Best Day of My Life!

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever.  There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate!

Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger. 

I will go through this day with my head held high and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts:

the morning dew, 

the sun,

the clouds,

the trees,

the flowers,

the birds.

Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people.  I'll make someone smile.  I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know.

Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down.  I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. 

I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine. 

And tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens.  I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life. And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be... 

the best day of my life, ever!

Keys to Happiness

1. Adopt a positive attitude

2. Trust in God

3. Appreciate the present moment

4. Accept God’s plan for you

5. Share yourself with others

6. Be aware of the love of others

7. Appreciate yourself

8. Pardon yourself and others

9. Accept change

10. Accept suffering

11. Find humor in your life

12. Validate your feelings.

13. Pray often

Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost means 50th day.  In Old Testament times it was a festival celebrating the new grain of the harvest first mentioned in Exodus 23:14-1 and then in Exodus 34:22 and Leviticus 23:15-21.  For Christians, Pentecost marks the birthday of the universal church.  It was on Pentecost, fifty days after Passover and the resurrection of Jesus, that God fulfilled the promise to send the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate.  On that day the disciples and followers of Jesus gathered together in the “Upper Room” were filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed from timid, frightened, doubting people into courageous men and women announcing the Good News about the mighty works of God.

The wonder of Pentecost is that it is not a single historic event. It is a perpetual rebirth and renewal of God the Father’s creative energy working through us.  At baptism we become members of the Body of Christ through purification from sin and new birth in the Holy Spirit.  At confirmation the bishop anoints us with the Oil of Chrism to increase the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  When we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, we, like the apostles, acquire the courage we need to proclaim the good news, defend our faith and act as witnesses to Christ in our everyday lives.

In this time of spiritual separation during our COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration of Pentecost is more poignant than ever.  It reminds us that the Holy Spirit is part of our everyday lives.  St. John tells us in his gospel that the Holy Spirit gives us life (6:63); is our teacher (14:26) and is our guide to truth (16:3).  St. Paul writes that the Holy Spirit makes us sons and daughters of God (Rm. 8:15); intercedes for us when we cannot pray (Rm. 8:26-27); makes us aware of the goodness of God (1 Co. 2:12) and gives us all unique gifts (1 Co. 12:4-11).  These are gift we all need right now.

The Holy Spirit is alive and working in our world through us today.  Jesus says in Matthew 7:16, “By their fruits you will know them.”  The fruit of the Spirit, according to St. Paul is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).  We all should pray that those we encounter will recognize us by these fruits of the Spirit.  

In every generation, O God of Easter glory,
you send forth your Spirit
to breathe upon the world and make it come alive!
Fulfill the promise of these Fifty Days
with the abundant harvest of your Spirit's gifts.
May we, the community of believers in Christ,
adorned with various ministries and gifts,
be continually formed into one body
by the one Spirit which has been poured out on all of us.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who sends us the Spirit of truth from you,
and who lives and reigns with you,
God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

Presence of the Trinity

“It seems to me that I have found my heaven on earth, because my heaven is you, my God, and you are in my soul. You in me, and I in you – may this be my motto. What a joyous mystery is your presence within me, in that intimate sanctuary of my soul where I can always find you, even when I do not feel your presence. Of what importance is feeling? Perhaps you are all the closer when I feel you less.”

Elizabeth of the Trinity​

An Answer to Prayers

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island.

The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God.

However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food.

The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.

He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

"What you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself."​

I Found the Answer in my Room

When I woke up this morning, I asked myself, "What is life about?" 

I found the answer in my room...
The fan said, "Be cool."
The roof said, "Aim high."
The window said, "See the world!"
The clock said, "Every minute is precious."
The mirror said, "Reflect before you act."
The calendar said, "Be up to date."
The door said, "Push hard for your goals."
The floor said, "Kneel down and pray."

Memorial Day

We remember with gratitude this day all those who lost their lives in service for our country. We also remember those men and women who have served or who are serving our country in Military service. We who enjoy our freedom are grateful for you today and always​

Memorial Day

Memorial Day Poem

In distant field of sunny France

Where strangers come and go,

Amid the farms of Flanders, where

The fragrant breezes blow,

Our solder-dead in quiet sleep,

'Neath crosses row on row.

Here shrapnel shells once shrieked and burst

And took their toll of death;

The very wind, itself a foe,

Bore poison on its breath.

Above their graves the birds now sing

As round that home of yore,

When, carefree boys, they romped and played;

Those childhood days soon o'er,

The boys to brave and strong men grown,

They romped and played no more.

