Help Me Find a Way

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace:

wherever I encounter anger and hatred, help me find a way to bring love;

wherever I find injury, help me find a way to bring pardon and healing;

wherever I find doubt, help me find a way to bring faith;

wherever I encounter despair, help me find a way to show hope;

wherever I encounter darkness, help me find a way to bring light;

wherever I find sadness, help me find a way to bring Your Joy.

And, Lord, help me to realize that sometimes I find these within myself!

My Creator, help me find a way:

not so much to being consoled, as to being compassionate with others,

not so much to being understood, as to listen and to understand others,

not so much to being loved myself, but rather than to love those I encounter.

For it is in giving of our own gifts and talents, that we receive,

it is in forgiving the hurts we receive from others, that we are forgiven ourselves,

and it is in giving up our old life that we are born to a new life both here on earth and eternally with You.

Lord, Help me find a way.

Amen.

Judged on Love

New Start

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6.

Everyone who got where he is, had to begin where he was. Pope Paul VI

Everything in Life Changes You

Everything in life changes you in some way, even the smallest things. If you do not accept these changes, you do not accept yourself. For through these changes life brings new and greater things to you, making you wiser as time progresses. To avoid these changes is a loss. You only live your life once. Do not waste a minute avoiding things. Let them come to you, and learn from them. There is always tomorrow.

Everyday God gives us a “Do-Over”!!!

 

No One Can

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As I read today's gospel, Mark 9:38-48, I was struck once again, with how very human and real Jesus' disciples were. There was a lot of grumbling and pettiness among Jesus' followers. Last Sunday, we heard them arguing about who was the greatest. Two weeks ago, we heard Peter rebuking Jesus, trying to deter him from his mission. And today we hear John complaining about someone driving out demons in Jesus' name who "does not follow us."

We hear about a similar encounter between Moses and Joshua in today's first reading, Numbers 11:25-29. Moses needed help managing the thousands of people he led out of Egypt. The Lord tells Moses to gather seventy elders in the meeting tent so He can "take some of the spirit that is on you and will bestow it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you. You will then not have to bear it by yourself" (Nm. 11:17). Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, missed the gathering in the tent but the Lord bestowed the spirit on them as well and they began to prophesy. Joshua asked Moses to stop Eldad and Medad. Moses gave a beautiful response, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!" (Nm 11:29).

Now John might have been a little jealous about the outsider successfully driving out demons in Jesus' name. Earlier, in this chapter, some of the disciples tried to drive a mute and deaf spirit out of a boy but they failed because they lacked faith and prayer (Mark 9:17-27). But Jesus, like Moses, knew that it takes many people to lead us into the kingdom. And he acknowledged, "There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:39-40). The bottom line is that the kingdom is inclusive not exclusive and God can and does use anyone, even us, to build his kingdom.

God our Father,

pour out on us and on all people

the life-giving Spirit of your Son.

Let him open our minds,

that we may see your beauty and truth

in an ever-new light.

Let him open our hearts

that we may receive from him every day

a fresh provision of courage.

Let him pour out in all people

a love that is respectful and tolerant.

All this we dare to ask you

in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

Grateful

A thousand eyes, but none with correct vision.

~ Isacher Hurwitz

William Shakespeare referred to envy as the "green sickness." There are only losers in the game of envy. When we envy someone else, we have judged ourselves and found something lacking.

Lack of self-love is the soil in which envy grows. Envious people are never satisfied. Self-pity is never sitting far from envy. We feel sorry for ourselves for what we don't have. Self-pity is like a swamp, the longer we stand in the muck, the more we stink.

Concentrating on what we do have is the perfect antidote for envy. Every one of us has our own special gifts and talents. We find these by looking at ourselves instead of looking at others. By becoming grateful for what we have, we can rejoice in ourselves.

Today let me be grateful for what I have.

From - "Our Best Days" by Nancy Hull-Mast 

Morning Prayer

 

Then Why Don't We Pray?

The highest privilege ever afforded to humans is the power of prayer.

... then why don't we pray?

The right to talk to the highest power in all the universe...

... then why don't we pray?

The most powerful force accessible to people is the potential of prayer...

... then why don't we pray?

The greatest longing in the heart of God is to talk to His children...

... then why don't we pray?

Nothing is impossible to those who pray...

... then why don't we pray?

No one ever failed or faltered who gave himself to prayer...

... then why don't we pray?

