Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

 

                    Spiritual Insights for Your Reflection on the 1st Sunday in Lent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Francis de Sales said, "We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God."

 

 

 

 

 

 

C.S. Lewis wrote,

"Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live for ever, and this must be either true or false. Now there are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which I had better bother about very seriously if I am going to live for ever."   

[Mere Christianity, p.74]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meister Eckhert wrote, “The spiritual path has more to do with subtraction than addition.  [Belden Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pope Francis teaches us, “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.…

 

Embracing his cross means finding the courage to embrace all the hardships of the present time, abandoning for a moment our eagerness for power and possessions in order to make room for the creativity that only the Spirit is capable of inspiring.

 

 

 

It means finding the courage to create spaces where everyone can recognize that they are called, and to allow new forms of hospitality, fraternity and solidarity.… Prayer and quiet service: these are our victorious weapons.”  [Urbi et Orbi Homily]

 

 

Lent is a gift that if used wisely helps us grow spiritually, may we be open to God’s grace today.

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Blessed!

 

 

Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

                        Additional Thoughts on Praying the Sign of the Cross

 

The Sign of the Cross is a gesture to heaven, a loving glance.  We call out to God, desiring to trust in: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The Sign of the Cross prepares our will to guide our heart and our soul to follow God’s will for us. 

 

The Sign of the Cross helps us recognize that we are not in control and reminds us we are loved by God.  In the final analysis our life is not about us, it is about allowing God to shine through us each day, each action, each breath.

 

 

 

 

The early Church Fathers attested to the use of the sign of the cross.  Tertullian (d. c. 250) described the commonness of the sign of the cross: “In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross” (De corona, 30).

 

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386) in his Catechetical Lectures stated, “Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified.  Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in our goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are traveling, and when we are at rest” (Catecheses, 13). 

 

 

 

In his short book [The Sign of the Cross], St. Francis de Sales explained The Sign of the Cross and how to make it. He wrote, we start by using our right hand, because it is “the more worthy of the two.”  We use either three fingers to represent the Trinity or five fingers to represent Jesus’ five wounds.

 

By placing our right hand on our forehead, we acknowledge that God the Father is the one from whom all things originate. Next, we thoughtfully move our hand down to our stomach which indicates that Jesus proceeded from the Father.

 

Our prayerful Sign of the Cross concludes from left shoulder to right shoulder to reminds us that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son and that the Holy Spirit is the bond of love between Father and Son.

 

 

Think about that the next time you pray the Sign of the Cross.  May Lent 2021 help you grow closer to God, Who is Father, Son & Holy Spirit. When you pray the Sign of the Cross may the Lord fill you with the awareness of eternal love.

 

 

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Blessed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update on Laurie Kelly’ s Recovery

 

                                        Update on Laurie and Brian Kelly

 

God continues to bless them, and your prayers add so much support.  My daughter-in-law Laurie is progressing in her rehab and my son Brian maintains his role in guiding the Kennesaw, GA Kellys [Caiden & Berkleigh] in helping their Mom continue to improve.  In addition to that full-time job, Brian continues to work full-time at Georgia State as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs.

 

“Brian Kelly turned his family’s experience through stroke recovery into his passion for peer mentoring.”  Shepherd Center in downtown Atlanta where Laurie began her recovery and continues her rehabilitation recently highlighted the Kelly Family in their “Brain Injury Peer Support” brochure.

 

Your family can decide which method of support works best for you and your schedule. We are always happy to answer any questions you might have regarding brain injury and rehabilitation.  “At Shepherd Center, Peer Support is one of our founding programs, enhancing patient and family centeredness.”

Brian is active in Shepherd’s Peer Support Program. 

Laurie and Brian [and the entire Kelly Clan] are grateful for your prayers and your support and ask that you continue to pray for them.

 

 

Laurie (brain aneurysm) starting to show some significant dorsiflexion in her affected ankle while doing hamstring curls check it out below:

 

    Laurie's Progress

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

 

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

 

May God Be Blessed!

 

 

Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

 

                                                    Lent is a challenge! 

 

Lent is a challenge!  A challenge to become better people, by honestly looking at ourselves and committing to CHANGE --- increasing the good & decreasing the bad (the sin in our lives).

 

Father Bill Bausch offers this story.  “A very overweight man decided to go on a diet.  He even changed his route to work to avoid his favorite bakery. One morning he arrived in his office with a large, sugary, calorie-loaded cake.  The people in his office chided his lack of resolve.

