Romans 8:31-39; Ps 109 Save me, O Lord, in your mercy; Luke 13:31-35
The other day I had a parent come up to me to discuss one her children. It seems this particular child is having a hard time adjusting to school. In fact, she has a hard time watching momma leave her at school each morning.
We have several little ones that struggle with their first experience of school.
Instantly many exclaim the child is going through separation anxiety.
Perhaps we grow up and grow out of that anxiety of separation from our parents. We adjust to life and we learn to get on by ourself.
We get use to making decision for ourselves and for our lives. In fact we are masters at thinking of ourselves and taking care of ourselves.
However, should we grow out or grow up in regards to separation from God. One of the temptations we deal with is just that, doing things apart from God's influence, God's law, God's direction and guidance.
Once we taste a little independence we have a tendency to keep going.
As Paul poses the question in today's first reading, "who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword."
Of course St. Paul's response is a bold "NO!"
Yet, my experience is when these things come in the lives of people who are faithful, they waver, they begin to doubt, they often times think that God has left them.
I often wonder why is that?
Maybe its because there is a lack of conviction. We accept God's love on our terms instead of on all terms and through all circumstances.
Perhaps thats the true rub for us a people of faith. We must refuse to set conditions on God's love and we must refuse to let the circumstances of our life determine whether or not God's love is active and present.
When in doubt look to the Cross: "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love ofGod in Christ Jesus our lord."
St. Paul is convinced! Are we?
WE can sense this same conviction in Jesus as he hears of the warning that Herod wants to kill him. Jesus continues to move forward and he stays true to who he is regardless of the gloom that encloses in around him.
The circumstances do not determine his fidelity! Jesus response simple, "Yet, I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day…"
This too can become our response to life's twist and turns, "yet, we must continue on our way, today, tomorrow, and the following day."
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
GROANING
Romans 8:18-25; PS 126 The Lord has done marvels for us; Luke 13:18-21
Ponder these words from St. Paul this morning, "we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies…"
How many groans have we experienced within ourselves as we long for redemption, especially redemption of our bodies?
We drag these bodies around that gain weight, lose weight, get sick, get better, grow wrinkles, get flabby, lose hair only to grow hair in other places not known for it, get broken, and get bruised.
We drag these bodies around that get emotional, depressed, hyper, manic, confused, elated, disturbed, scared, over joyed, overwhelmed, shocked just to name a few.
When it seems too much then we sigh or groan and we unite ourselves to that longing for redemption.
Perhaps we feel what we feel and experience what we experience just for the purpose of reminding us that we aren't there yet; we have been redeemed but we are in need of redemption still.
Even our groans are not wasted!
They too point us to Christ!
As St. Paul continues, "For in hope we are saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance."
We groan and we hope and we wait with endurance.
Sometimes the Kingdom is in the process of rising like dough as Jesus reminds us. Or perhaps it is being kneaded or again maybe baked or at least finally eaten. But somewhere in that process we find ourselves groaning, waiting, enduring and we know we are on our way and that makes all the difference.
Ponder these words from St. Paul this morning, "we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies…"
How many groans have we experienced within ourselves as we long for redemption, especially redemption of our bodies?
We drag these bodies around that gain weight, lose weight, get sick, get better, grow wrinkles, get flabby, lose hair only to grow hair in other places not known for it, get broken, and get bruised.
We drag these bodies around that get emotional, depressed, hyper, manic, confused, elated, disturbed, scared, over joyed, overwhelmed, shocked just to name a few.
When it seems too much then we sigh or groan and we unite ourselves to that longing for redemption.
Perhaps we feel what we feel and experience what we experience just for the purpose of reminding us that we aren't there yet; we have been redeemed but we are in need of redemption still.
Even our groans are not wasted!
They too point us to Christ!
As St. Paul continues, "For in hope we are saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance."
We groan and we hope and we wait with endurance.
Sometimes the Kingdom is in the process of rising like dough as Jesus reminds us. Or perhaps it is being kneaded or again maybe baked or at least finally eaten. But somewhere in that process we find ourselves groaning, waiting, enduring and we know we are on our way and that makes all the difference.
