17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

In today's gospel, Luke 11:1-13, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. Rather than give them some long discourse on the act of praying, Jesus offers them a simple and straightforward prayer, a prayer that Christians all over the world continue to pray to this day. Although it is simple, The Lord's Prayer covers all our needs; it is the only prayer we need to pray.

Many of us approach God in prayer with a long list of all our wants, our cares and our concerns. Sometimes we try to tell God what to do, how to do it and when to get the job done - usually immediately. The truth is that God knows what our needs are better than we do. So, rather than rattle off all our wants, cares and concerns, Jesus presents us with an alternative. He suggests that we acknowledge God's holiness, goodness and love and ask that God's kingdom becomes a reality in our lives. Instead of worrying about the future, Jesus tells us to pray for our needs today, "Give us each day our daily bread." Then we should ask God for forgiveness remembering that God expects us to forgive. And finally, we pray for God's mercy and protection.

Our prayer should not be an attempt to impose our will on God. It is an opportunity for us to ask for the grace to allow God's will to work in our lives.

Across the centuries, heavenly Father,

on countless lips and in every tongue

the prayer of your Son resounds.

Yet we who know the words so well

need still to learn their power.

Give us your Holy Spirit

so that our prayer may be filled

with childlike trust and unwavering perseverance.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

Doing Things We Don't Want To

Doing things we don't want to do, or that scare us, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow.

Most of us have had the experience of tackling some dreaded task only to come out the other side feeling invigorated, filled with a new sense of confidence and strength. The funny thing is, most of the time when we do them, we come out on the other side changed and often wondering what we were so worried about or why it took us so long. We may even begin to look for other tasks we've been avoiding so that we can feel that same heady mix of excitement and completion.

Whether we avoid something because it scares us or bores us, or because we think it will force a change we're not ready for, putting it off only creates obstacles for us. On the other hand, facing the task at hand, no matter how onerous, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow. The relief is palpable when we stand on the other side knowing that we did something even though it was hard or we didn't want to do it. On the other hand, when we cling to our comfort zone, never addressing the things we don't want to face, we cut ourselves off from flow and growth.

We all have at least one thing in our life that never seems to get done. Bringing that task to the top of the list and promising ourselves that we will do it as soon as possible is an act that could liberate a tremendous amount of energy in our lives. Whatever it is, we can allow ourselves to be fueled by the promise of the feelings of exhilaration and confidence that will be the natural result of doing it.​ 

In God's Care

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are." ~ George Bernard Shaw

It's easy to let circumstances determine how we think and behave. While it's true that some events seem devastating, our relationship with a Higher Power can help us accept and even grow from experiences that seem impossible to cope with.

We all have known men and women who've handled grave upsets far more easily than we have. How did they do it? They have no magic. Rather, they may be more comfortable letting their Higher Power help them accept and understand unfortunate circumstances. Once we accept our anger or disappointment, we're free to move on to better feelings. We begin to realize we have choices in how we look at problems.

We are never given more than we can handle. We can develop acceptance of any circumstances, but our success in doing so comes mainly through our reliance on God to show us the way.

God will help me handle the uncontrollable events of today. Through acceptance, I can change my feelings at any moment even right now​.

It is Not Easy

 

Paying Attention to Others

When we hold a piece of crystal to the light, it paints rainbows on the wall. When we tap it lightly with a spoon, it sings like a bell. But when we drop it, it shatters in colorless, silent pieces on the floor.

Human beings, sometimes to our amazement, can be as fragile as glass. It's especially easy to forget what makes people we live with or have known for a long time shine or sing. We take for granted the very qualities that made us love them in the first place.

When we forget how to see and hear the people we love, how to appreciate them, we grow careless. Too often, from sheer neglect, the relationship between us grows dull and silent, then slips, falls, and shatters. Paying attention to other people's needs and feelings can prevent this.

Whose presence can I appreciate today?

Parable of the Black Belt

A parable tells about a martial artist who kneels before a master sensei in a ceremony to receive the hard-earned Black Belt. After years of relentless training, the student has finally reached a pinnacle of achievement in the discipline.

"Before granting the belt, you must pass one more test," the sensei solemnly tells the young man.

