John Lewis showed us how to live and walk with and for God.  America lost one of the giants of the Civil Rights movement when Congressman John Lewis of Georgia died.  He devoted his life to racial justice and equality.

As a young activist in March 1965, Lewis led 600 people across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, to demonstrate peacefully for the right to vote for Blacks – but the marchers were attached by state troopers who launched tear gas into the crowd and beat them with night sticks. Lewis, who was 25 at the time, nearly died that day, suffering a fractured skull after he was beaten by a police officer.

    

Fifty-five years later, the young activist now a congressman, remembered Selma’s “Bloody Sunday”: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” 

Congressman Lewis shared some final thoughts with us, “While my time here has now come to an end, I want you to know that in the last days and hours of my life you inspired me. You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion laid down the burdens of division. Around the country and the world you set aside race, class, age, language and nationality to demand respect for human dignity….

If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain.”

May John Lewis’ soul rest in peace, thank you for shining your light on our path.

The prophet Jeremiah challenges us to realize our own call to be prophets in the spirit of John Lewis: with the perseverance of Jeremiah and the optimism of Jesus, may we be “prophets” in our own words and witness to the love of God dwelling in our own homes and communities. [Connections, July 2020]

Listen to Amazing Grace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdSAhRH7M8Q

May God Be Praised!

I ask you to join me and cry out from the depths of your heart to the Lord who hears us.  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

The Lord provides us what we need, not necessarily with what we want!  God provides, for us, most abundantly in the “Eucharist”, Jesus’ Body and Blood.  St. Paul reminds us that no one and no thing can separate us from Jesus Christ.

As we continue to live through the COVID 19 Pandemic we could donate some food to a local food bank or give a meal to someone in need.  We could remember reach out to a family/friend who is struggling or hurting with some act of kindness.  Not glitzy stuff, but the stuff of everyday Christianity.  The stuff of remembering and caring.

A number of years ago Matthew LeSage [in 2008] a third grader, wanted to do something to help the hungry in his city.  So, he started a program called Hams for the Hungry. After four years, the Hams for the Hungry program raised $40,000 to brighten the holiday season for people with limited resources.  (“And Hungry People Were Fed”, King Duncan, Sermons.com)

Reflect on the fact that what we have, however, great or small should be shared with God’s people.  St. Paul said, “… in all things we conquer overwhelmingly through Him who has loved us.”  We should allow the Lord God – to form us, to mold us, to feed us, and to lead us.

May God Be Praised!

I ask you to join me and cry out from the depths of your heart to the Lord who hears us.  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

Why the Coronavirus?  Why is there Suffering in the world?

The Oxford mathematician John Lennox wrote, “… the coronavirus pandemic is perplexing and unsettling for all of us.”   
[Where is God in a Coronavirus World?] 

“Most of us have never lived through anything like this pandemic. There’s no play book or instruction manual for getting through this.  We’re all making this up as we go along …. the hardest part of this is that we can become so overwhelmed by the changes in our lives, so afraid of the potential harm to us and those we love, that we retreat into ourselves, that we become trapped in our own brokenness.”  [Connections, July 2020]

Wearing our mask and keeping our social distance are signs of our love for God and for our neighbor and will help spread Hope during the Pandemic darkness.

To live, to love, to be human means many things - including the experience of suffering.  No Christian, any more than Christ Himself, is called to love suffering. However, we are called to love, and if we are willing to love, then we must be willing to suffer - to bear with our limitations, frustrations, imperfections, disappointments, heartaches - and those of others.

In St. Matthew’s Gospel we read, “Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.”  During the past several months we have been living among the “weeds” of the coronavirus and the “weeds” of our fear, our anger and our frustration.

The “weeds” of COVID-19 will one day be vanquished by the furnace of a vaccine, the more important question is what will we learn from the quarantine time, the mask time, the social distancing time, from living through the pandemic?  May the “Weeds” that have grown in our spiritual garden be removed by the “Wheat” of our deeper love for God and love of our neighbor.

