayer on a certain date.
Many times we observe a moment of collective silence
to remember and pray for victims of a public tragedy.
It does not matter what the reason is that spurs us to prayer;
it only matters that we join together in prayer.
Jesus promises to give us his presence when we join together in prayer.

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

The voice of the Lord is most often heard during our time of prayer.
When praying with others our faith is strengthened
 as each person shares their rewards of praying.

God spoke to his people through his prophets.
Today who is to say that God does not speak
 to us through our friends especially the ones
we come together with in prayer.

Who do you pray with?
Do you pray with your spouse or significant other?
Do you pray with your children?
Do you pray with your friends?
Do you ever pray with strangers?

Is God able to speak through you?
Are you willing to be God's mouthpiece?
You may be the only voice of God another person ever hears.

When we come together to pray we come together
 to share our fears and our hopes.
We come together in prayer to share our story.

In prayer we invite God to be with us...
we believe that he is listening.

Praying with others does make a difference.
There is strength in numbers even when praying.

Praying with others keeps you focused
 on the intentions of the other person for that time of prayer.

If you have others to pray with then surely you are Blessed.
You are Blessed because you have friends
that share your belief in the power of prayer.

~~~ Peace~~~