Pull, Buddy, Pull

An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area.

Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move.

Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond.

Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Cocoa, pull!" Nothing.

Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.

The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.

The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try!"

(It’s nice to know we’re not alone when we know Jesus is with us for his yoke is easy and our burden becomes light!)

The Echo of Life

A man and his son were walking in the forest. Suddenly, he trips and feeling a sharp pain he screams, "Ahhhhhh!" Surprised, he hears a voice coming from the mountain, "Ahhhhh!" Filled with curiosity, he screams, "Who are you?" but the only answer he receives is, "Who are you?" This makes him angry, so he screams, "You are a coward!" and the voice answers, "You are a coward!"

He looks at his father, asking, "Dad, what is going on?"

"Son," the man replies, "pay attention!" Then he screams, "I admire you!"

The voice answers, "I admire you!"

The father shouts, "You are wonderful!" 

and the voice answers, "You are wonderful!"

The boy is surprised, but still can't understand what is going on.

The father explains, "People call this an 'echo' but truly it is 'life!' Life always gives you back what you give out.

Life is a mirror of your actions. If you want more love, give more love. If you want more kindness, give more kindness. If you want understanding and respect, give understanding and respect.  If you want people to be patient and respectful to you, give patience and respect. This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives."

Life always give you back what you give out. Your life is not a coincidence, but a mirror of your own doings​.

2nd Sunday in Lent

Imagine waiting ninety-nine years to have a child and then being told to sacrifice your child because God wanted to test your faith. What kind of God does that? In the case of the story about God, Abraham and Isaac that we hear in today’s first reading from Genesis 22, we have an account of two incredible relationships. First, we have God’s relationship with Abraham. This is God who has the power to give and the power to take away; and God gave Abraham a lot (including Isaac). Abraham, as the recipient of God’s generosity, recognized that he is obligated to follow God’s directives. Then we have the relationship between Abraham and Isaac. Abraham is the grateful and loving father and Isaac is the God-given son. Who does Isaac belong to? Ultimately, Isaac belongs to God. So, if God wants Isaac back, Abraham has to give him back to God. In the unambiguous, eye for an eye world of the Old Testament this was perfectly acceptable. Because Abraham was faithful, God rewarded him with His blessing and “descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore…”. This story served another purpose as well. Because God did not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, it put a stop to the practice of human sacrifice among Abraham’s descendants that was common at that time.

Fast forward thousands of years when God sent His own son, Jesus, to the world. Our Gospel reading today from Mark 9:2-10 recounts the story of the Transfiguration. In the Transfiguration, we see the glory of God shining out from Jesus, as he has a conversation with Moses, the supreme lawgiver of Israel and Elijah, the first and greatest prophet. All the Old Testament covenants, represented by Moses and Elijah became fulfilled by a new covenant through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus tells us in Mark 14:24, “this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” Unlike Abraham who although willing, does not have to sacrifice his only son, God was willing and did sacrifice Jesus, His “beloved son,” for us. What kind of God does that?

Because Isaac was spared, thousands of lives were saved from human sacrifice. And because Jesus was not spared, countless generations of people (including us) have experienced the saving power of God’s abounding and unconditional love. As St Paul tells us in today’s second reading from Romans 8:31b-34, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else with him?” In his Ash Wednesday homily, Pope Francs said, “[God] came down to meet us. For our sake he lowered himself more than we can ever imagine: he became sin, he became death.” God did not abandon us but accompanies “us on our journey, he embraced our sin and death…. Our journey then is about letting him take us by the hand. The Father who bids us to come home is the same who left home to come looking for us.”

Lent is a good time for us to reflect on sacrifice. If you can, take some time this week to look at the cross and remember the promise God made to Abraham and the assurance that St. Paul gives to us in today’s second reading, “if God is for us, who can be against us”?

Father, help us to be like Christ your Son,

Who loved the world and died for our salvation.

Inspire us by his love, guide us by his example,

Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

Amen

A Reflection

When you see a sunset, do you say, “It’s too bright - not enough color, too much orange?”

Probably not. You just accept it and maybe thank God for the gift.

And when you walk through a forest, do you say, “The trees are too tall. The leaves on that one are the wrong shape. It has the wrong shade of green, too. Too many leaves on that one.

Probably not! You probably just accept it – and maybe say thanks for the gift of the forest.

We are God’s children. We are greater than any sunset, any forest. And we’re great because God made us and because God loves us. Maybe we should stop beating ourselves up and start saying thank you a few more times.

I have a hunch, by the way, that when we meet God, we will be asked, “How did you like those sunsets? What about the mountains and the streams and the sea-shores? What about balloons and roller coasters?