May God Be Praised!

I ask you to join me and cry out from the depths of your heart to the Lord who hears us.  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

A Daily Dose of God

Bishop Barron reflected on Joseph Campbell's insight that the greatest tragedy in life is not so much failure but rather climbing the ladder of success and finding out that it is up against the wrong wall.”

 
We are called to pursue Christ’s goals for us, and if we do that our life will be a great success.  Consider following St. Vincent de Paul’s advice as a fundamental pillar for your actions.  "Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favorable light at all times and under all circumstances."  A simple but exceedingly difficult way to live.

St. Paul tells us, “The sufferings of the present are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us.  Indeed, the whole created world eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God.  Creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but by him who once subjected it; yet not without hope, because the world itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.”  (Romans 8:18-21)

St. Francis de Sales taught us to recognize the goodness of God’s will, and to strive to be like the God.  These three ideas may help:

1.    Strive to grow in God’s likeness

2.    Learn to submit to God’s will

3.    Obey God’s commandments out of love for Him

Always remember, “Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.  

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.  He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.  Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.”

May God Be Praised! 

I ask you to join me and cry out from the depths of your heart to the Lord who hears us.  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

Today write a personal Inventory of your Blessings as you continue to pray for an end of the pandemic.

“Perhaps Daniel Defoe gave us some good advice through his fictitious character Robinson Crusoe. The first thing that Crusoe did when he found himself on a deserted island was to make out a list.

On one side of the list he wrote down all his problems. On the other side of the list he wrote down all of his blessings. On one side he wrote: I do not have any clothes. On the other side he wrote: But it's warm and I don't really need any. On one side he wrote: All of the provisions were lost. On the other side he wrote: But there's plenty of fresh fruit and water on the island. And on down the list he went.

In this fashion he discovered that for every negative aspect

about his situation, there was a positive aspect, something to be thankful for. It is easy to find ourselves on an island of despair.  Perhaps it is time that we sit down and take an inventory of our blessings.”  [Sermons.com 10-13-19]

The COVID 19 Pandemic continues to befuddle our scientists and plague our nation and our world.  Write your own Crusoe list of problems and blessings, remembering what Pope Francis said on March 27 as he led a prayer service in an empty St. Peter’s Square, "The worldwide pandemic that we are facing in not God’s judgment ...." but God’s call to reform, refashion and renew our lives.

  

Like the disciples on the Sea of Galilee a might storm is upon us, and we are afraid, “caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm” (the coronavirus), the entire world is on the boat.  Pope Francis reminded us that, “We have an anchor: by his cross we have been saved.  We have a rudder: by his cross we have been redeemed.  We have a hope: by his cross we have been healed and embraced so that nothing and no one can separate us from his redeeming love.” 

Let us pray today and every day, “I ask you to join me and cry out from the depths of your heart to the Lord who hears us.

“Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

May God Be Praised.

I ask you to join me and cry out from the depths of your heart to the Lord who hears us.

“Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

Our family vacation at the beach was a great gift, it was refreshing, and the 2020 family photo is below:

 

Joanne and I will celebrate our 50^th Wedding Anniversary on November 21, 2020, however, our vacation afforded us the opportunity to celebrate it early with our children, daughters-in-law, son-in-law and grandchildren, while we vacationed together, last week.  They surprised us with dinner and a Papal Blessing (pictured below), a beautiful and moving surprise.

Today, we reflect on excerpts from Psalm 51 as we celebrate God’s gift of life, family and salvation.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offense.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.

Indeed, you love truth in the heart;

then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.

O purify me, then I shall be clean;

O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness ….

A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me….

my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.

A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

May God Be Praised.

Tomorrow I depart for vacation with my family, while on vacation I will be praying for you and I ask that you pray for us.  My blog, "A Daily Dose of God” will return on Monday, July 27, 2020.

