They recognize the divine within (Pearl Maria Barros)

    In the story of the Visitation, we see Mary determinedly “setting out” in “haste” to visit her cousin Elizabeth who is pregnant after being “barren” for many years. It’s important to note that “barrenness” (or infertility) is a condition that would have brought Elizabeth much suffering in a world where God’s favor and a woman’s worth were believed to be evidenced in the ability to bear multiple children. Indeed, even to this day, in many parts of our world and in the Catholic Church, a woman’s primary vocation is seen as motherhood – whether physical or spiritual – and her worth is often bound-up in how she uses, or does not use, her sexuality. 

    Yet in the story of the Visitation, we witness an encounter between two women who do not fit these definitions of “womanhood.” Instead, we see a young girl, pregnant out of wedlock, going to visit her older female cousin who is now pregnant after suffering from infertility and social rejection. Remarkably, in a world that does not recognize them, they recognize the divine within each other and themselves. 

How often do we celebrate
"the ability to recognize the divine
within each other and ourselves"? 

--Pearl Maria Barros, Th.D. 

Image source: Timothy Schmalz, Visitation - Fruit of thy Womb, https://www.sculpturebytps.com/portfolio_page/visitation-fruit-of-thy-womb/
Quotation source

Sunday Gospel Reflection, December 22, 2024: He shall be peace...

He shall be peace…
What does it mean for God to take on flesh? 

    The people of Israel waited for a Messiah to come in the line of David, a king who would offer them salvation. But because they understood that salvation to be political – O shepherd of Israel, hearken from your throne upon the cherubim, we read in Psalm 80 – their understanding of salvation was skewed, coloring how they understood God’s love for them. Theirs was conditional relationship with the Lord, dependent upon what God could do for them. The prophet Micah had a similar understanding of the messianic promise as a royal kingship on earth: from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel. But when Christians read Micah, they understand the prophecies to refer to Jesus, the true shepherd of the flock. Jesus, the Messiah sent by God, will come to transform the way in which humankind understands their relationship with God. Notice that Micah does not say the one to come shall bring peace, but rather, he shall be peace. Jesus himself will embody the promise of God; he will give flesh to that promise in the Incarnation. 

    Later, Jesus’ very body, God incarnate, God-made-flesh, will ultimately become the unique sacrifice acceptable to the Lord. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is obedient to God the Father: Behold, I come to do your will.  Jesus understands God’s plan and willingly participates in it, entering into a full relationship of love with all of humankind. In his very real human flesh, Jesus enters fully into what it means to be human, and offers himself totally for the forgiveness of our sins, transforming our humanity in the process: we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Consecration is transformation. 

    In Luke’s Gospel, Elizabeth recognizes immediately the presence of God incarnate, physically present in the womb of her cousin Mary: Blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Elizabeth is blessed by this visit, but she also recognizes how blessed Mary is because she opened herself to God, no matter what difficulties her openness might create for her. 

    Like Mary, we are called to allow Christ to be enfleshed in us. What will that look like? It means that flowing from our lives will be harmony, connection, mercy, forgiveness, and kindness – all those things necessary to be peace. We are to share in his life, which we do every time we receive Eucharist – when he joins our flesh and we join his death and resurrection. We are the Body of Christ incarnate, through which God is active in our world. What is required of us is a faith that isn’t just words; we need a faith that starts in our hearts, a heart response to the love God has for us. Blessed are you who believe, for you will be peace! 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Pregnant with the holy (Morgan Harper Nichols / St. John of the Cross)

Cling to joy, audacious joy,
that looks for light in everything,
 even your waiting.

 --Morgan Harper Nichols 

If
you want,
the Virgin will come walking down the road
pregnant with the holy,
and say… 

“I need shelter for the night, please take me inside your heart,
My time is so close.” 

Then, under the roof of your soul, you will witness the sublime
intimacy, the divine, the Christ
taking birth
forever, 

as she grasps your hand for help, for each of us 
is the midwife of God, each of us. 

Yes, there, under the dome of your being does Creation 
come into existence eternally, through your womb, dear pilgrim –
the sacred womb of your soul,
As God grasps our arm for help’ for each of us is
His beloved servant
never far. 

If you want, the Virgin will come walking
Down the street pregnant
With light and
…sing. 

