Aspire to Live a Tranquil Life

~~~ Passion of Saint John the Baptist ~~~

~~~1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Mark 6:17-29 ~~~

...aspire to live a tranquil life,

to mind your own affairs,

and to work with your own hands...

Herod lived anything but a tranquil life.

He was chosen by the Romans to be King and ruler of Israel.

Herod's family were not from the Jewish people.

They were however, very good politicians.

Herod could not mind his own affairs 

when his brother's wife caught his eye.

Since he was not allowed to have two wives he divorced his own wife

so that he could marry hie brother's wife, Herodias.

Of course she had to divorce her own husband 

before she could marry her husband's brother.

Life was far from tranquil.

In the midst of this mess John the Baptist

quickly points out the Jewish laws they are breaking...

He cites (Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21)

You shall not have intercourse with your brother’s wife;

 that would be a disgrace to your brother.

(18:16)

If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is severe defilement 

and he has disgraced his brother; they shall be childless.

(20:21)

When he did this Herod ordered John's arrest.

Ultimately Herod has John beheaded at the request of his daughter.

You are probably familiar with this story.

Herod doomed himself to never leading a tranquil life.

We sometimes create situations in our own

 lives that rob us of having a tranquil life.

What is it that keeps you from a tranquil life?

Herod was more interested in his political position.

He was more interested in caring what people would 

say if he did not keep his word.

Herod failed to value his own peace of mind.

You can choose to place yourself in a tranquil place.

When our environment is tranquil

it is much easier to find inner tranquility.

It is this inner tranquility that makes a tranquil life.

John the Baptist had no idea that his words to Herod

 would end up with his death.

He was well respected by the people.

He had a following of believers.

People listened to John.

The tranquil life that John once had was taken

 from him by his violent death.

Seek a place where you can tap into the stream of tranquility.

A tranquil life may only be possible for short periods of time...

cherish them while you can.

"Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture.

 If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind,

 then that is what our life is like..."

 Thaddeus of Vitovnica

A tranquil life is something to treasure.

Blessings of pieces of peace.

Push Your Limits

~~~ Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church ~~~

~~~1 Thessalonians  4:1-8 ~~~Psalm 97 ~~~  Matthew 25:1-13 ~~~

...you should conduct yourselves to please God...

When you think that you are living to please God
this is when you are called to do even more.

If we use our own criteria for pleasing God,
will it be enough?
God is asking you to remove any boundaries
you have set up for yourself.

Maybe you are satisfied that you
are making it to church once a week.

Maybe you even make it to church
more often than once a week.

Maybe you serve in one or more ministries in the church.
Perhaps you do volunteer work for the poor and needy.
The list could grow to be much longer.

Today you are being invited to challenge yourself.

Saint Augustine did challenge himself...
At first he was not making the best choices...
he lived a very worldly life...
wine, women, song, dance and more.
He finally exhausted his whimsical distractions;
that is when he found Jesus.

Augustine finally found his path to holiness.

Whatever you are doing with your life
God finds a way to turn it into his goodness.

Too many times we feel that God is not a part
of our present moments in life.

We forget that we can either choose to be prepared
when the bridegroom comes or we can be one
of the virgins with no oil left.

The best way to keep the supply of oil available for our lamps
 is to push the limits of our personal holiness.

It is through your holiness that you can keep
 the oil replenished in your lamp.

Growing in holiness is conducting yourself
in a manner to please God,
while stretching to the next level.

I invite you to challenge yourself.
 Become more pleasing to God; do more.
The will of God is for you to keep advancing in holiness. 

