Be Here Now

Thomas Merton entered the monastery in Kentucky when he was 27 years old. He was accidentally electrocuted in Bangkok 27 years later on December 10, 1968, at the age of 54. Merton reacquainted Christianity with its contemplative roots. His writings inspired many, including myself, to return to le point vierge, “the virgin point” of pure poverty and nothingness in God’s presence, which can only be found in the now.

Be Here Now

If you watch your mind, you will see you live most of your life in the past or in the future, both of which Jesus warns us against. That’s just the way the mind works. If you are to experience the ever-present and ever-coming Christ, the one place you have to be is the one place you are usually not: NOW HERE or “nowhere.” Everything that happens to you happens right now; if you can’t be present right now, nothing new is ever going to happen to you. You will not experience your experiences; they will not go to any depth in your soul. You really won’t grow unless you’re willing to live right here, right now—to be present.

How do you be present? Jesus describes it rather profoundly: “You must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, with your whole mind, and with your whole strength” (Luke 10:27). Whenever all of these parts are working together at the same time you are present. He finishes by saying “Do this and life is yours!” (10:28). I like to say that prayer happens whenever all of you is present—body, mind, soul, spirit, emotions—all together. That’s hard work. This is the core and constant meaning of all spiritual practice, no matter what religion: how to be here now! Then you will know what you need to know to go forward.

Usually we have to be shocked into it, I’m sorry to say. Great love does it. When you are deeply in love—with anything—you tend to be present to the Now. Someone has said, “To be a saint is to have loved many things”—many things—the tree, the dog, the sky, the flowers, even the color of someone’s clothing. You see, when you love, you love, and love extends to everything all the time and everywhere. When you love, you’re much more likely to be present. What this moment offers is the grace of God.

Approval

We can secure other people's approval, if we do right and try hard; but our own is worth a hundred of it.  ~Mark Twain

There was once a young girl who thought that if only she tried a little harder, she could please her parents; if only she were prettier, her friends would like her better. She tried constantly to gain their approval. Sometimes they said they liked her, and sometimes they didn't.

Then one night an angel came to her in a dream and told her, "You are fine just the way you are. You don't have to change. I want you to start noticing your own beauty and loving yourself exactly the way you are."

Doing what the angel suggested - giving love and approval to herself - wasn't easy, but she found that when she did it she felt a peace that was not dependent on what others thought. She thanked her angel for caring enough to come and give her such wise advice.

What are some things I like about myself?

Matter of Focus

My friend Marge had an experience aboard a plane bound for Cleveland, waiting for takeoff. As she settled into her seat, Marge noticed a strange phenomenon. On one side of the airplane a sunset suffused the entire sky with glorious color. But out of the window next to her seat, all Marge could see was a dark and threatening sky, with no sign of the sunset.

As the plane's engines began to roar, a gentle Voice spoke within her. "You have noticed the windows," He murmured beneath the roar and thrust of the takeoff. "Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but also some dark shadows. Here's a lesson I want to teach you to save you much heartache and allow you to "abide in Me" with continual peace and joy. You see, it doesn't matter which window you look through; this plane is still going to Cleveland.

So it is in your life. You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture. Or you can focus on the bright things and leave the dark, ominous situations to Me. I alone can handle them anyway. And the final destination is not influenced by what you see or feel along the way. Learn this, act on it and you will be released, able to experience the "peace that passes understanding."

~ Catherine Marshall in "Touching the Heart of God"​

5th Sunday of Easter

There is an interesting tension in today’s readings that I don’t think I have ever paid much attention to before. Today’s Gospel from John 15:1–8 and the 2nd reading from 1 John 3:18–24 are about our relationship with Jesus. In the Gospel Jesus tells his disciples and us, “Remain in me, as I remain in you.” And he explains why this commandment is important. If we don’t stay connected to Jesus like branches on a vine, we cannot bear fruit. In the 2nd reading we hear a similar line, “Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us.” The commandments referred to in John’s letter are we should believe in the name of Jesus Christ and we should love one another.