Every sin is forgiven, every stain is washed clean, all guilt diminished to the one who prays...

... then why don't we pray?

Hell moves farther away, Satan flees from the one who prays...

... then why don't we pray?

Anointing will come, mountains will be moved, valleys made smooth, rivers made crossable, the inaccessible made accessible, the impossible made possible, dreams come true to the one who prays...

... then why don't we pray?

Jesus said that men ought always to pray...

... then why don't we pray?

Paul encouraged prayer without ceasing...

... then why don't we pray?

The riches of heaven are open to those who pray in His name...

... then why don't we pray?

Everyone can pray, the young, the old, the rich, the poor, the strong, the weak, the child, the aged, the sinner, the prisoner, in any nation, in any language, all people can pray...

... then why don't we pray?

Pearl

The beauty of a single pearl, or a string of the precious stones, is unmistakable. Few jewels capture the eye quite like a perfect pearl. Know how the pearl came to be? In the beginning, it’s only a grain of sand. That tiny little irritant slips inside the tight seal of an oyster’s shell, and immediately causes discomfort. With no way to expel the grain of sand, with no way to ease the pain, the oyster coats the sand with a layer of the inner lining of its shell to make the sand smooth. This still does not ease the oyster's suffering. Again and again the oyster coats the sand, but all the attempts to get rid of the irritant have little effect. As far as an oyster is concerned, what we call a “pearl” is nothing more than great suffering. But one day the oyster is fished from the water and opened. The gem inside has amazing beauty and holds great value – all because the oyster had great suffering.

Maybe it’s no accident that the 12 gates of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:21) are made of pearls. It’s the suffering of our Savior that allows the gate to be there in the first place, and more than likely, all who enter those priceless gates will have also known the personal cost of great suffering.

Boats Floating Downstream

In Centering Prayer, a contemplative practice taught by Thomas Keating, we choose a “sacred word” to help us return to our intention of awareness to God’s presence. The word might be “Peace” or “Be” or “Love”—something simple. Don’t spend too much time analyzing the word. Hold it lightly and let it go when it is no longer needed, but come back to it any time your thoughts interrupt the stillness.

Keating uses the imagery of a river in Centering Prayer to help compartmentalize our “thinking” mind. He says our ordinary thoughts are like boats on a river so closely packed together that we cannot experience the river that flows underneath them. The river is the Presence of God holding us up. When we find ourselves getting distracted or hooked by a thought or feeling, we are to return ever so gently to our sacred word, letting the boat (thought or feeling) float on downstream. Gradually, the mind is quieted, with fewer thoughts/feelings and more space between “boats.”

Be patient with this practice. We all have ingrained patterns. Sometimes the same thought or feeling will circle by again and again, saying “Think me! Think me! Feel me! Feel me!” as it tries harder to be noticed. Just keep returning to the sacred word and letting the boats float downstream.

Five Fingers

A mother put her son to bed on the eve of his fifth birthday. She was trying to communicate that birthday idea to him. "Kevin," she said, "this is the last night of your fourth night. Do you understand that?" Kevin was ready to communicate with his hands. For a full year, he had shown people four fingers for his four years, and now he was ready to add a thumb. Seeing his four fingers, his mother nodded, and said: "When you go to sleep tonight, you'll still be 4-years-old. But do you know how old you'll be in the morning, when you wake up?" Kevin nodded enthusiastically, added his thumb to his four little fingers and said, "Tomorrow, I'll be a handful!

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

I imagine that most of us over a certain age have heard the adage “pride goes before a fall."  The actual quotation is from Proverbs 16, “Pride goes before disaster and a haughty spirit before a fall.  It is better to be humble with the poor than to share plunder with the proud” (vs. 18-19).  This is part of the message in today’s gospel from Mark 9:30-37.  Jesus and the disciples were on their way to Jerusalem.  As they were traveling Jesus predicted his betrayal, death and resurrection.   Once again, the disciples didn’t get it.  In fact, their response was even worse than Peter’s that we heard in last week’s Gospel.  Not only did they fail to understand, “they were afraid to question him.”  Perhaps they could not take in any more information.  Or, maybe they didn’t want to know the answer.

Rather than ask questions, the disciples began arguing among themselves about who was the greatest. “OK we don’t want to know anymore, let’s talk about us.”  This is where the proverb comes in.  In the Kingdom there is no room for pride, jealously and ambition.   St. James tells us in the 2nd reading “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice” (James 13:16).

