“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”
― Denis Waitley
Tag Archives: Reflections
Prayer
What is prayer? Just something you do once a week at services because you feel an obligation? Is it something you have no interest in at all, and no time to consider because of your schedule? Or maybe you feel you only need to pray when you need something or some tragedy has entered your life?
Or, is it that you do pray occasionally but it has no meaning or purpose in your life? See no results. In fact, the praying you are doing is boring, burdensome and awkward. Almost very discomforting.
Is it maybe you don’t know how to really pray? Would you be surprised to know that sometimes, and over a period of time, praying is sometimes lonely, empty and very dry for those that do pray? And do you know why?
Let me ask, have you in your life ever worked hard at something like a sport, project, an advanced degree, or a skill set you never had, but so desired by you? Maybe to play a musical instrument or being an accomplished public speaker? And you did it by your simple determination, effort and with help along the way. And yes, it did not happen overnight, as it required a lot of effort and commitment on your part. You had to make time for it in order to get something out of it and get where you needed to be.
What a great feeling! And when you have experienced that great feeling, wouldn’t you do anything to get that same feeling again?
There is a saying in the martial arts, whether you’re a white belt or a dedicated black belt that simply says, “You need more practice.” And where does that not apply in our lives?
Know that God loves you and He wants to be with you and be part of your life. He has loved you before you even knew Him, and He can be part of your life. It requires you to “open your heart” to Him and put the above efforts into praying.
Have you heard of the analogy of how you protect what is most important to you? It is explained through rock, sand and water. In a large jar of water, you are asked to put in pebbles, sand, water and also rocks, with rocks being the things most important in your life. Without putting the rocks in first, one will never have the important things in their life.
As I have noted in previous writings, find your corner. Find your spot to pray and make it yours. Start out with 5 minutes, settle down and clear your mind and let it grow from there. As you begin to notice change slowly, experience God’s love and mercy, and you will want to grow that time together. Sometimes prayer is not needed. Just speak from your heart. Settle in His presence, feel nourished and know that you are in His love.
Know, you are never alone.
Conor
Find a Way!
Letters to God through the eyes of children
• Dear God:
My parents took me to church for a wedding yesterday. I saw a couple kissing. Is that allowed in church?
• Dear God:
I got a new pair of shoes this week. I will wear them to church on Sunday to show you.
• Dear God:
I learned in Sunday school today that you created light. In school this week I learned that Thomas Edison created light. Did he steal your idea?
May we all learn to develop the attributes of children and become more child like in our relationship with God?
Conor
Find a way!
“Coming to our Senses” Reflection of Good Friday
The author begins to take us through the days of Holy Week starting with Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, but we never get there; he asks us not to rush by Good Friday, and, we never leave. He says, “Don’t hurry by the Cross on your way to Easter Joy, for we know the Risen Lord only through Christ and him crucified.” To understand Our Lord, we must begin to understand what Good Friday is, and what it means. What it means to me and to all people of faith, whether they are in love with Jesus or just know him, and to those that have not yet found Him. In order to understand Our Lord, we need to know and understand the sacred ground of Calvary and what really happened that day for all of mankind. As here at the Cross is the real world, the place we need to know, grasp and understand, and most importantly; give thanks to Our Lord for his Cross and sufferings, his crucifixion, and ultimately his death. At Calvary, we need to understand Our Lord’s first words from the cross, “Father Forgive them,” as it speaks to who Jesus is. We need to embrace his real expression of love he has for us, as well as, the forgiveness of those who do not know what they did. Love and Forgiveness. This is where we see ourselves in the life and death of Jesus Christ. This is “Axis Mundi.”