The tension is in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles 9:26–31. This is the story about Paul’s introduction to the disciples in Jerusalem. It didn’t go down very well. After his astounding conversion and baptism and after some death threats, Paul journeyed to Jerusalem to join the disciples. They didn’t want him. The disciples were afraid and they couldn’t believe that this man who breathed “murderous threats” against them was now a disciple of Jesus. Fortunately Barnabas befriended Paul and through his witness to Paul’s conversion the disciples finally accepted him into their circle. But then Paul got into trouble with the Hellenists who tried to kill him so the disciples bundled him off to Tarsus. It was only after getting Paul out of Jerusalem that “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.”

What is interesting is that Paul’s problems with the disciples and the Hellenists didn’t stop him from bearing fruit. Paul’s branch was pruned and his ministry thrived, not in Judea, Galilee or Samaria but in the far reaches of Asia Minor. None of Paul’s experiences diminished his deep and abiding belief in Jesus. Jesus told the disciples, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches.” He didn’t say branch. Jesus’ vine has many branches and they are all different. Paul’s branch was not the branch of the disciples in Jerusalem but they were connected to the same vine. We are connected to the same vine as well. And so we can pray:

Our living and loving God,

you have made yourself very close and dear to us

in your Son Jesus Christ.

Through him we can live your life,

rich and generous and reaching out to others,

for Christ lives in us and we can live in him.

Let your Son bring all together in him,

that all become branches on the same vine

and that the new wine of justice and love

fill all this earth with joy and peace.

We ask this through him whose sap of life flows in us,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Golf Balls and Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large, empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,'“ said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping faucet. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. “I'm glad you asked”. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Final Blessing

A young, brand-new priest deeply committed to his calling was asked by the local funeral director to hold a graveside burial service at a small local cemetery for someone with no family or friends. The priest started for the cemetery early, but got lost on the way, and eventually arrived at what he was sure was the location for the burial a good half-hour late.

The freshly-turned dirt was the final clue that his late arrival had cost him his chance at his first funeral. He saw a backhoe and its crew, but the hearse was nowhere in sight, and the workmen were eating lunch.

The diligent young priest went to the open grave and found the vault lid already in place.

Taking out his funeral book, he read the service. Feeling guilty because of his tardiness, he preached an impassioned and lengthy service, sending the deceased to the great beyond in style.

As he was returning to his car, he overheard one of the workmen say: “I've been putting in septic tanks for 20 years and I ain't never seen anything like that.”

Humility

Each of us must know in our minds and believe in our hearts that even though we are different, you are like me and I am like you.

One of the definitions of humility is having an awareness of one's own character defects. To recognize and acknowledge that one has imperfections is being humble. We should never pray for ourselves unless by doing so it would help another person. To have self-importance puts self-first and this is not humble. We each have strengths and we each have weaknesses. Both the strengths and weaknesses are sacred. Life is sacred. We learn sacred things from weaknesses also. Therefore, all lives are developed through trial and error, strength and weakness, ups and downs, gains and losses - all of these are part of life and life is sacred. May the Holy Spirit let us see and know about the sacredness of life.

~ from Humility by Andrew Murray

Tolerance vs. Love

Apologist, author, and speaker Josh McDowell writes:

Tolerance says, "You must approve of what I do."

Love responds, "I must do something harder: I will love you, even when your behavior offends me."

Tolerance says, "You must agree with me."

Love responds, "I must do something harder: I will tell you the truth, because I am convinced 'the truth will set you free.'"

Tolerance says, "You must allow me to have my way."

Love responds, "I must do something harder: I will plead with you to follow the right way, because I believe you are worth the risk."

Tolerance seeks to be inoffensive;

Love takes risks.

Tolerance glorifies division;

Love seeks unity.

Tolerance costs nothing;

Love costs everything.

Source: Josh McDowell, Focus on the Family Magazine

(August 1999)

How We Look at Others

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.

The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. “That laundry is not very clean,” she said. “She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.” Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: “Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?”

The husband said, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

Peanut

George Washington Carver, the scientist who developed hundreds of useful products from the peanut: "When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'That knowledge is reserved for me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well, George, that's more nearly your size.' And he told me."

