St. Thomas More said, “The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."  Be conscious of your actions today and give each one of them to Jesus, ask the Lord to bless those actions for the good of His Kingdom.

Today take a few minutes to reflect on this dialog between Roper and More from  “A Man for All Seasons.”

William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?  This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's!  And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?  Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

Thomas More was a man of principal and he was known as such, One example is when More testifies before an inquiry committee and Norfolk attempts to persuade him to sign an oath of allegiance: Norfolk: "Look, I'm not a scholar, and frankly I don't know whether the marriage was lawful or not—but Thomas, look at these names! You know these men! Can't you do as I did and come along with us for fellowship?"

More: "And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Heaven for doing according to your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing according to mine, will you come along with me—for fellowship?"

 As we enter another election year this insight from Thomas More can provide prayer material for us.  "I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos."

This summer reading Robert Bolt’s “A Man for All Seasons” can be a very enlightening for reflection on our citizenship, both temporal and eternal.

May God Be Praised!

St. Francis de Sales taught us this about worry and anxiety, “With the single exception of sin, anxiety is the greatest evil that can happen to a soul.”

He also said, “Do not look forward in fear to the changes and chances of this life; Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise,
God, to whom you belong will in His love enable you to profit by them.  He has guided you thus far in life, and He will lead you safely through all trials; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in His arms.

Today pray Psalm 86 –

“Incline your ear, Lord, and answer me,

for I am poor and oppressed.

Preserve my life, for I am devoted;

save your servant who trusts in you.

You are my God; be gracious to me, Lord;

to you I call all the day.

Gladden the soul of your servant;

to you, Lord, I lift up my soul.

Lord, you are good and forgiving,

most merciful to all who call on you.

Lord, hear my prayer;

listen to my cry for help.

On the day of my distress I call to you,

for you will answer me.

I will praise you with all my heart,

glorify your name forever, Lord my God.

Your mercy to me is great;

you have rescued me from the depths of Sheol.

O God, the arrogant have risen against me;

a ruthless band has sought my life;

to you they pay no heed.

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in mercy and truth.

Turn to me, be gracious to me;

give your strength to your servant;

save the son of your handmaid.

Give me a sign of your favor:

make my enemies see, to their confusion,

that you, Lord, help and comfort me.” 

So when worry and anxiety enter your heart or your mind, take a deep breath – exhale the worry & anxiety into God’s hands.  Then ask God to fill you with peace, joy and trust.

May God Be Praised!

In our Baptismal rite we pray that the parents and the Godparents will keep the light of Christ burning brightly, that they be the best of teachers by their actions, by their witness to the faith.

Josh McDowell tells a story about an executive head-hunter who said, 

"When I get an executive that I'm trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him.  I offer him a drink, take my coat off, undo my tie, until the exec is all relaxed.

When I think I've got him relaxed, I look him square in the eye and say, "What's your purpose in life?"  It's amazing how top executives fall apart at that question.  “… I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed.

I looked at him and said, 'What's your purpose in life, Bob?'  And without blinking an eye, he said 'To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.'  For the first time in my career I was speechless." (Sermons, July 4, 2010) 

Maybe these questions can help us assess where we are spiritually and where we are in our commitment to Jesus.

1. How committed are you to making a moral difference by the way you live?

2. Does the Common Good enter into your analysis of politics &, or the economy?

3. Are you more concerned (or most) concerned about what is in it for you?

If someone compliments you for being successful: do they mean big home, expensive car or do they mean living a good life loving your spouse, your children, your family, your friends?

As we reflect on those questions today and share your answers with Jesus Christ who is waiting to hear from you.

May God Be Praised!

Most of us want PEACE.  The time for PEACE to arrive and pervade the earth is not ours to decide, but it is ours to work to bring about.

“Helen Keller could neither see nor hear, yet she became a great public speaker.  One night someone asked her?

“If you could have one wish granted what would it be?’

She said, ‘I’d like world peace.’”  (Action Year C p.265)

Wow, not to hear, not to see BUT world peace.

How much of an instrument of PEACE are you, or am I, in our workplace/home/neighborhood?  How can we become better disciples of Jesus’ PEACE?

May be this short story, “The search for the magic seed” can help us.

“There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died.

In her grief, she pleaded with a monk renowned for his holiness:

‘what prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?

The monk said (to her), ‘Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow.  We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life.’

The woman set off at once in search of the magical mustard seed.  She knocked on the door of a splendid mansion & said, ‘ I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow.  Is this such a place?  It is very important to me.’

