Today’s Thoughts: “If I wait to be perfect before I love myself I will always be unsatisfied and ungrateful. If I wait until all the flaws, chips, and cracks disappear
I will be the cup that stands on the shelf and is never used” (Joyce Rupp) May we live our life remembering that God is a merciful God, always willing to forgive. As we learn in the Gospel today it is our faith that will save us, so let us trust in God today, be faithful in living our life and know that God will bless us with peace. A little wisdom to begin your day with. Have a great Thursday everyone!
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Today’s Thoughts: I think we have all had the experience of not liking a person. I certainly have and if I don’t find a way to see some good in the person at some point I struggle. When there is something about a person that I don’t like it begins to color everything they do. Because of this I find it easy to criticize, make fun of or dismiss them. No matter what they do it is wrong. If I or someone else does the same thing it is just fine, but because this person does it, then it is wrong.
When I catch myself judging someone this way I feel embarrassed and ashamed. I know it is a human behavior, a human feeling and sometimes the person involved has done things that validate these feeling, yet I know that my behavior, my judgmentalness is wrong and because of it I push God away. Jesus seems to be remaining us of this in today’s the Gospel (Luke 7: 31-35). No matter what he does the religious leaders and some of the people of his time do not believe in him or his message. John the Baptist and Jesus approach life from two distinct directions. John does not eat or drink, he fasts and is austere in his lifestyle, while Jesus does eat and drink, he always to be going to someone’s home for a meal. His lifestyle is more socially oriented. Yet for the religious leadership and some of the people both, John and Jesus, are wrong. John is crazy, possessed and Jesus is a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of sinners. No matter what John and Jesus do to help people encounter the presence of God they are wrong. The religious leadership and some of the people in the crowd are closed to the gift and presence of God that John and Jesus bring. Their eyes are blinded by attitude and judgment. When I find myself like the religious leadership of Jesus’ time my eyes too are blinded by attitude and judgment and I miss the presence of God in that moment, in that person. We are reminded to be open to all the possibilities of God today even in the people, situations and experience that often seem to make our life hard and difficult. We are reminded that God can come to us in many ways through many people. Let us not be judge, jury and executioner. Let us be children of wisdom and hope open to the gift of God in others and ourselves! Have a great Wednesday everyone! Some thoughts on Compassion by Pope Francis from his homily this morning..
People need to have true compassion so they feel others' pain and are moved to help. Compassion is an emotion that engages, it is a feeling from the heart, from the gut affecting one's entire being. Compassion "is not the same as 'pity' or (saying), 'What a shame, poor people ... but leaving things as they are. The word "compassion" comes from "compati," which means to "suffer with," he said, and this is compassion's true meaning. God had compassion for his people, went to them through his son, Jesus, and restored their dignity as children of God, "recreating us all. Christians must to follow Christ's example: look at reality, be moved by it and get close to those in need with the aim of restoring their dignity, welcoming them into a community, supporting them so they can live out their daily lives in a dignified way. Pope Francis asked that people reflect on their reaction when they read or hear news about tragedies, such as starving children, child soldiers or enslaved women. "Do I turn the page" and move on to tales of romance, "the soap opera that is on next?" Or "am I able to have compassion? To pray?" so that when one sees or hears about these tragedies, one's whole being is moved and "the heart suffers with these people." (Pope Francis – Homily at Sept. 19 during morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae) Today’s Thoughts: “You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience.” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)
This simple expression of life touches our readings today (1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Luke 7: 11-17). In the Gospel Jesus reminds all gathered at the city gate that they are spiritual beings in the presence of God as he brings the widow’s son back to life. The value of our life rests in our relationship with God and when we trust that relationship wonderful things can happen. Yes, the world around us is human, imperfect but we are created in the image and likeness of God. We are spiritual beings living this human experience. God is always present. If we invest in God’s presence, if we stay connected to God’s presence the richness of our relationship with God can be experienced. God is always waiting. God is always ready to help. Our first reading from Paul’s First Letter to Timothy talks about the attributes of bishops and deacons. Once again if we listen to Paul’s words those called to these positions of leadership need to be spiritual people. God needs to be first. Care and concern for others is the primary task. Compassion is the attribute that enable all to experience the presence of God. Today let us pray for Church leaders that they will always serve with compassion and love. Let us pray for ourselves that we will always embrace the spirit of God as we journey through this human experience. Have a great Tuesday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: “Faith is about doing. You are how you act, not just how you believe.” (Mitch Albom, Have a Little Faith: a True Story)
Perhaps Mitch Albom gives us some insight into the Gospel story today (Luke 7:1-10). The centurion’s faith was recognizable in his actions. He cared for the community he served, he even built them a place for prayer. He cared his own household. No treating them as property but valuing and caring for them. He recognized the presence of God in his life even though he did not belong to the faith community and perhaps most importantly he recognized his own unworthiness to be in the presence of God but trusted in God’s compassion and love. These actions enable Jesus to see his true faith and looked what happened. How we act reflects what kind of faith we have. I pray today that all of us may learn to live and act as the centurion in the Gospel so that God finds great faith in us. Have a great Monday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: I had the early morning mass again today so I am a little slow with my reflections. I ran across an image the other day which I found helpful in my prayer with our readings today.