--St. John of the Cross,
Love Poems to God,
translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Image source 1: https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/the-virgin-marys-reproductive-choice 
Image source 2: https://holylandshopping.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/WhatsApp_Image_2023-11-04_at_11.03.04_AM_1000x1333-55.png
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2

Glimmers of joy (Gertrude Stein / L. Beckton)

Every day is a renewal,
every morning the daily miracle.
This joy you feel is life. 

 --Gertrude Stein 

   I recently learned about a term called “glimmer.” Which is essentially the opposite of a trigger. 

   Glimmers are those micro moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace or gratitude. Once you train your brain to be on the lookout for glimmers, the more these tiny moments will begin to appear. 

--L. Beckton

Image source: https://www.careforkids.com.au/child-care-provider-articles/article/727/goodbye-glitter-hello-new-world-of-shiny-eco-sparkles 
Quotation 1 source
Quotation 2 source

Our deep need for grace (Bishop Robert Barron / Tenzin Gyatso)

Advent is the season where
we’re meant to get in touch
with our dysfunction,
our deep need for grace.

 --Bishop Robert Barron

The very purpose of religion
is to control yourself,
not to criticize others.
Rather, we must criticize
ourselves. How much am
I doing about my anger?
About my attachment,
about my hatred, about my pride,
my jealousy?
These are the things which
we must check in daily life.
Taking your own body and
mind as the laboratory,
engage in some thorough going
research on your own
mental functioning
and examine the possibility of
making some positive changes
within yourself. 

--Tenzin Gyatso,
the 14th Dalai Lama

Join us tonight for our

Parish Reconciliation Service

at 7pm in the church

& celebrate the forgiveness

that is already yours! 

Image source: https://www.cgi.org/news-and-events/2019/4/25/examine-yourself
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2

Swimming in joy (St. John of the Cross / Henri Nouwen)

The soul of one who serves God
always swims in joy,
always keeps holiday,
and is always in the mood for singing.

 --St. John of the Cross

   At first sight, joy seems to be connected with being different. When you receive a compliment or win an award, you experience the joy of not being the same as others. You are faster, smarter, or more beautiful, and it is that difference that brings you joy. But such joy is very temporary. True joy is hidden where we are the same as other people: fragile and mortal. It is the joy of belonging to the human race. It is the joy of being with others as a friend, a companion, a fellow-traveler. This is the joy of Jesus, who is Emmanuel: God-with-us. 

Dear God, 

Joy is what makes life worth living,
but joy seems hard to find.
I complain that my life is
 sorrowful and depressing.
What then brings the joy I so much desire?
You invite me to choose joy.
Help me to choose to trust that what happened,
painful as it may be, holds a promise. 

Let your loving voice be my guide.
Amen. 

–Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey 

Image source 1: https://catholicallyear.com/blog/the-blessed-virgin-and-blasting-out-of/
Image source 2: https://www.lovecrucified.com/joyful-mysteries
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2

The Advent journey (Bobby Schuller)

The Advent journey:

Hope becomes peace.

Peace becomes joy.

Joy becomes Love.

Love becomes Christ. 

--Bobby Schuller 

Image source: https://lori-wangler.medium.com/written-in-the-stars-ba0583b8095c
Quotation source

Joy (St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata / St. Mechtilde of Magdeburg)

Joy is a net of love by which we can catch souls.

--St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata

I cannot dance, Beloved, unless you lead me. 

If you want me to leap with abandon, 

You must intone the song. 

Then I shall leap into love, 

From love into wisdom, 

From wisdom into joy, 

And from joy, reach beyond all human sensations. 

There I will seek to remain, 

Yet long also to soar higher still. 

-- St. Mechtilde of Magdeburg
(13th century mystic)

Image source: Still shot, Pam Tanowitz & David Lang's staging of the Song of Songs, in which the human soul prays that God will draw her to him, New York City, November 2023, https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2023-2024/pam-tanowitz-artists-at-the-center/

Quotation 1 source
Quotation 2 source

Sunday Gospel Reflection, December 15, 2024: Shout with exultation, O city of Zion!

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion!
What makes you jump for joy? 

