THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

As one liturgical year comes to an end, and another begins next week with the First Sunday of Advent, it is time to reflect...on how our relationship with Christ has grown...or weakened...over the last twelve months.

Have we kept Christ as the King of our hearts...our souls...and our lives?

Have our words and actions loving shown this truth to others?

OR...

Have we made ourselves the king...or queen...of our own universe?

Have our words and actions shown to others a love of dominance above all else?

Is it always YOUR way or the highway...in your family and professional relationships?

Can YOU bend with circumstances...or...do YOU bend circumstances to suit YOURSELF?

Do YOU always have to have the last word?

Are YOU always right...in spite of what the facts may prove?

The time is right to change that dynamic...to put Christ back where He belongs...as the King of YOUR heart...YOUR soul...and YOUR life!

Turn back to Christ...give Him back His rightful place in YOUR life...the time is NOW!

FOR DOG LOVERS

I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!!

My younger son and I love the television show "Monk." In this week's episode, Mr. Monk was talking with Randy Disher about how even when everyone pokes fun at him and gives him a hard time, Randy is always good natured. Randy explained that years earlier on a case, he saw a bumper sticker that read:

"CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY."

As the show went on, Mr. Monk...obsessively, obsessively compulsive...took this advice to heart...and...even after getting bad news...literally danced out of a courtroom and almost did a Fred Astaire on a bench in the hallway...all the while repeating: "I choose to be happy."

Yesterday was my 49th birthday. I always enjoy it more when a birthday falls on a weekend, because in my house that means we celebrate ALL weekend long...a veritable holiday weekend for the birthday boy or girl.

It isn't grand or expensive...just three days of doing the favorite things and eating the favorite foods of the birthday person.

In this case...ME!

And so, it was...God...family...barbecue...the arcade...relaxation...and, a triple chocolate birthday cake from my favorite bakery.

All weekend long, I kept hearing Mr. Monk repeating: "I choose to be happy." That simple phrase, became the mantra for my birthday weekend between my younger son and I.

The past few years at my house have been difficult:

illness...anger...helplessness...death...sadness...irrationality...threats...drama...and the ultimate realization that there are always those among us, who...no matter what we may say or do...cannot love or respect us...because, they simply have not yet learned how to love or respect themselves.

Today, as I begin my 50th year on earth...I am adopting Mr. Monk's motto for this next part of my life:

"I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!!"

To paraphrase Mother Teresa: it is never between me and THEM...it is...and...always has been...and...always will be...between me and GOD!


God wants me to be happy.


I choose to be so!


How about YOU?


God wants YOU to be happy, too!


Say it...

in your head...

out loud...

or...

dancing down the hallway, a la Fred Astaire...

but...

just say it:


"I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!!!"


Then...make it so!


God Bless YOU!!

MY PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Open my ears that I may hear You,
My eyes that I may see You,
My mind that I may come to know You better,
My heart that I may love You more deeply, and
My soul that I may have eternal life in Your loving caress.

Amen.

GOD IN THE STREETS

We are called to see Christ in everyone...everywhere...always...and...forever.

Sometimes, however, it is nearly impossible to recognize...to tune in to...Christ...in the person in front of us at a particular moment.

Anger...fear...sadness...misconceptions...mental illness...all these things...and more...blur the presence of Christ in the other we are encountering.

And so, we avoid....we ignore...we fight back...we lash out...in reaction to the other's behavior.

Yet, our faith is not re-active...but rather...pro-active.

Sure we will fall...sin...at times...and, we will have many excuses..."I'm tired"..."I don't feel well"..."it's not fair"..."he shouldn't have said that"..."she shouldn't have done that"..."it was supposed to be ME"...and on...and on...and on.

But, will we rise up...reconcile and move on...or...will we fall even further?

While the clip above shows Eucharistic Procession through the streets: the Real Presence of Christ in procession among us...in our everyday life, we encounter Christ in EVERYONE we meet...the good...the bad...the ugly...the infuriating.

The question is:

Will YOU recognize Him before it's too late?

Will I?

HEART OF MY OWN HEART

If you greet sunrise with God in your heart and a prayer on your lips, there is a better chance that your day will reflect God's love, mercy and justice, and you will be better able to treat others the way God would. —~ From: When Did I See You Hungry? ~


There are four things that you cannot recover in life:

(1) The Stone...........after it's thrown

(2) The Word...............after it's said

(3) The Occasion......after it's missed

and

(4) The Time............after it's gone.