He probably won’t say, “Well you could have spent more time alone in the office!

Time is

 

Love

We stumbled on in the darkness, over big stones and through large puddles, along the one road leading from the camp. The accompanying guards kept shouting at us and driving us with the butts of their rifles. Anyone with very sore feet supported himself on his neighbor's arm. Hardly a word was spoken; the icy wind did not encourage talk. Hiding his mouth behind his upturned collar, the man marching next to me whispered suddenly: "If our wives could see us now! I do hope they are better off in their camps and don't know what is happening to us."

That brought thoughts of my own wife to mind. And as we stumbled on for miles, slipping on icy spots, supporting each other time and again, dragging one another up and onward, nothing was said, but we both knew: each of us was thinking of his wife. Occasionally I looked at the sky, where the stars were fading and the pink light of the morning was beginning to spread behind a dark bank of clouds. But my mind clung to my wife's image, imagining it with an uncanny acuteness. I heard her answering me, saw her smile, her frank and encouraging look. Real or not, her look was then more luminous than the sun which was beginning to rise.

A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth – that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which Man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of Man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when Man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way – an honorable way – in such a position Man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life I was able to understand the meaning of the words, "The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory.”

Victor Frankl

Change

Today I pray that I may understand there are some things I cannot change:

I cannot change the weather.

I cannot change the tick of the clock.

I cannot change the past.

I cannot change another person against their will.

I cannot change what is right or wrong.

I cannot change the fact that a relationship ended.

I can stop worrying over that which I cannot change and enjoy living more!

I can place those things into the hands of The One Bigger Than Me.

Save Energy!

Let Go!

Instead of trying to change someone else:

I can change my attitude.

I can change my list of priorities.

I can change my bad habits into good ones.

I can move from a place of brokenness into wholeness, into the beautiful person God has created me to become.

In God's Care

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are." - George Bernard Shaw

It's easy to let circumstances determine how we think and behave. While it's true that some events seem devastating, our relationship with a Higher Power can help us accept and even grow from experiences that seem impossible to cope with.

We all have known men and women who've handled grave upsets far more easily than we have. How did they do it? They have no magic. Rather, they may be more comfortable letting their Higher Power help them accept and understand unfortunate circumstances. Once we accept our anger or disappointment, we're free to move on to better feelings. We begin to realize we have choices in how we look at problems.

We are never given more than we can handle. We can develop acceptance of any circumstances, but our success in doing so comes mainly through our reliance on God to show us the way.

God will help me handle the uncontrollable events of today. Through acceptance, I can change my feelings at any moment even right now​.

Who's at Risk?

This is a very simplistic story, but a powerful message.

A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package; what food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a mouse trap!

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning, "There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house." The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell you this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me; I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mouse trap in the house." "I am so very sorry Mr. Mouse," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; be assured that you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow, who replied, "Like wow, Mr. Mouse, a mouse trap; am I in grave danger, Duh?" So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected to face the farmer's mouse trap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse trap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever.

Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.

To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

1st Sunday in Lent

When Jesus came out of the desert after his forty day physical and spiritual endurance test the first words of his ministry were a call to action: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). This call was an urgent challenge to all the people who heard him at that time and it is an urgent challenge to us as we begin Lent 2021. For many people Lent is a time to put on our sackcloth, cover our heads with ashes and practice severe penance. There is a place for penitence and sacrifice during Lent. However, we must not lose sight of the purpose of Lent. It is an opportunity for us to prepare our hearts, our minds and our spirits for the joyous celebration of Easter. We are not Lent people. We are Easter people. We are people who believe in the Resurrection. And because we are Resurrection people, we are joyous people.

The word Gospel means Good News. And the word repent means a change of heart and conduct, a turning of one’s life away from rebellion to obedience towards God. Jesus is telling us that the time for fulfilment is now. The kingdom of God is here now, in this place. And the way we achieve fulfilment is by changing our hearts and our behavior; changing our direction away from God towards God and finally by embracing the good news of the Gospel. In John 15:11-12 Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.”

Finding joy amongst all the suffering, heartache, trauma, illness, war, terrorism and other disasters that strike people every day is daunting. It is hard to break the grasp of pessimism and despair. But, the good news is that “We love because he (God) first loved us” (1 John 4:19). We all have the capacity to move beyond whatever is holding us back because not only does God love us unconditionally, God loved us first. And God loves us last. God is love. That is GREAT NEWS!

My prayer for all of you this Lent is that you find your fulfilment in the joy of the Gospel message.

