tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85682391752527811822024-03-28T20:29:24.742-07:00Fr. John Murphy's BlogFr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.comBlogger1919125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-18690723368781580072024-03-28T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-28T03:00:00.147-07:00Honor Thy Beginning<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuJWuQ0urZR3OW_YH9MXx-uVqb361jTKAOht5Yl8CpTERgMN-rVRKJ1Qx5Q9KAqQB5gSft9_bQePns7_xd5DvknfM8_S4vgHMoSq76RflXD8fco7KxZtcOGBiHUWsIeRCnT_y9uZsSjczHM9S7tXd33ioY6VMZoGM8gyTZqZfTsFJGBgI1p3LkR_bokg/s200/HT%20-%20Girl%20with%20Suitcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="153" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuJWuQ0urZR3OW_YH9MXx-uVqb361jTKAOht5Yl8CpTERgMN-rVRKJ1Qx5Q9KAqQB5gSft9_bQePns7_xd5DvknfM8_S4vgHMoSq76RflXD8fco7KxZtcOGBiHUWsIeRCnT_y9uZsSjczHM9S7tXd33ioY6VMZoGM8gyTZqZfTsFJGBgI1p3LkR_bokg/s1600/HT%20-%20Girl%20with%20Suitcase.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>Beginnings can be delicate or explosive. They can start almost invisibly or arrive with a big bang. Beginnings hold the promise of new lessons to be learned, new territory to be explored, and old lessons to be recalled, practiced, and appreciated. Beginnings hold ambiguity, promise, fear, and hope.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Don’t let the lessons, the experiences of the past, dampen your enthusiasm for beginnings. Just because it’s been hard doesn’t mean it will always be that difficult. Don’t let the heartbreaks of the past cause you to become cynical, close you off to life’s magic and promise. Open yourself wide to all that the universe has to say.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let yourself begin anew. Pack your bags. Choose carefully what you bring, because packing is an important ritual. Take along some humility and the lessons of the past. Toss in some curiosity and excitement about what you haven’t yet learned. Say your good-byes to those you’re leaving behind. Don’t worry who you will meet or where you will go. The way has been prepared. The people you are to meet will be expecting you. A new journey has begun. Let it be magical. Let it unfold. Let it be a new beginning as you prepare to meet the Christ child anew.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-61391051397087343552024-03-27T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-27T03:00:00.138-07:00Thinking Clearly<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg279PcUy4JZOdAPYyH9ZKmeMsDajB9PmhAAn60tNxOwAn1rmKgW9uyOzlBe0O4fnRMwM6ZkBf_78VzkxMwARib7inDi7OxPxUpweus3t37Hwja1Vtrao_OBsfu94029w7sLVviQIqwLrUaEKTJgRfWyyPp53kdL71a7TZWykvFTxyqsk3wUT24s5dOAk4/s200/HT%20-%20Main%20Entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="200" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg279PcUy4JZOdAPYyH9ZKmeMsDajB9PmhAAn60tNxOwAn1rmKgW9uyOzlBe0O4fnRMwM6ZkBf_78VzkxMwARib7inDi7OxPxUpweus3t37Hwja1Vtrao_OBsfu94029w7sLVviQIqwLrUaEKTJgRfWyyPp53kdL71a7TZWykvFTxyqsk3wUT24s5dOAk4/s1600/HT%20-%20Main%20Entrance.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Sometimes it's just a matter of thinking clearly. Like the small businessman whose clothing store was threatened with extinction when a national chain store moved in and acquired all the properties on his block. This one particular businessman refused to sell. “All right then, we'll build all around you and put you out of business,” the new competitors said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Surely -- you might think -- here is a case for warranted anger. If a hothead ever had an excuse, this was it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The day came when the small merchant found himself hemmed in with a new department store stretching out on both sides of and above his little retail shop. The competitors now opened shop. Their banners unfurled, “Grand Opening!”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The merchant in the old store, the little store surrounded by the big bully, had a banner of his own. His banner reached across the entire width of his little store. It read, “Main Entrance.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And just when others thought he wouldn’t survive … he thrived.</div><div><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-46834858209813326072024-03-26T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-26T03:00:00.240-07:00Pray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnUFmZgL8HutA1ZUIeGIfKeJhRycS7o3FRUdb9PQGcLP-RpsRu6Fswxtt5s7ONkTW9RC9NZ-AzDjx1ubecTQj3yCkypEoL_4VQLMN8w4M0F5npU-pqWwidzs3Rofy8s-_dpPFGLL8IEY8H8ezbLgmdQjUYcQsNQ4or1jzlWKSSxfSYAHPpHT2UYHUJfI/s200/HT%20-%20Mother%20Teresa%20praying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="136" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnUFmZgL8HutA1ZUIeGIfKeJhRycS7o3FRUdb9PQGcLP-RpsRu6Fswxtt5s7ONkTW9RC9NZ-AzDjx1ubecTQj3yCkypEoL_4VQLMN8w4M0F5npU-pqWwidzs3Rofy8s-_dpPFGLL8IEY8H8ezbLgmdQjUYcQsNQ4or1jzlWKSSxfSYAHPpHT2UYHUJfI/s1600/HT%20-%20Mother%20Teresa%20praying.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>God has created us to love and to be loved,<div>and this is the beginning of prayer –<br />to know that God loves me,<br />that I have been created for greater things.<br /><br />We must become holy, not because we want to feel holy,<br />but because Christ must be able to live his life fully in us.”<br /><br />You can pray while you work.<br />Work doesn’t stop prayer and prayer doesn’t stop work.