He promised that he would be there so that she would not have to die alone. The hospital called that her time was closer while the priest was visiting another ill parishioner. He finished up as fast as he could, and unfortunately ran into traffic, and too many lights turning red instead of staying green. And although he pushed the speed limit, when the priest arrived at the nursing station and asked for the name of the woman, the nurse informed him that he was too late, she had already passed.

He felt horrible because he promised her that she would not die alone. As he was mulling over the unfortunate timing, the nurse continued. “An interesting thing happened. An orderly came in with another patient, and I had no order for her to be in this room. This woman looked at your friend and asked if she could have her bed closer to hers, then reached out her hand. They held hands while the orderly and I left to check into the matter. When we returned, your friend was dead. The orderly then moved her bed out. The funny thing is that I have been checking since they left and found no record of this orderly or his patient being in the hospital.”

She did not die alone after all. Was this a visit from two angels?

Today we celebrate the feast of the archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Rafael. Angels are eternal, spiritual beings. They are not human but can take on human form in their appearance. Also, when we die, we do not become angels. We are human beings, and as such we are human and spiritual.

One of the possible reasons for Satan, who is an archangel, and the other angels, now called demons, rebelled against God was because in our participation in the life of Christ, we become higher than the angels. That was too much for them to take and so choosing their pride over God, they rebelled.

Jesus as fully God and fully man is infinite and eternal as Son, while at the same time finite as human. In Jesus coming close to be one with us in our humanity, we can become one with him in his divinity. Like the angels God has given us the reason and freedom to choose. We can choose to grasp at divinity on our own terms through our pride or we can receive the gift of God’s love, the very presence of his Son in whom we can become one with.

The wonderful reality we can ponder today is that in God’s order of creation, we all have a significant part to play and we are all interconnected: God, angels, humans, and creation. We also can enter into the day with the affirmation that we belong to an incredibly extended family of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the angels, and the saints. We can be at rest, no matter what challenges we are going through, in knowing that we are not alone, we are loved, and that many in heaven and on earth are not only cheering us on but also willing to help us on our journey.

Photo: Angels bowing before the Body of Christ in the tabernacle, St. Peter Catholic Church, Jupiter, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, September 29, 2023

The people of Judah have returned from their exile in Babylon and God, through the prophet Haggai, is calling them to rebuild the temple which will again be the house that God will “take pleasure in” and “receive” his “glory” (Haggai 1:8).

Herod is hearing the stories about Jesus, teaching with authority, freeing people from possession, healing people such that the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, and he wonders, “Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”And he kept trying to see him (Luke: 9:9).

Our loving God and Father welcomed his chosen people back home after freeing them from their time of exile and sought to dwell with them again, to have his house among them, even though generation after generation they turned away from him. Herod who had John the Baptist executed because of a foolish vow is having a tug at his mind, and could it even be a tug of his heart to come to know his Son, Jesus?

The psalmist gives us not only the interpretive key for these readings but the whole of the Bible. “The Lord takes delight in his people” (Psalm 149:4).

He took delight in his chosen people and still does, he took delight in Herod even though he killed one of his prophets, and he takes delight in each one of us. He has loved us before time began, he knew us before we were in our mother’s womb, he loves us more than we can ever imagine, and more than we can ever mess up.

God delights in you this morning. God is looking at you and loving you as you are right now as you read these words. You are precious in his eyes, he cherishes, and adores you.

I invite you to receive this truth, breath it into the depth of your souls.

Because every word is true. Yes, God loves you and me with all our imperfections, “pride, fear of not being loved, the conviction of how little we are worth,” and all the other lies the enemy fills our minds with.

If any thought other than how much God is loving you right now is coming into your mind, renounce it right now in Jesus’ name. It is a lie. Breathe slowly and allow yourself to sit in God’s presence, continue to breathe, for: “Only under the gaze of God can we fully and truly accept ourselves” (p. 35, Interior Freedom, Jacques Philippe).

I invite you to accept that you are a beloved daughter or son of God loved unconditionally. Continue to rest and abide in his gaze of love. Believe, carry, and return throughout the day to these words that he offers you through another prophet, Isaiah: “You are precious in my eyes, and honored, I love you” (Isaiah 43:4).

Photo: Evening Rosary walk, St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, September 28, 2023

Still a teenager, he left the poverty of his youth from a small peasant farm and entered the seminary in the hopes of having a better life. One day during his studies, his father came to visit him. When he saw the ragged clothes that his father wore, he was ashamed, and refused to meet with him. He would go on to be ordained a priest at nineteen years old.