"I'm ready," responds the student, expecting perhaps one more round of sparring.

"You must answer the essential question: What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?"

"Why, the end of my journey," says the student. "A well-deserved reward for my hard work."

The master waits for more. Clearly, he is not satisfied. The sensei finally speaks: "You are not ready for the Black Belt. Return in one year."

As the student kneels before his master a year later, he is again asked the question, "What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?"

"It is a symbol of distinction and the highest achievement in our art." the young man responds.

Again the master waits for more. Still unsatisfied, he says once more: "You are not ready for the Black Belt. Return in one year."

A year later the student kneels before his sensei and hears the question, "What is the true meaning of the Black Belt?"

This time he answers, "The Black Belt represents not the end, but the beginning, the start of a never-ending journey of discipline, work and the pursuit of an ever higher standard."

"Yes," says the master. "You are now ready to receive the Black Belt and begin your work."

You may not be hoping for a Black Belt, but you might be at a crucial point. Maybe you're facing a life change, perhaps even a painful one. Or maybe you are awaiting something you have worked hard to attain - graduation, a new job, a promotion, or even retirement.

All wise people see that changes can be new beginnings. Change need not be feared. And neither should we be looking for a permanent resting place, for a full and happy life is never stagnant.

Does the change you face represent, not just an ending, but a new beginning in your life's journey? If so, you may be ready to move forward.

Am I a Polar Bear?

A young polar bear cub approached his mother one day and asked, "Mom, am I a polar bear?"

"Of course you are," she replied with a smile.

"OK," said the cub, and padded off.

Later, he found his dad out by the iceberg. "Dad, am I a polar bear?" "Sure you are, son!" said his dad, wondering a bit at why his son would ask such a silly thing.

The next day, the cub asked the question again and again. "Are you and mom polar bears? You are? Well, then, does that make me a polar bear? Pure, 100% polar bear?"

Finally, his parents couldn't stand it any longer. "Son, you're driving us crazy with this question! You are a polar bear! Why do you keep asking? The cub looked up and confessed, "Cause I'm FREEZING!"

And then there's me. Sometimes I go to my Father, and I say, "Am I really your child? Are you really my Father? Because sometimes I doubt, and other times, I don't act much like you. And I'm not sure if I'm the kind of person you would want to call your child. And sometimes things don't go well for me, and I have pain and anger and is that ok for one of your children?" And then, though I can't see it, I can feel it -- the warm hug, the reassuring smile, the affirmation of son-ship. I don't have to be perfect, I'm not expected to never feel pain or worry or care. But I'm expected to know whose I am, and that I belong. And that for whatever extravagant, outrageous reason, I've been loved and adopted by the One True God.

Even polar bears get cold. And even Christians, the adopted children of God, fail and fear and falter. But we are still His.

Praise God!

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Today's readings focus our attention on the importance of hospitality.  The first reading from Genesis 18:1-10, is one of the great stories of welcome and hospitality in all of scripture.  At a time when most people were nomadic, a person's life could depend on the hospitality of others.  Generous hospitality towards strangers was a duty.  Abraham fulfilled his duty by welcoming three strangers, offering them water to bathe their feet and providing them with a great feast.  For their gracious hospitality, Abraham and Sara received the gift of a son.  Jesus lived a nomadic existence during the years of his active ministry.  Just a few weeks ago, we heard him tell a potential follower, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”  Jesus relied on the generosity of others to meet most of his basic needs.   Today's gospel, Luke 10:38-42, is about Martha and Mary welcoming Jesus into their home for a meal. 

 There is a tendency to regard the Martha and Mary story as promoting consecrated religious life over secular life.  So, most people roll right over the story, moving on to something more palatable.  However, as I reflected on these few verses in St. Luke's gospel, it occurred to me that they present a very important message for all of us today.  This story is about personal hospitality.  It is about slowing down and listening.  It is about getting off the treadmill of life to spend quality time with God and with each other.  Our lives are a frenzy of activity.  Like Martha, most of us are "are anxious and worried about many things" (Luke 10:41).  We dash from home to work, to school, to extracurricular activities and to church.  We can't fit all the demands on us into a twenty-four-hour day.  We eat fast food because we don't have time to sit down and enjoy a family meal except on special occasions and holidays.  Our lives are so full of activity that most of us have no time to stop until something catastrophic happens. 

