Thursday, May 31, 2018


A New Heart

Create a new heart for me.
One that seeks only You.
Fill it with your Holy Spirit.
Give me a heart full of love for You.

Take from me my selfish heart.
The one that seeks to do my will.
Take the greed, the desire for more.
Remove the envy from within.

I want to follow you my God.
On my knees I ask of You
Give me the heart that You desire.
A heart to lead me home.

Amen


Wednesday, May 30, 2018


Divine Filiation

   By His grace we are the children of God.  Theologians refer to this family relationship with God as Divine Filiation.  Essentially it means we, as Christians, are adopted members of the family of God; branches grafted on to the one true vine.

   The pagan gods were not seen as family but as controllers demanding sacrifice for their favors.  Those sacrifices could include the produce raised by the farmers, animals from their herds or, in some cases, even their children.  All sacrificed to placate the fury of their gods and gain their favor.

   Our God wants us not as servants but as adopted children.  We have been accepted into His family as brothers to our Lord Jesus Christ.  As brothers of Christ we too can call God “Abba”, Father.  The term Abba is a much more personal means of address than that of father.  It is more akin to calling our God “Daddy”.  How blessed are we that we can look to God as our Daddy; one who loves and cares for us rather than seeking sacrifices from us.

   Before Jesus came the Jews thought of themselves as servants of God.  Muslims claim to worship the same God as Christians yet the very word Islam literally means submission or surrender.  Christians refer to themselves as children of God.  Jesus changed our relationship with God by His life, death and resurrection.  No more were we to be servants as before but friends and family.  “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15: 14-15).

   The gospel of John also tells us, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12).  Saint Paul says in his letter to the Roman’s “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Roman 8: 14).  

   No longer servants, we are children.  And if children, we have a responsibility to live our lives as children of a Father whose love and mercy is unlimited.  God will guide us and send the Holy Spirit to help us but we must make the commitment to be children that our Father will be pleased to welcome into His kingdom.

   ”For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship.” (Romans 8: 15)

Tuesday, May 29, 2018


The Best Day

   As I look back over my life there have been many really good days.  Topping the list would be the day my wife and I were joined in marriage.  The birth of our daughters and the adoption of our sons.  The day I was baptized and my sins were first forgiven.  While there are many days that are what I consider great days the best day will be when I stand in the presence of my Lord.

  To achieve that day, however, I have many things I must make a part of my life.  First and foremost I must have the love of God and be ready to accept His will for me.  I must make each day one in which I try to understand God’s purpose for me and to respond to that purpose.

   Love must be my attitude toward all if I am to stand before Jesus and hear those words that we all long to hear, “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;”  (Matt 25: 34).  That love must encompass everyone, even those who are difficult to love.  If I can learn from St. Teresa of Calcutta to see Jesus in every face perhaps I can also learn to love each of them as sons and daughters of God as she did.

   Faithfulness must be the hallmark of my life.  I can’t be lukewarm or apathetic in my faith.  It must be a strong and confident faith; the driving force of my life.  The kind of faithfulness I need can only come from the Holy Spirit living within me.  So I must open my heart, my soul and my life and give free reign to the Spirit.  If I can do this He will guide me and strengthen my faith.

   I must have confidence in my faith.  I can’t pick and choose what I will accept or reject in God’s word.  I can’t bend with the wind and change my faith when it may be difficult.  Even when I don’t fully understand I must accept that God’s word is infallible and is the sustenance of my faith.  I must trust in His word at all times.

   I must have humility in all things.  I must understand that without God I can’t succeed and with Him all things are possible.  If I can do these things I know that my best day is yet to come; that day when the angels rejoice and welcome me into the kingdom of God.

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor 2: 9-10)

Monday, May 28, 2018


Politics of Satan

   Ireland has voted to allow abortion.  I had hoped that Ireland would remain a place where babies where considered to be more than just an inconvenience to be disposed of at will.  Even though the vote eliminated the ban on abortion and unborn babies are no longer protected in Ireland I believe that at some point everyone will come to understand the horror of abortion.  I have confidence that God will, in His perfect time, stop the destruction of the most innocent of all peoples.  I am also confident that each baby murdered through abortion is received with loving mercy into the arms or our Savior.