They put aside their childish toys,

A man's work each must do,

And when their country called for them,

To her they answered true.

“We must protect our native land:

She shall not suffer wrong

For she has reared and nurtured us,

We're men and we are strong.

We'll bid good-bye to those we love;

It will not be for long.”

With aching hearts and tear-dimmed eyes

We watched them go away.

Some have returned but many sleep

In foreign lands today.

Where English roses bloom and fade,

In France where lilies grow,

Among the fields of Flanders, where

The scarlet poppies blow,

Our soldier-dead are not forgot

Though strangers come and go.

The Ascension of the Lord

Here we are in the midst of a global pandemic.  Is it the end of    the world?  Our world may change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but it doesn’t seem to be close to ending yet.  Many people thought the world would end at the beginning of the new millennium, but it didn’t.  Harold Camping declared that the world would end on May 21, 2011, but it didn’t.   Then people though the world would end when the Mayan Calendar ended in 2012, but it didn’t.  Isaac Newton predicted the world will end in 2060.  We have forty years to find out if that is true.  And, the Milky Way Will Crash into the Andromeda Galaxy in about 4.5 billion years from now. That might be the end of the world as we know it.  I really do not understand the obsession with Armageddon and end of the world theories.  What I do understand is that several times in the New Testament Jesus told the disciples and he tells us to be alert and prepared because “at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (Luke 12:40).  And in today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke repeats Jesus’ words, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority” (Acts 1:7).

If we focus on the instructions Jesus gave to the disciples and to all of us Christians when he Ascended into Heaven, we would be so busy that there wouldn’t be time for us to worry about the end of the world.  Our job is not to speculate about the future; our job is to build the kingdom of heaven here and now, today in Peachtree City, Georgia.  Our instructions are clear, “Go, therefore, and make disciple of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy  Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

At the time of the Ascension, the disciples were not prepared to take on all the responsibility Jesus asked them to assume.  They still had doubts.  However, Jesus promised them that they would, “receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  Jesus promises us that same power when we receive the Holy Spirit.  All we have to do is open our hearts to accept the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In today’s second reading, Ephesians 1:17-23, St. Paul prays, “May the eyes of (your) hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might…”.  All of us should pray this prayer in the coming week as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the Great Feast of Pentecost.

God of all creation,
whose mighty power raised Jesus from the dead,
be present to this community of disciples
who have been baptized into Christ's death and resurrection.
Strengthen us in the power of the Spirit
to go and make disciples of all nations,
to obey everything that Jesus has commanded us,
and to know that he is with us always
until the end of the age.
Grant this through Jesus Christ,
the first-born from the dead,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

Bicycle on Ceiling

A bicycle hanging from the ceiling cannot achieve its intended purpose.

The same thing can be said of The Bible sitting on the shelf in your room!

Search for God

Do not let anxiety

sabotage your search for God.

You know well

that when you search for something too anxiously

you can come upon it a hundred times

without ever seeing it.

Anxiety masquerades

as true spiritual energy,

even as it wearies our mind,

drains our enthusiasm,

and deadens our soul.

It pretends to stir up our souls,

but all it does is dampen our spirit.

It pushes us until

we stumble over our own feet.

We need to be on the watch for this impostor

that would have us believing

that our spiritual life

depends completely on our efforts,

so that the more panicked we are,

the more anxiously we search,

the more likely we are

to find God.

Let God do his part.

Be patient.

Not even our best efforts

can earn the blessings of God.

Our role is

to be ready

to receive God’s gifts

with an open heart -

carefully, humbly,

and serenely.

From: Set Your Heart Free – The Practical Spirituality of Francis de Sales​

Measuring Generosity

Prayer for Guidance

Another Day

I Wish You Enough

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport as the daughter's departure had been announced.

Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, "I love you, and I wish you enough."

The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom."  They kissed and the daughter left.

Then the mother walked over to the window where I sat. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry.

I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this, a forever good-bye?"

"I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone."

She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more.

"When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them."

Then turning toward me, she shared the following, reciting it from memory:

 "I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

 I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun.

 I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

 I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

 I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

 I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

 I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."

She then began to cry and walked away.

6th Sunday of Easter

One of the truly tragic outcomes of the COVID-19 Pandemic is the number of people who have died alone in hospitals and in their own homes.  It is tragic for the people who died and it is equally tragic for their families and loved ones.  The though of dying alone is something none of us want to think about.  Often families and friends who cannot be with their loved ones at the time of death are left with a profound sense of loss.  As I have reflected on this over the past several weeks, a phrase from today’s Gospel, John 14:15-21, kept repeating in my head, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.” 