    Prophets don’t always bring gloom and doom! Although Zephaniah does speak at length to the people of Israel about the day of judgment looming over them, the prophet ends his exhortation with a messianic promise that should cause them to be glad and exult with all their heart! To exult is, etymologically, to jump for joy; Zephaniah encourages the people to exult because soon, the King of Israel, the Lord will be in their midst, and so they have no further misfortune to fear. Not only that, but God himself will also rejoice over the people once they turn back to him! Imagine the Lord jumping for joy! The prophet Isaiah sounds a similar refrain: Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel! God’s presence among us is a reason to rejoice, to jump for joy! 

    In Luke’s Gospel, John the Baptist – also a prophet – announces what Zephaniah and Isaiah also promised, news that should again make the people jump for joy: one mightier than I is coming; John says. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Everyone – crowds, soldiers, even tax collectors – wants to know, Teacher, what should we do? John’s answer to each involves practicing love of neighbor and life-giving justice. Although he doesn’t exactly encourage his listeners to jump for joy, John knows what it means to jump for joy, as he himself leapt in his mother Elizabeth’s womb as Mary’s approached, carrying the Messiah. 

    Paul’s Letter to the Philippians sums up our reason for joy: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! The Lord is near. Christ died and rose for us, and we know that he is always near. We can access his presence, Paul says, through kindness, prayer and petition, and thanksgiving, so that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. What better reason could there be to jump for joy?

This post is based on OLMC’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

To whom can you bring comfort this Advent? (Fr. James Martin)

    Advent is not simply an interior event, nor is it simply something between you and God. Spiritual preparation necessarily has a communal dimension. So, I’d like to invite you to think not only about the word metanoia, but also the word “comfort.” The Hebrew word used is nacham, whose root comes from the word for sighing or breathing heavily, so it has the connotation of relief. 

    To whom can you give comfort to this Advent? Whom in your world can you bring relief to? Is it someone in your family who is struggling with a financial problem or an illness? Is it an LGBTQ person who feels unloved by God or excluded from the church? Perhaps it is a whole people or community suffering during war or famine. How can you comfort them? How can you give them relief? 

    Last year, in a letter to [Fr. Martin's Ministry] Outreach, Pope Francis wrote of God’s “style" as “closeness, mercy and tenderness.” Who in your world can you share that “style” with? Who can you comfort? Whom can you show tenderness to? In short, how can you live Advent both interiorly and exteriorly? 

--Fr James Martin, 

 Outreach, Dec 9-10, 2023 

Image source: https://kidscorner.net/parent-blog/a-heart-for-the-hurting-helping-your-child-support-their-friend-during-divorce 

Quotation source

Choosing to walk in the light of the Lord (Sr. Norma Pimentel)

   This Advent, when we choose to walk in the light of the Lord, we can conquer a desire to be negative and destructive and instead offer opportunities of dialogue and peace that bring hope. We will be people of faith that believe God is with us and we can make a difference in building communities and nations of faith. 

--Sr. Norma Pimentel, MJ,
Pax Christi Reflections 

Image source: https://travelcar.edu.vn/how-far-did-the-shepherds-travel-to-bethlehem/ Quotation source

Mary, flower of every perfection (St. Francis de Sales)

    At the appointed time, the torrent of original sin began to roll its fatal waves over the conception of this holy woman. But just when the torrent had reached that certain point, it did not pass beyond it but was stopped… In this way, God turned all captivity away from his glorious Mother. 

    Thus, God gave to Mary the blessing of the two states of human nature: she possessed the innocence that the first Adam had lost, and she enjoyed in a surpassing manner the redemption that Jesus, the second Adam, would gain for her. Hence, like a chosen garden that was to bear the fruit of life, she was made the flower of every kind of perfection.

 --St. Francis de Sales,
Treatise on the Love of God,
Book 2, chapter 6

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

Image source 1: Mary Immaculate, stained glass, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/why-do-we-celebrate-the-immaculate-conception/
Image source 2: https://themarianroom.com/flowers-and-our-lady-ii/
Quotation source

A time to break routine (Fr. Brian Engelhart SJ)

    Advent is a time to break routine. As we prepare for the birth of Jesus, we have the opportunity to examine our lives, consider the world around us, and ask if we are really satisfied with the ways things are. For me, the answer every year is a resounding “no.” Every year, I regret not taking up opportunities to reach out to those in need, I mourn the systems of injustice that place so many in great need, and I find myself trapped in seemingly endless cycles of self-defeating thought patterns… The routine is not good enough. 

