May You

Ball of Yarn

“When I look back on all these worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened.” ~Winston Churchill

A rolled-up ball of yarn does not take up much space--it sits, ready to be used when needed. It gets unrolled a little bit at a time--just as much as is needed and no more. But a ball of yarn that gets unraveled can be strewn across an entire room. It becomes a jumbled mass, entangled and confusing.

When we live our lives a day at a time, we are like that rolled-up ball of yarn. Our thoughts, feelings, and skills are ready to be used as they are needed. But when we worry, our spirit becomes a jumbled mass of yarn. We get ahead of and behind ourselves--our thoughts are scattered and often our feelings are confused. Worry adds clutter and confusion to life.

What is most helpful is to put the worry away--to roll up the ball of yarn and bring ourselves into the present moment. In this way, we stand ready for each new stitch--and we will never be given more than we are able to handle.

Do I have worries that are cluttering my life today?

I AM

I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly, God was speaking,

“My Name is I Am.”

He paused. I waited. He Continued.

“When you live in the past, with all its mistakes and regrets, It is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I was.”

“When you live in the future with all its problems and fears, It is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I will be.”

“When you live in this moment, It is not hard. I am here.

My name is I Am.”

Let Go and Let God

Bring Your Umbrella

One summer, a drought threatened the crop in a small town. On a hot and dry Sunday, the old parish priest told his congregation, "There isn't anything that will save us except to pray for rain. Go home, pray, believe, and come back next Sunday ready to thank God for sending rain."

The people did as they were told and returned to church the following Sunday. But as soon as the old priest saw them, he was furious.

"We can't worship today. You do not yet believe," he said.

"But," they protested, "we prayed, and we do believe." 

"Believe?" he responded. "Then where are your umbrellas?"

The story applies to all of us. There are those people who leave their umbrellas at home. Throughout their lives, they are merely hoping their wishes and prayers will bear fruit, but they expect little.

Others expect their dreams and desires to come to pass. It is as if they journey through life always prepared for something to happen.

Today, how will you approach that which you are yearning for? Will you expect your prayers and work to bring about hoped-for results?

Will you bring your umbrella?

Good Trade

The Sufferings of Love

Only in the imagination does love promise happiness forever. Through experience, we discover the myriad dimensions of love. Sometimes love is joy. Sometimes passion. Sometimes moments of serenity amongst the laughter and sadness. Generally, love is soft. But it also may sting. Love is forever changing, perhaps a smile will slow our pace one minute, but a sign of danger may push us to act, to respond, to make a decision the next.

All that love is, there's much it is not. Love is not shaming. Nor is it punishing. Love does not gloat, criticize, degrade, or diminish. At times we think we're filled with love and yet we selfishly serve our needs before another's. And when we truly express our love to another, there's no mistaking the warm glow that fills the body.

How simple to be a giver of love and yet how forgetful we are when the opportunities arise.

Receiving A Gift With Grace

When we willingly accept compliments, we are reminded that others see us through different eyes.

Many of us find it difficult to accept compliments but easy to believe the slightest criticism. Today, right now, let's make a choice to fully accept compliments as we would a gift. Sincere compliments are gifts of praise. They are kudos given for wise choices or accomplishments or perhaps for just letting your light shine. There is no reason not to accept the gift of a kind word, but some of us argue against them, even giving reasons why they aren't true.

If we visualize the energy of a compliment, we would see beautiful, shining, positive energy being sent from the giver. That energy, if accepted graciously, would brighten our personal energy field. Our gratitude then returns to the giver as warm, fuzzy, glowing energy, completing an even circuit of good feelings. But if we reject a compliment, what could have been a beautiful exchange becomes awkward and uncomfortable, making it a negative experience instead. Misplaced modesty can ruin the joy of sharing this connection with another person. But we can accept a compliment and still be modest by simply saying thank you.

However, if compliments are rejected due to a lack of self-esteem, then the first step would be to start believing good things about yourself. Try giving yourself compliments in the mirror. Beyond the initial feelings of silliness, you will notice how good it feels and can watch the smile it puts on your face. The next step would be to see how it feels to give compliments to others. Notice how great you feel when you've made another person's face brighten and how differently you feel when the gift you've offered is rejected. Having experienced all sides, you will be ready to play along fully and willingly.

We are our harshest critics. When we accept compliments, we are reminded that others see us through different eyes. All living beings crave positive attention, and we all deserve to have positive energy shared with us. Perhaps if we happily and gratefully accept compliments, we will give others permission to do so as well.

By Madisyn Taylor

The Jesus Nut

I read a little story about helicopters recently that I imagine is true, and I would like to share it with you. Also, I have often wished I had a helicopter and could fly it. They can go just about anywhere and land anywhere. Neat! But that is pie in the sky. Anyhow, the story I read pointed out how complex a machine the helicopter is and went on to say that despite its complexity the whole thing depends on that whirly blade or rotor that keeps it in the air and moving. The story said that these rotors are held in place by one simple hexagonal nut. And the name given to that nut is “the Jesus nut.”