Jesus spoke these comforting words to his disciples because he knew that he would be leaving them to return to his Father in heaven.  However, he was not leaving them alone.  Jesus assured the disciples and he assures us that God the Father will give us “another Advocate to be with you always.”  This Advocate, the Holy Spirit, helped the disciples understand Jesus’ mission on earth and His special place in heaven.  And the same Holy Spirit helps us too.  St. Peter reminded the faithful in our second reading that although Jesus was “put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit,” giving them a reason for hope.  

This hope extends to each one of us who call ourselves Christians no matter what our circumstances are.  Jesus is with us always and in all the life situations in which we find ourselves. It is at times of great loss when many of us most need the consolation and hope the Holy Spirit provides.  We simply have to remember the words Jesus spoke to the disciples and to us before he Ascended into heaven, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Today, let’s stop for a moment and pray for all the people in the world who have died because of COVID-19 and for their families.  And let’s remember to give a prayer of thanks to God for the promise to be “with us always, until the end of the age.”

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son promised
not to leave us orphans.
Give us the Holy Spirit of Truth,
to be with us and to live in us, 

so that we may follow Jesus Christ
and so that we may know where we are going.
May this Spirit kindle in us
the love of Jesus,
and help us make the Good News of his love
visible and tangible to all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

To Err is Human

To err is human; to blame it on the other guy is even more human. ~ Bob Goddard

We are on a path that leads us to become better people with greater insight and stronger character. A central theme on this path is learning to take responsibility for ourselves, our mistakes, and our choices as we deal with our situations. We can make progress on this path by noticing our defensive reactions when we make a mistake or when someone criticizes us. Our old ways were aimed at shifting the blame or counterattacking to get someone else off our case. Now we are learning how to take on the blame when it honestly belongs to us.

One of the first things we need to learn in taking responsibility is that there is no shame in making a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. But some people don't accept responsibility for them, and others do. We have much greater respect for someone who does. Admitting when we were wrong doesn't mean speaking in vague generalities, saying that "mistakes were made." It doesn't mean saying, "Yes, I did this, but only because you did that." It means saying what we did or didn't do and laying the facts out there for us and others to deal with. When we can do that, forgiveness almost always follows shortly.

Today I will hold back my defensiveness and admit the facts as they are.

Brand New Day

Good Morning God,

You’re ushering in a brand day,
bright and shiny new,
and here I come again to ask
if you’ll renew me too.

Please forgive the many errors
I made just yesterday
and let me try again, dear God
to walk closer in your way.

But Father, I am well aware
that I can’t do this on my own,
so please take my hand and hold it tight
so I won’t walk alone.

Amen​

Parable of the Pencil

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart.

- Author Unknown -Taken from The Inspiration List

His Blood Upon the Rose

I see His blood upon the rose 

And in the stars the glory of his eyes,
His body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.

I see his face in every flower;
The thunder and the singing of the birds
Are but his voice—and carven by his power
Rocks are his written words.

All pathways by his feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,
His cross is every tree.

Joseph Mary Plunkett (1887–1916)

You Are Accepted

It strikes us when, year after year, the longed for perfection of life does not appear, when the old compulsions reign within us as they have for decades, when despair destroys all joy and courage.

Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks through our darkness, and it is as though a voice were saying, “You are accepted.”

YOU ARE ACCEPTED, accepted by that which is greater than you and the name of which you do not know.

Do not ask for the name now, perhaps you will know it later.

Do not try to do anything, perhaps later you will do much.

Do not seek for anything,
Do not perform anything,
Do not intend anything.

Simply accept the fact you are accepted.​

Two Days

There are two days in every week
about which we should not worry,
Two days which should be kept free of fear and apprehension.

One of these days is YESTERDAY,

With its mistakes and cares,
Its faults and blunders,
Its aches and pains.
YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY.
We cannot undo a single act we performed;
We cannot erase a single word we said.
YESTERDAY is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is TOMORROW
With its possible adversities, its burdens, its larger promise.
TOMORROW is also beyond our immediate control.
TOMORROW, the sun will rise,
Either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds,
But it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in TOMORROW
For it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day – TODAY.
Any man can fight the battles of just one day.
It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities
– YESTERDAY and TOMORROW –
That we break down.

It is not the experience of TODAY that worries people.
It is remorse or bitterness for something which happened YESTERDAY
And the dread of what TOMORROW may bring.
Let us, therefore, live but ONE day at a time.