Blog Post 5/17/2022 – Choices Matter

Years ago, the Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gary Harden played her best role for the Make-A-Wish Foundation portraying Snow White for Bonnie, a little girl dying of cancer.

 

Snow White was Bonnie’s favorite movie and she wanted to meet Snow White, so the date was set.  As Marcia was preparing for her bedside Performance, a casting agency called her to audition for a new Olive Stone movie.

 

The auditions were scheduled for the same day as her Snow White performance.  Neither could be changed, her hospital performance for Bonnie or her chance for the Oliver Stone movie.  After a sleepless night and many tears Marcia decided to keep her promise to the little girl.  When Marcia [Snow White] entered the room Bonnie’s face lit up.

 

After the performance Bonnie asked Snow White, “When I die, will the prince kiss me and then I’ll wake up again?”  

 

The room fell silent as Marcia [Snow White] tried to think of what to say to Bonnie.

Finally, she said, “No, Bonnie, It is even better.  When you get to heaven, God will kiss you and then you’ll wake up again.”

 

Years later, Marcia said of that moment: “At that moment in the hospital room with

Bonnie …. I knew that I was exactly where I was meant to be, playing exactly the role I was meant to play.”  [Connections, April 2008]

 

Each one of us is searching, why we are here on earth, why did God create us and send us here at this time in the history of Salvation? 

The sense of purpose, the sense of being part of something beyond self, to discover what Jesus wants us to do is the Grace of Easter.  The Grace of the Resurrected Christ.

 

The real miracle of the spiritual journey is that we are on it every day, in the ordinary stuff of life: family, work, the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, the rain, the sunshine, a walk, a trip to the grocery store, etc.

 

Henri Nouwen wrote, “It is a story of God who wants to come close to us, … so close that there is nothing between us & him….” [With Burning Hearts Henri Nouwen, pg.67]

 

The gift of the Eucharist does just that!

 

May God Be Praised!

Blog Post 5/16/2022 - The Light of the Lord

 

Today take a few minutes to think about how much of the Lord’s light you are reflecting on the world’s darkness

 

From Isaiah we learn, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”  (60:1)

 

St. Francis de Sales teaches us, “Be patient with everyone, but especially with yourself.” 

 

Patiently decide how you will allow the Light of Jesus to shine through your life more brightly.

 

                                                      May God Be Praised!

Blog Post 5/15/2022 - Adoration

In our self-centered culture and classic American emphasis on work, we often feel we have to accomplish something during our times of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. We rate our experience by how ‘good’ our prayer was, how heartfelt our devotion was, or how focused we could remain.

 

Yet prayer and contemplation are fundamentally God’s work, in which we are invited to participate. We need only to give Him the opening, and He will do the rest. By coming to adoration, we are handing Him the keys to our hearts, allowing the rays of His love and grace to bathe our souls in the light of His Presence, as the rays of the sun bathe our bodies in light.

If we can take the time to pull away from the busyness and distractions of life and just sit at His feet, He will lead us.”  [Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, p. 33]

 

May God Be Praised!

Blog Post 5/14/2022

 

We inherited heaven along with the apostles, let us give thanks to the Father for all his gifts

We praise you, O Lord.

 

Praise to you, Lord, for the banquet of Christ’s Body and Blood given us through the apostles, which gives us life:

We praise you, O Lord.

 

Praise to you, Lord, for the feast of your Word prepared for us by the apostles, giving us light:

We praise you, O Lord.

 

Praise to you, Lord, for your holy Church, founded on the apostles, where we are gathered together into Your community:

We praise you, O Lord.

 

Praise to you, Lord, for the cleansing power of baptism and penance that you have entrusted to your apostles, through which we are cleansed of our sins:

We praise you, O Lord.

 

May God Be Praised!

Blog Post 5/13/2022

 

Paul Turner offers us this powerful insight, “The Risen Christ abides in the hearts of believers born generations after his days in Jerusalem…. They proclaim the Gospel as Jesus commanded.  They reawaken the faith of believers.” 

 

May God Be Praised!

Blog Post 5/12/2022

First Holy Communion Celebration was a Singular Privilege

 

Berkleigh McDevitt Kelly, Dad [Brian], Mom [Laurie], and Caiden [her brother]

 

 

 

Berkleigh with Grammy Kelly and Pop Pop Kelly [a.k.a. Deacon George] above.

At the Consecration Jesus is made present, and heaven meets earth, once again.  When we receive the Eucharist, God blesses us with knowing and loving His Real Presence.  Last Saturday I had a singular privilege of giving my granddaughter Berkleigh her first Holy Communion, the Bread of Life.  I was filled with emotions of gratitude, thanksgiving and love of God and love of my family as I offered Berkleigh her 1^st Holy Communion.

Assisting at the First Holy Communion Mass was profound blessing.  Fr. Neil Dhabliwaka, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Kennesaw, GA, was a gracious host and offered the homily on St. John’s Gospel.

My wife Joanne, Berkleigh’s grandmother and Godmother affectionately known as Grammy in the South was there for the great celebration, she is pictured above with Berkleigh and me.  God’s blessings are many, this was a memorable one.

I want to share a short Reflection on the Eucharist

St. Bernardine of Siena offered this powerful reflection on the gift of the Eucharist "The last degree of love is when He gave Himself to us to be our Food; because He gave Himself to be united with us in every way.

Remember Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin, “Holy Communion is Jesus’ way of saying as Christopher Robin once said to Pooh, ‘Forever isn’t long at all when I’m with you.’’ [America, “The Gospel according to Winnie the Pooh”, Terrance Klein, 4/24/19]

Jesus is with us in the Eucharist and in His Word, maybe forever isn’t that long after all.  Today take some time to reflect on the Eucharist: Jesus instituted the Eucharist at His Last Supper, He purified it with His Crucifixion, He Perfected it with His Resurrection, and He Completed it with His Ascension and now He offers it to us.

May God Be Praised!   

Blog Post – 5/08/202 - Mother's Day

 

                                                         

 

Today we honor our Moms and it is a good time to reflect on the many lessons we learned  from our Moms, so with a little humor let's pray for and remember our Mothers.

 

*

 

“My mother taught me religion. She used to say things like, ‘You better pray that comes out of the carpet.’

 

My mother taught me medicine: ‘If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way.’

 

My mother taught me how to be a contortionist: ‘Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!’

 

My mother taught me to appreciate a job well done: ‘If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning!’

 

My mother taught me about genetics: ‘You are just like your father!’

 

My mother taught me logic: ‘Because I said so, that's why.’ [Sermons.com, 5/08/2022]

 

May God Be Praised, especially for the gift of Motherhood.  I pray today for my Mom, for my wife Joanne, my daughter Elizabeth, my daughter-in-laws Laurie and Amy - they are the best Moms I know.

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