Do you long to see God’s face? Do you put first things first?

 

Years ago, there was a country-western song titled, “Roses for Mama.”

 

 

 

 

In the song it is Mother’s Day, and a man goes to the florist shop to buy his mother a bouquet.  He knows he should visit his mother, but he has more exciting plans, so he decides to send her flowers instead.  At the florist shop the man encounters a little boy who wants to buy some roses for his mother, but he doesn’t have enough money.  The man gives the boy the money, then buys his own mother’s bouquet.

 

As the man drives away from the florist shop, he happens to pass by a cemetery. Glancing in the cemetery he sees the little boy kneeling on a grave, a bouquet of roses in his hand.  The man pulls into the cemetery and asks the boy what he’s doing.  The boy explains that his mother died, and that he comes there all the time to talk to her and on this day, to give her flowers.

 

The man turns around and drives back to the florist. There he asks the florist if his mother’s flowers have been delivered?  When the florist tells him no, the man tells him to cancel the delivery.  He would take them.  That story might be more appropriate for Mother’s Day, but it isn’t really about Mother’s Day, it’s about “Putting first things first!”

 

Last Sunday we celebrated All Saints Day and on Monday we celebrated All Souls Day, important reminder celebrations.  Today take a few minutes to look at the beatitude, “Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God.”  Being “pure of heart” means responding to Jesus’ call to dedicate our lives, our actions, and our activities to Him.  St. Francis de Sales put it this way, “Saints are people who do ordinary things extraordinarily well.”

 

I would want to share with you a story about my friend and my brother’s best friend, Mike Billas!  His Dad had Alzheimer’s disease.  Every other weekend for ten years Mike drove 85 miles (one way) to his boyhood home to help his mom take with his dad.  His Dad passed in August 2009 and in in November 2009 Mike who was 50 years old diagnosed with stomach cancer. 

 

In January 2010, my brother visited Mike and during the visit, he asked Mike if he was mad at God.  Mike said, “No, Jim – God gave me 50 wonderful years, great parents, super sisters, a loving wife, and terrific friends.”  He died a month later.

Mike’s last act on this earth was an ordinary one (one that you & I often do), he blessed himself.  Then he folded his arms and went home to God.  Mike saw the face of God, do you long to see the face of God?

 

I pray that each of us does the ordinary things in our lives extraordinarily well, and when we see God, I Pray the God welcomes us because we were single-hearted, because we lived HIS BE-ATITUDES!

 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

A Prayer for Our Nation

Loving God help us to serve those who are shunned or eschewed; guide our civic leaders; bless our nation; and bestow Your grace upon our elected officials and anoint them with the desire to foster the common good.  Amen.     Dcn. George Kelly]

 

COVID 19 Pandemic Prayer

 

Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I 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 ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]