Jesus turned this sad state of affairs into a teaching moment. He reminded the disciples and he reminds us that in Kingdom we are all called to be servant leaders, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all” (v. 35). And then he brings a child into their circle saying “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me” (v. 37). Although we don’t have to worry about persecution for our faith, our biggest danger is pride and ambition. Our goal is to seek wisdom from above that is "pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity" (James 3:17).  If we can put our egos aside, and take on a gentle attitude of mercy and peace, then there is hope that we can, following the example of Jesus, bring the kingdom a little closer to Peachtree City.

God, giver of all good gifts,

give us the wisdom to belong

among the last and the least

as people who know how to serve, the people around us

generously and without condescension,

especially all who are little and fragile.

We ask this through him

who made himself the servant of all,

Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 Amen.

I Feared

I feared being alone until I learned to like myself.

I feared failure until I realized that I only fail when I don't try.

I feared success until I realized that I had to try in order to be happy with myself.

I feared peoples opinions until I learned that people would have opinions about me anyway.

I feared rejection until I learned to have faith in myself.

I feared pain until I learned that it's necessary for growth.

I feared the truth until I saw the ugliness in lies.

I feared life until I experienced its beauty.

I feared death until I realized that it's not an end but a beginning.

I feared my destiny until I realized that I had the power to change my life.

I feared hate until I realized it was nothing more than ignorance.

I feared love until it touched my heart making the darkness fade into endless sunny days.

I feared ridicule until I learned to laugh at myself.

I feared growing old until I realized that I gained wisdom everyday.

I feared the future until I realized that life just kept getting better everyday.

I feared the past until I realized that it could no longer hurt me.

I feared the darkness until I saw the beauty of the starlight.

I feared the light until I learned that the truth would give me strength.

I feared change until I saw that even the most beautiful butterfly had to undergo a metamorphosis before it could fly.

Source Unknown

Our Lady of Sorrows

The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the seven great sorrows which Mary lived in relation to Her Son, as they are recorded in the Gospels or through Tradition. Today we are invited to reflect on Mary's deep suffering:

1. At the prophecy of Simeon: "You yourself shall be pierced with a sword - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare." (Luke 2:35).
2. At the flight into Egypt; "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt." (Mt 2:13).
3. Having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem; "You see that your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow." (Luke 2:48).
4. Meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
5. Standing at the foot of the Cross; "Near the cross of Jesus there stood His mother." (John 19:25).
6. Jesus being taken from the Cross;
7. At the burial of Christ.

Prior to the Second Vatican Council, there were two feasts devoted to the sorrows of Mary. The first feast was instituted in Cologne in 1413 as an expiation for the sins of the iconoclast Hussites. The second is attributed to the Servite order whose principal devotion are the Seven Sorrows. It was instituted in 1668, though the devotion had been in existence since 1239 - five years after the founding of the order.

Grace

Grace, she takes the blame

She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace, it's a name for a girl

It's also a thought 

that changed the world

And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything

Grace, she's got the walk

Not on a ramp or on chalk
She's got the time to talk

She travels outside of karma
She travels outside of karma

When she goes to work
You can hear her strings
Grace finds beauty in everything

Grace, she carries a world on her hips

No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips between her fingertips

She carries a pearl in perfect condition
What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings

Because grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things
Grace makes beauty out of ugly things.
Grace finds goodness in everything.

Lyrics: Bono

Friendship

St. Francis de Sales tells us: "Friendship requires great communication." Mt 6:6 says to us: “But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

In the First letter of Peter 5:7 we are told: “Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.”

And so, the only way to have a friend is to be one. A real friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

Minor Decisions

A married couple was celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. At the party everybody wanted to know how they managed to stay married so long in this day and age.

The husband responded, "When we were first married, we came to an agreement. I would make all the major decisions, and my wife would make all the minor decisions."

At which point the wife took up the tale, "And in 60 years of marriage we have never needed to make a major decision."

Walking in a way that honors Christ may sound like a major decision - to walk in a way worthy of your calling. But in a sense, this major decision is made with a long series - a lifetime, even - of minor decisions. You just make ‘em one at the time, like one little step at a time, and pretty soon, you're walking in a brand new way, right into heaven.

Ephesians 4:1-3

Ephesians 4:1-3 - I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds [us].