His Blessings are there to assist you.
Saint Augustine, pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~

Is Your Faith Deficient?

~~~ Memorial of Saint Monica ~~~

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 ~~~ Psalm 90 ~~~ Matthew 24:42-51 ~~~

Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person

and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith.

This single verse, which St. Paul wrote, is fitting 

for this feast day of Saint Monica.

Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine, 

models what it means to pray night and day.

She prayed beyond measure for her son.

She prayed for not only the conversion of her son,

but for the very saving of his soul.

Her fervent prayers were in hopes of remedy 

the deficiencies of his faith.

She drew from the depths of her own faith

 in order to replenish her son's lack of faith.

While we do not believe that we can be saved by proxy,

she never let her frustrations overcome her faith.

Sometimes, as a mother, all you can do is pray for your children.

Prayers that somehow God will lead them on the right path.

We pray that they will come to recognize the role 

faith plays in their life.

Monica could have easily become frustrated.

She could have given up hope for her son to ever believe.

Her example shows us that your prayers are never wasted...

there is never a time when your prayers are no longer necessary.

Stay awake!

For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.

Physically we need to have our sleep to function, 

we cannot 'stay awake'.

It is our heart...our soul that must remain awake.

You must keep your heart awake, open to receive

 the Lord when he does come.

This is a daily task, you cannot put this on hold.

You cannot wait for a better time.

Monica did not give up even after Augustine was an adult.

She no longer had influence over his daily actions,

but she did have influence over her prayers for his soul.

Stay awake...for yourself,

but also Stay awake for your loved ones...

Stay awake for those who need your prayers of faith...

Pray for the one who 'Stays awake' for you.

We must never underestimate the power of prayers in our life.

Saint Monica, teach us to live in a deeper faith.

Prayers Bless those for whom you pray,

but prayers also bless the one who prays.

~~~Peace~~~

Are You Honest with Yourself?

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Matthew 23:27-32 ~~~

Jesus continues to harp on the scribes and Pharisees...

Accusing them of white washing the exterior of the tombs

while fully knowing that inside lies rotten flesh and dry bones.

He goes on to accuse them of pretending

 to have been better than those who have died.

 ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,

we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’

Jesus is not easily fooled by their play with words.

Jesus is not impressed by their external appearance and practices.

Jesus knows that the scribes and the Pharisees

are not connected to the truth of Psalm 139.

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

They shun away from uttering these words.

They fool themselves into believing that only 

they know what lies within their heart.

They fool themselves into believing that Jesus

 is just like the rest of the people.

With the scribes and Pharisees what you see is not what you get.

They lie about who they are and what they are

 right to the face of everyone.

But when they try their usual tactics with Jesus;

it fails to work...Jesus knows too much.

Jesus does not have a crystal ball or any magic abilities.

Nothing is or can be hidden from Jesus...

not darkness...not far away places...

no mountain tops or ocean depths.

Where can I go from your spirit?

From your presence where can I flee?

Secretly the scribes and Pharisees 

are seeking a place where Jesus is not present.

Jesus makes them feel very uncomfortable,

but they remain stubborn, resistant, hard headed.

They continue to polish their public appearance...

they whitewash the sad facade of their life.

Jesus hears their empty words.

Just as he hears all of our words too.

We cannot say or act in such a manner that would

camouflage our true self from God. 

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

We must learn from the foolish thinking 

of the scribes and Pharisees.

Pretending to be better than we really

 are inside does not work with Jesus.

Imagine Jesus laughing the next time you

are temped to think you can fool him.

Jesus knows us more intimately than our parents or our friends.

Jesus knows us better than we may even know ourselves.

If you pretend long enough you may be able to fool yourself.

You may be able to rationalize away all of your 

ways which are not pleasing to God.

The most holy people learned to come to Jesus 

with their flaws and weaknesses.

We must come to Jesus with an honest open heart.

He is the great healer,

but first you must be honest with yourself.

This is how you are able...

walk in a manner worthy of the God...

who calls you, knows you, and loves you.

