At the end of June, I went on a retreat – something that we as deacons are required to do. It is to take the opportunity to disconnect from our everyday lives and to reconnect with our God. So I spent five days and four nights in a private hermitage outside of Lacrosse, Wisconsin owned by the Franciscan Sisters. The hermitage was located on Solitary Ridge, and it was incredibly peaceful. It was a silent retreat for me, and I couldn’t wait to rediscover the calmness of being with the Lord. Read More
On the Inside; On the Outside
There I was, starting off my Friday morning by going to the fitness center for a good workout. Although, something just didn’t feel right with me…
As I was working up a sweat, I began feeling some intense pain radiating between my front, side, and back. I decided that it would be wise to stop exercising. I also thought that it was unwise to drive home with this shooting pain, but I did it anyway. Read More
Simple Depression???
Such overwhelming joy casts me into pure depression when it crosses my mind;
bitter indulgence lies beneath my sweat-soaked surface,
and there is nothing that can control the things that are to be spoken;
wails within dig deeper, leaving behind scars of broken communication;
rid me of this deviled instinct and clear before me the path of peace the mind
so that I may dwell in the smile of life.
(Originally written July 4, 1984 – and dedicated to all who are hurting.)
This particular phrase from Psalm 90 keeps jumping out at me every time I read it:
Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart.
I believe that its significance has to do with knowing where one is headed. In other words, our lives here on earth are very short. We need to do the right things in life – the things that we know inside our hearts that SHOULD be done. And we hope that we may gain wisdom by being attentive to our hearts by truly listening to what’s going on inside. We need to be helping others, serving others, making their needs a priority over our own needs. We need to move away from our point of view and focus on the needs and desires of others. Our society’s “me first” attitude must be put aside so that we can love and serve our neighbor, just as Jesus asks us to do. This is our baptismal calling. Life is too short not to do the right thing.
Today, we pray that God will continue to teach us, and that we are able to hear what is being taught. And that each day, we may gain wisdom from our hearts and to do what God is asking us to do. Amen.
Thought of the Day…
You are writing a gospel,
A chapter each day,
By deeds that you do,
By words that you say.
People read what you write,
Whether faithless or true,
Say, what is the gospel according to you?
Today we are celebrating a birth – the birth of the church. Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. For that reason, it is often called the “the birthday of the Church.”
During the past six months of the church year, we have been on a journey – a journey of the events in the life of Jesus. It’s the story of the central mystery of our faith – the story of the incarnation where God became human, though still remaining God. When we think of the incarnation, most of us think of it this way: God physically walked on this earth, he died, he rose, and then he returned to heaven. When he left, he sent the Holy Spirit to be present among us – but the actual physical body of Jesus was gone forever. And yet, we often find ourselves wishing that Jesus were still here – right now – in the flesh, so that we could touch him, hear his voice and see the compassion in his eyes. Read More
Sometimes, things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes, we become frustrated, disappointed, and upset. Sometimes, we think we’re doing a bang-up job when someone comes along and gives us a slap on the side of the head with a major dose of reality. This is what St. Paul encountered in Macedonia in today’s scripture reading (Acts 18:1-8). Read More
The word “excitement” means: “to be stirred or thrilled, the state of being emotionally worked up, the feeling of active and cheerful joy.” Some would say they have excitement at times, but it all depends on what they are doing, what they are “into” at the moment.
For example, many get excited at sporting events. Some will be thrilled at getting a new outfit, or a good meal out. Everybody gets excited with their gifts at Christmas or a good holiday. However, do we have that same level of excitement when it comes to God our Father? Read More
Have you ever accidentally missed a big moment? It feels terrible! You got distracted right before your child scored a goal. You missed the winning touchdown because your cellphone rang. You were driving to the hospital to witness the birth of a grandchild, and the baby arrived before you did. Maybe you missed the two Popes being canonized this morning because you overslept. It’s a terrible feeling, and this is exactly how Thomas feels in today’s Gospel (John 20:19-31). Read More
A few years ago, I was attending a team meeting for work, one where our management team got everyone together to rally the troops and motivate us to perform better. We had a motivational speaker who was giving us a presentation. As I was listening, I noticed that my boss (who was sitting turned-somewhat sideways in the front row) was picking her nose – and not daintily, but very aggressively. As much as I didn’t want to look at her, I couldn’t help but to do so. I became so fixated on her actions that I had stopped listening to the speaker. Read More