   I couldn’t help but see the evil in the Irish Prime Minister’s statement, “Today I believe we have voted for the next generation.”  In fact they voted for the slaughter of the next generation.  I was disgusted by the photo accompanying the story showing crowds of people obviously pleased that they could now murder their own children without consequence.

   In the United States over 3500 babies are murdered each and every day through abortion.  The population of Dublin, Ireland’s capital is just under two million.  We, in this country, will kill more babies in less than two years than the entire metro population of Dublin.  How can this possibly be a vote for the next generation?

   For too long we have sat on the side lines, complaining and talking about the horror of abortion.  When we will we take action and demand this atrocity be stopped?  When we will make it clear to our legislators that we will no longer tolerate talk but no action?  We must choose to reject politicians who support or allow abortion.  We must speak up for those babies in the womb who have no voice.

   “And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  (Mark 10: 13-14)

I ask that each of you reading this say a prayer for the souls of those innocent children who will be murdered in the womb.  Pray also for the men and women who believe abortion is an acceptable option.  Pray that our Lord will touch their hearts and minds and create a change within them.  And let that change encompass the world.

Sunday, May 27, 2018


The Good Samaritan

   The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) tells the story of a man who was attacked, robbed, beaten and left for dead on the side of the road.  Both a priest and a Levite, leaders of the Jewish religion, saw the man but walked past him rather than help.  They were concerned with their own well-being rather than caring for others.

   A Samaritan, one who would ordinarily have nothing to do with a Jew, was the only one who stopped to help.  He treated the man’s wounds and took him to an inn to be cared for.  He paid the innkeeper and told him that he would repay any additional costs on his way back from his trip.

   This parable holds great meaning for our lives today.  Humanity as a whole is represented by the man who was robbed, beaten and left for dead.  Our sins rob us of our intended place in God’s family.  Satan beats us with his temptations to continue sinning in an effort to push us even further from God.  We are left on the side of the road on the verge of spiritual death.

   Religious leaders who fail to properly care for their flock can be seen in the priest and Levite who denied help.  Those who would consider themselves too important or too holy to be seen attending to the needs of sinners, especially those who are unable to pay and may impose upon them.  They will reap the same as they sow.

   Jesus, represented by the Samaritan in this parable, came to care for all of us.  He brought mercy, forgiveness and love to everyone.  When we were dying from sin He returned us to life through His forgiveness.  He paid the price of tending to our wounded soul through the rejection, hatred and abandonment He suffered.  Upon the cross He paid the price for our sins with His blood.  He takes us to the innkeeper and pays for our care.  He promises to continue paying for our salvation through His undying love and mercy for us.

   We are to be the good Samaritans and emulate the example Christ gives us.  We are to recognize Him in our brothers and sisters and treat them the love and care that Jesus has shown us.

Saturday, May 26, 2018


Do Whatever He Tells You

   “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2: 5)

   There are very few of the Blessed Mary’s words recorded in the gospels.  However, the words above speak volumes with respect to what our relationship with Jesus is to be.

   Do whatever He tells you.  Is He calling you to the priesthood or ministry?  Has He nudged you toward a solitary life as a cloistered Nun or Monk?  Are you perhaps called to the vocation of marriage?  Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his Harvest. (Luke 10:2).   Whatever His call to you may be it is the best path to happiness both here and in eternity.

   There is an old adage about volunteers that says 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.  Many priests and pastors will tell you that they would be very happy if 20% of their congregation participated in the church.  The actual number is 10% or less in many cases.  Think for a moment of what could be accomplished if only another 5% took part.  How much additional good could be done by just a small increase in those willing to do whatever Jesus tells them?

   I know of places where a single priest covers several churches over a wide area because there are simply no priests available in the area.  Years ago mothers and fathers encouraged their sons to consider the priesthood as their calling.  Today it seems they are more likely to discourage even those who feel called to the ministry.