    Looking with only my own eyes and the limited perspective of my routine, things seem completely helpless. But when I can pray with God’s perspective and see how God has responded to humanity’s greatest need, I am filled with hope. I do not know what God has in store, but I know that God also is not satisfied to accept our routine as good enough. If God chose the Incarnation to save humanity from sin and death, then I must look at the world in a new way. I have to look for the small, unexpected signs that God is still at work, that God’s promise of love and redemption has not changed. 

    What routines are you being shaken out of? How is God inviting you to reconsider yourself, others, and the world this season and in the year ahead? 

--Fr. Brian Engelhart SJ 

To read more on how Fr. Engelhart uses the Spiritual Exercises to shake up his own routine, access the complete article by clicking on the link below. 

Image source: https://www.sahilbloom.com/newsletter/how-to-get-out-of-a-rut
Quotation source

Something stirs inside (Fr. Edward Hays / Kristin Armstrong)

Advent, like its cousin Lent,
is a season for prayer and 
reformation of our hearts.

--Fr. Edward Hays

    When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised change, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness? Whatever it is, it’s welcome. 

--Kristin Armstrong

Image source: http://www.collectingthemoments.com/2014/12/creating-new-tradition-advent.html
Quotation 1 source
Quotation 2 source

Going beyond the mind you have (Bishop Robert Barron)

    John the Baptist said, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” He is saying that his job is to prepare for the mighty coming of the Lord. A change is coming, a revolution is on the way, a disaster (the destruction of the old) is about to happen. Prepare the way of the Lord. 

    And what is the manner of preparation? It is a baptism of repentance. Baptism—an immersion in water—reminded first-century Jews of the exodus, passing through the Red Sea, leaving the ways of slavery behind. 

    And repentance (metanoia) is going beyond the mind that you have. How our minds are conditioned by the fallen world! How our expectations are shaped, stunted by what has gone before. The world of Tiberius and Pilate and Herod and Caiaphas has shaped our imagination. It’s time, John is saying, for a new mind, a new set of eyes, a new kind of expectation. God is about to act! 

    Be ready! 

--Bishop Robert Barron,
Gospel Reflection, 
October 22, 2024 

Image source: Joseph Slawinski and Michael Baranowski, John Preaches a Baptism of Repentance, sgraffito mural located in an outdoor shrine on the property of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, Stella Niagara, New York, https://buffaloah.com/a/STELLA/lower/4421/int/index.html#3
Quotation source

Sunday Gospel Reflection, December 8, 2024: Prepare the way of the Lord!

Prepare the way of the Lord!

But how do we prepare? 

    The first two weeks of Advent are a curious time. We want to be preparing for the birth of Jesus, but our Sunday readings focus primarily on the parousia, Jesus’ second coming into the world. In either case, we need to prepare for the revelation of God in Jesus. How? Through reconciliation and transformation! 

    Addressing the people of Israel in exile, the prophet Baruch exhorts them to change their (metaphorical) clothes from head to foot: take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever! The prophet is inviting the people to reconciliation and transformation, with the promise that, if they align themselves with the Lord, God will show all the earth their splendor and lead Israel in joy, back not only to their land, but to right relationship by means of his mercy and justice. They will then be able to sing Psalm 126: The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy! 

    Another prophet, John the Baptist, bursts onto the scene in Luke’s Gospel, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins for all people. John, like Baruch, comes to prepare the way of the Lord. But is it Jesus’ route to us via the Incarnation, or is it our route back to him? Both/and, it seems! God is certainly bringing us salvation in the gift of his Son Jesus, but it is up to us to participate, making low every mountain and hill that stand in the way of our relationship with him. Preparation is necessary! 

    To prepare, we must, as Paul tells the Philippians, continue to grow in faith and allow the Lord to work in us, for the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it. Living together in Christ, our relationships will bear fruit, and our love will increase ever more and more. By allowing God to transform our hearts through reconciliation and mercy, by opening them to let God work in us, we prepare for the coming of the Lord with joy, both at Christmas and at the second coming, pure and blameless for the day of Christ, because God makes us new again, and restores us to himself! 

This post is based on OLMC’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Abound in love for one another (Hans Urs von Balthasar)

May the Lord make you increase and
abound in love for one another and for all,
just as we have for you.

