Life's Tapestry

As I walk along the paths of life.

I choose Jesus as companion. 

Together we look at the tapestry of my life.

A tapestry woven by my life happenings.  I

see weathered and worn parts of the tapestry 

where it seems I may have lingered longer than

needed. I see brightly colored patches where it 

seems I have delighted in some Gift from God.

I see the not so bright patches where I may

have stumbled and fell.  Even a scorched

patch where I stood to close to the fire.

Always and ever close is Jesus.  Sometimes

Sorrow.  Sometimes Joy. Sometimes Peace.

Always God’s Love and God’s Grace. +

Christmas

Come Holy Spirit.

Come Holy Night.

Come Holy Day.

Peace for the Soul.

Peace for the Young.

Peace for the Old.

Christ here for you.

Christ here for me.

Christ here for all. +

Yes

All paths lead to Gratitude.

The small “Thank you Lord”

Whispered to myself. 

Realizing that where God leads

is best.  “Faith never knows

where it is being led, but it loves

and knows the One who is leading” –

Oswald Chambers.  My gratitude,     

Today, is to pray and accept with open hands,

Open heart and open mind.

“Simply, Yes”.  +

Suscipe (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, 

my memory, my understanding
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me. +

Heart of Love

Faith, Hope and Love, these three words

we call theological virtues. Is there a divine                         

recipe for these?  We know when we have

Faith, Hope and Love.  We know we can share

Faith, Hope and Love.  My heart affirms

Faith, Hope and Love and is their home. Each new

Day awakens new Faith,  new Hope and

new Love.  Give our Love away and it multiplies. 

Nourish our Faith with Hope and Love and it grows.

Trust our Hope and we are strengthened with the

good guidance of our Lord. +

Falling In Love With God

Nothing is more practical than finding God,

that is, than falling in love

in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,

what seizes your imagination,

will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you

out of bed in the morning,

what you will do with your evenings,

how you will spend your weekends

what you read, who you know,

what breaks your heart,

and what amazes you

with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love,

and it will decide everything. +

~ Pedro Arrupe, SJ

The Word

The heavens declare the glory of God,

And the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day pours out the Word to day,

and night to night imparts knowledge.

(Psalm 19:2-3).  In the beginning was the

Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. (John 1:1).

Each day a new day, a new creation,

a new blessing woven together with

the Word and as the Word.  Thank you

God for today's Day,  for today's Word,

for today's Night and for you. +

Always Everywhere

We know that all things work for good for

those who love God, who are called according

to his purpose, (Romans 8:28). How can this be?

Can we find good in all things?   Can we find

God in all things?  When I don’t understand why

things have gone a certain way or why a decision

did not go my way,  I sometimes call this

scripture to mind.   Good can be found in all things.

God can be found in all things. Amen. +

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love
entrusts me here, ever this night be at my side, to light
and guard, to rule and guide. +

Patience

I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than the sentinels wait for the dawn.
(Psalm 130:5-6b)
In this psalm, waiting somehow implies trusting
and hoping with excited anticipation.
Often,  I need to be reminded to wait on the LORD.
My soul seems to know.  And so, I wait on the LORD. +

Hope

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

(Psalm 40:5a).  I believe in God the maker of

all things seen and unseen.  To hope is to

believe.  It is to believe in God.  It is to believe in

things seen.  It is to believe in things unseen.

An act of prayer is an act of hope.  An act of

hope is an act of  prayer.  In my prayer, God

assures me that he hears and loves to be heard.

This is my prayer.  This is my hope. +  

Humility

It has been a big gift to me

to realize that sometimes I

am full of myself.  “We live and

breathe and have our very existence

in God”. (Romans)  Can we then

say that God is at the center of our

Being?  And so,  it is when I empty

myself of all my pre-occupations and

my “busyness” that I make room for

all that God wants me to be. +

Jesus is there

In the cry of a child,

In the tear of a mother,

In the baptism of us all,

In the pain of our wounds,

In the joy of our blessings,

In the words of our prayers,

In the healing of our ills.
Jesus is there.

Jesus is all.

Jesus is Lord. +

Now Time

Interruptions are important. They tell us that something

or someone needs to be heard or seen. Does someone need

our prayer in this moment of now time? Our awareness of

this can strengthen and guide us as we journey through

another day prepared especially for us by God. +

God and Science

Scripture speaks of our being knitted in the Womb.