   Do whatever He tells you.  Unless we seek His call how are we to know what He wants of us?  When the Blessed Mother told the servants to do what Jesus told them the finest wine was produced from stone jars of water.  Just imagine what each of us could do if we sought His plan for us and committed to do whatever He asks of us.  Our Blessed Mother gave us great advice, let’s follow that advice and become a laborer in God’s harvest.

Friday, May 25, 2018

Hidden Lamps

   ”You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” (Matt 5: 14-15)

   These words Jesus addressed to the disciples were also for all those in the crowd and for us today.  We are His spokespersons to the world at large.  Our sharing of His word may be the only time another hears of Jesus.  If we hide our faith, we are refusing our mission to spread His word throughout the world.

   If we are to properly live our life in Christ we must share our faith with others.  This doesn’t mean that we are to display a holier-than-thou attitude or constantly preach to others.  An attitude of acceptance, love and caring speaks far greater to our faith than pointing out the faults of others.  Pushing our faith on others will only push them away; living our faith is far more likely to reach them.

   The way we present ourselves, the way we act, the habits we display speak to those around us.  If our language is coarse; if we participate in office gossip; if we join in the laughter and acceptance of lewd jokes no one would ever guess that we are Christian.  If we do these things and still speak of our faith, those who are looking for an excuse to reject God will point to us as an example of Christian hypocrisy.

   I’ve seen people at office luncheons who take a moment to quietly bow their heads in obvious prayer when the food arrives.  I believe they are presenting a better example of their faith than one who insists everyone stop and say grace.  The first is living their faith while the second may be simply making a show.  People will react much more favorably to a sincere personal faith than a bragging, self-aggrandizing one.

   Practicing our faith with humility while putting our love of God on display in simple, everyday actions will speak to others and perhaps encourage them to ask about our faith.  Then we may have the chance to share the light of Christ and perhaps light that lamp in their life.

   “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  (Matt 5: 16)

Thursday, May 24, 2018


Teach Us to Fly

We sit and watch as the world goes by,
We accept the loss of another day.
We turn to God and ask him “Why?”
But we’re the ones who choose to live this way.

We could reach the stars if we’d only try.
But we don’t take the opportunity.
We don’t listen to Him or seek His plan.
He has one, you know, for you and me.

Perhaps some day we’ll learn His way,
And listen to His loving voice.
We’ll take His hand and walk with Him.
But we must make that choice.

God doesn’t push, he doesn’t demand,
He waits for us to accept His love.
He offers us His marvelous gifts.
He rewards us from His altar far above.

So let us rise and watch no more
As the world simply passes by.
Let’s take the love He offers us,
And let Him teach us how to fly.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018


Beginnings and Ends

   “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

   Our lives began with single reproductive cell from a woman, a single reproductive cell from a man and God’s will.  Those are the circumstances from which we all came.  The position, wealth or status of our parents was irrelevant to the process.  Regardless of the race or nationality of our parents; whether we were their first child or their third; even whether they actually planned for our conception was of no consequence to the process of our life’s beginning.

The color of our eyes, the color of our hair was known to God at the instant of our beginning.  Whether we would be a daughter or son, short or tall was determined at the point of conception.  God knit us together in our mother’s womb.  Everything about us was known to Him before we came into being.  We like to think that we are self-made men and women but in fact we had absolutely no voice in our beginning in this world.  God’s plan is why we are here and His plan determines how long we will remain on this earth before returning to the dust of the ground.

   In light of this reality we must understand that our beginning is of no importance in our journey; it is our ending that should concern us.  We are in God’s hands regardless of our earthly status.  When we recognize that this is true for each of us we can begin to see God and Jesus in our neighbors, our friends, and even our enemies.

   Our differences have caused so much hate and heartache in our world.  Isn’t it time for us to ignore what divides us and share the love and mercy of Jesus with everyone?  After all, each of us began life by the simple joining of a male and female reproductive cell and the will of God.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018


With the Help of God

   “But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matt 10: 30)

   We can be an arrogant prideful people.  Far too often we boast of the success we have achieved or brag of the certainty of the success to come.  Far less often do we recognize that we can do nothing without God and give Him credit for our accomplishments.