Jesus, the one who comes from above, the one who speaks the words of God, is also the one who holds our lives together and permits us to “fly”.

From the Gospel of John 19

So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.

Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, "Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews." Now many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that he said, 'I am the King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, "Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be," in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled (that says): "They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots." This is what the soldiers did.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I thirst." There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, "It is finished."

And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

From The Gospel of John

Reflection on John's Gospel 21:1-19

Peter’s rehabilitation with Jesus is neat. Jesus doesn’t address him as Peter (Rock) but as Simon, Son of John. Kind of like our Mothers addressing us by our full names when we were in trouble – remember? And Peter was in trouble. He had denied that he even knew Jesus three times and now three times he had to tell Jesus he loved him more than the other disciples. And we know that eventually Peter would be crucified up side down to “glorify God.” Scripture tells us: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13).

If all of us were asked by Jesus: “Do you love me?”, I would hope we would respond somewhere along the lines of Peter. But that is a difficult question to answer. Do I truly love Jesus more than anything or anyone else in this world? Lord, please give me the grace and strength to answer as Peter did: “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

A Prayer for Guidance

The Snake

There once was a man who, while walking in the woods, found a poisonous snake that was frozen stiff as a board. He knew it was poisonous, but he took pity on the poor frozen thing and brought it home with him. He put the snake in front of the fireplace in his living room so it would thaw out. Realizing that when the snake woke up it would be hungry, the man went into the kitchen and warmed up a bowl of milk so the snake would have something to eat. He then brought the milk back into the living room to feed the snake.

As the man was putting the bowl of milk in front of the snake, it lashed out and bit him. Almost immediately, he could feel the venom rush through his veins and he know he would be dead in a matter of minutes.

With his last strength the man looked at the snake and asked, “Snake, why did you bite me? I found you frozen in the woods and brought you into my home and thawed you out. I gave you warm milk to drink. Why did you bite me?

As the man was fading into death, he heard the snake hiss these words, “Stop your whining. You knew I was a poisonous snake when you picked me up. What did you expect me to do, kiss you?

The attraction to sin is like that snake. We may enjoy its company for a short time, but sooner or later, it’s going to bite us. No matter how nice it may seem, no matter how much understanding we may have, no matter what a good person we are, it’s going to bite us! And its bite is quiet deadly!

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.

I Found the Answer in My Room

When I woke up this morning, I asked myself, "What is life about?" 

I found the answer in my room...
The fan said, "Be cool."
The roof said, "Aim high."
The window said, "See the world!"
The clock said, "Every minute is precious."
The mirror said, "Reflect before you act."
The calendar said, "Be up to date."
The door said, "Push hard for your goals."
The floor said, "Kneel down and pray"

I Know the Shepherd

There was once a Shakespearean actor who was known everywhere for his one-man shows of readings and recitations from the classics. He would always end his performance with a dramatic reading of Psalm 23.

Each night, without exception, as the actor began his recitation—"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" the crowd would listen attentively. And then, at the conclusion of the Psalm, they would rise in thunderous applause in appreciation of the actor's incredible ability to bring the verse to life.

But one night, just before the actor was to offer his customary recital of Psalm 23, a young man from the audience spoke up. "Sir, do you mind if tonight I recite Psalm 23?" The actor was quite taken back by this unusual request, but he allowed the young man to come forward and stand front and center on the stage to recite the Psalm, knowing that the ability of this unskilled youth would be no match for his own talent.

With a soft voice, the young man began to recite the words of the Psalm. When he was finished, there was no applause. There was no standing ovation as on other nights. All that could be heard was the sound of weeping. The audience had been so moved by the young man's recitation that every eye was full of tears. Amazed by what he had heard, the actor said to the youth, "I don't understand. I have been performing Psalm 23 for years. I have a lifetime of experience and training - but I have never been able to move an audience as you have tonight. Tell me, what is your secret?"

The young man quietly replied, "Well sir, you know the Psalm... I know the Shepherd."

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday and we commemorate the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We are about to take the last steps of our Lenten journey with Jesus.  We stand with the crowd at the Mount of Olives and we prepare to follow Jesus as he makes his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  We join the crowd as they spread their cloaks on the road and we shout with them, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest" (Luke 19:38).  And with these shouts of joy and praise, we begin Holy Week. 

The tone of celebration dies out quickly in our Palm Sunday liturgy as our shouts of joy and praise turn into heckling taunts, "Away with this man.  Crucify him!  Crucify him!"  

As the crowd turned on Jesus, dragging him toward the cross, he offered consolation to the people "who mourned and lamented him" and he forgave the very people who betrayed him, those who denied him, those who condemned him and those who crucified him.  We are part of this fickle crowd too.  We are among those who heckle and taunt and we are among those who receive consolation and forgiveness. 