It is here where we see, sadly so, that “Forgiveness Costs.” As the author points out, it is not Forgetfulness. It’s about actions and decisions. It’s how forgiveness has costs and how it impacts our lives, and in many cases, those around us. Whatever it is, something must be done so it is made right. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter. Yes, otherwise it doesn’t matter. This is something that is in everyone’s life at some point, but it is here at Calvary, that we can begin to see and understand the enormity that “Forgiveness Costs.” Whatever and wherever forgiveness is, and to what degree, the Cross and Calvary are at the heart of what “Forgiveness Costs.” With the Cross, we can see the gravity of wrongs and the sins of all. This gravity of wrongs and sins is not just for past sins. Our Lord, died for all sins, both past and present and all future sins of mankind. “Forgiveness Costs.” If not, “the trespass does not matter.”
“Stay for awhile. Don’t rush to Easter Sunday,” as I was there too. My sins, both large and small, brought me there with Our Lord. The times of where we put ourselves ahead of others. The times we lose our patience, and forget about kindness towards those that need help and gentleness, for those that are bruised and hurt, and the times where we don’t make a difference, as our time is all too important. Yes, I was there, and I like to think I was at the foot of the Cross with Our Blessed Mother to the end, as I made the time and wanted to grieve for my God. But on the other side of the Cross, I want to thank him for what he just did for me and what now awaits me, because I am looking at and grieving about Our Lord’s death right now. From here moving forward, it’s up to me. It is here where I need to pick up my Cross and start down my path and continue to give my thanks.
Sins are serious. We see the consequences as we remain in Calvary. “In the Cross, we see the rendering of the verdict on the gravity of sin.” As humans, we make sins insignificant and smaller than they are. We alter their seriousness in our minds; thus in our actions. We change the truths of them, the definitional changes of what is good or evil, or what is right or wrong. We redefine the meaning and what is acceptable, thus changing the outcomes. Things now look the way I want them. We set up the rules of judging ourselves. However, “the truth is that we do not judge the truth; the truth judges us.” The judgment that matters is the judgment of God who alone judges justly. He defines the good and what is right, as there is a line in everyone’s heart that divides good from bad and evil. There is no changing that, and there is no changing our struggles with good and evil.
St Paul says it best for me. “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want, is what I do.” So the struggles continue. How is it corrected? How are all sins are justified, from the husband cheating on his wife, to “everybody is doing it,” and to the sins that reflect so poorly on the human race? The killing times of Auschwitz and all the others camps, to murder, rape and hunger throughout Africa, and the atrocious of Kosovo. Let us not forget the killing fields of Cambodia and current state of affairs in Syria and the slaughtering of innocent men, women and children around the world. It is something we can read about in history, but is also something we can see today all around us. And in fifty (50) years, these events may just be a footnote in history books, rather than the story.
“Stay for awhile. Don’t rush to Easter Sunday.”
Man has found ways to justify his actions. Man has found ways to blame it on God and ask where God is? “How could he let this happen?” Man has found “God guilty” again! So again we have to ask the question, how is this going to be corrected? What must we do? Yes, “Forgiveness Costs.” But are we capable of correcting our own sins? The simple answer is no. That is why God accepted His Cross and our guilty verdict. He took up the Cross to correct what man has done, because man is not capable of correcting his own sins. Sins are serious. It had to be corrected and God did it, at a great cost and out of love for us.
Stay for awhile. Don’t rush to Easter Sunday.”
As Adam came to his senses, and the prodigal Son came to his senses, I have come to my senses here at the Cross on Calvary. I weep on one side of the Cross, for what has happened to him by me, and I thank Jesus on the other side on where I can go now.
“Here, through the Cross, we have come home, home to the truth about ourselves, home to the truth about what God has done, about what we have done. And now we know, or begin to know, why this awful, awe-filled Friday is called Good.
Thank You God.
I love You.
A letter to a (my) daughter
Life delivers all kinds of hurdles, tests and challenges of our faith and the “who are we” of our character. The feelings become overwhelming; the dark is really ugly and a sick feeling prevails throughout your entire body. The questions flood in how am I going to deal with this, and get to a point of peace, sanity and closure? How do I do this day after day?