   Some who have had great success in their lives lord it over others and speak as though their achievements are due to their own efforts.  In one sense that is true, without hard work on our part success isn’t possible.  But more importantly, if God does not bless our efforts those achievements will not come regardless of how hard we work.  One may gain short-term success in this world but unless our efforts are directed to the next life as well we work for nothing.  All we gain and achieve in earthly matters will mean nothing in eternity.  Only the success of our spiritual life will have value.

   The jockey who rode Justify to success in the Kentucky Derby demonstrated the proper attitude toward earthly achievement.  When asked to tell about winning the race his response was to first thank God and recognize Jesus in his life.  I notice other sports players who acknowledge God's part in their accomplishments.  Some point to the heavens in obvious recognition of God’s help in hitting a home run or scoring a goal.  Others simply demonstrate a selfish pride in their attitude that points only to them.

   The very next breath we take will be taken through the will of God.  Should He determine this day is to be our last it will be so.  We sometimes act as if we have all the time in the world to realize our plans and goals.  Yet we own no time; it all belongs to God.  He gives us the time He has planned for us and it is our responsibility to use it wisely and according to His will.  God’s generosity toward us is overwhelming yet rarely recognized.

   “I’ll see you later, God willing.”  This phrase or ones similar speak to the recognition that God’s will is foremost in all things.  Tennessee Ernie Ford, Red Skelton and Pat Boone used to always close their television variety shows with their acknowledgement of God’s will in their success.  Without God’s will we are nothing and can come to nothing.

   All success is by the will and mercy of God even for those who refuse to admit it.  May His will be done in our lives and may we give Him all glory and praise for any success we attain in this world.  May we plan far more for our eternal life than for our earthly one.

Monday, May 21, 2018


The Farm of our Soul

   Farmers have known since the beginning of time that there are five things needed to raise a good crop.  Those are good soil; good seed; sun; rain; and hard work.  The farm of our soul requires these same things if we are to produce the good fruit of the Gospel.

   Without good soil there is no use in planting good seed for it will fail.  Jesus, in the parable of the sower tells us the same is true of our soul (see Matthew, chapter 13).  If we don’t take the time to understand His word, we can’t practice it.  If we don’t look to the depth of His word we have no roots and the seed will die.  If we hear the word but we allow worldly trials and difficulties to overwhelm it we will lose it.  The soil of our soul must be prepared to hear, understand, and endure some suffering if we are to produce good fruit.

   Even in good soil, bad seed doesn’t grow properly.  The seed of the world can never produce good fruit it can only smother out the good with the evil.  Even a cursory look at society today shows the truth and tragedy of the bad seed planted among us.  If we aren’t strong in our faith, the bad seed may overtake the good and rob us of the chance to produce the fruit Jesus asks of us.

   Without the warmth of the sun, plants won’t grow.  We have the Son of God who can provide everything necessary to encourage our spiritual growth.  He gives us all that is required to properly farm the soil of our soul.  Without Him as our first priority our crop will surely fail.

   Without rain the crop will wither and die.  If we are to grow good fruit we need rain in our lives as well.  It may come as the peaceful shower of God’s love or as the storm of temptation, trial and difficulty.  The gentle shower will water our soul while the storm can strengthen our faith in the face of hardship.

  Though we may have good soil, good seed, sun and rain, without hard work we will not produce the fruits of the gospel.  We must begin each day, just as the grower does, by looking at what needs to be done this day to improve our crop.  A farmer who only works one day a week will fail to raise a good crop.  A Christian who practices their faith only on Sunday will fail to produce good fruit.

   Fertilize the soil of your soul with prayer.  Plant the good seed of the word of God. Look to the Son to provide warmth and love.  Face the rain and grow through the times of difficulty.  Be willing to take on the hard work of overcoming the trials that will surely come.  Just as the farmer must do these things to produce a good crop the Christian must also do these things to produce the fruits of the Word of God.