May all the days of your life be Blessed

 first from the inside. 

~~~Peace~~~

Your 'Soul Cup'

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Matthew 23:23-26 ~~~

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

This verse is from Psalm 139, 

one of the most beautiful psalms in the Bible.

God knew you before you were completely put together.

God created you in your mother's womb.

God knows intimately what you are made of..

how you were made.

When you are born God releases you into the world.

In your younger days you take delight in the simple pleasures of life.

All things are good, in the perfect world.

You are fed, clothed, and most importantly loved.

Over time we begin to change...

These changes are not always for our good.

We get ourselves into situations we would rather not be...

we begin to keep them hidden inside.

Paul learns that it is best to not keep things hidden inside.

He tells the people his words come directly from God.

He is not trying to deceive, fool, or impress anyone.

He is openly doing what God has entrusted him 

to do...preach the good news.

...we were determined to share with you

not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well...

Fast forward to Jesus speaking to the scribes and Pharisees.

They have become hypocrites.

Jesus sees right through their external facade.

The are just empty shells of brick and plaster 

with nothing of substance inside.

He probes into their very being.

He sees the inside of the cup.

They have spent so much time making 

their physical appearance perfect that inside has become corroded.

You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,

but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.

They have let the inside of the cup...their soul...

become almost unrecognizable to their creator.

God must be disappointed when he sees

 how we forget about the inside of our soul cup.

As you grow in holiness you come to understand

 that it is the inside of the cup that must receive your attention.

It does not matter what the outside looks like

 if the inside to crusted over with many years of debris.

The inside of our cup becomes defiled because 

we become preoccupied with things that do not matter

Our task is to dedicate time to keep the inside of our cup clean.

This is not too difficult as long as we do not let 

scum and mildew defile the inside.

Keep ever present in your mind the understanding that

God knows you inside and out.

His interest and love for you

is primarily focused

 on the inside of your 'soul cup'.

You are Blessed by a God who knows 

how lovely you can be both outside and inside.

It was your inside 'soul cup' that he created first.

Get busy with the scrubbing brushes.

Bring back the shine inside.

~~~Peace~~~

Greater Visions

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

~~~ Revelation 21:9B-14 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ John 1:45-51 ~~~

You will see greater things than this.

In the book of Revelation we are given a beautiful

 description to what might be heaven.

But frankly I prefer to imagine the castles 

portrayed in the movies.

Disney usually does a superb job on castles.

I like these grand castles because

no matter how impressive they can be 

heaven will be greater.

I look for those castle movies exactly for this reason.

I want to wowed by the artist vision...

their creativity.

God gives us the ability to create in many different forms.

No matter what the best among us creates,

there will always be something greater from God.

“Come and see.”

Every day God is saying these very words to you...

Come and see the wonders he has stored up for you.

It is good to see as much of the beauty 

of our world so that we have something to compare.

All of the wonder and beauty nature reveals to us 

can only be a small fraction of what there is waiting for us.

Every time you observe something

 that makes you pause to catch your breath,

imagine what is waiting for you, multiplied ten times.

When Jesus speaks of 'greater things'

we have only what we know for comparison.

The vastness of the universe...the immense galaxies,

all pale to what has been prepared for you.

You and I are not equipped to handle

 the greater visions promised to us.

Your friends make known, O Lord, 

the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Whatever goodness you see in others...

whatever goodness you radiate to others...

all of this combined is a tiny piece of the splendor of heaven.

God is inviting us to Come and See...

to Come and See the magnificence of perfect love.

It is His perfect Love that creates beauty 

beyond human comprehension.

You are not invited to understand...

You are invited to be dazzled in his Love.

You are invited to see what illuminated love looks like

from God's viewpoint...the heavenly viewpoint.

Blessed with beauty beyond what we can see.

Saint Bartholomew, the apostle, was martyred for his faith.

We pray to him to intercede on our behalf.

~~~Peace~~~

Do You Believe?

~~~Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Joshua 24:1-2A, 15-17, 18B ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ 

~~~ Ephesians 5:2A, 25-32 ~~~ John 6:60-69 ~~~

It is the spirit that gives life,

while the flesh is of no avail.

The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.

But there are some of you who do not believe.

We underestimate the power of the words of Jesus

in our current day and age.

We foolishly believe that his words were meant

for Biblical times.

We foolishly believe the words he spoke have meaning 

only in the contest of the Bible.

We overlook the fact that his very words are

our personal spirit and life.

Without his words to keep our spirit alive

 we would not exist.

It is true that Jesus healed the bodies

 of many people during his time on earth.

It is equally true that his words healed

 the spirits of many more individuals.

Why do we not want to believe?

You have the words of eternal life. 

We have come to believe

and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.

Jesus was aware that maybe even the Apostles

struggled with this concept of sustained life in the spirit.