Of God knowing our standing up and sitting down.

The LORD will guard your coming and going both

now and forever. (Psalm 121:8).  I think back to my

Embryology Class in College.   In the study of Embryology,

at that time,  there were several bio-chemical processes

of  which there were no clear explanations for several

certain cellular decisions or bio-chemical switches.  Are we to

Presume upon God and his wonderful creation.  No,

I say, we are to know that there is a God, an uncaused

Cause without which we would not have been caused

to be. + 

Promises

God always keeps his promises.   In today’s Gospel we read:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son

to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved

through him. (John 3:16-17)

Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who

are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1).

This is so easily forgotten in the “busy-ness" of the day, 

but oh what joy it brings when brought to mind. +

Choices

Life is full of choices.  Many times the choice

we make depends on what or who we believe.

Prayer can help us determine the best choice.

 Knowing that “No man can serve two masters”

and asking “Is this of God or Not?” can make a difficult

decision easier.   “As for me and my house,

 we will serve the Lord”. +     

Rest

Only in God be at rest, my soul,

For from him comes my hope.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my stronghold ; I shall not be disturbed.

(Psalm 62:6-7).   This Psalm seems to

be saying “Take rest in me”.  I welcome

such rest,  Jesus is my Rock and my Salvation.

+

The Light

“Again, Amen, I say to you, if two of you

agree on earth about anything for which they

Are to pray, it shall be granted them by

my heavenly Father.   For where two or

three are gathered together in my name,

there am I in the midst of them.”

(Matthew 18:19-20)   I ask, can two

people gathered in Jesus’ name pray

for anything that is contrary to

Loving others as they love themselves?   

We know that all things work for the good

For those who love God, who are called

According to his purpose.(Romans 8:28).

then God said: Let there be light, and

there was light.  God saw that the light was

Good. God then separated the light from the

darkness. (Genesis 1:3-4). +

God Loves

“O God, by your name save me.

By your strength defend my cause”.

Psalm 54:3.  The Psalms offer

wonderful words to pray or

sing.   When reading the Psalms,

I Am sometimes taken by one

phrase or even just one word.

In this way God speaks.  In

this way God loves.  In this

way God hears. +

I Am

In the beginning was the word and the

Word was God. (Genesis).  I am the

way the truth and life.  (John). 

How does the word come to be man?

The word made flesh. (John).

We share in this through the Holy

Spirit.   We live and breathe and have

our very existence in God. (Romans).

Which is, in the beginning,  the Word. 

That word that was made flesh in Jesus.

Thank you Lord for having made me

And preserving me this day.

Thank you for the gift of your Life giving
Holy Spirit in and through the sacrament

Of our Baptism.  +

Let's Dance

How much more than to be the friend of Jesus?

Does he not lift us up?

Up, above it all.      

To Dance in the midst of Chaos.

That reassurance of well being and serenity.

We gladly give this away.

Knowing that we are all  better for it.

To us be Jesus’ love to all. +

With all my Heart

 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart. (Psalm 138:1)

A grateful heart is a Joyful heart.   I recall the popular saying

“Count your Blessings”.   When I start to list all my Blessings,

I can not help but be grateful to the LORD.  Dear God,  Thank

You for all prayers heard and all blessings received.   Amen +

Being There

In today’s Gospel, (Mt 22:1-14) the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a

King who gave a wedding feast for his son.  As the parable says, many

are invited to the feast but most are too busy to attend.  Heaven being

like a feast brings images of good food and good fellowship with friends.

I Ask, am I too busy to attend the feast?   If so, is Heaven passing me by?

Prayer, faith, gratitude and hope are some of the treasures we are graced
with in our faith life.  These can be ways of saying yes to the King’s invitation. 

Heaven is eternal.   And so, are we too without time for the King’s feast?