Sunday, May 20, 2018


Come Holy Spirit

   “Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up Thy rest.  Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.”

   The beginning lines of this traditional hymn express our desire that the Holy Spirit come to us, live within us and help us in our life of faith.  When He fills our hearts He gives to us seven blessed gifts.

Wisdom:  The wisdom to judge right from wrong and direct our lives according to God’s will.

Understanding:  The ability to see deeply into our hearts and souls to better understand God and to gain insight into those truths we need for our eternal salvation.

Counsel:  The desire and willingness to seek God’s counsel in all that we do.  To open ourselves completely to God’s guidance.

Fortitude:  The courage and endurance to seek the good, even when it is difficult.  The confidence that we can overcome obstacles by virtue of our trust in God and His gift of everlasting life.

Knowledge:  The ability to more fully understand matters of faith and to use that knowledge to stay on the path God has planned for us.

Piety:  Reverence of God and the willingness to serve Him.  We are part of His family, His children.  We are the adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus and the adopted children of the Blessed Mother.  Piety is that respect and honor we owe as part of God’s family.

Fear of God:  Not fear of Him in the sense of punishment but fear of offending Him by our sins and shortcomings.  We fear separating ourselves from Him and desire above all else to spend eternity in His presence.

   These seven gifts of the Holy Spirit will guide our lives and take us home to our Lord.  They are to be the habits we develop and they offer us the opportunity to rise above our mortal life and participate in the life of God.

   “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15: 13)

Saturday, May 19, 2018


Demons among Us

   We are bombarded at all times by demons.  Those servants of Satan whose only purpose is to turn us away from God in order to rob us of the salvation promised by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  They come at us from all directions.  Many are very blatant in their attempts; many others are much more subtle and perhaps even more dangerous.

   Look around and you will find demons are everywhere.  They are in our schools where teens kill other teens on a whim.  They are in our streets where young men and women are killed each and every day.  The demons dominate many aspects of our government allowing abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty.  Close your eyes and envision an invading force bent on the destruction of our way of life.  This is the threat of Satan and his demons.

   Even more concerning are the less obvious actions of demonic activity in our world.  Most of what we consider entertainment is driven by sex, violence and lack of respect for life or anything else of true value.  The heroes are often those whose actions are the most abhorrent.  Who do the children of today look up to?  How many are worthy of their emulation?  Theft and the killing of others including Police Officers are the objective of many of the games they play.  Sports stars reject and slander the country that gave them the chance to be millionaires.  Musicians have near-naked women writhing all around them in videos designed to inflame sexual thoughts and desires.  Ossie and Harriet are long dead; Dan and Roseanne and their dysfunctional family have replaced them.

   I realize this post is quite negative in many ways.  It is intended to be so.  I fear that we are quickly approaching a crisis of decision.  We must take a stand for right and fight the wrong that is so evident today.  If not, we will lose our country, our society and our way of life.  I honestly believe our situation is this serious.  Look around and you can easily see why I believe this.  There is no earthly force that can defeat this enemy.  Only through God can we prevail.

   Tomorrow we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the day the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles.  He emboldened them as evangelists and ministers in the Church founded by Jesus Christ.  He gave them the courage to spread God’s word throughout the world.

   Let’s take this opportunity to join them in their evangelization.  Let us pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us to strengthen and embolden us.  Let us join them in their determination to stand for our God, our Savior, our Holy Spirit and our soul.

Friday, May 18, 2018


Seeking God

   We were created with an innate desire to know God.  We are intended to have a deep personal relationship with our Lord.  Adam and Eve had such a relationship until pride and temptation took it from them.  At Satan’s urging they desired to become like God, knowing and determining good and evil for themselves.  They lost the blessing that we all seek; a fuller knowledge of God and His will for us.

   Today we still desire to better know God and seek for a return to the perfect relationship shared with Him by our first parents.  Yet we are unable to achieve this goal due to original sin.  We therefore struggle to know our God.  As much as we try we aren’t always certain of our relationship with Him.  Saint Augustine said that our hearts will not rest until they rest in God.  We were created to achieve that rest but are unable to do so in a sinful world.