<br />It requires only that small raising of the mind to Him.<br /><br />If we really want to pray, we must first learn to listen:<br />for in the silence of the heart God speaks.<br /><i><br />~ Saint Teresa of Calcutta</i></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-86583406135486704092024-03-25T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-25T03:00:00.137-07:00His Blood Upon the Rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsN_ZZkjKDhpLx6MlL1Cp00yKbZ2Hsoj0JNNqlml-3mu1tQiDJqOkiGGvSWQM6NI5KIfwE3QOWxsZ7WMdIzuMkapcFgvuRR_7u9PvCl8Au7UAKdSIYnICwenn3EHRqfCusA3lUkVRCq3jjl-Kzpadfl01R-Bs_Gzn27a2X_BJEXdQu5oBLqvp22TU31aM/s200/HT%20-%20Red%20Rose%20Compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="200" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsN_ZZkjKDhpLx6MlL1Cp00yKbZ2Hsoj0JNNqlml-3mu1tQiDJqOkiGGvSWQM6NI5KIfwE3QOWxsZ7WMdIzuMkapcFgvuRR_7u9PvCl8Au7UAKdSIYnICwenn3EHRqfCusA3lUkVRCq3jjl-Kzpadfl01R-Bs_Gzn27a2X_BJEXdQu5oBLqvp22TU31aM/s1600/HT%20-%20Red%20Rose%20Compressed.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I see His blood upon the rose</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">And in the stars the glory of his eyes,</div><div style="text-align: center;">His body gleams amid eternal snows,</div><div style="text-align: center;">His tears fall from the skies.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I see his face in every flower;</div><div style="text-align: center;">The thunder and the singing of the birds</div><div style="text-align: center;">Are but his voice—and carven by his power</div><div style="text-align: center;">Rocks are his written words.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">All pathways by his feet are worn,</div><div style="text-align: center;">His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,</div><div style="text-align: center;">His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,</div><div style="text-align: center;">His cross is every tree.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Joseph Mary Plunkett (1887–1916)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></i></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-68342871402562321252024-03-24T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-24T03:00:00.125-07:00Prayer of Abandonment<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFPPUSq8-LaEs0POOaMVphjFQGhDs6cm1q8rLzfkM6wmbSQRs_4bDECjPukh7EkWAPdiVcunnRTKkZrWtMXQFKdPfD4eEoo6Ylcjr-XDd2bngcU2nQivTWAbD11mcZrXWELpXGIEjlEcbMwjvD_FRT47wCmxdDZnytPgXKJNU6lFRg8U8xNny1x7ayVo/s523/HT%20-%20Prayer%20of%20Abandonment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFPPUSq8-LaEs0POOaMVphjFQGhDs6cm1q8rLzfkM6wmbSQRs_4bDECjPukh7EkWAPdiVcunnRTKkZrWtMXQFKdPfD4eEoo6Ylcjr-XDd2bngcU2nQivTWAbD11mcZrXWELpXGIEjlEcbMwjvD_FRT47wCmxdDZnytPgXKJNU6lFRg8U8xNny1x7ayVo/s16000/HT%20-%20Prayer%20of%20Abandonment.jpg" /></a><br /><br /></p>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-70162755057573287852024-03-23T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-23T03:00:00.131-07:00Help Me Find a WayLord, make me an instrument of Your peace:<br />wherever I encounter anger and hatred, help me find a way to bring love;<br />wherever I find injury, help me find a way to bring pardon and healing;<br />wherever I find doubt, help me find a way to bring faith;<br />wherever I encounter despair, help me find a way to show hope;<br />wherever I encounter darkness, help me find a way to bring light;<br />wherever I find sadness, help me find a way to bring Your Joy.<br />And, Lord, help me to realize that sometimes I find these within myself!<br /><br />My Creator, help me find a way:<br />not so much to being consoled, as to being compassionate with others,<br />not so much to being understood, as to listen and to understand others,<br />not so much to being loved myself, but rather than to love those I encounter.<br />For it is in giving of our own gifts and talents, that we receive,<br />it is in forgiving the hurts we receive from others, that we are forgiven ourselves,<br />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.<br />Lord, Help me find a way.<br /><div><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-68037823090213017392024-03-22T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-22T03:00:00.160-07:00Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwztzhcJbLKsOukVmqxH2YOtP3ZdEqxo2ZTPBnLvFxncPpqNY_Fvr-3-q-PksVYJ8vkqcefRe-Rt7lxdXOdvV4ttzoKuCwcxj49RRfp3GwPzHmYkltsA3VYfnMLxpPggOl6E8KV9OrUdw_Vez0hiKqsftNiKUcYHsojJ74yO8HeGEWTQaBG_fqgAJnIM/s200/HT%20-%20Palm%20Sunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwztzhcJbLKsOukVmqxH2YOtP3ZdEqxo2ZTPBnLvFxncPpqNY_Fvr-3-q-PksVYJ8vkqcefRe-Rt7lxdXOdvV4ttzoKuCwcxj49RRfp3GwPzHmYkltsA3VYfnMLxpPggOl6E8KV9OrUdw_Vez0hiKqsftNiKUcYHsojJ74yO8HeGEWTQaBG_fqgAJnIM/s1600/HT%20-%20Palm%20Sunday.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>Every day when mass is celebrated, just before the Eucharistic Prayer, Catholics throughout the world sing or recite the Sanctus: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” When we sing or recite this great hymn of praise, we unite our hearts, minds and souls with all the angels, saints and the whole Church in a prayer of thanksgiving.