Look at the qualities Paul lists immediately, while his instruction to walk in a way that's worthy of your calling are still echoing in the air.

•Humility.

•Gentleness.

•Patience.

•Bearing with one another.

•Loving people.

•Working hard to keep the unity among believers.

It's pretty simple. When you make an effort to live in a Christ-honoring manner, it immediately affects the people around you. It's like the foot washing in the upper room. It's a way of living that goes against the grain. It shocks people all the humility and gentleness. It stuns people, at the strength they find in such a person.

If this is you, then it's like this. The people around you go first. Other people get the best portion. People you live with, people you work with, people you study with, play with, hang out with, they get more than you do. They get more honor. They get more prestige. They get more joy. They might even have more stuff, more money. It's a lifestyle that says you will be the servant, and they will be the served.

Why? Because you make sure it happens that way.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Those of us who were born in most “Western” countries have never experienced suffering, rejection, persecution or the threat of death for our faith. And most of us have never experienced exile or occupation, repressive governments and despotic leaders. So it might be difficult for us to grasp the full impact that Jesus’ announcement in today’s gospel from Mark 8: 27 – 35 had on his disciples. In this reading Peter makes his astounding profession of faith. He declares his belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah. This is the apex of Mark’s gospel. But then Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone. Why?

Although Peter initially got it right, within about five minutes he got it wrong. Peter, the other disciples and the Jewish people of that time believed that the Messiah was to be a superhero. He would gather a great army to destroy the wicked gentiles, restore Jerusalem to its glory, make Palestine the center of the world and then establish a time of peace and prosperity. There was no room for suffering, rejection and death in the Messianic Kingdom. For Peter and the other disciples this concept was incomprehensible. The way of the Cross could not be the way of the Messiah. But as we know now it was and it is. The disciples were not ready to accept the reality of following Jesus the Christ. And if they weren’t, neither was the rest of the world. It was only after the Crucifixion and Resurrection that they could grasp the truth.

What about us? We live in the safety and security of Peachtree City. We are not persecuted. We can believe whatever we want. We can disagree with politicians. We are free to come and go as we please. Can we comprehend the message of Jesus in Mark’s gospel? Are we prepared to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus? Let’s pray that we are not put to the test.

Many Christians in our world are persecuted. They are exiled. They suffer rejection and are killed for their faith. Christians in China, India, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Syria and Vietnam are persecuted every day. They are confronted with the hard reality of the Way of the Cross and yet they continue to follow Jesus knowing and accepting that they will suffer as a result. These heroic Christians are an inspiration to me. They are our contemporary martyrs. If you want to know more about our persecuted brothers and sisters, I recommend that you subscribe to ucanews.com an independent Catholic newsletter that covers Asia especially and other parts of the world. And, as you freely drive around Peachtree City, please say a prayer for people who are persecuted for their faith, no matter where they live.

Lord God, our hope and trust,

you have made us for happiness.

When we seek it in glorious dreams

of prosperity, success, and freedom from pain

help us to face the truth of real life.

Help us accept the uncertain darkness

of suffering and self-effacement

as the price to pay for light and joy.

Teach us the way of your Son Jesus Christ,

who died of his own free will,

so that we might live and be happy.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

He Already Knows

A priest was teaching his weekly Bible class, and he asked the members how they'd introduce themselves to the Lord when they got to heaven. The first one said, “Lord, I'm Joan. I was married for 47 years, I raised three wonderful children, and I always baked the cupcakes for school. That's who I am.”

Another said, “Lord, I'm George. I was the biggest contractor in the county Almost all of my buildings were good and I tried to watch out for the little guys. That's who I am.”

And another said, “I'm Harry. I was the school janitor all my life. Kept the place real clean, and was never mean to the kids either. That's who I am, Lord.”

And so it went till finally it was the turn of the oldest man in the group. He spoke very softly: “I won't need to introduce myself,” he said . “The Lord already knows who I am."

Good Trade

 

Look to this Day

For it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lies all
The realities and verities of existence,
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power.

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.

Ancient Sanskrit poem

Pray at All Times

"With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit"

The Bible tells us we are to pray without ceasing, but for many believers this is not understood in a practical sense. Prayer for each individual must become a daily, constant, and consistent way of living. In any given moment we are only a thought and breath from communicating with God. In a day and age when we pride ourselves on having high-speed internet connections, we also have a high-speed instant access connection with the Heavenly Father.

