Blog Post 9/30/2021 - Charity is the Way to Christ

 

                                                     Charity is the Way to Christ

 

 

 

Pope Francis said, “Where can we encounter (Christ)?  We encounter him in the Church. … It is in the Church that Jesus continues to accomplish his acts of grace which are the sacraments.  Without the Church, Jesus Christ ends up as an idea, a moral teacher a feeling.”  (Homily 1/01/2021)

 

 

“We bring the Christ to the world though our love, though our acts of charity.  Each hour of each day make an act of charity, and those acts create a fire that melts the soul to the heart of Jesus and lights the path to Him." 

(Dcn. George Kelly)

 

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

Blog Post 9/29/2021 – Put Yourself in Your Neighbor’s Place and Your Actions Will Be Just

 

Put Yourself in Your Neighbor’s Place and Your Actions Will Be Just

 

 “Always be impartial and just in your deeds. Put yourself into your neighbor’s place, and him in yours, and then you will judge fairly . . . Frequently, therefore, examine your heart, whether it is so disposed towards your neighbor, as you would have his disposed towards you, were you to change places; for this is the true test."  [St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, p. 226]

 

When we put others before ourselves God is closest to us, and our actions are sent heavenward.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed

 

N.B.  Happy Birthday to my sister, "Ad Multos Annos", I love you.

 

Blog Post – 9/28/2021 - St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians

 

St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4, he writes, “Do nothing that will sadden the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed …. Get rid of all bitterness, all passion and anger, harsh words, slander, and malice of every kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.”

 

And so join me and pray,

“At daybreak, be merciful to me.

At daybreak, be merciful to me.  Make known to me the path that I must walk.

Be merciful to me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

At daybreak, be merciful to me.”  Amen.

 

Your path may not be clear to you, but walk your path with faith and courage, then be assured God will walk with you or alter your path.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

 

Blog Post 9/27/2021 – Today is the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

  

 

 The Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

 

He said, "We should take as a maxim never to be surprised at current difficulties, no more than at a passing breeze, because with a little patience we shall see them disappear. Time changes everything."

 

Vincent de Paul; was a great admirer of Francis de Sales in 1618, the bishop of Geneva, came to Paris, and inspired Vincent with the power of humility and gentleness.

He wrote, "How good you must be, my God, if Francis de Sales, your creature, is so gentle and lovable."

Offer today’s passing breeze to the Lord our God and ask for the grace of gentleness and love.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

 

 

Blog Post 9/26/2021 – Spiritually Walk with Mary to Jesus

Spiritually Walk with Mary to Jesus 

V/. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,

R/. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 

V/. Behold the handmaid of the Lord,

R/. Be it done unto me according to your Word.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V/. And the Word was made flesh,

R/. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V/. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

You can go with Mary to Jesus and time and for what you need.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

 

 

 

 

Blog Post 9/25/2021 – God Light Our Way

                                                                 God Light Our Way

In Psalm 18 we pray, “You, O Lord, are my lamp, my God who lightens my darkness.  With you I can break through any barrier, with my God I can scale any wall.” 

Dear God grant me the courage to follow Your Light and the will to walk with You in the Darkness.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

 

Blog Post 9/24/2021 – Priorities – What Path do you choose?

 

 What Path do you choose?

“She-Who-Sits-Alone”

There is a story told among the Comanche tribes about a great drought that was killing both the land and the people. The people implored the Great Spirit to help. They prayed, they danced, they waited, but the rain did not come.  The elders of the tribe traveled to the top of the holy mountain to plead with the Great Spirit.

The Great Spirit spoke to the elders and the people: “For many generations you have taken from the earth whatever you wanted or needed, but you have

given nothing back to the earth.  Now the earth is in distress, so you must make a sacrifice. Bring to the fire of sacrifice your most treasured possessions.  Then scatter the ashes to the four winds as a sign of your respect and repentance.   The rains will come, and the earth will live again.”

The elders and people gave thanks and went to their tepees and lodges to search out their most treasured possessions.   But the archer said, “Surely the Great Spirit does not want my bow which provides food for the village.”   The mother said, “The Great Spirit could not possibly desire my treasured blanket that warms my children.”  The medicine man said, “I know the Great Spirit could not be asking for my herbs that heal the sick.”  And so, it went. Everyone had reason not to give the Great Spirit their greatest treasure.

There was a little girl named She-Who-Sits-Alone. A quiet child, She-Who-Sits-Alone lost her family in the great drought.  Alone in the world, her constant companion was her beloved doll.  The little girl was never without her doll, made for her by her late mother.  The doll was dressed in warrior clothing and beaded

leggings, with a crown of blue-jay feathers on its head.  When she heard the words of the Great Spirit, She-Who-Sits-Alone held her doll tightly and whispered,

“You are my greatest treasure.  I know what I must do.”  So that night, while everyone slept, She-Who-Sits-Alone crept out of the village and climbed the holy

mountain.

