We all have needs, very few yet very important needs. If asked for a list, our minds fade back to those things which sustain life at first, food, water, shelter and such. But in our list have we reserved a place for God? Unlike mythology of the gods of Olympus, our God does not survive by our worship, but rather we survive because of his Love. We are all wonderfully made and beautiful creations in the eyes of our creator. No matter our physical appearance to others, we have been created with the same potential for perfection in the wisdom and love of our Father in heaven. Our beauty lies in our ability to further his message and kingdom here on earth. So how is it that our God doesn't make the top of our list of needs? My greatest stumbling block is that of true humility. I pray each day that I be granted the wisdom and strength to see beyond my desire for validation and seek to truly serve others whom God has placed in my life. I am reminded daily that God gives me what I need but not always what I want. Hopefully, as this journey continues, those things that I truly need will replace those things which I desire that I may be a true servant of my fellow travelers and so a better son to my heavenly Father.

Peace on earth

With the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season steadily winding down, may we take a little time to look back on those hurried days of shopping and preparations for those family gatherings to seek out and identify those moments of peace or quiet that we may have let slip by without giving them their due attention. The moments, or rather opportunities, to encounter the grace and peace of God when we most need it yet fail to avail ourselves of and instead,we almost instinctively retreat into the comfort of our busyness. And as we realize these moments, and mourn the loss of them, we pray for the wisdom to recognize them again and the courage to let go of our familiarity and embrace those moments as the gifts that they are. Let us cease the hurry and rush to find the true peace which our Father sets before his children. And in doing so may we become the instrument of peace to all our brothers and sisters that our God would use to reach them and bring them closer into himself.

The Will of God?

What is the "will" of God? It seems that we use our understanding of it to help us accept certain events that happen in our lives when we just can't come up with any other reason doesn't it? From the death of a loved one to tragedies around the world, as we seek to make sense of it all, we lay the cause at God's doorstep just hoping He'll explain it to us. Sadly we find that the answer isn't quite as forthcoming as we would hope and we chalk it up to yet another quandary we save for the day we stand before Him. Maybe it would be helpful for us to consider that just because God "can" do anything, that doesn't mean that he causes everything to happen. We would be foolish to think that our free will has no effect in our lives or the lives of others, or that through our actions or inactions we do not influence the choices and decisions that other people make for good or evil. So if our own free will can affect the lives others shouldn't the same apply to our lives and the effect the choices of others have upon us?
The Desire of God is our salvation. The Desire of God is our eternal happiness. Because of His Love for us, The Will of God can happen when we are willing to set our free will aside and ,in all trust and love, seek the wisdom of God's design for the salvation of all and allow His Will to place us completely in His service. When we are willing to do that, we see the beauty of His influence in the lives of others by way of us as His instrument.

Preparation

What demonstrates love more effectively than forgiveness? True forgiveness is when all memory of the offense is forgotten and the relationship begins anew with no ties to that injury of the past. Sounds almost too good to be true doesn't it? Yet that very same forgiveness is available to us every day by just walking into church and embracing the sacrament of Reconcilliation. Jesus demonstrated his knowledge of us when he gave us this gift of healing, as it addresses each of our needs as we seek to be reconciled to God. We approach humbly, we hear our own voices speak our sins, we hear the guidance of the priest and finally we hear the words of absolution. Praise God for this opportunity to heal and strengthen our wounded hearts. May we, as we prepare for the birth of our beloved Savior, avail ourselves of this sacrament of spiritual healing and rebirth. May we welcome Him with pure hearts and soaring spirits freed from the weight of our sins and joyfully proclaim his arrival as God incarnate.

The New Translation

As we have begun the season of Advent we begin the use of the new translation of the Roman Missal. Not a change in the Liturgy but rather a greater understanding through a more accurate translation. It may seem a little strange at first but everything new usually seems that way doesn't it? This Sunday at Mass take time to familiarize yourself with the new text. The changes, though not many for those of us in the pew, are profound in nature as they are intended to reveal a deeper meaning of our participation in the Holy Mass. With familiarity we can sometimes lose the intimacy of what we are saying to our creator as we gather to play our part in this Sacrifice. May we take this occasion of change as an opportunity to grow in our faith through greater participation in the Liturgy this weekend.
May God bless you and bring you peace.