God of the covenant of love,

you invite us to follow your Son.

As the Holy Spirit led him to the desert,

may he open our eyes to see

the wastelands of evil

we have created in our world.

Help us to pray in solitude,

to feel our hunger for all that is good

and to overcome our temptations.

May we learn from Jesus

to believe in the Good News

and to give shape to your Kingdom

of truth and justice and unselfish love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Amen

Pillars

You may have heard writer Elizabeth Foley's insightful words: "Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it's just enough to know they're standing by." It's true. The difficulties of life are easier to manage with friends.

In the book Shindler’s Legacy, authors Elinor J. Brecher and Jill Freedman interview some of the people saved by the Nazi Oscar Schindler. One survivor says this about the sufferings of her life: "I survived Auschwitz and all the atrocities of the war. But the most difficult thing I ever had to face was losing my 39-year-old daughter to cancer."

The army of modern medicine could not save her daughter. This woman went through the war and concentration camp experience WITH people; she suffered alongside of them. But she fought this other terrible battle alone.

We are all survivors! In some way we have each encountered something potentially devastating, and we overcame. And the overcoming of it was easier with the companionship of others.

Isn't it true that very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts? And for some reason they seem lighter when we just know that, though others may not be lifting, they are standing by. If you're trying to lift a burden alone, this may be a good time to reach out. Others may be waiting to help lift. Or, like porch pillars, they may at least be there to lean on.

Return to Dust

 

A True Friend

 

The Foot Path of Peace

To be glad of life because it gives you a chance to love and to work and to play, and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions but not contented with yourself until you have made the best use of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbors except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friend and every day of Christ, and to spend as much time as you can with body and with spirit in God’s out-of-doors. These are the little guideposts on the Foot Path Of Peace.

~ Henry Van Dyke​

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II (268-270 AD), Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular military campaigns. Claudius was having a difficult time getting soldiers to go to the army. He believed the reason was that Roman men did not want to leave their loves or their families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. But Valentine was a priest who would secretly marry any couples who came to him. For this he was taken captive and brought before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th February, in either 269 or 270.

Love is Always Open Arms

“Love is always open arms.” ~ Leo Buscaglia

There is a story about a boy who left home and dishonored his father by spending a large amount of money on fast and reckless living. When the boy's money ran out, he was faced with the prospect of returning home to face his father, knowing the father had every reason to be disappointed in him. Filled with fear and shame he approached his home, his mind racing with words of apology. Before the boy could say a word, his father rushed to him with open arms and hugged his lost son in joy and love.

Have we done this? Have we found it in our hearts to accept what a loved one does, even if we would have wanted something different?

Love like this is the highest kind of love. It finds joy in others no matter what, because it recognizes the freedom of those we love, and doesn't chain them to our own wants. It is the same kind of love God has for us.

Are my arms open today​?

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today, February 14, 2021, the 6th Sunday of ordinary time year B, we celebrate World Marriage Day and Valentine’s Day. World Marriage Day, sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter, “honors the lifelong commitment of husband and wife as head of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of couple's fidelity, sacrifice, and joy in daily married life.” In Catholic circles, Saint Valentine’s Day commemorates the martyrdom of three saints; two near Rome in the 3rd Century and one in Africa. From my limited research, none of them had anything to do with romantic love. Facts aside, Saint Valentine’s Day has been associated with love since the Middle Ages.

And then, we have today’s readings. The first reading from Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 and the gospel from Mark 1:40-45 focus on leprosy while the second reading from 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, reminds us not to offend people. O.K. how do these readings tie into romantic love and the celebration of marriage? At first glance it might seem farfetched. But after reflecting on these readings, it occurred to me that all these readings are about sacrifice and love and compassion for individuals and for the community.

It is in St Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians that we catch a glimpse of an element that has an impact on all relationships: marriage, family, friendship, professional or fleeting like casual encounters. St Paul tells us to “avoid giving offense” and “do everything for the Glory of God.” How many of us can honestly say that we “do everything for the glory of God”? Do our daily encounters with our spouses give glory to God? How about our interactions with our children? What about our interactions with the people at work or the person at the checkout counter? Then there is this business of “[avoiding] giving offence.” In this category I include being sarcastic, saying hurtful things, making fun of people, demeaning people and gossip. Ultimately when we engage in these “offensive” behaviors we are offending God which is the opposite of giving glory to God.

