​Today’s Blessing Prayer: Friday greetings and blessings to all. On this Feast of the Visitation I send special greetings to all mothers, especially those who are carrying life at this time or those who are hoping and praying to have the chance to carry new life but are struggling to do so at this time. Through the spirit of Elizabeth and Mary I ask God’s blessing upon all mothers for the gifts of hope and love that you give to the world. Mothers are truly special people. May those who want to be mothers be touched in a special way today by the spirits of Mary and Elizabeth, remember nothing is impossible for God!
 
As we begin this last day of May here in the New York area after a very rainy evening and night the sun is out, and we expect temperatures in the 80’s today. It certainly is a joy filled way to end May and begin a Friday. I hope your Friday is looking good too!
 
My prayer of blessing for all today is that we will have a great Friday. I pray for blessings upon our work, our ministry, and our experiences of life today and always. I also pray for blessings upon those we love, those whom we will encounter today and especially upon we today. May we all be blessed in the joyful spirits of Elizabeth and Mary today! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul

Today’s Prayer: Gracious God, instill in us your Spirit, that we may become sisters and mothers, brothers and fathers, aunts, uncles and cousins to one another as Mary and Elizabeth were for each other. May your love be the heart of our family, our community, our friendships and our world that always bring us together; may Mary’s song of fearless hope and persevering joy becomes our song of joy and hope in the promise of your mercy. May our souls leap for joy like the child in Elizabeth’s womb every time we hear your voice today! Amen (Adapted from a prayer by Jay Cormier)

​Today’s Blessing Prayer: Thursday greetings and blessings to all and Happy Feast of the Ascension, whether you are in the part of the world celebrating it today or on Sunday! May we always be people who are busy about living!
 
My prayer of blessing today comes from St. Anselm of Canterbury. O God, let us know you and love you today so that we may find our joy in you; and if we cannot do so fully in this life, help us to at least make some progress today and every day, until at last we may know the fullness of your joy and love! O God, bless us this day make it a day rich in your joy and love. May we not stand just looking but may we bring you to the world! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Joy in the Risen and Ascended Lord…Fr. Paul

​Today’s Prayer: O God of all life, enliven us with the gift of your Spirit to be busy about living not busy about dying today. Help us with your grace to live life to its fullest and not stand gazing back into the past hoping for what was. Today is a new day and may we live it with energy, enthusiasm and faith. Grace our hearts with the fire of your love that we might bring the gifts of faith, hope and love to a world so in need of them. Amen!

​Today’s Blessing Prayer: Wednesday greetings and blessings to all! I hope your Wednesday is starting off well. It is a cloudy morning here in the New York area. I am hoping the sun will eventually come out. I hope your day weather wise will be life-giving for you!
 
My prayer of blessing today is that our day will be blessed with much natural beauty and the warmth of the sun. I pray that God will bless our day today with the richness of life and may all that we do be within the presence of God’s love. Remember as we live today, let us live, move and be with God! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Hope in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul

​Today’s Prayer:  O God of all life, direct our hearts throughout this day in your wonderful Spirit of hope, so that we may know it is you at the center of all we are, all we want, and all we are meant to be. Keep us always faithful to your everlasting Spirit of Life and remind us that in your Spirit that we live, that we move and that we have our very being. Help us to take your breath of Life and live it to the fullest.  Amen!

Today’s Blessing Prayer: Tuesday greetings and blessings to everyone! I hope your day is beginning well. I hope you had a nice Memorial Day weekend. Yesterday was certainly a beautiful day in the New York area, I hope the same was true by you. Today we start the work week and it looks like we will be encountering some rain here in the New York area. Well as the saying go into everyone’s life a little rain must fall!
 
I was remiss yesterday I missed my grandnephew’s birthday! So today I would like to wish my grandnephew Michael a happy birthday one day late! I hope you had a great day yesterday Michael. I am sorry I missed your day. I will try to do better in the future. Please know my gift is on the way!
 
My prayer of blessing this morning is that as we begin our work week God’s blessings will be upon us, our day wherever we are and in whatever we will be doing. May our day be rich in the presence of God. May all we do and everyone we meet be gifted by our energy, our goodness, our love, our faith, our hope and our joy. Have a wonderful day everyone. Peace in Christ’s Passion and hope in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul

Today’s Prayer: Loving God we once again draw upon the inspiration of St. Francis. Please help us to be your instruments. Please help us to be your presence in this world, to be your people of Faith.
 
Lord, make us instruments of your peace today and always, where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
 
O Divine Master, grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen. (Adapted from the prayer known as the Prayer of St. Francis)

​Today’s Blessing Prayer: Happy Monday and Memorial Day everyone! I hope your Monday and your Memorial Day have started off on the right foot. If not, I pray your fortunes will change as the day goes on. It is a beautiful start to the day here in the New York area and I hope the same is true by you!
 
Later this morning I will head to the Wartburg Home to celebrate a Memorial Day mass and then on to a Memorial Day gathering. I hope your day will be a restful and fun one. Please remember to offer a prayer for all who gave their lives in the protection of freedom.
 
My prayer of blessing for all on this Monday and Memorial Day is that like Lydia, in the first reading for today,  we may hear the word of God, take it into our hearts and allow it to bless us with peace, hope and joy throughout this day and always! Blessings upon our day, upon all that we will do and upon all whom we will meet! May God bless us with the gift of bringing God’s joy to the world today! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Hope in the Risen Lord…Fr. Paul

​Today’s Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have brought us the gift of abundant life. Give us eyes that can look beyond the glamor and trivia of the world to the richness of your loving presence as it comes to us in others, creation and ourselves. Grace us with hope so that we will not give into despair, anger, vengeance and fear but through hope we will find the joy, grace and life you came to give us. May we come to know the full measure of life that you have promised and bring it to others! Amen!