Blog Post 5/31/2022 – Death, Tears, Hope and Eternity

 

As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?

My tears have been my bread day and night, as they ask me every day, “Where is your God?”  Those times I recall as I pour out my soul, When I would cross over to the shrine of the Mighty One, to the house of God, Amid loud cries of thanksgiving, with the multitude keeping festival.

Why are you downcast, my soul; why do you groan within me? Wait for God, for I shall again praise him, my savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me; therefore, I remember you From the land of the Jordan and Hermon, from Mount Mizar, Deep calls to deep in the roar of your torrents, and all your waves and breakers sweep over me.  By day may the LORD send his mercy, and by night may his righteousness be with me!

I will pray to the God of my life, I will say to God, my rock: “Why do you forget me?

Why must I go about mourning with the enemy oppressing me?”  It shatters my bones, when my adversaries reproach me, when they say to me every day: “Where is your God?”

Why are you downcast, my soul, why do you groan within me?  Wait for God, for I shall again praise him, my savior and my God.

The psalmist is far from Jerusalem (Psalm 42), and longs for the divine presence.

 

Today reflect on how anxious you are to be forever in the Divine Presence:

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

May God Be Praised.

 

Blog Post 5/30/2022 – Memorial Day

 

Today we remember and offer our prayers with grateful hearts to those who gave their lives that we could remain free.

 

Memorial Day is rooted in the Civil War.  “… John A. Logan, a former Federal general, who called for the first formal day of remembrance on May 30, 1868. School children were asked to spread flower pedals upon the graves of the war dead. Since that time the day has been changed to the last Monday in May and the concept has been expanded to include a remembrance of America's war dead sustained in all Her conflicts.”  [Sermons.com]

This Memorial Day take some time to not only offer God your thanks, but to commit to being a peacemaker.  “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall inherit the earth”.

Our nation and our world need peace makers, please be one.

May God Be Praised.

 

Blog Post 5/29/2022 – A Prayer from Thomas Merton

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end. 

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. 

 

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. 

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. 

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. 

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. 

Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost & in the shadow of death. 

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”  [Merton - Thoughts in Solitude, p. 81}

 

It is difficult not to fear, to be afraid for our children, grandchildren, relatives, friends and our world.  Jesus has conquered the evil one, overcome and His reign is peace-filled and forever, we can offer each breath we take, each action we make to Jesus who is our Lord and Savior.  Our example of loving God by loving our neighbor is the best gift we can give to GOD and to the world.

 

“Don’t waste your time trying to get people to love you.  Instead, spend your time loving people and the other will follow.”  (Colors, “The Enchanted Bird”, p.78)

 

May God be Praised, and your day be Blessed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog Post 5/28/2022 – Violence [Again]

Ever since Cain killed Abel violence has plagued the human race, when the Lord Jesus came into the world He was killed, but He overcame the world’s way by offering us His Way, Truth and Light.

Violence is a profoundly difficult human problem to deal with, to comprehend!  Why does God allow violence, since God is all loving, all good and all-powerful?

Why?  The Tulsa Massacre, Columbine, Orlando, Virginia Tech, Charleston, Sandy Hook, Buffalo, Uvalde,  and the many killings [including abortion], that keep occurring …                        

Our loving God and Creator sent us His Son, who showed us how to handle the evil that plagues our world.  When Jesus met violence, He prayed.  He prayed for you and me, we are called to do the same and trust me it is not easy.

There is no answer to the why of violence and suffering this side of the grave, however one day we will understand, until then follow the path of Jesus and offer your pain and suffering up, asking God to bless it and make good come from it.

In your prayer ask God to shower you with His grace and to guide our elected officials with wisdom and prudence to legislate where they can and allow God to be welcomed in  the public square.  

 

Pray each day for a safer society and that each one of us follow God's way in our life, guided by loving God by loving our neighbor.

St. Francis de Sales reminds us, “Let nothing disturb you; Let nothing frighten you.  All things are passing.  God never changes.  Patience obtains all things.  Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.  Go alone suffices.”  He, also, teaches us, to Be at Peace

“Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life; rather look to them with full hope as they arise. God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them.  He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in his arms.  Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and everyday.  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 imagination.”  Amen.

 

What can we do?

Pray to Mary for her intercession.

Work at making our homes and work places havens of peace.

Pray and ask God to guide you when you contact your elected officials to legislate appropriate laws to ameliorate the violence in our society.

Pray for all those suffering from the violence plaguing our society.

Pray today. Pray today. Pray today.  When tomorrow gets here, Pray today.

May God Be Praised!

 

 

 

 

 

Blog Post 5/27/2022 – Reflect on Christianity

“On the whole, God’s love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him. Nobody can always have devout feelings: and even if we could, feelings are not what God principally cares about.

 

Christian Love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will. If we are trying to do His will we are obeying the commandment, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.’ He will give us feelings of love if He pleases. We cannot create them for ourselves, and we must not demand them as a right.