When he dropped in on Martha and Mary, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  He knew that his death was imminent.  Had Martha realized what was going on, she probably would have joined Mary at the feet of Jesus to savor every word he spoke.  Mary offered Jesus quiet attentiveness.  She sat and she listened.   Jesus invites all of us to sit quietly and listen.  Slow down, take some time out, sit and listen to what Jesus has to say to you. 

Loving God and Father,
you draw near to us in Christ
and make yourself our guest.
Amid the cares of our daily lives,
make us attentive to your voice
and alert to your presence,
that we may treasure your word above all else.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

Saying a Prayer

There is a story about a sea captain who in his retirement skippered a boat taking day-trippers to Shetland Islands.

One day, the boat was full of young people. They laughed at the old captain when they saw him say a prayer before sailing out to sea, because the day was fine and the sea calm.

However, they weren’t long at sea when a storm suddenly blew up and the boat began to pitch violently. The terrified passengers came to the captain and asked him to join them in prayer.

But he replied, “I say my prayers when it’s calm. When it’s rough, I attend to my ship.”​

May You

 

Presence

"Where shall I look for enlightenment?"

"Here?"

"When will it happen?"
"It is happening right now."

"Then why don't I experience it?"
"Because you do not look."

"What shall I look for?"
"Nothing. Just look."

"At what?"
"Anything your eyes light upon."

"Must I look in a special kind of way."
"No. The ordinary way will do."

"But, don't I always look in the ordinary way?"
"No."

"Why ever not?"
"Because to look you must be here. You are mostly somewhere else."


Fr Anthony de Mello, SJ​

What Goes Around Comes Around

One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough.

Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things ht could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me."

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: "You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it. With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."

Love is Always Open Arms

“Love is always open arms.” ~ Leo Buscaglia

There is a story about a boy who left home and dishonored his father by spending a large amount of money on fast and reckless living. When the boy's money ran out, he was faced with the prospect of returning home to face his father, knowing the father had every reason to be disappointed in him. Filled with fear and shame he approached his home, his mind racing with words of apology. Before the boy could say a word, his father rushed to him with open arms and hugged his lost son in joy and love.

Have we done this? Have we found it in our hearts to accept what a loved one does, even if we would have wanted something different?

Love like this is the highest kind of love. It finds joy in others no matter what, because it recognizes the freedom of those we love, and doesn't chain them to our own wants. It is the same kind of love God has for us.

Are my arms open today​?

Footprints - New Version

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns. For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends!

This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are becoming one. This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger. Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints they have become one.

This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Gashes in the sand. A variable mess of prints. You are amazed and shocked.

Your dream ends. Now you pray:

"Lord, I understand the first scene, with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct."

"And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely."

"Very good! You have understood everything so far."

“When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way."

"Precisely."

"So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first."

There is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice. "You didn't know? It was then that we danced!"

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

St. Luke's Good Samaritan story is so well known that it has become part of our common culture. Almost everyone knows that a Good Samaritan is a compassionate and merciful person who helps others in need. In our litigious society, we even have Good Samaritan laws to protect professional people who respond to emergencies from lawsuits. But this parable is about more than compassion and mercy. It is about the second Great Commandment and about how we put it into practice.

The Great Commandment, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, is "you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” We find the Second Great Commandment in Leviticus 19:18, "You must love your neighbor as yourself." If the scholar of the law in the Good Samaritan parable interpreted "your neighbor" the way most of the scribes and Pharisees of the day did, then it meant the upstanding citizens of Judea. Jesus' example of a Samaritan as the good neighbor must have scandalized the scholar, the disciples and anyone else who was listening. Jews despised Samaritans. They were, as far as the Jews were concerned, heretics, law breakers, thieves and half casts. The Samaritan should have been the villain of the story.