For the next ten years, he appeared to have reached his goal of leaving a life of poverty in the past. He used his intelligence and way with people to gain access to wealthier patrons and became a tutor for the children of the rich. By his own admission, this young priest had a short fuse and was very impatient.

Then one day, he was called to hear the confession of a servant of one of the richest families in Paris. His heart was moved with compassion when he experienced this man’s faith and heard his confession. No longer did he live a life of comfort, luxury, and ministering to the rich but became a servant of the poor. Vincent de Paul’s heart found the same rhythm of the heartbeat of Jesus as we heard in today’s Gospel:

“At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

As we celebrate the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul, let us follow his example of being willing to be transformed by the love of Jesus. In allowing our minds and hearts to receive the love of Jesus our souls will be set free to expand and share the love we have received from him. May our hearts become like a prism so that as we receive the light and love of Christ, we may reflect it in our own unique ways to others radiating out like a beautiful rainbow of compassion in action.

There has never been before nor will there ever be again, another you. Each of us are here at this time and this place having experienced our own challenges and traumas, as well as our victories, healings, and blessings, so that we can allow our hearts to be moved with compassion to be there for another and allow God to happen through us. Don’t believe the enemy who says there is nothing we can do. We do not need to do big things as Mother Teresa taught, but let us today do something for someone with great love. Let us begin there.

St. Vincent De Paul – Pray for us!

Photo: Statue of St. Vincent De Paul with rainbow overhead from the first day I moved back into St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, September 27, 2023.

Many people experience anxiety, sadness, and confusion. Especially many of our youth today. This can be caused by a medical condition or natural chemical imbalance, or listening to the lies of the enemy and being led away from living out the reality that we are created to be loved and to love in the proper order. God loves us, and we are to receive, rest, and abide in his love and share it with others. When we place others or other things before God, or take out God altogether, all other pursuits are going to fall short, and we will be left wanting.

I think we are also forgetting who and whose we are. Our loving God and Father has created us to be in relationship with him. He does not want us to be enslaved by sin and inordinate attachments, nor does he want us to merely survive. As St. Irenaeus wrote, “The joy of God is the human being fully alive.” God wants us to live a life full of meaning, purpose, fulfillment.

The message that Jesus offers us today then is good news: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Luke 8:21).

Jesus came to be one with us in our humanity to remind us of our familial relationship with his Father so that we can become one with him in his divinity. He has come to tell us and show us that we are not alone, that we belong, that have a seat at the table, because we are his brother or sister. That said, each member of the family has a responsibility to do their part. Jesus is asking us here to hear the word of his Father and put it into action. And he is not putting down his mother by saying so. She is the model for us. Mary has heard and put into practice the word of God better than any other!

To hear the word of God, we need to slow down enough to hear. We can do so by attending Mass, spending quiet time reading of the Bible, in his creation, listening for him in our daily activities, and/or interactions with others, because God is speaking to us all the time. The next step after we have heard, is to trust and put into practice what God is sharing with us. That is when miracles happen, and lives are changed.

I invite you to take some time now to enter into the scene and sit with the others around Jesus. Breathe slowly and allow your senses to come alive. What do you see, smell, feel, and when Jesus begins to speak, what word or words does he give you this day to put into practice? Sit with this scene, the teaching he shares with you, and return to it throughout the day, and over the next day or two. Then put what he has shared with you into practice. As you do so, know you belong, you are loved, you are beginning or continuing your journey as Jesus’ brother or sister and each day is a new adventure!

Photo: My nephew Nicholas and me last month back home in Connecticut.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Imagine yourself sitting on a hill somewhere in central Alaska. It is this time of year and not January, so you can enjoy doing so without risk of frostbite! You are watching a herd of caribou grazing. Then a wolf runs full speed at the herd. In rapid response, as one, the herd runs. If they remain tight and run as one, the wolf will give up quickly so as to preserve its energy.

The goal of the wolf rushing the herd is to isolate a younger, weaker, or sickly caribou. If able to do so, other members of the pack will then come in to help and take down the isolated prey.

The enemy: Satan, his evil spirits, and demons, is a predator and works in the same way. The enemy seeks to isolate us by tempting us into sinning and then when we do, stab us with shame, and then lie that we need to keep our sin a secret because if we tell anyone they won’t understand. The enemy tells us that we will be judged, condemned, that we are unlovable, as well as a myriad of other lies. In falling for this next level of attack, we then isolate ourselves further from those who care for us. In this way, we are more susceptible to be tempted again, and again, and fall deeper into sin, slip into desolation, and even despair.