 

“What could I do?”  I inadvertently came to work by my old route and the bakery window was loaded with goodies.  “I thought that this might not be an accident, so I prayed ‘Lord, if you really want me to stop and buy one of the delicious cakes, let me find a parking space in front of the bakery.’”  And sure enough, the ninth time around the block, there it was!”

 

 

 

That is a cute story during Lent.

 

On a serious note, it does point to the bargaining that we sometimes allow into our decision making – into our daily life.  It migrates from our need to feed our sweet tooth, to our desires in other areas of our lives as well.  The Gospel calls each one of us to confront the promise and the demands of faith.  St. Paul asks, “If God is for us who can be against us?”

 

Our late Holy Father, J.P. II is his first encyclical wrote, “The Redeemer of man, Jesus Christ, is the center of the universe and of history.”  We as followers of Christ are called to walk His walk, & to live His Gospel on our earthly journey.  Jesus calls each one of us to go to Him, to cling to Him when we are tempted.  Jesus will guide us, help us and give us His grace.

 

We are blessed with the gift of our Catholic Faith – this Lent commit to strengthen your love for Christ and for His Church!

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

 

May God Be Blessed!
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Teresa

Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

 

                                                                    Home

 

Carl Perkins “… was a popular rockabilly singer from the 1950s and the author of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, which was one of Elvis Presley’s first big hits.  As a guitarist, Perkins influenced … Rock ‘n’ Rollers, especially George Harrison of the Beatles.

 

Perkins never quite attained the fame of his more notorious colleagues.  He once explained it like this: ‘I never envied …. All those boys - Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison – they all lost their wives, their families.  People ask me what happened to you, Carl?  All of them went to superstardom.  Where’d you go? 

‘I went home.  And that’s a good place to be.’”  [Once Upon A Gospel, Bill Bausch, p. 171]

 

“I went home”, that is what we are called to do during Lent, Go Home.  Take some time today to reflect on your life, how you live it, what you treasure, what you devote your energy too. 

 

Jesus is our home, where is He in your priorities.  Look at the obstacles, the sins, the roadblocks keeping you from Jesus being your #1 priority and remove them one by one until He is first in everything you say and do.

 

 

 

 

 

    

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

 

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

 

May God Be Praised.

Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

 

Blog Post 2/23/2021 – First Tuesday After Ash Wednesday

 

Remember the Sign of the Cross is how should begin our day, how we should end our day and how we should frequently remind ourselves during the day, that the Cross and the Resurrection is the Sign of our Salvation.

 

Reflect on this Intercession from Morning Prayer [Ash Wednesday] and listen to God’s voice in your heart, then follow that voice.

 

“Teach us to be loving not only in great and exceptional moments,

– but above all in the ordinary events of daily life.

Lord, give us your Holy Spirit.”

 

 

One of our Morning Prayer Antiphon choices [most days during Lent] for the Invitatory, which is the first prayer of the day is: “Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.”

 

 

 

 

Take a few minutes to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMm3k1XVCA

 

 

 

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Blessed!

 

 

Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

 

                                     Let’s Review How We Are Doing in Lent

 

Try this Day is Ending Prayer, from St. Francis de Sales as an Examen in Lent

 

Thank you for all the gifts [name the gifts] of the day,
for the place I spent it [name the place(s)
And for those with whom I spent it [name the people], for all its joys [name the joys]
and all its sorrows [name the sorrows], for the troubles  overcome [name them] and for those that remain [name them].

I offer you the silence of this night, its darkness and its solitude.
Whether you chose under the cover of this night to take away the problems of this day [name them], or leave them for tomorrow, I will bless your name.

Thy will be done.              

 

Amen.

 

May your Lenten practices bring you closer to Jesus, Who is Savior & Lord.

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Blessed!

 

 

 

 

 

Homily Cycle B 2/21/2021 Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

 

When John moved into the neighborhood, he was the Only Protestant, everybody else was a Catholic.  On 1st Friday in Lent and he was outside grilling a juicy steak.  All the neighbors were eating, tuna, pizza, or tomato soup.

 

 

 

This went on each Friday in Lent; finally, the men got together and decided something had to be done – They couldn’t take the temptation any longer. 

So, they decided to try and convert John.  They talk to him, and he said yes. 

Immediately they took him to church where the Father sprinkled holy water on him and said, “You were born a Baptist, you were raised a Baptist, and now you are a Catholic.”