4th Sunday of Easter

Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is Good Shepherd Sunday and the 58th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Shepherds tending flocks of sheep are some of the earliest characters in scripture. Abel, the son of Adam and Eve was a shepherd. Other Old Testament sheep tenders are Rachel the wife of Jacob, Zipporah the wife of Moses and David, probably the most famous shepherd in scripture. The shepherd’s job is to lead the sheep to pasture, protect them, and keep them together and safe.

Speaking through the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezk 34:11), the Lord God says: “I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep.” In today’s Gospel from John 10:11, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” The Greek word John used for “good” is kalos which means model or ideal. Like God, his Father, Jesus sees his mission to lead the lost sheep of Israel and those “who do not belong to this fold.” Jesus is the shepherd who will bring all the sheep together as “one flock” with “one shepherd.” When St. Peter addresses the elders of the early church in 1 Peter 5:2-4, he reminds them to willingly tend the “flock of God in your midst,” as God does, striving to “be examples to the flock.”

God’s flock still needs men and women to shepherd them towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Our Holy Father Pope Francis asks us to pray for vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life. In his Message for the 58th World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2021, the Holy Father says, “8 December last, the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, marked the beginning of a special year devoted to him (cf. Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 8 December 2020). For my part, I wrote the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, whose aim was ‘to increase our love for this great saint’…. God looks on the heart (cf. 1 Sam 16:7), and in Saint Joseph he recognized the heart of a father, able to give and generate life in the midst of daily routines. Vocations have this same goal: to beget and renew lives every day. The Lord desires to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers: hearts that are open, capable of great initiatives, generous in self-giving, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes. The priesthood and the consecrated life greatly need these qualities nowadays, in times marked by fragility but also by the sufferings due to the pandemic, which has spawned uncertainties and fears about the future and the very meaning of life. Saint Joseph comes to meet us in his gentle way, as one of ‘the saints next door’. At the same time, his strong witness can guide us on the journey.”

During the next week please pray for good shepherds to lead our Church in the future.

God, source of creation and love,

you invite each of us to serve you through the gift of our life.

May your grace encourage men and women

to serve the Church as priests, sisters, brothers, and lay ministers.

Make me an instrument to encourage others to give of themselves,

and challenge me to do the same.

Amen

I Choose

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice.

Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love.

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy.

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical, the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace.

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience.

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite Him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness.

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness.

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness.

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness.

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control.

I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Against such there is no law.” 

~ Galatians 5:22-23​

Suffering

The Elders say that if you want something good, you have to suffer for it."

People sometimes have a misconception of sacrifice. This is a strong word for Indian people. On the other side of sacrifice is another whole world. During sacrifice, our beliefs are tested. We may all have good beliefs but if you test a good belief, then you get real beliefs. Real beliefs make new people; real beliefs make new self images. Real beliefs allow determination and desires and faith to come true. Good is always available to us but we often can't bring it within until we let go of the old ways. We let go of the old ways by suffering. Suffering is only letting go of things that don't work anymore. On the other side of suffering is a new world.

Creator, help me to let go of old ways. Let my old thoughts and beliefs be abandoned. Every change is preceded by struggle. Help me go through the struggle today.

From “The White Bison”

Shadow

Worry gives a small thing a big shadow. – E.B. Bull

You’ve probably noticed how your shadow changes throughout the day. It may be long in the morning or evening but short when the sun is overhead. It would be a mistake to judge the size of an object by the size of the shadow. Yet many of us are afraid of our shadow.

That’s one of the reasons it is suggested that we focus our energy on the present moment. It’s what we pray for when we say, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

However, many of us live in the “shadow world” of yesterday and tomorrow. We are guilty or ashamed of what happened yesterday, and we fear what tomorrow might bring, or of what someone may think of us tomorrow, or what my boss might want because s/he wants to see me in her office.