To remain free of the snare of the enemy, we need to walk by the light of Christ. His word is the light that shines in our darkness. A nice clear beam is offered to us this morning:

“For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

What we attempt to hide is revealed, at times overtly as the truth will more often than not come to light. Even if it doesn’t, the lie, the untold offense, or sin, creates a wedge that separates us from God, our true selves, and others that are close to us, even when it appears another does not know because they can feel or sense it. This is true because God has created us to be in unity and as one, we are interconnected with one another.

God knows and we know what we have done and what we have failed to do. The best thing we can do for ourselves and our relationships with God and each other, is to be honest, humble, and trust in the love of God and each other. There will be hurt involved but much less than any holding back inflicts. And once we come forward, the bleeding will stop, and the healing can begin. Bringing our vices into the light will also help us to break any cycle or pattern that has developed over time, and we can then work with God and others we trust to create new habits that can lead to virtue.

God loves us more than we can ever mess up, there is nothing he will not forgive. He never tires of forgiving us, let us not tire of seeking his forgiveness. The more we trust in Jesus and allow his light to shine in our darkness, the more we will experience his forgiveness, love, and healing, and the lies will dissipate.

None of us are perfect. When we trust God with our worst, experience his forgiveness and love, we can come out from the shadows into the Lord’s light, and be there for each other. We can forgive, love, and hold each other accountable which helps each of us to resist temptation better because we are no longer isolated. We need to trust in Jesus and surround ourselves with those people we can trust, hopefully family, but in our fallen world sometimes that is not always the case.

Let us turn to God our Father and stand together against the enemy with those we trust for: “Love is given freely, it’s not deserved, and our deficiencies don’t prevent God from loving us – just the opposite… we always have the hope of advancing in love. God can make us, sinners that we are, into saints: his grace can accomplish even that miracle, and we can have unlimited faith in the power of his love” (pp. 39-40, Interior Freedom, Jacques Philippe).

Photo: Evening Rosary walk in August, Egret Landing, Jupiter, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, September 25, 2023

“Not fair!”

The day laborers who were hired at dawn and had worked the whole day through were not happy that those who were hired at the end of the day made the same amount as them and only worked for about an hour. Upon a first reading, we may feel the same. If so, the landowner is speaking to us as well as those dawn laborers:

“My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous” (Matthew 20:13-15)?

The landowner fulfilled his agreement with each of the laborers that agreed to work with him for the day. He was not shortchanging those laborers that were complaining, he was generous with them as well all as all who worked for him that day.

The challenge for them and for is our perspective. Are we focusing on comparing ourselves to others, to what we don’t have, on what we would like to have but it hasn’t happened yet, or are we grateful for what we do have? The more we compare and dwell on what we don’t have, the more we will be tempted to grumble, feel down, and slip into a place of desolation. The enemy is quite happy for us to go there.

The more we take a pause and think about what and who we are grateful for and then thank God, we will experience more appreciation, peace, and joy. Most of us fluctuate between the two. When we make time each day to think about what we are grateful for and how much God provides for us, we will not only feel better, we will begin to see more of what God has been doing for us all along that we have taken for granted or may not even have noticed.

It is important that we realize how much God loves and cares for us and that his love is not just for a select few. He is reaching out and inviting us all to breathe, receive, rest, and abide in his love. We decide to accept his gift or not. He is generously offering his love and inviting us to be in relationship with him now. We are not to begrudge others who say yes and experience his closeness but be grateful for them. As we experience his love, we are not to keep it locked up for ourselves but share our experiences with others.

On this priesthood Sunday, may we also take time to be grateful for the dedication and service of our priests. They have said yes to God’s call and serve to bring his Son to us through the sacraments, especially, making Jesus present again on the altar. Each serve in their unique way and express their charism to shepherd us through the challenges of this life and ultimately guide us to our true home in heaven.

Photo: Thank you, Fr. Don, for leading JoAnn and me back to the Church, convalidating our marriage, celebrating JoAnn’s funeral Mass, leading me to the diaconate, now hopefully on the way to priesthood in May, and all you have done and continue to do for St. Peter Catholic Church in Jupiter!

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, September 24, 2023

A person can go on a walk and hear the beautiful sound of a bird and think to themselves, that is a very nice sound, enjoy it, and keep walking on. Another person may hear the bird song, actually stop, and listen for a time and then move on. Still, another person may not only hear the sound, stop, and listen, but also look in the tree to see what type of bird is making that sound, identify it as a cardinal and then walk on.

Each person experienced the bird on different levels. Even the one who stopped to appreciate its song and take the time to identify it as a cardinal, still limited himself from experiencing the deeper wonder and uniqueness of this particular cardinal. God knows though. He knows this bird intimately, as he does with the entirety of his creation, including knowing each of us better than we know ourselves.