 

The men were relieved because their biggest Lenten temptation was gone.  When the next Lenten season rolled around, and the first Friday in Lent arrived - the men were astonished when at suppertime the smell of steak came from John’s back yard.

 

  

What’s was going on?  Maybe John had forgotten it was the 1st Friday in Lent. 

 

So, they went to go see John to talk to him.  Just as they arrived in John’s back yard, they saw John standing over his grill with a small pitcher of water.

He sprinkled some water over his steak, and they heard him say, “You were born a cow, you were raised a cow, and now you are a fish.”

 

Yogi Berra a great Yankee catcher from the last century, said “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” (Sermons.com – 3/4/12)  Lent is a fork in our road BUT the road we chose is very important.  The road that each one of us should TAKE is the road to Sainthood!  Lent challenges each one of us to become better a person, by taking an honest look at ourselves and make the changes needed.

 

In the Book of Genesis, we heard that God put a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise, it was a sign of hope that God is with us.  St. Peter tells us that Jesus took our sins upon Himself, so He could lead us to God.  And St. Mark recounts Jesus praying in the desert for 40 days; Mark’s Gospel account is succinct.  But he indicates that Jesus was among wild beasts.

 

Today among our wild beasts are the COVID Pandemic, ongoing discrimination, violent protests, the killing of the innocent in and out of the womb, economic & climate crises, and on and on.  Pope Francis instructs us that Lent is an invitation to conversion; in biblical parlance – metanoia. 

 

 

Maybe this short reflection can help us:  

“I asked God to take away my [bad] habit.  God said, No.

It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

 

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.  God said No, his spirit is whole his body is only temporary.

 

I asked God to grant me patience.  God said, No. 

Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it is learned.

 

I asked God to give me happiness.  God said, No. 

I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

 

I asked God to spare me pain.

God said, No. 

Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

 

I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. 

You must grow on your own!  But I will prune you to make you fruitful.

 

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.  God said, No.

I will give you life, so that you enjoy all things.

 

I asked God to help me LOVE others as much as He loves me.

God said, Ahhh, finally you have the idea!

 

Let’s make the world a better by loving others as Jesus loves us!

(William J. Bausch, The Yellow Brick Road)

 

Take a few minutes to decide on what you will do this Lent to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Blessed!

 

 

Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

 

Read and reflect on the beginning of the human story on earth as found in The Story of Creation [Genesis 1:1-5, 24-31]

 

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters—Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light.

God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed—the first day.

 

 

Then God said: Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so, it happened: God made every kind of wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good.

 

Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.

God created mankind in his image; in the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.  Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.

God also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the wild animals, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the earth, I give all the green plants for food.

 

 

 

 

And so, it happened. God looked at everything he had made and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.

 

God made everything GOOD, including you and me, many years ago Fr. Dennis Murphy OSFS, a gentle and loving soul offered this insight, “I see good in you & I choose to help that good grow for your sake.”  This Lent look for the good in each person you meet, see that good as a Lenten reminder that God is GOOD, and God made you good.

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Blessed!

 

 

 

Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

  

Well Lent has indeed begun, so let’s do our best to make this Lent a Retreat with Jesus to Jesus.  Pope Francis said, “This haste, this everything right now, does not come from God. If we get worked up about the right now, we forget what remains forever: we follow the passing clouds and lose sight of the sky.”  In Psalm 104 we hear, “Bless the Lord, my soul!  Lord how great you are clothed in majesty and glory, wrapped in light as in a robe!”  “When we fall in love with Jesus, the world and everything in it changes, it changes because we begin to see it [the world] through the eternal lens.”  [Deacon George Kelly]

 

 

“Myths express not historical events but great necessities and rhythms of nature.  And that is why they are set in illo tempore (once upon a time), or a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ….   No one wonders exactly when Hercules was born or on what planet Luke Skywalker went to school, for those characters aren’t part of the real world but rather symbolic representations of timeless truths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many people are tempted today to construe the story of Jesus’ Resurrection as a mythic tale, a symbolic narrative expressive of the life force or regenerative power of nature.  But as C.S. Lewis observed, those who think the Resurrection is simply another myth haven’t read many myths.  Jesus’ story is not set in illo tempore, but in a very definite, historically verifiable period of time, when Herod was tetrarch of Galilee and Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea …. All of these first witnesses, with the exception of Saint John, went to their deaths defending the truth of what they taught.”  (The Magnificat, “A Light Unto My Path, Easter Sunday, Very Rev. Robert Barron, p.249)

 

Lent prepares us to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection and our salvation.

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Blessed!