The Apostles eventually came to believe,

but it was very important for the long term survival

of the message for them to believe.

But what about today?

Is it very important for us to believe?

How do you personally answer that question?

We cannot rely on our bodies to confirm or disprove

the life of the spirit residing in our soul.

The body does not have the answer.

It is in the Spirit given to our heart and soul that holds the answer.

Jesus left us, through the power of his words

of consecration, his body and his spirit.

The spirit of himself, which he continually gives to us

is exactly what will get us to our place in heaven.

The life he gives us through the consecrated Eucharist

is way beyond the physical body.

The body can be mangled and destroyed

while the spirit life can be thriving and vibrant. 

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

If you fully accept the consecrated presence of the Lord,

then how could you not decide to serve the him?

Today may you come to a deeper realization

 of gift you have been given.

The words which have been spoken to you

are Spirit and life.

He Blesses us with sustained life 

with each breathe we take.

Thank you, Jesus.

I have come to believe.

~~~Peace~~~

The Lineage Unfolds

~~~ Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~~~

~~~ Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 ~~~ Psalm 128 ~~~ Matthew 23:1-12 ~~~

Little did Ruth know that the field she found

 to work in was that of Boaz.

Boaz was an important relative

 of Naomi's deceased husband.

Boaz was so moved by what Ruth had done

 for her mother-in-law. He treated her like one

 of his own servants even though she was a Moabite.

...you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth,

and have come to a people whom you did not know previously.

It was the Israelite custom to leave

 the outer edge of the fields untouched.

This was so the poor and marginalized 

could help themselves to what they could reap.

This custom provided for the the poor, the widow,

the stranger and the orphan.

 Clearly Naomi, a widow and Ruth, a stranger

were among those who were allowed

 to gather from this portion of the field.

Subsequently Boaz comes to learn

 of Ruth's connection with Naomi.

He assumes his familial responsibility

 to care for both Ruth and Naomi.

This is an important and beautiful story.

I encourage you to read these chapters of Ruth.

In God's plan Ruth is part of the lineage of Jesus.

Ruth is part of God's salvation plan.

All of the pieces of her life fall into place

even though she has lost her husband in death...

even though she is a stranger, not a Hebrew.

Read this amazing story and discover 

the significance of removing one sandal.

Boaz and Ruth eventually marry and they have a son together.

Naomi is blessed with a grandson to love.

Today we commemorate the Queenship of Mary.

God's plan for Mary unfolded for her throughout her life.

When God is in charge of your life unbelievable things can occur.

When God has a plan for your life he protects you.

He puts people in your life to carry you forward.

When God is in charge of your life

events which might be considered negative 

are transformed into blessings.

God does indeed have a beautiful plan for your life.

You may never know who you already know

 is a part of His plan.

May Our Blessed Mother,

Queen of Heaven

watch over us and teach

 us to surrender to God's will.

~~~Peace~~~

A Daughter-in-Law's Love

~~~ Saint Pius X, Pope ~~~

~~~ Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14B-16, 22 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Matthew 22:34-40 ~~~

For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge,

your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

If you have sons pray that God will send you a daughter in law

half as loving and devoted as Ruth.

Ruth chose to stay with Naomi even after

 her own husband had died.

Naomi lost her husband then she lost both of her sons.

She was literally alone with no one to take care of her.

Ruth stayed with Naomi; a decision made 

from the love in her heart.

God has plans for even our salvation 

beginning way back here with Ruth.

Ruth not only embraced her mother in law,

but all that she embraced...

her house...her people...and her God.

Ruth was a Moabite who promised to stand beside Naomi.

The salvation plan of God was already reaching out

to all peoples.

Ruth may have believed she was staying 

with Naomi out of responsibility and love,

for she could not have known the grand plan of God.

The story of Ruth is a tender and beautiful story

on the surface, but the true meaning is much deeper.

We may take great care in planning a vacation.

We know which is the best route to take.

We know how many miles we must drive each day.

We make reservations for our over night accommodations.

We plan to visit historical places along the way.

We contact family and friends to visit.

All of these plans do not compare

 to what God has in store for us.

Something we say or do today may very well

 be in God's plan for many years from now.