We may hear or read Jesus begin with these words of his parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed” (Luke 8:5). Our minds may go immediately to say to ourselves, “Oh, I know this parable well,” identify it like the person identifying the cardinal, and may even appreciate the parable, but then tune out because we have heard it before or many times before. We too would then miss the greater depth and wonder of what God wants to share with us.

Jesus helps his disciples to understand the parable when he tells them, “The seed is the word of God,” and then identifies how different people hear, and then act or not act on the word they have received. Those on the path of hard, traveled ground, the word is stolen by the devil; those representing rocky ground which has some soil “receive the word with joy” but since there is no depth in which to root, “they believe for only a time and fall away”; and that seed that fell among thorns was choked by the anxieties, riches, and pleasures of life. The final resting place was the best, “rich soil” symbolizing “those who embrace the word with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”

God knows each of us, knows our deepest and authentic desires, our deepest wounds, our sins, and our greatest promise. He loves us, wants the best for us, and so shares his seed, his word with us in many ways.

Are we willing to open our hearts and minds to receiving the wonder of his guiding and leading, are we willing to be patient to not only receive and savor his word, but also put it into practice? Are we willing to place his word in a place of prominence so that the many diversions, anxieties, stresses, and strains don’t choke its life? Are we willing to be persistent and daily call to mind this gift God has given to us each day and allow it to flourish and grow in our lives?

Something as simple as, “God please plant your seed of love in my mind and my heart.” Or any word he gives you. Then continue to meditate, savor, and bring this phrase to your mind and allow it to dwell in your heart. After a few days, or even a few hours, there may be some lies that attempt to sneak in like vines to choke its growth. Resist them, renounce them, pull them out as you would weeds and just repeat this word or phrase or another like,  “Jesus, I Trust in You”. Give your phrase all the room it needs to breathe and grow in you so that you may experience the greater depth and wonder from it that God wants to share with you. Each day we can gain something new.

Receiving, resting, and abiding in a phrase such as “Jesus I Trust in You” persistently, in challenging times, as well as tranquil times, will have more to offer you. It is like a key that opens the door to allow Jesus into your heart to dwell there. This practice allows you to receive the deeper meaning of putting your faith into action and you will not only trust Jesus more, but you will also know him more intimately, and continue to be transformed by his love for you.

Photo: Evening rosary walk, St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, September 23, 2023

Today’s gospel account from Luke is very simple, but if we lived out its implications, we and our world would be dramatically changed for the better!

Luke mentions how Jesus journeys “from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). Once Jesus begins his public ministry, he is constantly on the go, preaching and proclaiming the good news, as well as healing people of “evil spirits and infirmities”.

The key point – Jesus does not do so alone. Luke tells us that he is accompanied by the Apostles, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others. They also are not just people tagging along for a good walk. This group is not just present here but will also remain with Jesus all the way to the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection (Mary and Joanna are recorded to see Jesus first). The Apostles have left all to follow Jesus and many of the women are providing financial support for Jesus and the Apostles.

What is important to Jesus is not amassing wealth from a speaking tour but building relationships. Paul, who encounters Jesus after his resurrection and ascension echoes this message in the first reading from today. He writes that: “If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that” and, “the love of money is the root of all evil”.

One of the key messages of the good news from Jesus is that we are not to put money, material goods, or even anyone else before our Father in heaven. The Apostles, as we witnessed yesterday with Matthew, left everything and everyone behind, and followed Jesus. Mary Magdalene, healed from being possessed by seven demons, was not only grateful but continued to follow Jesus and became the apostle to the Apostles when he sent her to announce to them that he had rose from the dead.

We are to surrender to God’s will in the unique way that he has called each of us. We will receive his guidance the more we are willing to open our hearts and minds, receive and abide in his love, and then share it with one another. Christianity is not a Lone Ranger religion where God is calling us to do everything on our own. As we grow in intimacy with Jesus, we are also to do so with a core, intimate group of people of mutual support as well.

Just like we need to spend time with Jesus to get to know him, we need to do so with others. Intimate and chaste relationships are possible as we see recorded here, though as with anything worthwhile, building relationships takes time, energy, commitment, dedication, and a willingness to grow in the love that God is sharing with us and calling us to aspire to embody as well. That means we need to be willing to allow Jesus in to heal us in those areas that create friction and conflict in our relationships.

We don’t heal or grow in isolation. We need times to step away and to be still with God, but we ultimately heal and grow in relationship and community. And as we begin to heal, we are encouraged to accompany and be there for others who still are rough on the edges. As St. John of the Cross wrote, “Where there is no love, put love, and you will harvest love.”