Friday, October 25, 2013
PERFORMANCE
Romans 7:18-25; Ps 119 Lord, teach me your statues; Luke 12:54-59
Every time I go to confession. That's right you read correctly, priest go to confession. Every time I go to confession to a particular priest, i don't go to the same priest every time, but this one priest whom i go to always brings up today's first reading and he will quote St. Paul,
"For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want."
How many of can relate to this passage?
There seems to be a nice big gap between proposal and performance, motivation and maturity into action.
How do we overcome the gap that we experience daily in our life.
I wish it would be as easy as it is in vehicles. In cars if you want better performance, that is if yo want the car to do what you want it to do then you simply change things: you change its oil, you change its fuel, you change its tires, you change its spark plugs and so on and so forth.
You continually tweak the engine though never twerking while tweaking that would be inappropriate.
But how do we increase our performance?
As St. Paul points out, "sin dwells in me. And when I want to do right, evil is at hand...For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive."
Okay we get. We can all relate. We understand. What's the solution. How do we close the gap between proposal and performance, motivation and mature action?
Paul is speaking of the inadequacies of human resolution. To resolve to do a thing and to do it are different. There is a weakness in our will. think of St. Peter who made a great resolution to Christ, "even if i must die with you, I will not deny you (My 26:35)."
The human will is weak and prone to crack .
So what is the solution, please!
"Thanks be to God through JEsus Christ our lord."
Jesus is the solution. He is the one who crucified the human flesh with its desires so that it might be filed with His life giving spirit.
It is true, that each morning we need to invite Jesus into our life and heart and give him the reigns and let him lead. Each Morning ad through out the day we need to invite the Holy Spirit to strengthen us.
But lets face it, we forget. We start out asking Christ to take over and then we get side tracked. We start to live on our own, trusting our own will or the strength of our own back rather than relying on his strength.
This is the solution that we must carry through all the days of our life: "Come Lord Jesus strengthen me a new, set my heart on fire, fill me with your heavenly dew."
Every time I go to confession. That's right you read correctly, priest go to confession. Every time I go to confession to a particular priest, i don't go to the same priest every time, but this one priest whom i go to always brings up today's first reading and he will quote St. Paul,
"For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want."
How many of can relate to this passage?
There seems to be a nice big gap between proposal and performance, motivation and maturity into action.
How do we overcome the gap that we experience daily in our life.
I wish it would be as easy as it is in vehicles. In cars if you want better performance, that is if yo want the car to do what you want it to do then you simply change things: you change its oil, you change its fuel, you change its tires, you change its spark plugs and so on and so forth.
You continually tweak the engine though never twerking while tweaking that would be inappropriate.
But how do we increase our performance?
As St. Paul points out, "sin dwells in me. And when I want to do right, evil is at hand...For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive."
Okay we get. We can all relate. We understand. What's the solution. How do we close the gap between proposal and performance, motivation and mature action?
Paul is speaking of the inadequacies of human resolution. To resolve to do a thing and to do it are different. There is a weakness in our will. think of St. Peter who made a great resolution to Christ, "even if i must die with you, I will not deny you (My 26:35)."
The human will is weak and prone to crack .
So what is the solution, please!
"Thanks be to God through JEsus Christ our lord."
Jesus is the solution. He is the one who crucified the human flesh with its desires so that it might be filed with His life giving spirit.
It is true, that each morning we need to invite Jesus into our life and heart and give him the reigns and let him lead. Each Morning ad through out the day we need to invite the Holy Spirit to strengthen us.
But lets face it, we forget. We start out asking Christ to take over and then we get side tracked. We start to live on our own, trusting our own will or the strength of our own back rather than relying on his strength.
This is the solution that we must carry through all the days of our life: "Come Lord Jesus strengthen me a new, set my heart on fire, fill me with your heavenly dew."