Jesus’ meeting with the leper in today’s Gospel gives us a clear example of how we should treat other people. When the leper approached Jesus, he broke the Law of Moses. And when Jesus touched the leper, he broke the law as well. There is a great irony in this scripture passage. Jesus made the man with leprosy “clean” and by doing so he became ritually “unclean.” After undergoing ritual purification, the man could re-enter his community. But Jesus, the Son of God, “remained outside in deserted places.” One big difference is that no one wanted to be around lepers but “people kept coming to [Jesus] from everywhere.” The message here is that through his all-inclusive love, compassion and promise of salvation Jesus offered everyone hope, especially to the people living “in deserted places.”

In Jesus you stretch out your hand, O God,

to touch the unclean,

to love the unloved,

and to draw even the most despised and excluded

into the circle of your beloved disciples and friends.

Inspired by such love,

make us eager to reach out to others.

We ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

It's Not Easy

 

Jesus and His Disciples

Jesus took his disciples up on the mountain and gathered them around him. And he taught them, saying “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who are persecuted. Blessed are those who suffer. When these things happen, rejoice, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

And Simon Peter said, “Do we have to write this down?”

And Phillip said “Is this going to be on the test?”

And John said, “Would you repeat that, slower?”

And Andrew said, “John the Baptist’s disciples don’t have to learn this stuff.”

And Matthew said, “Huh?”

And Judas said, “What’s this got to do with real life?”

And then one of the Pharisees said, an expert in law, said, “I don’t see any of this in your syllabus. Do you have a lesson plan? Where’s the student guide? Will there be a follow-up assignment?”

And Thomas, who had missed the sermon, came to Jesus privately and said, “Did we do anything important today?”

And Jesus wept.

Paying Attention to Others

When we hold a piece of crystal to the light, it paints rainbows on the wall. When we tap it lightly with a spoon, it sings like a bell. But when we drop it, it shatters in colorless, silent pieces on the floor.

Human beings, sometimes to our amazement, can be as fragile as glass. It's especially easy to forget what makes people we live with or have known for a long time shine or sing. We take for granted the very qualities that made us love them in the first place.

When we forget how to see and hear the people we love, how to appreciate them, we grow careless. Too often, from sheer neglect, the relationship between us grows dull and silent, then slips, falls, and shatters. Paying attention to other people's needs and feelings can prevent this.

Whose presence can I appreciate today?

Not Home Yet

An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and were returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions.

No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong."

"Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us."

"Dear, you shouldn't feel that way", his wife said.  He replied "I can't help it; it doesn't seem right."

When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President's arrival. No one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.

That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly". His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?" A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?"

"The Lord settled it with me", he said. "I told Him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as

though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said;

"But you're not home yet."

Author Unknown

Knowledge of the poor and needy is not gained by pouring over books or in discussions with politicians, but by visiting the slums where they live, sitting by the bedside of the dying, feeling the cold they feel and learning from their lips the causes of their woes.

~Blessed Frédéric Ozanam

Love Is

Love is all there is, and love is enough:
Justice is love holding the balance
Mercy is love being gracious
Faith is love believing
Charity is love giving
Patience is love waiting
Endurance is love abiding
Hope is love expecting
Prayer is love communing
Sympathy is love tenderly touching
Comfort is love soothing
Enthusiasm is love burning
Work is love laboring
Peace is love resting
Understanding is love accepting
Listening is love receiving
Forgiving is love cleansing
Teaching is love reaching
Giving is love circulating
Receiving is love blessing
Love is enough because
Love cannot fail.

Gerry Comstock

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

We are still in day 1 of Jesus’ ministry according to the Gospel of Mark. He has recruited Andrew, Simon, James and John; preached in the Synagogue; exorcised a demon and astounded the people with his authority. In the verses we hear today, Mark 1:29-39, Jesus leaves the Synagogue and goes home with Andrew and Simon. I imagine that Jesus was ready to sit down, have a nice home cooked meal, put his feet up and have a little rest. But that is not what happened. As soon as he got into the house Jesus was confronted with Simon’s sick mother-in-law. He went to her immediately and healed her. Hopefully he did get something to eat because as soon as evening came “the whole town” of Capernaum “was gathered at the door.” Jesus healed those who were sick and exorcised more demons. In this snapshot of Jesus’ first full day of ministry we get a complete picture of his mission: preaching, curing the sick and driving out demons.

Another important element of Jesus’ ministry is part of the story we hear today. That is the importance of prayer in his daily life. “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” I know that without taking time for prayer every day, I could not fulfil my responsibilities as a parish priest. And, given the number of people who ask me to pray for them, it is clear that many people believe that prayer has a positive impact on their lives.