God placed upon Ruth's heart to remain with Naomi.

It was important for Ruth to be wherever Naomi was going.

It was important for Ruth to be with the people of Naomi.

It was of utmost importance for Ruth to receive

 the God of Naomi into her own heart...as her own God.

Pray for your sons to be blessed with loving wives.

Pray for your daughters to be loving wives and daughter-in-laws.

Praise the Lord, my soul!

Ruth loved Naomi as she loved herself.

She honored God above all other gods

and she loved her neighbor as herself.

Ruth is a strong role model for us today.

Blessings in all times come forth from love.

Prayers today for all daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law.

 Pope Saint Pius X,

pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~

Here I am, Lord; No Matter What

~~~ Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church ~~~

~~~ Judges 11:29-39A ~~~ Psalm 40 ~~~ Matthew 22:1-14 ~~~

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

This is popular retreat theme.

It is good for us to be confronted 

with this verse many times a year.

We all desire to do the will of God,

but so many times life gets in the way.

When life is going well ;

all of the puzzle pieces seem to fit together.

Then we can say with ease and confidence...

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

Those are the easy days...the days when 

we don't hesitate to do the will of God.

Then along comes a day with a few speed bumps in the road.

A speed bump requires that you slow down or else 

you will damage your car.

Even on those days we can still say...

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

Life may offer more benefits when we encounter a few speed bumps.

We can look at this opportunity to focus on what 

doing God's will actually involves. 

As the days of our lives continue we get distracted;

we forget about this verse...

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

We cruise down the road of life with a million things

 on our mind and no time to focus on God.

And then as we are on cruise control 

another car enters into our lane;

suddenly we are involved in an accident.

Our cruise control life has just been abruptly interrupted.

We are derailed.

God is there beside you, but you do not see him.

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

Now we become fixated on our will, we are upset.

We may even unconsciously forget about our desire

 to do the will of God. 

We can only pray this verse consistently if we practice humility.

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

God's will sometimes conflicts with our will.

I invite you to make this verse part of your 

morning prayers and routine.

Greet each day with the commitment in your heart;

no matter what this day may bring 

chose to accept it as God's will.

When you are invited to the banquet table of the Lord

it is with joy and humility that we can accept.

Let humility be your RSVP to the Lord.

Blessings to live in God's will for your life.

Saint Bernard, pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~

Talking Trees...Vineyard Workers

~~~ Judges 9:6-15 ~~~ Psalm 21 ~~~ Matthew 20:1-16 ~~~

...Are you envious because I am generous?

Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.

In the first reading from the book of Judges 

it sounds more like a children's story.

The trees are arguing about which one should rule over the others.

They first approach the olive tree...for the oil

 had many uses in priestly rituals.

But the olive tree declined.

Second they came to the fig tree...the large leaves 

provided shade and a common meeting place.

The fig tree also declined.

Third they came to the vine...he too declined for not wanting

 to give up his precious grapes for wine.

Finally they approached the buckthorn...

who offered his shade.

The buckthorn is only a bush

 it can hardly compare itself to a tree.

But if the other trees do not come 

he threatens fire will erupt to devour them.

The most unlikely candidate also makes the most shocking statement.

Jesus was the most unlikely candidate to save us.

This is precisely why the high priests, the Pharisees, 

and so many others were bitterly offended by his message.

They were not willing to give up their control.

They were in charge; how dare anyone 

challenge their authority.

To further complicate matters Jesus tells the parable 

which seems to favor those who do the least 

amount of work in the vineyard.

Why should one who works only one hour 

be given the same wage as the one who has worked all day?

Jesus chooses to speak of situations which his listeners could identify.

They all understood the concept of earning a days wage.

Pay is compensation for the work you have completed.

The best way I have found to view this parable 

is to remove the preconceived idea of real money.

Jesus is never focused on monetary rewards...

in his 'vineyard' they would have no value.

Jesus values the timing of our when we turn our heart to him.

The kingdom of heaven is for all those who 

work in the vineyard of the Lord.

The length of time matters not because 

God is not limited by hours or days.

Those who convert on their death bed are valued and rewarded

 just the same as those who have lived their entire life loving the Lord.

God is patient...he waits on us...

The heavenly reward he offers remains constant.

When you get to heaven it is unlikely

 that you will be judging the others you meet.

All of the trees gave much of their essence.

They had all been planted by God.

One was not better than the other...they were 

in no position to choose one to be over them.

Keep your focus on the heavenly reward.

God provides more than enough 

Blessings for all of us to get to heaven. 