Thursday, October 24, 2013
COME BRING FIRE
Rom 6:19-23; Ps 1 Blessed are they who hope in the Lord; Luke 12:49-53
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ..."
"Jesus said to his disciples: I have come to set the earth on fire, and howI wish it were already blazing!...Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household will be divided..."
Yesterday Jesus in the gospel spoke of harmony. He spoke of the harmony brought about by us being the steward who brought forth provision to those in need.
Today Jesus speaks of disharmony; he speaks of fire blazing, peace shattered, division resigning, and households divided.
What gives?
Truth be told is that it is far easy to defend one's principle then it is to stand firm on them.
Fire falls, false peace is shattered, division swells when a person of principle takes a stand.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ..."
"Jesus said to his disciples: I have come to set the earth on fire, and howI wish it were already blazing!...Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household will be divided..."
Yesterday Jesus in the gospel spoke of harmony. He spoke of the harmony brought about by us being the steward who brought forth provision to those in need.
Today Jesus speaks of disharmony; he speaks of fire blazing, peace shattered, division resigning, and households divided.
What gives?
Truth be told is that it is far easy to defend one's principle then it is to stand firm on them.
Fire falls, false peace is shattered, division swells when a person of principle takes a stand.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
WEAPONS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Rom 6:12-18; Ps 124 Our help is in the name of the lord; Luke 12:39-48
"present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness..."
We look at the psalm today, psalm 124. It is considered to be a song of a pilgrim, of someone journeying to the temple. As the ancient Israelites would journey up to the temple they would recite psalms and hymns in preparation for their encounter with God himself.
Remember the Temple was considered the place of encounter, the place where God dwelt amongst his people.
Psalm 124 is a psalm or hymn for travelers. The psalm itself acknowledges the dangers and various experiences one would encounter on the journey, exposed to the elements of the natural world but as well as hostility of persons such as robbers and the like.
The consistent message is that regardless of the dangers or roils or snare the name of the Lord was that reality which brought forth security and peace: Our help is in the name of the Lord who is a companion on the journey as the psalmist points out, "had not the LORD been with us, let Israel say, had the LORD been with us..."
The presence and companionship of the LORD changes everything. We do not go alone.
Through space and time God's protection reigns over us.
Just as God provides for us, we are asked to be providers for others a we hear int he gospel, "WHo, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time. Blessed is that servant whom the master on arrival finds doing so."
"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."
We are all called to be providers?
This is what St. Paul suggest when he tells us to use our body parts as weapons of righteousness.
We should not compare ourselves to other but busy ourselves with giving more, for much is required with those who are entrusted with more."
We must learn to live in the more. We can no longer get by or do the minimal think it leads to happiness or fulfillment.
"present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness..."
We look at the psalm today, psalm 124. It is considered to be a song of a pilgrim, of someone journeying to the temple. As the ancient Israelites would journey up to the temple they would recite psalms and hymns in preparation for their encounter with God himself.
Remember the Temple was considered the place of encounter, the place where God dwelt amongst his people.
Psalm 124 is a psalm or hymn for travelers. The psalm itself acknowledges the dangers and various experiences one would encounter on the journey, exposed to the elements of the natural world but as well as hostility of persons such as robbers and the like.
The consistent message is that regardless of the dangers or roils or snare the name of the Lord was that reality which brought forth security and peace: Our help is in the name of the Lord who is a companion on the journey as the psalmist points out, "had not the LORD been with us, let Israel say, had the LORD been with us..."
The presence and companionship of the LORD changes everything. We do not go alone.
Through space and time God's protection reigns over us.
Just as God provides for us, we are asked to be providers for others a we hear int he gospel, "WHo, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time. Blessed is that servant whom the master on arrival finds doing so."
"Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."
We are all called to be providers?
This is what St. Paul suggest when he tells us to use our body parts as weapons of righteousness.
We should not compare ourselves to other but busy ourselves with giving more, for much is required with those who are entrusted with more."