By staying in today, in this moment, we learn that our life is much easier. Our shadow is much smaller when the sun is overhead We have spent so much of our time worrying about the past and the future. It’s a difficult habit to break. No matter what I do or think, I cannot change a moment of yesterday. No matter what I do, I cannot control tomorrow until tomorrow gets here. And then we may not be able to control anything but ourselves. Learning to do that is a lifetime job.

Lord, help me learn to live in the holiness of this moment. Let me be grateful for the blessings of now. I believe that you give us the grace necessary to handle whatever is happening right now.

Self-Talk

"We all form self-images and much of our behavior is pretty well determined by how we feel about ourselves." – Eunice Baumann-Nelson, Ph.D.

There is a cycle of building beliefs called the self-talk cycle. Our self-talk builds our self-image and our self-image determines our behavior, our actions, and our self-worth - how we feel about ourselves. If we want to change the way we feel about ourselves we need to change our self-talk. We need to build ourselves up. We need to talk to ourselves in a kind, positive, uplifting, good way. We need to talk to ourselves about the good things that are happening and know that we are worthy and expect abundance.

Lord, today help us to know ourselves. Help us to see the joy, kindness, strength and beauty that we are.

A Dream

Donuts

There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending Seminary in Utah. In this Seminary classes are held during school hours. Brother Christianson taught Seminary at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson's Seminary class.

Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over. One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Bro. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, "You think you're

pretty tough, don't you?"

Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."

Then Brother Christianson asked, "How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Brother Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" Again asked Brother Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," Brother Christianson said.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it."

Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited-it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend. Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want a donut?"

Cynthia said, "Yes." Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Bro. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes."

Bro. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.

And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Bro. Christianson came to Scott.

Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Bro. Christianson asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"

Bro. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Bro. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Jenny said, "No." Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"

Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort

involved.

Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely.

Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Bro. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Bro. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Bro. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You can do them any way that you want." And Bro. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on.

Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come." Bro. Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him."

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in."

Bro. Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

"Yes."

"Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down. Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular.

Bro. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda. Then Bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Bro. Christianson, can I help him?" Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Brother Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

3rd Sunday of Easter

I wonder how we would react if Jesus suddenly stood among us here in Peachtree City today and said, “Peace be with you.” Would we be “startled and terrified”? Would we be incredulous? Would we think we were seeing a ghost? Would we have the nerve to touch him? Would we call the police or have him sent off for a psychiatric evaluation? Would we follow him if he asked us to travel with him? What would we do?

In today’s gospel from Luke 24:35–48, Jesus challenges the Disciples by asking them, "Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts?” Basically, what he says to the Disciples and to us 21st Century Disciples is, I am real. Not only am I real, my message is real as well. And your job is to proclaim this message to the entire world.

The message is clear. Jesus suffered and died. And on the third day, He rose from the dead thus fulfilling what God the Father “announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets” (Acts 3:18). We are to proclaim “repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Repentance is total conversion. It means removing the obstacles that keep us away from God. Repentance is a change of heart, a change of mind and a change of behavior. As St. Peter tells us in today’s first reading, “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3:19).

Our final mandate is to preach the reality of Christ to “all the nations.” Jesus told the Disciples to begin in Jerusalem. Our job is to proclaim the reality of Jesus right here in Peachtree City, Georgia. We can begin by acknowledging the real presence of Jesus in our own lives, then in our immediate families, then in our neighborhood, parish, work place and school. It is up to us to make Jesus real in our community.

God of the living,

who will believe that your Son is risen

if he is not alive among us today?

Open our minds to understand the Scriptures

and fill us with joyful wonder in the presence of the risen Christ,

that we may be his witnesses

to the ends of the earth.

We ask 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.

To Be Holy

Monks, mystics, hermits and the like may seem to say that holiness means setting oneself apart from the world, it's temptations, trials and troubles. In the desert wastelands, river valleys, lakesides, forests and mountain tops men and women have experienced God and come to know their selves and calls. But not so for the rest of us. We are called to be in, not of, the world. To be sure we are holy when we choose God and not ourselves and sinful desires. Being relatively sin-free is a worthy aim and no doubt a noteworthy accomplishment. But this is only a beginning and not the end of what is actual and authentic holiness. Nor is holiness something we put on and take off like brocaded vestments or religious jewelry. Neither is it restricted to churches and cathedrals.