~~~Peace~~~

Eye of the Needle

~~~ Judges 6:11-24A ~~~ Psalm 85 ~~~ Matthew 19:23-30 ~~~

“Alas, Lord GOD,

that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”

The LORD answered him,

“Be calm, do not fear....

Gideon saw the angel of the Lord, but still he had doubts.

God says more than just not to be afraid...

God tells Gideon to be calm.

To be calm requires you to find your inner peace.

To be calm means your anxieties subside.

To be calm means your mind is free to be at rest.

To be calm means you are no longer ruled
 by your emotional state of fear. 

The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

The Lord does indeed speak peace because he is the source of all peace.

There can be no peace without the presence of the Lord.

It is not his words alone that brings calm 

to your being it is his presence.

When it grew late in the evening the large gates 

of the ancient cities were closed and locked.

Those who wanted to enter into the city after that hours

had to find the small side gate.

This small gate restricted access

 and it may have caused some distress.

The gate was compared to passing through the eye of a needle.

If you have ever tried to thread the eye of a needle

you know how challenging it can be.

A rich person could not pass easily through this gate 

because most of his earthly possessions would not fit 

through the narrow opening.

If what you value the most lies in your possessions

this gate would cause fear to burst forth in your body.

All sorts of scenarios would play themselves out

until eventually you may come to the conclusion

 that it would be better to just remain outside the city yourself.

If you do not leave your stuff and walk through the gate

your entire salvation will be at risk.

When you are standing at the gate

debating with yourself about what to leave behind;

God is there to give you his peace...

to assure you that passing through this gate

 is more important than all of your things.

Jesus speaks his words of peace...

because with his help...his presence...

for with God all things are possible.

This is just as true today as it was in the time of Jesus.

Be Blessed and assured that you can pass through the narrow gate...

because you are not alone...he is with you.

~~~Peace~~~

Penniless, Homeless, Hungry

~~~ Judges 2:11-19 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ Matthew 19:16-22 ~~~

A young man approached Jesus and said,

“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”

Jesus gives an answer that surprises the young man...

'Keep the commandments'

But then the man asks which commandments.

There are only ten commandments;

if each one were not important then God 

would not have given them to Moses.

On this day Jesus chooses to focus on the commandments

dealing with how he interacted with others.

killing, adultery, stealing, lying, honoring our parents

 and finally loving his neighbor.

The young man is quick to respond,

 confirming he keeps these commandments.

There must be more he can do...

We too can identify with this young man.

We keep the commandments...we are good people...

we love our neighbors, well sometimes.

But then Jesus goes deeper...

“If you wish to be perfect, go,

sell what you have and give to the poor,

and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come, follow me.”

When Jesus presents leaving everything behind to follow him,

the young man panics and quickly runs away.

I am not sure if we should take this verse literally

 or embrace the spirit of the words.

If we take it literally then we would all be living in tents.

We would not have a thriving economy.

We would be growing our own food...

making our own clothes.

We would not have doctors or higher education.

The list could go on and on.

On the other hand if we realize the spirit of this verse

it takes on a different meaning.

We must share what we have, acknowledging that 

all has come from God.

Some people are poor in their heart.

We are being asked to draw from the abundance

 within our own heart and give to those in need.

Jesus did not have monetary wealth as went about his ministry.

Jesus had wealth of spirit, given to him from the Father.

The Father filled the heart of Jesus 

with much more than money could buy.

We too have this same spirit within because

  the Lord is one with us.

The only way for us to follow Jesus

 is to reach into that spirit 

and make it real in our daily lives.

If we want our treasure in heaven

 we must look outside ourselves...

We must find a way to be more like Jesus. 

To follow Jesus...to enter into the kingdom of heaven

does not mean that we must be penniless, homeless, and hungry.

To follow Jesus means we walk humbly with him.

We cannot follow Jesus if we turn and run in the other direction.

You are Blessed each day

 with the necessary grace to follow Jesus.

He is there to support and guide you.

