To you, O Lord, I lift my soul. Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and for you I wait all the day. Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees. The friendship of the Lord is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction.
One touchy area (sorry, pun intended) has always been whether a congregation holds hands during the Our Father. The new, minor changes to the Liturgy do not address this issue. Some parishes hold hands, others do not. It does not exactly make one way right and the other wrong. It is the preference of that community. I can accept that, whatever it may be. But…
One of my students sent the following invitation to me in an email. Some may find it a little cutesy, but the theology, and more importantly the sentiments, are perfect! (Thanks Stacy.) · · · You are cordially invited to · · · A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!! Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ […]
Father of mercy, like the prodigal son I return to you and say: “I have sinned against you and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Christ Jesus, Savior of the World, I pray with the repentent thief to whom you promised Paradise: “Lord, remember me in your kingdom.” Holy Spirit, fountain of love, I call on you with trust: “Purify my heart, and help me to walk as a child of light.” Amen.
I do not need to seek God. God is already here waiting to be found, soaked in my reality. My journey is to be one of recognizing God, always, already present, and surfacing that presence in my daily life. — Edwina Gateley, from “A Mystical Heart”
I normally do not directly write a reaction to what I read on other weblogs, but something prompted me to write this one. In the process, I learned something deeper and more visceral about the nature of sin. The Mystic Cowboy made a parenthetical comment against the Roman Catholic position on contraception: I have no […]
Today marks the 100th aniversary of the laying of the cornerstone for Mount St. Mary High School. Back in 1884 (five years before the famous land run), Sister Mary Catherine Troy and four other Sisters of Mercy arrived at the Sacred Heart Mission in Oklahoma Territory to setup a school to educate young Indian girls. […]
What we carry in our hearts is what we will have to answer for when we face God at the end of our journey.
“What I am talking about is the human spirit. That’s the challenge. That’s the voyage. That’s the expedition.”
One more scene near the end of the movie Phenomenon (see previous entry) is a wonderful metaphor for what the right attitude should be about people that come and go in our lives. George, played by John Travolta, tries to explain to the young boy that he should not be too upset about his impending […]
Come Spirit of God grant us the power to be gentle, the strength to be forgiving, the patience to be understanding, the endurance to accept the consequences of holding on to what is right. Come Spirit of God help us to put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil, the power of love to overcome hatred. Come Spirit of God enlighten us with the vision to see and the faith to believe in a world free from violence, a new world where fear will no longer lead us to commit injustices, nor selfishness cause us to bring suffering to others. Come Spirit of Wisdom and Love, Source of all good teach us your truth and guide our actions in your way of peace. — a prayer card from “Prayers for Peacemakers”
Need a gift idea for a person who seems to have everything? How about this?
Is God your steering wheel or your spare tire? — seen on a church marquee
The people I work with decided to have one of those Secret Santa-gift exchanges. We called it Advent Angel. I signed up to be a part of the festivities and picked a name. The idea was to give your person a little gift everyday or so, and to pray for them. The tiny gifts should […]
Do you not know or have you not heard? The LORD is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. — Isaiah 40:28-31
May the Light of Christ Burn brightly in your life, Today and always
I was driving down the highway the other morning and heard the song On Fire by Switchfoot. It reminded me of a haunting comment that someone made a week or two ago about having problems with the Church. They tell you where you need to go. They tell you when you need to leave. They […]
I discovered this piece to ponder by TLS at Summa Mommas (via Video meliora…). It reminds me of a chapter in Thomas Merton’s book New Seeds for Contemplation called “The Moral Theology of the Devil.” And isn’t it just what Satan wants us to think? That in giving ourselves to Christ we would somehow be […]
“How does one seek union with God?” / “The harder you seek, the more distance you create between Him and you.” / “So what does one do about the distance?” / “Understand that it isn’t there.” / “Does that mean that God and I are one?” / “Not one. Not two.” / “How is that possible?” / “The sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and his song—not one. Not two.” — Anthony de Mello
As my dad warns, New Year’s Eve is amateur drinking night. Be careful, be safe. 2004 is another year full of grand adventure! Are you going to maximize your potential? Or are you going to be a minimalist and just get by? It is up to you, and you alone (with help from Him), to […]