 

“Great Spirit,” she prayed, “here is my doll, the gift of my mother and father before they died.  It is my most treasured possession.  Please accept it.”

The little girl lit a small fire from a lighted stick she brought.  As she kindled the fire, she remembered her parents and grandparents and friends who had died of hunger.  Then, with tears in her eyes, she thrust her doll into the fire.  When the fire died down, She-Who-Sits-Alone gathered the ashes of her doll and tossed them into the air, where the four winds carried them to the dwelling place of the Great Spirit.   The exhausted little girl then fell asleep.  When she awoke in the early hours of the morning, laying on the ground in front of her was a blue-jay feather.  She picked it up — and the rain began to fall.  When her people learned of what she had done, She-Who-Sits-Alone was given a new name: One-Who-Loved-Her-People.

 

In the Gospel of Mark [9: 30-37] we read, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”  Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”  [Connections, September 2021]

Jesus challenges us to find His path, the path He has planned for us and to follow it, no matter what the cost, today spend some time and "sit-alone", better yet sit with God.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

 

 

 

Blog Post 9/23/2021 - Humility

 

                                                                    

                                        Humility

There’s a story from the life of the champion boxer, Muhammad Ali. Ali was not noted for his humility, to say the least. This is reportedly a true story about Muhammad Ali. Once he was on an airplane. The flight attendant came and asked him to buckle his seat belt.  He replied, “Superman don’t need no seat belt.”  She responded, “Superman don’t need no plane.” 

Later in his life Ali battled Parkinson’s disease and while he lived in Arizona, he opened the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix and created the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Occasionally Mohamed Ali would help at a St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen in Phoenix. He gave us this insight into being humble, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” 

Today reflect on the service you give and the service you might be able to give, whatever service you offer – do it for God.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

 

Blog Post 9/22/2021 - Powerful Prayer

 

Powerful Prayer

 

"One of the most powerful prayers is simply ‘Jesus’ when spoken with reverence, love and awe.”  [Dcn. George Kelly]

“Think about a world where the people lived the Beatitudes not by the sword, but through their heart and with their will.  Wouldn’t it be glorious?”  [Dcn. George Kelly]  Then we would join with Ezekiel to receive God’s grace, “You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”  And then God “… will create a new heart in you, and breathe into you a new spirit.”  [Ezekiel & an Antiphon from Morning Prayer]

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette, intercede for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven….”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised and you be blessed.

 

Blog Post 9/21/2021 - Pray the Canticle of David

Daniel 3:57-88, 56 - Let all creatures praise the Lord

“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.

Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.

You heavens, bless the Lord.

All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.

 

All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.

Sun and moon, bless the Lord.

Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

 

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.

All you winds, bless the Lord.

Fire and heat, bless the Lord.

Cold and chill, bless the Lord.

Dew and rain, bless the Lord.

Frost and chill, bless the Lord.

Ice and snow, bless the Lord.

Nights and days, bless the Lord.

Light and darkness, bless the Lord.

Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

 

Let the earth bless the Lord.

Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.

Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.

You springs, bless the Lord.

Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.

You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.

All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.

All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.

You sons of men, bless the Lord.

 

O Israel, bless the Lord.

Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.

Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.

Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.

Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.

Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.

Praise and exalt him above all forever.

 

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.

Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.

Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.”

 

All you servants of the Lord, sing praise to him [Revelation 19:5], so today you praised God, it didn’t help God, but it helped you remember that God should to be praised.

 

 St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette, intercede for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven….”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

May God Be Praised and you be blessed.

Blog Post 9/20/2021 – Pray to the Blessed Mother for her Intercession

 

 

Pray to the Blessed Mother for her Intercession

St. Juliana of Norwich said, "Truth sees God, and wisdom contemplates God, and from these two comes a third, a holy and wonderful delight in God, who is love."

 

Mary showed us how to see, contemplate and delight God, by simply loving Jesus, our Lord and our Savior.  So, “When you are suffering, carrying your cross or crosses – remember the Blessed Mother, Mary most holy stands at the foot of your cross, as she stood at the foot of the Cross of her Son.  Ask her to intercede for you not so much to remove the cross, but for the strength to offer it up, to mingle it with her Son’s suffering and cross.”          [Dcn. George Kelly]

 

REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

Blog Post 9/19/2021 “Master, to whom shall we go?

 

Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”  Simon Peter answered “Master [Jesus], to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

 

“Notes of hope”

 

“She stood on the bridge ready to step off into oblivion.  The post-traumatic stress disorder she suffered had made her life — at 18 — unbearable. She had had enough.  But what she recalls most vividly are the words of two strangers who stopped her from taking her life.  “You are worth so much more than this.”