It is all so unfair, not right in any way you look at it, and the impact; is not just on me, but my children. It is especially hard on my 5 year old daughter who cannot begin to understand any explanation I offer to her to help alleviate the pain of the absence of her daddy. Where do I begin? Now what? Which direction do I take and who can I lean on for help, as I think I cannot do it alone?
I don’t have all the answers, but what I can tell you for sure, is what I have seen. You dug deep to do all that you have done during these very difficult and trying times. You were always a great mom, but you became “thee” anchor and support for your two beautiful girls. Every day you were there for them to bring normalcy into their lives, while I know you cried yourself to sleep most nights, if not all. You put on that face of determination and went to work to help with bills and expenses, and then; returned home to be that Mom you knew your children wanted and needed.
The strength of your character that you have shown during these times, cannot yet be fully appreciated and understood by you, but to those who know you, rest assure they can recognize and see all the changes in you. You were put to a test and you came out the other end even more beautiful. You should continue to hold your head high, keep that confidence close at hand and take that normalcy you fought so hard for. Go forward with your 2 beautiful kids in tow. And when you have that empty feeling or another challenge facing you, remember you have that confidence in your pocket, and continue forward for what you know is right and needed.
How can I say all of this at this time? Well, in many cases the last person to know is the person living it. Take it in faith in what we share, and the love I have for you. I have looked at you my whole life and watched the changes over time and have admired whom you have become. You understand the real beauty and the important things in life to protect and nurture. Today, through these challenges, you have taken yourself new levels. It shows in the remarkable person you have become through this ordeal. You are that new person! You are full of love, understanding, kindness and beauty. And it does show!
In time, you will find and realize the “high good” and you will know that someone was always present for and with you.
You have many who care, love and support you, but know; “He loved you before you loved Him.”
Time is now to Keep Smiling!
Love you, and know that it is true; as love with conditions, is not true love.
My best to you; always.
Dad
Continue to Find a Way
“There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as nothing is a miracle.
The other is as if everything is.”
_Albert Einstein
Miracles
Chapters of your life
“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.”
― Unknown
Don’t Quit
When things go wrong as they
sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging
seems all up hill,
When the funds are low
and the debts are high
And you want to smile,
but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won
had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace
seems slow-
You may succeed with
another blow.
Success is failure turned
inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds
of doubt,
And you can never tell
how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when
you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things seem worst
that you must not quit.
Ourselves
“Whatever we do for ourselves, dies with us.
Whatever we do for others, is immortal and lives on.-”
_Unknown
Love and Friendship
“The truth is that the more intimately you know someone, the more clearly you’ll see their flaws. That’s just the way it is. This is why marriages fail, why children are abandoned, why friendships don’t last. You might think you love someone until you see the way they act when they’re out of money or under pressure or hungry, for goodness’ sake. Love is something different. Love is choosing to serve someone and be with someone in spite of their filthy heart. Love is patient and kind, love is deliberate. Love is hard. Love is pain and sacrifice, it’s seeing the darkness in another person and defying the impulse to jump ship.”
― Unknown
Happy Thanksgiving
“Whatever we do for ourselves dies with us.
Whatever we do for others is immortal and lives on.”
_Unknown
The world has changed to such a lighting pace, it is even more important on days like today, that we reflect and give thanks, as we share it with family and friends. So so important as all our days fly bye, we can only wonder where all the time has gone. And yes, and most importantly; we need to thank our Maker, God.
My blessing for Thanksgiving-
Lord, we thank you for the food we have to share here today, that many do not have.
Lord, we ask for your continued love for us, and may we continue to grow our love for you, and all those we encounter every day.
Lord, may we make the time to stop and make an effort to help those in need. May it be a minute to listen to what they have to say, as many do not have anyone to talk too.
Lord, May we smile to those that are carrying hardships and struggles, so we can lighten burdens in some small way.
Lord, May we show kindness to others, even if it is just simply holding the door for them, so we may touch them in some way.