In the book of Psalms we get some insight into the approach that David took in praying at all times. In Psalm 4 we are reminded that he prayed before ending the day. In Psalm 5 we see him start his day in prayer. In Psalm 6 we see how he prayed in the aftermath of his failures. In Psalm 7 we read how David prayed when the pressure was on and he was under attack. In Psalm 8 he prayed when he thought of the creative power of God. In Psalm 9 we see that he prayed in times of joy. In Psalm 10 he prayed when he felt isolated.

It is safe to say that David as a lifestyle prayed without ceasing and stressed how important it is to keep the lines of communication open to God.

I Came to Church Today

Hello God, I came to church today
To talk a little while
I need a friend who'll listen
To my anxiety and trial.

You see, I can't quite make it
Through a day just on my own
I need your love to guide me,
So I'll never feel alone.

I want to ask you please to keep,
My family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
For whatever fate they're bound.

Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout the day,
And not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.

I thank You God, for being here
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall!

Your true presence, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
because I know your are mine.

So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Thank you God for loving me
and dying for all my tomorrows.

A Mountaintop View

A police car pulled up in front of an older woman's house, and her husband climbed out. The polite policeman explained that "this elderly gentleman" said that he was lost in the park and couldn't find his way home.

"How could it happen?" asked his wife. "You've been going to that park for over 30 years! How could you get lost?"

Leaning close to her ear so that the policeman couldn't hear, he whispered, "I wasn't lost - I was just too tired to walk home."  

These bodies become less cooperative as we age. For some, work becomes less fun and fun becomes more work. One older friend commented, "I've reached the age where the warranty has expired on my remaining teeth and internal organs."

But I like the spirit of Charles Marowitz. "Old age is like climbing a mountain," he says. "The higher you get, the more tired and breathless you become. But your view becomes much more extensive."

Atop the mountain, one has a better view of the world. One can see above the differences that divide people. One can better see beyond petty hurts and human fragility. Atop the mountain, one has a longer view of the past and can therefore understand the future with more clarity. Atop the mountain, one looks down on dark clouds of gloom and despair and fear and notices that they are neither as large nor as ominous as those beneath them would believe. It is also clearer that however dark they may appear, they too, are fleeting and will someday pass.

George Bernard Shaw said, "Some are younger at seventy than most at seventeen." I think it is because they have a broader outlook.

It will take a lifetime to climb the mountain, but, for me, the view will be worth the journey.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today's first reading from Isaiah 35:4-7a, God, speaking though Isaiah, proclaims that He is coming to save us. And, Isaiah tells us, when God does come extraordinary things will happen, "then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing" (Isaiah 35:5-6). This is fantastic news. The event will be so phenomenal that "the desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom" (Isaiah 35:1).

So it is ironic that when Jesus arrives in our world and when he performs healing miracles, he often tells people not to talk about it. In today's gospel, Mark 7:31-37, Jesus heals a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. He touches the man's ears and tongue and says "’Ephphatha!' — that is, 'Be opened!' — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly" (Mark 7:34-35). Jesus ordered everyone present "not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it" (Mark 7:36).

It seems to me that it would be impossible for the healed man and his friends not to talk about what happened. Not only did Jesus give the man the gifts of hearing and speech, he gave him the gift of community, he freed the man from isolation, he gave him a new life and he gave him the opportunity to be an active participant in the Kingdom of God. This is staggering. If I was that man, I would be shouting from the rooftops, "Look at what Jesus has done for me!"

God our Father,

you wait for us to be open to you, to people,

and to all that is true, beautiful and good.

Let your Spirit open our ears

to the liberating Word of your Son.

Let him open our hearts and hands

to everyone who needs us.

Let him open our lips,

that we may proclaim everywhere

the marvels you do for us.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen!

Citizenship

In October 2005, Moses Bittok celebrated an experience he had waited a lifetime to achieve: He became a U.S. citizen. That alone would have been enough to give the native Kenyan the happiest day of his life, but it was just a prelude.

On the way home from the Des Moines, Iowa, Federal building, Bittok stopped at a gas station to see the winning numbers in the Iowa state "Hot Lotto Game." He was surprised to find out that he had won $1.89 million.

"It's almost like you adopted a new country and then they netted you $1.8 million," said Bittok. "It doesn't happen anywhere - I guess only in America."

Want to see something really amazing? As soon as we accept Christ, our life will changes and we become citizens in the Kingdom of God.

Miracles