 1 Thessalonians 3:12 

    When you say Yes to God unconditionally, you have no idea how far this Yes is going to take you. Certainly farther than you can guess and calculate beforehand… but just how far and in what form? At the same time, this Yes is the sole, non-negotiable prerequisite of all Christian understanding, of all theology and ecclesial wisdom. 

    The point to which everything comes down is this: the total self-giving to Christ (leaving everything, every wife and child: Luke 18:30) is now wedded to the task of committing this totality to the service of the flock of Christ and finds in this its practical application. Also, this entire service, in the Catholic understanding, is not likely any worldly “job” but is a special kind of participation in the redemptive work of the Son – who was obedient unto death – and is thus itself marked by this work. 

    A good priest is always a miracle of grace.

--Hans Urs von Balthasar 

Happy Anniversary of your
Ordination to the Priesthood, Fr. Pat!
We are so blessed by your commitment
to the service of the flock of Christ! 

Image source 1: Fr. Pat celebrates Mass for First Holy Communion, April 28, 2024,  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=854995249999224&set=a.855001323331950 

Image source 2: Fr. Pat creating stand-alone Nativity sets for the 2023 Advent Fair, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=757995679699182&set=a.757479833084100
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2
Quotation source 3

Every day you shall wonder at the richness of life (Isabel Allende / Phillips Brooks)

We don’t even know how strong we are 

until we are forced to bring
that hidden strength forward.
 In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity,
people do amazing things.
The human capacity for survival 

and renewal is amazing.

 --Isabel Allende 

    O, do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks! Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God. 

--Phillips Brooks,
“Going Up to Jerusalem,”
Twenty Sermons

 

Image source: https://imrannsons.com/strenght-capabilities.htm
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2

The expectation of Advent (St. Pope John Paul II / Henri Nouwen)

Advent is… [an] annual meditation
on the work of salvation and sanctification,
the work of grace and love
which the Lord began and continually begins
in every person and in every generation.

 --St. Pope John Paul II 

    The expectation of Advent is anchored in the event of God’s incarnation. The more I come in touch with what happened in the past, the more I come in touch with what is to come. The Gospel not only reminds me of what took place but also of what will take place. In the contemplation of Christ’s first coming, I can discover the signs of his second coming. By looking back in meditation, I can look forward in expectation. By reflection, I can project; by conserving the memory of Christ’s birth, I can progress to the fulfillment of his kingdom. I am struck by the fact that the prophets speaking about the future of Israel always kept reminding their people of God’s great works in the past. They could look forward with confidence because they could look backward with awe to Yahweh’s great deeds. 

    I pray that Advent will offer me the opportunity to deepen my memory of God’s great deeds in time and will set me free to look forward with courage to the fulfillment of time by him who came and is still to come. 

--Henri Nouwen 

Image source: https://friendsofthesavior.org/blog/longing-for-the-dawn-an-advent-meditation
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2

Signs in the sun and the moon and the stars (Henri Nouwen)

   The state of the world suggests to me the urgent need for a spirituality that takes the end things very seriously, not a spirituality of withdrawal, nor of blindness to the powers of the world, but a spirituality that allows us to live in this world without belonging to it, a spirituality that allows us to take the joy and peace of the divine life even when we are surrounded by the powers and principalities of evil, death, and destruction. 

   I wonder if a spirituality of liberation does not need to be deepened by a spirituality of exile or captivity. I wonder if a spirituality that focuses on the alleviation of poverty should not be deepened by a spirituality that allows people to continue their lives when their poverty only increases. I wonder if a spirituality that encourages peacemaking should not be deepened by a spirituality that allows us to remain faithful when the only things we see are dying children, burning houses, and the total destruction of our civilization. 

   May God prevent any of these horrors from taking place, may we do all that is possible to prevent them, but may we never lose our faith when “great misery [descends] on the land and wrath on this people . . . [when there are] signs in the sun and moon and stars . . . [when] nations [are] in agony, bewildered by the clamor of the ocean and its waves” (Luke 21:24–26). I pray that we will not be swept away by our own curiosity, sensationalism, and panic, but remain attentive to him who comes and will say: “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34–35). 