So, keep God in YOUR heart...a prayer always on YOUR lips...and...a smile for EVERYONE YOU meet!

Not only will YOU become a blessing to those around YOU...YOU will be bountifully blessed in return!!



Heart of my own heart...whatever befall...still be my vision...oh Ruler of all!

THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their fellow men." ~ Saint Francis of Assisi






"I beseech all of you, by whatever charity I can, that you show reverence and all honor to the most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, because (in Him) all things, whether on earth or in heaven have been pacified and reconciled with Almighty God." ~ Saint Francis of Assisi

THE ANNUAL ANIMAL BLESSING

This afternoon, we will be having the Annual Blessing of the Animals in the parish. I am praying the rain will either be done or hold off until after the blessing is over. Some of our Level 7 boys and girls will assist as one of their parish service projects towards the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Over the years, we have seen many dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters...and even...snakes. After each pet is blessed, the Level 7 boys and girls will complete a certificate for the animal...and...present it to the owner with a medal of Saint Francis of Assisi. Treats and goodies for the pets will be available as well.

In the book..."Will I See My Dog in Heaven," by Jack Wintz, OFM...Father Wintz discusses how the book has sprung forth from an article he had written for St. Anthony Messenger magazine in 2003. After the article appeared in the magazine...the following Letter to the Editor was received. From the pen of Mother Teresa of Calcutta comes sound advice for all pet owners:

[Dear editors:] I am still jumping up and down over the article about animals in heaven. All observations made by Father Jack are sound references to the fact that God loves all creation and will include all in our heavenly home.

For the past several years, I have organized a "Blessing of the Animals." In 1972, I had written to Mother Teresa [of Calcutta] to ask for a letter of support. She sent one, over her own signature, and I quote: "[Animals] too are created by the same hand of God which created us. As we humans are gifted with intelligence, which the animals lack, it is our duty to protect them and to promote their well-being. We also owe it to them as they serve us with such docility and loyalty."

I think Mother Teresa says all there is to say about the sacredness of the animal kingdom.

[From Marlene, Louisville, KY] (p17)

I think so, too.

How about YOU?

WILL I SEE MY DOG IN HEAVEN?

I just finished reading a great book for anyone who has suffered the loss of a beloved pet..."Will I See My Dog in Heaven?" by Jack Wintz, OFM.

Based on Holy Scripture and the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi...whose feast we celebrate this coming Sunday...this book has brought me great comfort by proposing...and...supporting the case that we will in some way see our beloved pets again in eternal life.

In honor of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi...October 4...over the next few days, I will be posting excerpts from this wonderful book, filled to the brim with the beauty of Franciscan Spirituality.

When we investigate God's way of exercising dominion over the world and its creatures, whether nonhuman or human, we see a Creator who is loving, gentle, thoughtful, and wise. God creates in a reverent and caring way, making sure that everything is "good" at every stage. God "blesses" the first man and woman and exhorts them to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). Like a proud parent, God watches as the earth brings forth vegetation, seed-bearing plants, and living things of every kind. God provides a beautiful garden watered by lovely rivers. There is never a sense that God is acting in a domineering or exploitative way. God's dominion is one of respect, not a heavy-handed domination. This is the way that humans are meant to exercise dominion over their sister and brother creatures and the created world. (pp12-13)

Jesus came to teach us to love as God loves.

God's love is "gentle, thoughtful...wise," and respectful.

God's love is not exploitative or domineering.

How does YOUR way of loving compare to that?

What do YOU need to do to...make YOUR relationships...reflect God's way of loving...more fully?

To order your copy of this beautiful book: WILL I SEE MY DOG IN HEAVEN?

To join the discussion: WILL I SEE MY PET IN HEAVEN? DISCUSSION GROUP ON FACEBOOK

WE CAN'T TAKE IT WITH US

You can’t take it with you!

We have all heard this phrase time and time again.

And, we know it is so true.

We can’t take the stuff…the things…the detritus of this life…with us into the next life with Christ.

And, who would want to?

There is nothing man can make on earth…no matter how fabulous it may seem…that can compare to what God has ready for us in heaven.

No, we can’t take the stuff of this world into the next.

Neither can we enter the next world with the baggage of sin on our souls!