   There are those who go from church to church in their efforts to find God, seeking one that “suits” them.  Others go to great lengths to better know God by seeking solitude and separation from society.  Sadly there are also those who give up and try to live their lives without God.  In each case there is the desire to know Him.  Even those who give up still have that urging within them even though they may not recognize or acknowledge it.

   Jesus gave us the answer to this dilemma when He told the apostles, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth,” (John 14: 16).  The Holy Spirit was promised to all who believe.  He is the means to better know our Lord and God.  The Spirit will show us the truth.

   When we seek God we need only to look for the Holy Spirit within ourselves.  He is there and will help us find God.  The Spirit will pray for us when we don’t know how to pray; He will guide us in God's ways.  Through the Holy Spirit we can begin to regain the deep personal relationship with God that has been lost to us by sin.  If we look to Him and trust in Him, the Holy Spirit will show us the way home so that we may truly rest in God.

Thursday, May 17, 2018


Mother Mary

Holy Mary, when God called you answered.
“I am the handmaid of the Lord.”
I ask for your prayers that when God calls I will answer,
“I am your servant Lord.”

Blessed Mother of Jesus,
You nursed Him, loved Him and cared for Him throughout your life.
Pray for me that I may follow Him, love Him
And serve Him throughout my life.

Blessed Mary,
You wept for Him at the foot of the cross.
Allow me to hold your hand in your suffering
And share in your grief.

Holy Mother,
You rejoiced in His resurrection and ascension into heaven
Allow me to share your joy
Rejoicing always in our Lord.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
Now at the hour of our death.

Amen

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Enjoy the Journey

   Life is a journey.  As with any journey there will be times of ease and times of difficulty.  As we move along the paths of our journey there will be joy and there will also be unhappiness.  This is simply a fact of life in the fallen world in which we live.  The key is to focus on the joys of the journey and accept that it will not always be as we would like it to be.

   Anyone who has ever taken a vacation by car with children should be able to relate to this concept quite easily.  We see the joy of our children as we prepare for the trip.  They want to know everything about what they will see and do as part of the vacation.  We share in their joy and excitement as we look forward to the good times we’ve planned.

   A few hours into the drive, however, the joy our children knew sometimes becomes impatience with being in the car hour after hour.  They’re tired of sitting; brother or sister is picking on them; they’re hungry.  The old question, “Are we there yet?” arises.  Suddenly we begin to wonder if this vacation was such a good idea after all.

   Life is like that.  The joys can become overwhelmed by the difficulties if we allow ourselves to focus on the negative rather than the positive of life.  We, like our children, become impatient.  We are unhappy with the day to day life we lead.  Our job becomes drudgery.  There seems to be no end to the mundane chores of our life.  Even our family can become a bother rather than a joy.

   Not only do we need to focus on the joy awaiting us at the end of our journey but we need to see the many blessings of the trip itself.  We can complain less about the inconveniences of life and take pleasure in the joys of life if we will only try.  Each and every day we have the opportunity to be unhappy if we choose.  We can also choose to see the blessings of each day.  They are always there if we look for them.

   God created us for happiness both in this world and the next.  However, life in a fallen world will never be all happiness.  Jesus told us on many occasions that there will be crosses to bear.  We can accept those crosses with love of God and joy in the journey or we can complain about having to bear the cross.  My choice is to take joy in my journey knowing that I can bear all things with God’s help.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018


Do You Love Me?

  I’m always amazed and blessed by the depth of Scripture.  Something I’ve read many times suddenly sparks a thought that hadn’t occurred to me before.  We can learn much both from what the scripture reports and the message it contains beyond the actual event.  To contemplate of the depth of scripture is to better know God.

   I recently had this happen when considering Peter’s denial of Jesus.  After the resurrection Jesus asked Peter to reaffirm his love for Him three times just as he had denied Him three times.  This time I experienced a deeper meaning of these events.