 

That made her stop and back away from the edge of the bridge — and go home.

“Those words changed my life,” she realized, and later thought, “If those words could help me, who else could they help?”

 

So, the next day, she wrote those words down on several pieces of paper and returned to the bridge — the site of many suicides — and stuck the notes all over the bridge.  It’s been three and a half years since Paige Hunter, now 21, stood on Wearmouth Bridge near her home in Sunderland, England.  Since that cold January night, Paige has spent countless hours crafting handwritten notes on colorful paper, which she laminates and ties to the bridge with string.  Don’t give up. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever.  Even though things are difficult, your life matters.”  [Connections August 2021]

 

N.C. State basketball coach Jimmy Valvano gave an inspiring speech, at the 1993 ESPY Awards, as he battled cancer, the most important part of his message was “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”

 

In our nation and in our world [today] many times we want to give up, forgetting that “you are worth more ….”  Forgetting “Don’t ever give up ….”  Jesus walks with us, but we must allow Him into our heart as well as our walk and TRUST Him.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

 

Blog Post 9/18/2021 Question - Answer

  

Question - Answer

Thomas Friedman wrote about starting with a question .... “A Nobel Prize winner was asked how he became a scientist.  He said that every day after school, his mother would ask him not what he learned but whether he asked a good question that day.  That, he said, was what led him to become a scientist.  [Connections, August 2021, Thomas L. Friedman, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century.]

“God ‘teaches’ in every human experience; God ‘speaks’ in every act of generosity and every moment of forgiveness; God reveals his presence in our midst in the compassion, humility and peace we experience and extend.”  [Connections, August 2021]

Faith is not so much about knowing but seeking, less about believing and more about trusting.  Discovering God’s presence in our daily lives starts with asking the questions And many times, not getting answers, but giving our unanswered questions to God and Trusting that God is leading us.

Jesus asked Peter and the Apostles, “Who do you say that I am?”  Your answer to that same question is the most important question you will ever answer because Jesus will either be the center of your life, or a voice in the background of your life.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised your day be Blessed.

 

Blog Post 9/17/2021 – Praise God

 

Psalm 95 is a call to Praise God and we best praise God by, “… listen[ing] to the voice of the Lord….”  In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are reminded to “Encourage each other daily while it is still today.”

 

St. Francis de Sales reminds “… think only of spending the present day well.  Then, when tomorrow shall come, it will be called TODAY and then, we will think about it.”

 

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]

 

May God Be Praised and your day be Blessed.

Blog Post 9/16/2021 - Homily - 24th Sunday - Cycle C 9/16/01

 

 

Rescue workers remove fatally injured New York City Fire Department chaplain Rev. Mychal Judge from one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City, early September 11, 2001.

 

Homily - 24^th Sunday - Cycle C 9/16/01, Readings: Ex 32:7-11, 13-14, 1 Tm 1:12-17 and Lk 15:1-32

Twenty years on September 16, 2001, I preached this homily, at the invitation of Rev. Francis Danella, O.S.F.S., the pastor [then] at Our Lady of Good Council in Vienna, VA I think it is still relevant and important today.

We have been through a most devastating week, as a nation. Tuesday’s events are seared into our hearts and minds.  In our reading from Exodus, we heard “…for they have become depraved” - - and don’t the people responsible for Tuesday’s death and destruction come to mind.

Those of us who were not personally affected by Tuesday’s events can readily identify with Paul’s letter to Timothy, “… but I have been mercifully treated.” 

But in today’s Gospel we must grapple with a most difficult lesson: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son(s).  These parables turn our world upside down - -they turned Jesus’ world upside down!

How hard it would be for us to rejoice if the people responsible for Tuesday’s devastation - - repent and are saved God’s compassion?  It is beyond our wildest dreams and our comprehension, but we should pray for just that.

So, Jesus tells us the story of the two sons - -one who tells his Dad to drop dead!  As a father if my children did that I would be devastated.  Jesus tells us that God our Father calls us to: bear our grief and forgive our hurts, and to be compassionate.

Today we should search our hearts for the pain and hurt we haven’t forgiven yet!  Those in our families most especially!

This week taught us many lessons - -one of them is how fragile life is - -Today forgive in your families because tomorrow may be too late.  We hope and pray that Tuesday’s horror is never repeated.

Let us heed Jesus’ call to be compassionate.

His call to be the “foolish” shepherd, woman, father.

His call to heal first in our families and then in our world, then we will join with the psalmist and “…rise and go to my father.”

May God Be Praised!

N.B. George Herbert (1593-1633) wrote, “He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.”  Forgiveness is fundamental to spiritual growth.

 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Andre Bessette, intercede for us. 

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

“Tune my spirit to the music of heaven.”  [St. Brendan the Navigator]