We don’t like to admit it much…but…

WE ARE SINNERS!!

We make mistakes…we do and say things that we shouldn’t…and we don’t do and say things that we should…every…single…day.

We are imperfect.

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that if our hand causes us to sin…we should cut it off. If it is our eye through which we sin we should pluck it out!

And, what about our tongue…angry words spoken in the heat of a moment…gossip, rumors…telling our “friends” things that we know will hurt them...and sometimes cause them to re-evaluate everything they have ever believed…under the guise of “better they should hear it from me than someone who doesn’t love and care for them?!”

If that’s how we love and care for our friends…I feel sorry for our enemies!

Sins!

Over the last two weekends, the Level 2 children and parents came for gatherings. The first sacrament the boys and girls will receive in 2010 is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The children come up in the church…they are taught to bow as they approach the altar...as they will on their First Holy Communion Day...and sin is explained to them.

SIN…such a little word that causes so much terror and distress...in our lives...and...in our world.

Last week, one of the second graders raised her hand and said, “I don’t sin.”

Once sin was explained, the look on her face said clearly…that she too has sinned...at least once...in her seven years.

So, too… you and I.

The good news is, Jesus gave us a wonderful gift before he left us…The Sacrament of Reconciliation.

When we grow weary from the weight of the baggage of sin we carry with us…a few minutes of heartfelt confession with a priest...renews our soul...our heart...and...our conviction to live a life of love...so that we may be welcomed into the loving arms of Christ...and...granted eternal life.

When First Reconciliation Day comes…some of the children will be a little anxious…they are encouraged not to be nervous because when they are done they will be refreshed...and...renewed.

They will be given a new page upon which to write their future.

Some come out literally glowing!

And how about us?

Sometimes we feel weary…overburdened.

Sometimes we need to be refreshed…renewed…strengthened to resist temptation.

So I invite you to accept the gift Christ so graciously offers…the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

It is true…we can’t take it with us!

When we die…all the things we hold dear here on earth will be…disbursed…discarded…even destroyed.

Our soul will always be…either with Christ…or…in Gehenna.

In the Religious Education Program, it is our task to help you…help…your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews grow in relationship with Christ.

Each and every one of us is called to be a prophet.

Would that we take that calling seriously, and model by our actions, the things our words say.

We must...

Walk the Talk.

Why not…walk the talk…right into the confessional…and…show our boys and girls the importance of cleansing our soul…even as we nourish it each week…at the altar?

I promise you…that even if you are a little anxious…you will feel so much better afterward.

You will be refreshed…renewed…you may even…GLOW…with the mercy...and...glory...of God!

THE BEST LAID PLANS...

On Friday, when I was putting the finishing touches on plans for our catechist meetings, I wrote...and...scheduled the blog that appeared yesterday.

In reality, the meetings never occurred because I spent the better part of the day in the Emergency Room.

The morning began like so many others...

I left the house at 8:56 AM...got in my car...buckled my seatbelt...and...left the driveway. By the time I reached the stop sign on the corner of my block...just one house away from mine...I felt what I thought was my seat belt, pinching my shoulder.

As I turned the corner, I reached over to rearrange the belt, and came away with a piece of fuzz in between my fingers. Still driving, I tried to flick the fuzz out of my hand, when I realized I had instead crushed a bug in my fingers!

At the same moment I realized that the pinching was getting worse. I stopped on the side of the road...to find...that I had been stung by a bee. In just those seconds there was an angry..swelling...red patch on my shoulder.

I turned back home, put an onion on the sting, and my son took me to the hospital. By the time I got there, my blood pressure was very high, and I could barely breathe.

In triage, there were two men ahead of me...each with a bee sting of their own.

Last week, my husband had been stung twice.

The week before that, the pastor had been stung.

The receptionist in the doctor's office said her husband had been stung last week.

And, when my younger son came home last night, he told me he too, had been stung...on his way to class...yesterday morning.

Thankfully, my son did not have the reaction I did to the assault.

Today, I am home from work still having difficulty breathing...itching all over...and...wondering what's up with the bees this year!?

Bee careful (sorry, in my weakened condition...I just couldn't resist) when you are outside...avoid perfumes, open food and beverage containers...and of course...hives and nests.

If you know you are deathly allergic to bee stings...make sure your Epi-pen is up-to-date!

Take care of Yourself and each other!