   “And a maid came up to him, and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you mean.” (Matt 26: 69-70)
   “Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21: 15)

   Perhaps the first time Jesus asked Peter to restate his love for Him was to help Peter more fully recognize the sin he had committed in his denial.  Just so, we need to acknowledge our sinfulness when we seek forgiveness.

   “And when he when he went out to the porch, another maid saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’  And again he denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.”  (Matt 26: 71-72)
   “A second time he said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’  He said to him, ‘Yes Lord; you know that I love you.” (John 21: 16).

   Peter’s second reaffirmation of his love for Jesus may have been to deepen his sorrow for denying the Lord before others.  As we seek forgiveness, we must also feel sorrow for the times we have failed to take a stand for our Lord.

   “After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.’  Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man.’  And immediately the cock crowed.”  (Matt 26:73-74)
   “He said to him the third time. ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’  Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?  And he said to him, ‘Lord you know everything; you know that I love you.”  (John 21: 17).

  When Jesus asked him of his love for Him the third time maybe it was meant to impress upon Peter that he must change his ways and always seek to serve the Lord regardless of the consequences.  We too, when seeking forgiveness, must amend our lives and strive to live more fully for God.

   How many times have we denied Jesus in our life?  For many of us probably more than three times.  Peter reaffirmed his love of Jesus, not once but three times in his healing process.  We also need to be healed as we seek forgiveness for our sins.  That process includes an honest acknowledgment of our sins, genuine remorse for having failed our Lord and sincere effort to avoid sin in the future.

   May Peter’s experience, through God's grace, lead us to a closer, more loving relationship with our Lord. 

Monday, May 14, 2018


Be Not Afraid

   Jesus repeatedly told His disciples to be not afraid.  When He came to them walking on the water and they thought He was a ghost He reassured them, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” (Matt 14: 27).  At the last supper as He was preparing them for his passion and crucifixion He again reassured them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14: 27).

   Jesus brought peace, love and mercy.  Fear had no place in His ministry, only hope and faith in Him.  Fear can destroy our faith if we allow it.  All too often we find fear in the matters of this world.  It almost seems as if we seek it out at times.

   We worry about things that we cannot change; we worry over things we are trying to change.  We fear tomorrow and worry that yesterday will catch up with us.  We let our fears dominate our lives in many ways.  When we let fear drive our actions rather than giving our fears to Jesus we are failing as Christians.  He is there for us and wishes to help us in all things including fear.

   There is no room for fear in our spiritual life.  Satan is the agent of fear and anxiety.  When we fail to place our hope and faith in the Lord and begin to fear worldly things we are falling prey to his ways.  In our fear the evil one hopes to weaken our faith that all things are well because of Jesus.  He wants us to question our faith and wonder if Jesus really does have all things under control.

   If we let the cares and worries of this world bring our faith into question, we have failed to trust in the promises of Jesus.  He suffered for our sins; He died on the cross for them.  He rose from the dead as we are to rise at His coming.  He ascended into heaven to intercede for us with the Father.  He forgives us and makes all things new.

   When we trust in Him fear has no control over our lives.  Fear is replaced with hope and confidence in the love and mercy of our Lord.

   “Hence we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13: 6)

Sunday, May 13, 2018


The Ascension

   I find tremendous joy and peace when I contemplate Jesus’ ascension.  It assures me that He is there at the Father’s right hand to intercede for me.  He will return and take me to himself.

   It’s very easy to get discouraged with the things of this world.  We see evil and sinfulness everywhere we look.  It can overwhelm us if we let it.  The ascension of the Lord gives us the promise of eternal peace and happiness if we remain faithful.  We can look to this event as a precursor of what is in store for us.  Jesus promised that He will come back and take us to Himself.  He has won the war even though we still have battles to fight in this world.

   His apostle’s watched as he ascended into the clouds.  Then they waited for coming of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus.  He had commissioned them to preach the gospel to the whole world and this they did, risking their own lives in the effort.  They were confident in Jesus’ promise to return and take them to Himself.  They had the courage to pick up their cross and follow Him.