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Sanctus presents us with two very different images of God. In the first two sentences, we acclaim God the Father who is awesome and powerful, holy and glorious. In the second two sentences, we remember that in love and humility this awesome and powerful God came to us in human form and offered himself, God the Son, as a sacrifice, dying to take away all our sin. Whenever we repeat the Sanctus, we should remember Passion Sunday and Good Friday and that the voices that cried out “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest,” are the same voices that turned against Jesus just a few days later shouting, "Crucify him."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hosanna is a Hebrew word that means, “Save, we ask.” The people who greeted Jesus on the road into Jerusalem spreading their cloaks, waving branches and crying out, “Hosanna in the highest,” were expecting a king, a liberator, or a conquering hero. They wanted Jesus to save them from the Romans. They were not looking for a Savior, who was meek and humble “spurned and avoided by people, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces” (Isaiah 53: 3). They did not expect a suffering, servant king. It was not until after the Crucifixion and Resurrection that the disciples and other followers of Jesus understood that through his willingness to die on the cross, Jesus Christ entered into that fullness of glory we sing about in the Sanctus. “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Lord God,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>as we enter this Holy Week,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>let the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Empty us of our pride and selfishness;</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>draw us close to his cross,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>that as we celebrate his passion and resurrection,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>our lives may become models of self-sacrificing love.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>We ask this through Christ, our liberator from sin,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>who lives with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>God for ever and ever.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>AMEN.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-70476614169617875712024-03-21T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-21T03:00:00.128-07:00Prayer for the Sick<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzncJ06M_vGFCGaY2ZhKTNXOLLaWbljqMOyk5KcJFDg1mqgmiw2YzLbo5Grr9xPCJezElqvP6u5Hy_9cXuB50yufzhcDrYlNPLR5htnDFsIdcopWtg_GA43-NrqPdsoDBE5k8KFG6GT1bq3Z5xI7G0eA5MJVo9C-YRn5XQun1Jp1wubOEegey5_bBOBE/s290/HT%20-%20Jesus%20and%20the%20sick%20mosaic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="290" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzncJ06M_vGFCGaY2ZhKTNXOLLaWbljqMOyk5KcJFDg1mqgmiw2YzLbo5Grr9xPCJezElqvP6u5Hy_9cXuB50yufzhcDrYlNPLR5htnDFsIdcopWtg_GA43-NrqPdsoDBE5k8KFG6GT1bq3Z5xI7G0eA5MJVo9C-YRn5XQun1Jp1wubOEegey5_bBOBE/s1600/HT%20-%20Jesus%20and%20the%20sick%20mosaic.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br />All praise and glory are yours, Lord our God.<br />For you have called us to serve you and one another in love.<br /><br />Bless our sick today so that they may bear their illness in union with Jesus' sufferings and restore them quickly to health.<br /><br />Bless those who have grown old in your service and give them courage and strength in their faith.<br />Lead us all to eternal glory.<br /><br />We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,<br />Your Son, who lives and reigns with you<br />and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.<br />Amen.<br /><br />Mother of Perpetual Help pray for us!</div><div><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-46956879244898505652024-03-20T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-20T03:00:00.127-07:00Face of God<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigq4FEAEbDK2YY0Oe6Uy3AQnhyl9WuOV8dHn_HUsJxqe0wAK6nag1yxVjOsbXrBpuT2lIKYzUFavLJLv1rubR5YyhQSHq3EN9QdtJeuW2sRfsxl2xqZaK2HwZwujdYCUyIClBBD-2MrLWMHEITeZkhTxCuXlUQhCa1DTkyx6CRO4b3BEe6XQyz_RQ6QwI/s200/HT%20-%20Banana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigq4FEAEbDK2YY0Oe6Uy3AQnhyl9WuOV8dHn_HUsJxqe0wAK6nag1yxVjOsbXrBpuT2lIKYzUFavLJLv1rubR5YyhQSHq3EN9QdtJeuW2sRfsxl2xqZaK2HwZwujdYCUyIClBBD-2MrLWMHEITeZkhTxCuXlUQhCa1DTkyx6CRO4b3BEe6XQyz_RQ6QwI/s1600/HT%20-%20Banana.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In 1987, a newspaper photographer was sent to Ecuador to cover a devastating earthquake that devastated much of the country. In the midst of such catastrophic suffering, he witnessed a simple scene of compassion that moved him deeply. The photographer wrote:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The line was long but moving briskly, and in that line, at the very end, stood a young girl about 12 years of age. She waited patiently as those at the front of that long line received a little rice, some canned goods, or a little fruit. Slowly but surely she was getting closer to the front of the line, closer to the food. From time to time, she would glance across the street. She did not notice the growing concern on the face of those distributing the food. The food was running out. Their anxiety was beginning to show, but she did not seem to notice. Her attention seemed always to focus on three figures under the trees across the street.