They told her, ‘You’ve certainly come to the wrong place’, and then they began to describe to her the tragic things that had befallen their household.

The woman said to herself, ‘Who better able to help these poor unfortunate people than I who have had misfortune of my own?’  She stayed to offer what help and comfort she could and then continued on her way.

The results were the same wherever she stopped whether at hovel or a palace, (tales of sadness and misfortune).  She became so involved in ministering to other people’s grief that she forgot her quest for the magical seed.

The magic seed was her compassion.  (Table Talk Year C, Jay Cormier, p.151-152)

The old Chinese tale reminds us that we are at our best when we put other’s needs first and in doing that we will be blessed.  We are challenged to bring God’s Kingdom of compassion and justice to our daily lives by the manner in which we live those lives.

Do you trust that God is all you need?  What in your life is evidence that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ?

           

           

 May God Be Blessed!

Today let each one of us be God’s messenger by:

1.    living our faith,

2.    spreading our faith,

3.    asking God for the grace to do God’s will,

4.    being a light of faith, hope & love in our dark world.

You may be the only beacon of God’s Hope that someone meets today, be ready.

May God Be Praised!

Our call to be Catholic is particularly importantly at this time in history.  “To be Catholic is to be a person of hope & of vision, a person who sees meaning in life in this world & promise beyond.”  (Fr. Michael Hayes) 

We should not fear, but trust that the Lord who loves us will guide us through these turbulent times.  “Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear; rather look upon them with strong hope that, as they arise, God, whose child you are, will deliver you from them.”  (St. Francis de Sales)

May God Be Praised!

Today I want to share with you a story from Connections entitled “A seed is planted.”  Our faithfulness as a disciple allows God’s grace to embed itself deeper and deeper into our being.  May your faithfulness to your Baptismal promises allow God’s light to shine brighter today and everyday.

“In her book My Grandfather’s Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge and Belonging, physician Rachel Naomi Remen tells of the many unusual gifts she received from her beloved grandfather, an Orthodox rabbi and scholar.

Once, when she was four, her grandfather brought her a paper cup.  She expected to find something special inside.  It was full of dirt.  Disappointed, little Rachel told her grandfather that she wasn’t allowed to play with dirt.  Her grandfather smiled.  He took her little teapot from her doll’s tea set and took Rachel to the kitchen where he filled it with water.  He put the little cup on a windowsill in her room and handed her the teapot.

‘If you promise to put some water in this cup every day, something may happen,’ he told her.

This made little sense to a four-year-old, but little Rachel promised.  ‘Every day,’ he repeated.  At first, Rachel did not mind pouring water into the cup, but as the days went on and nothing happened, it became harder and harder to remember to do it.  After a week, she asked her grandfather if it was time to stop yet.  Grandfather shook his head.  ‘Every day,’ he repeated.

The second week it became even harder, but Grandfather held her to her promise:  ‘Every day.’  Sometimes she would only remember about the water after she went to bed and would have to get up in the middle of the night and water it in the dark.  But, in the end, Rachel did not miss a single day of watering.

Then, one morning three weeks later, there were two little green leaves that had not been there the night before.  Rachel was completely astonished.  She could not wait to tell her grandfather, certain that he would be as surprised as she was — but, of course, he wasn’t.  Carefully he explained to his beloved granddaughter that life is everywhere, hidden in the most ordinary and unlikely places.

Rachel was delighted. ‘And all it needs is water, Grandpa?’

Gently, he touched her on the top of her head.  ‘No, dear Rachel.  All it needs is your faithfulness.’”

Today and everyday we are plant the seeds of faith by our lives, we are the Lord's water meant to nourish the faithfulness of all those we meet.  Pray that the seed of faith is nourished in (name someone) and give that seed the water of faith to grow and flourish.

May God Be Praised!

We are called to a personal relationship with God and it requires us to listen attentively (active listening) to God and then do God’s will!

We pray, “The Lord is my light & my salvation … of whom should I be afraid?  I long to live in the house of the Lord…”  Think for a few moments do you really want to “…live in the house of the Lord.”  

What kind of house are you building in God’s kingdom?  A house built with mercy, compassion, justice & love, or a house of selfishness, greed, jealously & materialism?

St. Paul teaches us not to overly focus on “earthly things” because “…our citizenship is in heaven…”  Jesus knows that we are human & that our spiritual life needs a spiritual vision!