--Henri Nouwen 

Image source: Thomas Cole, The Course of Empire Destruction (1836), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Course_of_Empire_%28paintings%29#/media/File:Cole_Thomas_The_Course_of_Empire_Destruction_1836.jpg
Quotation source

When your sorrow is comforted (Isabel Allende / Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

There is no death, daughter.
People die only when we forget them,
my mother explained shortly before she left me.
If you can remember me,
I will be with you always.

 --Isabel Allende, Eva Luna

    All men have the stars… but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For other they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For my businessman they were wealth. But all these stars are silent. 

    You — you alone — will have the stars as no one else has them… In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night… 

    And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content to have known me. You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure… And your friends will be properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky! 

--Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,
The Little Prince 

In November we remember All Souls...

Image source: https://www.designboom.com/art/encounter-little-prince-exhibition-paris-musee-des-arts-decoratifs-02-17-2022/
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2

Sunday Gospel Reflection, December 1, 2024: Strengthen your hearts...

Strengthen your hearts…

How can Christians stand erect and raise their heads

in moments of trial and tribulation? 

    In Luke’s Gospel, as his teaching ministry in Jerusalem comes to a close, just before his Passion, Jesus speaks to his disciples of the tribulations that are imminent, reminding them that they must be vigilant at all times, and pray that they have the strength to escape the tribulations and to stand before the Son of Man. Some people will die of fright, Jesus says, but the disciples know the Lord, know how to remain in right relationship with him, and thus know that their redemption is at hand. They must continue to trust, therefore, in the promises given through the prophet Jeremiah: that the just shoot that is Jesus shall do what is right and just in the land. 

    We want to know the ways of the Lord; we would rather have certainty than signs, definite answers rather than dismay. But, as Psalm 25 reminds us, the friendship of the Lord is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction. It is openness to this instruction and trust in the Lord our justice that allow all Christians to stand erect and raise their heads in moments of trial and tribulation. The psalmist prays, Your ways, o Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths; we echo this prayer as we wait for the coming of Christ. 

    Yet, as St. Paul tells the Thessalonians, we have simply to conduct ourselves in such a way as to please God, according to the instructions given to us through the Lord Jesus to be assured of eternal life. If we are open to God’s love active in our lives, then the Lord will make us increase and abound in love for one another and for all – a sure way for us to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus. Constant vigilance, as the refrain goes, is essential. Don’t lose sight of the goal that is eternal life; don’t lose sight of the face of God who loves you and who calls you to union with him; don’t lose sight of the love that is ours, but remain strong in heart, dedicated to the one Lord Jesus Christ. 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture classes and homilies.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Let God know how you are grateful (Mary Oliver / Thornton Wilder)

Love still as once you loved,
and without patience.
Let God know how you are grateful.
That the gift has been given.

 --Mary Oliver 

    The happiness of life is made up of little things - a smile, a helping hand, a caring heart, a word of praise, a moment of shared laughter. We are most alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. 

--Thornton Wilder 

What are you grateful for today?
Give thanks to God! 

Image source: https://lacatholics.org/2020/11/10/gratitude/
Quotation 1 source
Quotation 2 source

We give thanks this day (Thomas Merton / O. Eugene Pickett)

To be grateful is to recognize
the love of God in everything.

--Thomas Merton 

For the expanding grandeur of creation, worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations:
We give thanks this day.

For this fragile planet earth, its times and tides, its sunsets and seasons:
We give thanks this day.

For the joy of human life, its wonders and surprises, its hopes and achievements:
We give thanks this day.

For our human community, our common past and future hope, our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work for peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression:
We give thanks this day.

For high hopes and noble causes, for faith without fanaticism, for understanding of views not shared:
We give thanks this day.

For all who have labored and suffered for a fairer world, who have lived so that others might live in dignity and freedom:
We give thanks this day.

For human liberty and sacred rites; for opportunities to change and grow, to affirm and choose:
We give thanks this day.

We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes, not by our words but by our deeds.
We give thanks this day. 

 --O. Eugene Pickett, Giving Thanks 

Image source 1: Harvest theme at the altar, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mill Valley, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1246813152046771&set=a.1198614813533272 

Image source 2: Catherine Twomey, from her “Universe” series, https://humansandnature.org/the-universe/
Prayer source

Christ's power is real and transformative (Sr. Julia Walsh)

From the macro of the cosmos to the micro of our hearts:
the love of Christ prevails and has authority.
Christ’s power is real and transformative.