   The promise of the ascension of Christ is the promise of our own salvation and assumption into heaven at the proper time.  It is what gives us the hope and courage to pick up our cross and follow Him as those before us have done.  It gives us the confidence that, even though we may suffer for our faith, Jesus is always with us even to the end of time.

   “And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14: 3)

Saturday, May 12, 2018


Prayerful Thoughts

   How are we to pray?  I think our prayers are sometimes no more than a wish list for God.  Just as our children give us a list of what they would like for Christmas or their birthday we give God a list of our desires.  In many ways this is self-defeating.  God knows what we need and is generous in providing those needs.  Our wants tend to be much more selfish in nature.  Prayer is to thank God and seek His will, not to list our every desire.

   In the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to “give us this day our daily bread.”  This simple request includes so much more than bread.  Our daily bread includes all of our needs, not just the physical need of food.  In this humble phrase we are asking God to provide the necessities of life.  What isn’t included in this are specific wants.  We don’t ask for steak, caviar and a bottle of expensive wine; we simply ask for our daily bread.  This, I think is a valuable key to prayer.  Ask simply and accept His will.  He knows of our needs before we ask and He will provide.

   I spoke with a young woman once who was terribly upset because the man she wanted to marry had left her.  She told me that she prayed every day that God would bring him back to her but He hadn’t answered her prayers.  I suggested that she not limit God in her prayers.  Simply pray for love and happiness and let God provide according to His will, not hers.

   St. Therese of Liseux said, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and love, embracing both trial and joy.”  In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed that the Father’s will be done rather than His own.  This is what prayer is meant to be; not a list of demands but simply a turning to God and asking that His will be done in our lives.  Our part is to accept His will.

   Rather than use our prayers as a want list we should ask only for His will in our lives and trust that His will is in our best interest.  People who insist on asking God for their own desires often complain that their prayers are not answered.  They forget that “No” or “Not yet” might be His answer.

   When we trust in God’s plan and pray for His will our prayers will be answered even though we may not realize it until His Kingdom comes.  

Friday, May 11, 2018

The Peace of Solitude

   “and after the fire a still small voice.  And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.” (1 Kings 19: 12).

   I find God in the quiet and silence.  He is there as He was to Elijah in the still small voice.  This isn’t to say the He’s not everywhere and in everything, it’s just where I find it easiest to commune with Him.  God doesn’t usually yell at me, He quietly guides me.  It is my responsibility to listen for His guidance and to follow it.

   Finding quiet in our world is not an easy task.  It seems there’s always noise and commotion of some kind.  I can easily understand the early Christians who went to the mountains and even the desert to live in solitude with God.  Today there are still many who seek this life.  They become cloistered Nuns or Monks and remove themselves from the world to devote their lives to prayer and God.

   In my life I’ve found the solitude I seek in many ways.  I see God in the stars visible on a moonless night at sea or far from city lights.  I’ve often found Him on silent retreats, perhaps all alone late at night in the chapel.  Very early in the morning before the world is awake God is in the peace and quiet.  This is my favorite time for reading and communing with Him.  The squirrels, rabbits and birds begin to move about looking for food.  I can sit quietly and watch them at play and enjoy the miracle of God’s creation.

   I recall sitting under a huge oak tree on a farm.  Doing nothing but enjoying the day.  I could smell the apple blossoms in the small orchard and hear the birds singing.  In the distance I could hear my children running and playing in the freedom they found at the farm.  These quiet times are filled with the wonders of God.

   I’ve found that some of the greatest things I’ve learned of God were discovered in times like these.  The beauty of His creation, the wonders of this world He has given us are most evident to me in the quiet and solitude.

   For many years I’ve taken an annual silent retreat in order to reconnect with the God of quiet and silence.  Those are the times when I can refocus myself and clear away the concerns and bothers of this world.  On those occasions when I’ve been unable to take the retreat I’ve felt the loss of that solitude.

   I was once asked why I go on these retreats.  I replied that they give me a chance to take out the trash that can clutter my spiritual life and my relationship with God.  Like Elijah I find God in the still, small voice.