Miracles

One of the mistakes people make is expecting God only in miracles, in flashes, and in instant gratification.

The church looks for miracles in order to declare a saint. But life is full of miracles! For an alcoholic or addict to live one day sober is a miracle. To love a person after they make a big mistake is a miracle. To be able to love yourself after you make a big mistake is a miracle. To follow God’s call day after day is a miracle. To take up your cross daily is a miracle.

God is often found in the whisper of the wind, the beauty of a flower, snow covering the tiny branches of a tree, the voice of a friend.

To be looking and listening for God is enough! To find God in your sister or brother is a miracle.

Heaven and Hell

A very old man knew that he was going to die very soon. Before he died, he wanted to know what heaven and hell were like, so he visited the wise man in his village.

“Can you please tell me what heaven and hell are like?” he asked the wise man.

“Come with me and I will show you,” the wise man replied.

The two men walked down a long path until they came to a large house. The wise man took the old man inside, and there they found a large dining room with an enormous table covered with every kind of food imaginable. Around the table were many people all thin and hungry, who were holding 12-foot chopsticks. Every time they tried to feed themselves, the food fell off the chopsticks.

The old man said to the wise man, “Surely this must be hell. Will you now show me heaven?” The wise man said, “Yes, come with me.”

The two men left the house and walked further down the path until they reached another large house. Again they found a large dining room and in it a table filled with all kinds of delicious foods. The people there were happy and appeared well fed, but they also held 12-foot chopsticks.”

“How can this be? Said the old man. “These people have 12-foot chopsticks and yet they are happy and well fed.”

The wise man replied, “In heaven the people feed each other.”

Bridges of Faith

In 1847, a boy named Homan Walsh went out to fly a kite. Homan was taking part in a kite-flying contest, so he brought his best kite, and plenty of string.

He stood on the Canadian bank of the Niagara River, letting more and more of that string go out, and his little-boy's kite kept going higher, and higher, and higher until it stretched nearly 1,000 feet. When a stranger on the American side of the Niagara Gorge grabbed Homan's string, the crowd that had gathered let up a mighty roar. For the first time in history, people on opposite sides of this great gorge were holding onto the same string. And Homan won $5, the top prize in the contest.

There was much more than $5 at stake, however. In short order, the string was tied to a tree on the American shoreline, and a light cord tied to the Canadian end of the string. The cord was then pulled across the 800-foot span. A rope was tied to the cord, and pulled safely across. To the rope was attached a wire cable, and to the cable, a thicker cable attached. It was the beginning of an engineering victory over one of the greatest natural barriers that had separated Americans and Canadians.

Fifty-foot towers were built on each side of the river, and more cables became a part of the picture. In time, people rode across the river in buckets, for $1 each, and then they walked on a foot bridge for a quarter. But less than a year after Homan's kite first flew across the river, people were safely riding their horse-drawn carriages across the Niagara, on a marvelous suspension bridge that hung 220 feet over the rushing water.

Eventually, there were 15 bridges that spanned the Niagara, six of which are in use today. The thousands of passengers that travel across the multi-lane, high-speed bridges today think nothing of the bridge, some of them so familiar with the path, they barely glance at the scenic view. More than likely, it has never occurred to most of those on the great bridges today that somewhere in the past, just to get this modern-day miracle under way, somebody had to fly a kite.

If great bridges can get their start with a boy's kite and string, then I'll tell you that great spiritual experiences can get their start with amazingly simple decisions.

The Lord's Supper is one of the world's simplest meals. From one vantage point, it might not seem much more significant than a boy flying a kite. It might seem little more than a string of a connection between you and God. Our offer to you today is make that connection. From the smallest beginnings can come great bridges of faith.

Young Bride

A young bride was extremely anxious on the day before her wedding. The priest realized she was nervous, and he asked her about it.

"I'm going to make a mess of the whole thing," she said. "There are just so many people looking at me!"

The priest broke the ceremony down into small parts. "Hey," he said. "This is your church, your family's church. You know everything about this church. So, as your dad takes you by the arm, concentrate on the aisle. Just focus on the aisle."

"OK," she said.

"Then, as you turn the corner, you'll see the altar. It's the same altar that's been here for years, and you're familiar with it. Focus on the aisle, and then the altar."

"OK," she said.

"And then," said the priest, "you'll see your groom! Just focus on him, and you're there! Focus on the aisle first, altar second, and him third!"

So, just as she'd been promised, she zoned in on the three simple steps. But imagine her Dad's feelings when he heard her saying it over and over and over, as they got closer and closer and closer . . . "Aisle, altar, him. Aisle-altar-him. Aisle-alter him!"