Photo: With Jack and Christy, Pacific Palisades hike in August.

Link to the Mass readings for Friday, September 22, 2023

Jesus is not striking a condemnatory tone when he says to the Pharisees, “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). Nor is he talking from a place of arrogance and looking down on them. He is revealing the truth that we all fall short of the glory of God, we all sin and the sooner we embrace this truth and allow Jesus into our lives, our healing and can begin. Also, we will experience more peace when we are freed from the lies of the enemy that keep us bound.

If we don’t believe we need his help, as did many of the Pharisees, Jesus will respect that. Although Jesus knows and wants to forgive and heal us, he will remain close but not impose. He will wait for that time when we are ready to let him in and accept his invitation as he did with Matthew.

When Jesus saw him, he did not condemn or expose Matthew for any shady tax deals, he said, “Follow me.” And Matthew wisely did so. Jesus invited him to see the world from a different perspective, from his. As he spent time with Jesus, Matthew let go of the old and that which may had appeared good to him at one time, but in the light of the love of Jesus came to realize that what he chose to focus his time and energy on were apparent goods.

The enemy and father of lies entices us, seduces us, and attempts to lead us astray with half-truths, false promises, and with each step we take in his direction condemns us for each temptation that we trip over. Then he manipulates and tries to isolate us in shame, to tempt us with how bad we are, that no one will love us if they know what we have done, even God will not forgive us. We begin to forget who and whose we are.

Jesus is reminding us in today’s gospel who and whose we are. We are God’s beloved daughter and son. God loves us no matter how far we think we have walked away from him. The good news is no matter how far away we think we have walked or crawled, Jesus is right by our side waiting for us.

Even if you feel you have fallen face first into a figurative mud puddle of how much you think you have messed something up now, recently, or in the past, all you need to do is turn your head to the side. As you blink and wipe the mud and water out of your eyes, you will see Jesus, face to face with you. He greets you there with his loving smile, and then he extends his hand and says, “Follow me.”

I invite you to keep your eyes on Jesus and place your hand in his. Share with him what you feel is buried in the dark. He will forgive you and love you as you trust him. There is nothing that is beyond Jesus’ forgiveness. Nada. In fact, he’s already died for the worst sin you can think of. Then at your next opportunity go to confession and you will be clean, free, forgiven, loved, and ready to begin again.

Painting: One of my favorites, Caravaggio’s Calling of St. Matthew

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, September 21, 2023

We cannot please everyone, we cannot make everyone happy, and not everyone is going to like or affirm us. Nor is this to be the point of our life, although many of us have learned to operate from this model. We aren’t to be self-centered and not care about others either.

Jesus is revealing this to us in the Gospel today when he shared how the people complained about John the Baptist for his extreme aesthetical practices of fasting and the same people accused Jesus of being a “glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Lk 7:34). When in fact John and Jesus were both following the will of God and doing what he sent them to do.

Ultimately, the point and goal in life is to be the same. We are to receive and share God’s love. Each thing we do is to come from the will of God. We are called to strive to become as St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta taught, “a pencil in the hand of God.”

We aren’t there yet, and that is ok. God loves us in this moment right now as I am typing away and you are reading. That God loves us is our starting point and then a good practice is to daily assess where we are not following the will of God in our lives and where are we. The hope is each day we can do a little better than the day before.

Slowly those attachments we have to the things not of God will fall away, our shortcomings and faults will start to be more recognizable so that we can choose to improve, and we can continue to grow in humility to admit when have done something sinful or harmful, to repent, and begin again. No shame or putting ourselves down necessary.

It is important to recognize our wounds and weaknesses so through Jesus we can heal and mature, and it is just as important to get in touch with our strengths and build upon them!

Daily assessing where we need help and need to change, as well as where we are doing well and thanking God for his help and guidance will help us to mature to a point in our lives where we so intimately know Jesus that we better understand his will, recognize his voice over and above all the others demanding our attention, and continue to grow in our trust of him so that we will act without hesitation upon his direction. We will act not to impress others or seek their affirmation but instead to express and share the love of God as he moves us: whether it be a smile needed to brighten another’s day, an ear available to listen, a helping hand to lift up, a word to affirm and encourage, a text to remind someone they are not alone, and that we care.

Our goal each day is to spend more time breathing, resting, receiving, and abiding in God’s love, so that we may think, act, and speak from that place of wholeness. When we do, it will not matter what others think, say, or do because we are being and acting as God is calling us to be in each moment.

Photo: Rosary walk after supper, where I slow down each evening so I can tune in to God’s voice. St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, September 20, 2023