Jesus took time out to pray whenever he could. Mark does not tell us much about how Jesus prayed but we believe that through prayer he received guidance and direction from God, his Father. Through prayer, he also received the inner strength he needed to accomplish his mission.

We need prayer as well. We need to pray for guidance and direction. We need to pray for the strength and courage to face the challenges that life brings our way. We need to pray for each other and our community. We need to pray for our country and the world. If we are going to fulfil our obligations as citizens in the Kingdom of God, we must pray. A wise scripture scholar observed that “prayer will never do our work for us; what it will do is strengthen us for work that must be done.”

The Millennium Prayer

God of love and mercy,

you call us to be your people;

you gift us with your abundant grace.

Make us a holy people,

radiating the fullness of your love.

Form us into a community,

a people who care,

expressing your compassion.

Remind us day after day of our baptismal call to serve,

with joy and courage.

Teach us how to grow

in wisdom and grace and joy

in your presence.

Through Jesus and in your Spirit,

we make this prayer.

Amen.

Wonderfully Made!

In a tiny book written in German and entitled "Wunder der Schöpfung" (Miracle of Nature) the author writes: "friend, your body is made up of 100 trillion cells. If you attempted to count them, taking a second to count each cell, it would take you three million years. This would not be an easy task because the cells are so tiny; each having an average diameter of 10 micrometers (one micrometer is equivalent to one millionth of a meter or 1/1000 of a millimeter). Yet each of these cells has a definite function in the entire organism: for the construction of the eyes and ears, of the teeth and fingernails, of the brain and hormones... Friend, who made this marvelous body of yours?

In contemplation of God's marvelous work of our beings and the beings of other living creatures, we can only exclaim with Psalm 139:13-14 "You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works!"

Parable of the Black Belt

A parable tells about a martial artist who kneels before a master sensei in a ceremony to receive the hard-earned Black Belt. After years of relentless training, the student has finally reached a pinnacle of achievement in the discipline.  

"Before granting the belt, you must pass one more test," the sensei solemnly tells the young man.

"I'm ready," responds the student, expecting perhaps one more round of sparring.

"You must answer the essential question: What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?"

"Why, the end of my journey," says the student. "A well-deserved reward for my hard work."

The master waits for more.  Clearly, he is not satisfied.  The sensei finally speaks: "You are not ready for the Black Belt. Return in one year."

As the student kneels before his master a year later, he is again asked the question, "What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?"

"It is a symbol of distinction and the highest achievement in our art." the young man responds.

Again the master waits for more.  Still unsatisfied, he says once more: "You are not ready for the Black Belt.  Return in one year."

A year later the student kneels before his sensei and hears the question, "What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?"

This time he answers, "The Black Belt represents not the end, but the beginning, the start of a never-ending journey of discipline, work and the pursuit of an ever higher standard."

"Yes," says the master. "You are now ready to receive the Black Belt and begin your work."

You may not be hoping for a Black Belt, but you might be at a crucial point.  Maybe you're facing a life change, perhaps even a painful one.  Or maybe you are awaiting something you have worked hard to attain - graduation, a new job, a promotion, or even retirement.

All wise people see that changes can be new beginnings.  Change need not be feared. And neither should we be looking for a permanent resting place, for a full and happy life is never stagnant.

Does the change you face represent, not just an ending, but a new beginning in your life's journey?  If so, you may be ready to move forward.

Seeking God

Insignificant man, escape from your everyday business for a short while, hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him.

Enter into your mind's inner chamber. Shut out everything but God and whatever helps you to seek him; and when you have shut the door, look for him. Speak now to God and say with your whole heart: I seek your face; your face, Lord, I desire.

Lord, my God, teach my heart where and how to seek you, where and how to find you.  Lord, if you are everywhere, why do I not see you when you are present? But surely you dwell in "light inaccessible." And where is light inaccessible? How shall I approach light inaccessible? Or who will lead me and bring me into it that I may see you there?  I have never seen you, Lord my God; I do not know your face.

Lord most high, what shall this exile do, so far from you? What shall your servant do, tormented by love of you and cast so far from your face? He yearns to see you, and your face is too far from him.  He desires to approach you, and your dwelling is unapproachable. He longs to find you, and does not know your dwelling place. He strives to look for you, and does not know your face.

~ St Anselm (1033-1109ad)​

Donation

Father O'Malley answers the phone. 

"Hello, is this Father O'Malley?"

"It is"

"This is the IRS. Can you help us?"

"I can"

"Do you know a Ted Houlihan?"

"I do"

"Is he a member of your congregation?"

"He is"

"Did he donate $10,000 to the church?"

"He will"​