Make Your Plans

The story is told of Morris, a Russian man, who saved his rubles for twenty years to buy a new car. After choosing the model and options he wants, he's not the least bit surprised or even concerned to learn that it will take two years for the new car to be delivered. He thanks the salesman and starts to leave, but as he reaches the door he pauses and turns back to the salesman. "Do you know which week two years from now the new car will arrive?"

The salesman checks his notes and tells the man that it will be two years to the exact week. The man thanks the salesman and starts out again, but upon reaching the door, he turns back again.

"Could you possibly tell me what day of the week two years from now the car will arrive?"

The salesman, mildly annoyed, checks his notes again and says that it will be exactly two years from this week, on Thursday.

Morris thanks the salesman and once again starts to leave. Halfway through the door, he hesitates, turns back, and walks up to the salesman.

"I'm sorry to be so much trouble, but do you know if that will be two years from now on Thursday in the morning, or in the afternoon?"

Visibly irritated, the salesman flips through his papers yet another time and says sharply that it will be in the afternoon, two years from now on Thursday.

"That's a relief!" says Morris. "The plumber is coming that morning!"

We often have to make plans far in advance so as to avoid any conflicts. Before making any commitments -- you know the routine -- we have to pull out the date book (or the iPhone). "The kids have got a soccer game that night at 7:00, but the next night is free." Planning ahead isn't wrong; in fact, it's a scriptural principle. What makes it wrong, though, is planning ahead without any thought of God.

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.' " (James 4:13-15)

Go ahead! Make your plans! Fill in that date book!

Just make sure that God hasn't been left out.

Give it a Try

Ancestors

Spirit of my ancestors,

this day I join in acknowledging the blessedness of the many
who inspired me and shaped my faith.

I turn in memory and appreciation
toward those ancestors in my family of origin
who influenced and encouraged me to live as my best self.

I bring to mind others who enriched my life
and led me further on my journey of personal transformation.

I honor all those who sacrificed and suffered
in order for peace and justice to be furthered on our planet.

I give thanks and rejoice for the countless, unnamed persons
those goodness left a lasting mark of kindness and compassion.

May the remembrance of each of these blessed ones
deepen my personal commitment
to leave a trace of goodness wherever I go.

When I depart this sphere of life may I do so
having contributed to individual and world peace
and may this world be a better place because of me and my ancestors​.

Self Love

"Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin as self-neglect."  ~William Shakespeare

We will never achieve a feeling of true safety by seeing our self-image in terms of our character defects. To give our shortcomings such power is to ensure that we will never have enough faith or strength to go forward: we are either condemned to live in the past, trying to change it, or to the future, trying to control it.

The only safety is in the present, affirming the positive qualities we possess. Even if we're in deep sorrow this moment, we can feel safe by appreciating that we have the ability to grieve, which takes courage and passion for life. Appreciating our many good points is a way to counteract the fear that eats away at our security.

There are a number of ways we can affirm our worth. We can write affirmations, ask others for positive support, list our good qualities, and include our progress in recovery in our daily inventory. We deserve to have the freedom that comes from feeling safe within ourselves.

What am I saying to myself right now

"You're a failure" or "You're wonderful, and I love you"?

Thoughts on the Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer is well known in most circles. You can find it printed on coffee mugs, plaques, tapestries, cards, etc. I’m sure you’re all familiar with it. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference”. I cannot begin to count the times I have prayed this prayer. Many times it is part of my morning devotions. I ask God to give me peace for the day to accept the things I cannot change. On more than one occasion I have prayed this prayer under my breath and quickly! When someone was in my face I wanted God to give me peace to accept what I obviously wasn’t going to be able to change.

To accept things that we cannot change is hard for us humans. We have conquered the wildest of rivers with our great dams. We have harnessed the power of the atom. We have found cures and vaccines for many diseases and continue to make great strides in every field. The idea of asking God for peace to accept those things we cannot change is alien to us. Yet there are things I cannot change. I cannot change people. As much as I would like to I simply cannot make people love God and turn to him for help. I can show the way. I can preach the way. I can offer to go with them on the way but I cannot make them change. I cannot change history either. What has happened is done. Not even God rewrites history. It stands as a record of the successes and failures of each of us for all to see. Whether it is people or history or other circumstances, God is able to give us peace in the midst of the situation.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference”.

There’s an old story of the boy who stood on a sidewalk, waiting on a bus. A man walking by spotted the boy, and gave him some gentle instruction. “Son,” he said, “if you’re waiting on the bus, you need to move to the street corner. That’s where the bus stops for passengers.” “It’s OK,” said the boy. “I’ll just wait right here, and the bus will stop for me.” The man repeated his argument, but the boy never moved. Just then, the bus appeared. Amazingly, the bus pulled over to where the boy stood, and the child hopped on. The man on the sidewalk stood speechless. The boy turned around in the doorway and said, “Mister, I knew the bus would stop here, because the bus driver is my dad!”