However, in the kingdom of God, everything is topsy turvy. Villains become heroes, outcasts become insiders, strangers become friends and sinners are welcomed. There is no exclusivity in the kingdom. Which brings us to the scholar’s question, “who is my neighbor?” According to Mosaic Law, neighbor had a very narrow definition – members in good standing of the 12 tribes of Israel. If we used this narrow definition, our neighbors would be people we could easily love, people like us, good law-abiding citizens of the United States of America. Jesus’ new law of the kingdom of God challenges us to expand our notion of neighbor. We must love everyone we encounter, everyone in Peachtree City, everyone in Georgia, everyone in the USA and everyone in the world. And we should love them not as we love ourselves but as Jesus loves us. At the last supper, Jesus told his disciples, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for another” (John 13:34-35).

Love is the foundation on which all God’s commandments are built; love of God and love of one another. If we love as Jesus loves us, then all of us will be Good Samaritans, we will treat everyone with compassion and mercy. Remember that what Jesus said to the scholar, he says to each of us and he says to the world; “Go and do likewise.”

God most merciful,
you have established the great commandment of love
as the summary and the soul of the entire law.
Fill our hearts, then, with compassion and generosity
toward the sufferings of our sisters and brothers,
so that, like Christ,
we may become Good Samaritans where we live and work.
We ask you this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

Footpath of Peace

To be glad of life because it gives you a chance to love and to work and to play, and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions but not contented with yourself until you have made the best use of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbors except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friend and every day of Christ, and to spend as much time as you can with body and with spirit in God’s out-of-doors. These are the little guideposts on the Footpath Of Peace.

~ Henry Van Dyke​

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of the biggest challenges I confront when traveling is what and how much to pack. The temptation is to throw everything into the suitcase – that extra shirt or pair of socks – just in case I might need them. Inevitably I pack too much. My role model for packing is a friend, Eddie, who joined the Missionaries of Charity Brothers back in 1975. His instructions were clear and succinct: bring one full change of clothing, a toothbrush, razor, comb and a Bible. For the eight years Eddie served with the Missionaries of Charity that is all he had. Everything he owned fit in a small backpack and he was free to go wherever the Lord Jesus led him.

God does not expect everyone to follow Eddie’s example. However, God does ask us to travel lightly through life. In today’s Gospel from Luke 10:12,17-20 Jesus tells the 72 disciples to “carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals.” What does this mean for us? It means that we are not to carry excess baggage. We should not clutter up our lives with material possessions or become bogged down in the things of this life like bad habits or destructive relationships. What Jesus wants us to carry though life is his message that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” There is no need for baggage in the Kingdom of God. And the only reward we can expect is that our “names are written in heaven."

Saint Mother Teresa once said, “The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom. It is not mortification, a penance. It is joyful freedom. There is no television here, no this, no that. But we are perfectly happy.” This is something we all should reflect on as we go about our daily lives.

As a mother comforts her child, O God, 

you embrace a broken world; 

 you empower us - your Son’s disciples - 

 to bear your gift of peace to all peoples. 

 Let us go then, into your harvest not as masters but as your laborers, 

 seeking not to be successful but only to be faithful, 

 rejoicing that our names are written in heaven. 

 We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

 who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

AMEN.

Independence Day

 

July 2 - St. Otto

On July 2, the Church celebrates the life and work of St. Otto. He was born in 1060 in Swabia, and died on June 30, 1139. He was the Bishop of Bamberg, an indefatigable evengelizer, and the apostle of the Pomeranians.

He was born of noble rank and ordained a priest sometime before the age of 30. He joined the service of Emperor Henry IV in  1090 and became his chancellor in 1101. He served Henry IV and his successor, Henry V, loyally, but he disaproved of the latter’s disgraceful treatment of Pope Paschal.

Otto was consecrated a bishop on May 13, 1106, and set to work founding new monasteries, reforming existing ones, building schools and churches, and completing the construction of the cathedral.  He lived a poor and simple life, and was called the “Father of the monks” for the concern he showed toward religious orders.

In 1122 Otto was commissioned by the Polish Duke Boleslaw III to convert Pomerania to Christianity, and he set about this mission in 1124. He traveled across Pomerania twice, and won over the people with his holiness, quiet generosity, and gentle, inspiring sermons.

The conversion of Pomerania was his greatest apostolic work. He baptized over 22,000 people and established 11 churches. Many miracles were attributed to him throughout his two journeys, and many more after his death.