 

But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him.”  [C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 146]

 

Take some time to think about your will and then, give your will to God.  God will guide you where He wants to take you and you will be peace-filled.

 

May God be Praised!

Blog Post 5/26/2022 OLPH School Mass Homily - The Ascension of the Lord, Cycle C

“Witness, Glorify & ‘Live Jesus’”

 

In today’s Gospel from St. Luke, Jesus tells the Apostles and us “You are witnesses of these things.  And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you . . . .”  [Luke 24: 46-53]

The work of witnessing is hard, and it lasts for our entire life here on earth.  One way your parents witness to Jesus[to the Faith] is by sacrificing to send you for your Catholic education here at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  This morning we gather at Mass to celebrate the Lord’s Ascension into Heaven, His return to the Father.  And that return enables the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to come upon whole the Church, including  us to guide us.

 

The Ascension completes the Easter mysteries of Jesus’ life & is the final preparation for Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Jesus fully human reminds us of His divine glory, symbolized by the cloud and by heaven. [Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 659]. Yet perhaps you think and feel somewhat like the Apostles who we just heard were standing there, looking up, wondering what just happened.

 

Why did Jesus go? Where did he go?

 

The angels say to them: “… why are you standing there looking at the sky?

…Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” [Acts 1:11].  If you plan a trip the most important part of your planning to is decide where you are going.

 

In life where are you going? 

 

I suggest the most important goal, for you and for me, is Heaven, that is where we should plan to go and then focus all we do on realizing that plan. The Ascension is a reminder of our commitment to witness the Gospel; our pledge to live the Gospel, to “Live Jesus” here on earth.

 

The Apostles began to do what the Lord Jesus asked them to do: bear witness and make disciples.  That task is … ours, as well.  [Adopted from Sister Anna Marie McGuan, R.S.M., is Director of Christian Formation in the Diocese of Knoxville]

 

On the Mount of the Ascension, Jesus gives His Gospel of healing, compassion, reconciliation and hope, His Life’s work of revealing the love of God for all of us, to the Apostles to you and to me.  He commissioned them and us to be His witnesses to the Gospel despite all our doubts, despite the hardships and the burdens that will come our way.

 

Jesus nourishes us with His Sacraments, but especially with the Eucharist, His body and blood.

 

In his Gospel St. Luke brings us Jesus as Teacher and Gift-Giver; in the Acts of the Apostles St. Luke presents the life of the early Church after the Ascension. 

 

Jesus’ Incarnation reintroduces heaven to earth, His Resurrection manifests a new reality, His Ascension opens earth to heaven, and His Second Coming will usher in the fullness of God’s reign.

 

Sometime today look up on the internet Danny Hahlbohm’s painting of the Ascension

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/1-ascension-danny-hahlbohm.html and ponder Jesus ascending to heaven, realizing that He ascends into heaven to answer your prayers.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

 

Blog Post 5/25/2022 – Life’s True Goal

In chapter 5 of the Book of Revelation we read, “They shall see him face to face and bear his name on their foreheads. The night shall be no more. They will need no light from lamps or the sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever.”

 

 

We shall see Him face to face, then all of life’s sadness, all of life’s crosses will be turned into Joy, and night will be no more because the Lord’s light and love will permeate our being.

 

May God Be Praised!

Blog Post 5/24/2022 - Prayer Time with Psalm 5 and 104

 

“To my words give ear, O Lord, give heed to my groaning.  Attend to the sound of my cries, my King and my God.”  (From Psalm 5)

 

“Lord God, how great you are, clothed in majesty and glory wrapped in light as in a robe.

How many are your works, O Lord!  In wisdom you have made them all.

You send forth your spirit, they are created;  And renew the face of the earth.” (From Psalm 104)

 

Abba, I seek Your love and Your guidance today.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

Blog Post 5/23/2022 - The Apostle Thomas a Guide for our Time

 

 

The Apostle Thomas only appears in John’s Gospel, but when he is mentioned on Holy

Thursday he is willing to go with Jesus even if it meant death.  He declared the most definitive statement of belief in Jesus as true God and true man: “My Lord and my God!”

 

Thomas recognized Jesus, divinity through His humanity, but Thomas was tagged by one of the earliest sound bites, when he was labeled “Doubting Thomas.”

Thomas a.k.a. the TWIN is really like most of us:

Our courage when we are strong!

Our faith in Jesus Christ - true man and true God!

Our doubts when we question!

Sometimes we doubt when we (or a loved one) face sickness or death, when we lose (or a loved one) our job or face economic hardship, when we live with war and terrorism.  Mother Theresa doubted even the Popes and Saints sometimes doubted.

FAITH is leaping with our doubts and through our doubts into the Lord's arms!

Maybe this story about a 5 year old boy whose house was on fire can help us, smoke everywhere, he was on the 2^nd floor, blinded by the smoke, on the grass outside his window his father could see him clearly and called to him to jump, the boy said he could not see, and his father assured him that he would catch him.  His Father said, “I CAN SEE YOU SON, JUMP AND I AM HERE!”