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>At long last she stepped forward to get her food. But the only thing left was the lonely banana. Quietly she took the precious gift and ran across the street where three small children waited --- perhaps her sisters and a brother. Very deliberately she peeled the banana and very carefully divided the banana into three equal parts. Placing the precious food into the eager hands of the three younger ones --- one for you, one for you, one for you. She then sat down and licked the inside of that banana peel.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>In that moment, I swear I saw the face of God.</i></div></i><div><div><br /></div></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-91552456464374599302024-03-19T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-19T03:00:00.130-07:00Feast of St Joseph<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi59WKZe6skr-ROd4-JfEukvs1DiKbh5BCw1p1SO__qH6w-rrwLuILj-BumrdM-6lA2o-ljL4PrJ441qKJEpwtPm8rDZrftlg9YsDc7RsFZz1-hy7Xc3CGpATSORRpq-sNKQqx97i4GnYd8OgGv41oVIWaq5pZWv97CeeniILlk1_hcuHQ55Wxb7WTr5w/s200/HT%20-%20St%20Joseph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="200" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi59WKZe6skr-ROd4-JfEukvs1DiKbh5BCw1p1SO__qH6w-rrwLuILj-BumrdM-6lA2o-ljL4PrJ441qKJEpwtPm8rDZrftlg9YsDc7RsFZz1-hy7Xc3CGpATSORRpq-sNKQqx97i4GnYd8OgGv41oVIWaq5pZWv97CeeniILlk1_hcuHQ55Wxb7WTr5w/s1600/HT%20-%20St%20Joseph.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />Anything done out of love is important, however small it might appear. God has come to us, even though we are miserable creatures, and he has told us that he loves us: ‘My delight is to be among the sons of men.’ Our Lord tells us that everything is valuable — those actions which from a human point of view we regard as extraordinary and those which seem unimportant. Nothing is wasted. No man is worthless to God. All of us are called to share the kingdom of heaven — each with his own vocation: in his home, his work, his civic duties and the exercise of his rights.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">St Joseph's life is a good example of this: it was simple, ordinary and normal, made up of years of the same work, of days — just one day after another — which were monotonous from a human point of view. I have often thought about this, meditating on St Joseph's life; it is one of the reasons for having a special devotion to him.</div><br /><i>~ St. Josemaria Escriva</i><br /><div><i><br /></i></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-60911875872637978582024-03-18T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-18T03:00:00.134-07:00Fragrance Prayer<div style="text-align: center;">Dear Jesus,</div><div style="text-align: center;">help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly</div><div style="text-align: center;">that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Shine through me and be so in me that every soul</div><div style="text-align: center;">I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine,</div><div style="text-align: center;">so to shine as to be a light to others.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Amen.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><i>Attributed to Cardinal John Henry Newman<br />Prayed daily by Saint Teresa of Calcutta</i><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-7184175201650700082024-03-17T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-17T03:00:00.141-07:00Feast of Saint Patrick<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.84px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBBUYC13-Xk9ZoFgKD8PqWSnmwjLbY1rjZON5XPEZeNLE4x1Vs8lMa681kWPr4A00IoDonVq4gc2sdfx6cNsxnoCxaFtODmrdM-2Io1BaCFRH7E4V0d_Dq-yvgLnplY02qQCH2XDnePqW15jpC3mhDl-o3zzIzIVDlws25agItr8etJa9nPMBI8dbvR0/s283/HT%20-%20St%20Patrick.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="250" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBBUYC13-Xk9ZoFgKD8PqWSnmwjLbY1rjZON5XPEZeNLE4x1Vs8lMa681kWPr4A00IoDonVq4gc2sdfx6cNsxnoCxaFtODmrdM-2Io1BaCFRH7E4V0d_Dq-yvgLnplY02qQCH2XDnePqW15jpC3mhDl-o3zzIzIVDlws25agItr8etJa9nPMBI8dbvR0/s1600/HT%20-%20St%20Patrick.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br />Patrick’s Loricum or Breastplate has the famous Celtic prayer, centered on Christ:<p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.84px;"><b>Christ be with me, Christ surround me,<br />Christ be in my speaking, Christ be in my thinking,<br />Christ be in my sleeping, Christ be in my waking,<br />Christ be in my watching, Christ be in my hoping,<br />Christ be in my life, Christ be on my lips,<br />Christ be in my soul, Christ be in my heart,<br />Christ be in my sufficing, Christ be in my slumber,<br />Christ be in my ever-living soul,<br />Christ be my eternity.</b><br /><br />Patrick prayed for the Irish people on the mountain in Mayo which bears his name (Cruach Padraig). </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></div>Here’s a prayer for you on his feast day:<br /><br /><b>May you recognize in your life the presence,<br />power and light of Christ in your soul.<br /><br />May you realize that you are never alone,<br />for He is always with you;<br />that your soul, in its brightness,<br />connects you with the Lord and with the rhythm of the universe.<br /><br />May you always realize that the shape of your personality is unique,<br />that you have a special destiny behind the facade of your ordinary daily life.<br /><br />May you be able to see yourself with the same delight and expectation<br />with which God sees you in every moment.<br /><br />And may the road rise up to meet you.<br />May the wind be always at your back.