Our challenge during Holy Week and throughout our lifelong journey with our Lord is to take on ourselves the "same attitude" of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).  St. Paul tells us how we can meet this challenge in our second reading, Philippians 2:6-11,"Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those of others."  In all of this, we must remember that Christ Jesus through his humility, his "coming in human likeness," his obedience to God his Father and his willingness to die on a cross, was ultimately exalted "in heaven and on earth and under the earth."  His suffering, death and resurrection give us the capacity to "confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

My prayer for us is that we all experience a Blessed and Holy Week. 

Lord God,
as we enter this Holy Week,
Give us the same mind and attitude that was in Christ Jesus.
Empty us of our pride and selfishness;
draw us close to his cross,
so that as we celebrate his passion and resurrection,
our lives may become models of self-sacrificing love.
We ask this through Christ, our liberator from sin,
who lives with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

He Already Knows

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

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

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

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

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Faith

Faith is not something we have or can keep, for it is not something". As St. Declan once said, "When I say I have attained enlightenment, please do not think there is anything that I have attained." A seeker's faith is not attained, contained, or maintained. It is not a body of beliefs held to unswervingly. It is, rather, a response to and embrace of what is unbelievable; it is a willingness to live in relationship to the Mystery that is beyond our comprehension but which comprehends us. As we move forward along a spiritual path becoming more and more taken with the Presence that stirs within all life, we become transformed, focused, smitten, and committed to continued transformation. Our lives become faith-filled, and we become faithful to the living, dynamic Presence that summons us to live dynamically.

Mistakes

A humorous story has it that a newly appointed young clergyman was contacted by a local funeral director to hold a graveside service at a small country cemetery in mid-western USA. There was to be no funeral, just a graveside service, because the deceased had no family and had outlived her friends.

The young pastor started early to the cemetery, but soon became lost. After making several wrong turns, he finally arrived a half-hour late. The hearse was nowhere in sight and cemetery workers were relaxing under a nearby tree, eating their lunch.

The pastor went to the open grave and found that the vault lid was already in place. He took out a prayer book and read a few paragraphs. As he returned to his car, he overheard one of the workers say, “Maybe we’d better tell him it’s a septic tank.”

Why is it we make our biggest mistakes in public? And some people can’t avoid it.  Former hockey goalie Jacques Plante wonders, “How would you like a job where, if you made a mistake, a big, red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?”

But we should never give up our right to be wrong. Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment. It is your right to be wrong. “No (one) ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes,” said William E. Gladstone. Great mistakes are opportunities for great learning. And great learning makes for great living.

Now, that’s something I can get into. I don’t need to be a great person, just one who believes that his life is worth living well. And if that means I need to make some magnificent mistakes along the way, I’ll take that on as part of the price to pay.

You and I have a right to be wrong. And if we are to move toward great living, we might even have a duty to make great mistakes. Sometimes we can laugh them off. Certainly we can learn from them. And always, let’s just make sure the next mistake is one we haven’t made before.

Allow the Holy Spirit

Of course, the greatest victory that the Spirit can give us is victory over ourselves. If we could be changed within, if all those destructive thoughts and habits within could somehow be dispelled, then we could handle our circumstances. Then we would be powerful indeed.

Dwight L. Moody once demonstrated the principle like this: "Tell me," he said to his audience, "how can I get the air out of the tumbler I have in my hand?" One man said, "Suck it out with a pump." The evangelist replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter it. Finally, after many futile suggestions, Moody picked up a pitcher and filled the glass with water. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then explained that victory for the child of God does not come by working hard to eliminate destructive thoughts and habits, but rather by allowing the Holy Spirit to take full possession.

So what are you troubled about? The future? God has it under His control. The past? Our sins have been thrown into the deepest regions of the sea by the death of Christ on the cross never to be retrieved. The present? There is a power that is available to all who would call on His name

Take Care of Yourself

The Legend of the Dogwood Tree

When Christ was on earth,
The dogwood grew to a
Towering size with lovely hue.
Its branches were strong and interwoven.
And for Christ's cross
Its timbers were chosen.
Being distressed at the use of this wood,
Christ made a promise
Which still holds good:

"Not ever again shall the dogwood grow
To be large enough for such a tree,
And so slender and twisted
It shall always be with cross-shaped Blossoms for all to see.
The petals shall have bloodstains
Marked in brown and in the
Blossom's center a thorny crown.
All who see it will think of Me,
Nailed to a cross from the dogwood tree.
Protected and cherished this tree shall be
A reflection to all of my agony."

-Author Unknown

Come Sit with Me

In the evening, when I am tired, God says, “Come sit with me.” I speak about the little things that have happened to me during the day and I know I am heard. I share my fears, angers, doubts, and sorrows, and I feel like I am being held. I smile with what energy I have left and I am gently teased. Then when all the conversation is over and the day had been opened up and emptied out, I am ready to rest. Nothing is solved. Nothing is under control. But also nothing pressing remains. But as I go to sleep, a fleeting thought breaks the smooth surface of my peace: What would I do each night if God didn’t say, “Come sit with me”?