Let's be there. +

Just in Time

In today’s gospel we see that some workers worked an hour and

Others all day.  They all received the same wage.  Of course we might

Question the fairness or equity of this.  As this parable teaches in
(Mathew 20), We should accept as just pay what the owner of
vineyard says is just. So, if today, we repent of our sins and ask
forgiveness just in time, should we be received into eternal glory
like those who may have begun early.  This seems to be
saying yes.  +        

    

Speaking of Angels

Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD,

Said, “Alas, Lord GOD, that I have seen the angel of the LORD

face to face”. (Jgs 6:22)  I ask,  have I ever had an encounter

with an Angel?  Have you?  My faith leads me to say yes. 

Scripture mentions Angels.  We sometimes

speak of our Guardian Angels. How about the question: “Does my

Guardian Angel know your Guardian Angel?”  And so,

Angels are present in my faith life. +   

A light Within

“David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark

of the Lord to the place which he had prepared for it.”

(1Chr 15:3).   In the Old Testament, the ark is the tabernacle

Where the Lord dwells.   In baptism we are sealed with the

Holy Spirit.  And so, we become a new Ark.  Many are the

Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  From the Holy Spirit’s gift of Courage

springs forth Peace.   Without Courage, there is precious little

Peace.  From the holy spirits gift of understanding springs

Forth Wisdom. And so,  the gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift

That we never quite finish unwrapping. I am reminded of a

Lyric: “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine”. +    

I found it

Nothing is ever lost with God.

“For the gifts and call of God are irrevocable.” (Rom.11:19)

Praying on this is a real eye opener.

The parable of the lost sheep tells us of the

Good Shepard.   Can it be that the lamb is never

actually lost, but just a little out of sight?

Scripture tells us we can never be separated from

God. See (Rom 8:35, 37-39).

If, in your prayer, Jesus knocks on the door of

Your heart, do open the door.  And so, where

He is, you too may be.   And so, nothing of you

may ever be lost.  +

Quiet Please

Who do you listen to? Is it your wife or husband?

A news program?   A television Show?   Your

Favorite music?  How about Silence?  I often

Forget how golden Silence can be.  It seems

odd that much can be heard in the silence

of our heart.   I consider this a deep treasure and

Resource.   Go there, to the Silence of your heart

To just “be”.    This too can be prayer. +  

New Day

A little of this,  a little of that.

Often times, when praying, there

seems to be just a lot of clutter and

disconnected “stuff”.  Where to start

is the challenge.  It seems that when I start

by Offering the Lord my day, it all goes well.    

This, mixed with faith and hope throughout

the day give me the realization that I am

exactly where the Lord intends me to be.

Knowing that you are following the Lord

is a great consolation.  Each day is

a new blessed day.  Jesus I trust you. +

I am Forgiven.

Giving the gift of forgiveness to others is a gift for the

Giver and the forgiven. To paraphrase Scripture,
“Those whose sins you forgive are forgiven”.
What a freeing gift to ones self.
Jesus freely gave this gift to all.

“Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?”

Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”
(Mt 18:21) . I choose to think of forgiveness as nourishment for
our relationships. To quote a friend:
“What we love is essential”. +

Sowing the seeds of Prayer.

Cultivating the Ground and caring for

what is sown is important.

I am, by praying, both planting and

Caring for the seed of the Word

Not just the seeds of the Word, but also the

Seeds of Faith, Joy, Love etc…

As is said in Holy Scripture, these seeds may fall

Among the thorns of life and produce nothing. 

However, some seeds find

Fertile ground and return a harvest of

Ten or a hundred fold. It is my hope that my mind is

Fertile ground for the good seed. 

I look forward to Harvest time with a Joyful

Heart.  +

What Does Jesus Teach?

Some may point to the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount.

I look to my life’s experience and ask.  What have I learned in

My faith journey?   If I were one of Jesus’ Disciples, would

He describe me as being “Meek and Humble of Spirit”.

“Tired and weary”, “Persecuted”, “Reviled” etc… etc…

Or more specifically, would he bless me as he

Blessed his Disciples in the Sermon on the Mount.  

My faith journey has no way of answering these questions.

Who would know my score on these accounts save the Father, Son  

And Holy Spirit. 

Albert Einstein is credited as saying “Imagination is more important

Than Knowledge”.   Can we Christians extrapolate from this to say?

“Faith is more important than reason”.   I recall of the times when

I have taken reason to the extremes and how it has failed me.

God’s thoughts are not ours and they are certainly much higher than

Ours.   I say if we are to ask for an increase, make it be in Faith.  

 +