<br /><br />May the sun shine warm upon your face,<br />and the rain fall soft upon your fields.<br /><br />And, until we meet again,<br />may God hold you in the palm of His hand</b><br /><br /><i>St Patrick </i><div><i><br /></i></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-42817757493764510292024-03-16T03:00:00.001-07:002024-03-16T03:00:00.132-07:00Self-Care<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTYNAqprMFGOPWmYvDGedjbRHiRc1HF35-UgNhRFUsLv_Fg2w5XaL4cVFdCB-GBVp5EvHzowKBbHojDGOPiPBFE__mWMuKK8YkMNPoVZ1-DWC3UnTpBH_9uLrki2fyhxuos63Zif3JYI7GJ9fzFW0uBKtsmrt4zPY_7-YgKkpTp867FbS4vY1LGO2kTA/s919/HT%20-%20SelfCare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTYNAqprMFGOPWmYvDGedjbRHiRc1HF35-UgNhRFUsLv_Fg2w5XaL4cVFdCB-GBVp5EvHzowKBbHojDGOPiPBFE__mWMuKK8YkMNPoVZ1-DWC3UnTpBH_9uLrki2fyhxuos63Zif3JYI7GJ9fzFW0uBKtsmrt4zPY_7-YgKkpTp867FbS4vY1LGO2kTA/s320/HT%20-%20SelfCare.jpg" /></a></div><p> <br /></p>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-53666852969159266522024-03-15T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-15T03:00:00.139-07:005th Sunday of Lent<div style="text-align: justify;">There are so many important messages in today’s readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent that I could write a treatise and still not cover everything. So, I will focus on just one line in today’s gospel, John 12:23, “"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Up to this point in St. John’s gospel, Jesus repeatedly told his mother, his disciples and other followers, “My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4) or “my time has not yet been fulfilled" (John 7:8). The signs of glorification were there at Jesus’ baptism and at the Transfiguration but now, these signs are about to become a very tangible reality.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the hour that the Children of Israel had been waiting many millennia for, but they didn’t recognize it. This is the hour the disciples had been waiting three years for but they didn’t understand it. This is the hour Jesus had been waiting his whole life for and it troubled and distressed him but he endured it for us. This is the hour when Jesus “became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:9). This is the hour when our salvation was secured by Jesus’ acceptance of death. Like the grain the wheat that dies to produce much fruit, Jesus had to die so that all of us can have eternal life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our observance of Lent is a progression through the ministry of Jesus leading up to his crucifixion, death and resurrection. During Lent, we re-read and re-live the great events of salvation history in the "today" of our Church’s liturgy (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1095). We engage in “spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works)” (CCC 1438). We do all these things to prepare ourselves spiritually for the glory of the Resurrection so that we will recognize and understand the enormity of the event.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Father in heaven,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The love of your Son led him </i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>to accept the suffering of the cross</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>that we might glory in new life.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Change our selfishness into self-giving.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Help us to embrace the world you have given us,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>that we may transform the darkness of its pain </i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>into the life and joy of Easter.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Grant this through Christ our Lord.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Amen.</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-72365393358420497202024-03-14T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-14T03:00:00.131-07:00A Better PrayerOne man, too inebriated to drive, was walking home along railroad tracks when his foot suddenly became stuck. He pulled and tugged, but could not free it from the tracks.<br /><br />Then he heard a noise and turned around to see an oncoming train. In a panic, he prayed. "Dear God, please get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop drinking."<br /><br />Nothing happened.<br /><br />With the speeding train closer, he tried again. "Oh, Lord, get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop drinking AND I'll quit cheating on my wife!"<br /><br />Still nothing, and now the train was just seconds away.<br /><br />He tried one last time. "Lord, if you get my foot out of the tracks, I'll quit drinking, cheating, AND I'll become a minister!"<br /><br />Suddenly his foot shot out of the tracks and he dove out of the way of the passing train. Dusting himself off, he looked toward Heaven and said, "Never mind, Lord, I got it out myself."<br /><br />Does that kind of prayer sound familiar? How often are prayers, even when one is not in a state of emergency, concerned only about physical needs -- health and safety?<br /><br />Mahatma Gandhi claimed to have never made even a minor decision without prayer. Gandhi was known best as an Indian nationalist and spiritual leader, but he was also a man of rare courage. He developed the practice of nonviolent disobedience that eventually forced Great Britain to grant India's independence.