~~~Peace~~~

The Eternal Bond

~~~ Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Proverbs 9:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ 

Ephesians 5:15-20 ~~~ John 6:51-58 ~~~

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.

How many times have you heard...
You are what you eat.
This is exactly what happens when we
receive the Body and Blood of Jesus...
when we eat and drink from his gift of eternal salvation.

When we consume the very body and blood of Jesus
he becomes part of our living flesh and blood.
We are the living tabernacles holding his precious body.
It is his flesh and blood that nourishes your soul.
He takes us unto himself every time we receive Eucharist.
He bonds himself to every cell in your being.
This bond goes beyond your physical body;
this bond flows into your soul.
This bond is undetectable with the naked eye.
This bond exists over all of time.

How can you ignore or even deny your body
 and soul such an eternal bond?

It is not necessary for you to try to understand this unique bond
you have with Jesus through the Eucharist.
The mystery of this relationship you have with Jesus
is meant to keep you returning time and time again.

This relationship is meant to sustain you until
 you are perfectly united with God in heaven.

The perfection of the Eucharist enters into our imperfect
bodies and makes us holy.

Who else but our loving God would
allow such a relationship?
We are not worthy to receive him,
but none the less he gives of himself to us.

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Jesus is the Living Bread.
He is the Way the Truth and the Life.
It would be foolish of us to miss the gift he gives of himself.

Accept his gift of life as often as you can receive Eucharist.
It is his true presence within the bread and wine
that brings new life to your soul.
This is the life you long for in the depths of your heart.

Blessed to receive the most precious
Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

~~~Peace~~~

Assumed into Heaven

~~~ The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~~~

~~~ Revelation 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB ~~~ Psalm 45 ~~~ 

~~~ 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 ~~~ Luke 1:39-56

We believe that some of the apostles remained with Mary.
They cared for her and provided for her needs.
However we do not have much written about her life
 after Jesus was taken into Heaven.

The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.

The remaining years of Mary's life must have felt like a desert at times.
She knew she would one day be reunited with her Son,
but still she had the vivid memories of his crucifixion.

From the moment of the Annunciation
God had a place prepared for Mary.

The goodness of Mary was evident from the beginning.
Her days without Jesus must have been spent
ministering and caring for the apostles.
Together they could share stories of Jesus.
Together they could support one another.
Together they would love one another.

On some occasions at Mass we use incense...
today was one such celebration.
The sun was shining brightly through the
large stained glass window above the altar.

We were all singing Ave Maria...
As our voices rose in song so too the incense rose
into the streaming colors of the stained glass window.

The vision was truly glorious to behold.
The smoke of the incense swirling and gently passing through the colors.
It seemed to linger awhile in the yellow...reminding me of
the radiance of Mary being Assumed into Heaven.

The incense was again used to bless the ambo before
 the Gospel was proclaimed.

As the words of the Annunciation were proclaimed,
once again the incense rose up into
the colorful shadows of the sunshine.

Once again the swirls of incense rose into the yellow light.

I so wanted to take a picture,
 but sadly that would not have been appropriate.

During the homily, as the priest spoke of Mary,
the incense gently disappeared.

The visual incense plus the music, the readings and the homily
made for a perfect liturgical celebration.

Mary allowed her soul to proclaim the greatness of God.

God filled her soul with unimaginable joy.

We do not have details of her death and assumption into heaven,
but her body must have been so filled with the glory of God
that it was glowing much like the sunlight in the incense.

God has a place prepared for you and for me.
It makes sense that he had a very special place prepared for Mary.

Today is a time to let your devotion
 and love for Mary be known.

The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

Today at Mass we were Blessed
 to catch a glimpse of golden sunlight.

Mother Mary,
pray for us.
Blessed are you among women.

~~~Peace~~~

God Teaches History

~~~ Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr ~~~

~~~ Joshua 24:1-13 ~~~ Psalm 136 ~~~ Matthew 19:3-12 ~~~

His mercy endures forever.