In Proverbs (29:18) we read, “Without a VISION the people will perish” in the Gospel account of the Transfiguration Jesus takes Peter, John & James with him to pray and on Mt. Tabor they (Peter, John, & James) are given a glimpse of “magnificent holiness,” a glimpse of Jesus glorified before His death and resurrection! They “…see the light of God’s divinity dwelling within [Jesus] him.” (Connections March 2007)

Maybe this story can help us, “The Color of Water”, a woman who had never seen the ocean before went on a cruise. On the voyage she was captivated by the variety of colors she saw in different parts of the ocean – azure, turquoise, aquamarine, emerald.  She collected samples of each hue in small bottles.  When she returned home, she wanted to show her friends the magnificent colors she had seen.  But when she poured the contents of each bottle into separate glasses to show them, she was shocked to see that all they contained was water – colorless, translucent, ordinary water.  “What was missing of course was light. The light of the sun … brought out the magnificent colors she had seen in the ocean water.” (Connections March 2007)

Peter, John, & James recognized Jesus’ divinity dwelling within Him & shining through Him!  Our challenge is to allow the light of God that dwells within us to shine through.  Beyond our needs, beyond our wants, to allow God’s light to shine brightly!

Allow the light of Christ to shine through today, and when tomorrow gets here it will be today and you can allow the light of Christ to shine through you again.

May God Be Praised!

Reflect of your primary goal in life, and let me suggest this goal: "What is the prize if it is not Jesus Christ?  How can you take hold of him if you do not follow him?"  (St. Francis de Sales)

While you reflect on your primary goal in life think about what de Sales wrote, “Keep your eyes fixed on that blissful day of eternity towards which the course of years bears us on. And these, as they pass, themselves pass us stage by stage until we reach the end of the road.   But meanwhile, in these passing moments there lies enclosed as in a tiny kernel the seed of all eternity. And in our humble little works of devotion there lies hidden the prize of everlasting glory.”

May God Be Praised!

Today take a few minutes to reflect on out Blessed Mother at the foot of the cross.  The Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary slowly walked with her son and our Lord Jesus Christ.  At the foot of the cross her heart heavy with grief and strengthened by God’s grace guides our reflection.

Mary, Did You Know … that your baby boy would one day walk on water …

That the blind would see,

the deaf would hear,

the dead would live again,
the lame would leap,

the dumb would speak,

{Mary, Did You Know that your baby boy} is heaven's perfect lamb? [Songwriters: Buddy Greene / Mark Lowry]

That your baby boy would one day be crucified & demonstrate God’s love?  Mary slowly walked as her Son carried The Cross knowing His Cross is weighed down by the evil of our world & the weight of our sins.

Jesus saw Mary’s anguish & heartache & today awaits our contrition.

Mary reflected on the Angel’s message from long ago; Joseph’s acceptance of her willingness to give birth the Messiah; the Magi’s visit; their time in Egypt; the 1^st miracle at Cana; His proclamation of the Kingdom & now His struggle to carry our sins on His cross by His love.

We believe dear Jesus that you are true God & true Man; You told us you must be lifted up.

Lifted-up on the Cross, Lifted-up from the tomb in Your Resurrection,

Lifted-up to Heaven in Your Ascension.

We believe that You lift us up through Your Grace & Sacraments

& that one day You will lift us up to eternal life.

[Lifted-up reference from Cardinal Dolan, Laetare Sunday Homily, 2018]

As we reflect on Your Passion & Death, knowing & believing that You rose from the tomb to give us the gift of eternal life.  With hearts bent in humility we “approach the throne of grace to receive mercy.”       [Hebrews 4]

Remembering Mary’s commitment to follow God’s will every day of her life; may each one of us commit to follow God’s will every day of our lives, following in her footsteps.

May God Be Praised!

St. Therese of Lisieux said, "You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them."

 

Today offer each action you take to the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your will.  Today love the lover in all you say and do!

May God Be Praised!

Today take a few moments to reflect on Psalm 85 - Our salvation is near, let us ask for forgiveness -
 

“O Lord, you once favored your land
and revived the fortunes of Jacob,
you forgave the guilt of your people
and covered all their sins.
You averted all your rage,
you calmed the heat of your anger.

Revive us now, God, our helper!
Put an end to your grievance against us.
Will you be angry with us for ever,
will your anger never cease?

Will you not restore again our life
that your people may rejoice in you?
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
and give us your saving help.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his friends
and those who turn to him in their hearts.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.

Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.

The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.”

Lord, you have blessed your land; you have forgiven the sins of your people.

Origen said, “God blessed the land when our Savior came to earth.”

May God Be Praised!