<br /><br />He spoke often about spirituality and prayer. He told about traveling to South Africa to oppose a law there directed expressly against Indians. His ship was met by a hostile mob and he was advised to stay on board. They had come, he was told, with the express intention of lynching him. Gandhi said of the incident: "I went ashore nevertheless. I was stoned and kicked and beaten a good deal; but I had not prayed for safety, but for the courage to face the mob, and that courage came and did not fail me."<br /><br />Gandhi preferred courage over safety. If accomplishing his goals put him in the way of danger, then he wanted to face that danger bravely. His prayer was to receive enough courage to do what needed to be done, not to live his life free from harm.<br /><br />Rabbi Harold Kushner speaks about such prayer. He reminds us that "people who pray for courage, for strength to bear the unbearable, for the grace to remember what they have left instead of what they have lost, very often find their prayers answered. Their prayers helped them tap hidden reserves of faith and courage that were not available to them before."<br /><br />Like you, I know what it is to be afraid. I'm afraid of accidental injury, dismemberment or death. I've been afraid of a pending medical diagnosis. There must be a million different faces to the fears of life.<br /><br />I'm tempted at these times to hope for, and pray for, a way to avoid the danger ahead. I want to be safe, secure and healthy. But none of us is always safe, secure or healthy. So, I, too, have come to see that the better prayer is for courage to face whatever life may bring. And in some place deep inside me, I am not only convinced that the courage will come and not fail me, but that it will be enough. Always enough.<br /><div><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-9506163229004453022024-03-13T03:00:00.001-07:002024-03-13T03:00:00.132-07:00May I have the Courage <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OWNdhXzsf7Tu3wvMtlV69jjnvjpwzla3Ij_XYvVzJJwlWz7P-Xr-IcnRM1cpHVaWlsR3iy-rXWz_r9xmLIiQNFUwyphOyciL7PLSgY93N_bwUjmEFZgg6g-FfRQe2QHJ23eaGDzw7lTZ5QujUq42twl_JbcJhP-F-sY0ouN00oWGkho9huDxqO8PS80/s399/HT%20-%20May%20I%20Have%20Courage%20Today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="390" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OWNdhXzsf7Tu3wvMtlV69jjnvjpwzla3Ij_XYvVzJJwlWz7P-Xr-IcnRM1cpHVaWlsR3iy-rXWz_r9xmLIiQNFUwyphOyciL7PLSgY93N_bwUjmEFZgg6g-FfRQe2QHJ23eaGDzw7lTZ5QujUq42twl_JbcJhP-F-sY0ouN00oWGkho9huDxqO8PS80/s320/HT%20-%20May%20I%20Have%20Courage%20Today.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br />Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-87639512822427431502024-03-12T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-12T03:00:00.167-07:00Friendship is<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN215fQGX7TEop_YRhqvQLz9q9vbBqBIfbd0mEkzddm8uQG8bMFuS5sPE4iFP1xd48pEGilUPagBIvBMYFYVuOPjzqaDG8oIbNNySINeTM0ZrnUZfWpIVmFlbSWjMdexLt23Y1zJjG-Gsr7yYu0_vG4mZNGJkZxC4cGR7P_PoaFk_aQJKAeYmZYKjj8fk/s200/HT%20-%20Friendship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="58" data-original-width="200" height="58" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN215fQGX7TEop_YRhqvQLz9q9vbBqBIfbd0mEkzddm8uQG8bMFuS5sPE4iFP1xd48pEGilUPagBIvBMYFYVuOPjzqaDG8oIbNNySINeTM0ZrnUZfWpIVmFlbSWjMdexLt23Y1zJjG-Gsr7yYu0_vG4mZNGJkZxC4cGR7P_PoaFk_aQJKAeYmZYKjj8fk/s1600/HT%20-%20Friendship.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />. . . is you.<br />. . . is love.<br />. . . is shared.<br />. . . is forgiving.<br />. . . is understanding.<br />. . . is shared secrets.<br />. . . heals many hurts.<br />. . . is not judgmental.<br />. . . is shared laughter.<br />. . . is slow and steady.<br />. . . can be angry at times.<br />. . . is dependable and true.<br />. . . is meant to be savored.<br />. . . is more precious than silver or gold.<br />. . . is not perfect, much like we are not perfect.<br />. . . does not hold grudges or demand perfection.<br />. . . makes all the wrong things in life, right somehow.<br />. . . is meant to be gulped like lemonade on a hot summer day.<br />. . . is always there, through times of trial, happy times and hard times.<br />. . . just happens, but once discovered, needs to be tended like a beautiful garden.<br />. . . is a road to be traveled slowly, remembering the sights and sounds.<br />. . . is strength when you are too weak to notice its there.<br />. . . is a cherished moment of mutual understanding.<br />. . . reaches into your heart and grabs a firm hold.<br />. . . is a refreshing rain on a hot day.<br />. . . is sunshine through the clouds.<br />. . . cannot be forced or induced.<br />. . . is relaxed and comfortable.<br />. . . is a shoulder to lean on.<br />. . . is an ear to whine to.<br />. . . gets better with age.<br />. . . is shared tears.<br />. . . is shared pain.<br />. . . is shared joy.<br />. . . is shared.<br />. . . is love.<br />. . . is you.<br /></div><div><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-17727440280907885992024-03-11T03:00:00.001-07:002024-03-11T03:00:00.253-07:00Courage<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgq5l2NivT1en37PBNtF_kAPTj22PTIrvAx44-Wg62QtuqMGptpJj6wUcvp5V83fMisJ7alHX_aaSr8Al_AkEFGv78t6I8ONxlYfpemwMKo0t82Htis0nRFIDW9Pbgy-ASkUYyeehjTCVvFLQM7FatHdZ-4UkfZSBEO4RZD6uCv4JmdBaA-pNM9VnJG0/s320/HT%20-%20Courage%20is%20the%20Power.