We must learn to live in the more. We can no longer get by or do the minimal think it leads to happiness or fulfillment.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
OVERFLOW
Romans 5:12-21; Ps 40 Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will; Luke 12:35-38
St. Paul invites us to reflect on the influence that one can bring into the world, both negative in bringing every one down or positive, lifting others up.
In Adam the human race was drastically altered. In that brief moment of indiscretion the entire human race and the world alike has been affected. The sin of Adam brought death amongst other things we deal with on a regular basis: disordered affection to say the least.
Think about your own family. How has decisions of one affected the whole?
I often think about families with an Alcoholic. The decision to take a drink, something so seemingly insignificant, or a pop a pill, can lead to such conflict and hurt and pain.
The children, though not drinkers, bear the effects of the decision to drink and all that comes from that in their life. I think about AlAnon and AA and the many other programs out there to help restore families to some degree of sanity.
Just as one can bring havoc so the opposite is true.
Paul reminds us that the flip side is more important: "how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus christ overflow for the many."
How much more..
We live in the "more" of Jesus. Though we have been affected by the choice of Adam we are not bound by it. We are never bound by the negative decision of another.
There is something more as Paul points out, "the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflowing for others."
Just like in Christ, we too can bring about "much more" and effect many with graciousness.
We continue the graciousness of Christ int he world for the many.
This is where we need to set our heart and mind.
We "reign in life through the one Jesus Christ." Think about that. This is the power of Christ which stands above the effects of Adam and the onslaught of death.
How do we imitate Christ in lifting up those around us as opposed to bringing the down?
What does our life extend: the effects of Adam or the promise of Christ and his graciousness: death or life?
St. Paul invites us to reflect on the influence that one can bring into the world, both negative in bringing every one down or positive, lifting others up.
In Adam the human race was drastically altered. In that brief moment of indiscretion the entire human race and the world alike has been affected. The sin of Adam brought death amongst other things we deal with on a regular basis: disordered affection to say the least.
Think about your own family. How has decisions of one affected the whole?
I often think about families with an Alcoholic. The decision to take a drink, something so seemingly insignificant, or a pop a pill, can lead to such conflict and hurt and pain.
The children, though not drinkers, bear the effects of the decision to drink and all that comes from that in their life. I think about AlAnon and AA and the many other programs out there to help restore families to some degree of sanity.
Just as one can bring havoc so the opposite is true.
Paul reminds us that the flip side is more important: "how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus christ overflow for the many."
How much more..
We live in the "more" of Jesus. Though we have been affected by the choice of Adam we are not bound by it. We are never bound by the negative decision of another.
There is something more as Paul points out, "the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflowing for others."
Just like in Christ, we too can bring about "much more" and effect many with graciousness.
We continue the graciousness of Christ int he world for the many.
This is where we need to set our heart and mind.
We "reign in life through the one Jesus Christ." Think about that. This is the power of Christ which stands above the effects of Adam and the onslaught of death.
How do we imitate Christ in lifting up those around us as opposed to bringing the down?
What does our life extend: the effects of Adam or the promise of Christ and his graciousness: death or life?
Saturday, October 19, 2013
THE BIG O
I cam across this statement recently in regards to sex and marriage. I thought I would share it with whoever reads this.
"The goal of sex is the big O…(and it ain’t orgasm). It’s Oneness. Loving the whole
person, not just the body parts. Connecting at a deeper level." Tim Gardner
Just thought i would give a little pick me up to those who are married...Hang in there...don't give up...and If you are looking for a neat website to go: www.smartmarriages.com
Also just picked up a neat book entitled: Just Married: thriving and surviving int he first 5 years of marriage.
It is a good refresher for those who've been at a lot longer as well.
"The goal of sex is the big O…(and it ain’t orgasm). It’s Oneness. Loving the whole
person, not just the body parts. Connecting at a deeper level." Tim Gardner
Just thought i would give a little pick me up to those who are married...Hang in there...don't give up...and If you are looking for a neat website to go: www.smartmarriages.com
Also just picked up a neat book entitled: Just Married: thriving and surviving int he first 5 years of marriage.
It is a good refresher for those who've been at a lot longer as well.
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