Happy Thanksgiving !!

      Today we are given the opportunity to focus on what appears to be a lost art these days and that is the art of being thankful. We are asked to take a brief moment to look beyond our own needs and wants and to recognize the blessings in our lives which surround us everyday, keeping in mind that even the hardships we face in life are never faced alone as we know that God is always offering to strengthen, counsel and console us. This day which is, for a great number of us, a time when we try our utmost to forgo that last bite that makes our stomach feel just a little too full, is also an opportunity to seek out those in need and ,in an act of christian charity, try to ease their burden at least on this day. May we embrace this brief time on earth and faithfully serve our fellow travelers and truly spread the message of the Gospel to each person we meet, leading as many people as we can into the kingdom of God.
Peace be with you and yours this wondrous day,
And may Almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen

Presentation of Mary

      This feast day commemorates the dedication of the church of Saint Mary which was built in Jerusalem near the site of the temple. With this we recall this day , the presentation of Mary to the Lord by her parents in the temple when she was a small child. This is yet another reminder of the reason why we hold Mary in such high regard. Mary continues to be a shining example of purity, chastity, service and obedience. Through her "fiat", her eternal yes to the will of God, Mary shows us that the human condition need not be a deterrent to obtaining the kingdom of heaven.
       This day especially may we thank her for her willingness to play such an integral part in our salvation history. As Mary acted selflessly on our behalf may we, in our own lives, seek the good of all our brothers and sisters by having the humilty, to ask God to reveal His will to us, and the courage to follow it.

Hail Mary, full of grace
the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen

Christ the King Sunday

The Church gives us this incredible Solemnity in all Love to help remind us, and so grow in a greater understanding of the dual nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fully human yet fully Devine, God become man so as to help us better accept this relationship of salvation which he offers us each day. As Moses was not allowed to stand on the ground near the burning bush, and Elijah hid his face in his cloak as the Lord passed by, lest he die from gazing upon the glory of God, we too need to be reminded of the diety of Christ. A true Brother, Teacher, Friend and Companion our Lord Jesus Christ remains our Lord and God as well. If we allow ourselves to focus on only one nature, whether man or God, we miss the significance of the act of salvation in that the presence of God incarnate was and is the act which allowed our salvation to be made available to us. God allowed Himself to share such intimate communion with his creations so that his suffering and death might be tied directly to us, so that we might better understand and accept this redemptive act. Praise be to God !!
As we come to accept and embrace His Diety, this day also calls us to acknowledge in thanksgiving His humanity as well. As we are all, everyone of us, created in the image of God. Each of us with the same potential for good. Our choices, or responses to life events, direct us either to God or away from Him. Christ Himself was tempted in the desert as the devil tried to use his humanity against him, yet his choices re ia Ed faithful to the Law of God rather than the gratification of man. That example was for our benefit that we would have guidance when asked to decide between our human desires and the ways of God. That we would follow our teacher in all things as we live among and interact with our fellow man.
Today's Gospel reminds us that we are to search the face of Christ in all people and his beauty in all creation. From the lines of perfection in a blade of grass to the wanting eyes of the homeless, we are reminded of the presence of Christ in His handiwork. Sometimes easier said than done, the pressures of appointments, our personal desires or just our unwillingness to acknowledge our fellow travelers, we hurry past the faces in the crowds. We drive by the homeless living under our bridges along the highway, we hurry past the growing number of nursing homes and senior care facilities yet seldom take the time to visit those inside, and we do our best to avoid that uncomfortable eye contact with that guy with a sign asking for money at the red light. All are missed opportunities to encounter the Risen Christ in our midst. There is a church in a Canadian Province that has at it's door a life size sculpture of a beggar squatted on the ground with outstretched hand. At first glance you might think, "Oh great, the church wants to boost collections again.",but under closer inspection we notice the nail print in the hand. As we look under the hood viel of the downcast face, we come face to face with Jesus.
Today take a moment to reassign priorities. Take time for the passing stranger, feed those in need, visit the lonely. We are all traveling the same road, yet the burden is lightened when we take the time to search out the risen Christ in our brothers and sisters along the way.

God Bless you this day!