God directs Joshua to assemble all of the people.

God is holding history class in the field.

God has the most accurate viewpoint.

God takes credit for all that he has done 

for the people for generations.

God gives details describing his role in past battles.

He shares these details to let the people know

 he has always been with them...

he has always loved them and cared for them.

God's love and care never waivers.

God names all the tribes that fell under his power.

Who else would have the power to hold back the flowing river waters?

It was necessary for God to teach this history lesson,

because those assembled had not lived it.

God intentionally picked out the situations

 where he specifically intervened.

If we believe that God is alive and is with us today;

then we must also believe that he has intervened in our life too.

What if God would allow you to see the many times

 in your life where he protected you?

The truth is we may never know how our life 

might have been without God's protection.

Do you value history?

When you look back over the years of your life can you

envision times when God definitely was present?

Have you had near misses?

Has an illness been healed?

Perhaps it is God who has kept you from being seriously ill.

Sometimes it is beneficial for someone else

 to help us see how active God really is in your life.

Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,

but, as it truly is, the word of God.

When we read the stories in the Bible

it is a reminder that God

is consistent today just as he was two thousand years ago.

We may not see God parting a river before our eyes,

but maybe a fraction of a second has kept 

you from being in a fatal collision.

The study of history is important because

the past causes the present...

the past gives us a better understanding of the present...

the past gives us an insight into the present.

Biblical history teaches you to move beyond yourself...

to envision other possibilities.

God revealed to the Israelites who they were...

chosen people loved and divinely protected.

We too are members of the chosen people of God.

The words of God bring us peace and comfort.

Give thanks for the mercy of God that has been

 your protection throughout all generations.

Proof of historical Blessings

are continuing today.

You are the recipient of these Blessings.

~~~Peace~~~

The Power of Forgiveness

~~~ Joshua 3:7-10A, 11, 13-17 ~~~ Psalm 114 ~~~ Matthew 18:21–19:1 ~~~

...know that there is a living God in your midst... 

In our world today it is easy to forget that a living God is among us.

We hear people say 'God is dead'.

The Living God stopped the moving waters of the River Jordan.

The whole nation of Israel safely crossed to the other side...

men, women, children, carts, wagons, livestock.

God allowed for all of them to cross in safety.

His power was made evident so that the people 

could be assured that God was still with them through Joshua.

The power of God was made visible in those days.

The people needed to have confidence;

 they were actually going to a specific destination.

In our lives today we too can draw from the power of God.

When it comes to forgiveness in our life.

The power of forgiveness is right up there with the power of love.

Just as love heals so does forgiveness heal.

...unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.

From his heart...this is where the power of God resides.

Yes, we can say the words of forgiveness to another.

Yes, we can faithfully pray the words of the Our Father.

But forgiveness must be in our heart.

The power of forgiveness is not in the words,

but rather within your heart.

If you simply speak the words, 

but save the offense within your heart

there can be no real forgiveness.

You will know if the power of forgiveness is living

 within your heart

when a previous offense

 no longer causes you pain.

I know this from personal experience.

You must allow the power of God

 to extend forgiveness from your heart.

Even if you cannot say the words of forgiveness until later

it is necessary to forgive in your heart.

Peter thought it would be sufficient to forgive a person seven times.

You may remember seven represents perfection.

But Jesus raises the standard beyond the idea of perfection.

Forgiveness is more than we can expect to accomplish 

unless we have with us the power of the living God.

I invite you to search your heart for those hidden places 

where you cast those whom you really have not forgiven.

We try to hide them away.

We do not think about them every day,

but they are there.

Un-forgiveness is like a rust gradually marring your heart.

Rust, when left alone eventually ruins the metal.

In time the heart will completely disintegrate 

from the lack of forgiveness

Pieces of the heart will flake away, become rough,

less able to love as it should.

Forgiveness is not easy,

it is not something to take lightly either.

Many illnesses can be traced back to a time when hatred 

was allowed to rust away at the heart.

Seek forgiveness from the power of the living God.

His Blessings will remove the rust 

accumulating within your heart

~~~Peace~~~