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgq5l2NivT1en37PBNtF_kAPTj22PTIrvAx44-Wg62QtuqMGptpJj6wUcvp5V83fMisJ7alHX_aaSr8Al_AkEFGv78t6I8ONxlYfpemwMKo0t82Htis0nRFIDW9Pbgy-ASkUYyeehjTCVvFLQM7FatHdZ-4UkfZSBEO4RZD6uCv4JmdBaA-pNM9VnJG0/s1600/HT%20-%20Courage%20is%20the%20Power.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.</i></b></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>~ Raymond Linquist</i></div></i><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Coeur is the French word for "heart." When we act with courage, we act from our hearts, not our heads alone. We boldly do what feels right.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We may be scared if we're going against the grain, but we have confidence and faith supporting our actions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Being courageous does not require going into battle, We do not have to be saving someone's life. It takes a lot of courage just to be honest with ourselves and others, to decide to change behaviors, and to leave destructive relationships.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today I will pray for courage.</div><div><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-19273532823035076452024-03-10T03:00:00.000-07:002024-03-10T03:00:00.145-07:00I Asked the Lord to Bless You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQsC3iCvv86qg-HNJibNirmi_G-Dm1MXLdi7Rv-Jb_S-uE2dfJm3k0YTmX90kK81aA-6_puSkfARHaoIjLA8WukVZVlavNHSObWaHq9l8PEQ1CC1NZ7-l33P7TooFk59NjsDdtOjeZb3pEaKfG65S68G3Yg7vBYoWi3_A4DeTnJ8CXgkYPlgXm4IFNEc/s640/HT%20-%20I%20Asked%20the%20Lord%20to%20Bless%20You.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="460" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQsC3iCvv86qg-HNJibNirmi_G-Dm1MXLdi7Rv-Jb_S-uE2dfJm3k0YTmX90kK81aA-6_puSkfARHaoIjLA8WukVZVlavNHSObWaHq9l8PEQ1CC1NZ7-l33P7TooFk59NjsDdtOjeZb3pEaKfG65S68G3Yg7vBYoWi3_A4DeTnJ8CXgkYPlgXm4IFNEc/w460-h640/HT%20-%20I%20Asked%20the%20Lord%20to%20Bless%20You.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><p> <br /></p>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-11069958562227709212024-03-09T03:00:00.001-08:002024-03-09T03:00:00.175-08:00Listen<div style="text-align: justify;">Most of us are better talkers than listeners. When someone is talking we often aren't listening; we're thinking of what we're going to say in reply. Or maybe we have nothing to say in reply, but we just aren't interested in what is being said. Our eyes glaze over. It is the highest compliment to give someone our full attention. So it is with God.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We give God our deepest respect by listening attentively. And when we still our mind and truly listen, we are apt to get surprising results. We may not hear a thing. But if we devote ample time to God, in silence, we become open to a more peaceful, productive day. And we may see something on a billboard, or pick up something in the lyrics of a song. That supplies an unexpected solution for a problem. Then we'll know we've heard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today I will take time to give God my full attention.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-7555352231253511212024-03-08T03:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T03:00:00.140-08:004th Sunday of Lent<div style="text-align: justify;">Today, the fourth Sunday of Lent, is Laetare Sunday; marking the halfway point of the Lenten Season. Laetare means “to be joyful” or rejoice. The vestments for today are rose colored instead of violet and we rejoice because we are the recipients of God's love.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We all know the children’s song “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” Yes, Jesus loves us and in today’s Gospel Jesus tells us about the vastness of God’s love for us in what are the most quoted verses in the New Testament, John 3:16-17. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One scripture scholar writes that these two verses contain the “very essence of the gospel.” God loves us. God loves not just you and me, God loves the world. St. Augustine said: “God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love.” Jesus did not have to convince God to love us, God loved us first.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our problem is accepting the enormity of this love. God loves us unconditionally, understanding our inadequacies, limitations and sinfulness. God does not condemn us; God forgives us out of love. Given the immensity of God’s love, we have every reason to rejoice. So, on this the fourth Sunday of Lent, REJOICE! And, during the week give yourself a gift. Spend a few moments basking in the love of God.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Father of peace,</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>we are joyful in your Word,</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>your Son Jesus Christ, </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>who reconciles us to you.</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Let us hasten toward Easter </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>with the eagerness of faith and love.</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>one God, for ever and ever.