Blog Post 9/07/2022 – Does Jesus really want us to hate our fathers and our mothers?

 

If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  This sentence from the Gospel is one of the most difficult to understand.  Jesus, who talks so much about love of God and neighbor, couldn’t say such words, could he?  Yes, He did, to understand why, we must read the text in the context of Jewish culture. 

 

In the Bible, the expression “to hate” means “to love less.”  Those who want to follow Jesus must choose loving Jesus as their first and foremost love.   Love of Jesus does not mean exclude loving one’s family or oneself; it does mean the love of Christ is the greater love. 

Jesus’ disciples hold God to be the greatest treasure of their lives.  Jesus invites His followers to love Him more than anything and everything they have; they can enjoy material things, but things must never obscure God.  The spiritual principle of the entire Gospel is to love God and then to love everything else for the sake of God.  

Jesus makes this point through an exaggeration: “Unless you hate your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters . . .”  Hate them in the measure that they come before God, love them in and through God.

Ponder your love of God and where in your life God resides. 

May God Be Praised!

 

*The image is available at the Salesian Shop https://www.salesianshop.com/the-sacred-artwork-of-bro-mickey-mcgrath/

 

 

 

Blog Post 9/06/2022 – Some Thoughts on Prayer Life

 

Our prayer life is fundamental to our spiritual well-being and growth.  Occasionally we need to fine tune, or review how our prayer life fits into our daily life.

 

 

Consider these three items when you review your prayer life:

1.     Trust the Holy Spirit to guide you.

2.     Sometimes a change in how, when or where we pray is helpful.

3.     To pray throughout the day, prayer the Angelus [9:00 am, 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm] and/or the Liturgy of the Hours: 6:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., noon, 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. In addition, Evening prayers and Morning prayers outside of these times.  This structure will remind you to pray frequently during your day.

 

May God Praised and may your prayer life flourish.

 

Blog Post 9/05/2022 – How to make the world a better place.

 

On September 5, 2016, my wife Joanne and I had the privilege of attending Canonization Mass for St. Teresa of Calcutta in St. Peter's Square.  St. Teresa was cheerful in the most demanding circumstances, because she put the Lord first in all she did; if we do the same, the world will be a better place.   

 

 

St. Francis de Sales advised, "At the tempers of others - Stay Cheerfully Excusing."  If we do that the world will be a better place.

 

May God Be Praised in all we do and with each word we utter.

 

 

 

Blog Post 9/04/2022 - Salesian Saturday Reflection

 

On the first Saturday of the month Salesian Saturday is offered at Our Lady of Perpetual Help [Bethlehem, PA], 8:00 am Mass, 8:30 am to 9:00 am a discussion with coffee and donuts, the morning is concluded with Eucharist Adoration 9:00 am to 10:00 am 

Yesterday September 3 we discussed, Recognize the goodness of God’s will.

We cannot help conforming ourselves to those we love. True love is never ungrateful but strives to please those in whom it has found pleasure.  Thus, having great love, the saints are very quickly and perfectly transformed, since love transports and translates the manners and dispositions of one heart into another.

God has a true desire that we should follow His signified will but permits us to resist according to our free choice. A loving heart loves the commandments. The more difficult they are, the sweeter and more agreeable it finds them, since this more perfectly pleases the Beloved and gives Him greater honor.

“Charity does nothing in vain” (Cf. 1 Cor. 13:8) – Charity is sacred water by which the garden of the Church is made fertile.

Finding God’s Will for You by St. Francis de Sales.   These reflections are offered by Father Richard Conlin.

Today spend some time reflect on the Goodness of God.

May God Be Praised!

 

*The image is available at the Salesian Shop https://www.salesianshop.com/the-sacred-artwork-of-bro-mickey-mcgrath/

 

 

Blog Post 9/03/2022 Homily Cycle II – Loving Law Salesian Saturday at OLPH

 

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090222.cfm

In today’s Gospel Jesus reminds us that the laws of the Church are a gift to help us grow in our love of and for God; many times, we will need to be merciful and compassionate in loving one another.  In The Canon Law of the Church, Holy Mother reminds us in Canon #1752, … “and the salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme law in the Church, is to be kept before one’s eyes.”   [https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/cic_index_en.html]

Jesus calls each one of us to find the good, the glimpses of God in others,

and to be in ‘awe’ of all God’s manifestations.  Living life in “awe” of God many times is difficult to do, BUT nonetheless we were Baptized to be in “awe”, to be in “love”, of God and to make the Lord the center of our life.

For a few moments reflect on the “awe”and “love” of God with which you live your life. 

May God Be Praised!

 

 

 

Blog Post 9/02/2022 – The great gift of the Eucharist

 

St. Ambrose wrote, “This bread is bread before the words of the Sacrament. But when the words of Christ come to it, it is the body of Christ ...

Before the words of Christ it is a cup full of wine and water. When the words of Christ become operative, the blood which has redeemed the people is caused to be there."

  

 

The Words of Christ spoken give us the gift of the Eucharist, thank you Jesus – Lord and Savior.

 

May God Be Praised!

Blog Post 9/01/2022 – Made in the image and likeness of God

 

We are made in the image and likeness of God, called to be His sons and daughters.  Follow the advice of St. Francis de Sales,  “Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.”  de Sales wisely pointed out, “Be who you are and be that well, to serve the Master Craftsman whose handiwork we are.”  

 

You are a child of God, a unique person created to follow God’s Will in your life; that is where you will find true joy and peace.  

May God Be Praised!