To see this, we are invited to shift our perspective.
 A step back to see the big mess on the board.
To step back and see the little ones gaining might.
Entering into the Word of God expands our view as well. 

What could happen if we lived as if we believed 
salvation has already been given us?

What would we act like if we really believed
that the kingdom of God surrounds us?

Would we live with more joy and wonder?
Would we reverence God and every part of creation we encounter? 

I imagine that if we believed that we’re already in the kingdom of God, then we’d live more wholeheartedly.

We’d be our true selves, free and unafraid of judgments, not worried about fitting in.

We’d heed the advice of St. Francis De Sales “be who you are, and be it perfectly well.”

We’d show up for others, every day.

We’d love wildly and freely---no longer trapped by the limits of what we alone can dream up.

We wouldn’t be stuck in a pile of “should” and “shouldn’t.”

We’d be celebrating the goodness. 

--Sr. Julia Walsh, FSPA 

Image source 1:  https://www.holytrinitygoodhue.org/post/jesus-king-of-our-salvation
Image source 2: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/a-devoted-heart.html
Quotation source

The truth may be puzzling (Kim Gilliland / Carl Sagan)

If you want peace to rule in your heart,
then you have to let Jesus in.

--Kim Gilliland 

    The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what’s true. 

--Carl Sagan 

Image source: The Eyes of Truth, https://jigsawaday.com/the-eyes-of-truth-wednesdays-daily-jigsaw-puzzle/
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2

Setting our hearts on the Kingdom (Henri Nouwen)

For Jesus, there are no countries to be conquered,

no ideologies to be imposed,

no people to be dominated.

 There are only children,

women and men to be loved.

--Henri Nouwen

   The words of Jesus "Set your hearts on God's kingdom first... and all other things will be given you as well" summarize best the way we are called to live our lives. With our hearts set on God's kingdom. That kingdom is not some faraway land that we hope to reach, nor is it life after death or an ideal state of affairs. No. God's Kingdom is, first of all, the active presence of God's Spirit within us, offering us the freedom we truly desire. 

    And so the main question becomes: how do we set our hearts on the Kingdom first when our hearts are preoccupied with so many things? Somehow a radical change of heart is required, a change that allows us to experience the reality of our existence from God's place. 

--Henri Nouwen 

Image source:  https://www.sfcatholic.org/bishopsbulletin/christ-the-king-a-social-doctrine/
Quotation 1 source
Quotation 2 source

The way of truth and love (Mary Oliver / Mahatma Gandhi)

So it is if the heart has devoted itself to love,
there is not a single inch of emptiness.

 --Mary Oliver, Devotions 

     When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Think of it: always. 

--Mahatma Gandhi 

Image source 1: Death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, medieval manuscript (1372), https://picryl.com/media/death-of-antiochus-iv-epiphanes-0c513f
Image source 2: https://davericho.com/sacred-heart-retreat/spiritual/reading_03.html
Quotation 1
Quotation 2

The memories bring back you (The One Children's Voice Choir)

…Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the dreams bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
Close to the ones here today
Close to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the dreams bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you 

 …There's a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain
When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same
Now my heart feel like December when somebody say your name
'Cause I can't reach out to call you, but I know I will one day, yeah

…Everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody hurts someday, yeah
But everything will be all right
Go and raise a voice and say, ayy 

Refrain 

 …Doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo
Memories bring back, memories bring back you … 

There's a time that I remember when I never felt so lost
When I felt all of the hatred was too powerful to stop
Now my heart feel like an ember and it's lighting up the dark 
I'll carry these torches for ya and you know I'll never drop, yeah 

 …Everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody hurts someday, ayy-ayy
But everything will be all right
Go and raise your voice and say, ayy 

Refrain 

Memories bring back, memories bring back you
Memories bring back, memories bring back you
Memories bring back, memories bring back you 

In November we remember All Souls...

To hear The One Voice Children’s Choir sing a slightly modified version of Maroon 5’s Memories, click on the video below, and may your memories of those who have preceded us to heaven bring you joy:  

Image source: https://elunanetwork.org/resources/10-things-greiving-children-want-you-to-know
Video source
Original Maroon 5 video (Adam Levine of Maroon 5 wrote this song to honor the memory of the band's manager Jordan Feldstein, a close friend of Levine's.)