Jesus Christ calls us salt and light. We are to make a difference in the lives of family, friends, and strangers by our words, with our actions, in our example, through our efforts. Words in a Jewish Prayer book remind us how and when we find holiness: There is holiness when we ... strive to be true to the best we know; are kind to someone who cannot possibly repay us; promote family harmony; forget what divides us and remember what unites us; we love -- truly, honestly, and unselfishly; we remember the lonely and bring light where it is dark; share -- our bread, our ideas, our enthusiasms; gather to pray to God who gave us the power to pray: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts; all of life can be filled with God's glory.

~ Father Paul Wharton (and Likrat Shabbat)

Serendipity

Be aware of wonder. ~ Robert Fulghum

We have days when we experience the small coincidences in life -- our car breaks down and we run into an old friend at the service station; we're thinking about someone and she calls just because we've been on her mind; we ask ourselves a question and the answer appears on the side of a bus or out of the mouth of a stranger at the bus stop. These serendipitous events usually leave us with at least a bit of awe.

The more serendipity we have in our life, the more spiritually connected we are. We're turned in, attentive, aware, and detached. We're getting responses to questions and meeting the people we need to be with at just the right moments. We couldn't have planned it better. We couldn't have planned it at all.

Serendipity is a sign that we're letting the universe organize the events that lead to answered questions and fulfilled dreams. Life becomes a process of unraveling a mystery.

Today I will recognize the serendipity in the day's events.

From “Letting Go of Debt” by Karen Casanova

I Didn't Have Time

I got up early one morning

And rushed right into the day!
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn’t have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me
And heavier came the task.
“Why doesn’t God help me? I wondered.
He answered, “You didn’t ask.”

I wanted to see joy and beauty.
But the day toiled on, gray and bleak,
I wondered why God didn’t show me.
He said, “But you didn’t seek.”

I woke up early this morning
And paused before entering the day,
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.

Push

Paddy Reilly and his wife were awakened at 4:00 AM by a loud pounding on the door. Paddy gets up and goes to the door where an inebriated stranger, standing in the pouring rain. is asking for a push. “Not a chance,” says Paddy, “its 4:00 in the morning.” He slams the door and returns to bed.

“Who was that?” asks his wife.

“Just some drunk guy asking for a push.” says Paddy.

“Did you help him?” she asks.

“No I did not. It’s 4:00 in the morning and it is pouring rain out there!”

“Well. You have a short memory, “says his wife. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down, and these two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”

Paddy does as he is told, gets dressed and goes out into the pounding rain. He calls out in the dark: “Hello, are you still there?”

“Yes” comes the answer.

“Do you still need a push?” calls out Paddy.

“Yes, please.” comes the reply from the dark.

“Where are you?” asks Paddy.

“Over here on the swing,” replied the drunk.

Take Time

Take time to learn,

It is a sign of greatness.

Take time to think,
It is a source of power.

Take time to plan,
It is the first step to fulfillment.

Take time to work,
It is the price of success.

Take time to dream,
It is the fountain of achievement.

Take time to act,
It is an expression of belief in oneself.

Take time to give,
It is a symbol of maturity.

Take time to smile,
It is the window of the soul.

Take time to love,
It is a gift of God.

Does Prayer Change Things?

They say that prayer changes things, but does it REALLY change anything?

Oh yes! It really does!

Does prayer change your present situation or sudden circumstances?
No, not always, but it does change the way you look at those events.

Does prayer change your financial future?
No, not always, but it does change who you look to for meeting your daily needs.

Does prayer change shattered hearts or broken bodies?
No, not always, but it will change your source of strength and comfort.

Does prayer change your wants and desires?
No, not always, but it will change your wants into what God desires!

Does prayer change how you view the world?
No, not always, but it will change whose eyes you see the world through.

Does prayer change your regrets from the past?
No, not always, but it will change your hopes for the future!

Does prayer change the people around you?
No, not always, but it will change you - the problem isn't always in others.