When you’ve got a family relationship with the bus driver, you don’t need a bus stop. If your mother is a US Senator, you won’t need an appointment to slip into her office. If you’ve given your heart to the King of Kings, you’re in a royal family of unspeakable proportions​.

From the Bible to casinos, seven is often considered to be a magical, perfect, and lucky number.

Jesus told us to forgive those who hurt us seventy times seven times. Clearly he meant that to mean infinity.

Genesis speaks of the seven days of creation. Scripture speaks of seven archangels, and the Book of Revelation speaks of the seven seals of Revelation. The Bible is saturated with the number seven.

Roman Catholics have seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Healing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.

There are seven Corporal Works of Mercy: Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead.

And then seven spiritual Works of Mercy: Instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses willingly, comfort the afflicted, and pray for the living and the dead.

We also have the famous seven Wonders of the World, though now there are arguments as to what precisely constitutes that list: Some argue for the original list, the seven Wonders of the Ancient World, others propose the seven Wonders of the Modern World, some speak of the seven Wonders of the Contemporary World, and still others affirm that the real wonders of this world are constructed by nature and they list instead the seven Natural Wonders of this World.

So what’s the true list? What, in fact, constitutes the seven Wonders of the World?

Recently this story appeared on the internet: A teacher asked her students to name the seven Wonders of the World. A number of students, with the help no doubt of electronic gadgets, quickly produced the various lists.

One young girl, however, without any electronic research, produced her own list. The seven Wonders of the World, she submitted, are: seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling, touching, breathing, and loving.

That list, I believe, reminds us all that the greatest wonder is the gift of life from conception until we meet our Lord face to face. Oh, the wonder of it all.

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 the United States we always celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September. Labor Day is more than an observation of the end of summer or the beginning of the football season. Created by the labor movement in 1882, Labor Day celebrates the "social and economic achievements of American workers"(US DOL). Labor Day received official government recognition by the US Congress in 1894.

The Catholic Church also has a long and distinguished history of supporting and encouraging labor movements throughout the world. Pope Leo XIII wrote a seminal document supporting labor and worker's rights, Rerum Novarum in 1891. There are six themes in Rerum Novarum that form part of today’s Catholic Social Teaching:

1. Cooperation between the classes – Labor and capital must work together (cooperate). Each has rights to be upheld and duties to society & the other classes.

2. Dignity of Work – Work should provide a decent life for workers & their families. Workers should have the right to safe working conditions and reasonable time off.

3. Just wage and worker’s associations - Right to a wage sufficient to provide a decent life for worker & family and right to unionize in order to negotiate wages & good working conditions.

4. Role of the State - State should not interfere in private/local matters, but may need to intervene for the Common Good ((Subsidiarity).

5. Private ownership of property - All have the right to own property and it must be equally available to all. Private property must be used for the Common Good.

6. Defense of the poor - Concern for and meeting the needs of the poor must be a priority not only for people of faith, but for government as well.

While many of these themes are widely assumed today, in 1891 they were revolutionary. Rerum Novarum was the first Catholic social encyclical. If you would like to read the document, go to: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html.

Last year the US Conference of Catholic Bishops published a Prayer for Labor Day. I am repeating it here for your reflection.

Prayer for Labor Day

As the sun rises to bring in the new day:

We remember those who descend into the earth,
their work begins in darkness,
pulling from the earth, the resources we steward.

We remember those who work inside a building
away from the light and brightness of the day.

We remember those who work outside in the harsh elements of our world,
the bitter cold and sweltering heat of extremes.

We remember those who do not have a job to go to,
who are struggling to meet the needs of their daily living expenses,
for whom the day becomes long and arduous.

As the sun sets to bring in the evening of rest:
We remember those who work in the night.

We remember those who are trying to recover from their labor and toils of the day.

We remember those who participate in unsafe and dangerous work.

We pray for a renewed sense of dignity in their lives and in their work.

God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the worker.

Make a place in our hearts for compassion to the men and women

who labor tirelessly for basic necessities.

Ensure a place for the men and women who are struggling to find work.

Grant us your wisdom to greet and care for those who are unable to work due to illness or circumstances that prevent their participation.

Be with the children who are not able to run and play,

but instead must put in a hard day’s work to help their family afford to eat, to live.

Be with us all, Christ Jesus,
as we go about the busyness of our work.

Hold us accountable not only for our actions,

but most importantly to each of our neighbors.

May we continue to work together to bring about your reign!

We ask this in your holy name, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

 

1 Peter 5:5-7