</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Amen</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-91703379547473181422024-03-07T03:00:00.000-08:002024-03-07T12:14:05.199-08:00An Irish Prayer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPy0-ENyNP6Fim3u1ikipbC97vMyHyCfhFIhqPnA6mYpkbWgOTnA3atouZoXlAkP7652n5Xa3N6s-TqEHmvQxgaWFFC2QruCrIWzQt-YBeC8TniNGaPAWsU0Bvvit8-EM38fuJXiIz8V-ZHyQ81X7eYJ_Jy4D4rz4Sp3aea4LA_qEKBU4keYuYrW4_zCs/s1125/HT%20-%20Irish%20Prayer.jpg" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1118" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPy0-ENyNP6Fim3u1ikipbC97vMyHyCfhFIhqPnA6mYpkbWgOTnA3atouZoXlAkP7652n5Xa3N6s-TqEHmvQxgaWFFC2QruCrIWzQt-YBeC8TniNGaPAWsU0Bvvit8-EM38fuJXiIz8V-ZHyQ81X7eYJ_Jy4D4rz4Sp3aea4LA_qEKBU4keYuYrW4_zCs/w398-h400/HT%20-%20Irish%20Prayer.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><p> <br /></p>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-55551491444853061472024-03-06T03:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T03:00:00.127-08:00Open Arms of Home<div style="text-align: justify;">A young man returned from military duty in the Middle East. For several months, he had served in a place of great danger, in very unfamiliar and uncomfortable surroundings. When he talked about his joy upon being home, he talked of the simplest things. His recliner fit like a glove, and his bed was nothing short of luxurious comfort. He played ball with his son for an hour, and enjoyed his favorite meal across the table from his wife. The touch of her hand, he said, was beyond description. The greatest comfort he'd ever known wasn't anything elaborate. The greatest comfort was simply being home. It was the comfort of having familiar surroundings after a very dangerous journey.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The disciples and the close-knit circle around Jesus thought they had lost Jesus. They had called him Messiah, and life had been wonderful when Jesus was around. Suddenly, there was the cross, and it was all over. The grave sealed their hopes, and the comfort was shattered.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then came the cry - "He's alive!" - and Jesus was in their midst. He came with open hands, standing among them, fixing their breakfast, walking with them, encouraging them, thrilling them, leaving them with the smiles of a man come home from war.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wherever you've been, the Lord's Supper is an opportunity to come home. The battle might have been difficult, and you might not have won every fight. But here is forgiveness, and grace ... and the open arms of home.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-85911816056911335422024-03-05T03:00:00.000-08:002024-03-05T03:00:00.145-08:00A New Serenity Prayer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzaepAsBrJrEVGRyhMuGmeIMlH-kfbn-dx24O8ytHMGU7lpthSN1CRTEWnfeec0-AXvccR2LmYJMJL8eXa-kq0vGS4e0ManF7rveDEXLzwVcuWLzUEx9PHJfNisx4NUmirmgqGHbP_6A5vcjSHgxroeSxswGwkxngxO_HDzI6PG9mKYDRtTvlTqbWjO4/s200/HT%20-%20New%20Serenity%20-%20boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="176" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrzaepAsBrJrEVGRyhMuGmeIMlH-kfbn-dx24O8ytHMGU7lpthSN1CRTEWnfeec0-AXvccR2LmYJMJL8eXa-kq0vGS4e0ManF7rveDEXLzwVcuWLzUEx9PHJfNisx4NUmirmgqGHbP_6A5vcjSHgxroeSxswGwkxngxO_HDzI6PG9mKYDRtTvlTqbWjO4/s1600/HT%20-%20New%20Serenity%20-%20boat.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>God, grant me the serenity<div>to accept the people I cannot change,<br />which is pretty much everyone,<br />since I’m clearly not you, God.<br />At least not the last time I checked.<br /><br />And while you’re at it, God,<br />please give me the courage<br />to change what I need to change about myself,<br />which is frankly a lot, since, once again,<br /><br /></div><div>I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.<br />It’s better for me to focus on changing myself<br />than to worry about changing other people,<br />who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying,<br />I can’t change anyway.<br /><br />Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up<br />whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter<br />than everyone else in the room,<br />that no one knows what they’re talking about except me,<br />or that I alone have all the answers.<br /><br />Basically, God,<br />grant me the wisdom<br />to remember that I’m<br /><br /></div><div>not you.<br /><br /></div><div>Amen</div><br />Fr. James Martin, SJFr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568239175252781182.post-2275220339236473302024-03-04T03:00:00.000-08:002024-03-04T03:00:00.135-08:00Temptation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgLe49c8OXtYLy-AXyUca8-xH4o1Ih6NWhL6QT00-_IiY8kwU2cf5dbjszpl_ld8AXBQpWwRSXnLb_dxsObD8wZFexDCyBs7tjMu-NxT5AyXRFkAkUsgfbzkTpZLV_IShtHW_HKKRP9wXLHwqhV-vWyU5aUaf6m1G-SZ0a6YLtxUC5OJibGY445lzlb8/s178/HT%20-%20Temptation%20of%20Christ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="178" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgLe49c8OXtYLy-AXyUca8-xH4o1Ih6NWhL6QT00-_IiY8kwU2cf5dbjszpl_ld8AXBQpWwRSXnLb_dxsObD8wZFexDCyBs7tjMu-NxT5AyXRFkAkUsgfbzkTpZLV_IShtHW_HKKRP9wXLHwqhV-vWyU5aUaf6m1G-SZ0a6YLtxUC5OJibGY445lzlb8/w200-h169/HT%20-%20Temptation%20of%20Christ.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />“Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life.” James 1:12<br /><br />The old word for addiction was temptation.<br /><br /><div>“My temptation is quiet.” (William Butler Yeats)</div><div><br /></div><div>“I can resist everything except temptation.” (Oscar Wilde)<br /><br />“Lead us not into temptation.” (Jesus)</div>Fr. John Murphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904205224108752921noreply@blogger.com0