Jesus waits for us when we doubt; for us to jump with our doubts and our faith into His arms.

Unlike Thomas, we don’t have Jesus wounds to touch, but we have wounds, our own, our loved ones and our friends.  We can touch those wounds with our compassion and our empathy.  We are profoundly blessed to receive the wounded and resurrected Jesus in the Eucharist: to heal our sickness, to give us hope in our darkness, and to carry us home to the Father when it is time.

 

Thank God for your doubts, accept them and then jump into Jesus’ arms with them, He is waiting to catch you.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

 

Blog Post 5/22/2022 – Jesus is the WAY

 

Luke points out in the Acts of the Apostles that the Apostles did many signs and wonders in Jesus’ name

John reminds us, “DO NOT BE AFRAID.”  Jesus is the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Jesus is the Way to everlasting life.  Follow Jesus as closely as you can give Him your actions, your thoughts, your life.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

Blog Post 5/21/2022 – Let the Holy Spirit Lead You

 

In the Book of Genesis we read, God breathed life into the nostrils of the first human creature making it into a living being.  In the Gospel read Jesus breathed on the apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus breathed the life of God into the apostles and into us.

 

The intimate life with God that original sin interrupted is restored, and in fact made more intimate because the Word of God became one of us; fully human while remaining fully God!

 

Remember Jesus tells us “Peace be with you.”  “The peace of Christ is realized in loving when it is most difficult to love, in putting aside our own disappointments and doubts for the sake of another, in forgiving when we are too angry or disappointed to forgive, in reaching out when we expect to be rebuffed or rejected.”  (Connections April 10, 2010)

 

The Risen Christ gives us His PEACE to help us and to help us help our world, allow the Holy Spirit to mold you, guide you and fill you with the peace of the Lord.

 

May God Be Praised!

Blog Post – 5/20/2022 - What will today bring?

St. Francis de Sales, “Do not worry ….”

One of the best newspaper cartoons of all time is Calvin and Hobbes. One day Calvin and Hobbes come marching into the living room early one morning. His mother is seated there in her favorite chair. She is sipping her morning coffee. She looks up at young Calvin. She is amused and amazed at how he is dressed.

 

Calvin's head is encased in a large space helmet. A cape is draped around his neck, across his shoulders, down his back and is dragging on the floor. One hand is holding a flashlight and the other a baseball bat.

 "What's up today?" asks his mom.

 "Nothing, so far," answers Calvin.

 "So far?" she questions.

"Well, you never know," Calvin says, "Something could happen today." Then Calvin marches off, "And if anything does, by golly, I'm going to be ready for it!"

 Calvin's mom looks out at the readers of the comic and says, "I need a suit like that!"

That's the way many of us feel as we see the news and deal with life.

Sometimes this world seems quite violent, and people seem to be at each other's throats.

A suit like that would help, so we can say with Calvin, "Whatever may come my way, I'm going to be ready for it! Bring it on!"

Well, I don't have a suit like Calvin's to give you this morning, but I do have Jesus’ Word “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Trust in His Word, Trust in His Care and Trust that He is with you each step of your day, each step of your life.

May God Be Praised!

 

 

 

Blog Post 5/19/2022 - “JESUS ROSE, THE TOMB IS EMPTY.”

One of our Core believes is that: “… Jesus … truly died … lost his life …was transformed by the power of God, and given renewed life, new corporeal bodily life.” [“The Bones of Jesus: Bodily Resurrection & Christian Faith, Father Senior, CP Origins, March 20, 2008]

I want to share with you one of my favorite Easter stories, “Mike Sunday School Egg Hunt”.  In Mike’s Sunday School Class the teacher asked the children to go out into the church/school yard and find something that denotes new life and bring it back to the class room.  Some children brought flowers, some buds from branches of trees, etc. 

Mike brought back on empty plastic egg, his classmates initially giggled, but Mike’s teacher asked him to explain why he brought it back to the class.

Mike said, “Jesus rose, the tomb is empty.”

Mike was a sickly and several months later, he died.  Each child in his class put an empty plastic Easter egg in his casket because one day his tomb would be empty too!

Christianity is a Way of Seeing!  It is a Way of Living!

Mary initially didn’t recognize Jesus because His risen body was transformed, in His new “corporeal bodily life”, transformed ---- gives us HOPE for eternal life.

A common element in many of the Easter stories is the failure of Jesus’ disciples to recognize the Risen Lord because the nature of the Resurrected body isn’t resuscitation, it is a quantum leap forward into a new life, transformed and glorified.

May each of us see, hear, and love Jesus as we continue on our journey!

 

May God be Blessed!

Blog Post 5/18/2022 – Two Thoughts to reflect on!

  

 

Take some time today to reflect on the thoughts below.

 

 

 

 

These thoughts came from two of my children’s homes.  One was on their refrigerator and the other was on a wall near the front door.  Many thanks to Elizabeth [my daughter] and Brain [my son] for their powerful witness, deep faith and wonderful families.

 

 

 

                                                                May God Be Praised!