 

St. Ignatius of Loyola said, "All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.”

Bishop Barron reflected in a recent homily, “The secularist ideology teaches that sufficient amounts of wealth, pleasure, power, or honor will make us happy.

Who will counter this?  Who will speak to this culture of the beauty of God?  Who will remind us that our lives are not about us?  Who will break open the words of the Gospel and spread out the banquet table of Christ’s Body and Blood?”

 

As Secular humanism continues to permeate our culture, our witness as Christians becomes more difficult.  Recommit to living your faith and allowing the light of Christ to shine through you, to our nation and to our world.  The Eucharist is the spiritual nourish needed to sustain us and guide us and the Church.

May God Be Praised and may God’s blessing be upon you and your family today and every day.

I ask you to join me and cry out from the depths of your heart to the Lord who hears us.

“Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

Some people ask, “Why are Christians Optimistic, in our world today?”  And, I answer, "Christian Optimism is based on our striving to follow Jesus Christ with each step take and each decision we make.   
Our Optimism is based on our worldview, which is that we are passing through this earth, preparing for eternal life in ‘the land of the living’, so our happiness lies in living the Gospel Message and that happiness begets Optimism.”  [Dcn. George Kelly]

 
Pause for a moment, today, and a glimpse into the power of God’s Word.  Jesus gives us a 58 Word prayer - to form us.

We use the Lord’s Prayer at every stage of life from baptisms to burials.  The Lord’s Prayer reminds us of our responsibility to each other and for each other, we don’t pray “My Father”, we pray “Our Father”.
 

We pray give us, not give me.  We pray the Our Father to mold our wills and guide our actions to follow God’s plan.  What we ask for God already knows we need; so why ask?  We ask not to let God know, rather we ask so that we become more aware of our need for God!

 
Maybe this story can help us focus on how we can grow closer to Jesus.  “A four-year-old child, whose next-door neighbor was an elderly man, who recently lost his wife.  The little boy saw him crying, went into his yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.  When he got home his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry.'”  (Leo Buscaglia shared this story)                                                      

Sometimes God sends angels but most of the time he sends you and me, I believe, in the end, God’s wins and I want to be on the winning team, that is why I am Optimistic.    

May God Be Praised!

I ask you to join me and offer this prayer to the Lord who hears our cry.

“Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]

I want to share this with you: “You Need 100 Points”. 

It’s a story about a deacon who had a strange dream; a dream that he had died and was trying to get into heaven.  He approached the Pearly Gates, St. Peter told him he needed 100 points to get in.

The deacon said, "Well, I was a deacon in THE CHURCH."  

"Fine," said St. Peter, "That's worth one point."  

"One point? Is that all?"

"Yes, that's it," said St. Peter.

"Well," said the deacon, "I visited the sick from the parish."  

St. Peter said, "That's 1 point."

"I worked with young adults from our diocese," said the deacon. "That's worth one point.”

"I developed a number of excellent catechetical programs," said the deacon. "That's worth one point," - "You have four points now.

You need 96 more." "Oh no," said the deacon in somewhat of a panic.

"I feel so helpless, so inadequate. Except for the grace of God, I don't have a chance."

St. Peter smiled & said, "Grace of God--that counts for 96 points. Come on in!"  (Sermons.com 8/24/14)

A cute story that reminds us that there will be a final judgment; God's justice, God’s mercy and our free will demand it.  

Jesus is The Messiah – true God and true man and whether we are: a prince or a pauper; wealthy or poor; famous or known only to a few – each of us will answer for our actions.  St. Peter sinful and flawed, gives us HOPE; Jesus, Son of God loves Peter despite his shortcomings, He will love us despite our shortcomings.

May God Be Praised!

I ask you to join me and offer this prayer to the Lord hears our cry.

“Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143] God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic].

Grant strength to the first responders and medical personnel.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give each of us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]