Does prayer change your life in ways you can't explain?
Oh, yes, always! And it will change you from the inside out!

So does prayer REALLY change ANYTHING?
Yes! It REALLY does change EVERYTHING!

Divine Mercy Sunday

It seems to me that Mercy and Compassion are the themes of Our Holy Father’s pontificate to date. And, he calls us as Church to show mercy and compassion to everyone we encounter. In Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis says, “Being Church means being God’s people, in accordance with the great plan of his fatherly love. The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good news of the Gospel” (114).

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, a day when we reflect on the mercy and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It was on the Second Sunday of Easter, April 30, 2000, when Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska and declared that the Second Sunday of Easter, “from now on throughout the Church, will be called 'Divine Mercy Sunday'.” Saint Pope John Paul II chose the Second Sunday of Easter for this celebration to fulfill one of Jesus’ private revelations to St. Faustina, “the Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy” (Diary, 699).

God’s intense desire for mercy is revealed through the birth, ministry, crucifixion, death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ. Through his teaching, healing and miracles Jesus demonstrated God’s kingdom of mercy, peace and love. Archbishop Mark Coleridge writes that, “Jesus gave God’s mercy flesh and bones and sealed a new covenant in his blood. He called the people of his time – and he calls us today – to live this new way of mercy.” And so, on this Divine Mercy Sunday 2024 remember the words of Jesus in St Matthew’s Gospel, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matt 9:12-13). We are all sinners and we all are in desperate need of God’s mercy.

Prayer of Entrustment to the Divine Mercy

O Lord, our God.

We place our trust in You,

Because you are mercy itself.

We repent of our sins and turn to You for mercy.

We trust You to provide for our every need, according to Your will.

Help us to forgive others as You forgive us.

We promise to be merciful by our deeds, words and prayers.

Though we have fears because of human weakness, 

we rely on Your infinite goodness and mercy.

We entrust to You the future of our planet, our Church, 

our nations, our families and all our needs.

With loud cries we implore your mercy on us and on the whole world.

Look upon us, created in your image and likeness.

Form us in the Heart of Mary 

by the power of the Holy Spirit into the living images of mercy.

May all come to know the depth of Your mercy 

and sing the praises of Your mercy forever.

Amen!

Addiction Prayer

O God, you call us to be your people and to minister to one another. Look with pity on all who are held captive by the bonds of addiction and other disorders. Free us from our own destructive impulses that we may choose life and enable others to find what is life-giving for them. Give discernment and wisdom to all who minister to those seeking liberation from any forms of addiction, that we may all know the joy of the freedom that is ours as your children. This we ask of you, Our Guardian, our God, Creator and Preserver of us all both now and in eternity.

Amen​

~ The Sisters of Mercy

Hello, God

Hello, God, I called tonight

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 home
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.

Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
Never had to pay a dime.

So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Good night, God,
Until tomorrow!

Pray in Silence

I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is the friend of silence-we need to listen to God because it's not what we say but what He says to us and through us that matters. Prayer feeds the soul-as blood is to the body, prayer is to the soul-and it brings you closer to God. It also gives you a clean and pure heart. A clean heart can see God, can speak to God, and can see the love of God in others. When you have a clean heart it means you are open and honest with God, you are not hiding anything from Him, and this lets Him take what He wants from you.

~ Mother Theresa

Never Forget

During the 19th century, Ireland was stricken by a potato famine. During this time, many of the Irish people emigrated to America. A young Irish boy stowed away on an America-bound ship. At seas, the ship struck an iceberg and began to sink. As people scrambled frantically for the lifeboats, the captain supervised the activity and was the last to leave the sinking vessel.

When he looked back at the ship, he saw the young stowaway coming out of hiding. The brave captain ordered his lifeboat back to the sinking ship. He climbed aboard and rescued the boy, putting him in the seat the captain had vacated - the only available place in the lifeboat. As the lifeboat slowly pulled away from the sinking ship, the captain yelled out to the boy, "Son, never forget what has been done for you today!"

And don’t forget what Jesus did for us: Matthew 27:45-54