Lord, judge us on not how big we try to do things for others; rather judge us in the amount of love we do these things for others.
Lord, thank you for all those that have gone before us for making this a great country through their sacrifices, and the families that taught, love and nurtured us, that are now with you.
Lord, may you steer us to use our strengths and skills for others to make a difference. May these gifts you have given all of us, be given away to others, so it may truly become a gift.
Lord, a special request to continue to bless the children and grandchildren here today, and for those who are not able to be with us here today. Let them soar with confidence and never look back.
Lord, finally give our love to all those who have left us to be with you, and tell them we miss and love them every day.
_Find a way!
Conor
Remembering in our hearts and prayers
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=70Ikj1hZDnw&feature=related
Trust in the Lord and He will help you.
(Prv 20:22b)
This will touch your heart and find that special place in your heart.
Find a way
_Conor
Audio Reflection_”Lord you are the center of my life”
As we celebrate the solemnity of All Saints (November 1st), I have listed quotes from various Saints for reflection.
• St. Justin Martyr: “The greatest grace God can give someone is to send him a trial he cannot bear with his own powers-and then sustain him with his grace so he may endure to the end and be saved.”
• Saint Benedict: “What is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us? See how the Lord in his love shows us the way of life.”
• Saint Augustine: “We have been promised something we do not yet possess. It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what was promised, and yearning is over.”
• Saint Francis of Assisi: “May I feel in my heart, as far as possible, that abundance of love with which you, Son of God, were inflamed.”
• Saint Thomas Aquinas: “The life of man consists in the love that principally sustains him and in which he finds his greatest satisfaction.”
• Saint Catherine of Siena: “When we love something we don’t care of abuse or injury or pain we might have to endure to get it; we are concerned only with satisfying our desire for the things we love.”
• Saint Catherine of Genoa: “God lets the soul share his goodness so that it becomes one with him. The nearer the soul comes to him, the more it partakes of what is his.”
• Saint Paul of the Cross: “The soul whom God wants to draw the deepest union with him by means of holy prayer must pass through the way of suffering during prayer.”
• Saint Alphonsus Liguori: “We must love God in the way that pleases him, and not just in a way that suits ourselves. God wishes people to empty themselves of everything and to be filled with his divine love.”
• Saint Maximilian Kolbe: “Shall the urge for complete and total happiness, inherent to human nature, be the only need to remain unfilled and unsatisfied? No, even this longing can be fulfilled by the infinite and eternal God.”
• Saint Katharine Drexel: “May your faith be increased so as to realize the fact that you are never alone, wheresoever you may be, that the great God is with you, in you.”
• Saint Faustina: “Jesus, I trust in you.”
• Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: “If the soul longs for nothing else than to love its God, then don’t worry and be quite sure that this soul possesses everything, that it possesses God himself.”
• Saint Damien Joseph de Veuster of Moloka”i: “In the face of the too real dangers that surround me I repeat: ‘Lord, I have placed all my hope in you. I will never be confounded.’”
All Saints Day_November 1st
God’s Me
You are who you are for a reason,
You’re part of an intricate plan.
You’re a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God’s special woman or man.
You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You’re just what he wanted to make.
The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you feel,
They were custom-designed with God’s plan in mind,
And they bear the Master’s seal.
No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you’d grow.
You are who you are for a reason,
You’ve been formed by the Master’s rod
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!!!