The Bay of Naples, Italy, is the habitat of a jellyfish called medusa and a small snail of the nudibranch variety. When the snail is small, the jellyfish will sometimes swallow it and draw it into it digestive tract. But the snail is protected by its shell and cannot be digested. The snail fastens itself to the inside of the jellyfish and slowly begins to eat it, from the inside out. By the time the snail is fully grown, it has consumed the entire jellyfish. Now I know you are so glad to have stopped by my reflections to get this very important information today about snails and jellyfish! However, It is not the information that is important but the image. The last few weeks out Gospels have focused on forgiveness including today’s Gospel. But, I think an underlying theme today is anger and what it can do to us. All of us have been hurt in life, some more than others. Our human response to being hurt by another person or group is pretty much the same. We become angry and we want retribution, or vengeance. We want justice. We want someone to pay. We want our pound of flesh. We want an eye for an eye. We want someone to feel our pain. In our first reading today, from the Book of Sirach, the wise sage reminds us of how anger, wrath and vengeance can be destructive if allow to fester and control us. Perhaps relating this to our open image, anger, wrath, and vengeance can become the snails that attach themselves to our hearts and souls and begin to devour us from the inside out. And at times in our lives we have all had these snails. I think we can all recall examples in our own lives or that we have seen others who become consumed by anger, resentment and vengeance. It becomes the energy and focus of their life. They can think of nothing else. When I see a person like this I am often sad because I think of all the good things they may have missed because they are so focused on getting that eye for an eye! The story in our Gospel today teaches us that God’s forgiveness, God’s mercy, compassion and love is a grace that we must let transform us. In seeking and receiving God’s forgiveness life cannot remain the same. We need to let it transform us into a forgiving person. The king, in our story, is profoundly compassionate and merciful and he expects the servant to be the same. However, even though a great burden has been lifted from the servant he remains unchanged. The anger, hurt, wrath, vengeance, the self-centeredness remains. The snail eats away from the inside out until there is nothing left. St. Paul reminds us that it is not about us it is about Christ. “Life is not about me!” It is about our journey of faith together in Christ. As our response remains us today our God is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion. Our God is willing to grace us with his mercy, compassion and forgiveness only if we are willing to let is transform us, change us. Because if we don’t in the end we will be devoured just like the jellyfish! Have a blessed Sunday everyone and don’t forget to give God a little time today! Today’s Thoughts: In our Gospel from Luke today, Jesus uses images from nature to talk about how our actions reflect who and what we are. Jesus says that “every tree is known by its own fruit.” He encourages us to look at what is in our mind and heart and then compare it with our actions. Actions are the fruits of our thoughts and desires, motivations and interests, joys, pains, and hurts.
However, Jesus goes further. He also challenges us to compare what is in our mind and in our heart with his Word. Jesus invites us to listen to him and allow his word to transform our hearts and minds. Perhaps said a little differently, in our Gospel today Jesus outlines a strategy for us. First of all, he asks us to listen to his Word. Next, Jesus challenges us, to be transformed by his Word. Finally, Jesus challenges us to act, to live in friendship with his Word. If and when we follow this blueprint we can be sure that our lives will bear plentiful fruit that can be enjoyed by everyone who wanders into our life. Let us live today and with our life bear good fruit! Have a great Saturday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: “We ask Mary that, as the first disciple, she teach us to remain watching, that she accompany us in patience, strengthen us in hope; we ask that she lead us towards the meeting with her Risen Son; that she free us from fear, so that we can hear the announcement of the angel... to announce it to others who need it so much.” (Pope Francis)
These words from Pope Francis help us to reflect on Mary’s place in our life especially as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows today. Yes, Mary experienced much in her life. She carried the awesome responsibility of being the Mother of Jesus. She encountered moments of great sorrow throughout her life, however Mary in many ways is our go to person. She was human, a person just like us who had great strength, great patience and great hope in the midst of a life filled with sorrow, disappointment and pain. Mary, particularly as Our Lady of Sorrows, is an example, a grace and a blessing to us as we journey through our own struggles in life. Perhaps something else that Pope Francis said best reflects the gift of Mary in our life - “To be faithful, to be creative, we need to be able to change. To change! And why must I change? So that I can adapt to the situations in which I must proclaim the Gospel. To stay close to God, we need to know how to set out; we must not be afraid to set out.” (Pope Francis) Mary certainly was faithful. Mary certainly was willing to change in order to adapt to the situations of her life. She stayed close to God and was not afraid to set out and proclaim the Gospel of her Son! Have a great Friday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: Today is a very special feast in the Church and the Passionist Community. It is the Feast of the Triumph or the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. So, I offer you two simple prayers to guide you through this day and life...
The first comes from our Passionist tradition it is a simple prayer we utter each day - "May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!" The second prayer was written by the great Jesuit theologian Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J. - "The Cross of My Lord, Be my Standard, Be my Comfort, Be the Answer to all dark questions, The Light of all nights, The Sign that You have chosen us, The mysterious and sure Sign that we are Yours for eternity. Amen." These two simple prayers reflect the meaning of the Cross that we as Church and as the Passionist Community celebrate this day. May the Passion and the Cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ be not a sign of violence, oppression, war and failure. May the Passion and Cross of Christ be a sign of God's great and unconditional love for us. May the Passion and Cross of Jesus be a walking stick that we can lean on to rest; be a protector in times of struggle and danger; and always be a reminder of just how much God love's us, no matter how imperfect we are as we journey through life! Have a great Thursday everyone. "We live in an interconnected world marked by instant communications. Geographical distances seem to be shrinking. We can immediately know what is happening on the other side of the planet. Communications technologies, by bringing us face to face with so many tragic situations, can help, and have helped, to mobilize responses of compassion and solidarity. Paradoxically though, this apparent closeness created by the information highway seems daily to be breaking down. An information overload is gradually leading to the 'naturalization' of extreme poverty. In other words, little by little we are growing immune to other people’s tragedies, seeing them as something 'natural.' We are bombarded by so many images that we see pain, but do not touch it; we hear weeping, but do not comfort it; we see thirst but do not satisfy it. All those human lives turn into one more news story. While the headlines may change, the pain, the hunger and the thirst remain; they do not go away.” (Pope Francis)
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Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
May 2023
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