_Poem by Russell Kelfer
Atheist
Reflection_Faith the size of a mustard seed
_Regnum Christi
“Go and do likewise”
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered right; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Meditation
If God is all-loving and compassionate, then why is there so much suffering and evil in this world? Many agnostics refuse to believe in God because of this seemingly imponderable problem. If God is love then evil and suffering must be eliminated in all its forms. What is God’s answer to this human dilemma? Jesus’ parable about a highway robbery gives us a helpful hint. Jesus told this dramatic story in response to a devout Jew who wanted to understand how to apply God’s great commandment of love to his everyday life circumstances. In so many words this religious-minded Jew said: “I want to love God as best as I can and I want to love my neighbor as well. But how do I know that I am fulfilling my duty to love my neighbor as myself?” Jesus must have smiled when he heard this man challenge him to explain one’s duty towards their neighbor. For the Jewish believer the law of love was plain and simple: “treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself.” The real issue for this believer was the correct definition of who is “my neighbor”. He understood “neighbor” to mean one’s fellow Jew who belonged to the same covenant which God made with the people of Israel. Up to a certain point, Jesus agreed with this sincere expert but, at the same time, he challenged him to see that God’s view of neighbor went far beyond his narrow definition.
Jesus told a parable to show how wide God’s love and mercy is towards every fellow human being. Jesus’s story of a brutal highway robbery was all too familiar to his audience. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho went through a narrow winding valley surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. Many wealthy Jews from Jerusalem had winter homes in Jerico. This narrow highway was dangerous and notorious for its robbers who could easily ambush their victim and escape into the hills. No one in his right mind would think of traveling through this dangerous highway alone. It was far safer to travel with others for protection and defense.
So why did the religious leaders refuse to give any help when they saw a half-dead victim lying by the roadside? Didn’t they recognize that this victim was their neighbor? And why did a Samaritan, an outsider who was despised by the Jews, treat this victim with special care at his own expense as he would care for his own family? Who was the real neighbor who showed brotherly compassion and mercy? Jesus makes the supposed villain, the despised Samaritan, the merciful one as an example for the status conscious Jews. Why didn’t the priest and Levite stop to help? The priest probably didn’t want to risk the possibility of ritual impurity. His piety got in the way of charity. The Levite approached close to the victim, but stopped short of actually helping him. Perhaps he feared that bandits were using a decoy to ambush him. The Levite put personal safety ahead of saving his neighbor.
What does Jesus’ story tell us about true love for one’s neighbor? First, we must be willing to help even if others brought trouble on themselves through their own fault or negligence. Second, our love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good intentions and showing pity, or emphathizing with others, are not enough. And lastly, our love for others must be as wide and as inclusive as God’s love. God excludes no one from his care and concern. God’s love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us. Jesus not only taught God’s way of love, but he showed how far God was willing to go to share in our suffering and to restore us to wholeness of life and happiness. Jesus overcame sin, suffering, and death through his victory on the cross. His death brought us freedom from slavery to sin and the promise of everlasting life with God. He willingly shared in our suffering to bring us to the source of true healing and freedom from sin and oppression. True compassion not only identifies and emphathizes with the one who is in pain, but takes that pain on oneself in order to bring freedom and restoration. Jesus truly identified with our plight, and he took the burden of our sinful condition upon himself. He showed us the depths of God’s love and compassion, by sharing in our suffering and by offering his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins upon the cross. His suffering is redemptive because it brings us healing and restoration and the fulness of eternal life. God offers us true freedom from every form of oppression, sin, and suffering. And that way is through the cross of Jesus Christ. Are you ready to embrace the cross of Christ, to suffer for his sake, and to lay down your life out of love for your neighbor?
“Lord Jesus, may your love always be the foundation of my life. Free me from every fear and selfish-concern that I may freely give myself in loving service to others, even to the point of laying my life down for their sake.”
_Kairo’s
Canticle of the Sun
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. Praise and exalt Him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord: (bless the Lord.) Repeat after every line.
You heavens:
Sun and Moon:
Stars of Heaven:
Every shower and dew:
All you winds:
Fire and heat:
Cold and chill:
Night and days:
Lightning and clouds:
Let the earth bless the Lord. Praise and exalt Him above all forever.
Mountains and hills:
Everything growing from the earth:
Seas and rivers:
You dolphins and all water creatures:
All you birds of the air:
All you beasts, wild and tame:
You sons of men:
Holy men of humble heart:
_St. Francis
Taste of Love 