26th Sunday in Ordinary Time - mercy

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092814.cfm

Quick recap:

1st Reading - Ezekial - turn from wickedness to what is right and just

Psalm 25 - Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Epistle - Philippians 2 - regard others as more important than yourself (humility)

Gospel - Matthew 21 - Will you change your mind and embrace God's mercy, or will you be stubborn?

Today's Gospel outlines the story of a man and his 2 sons. He asks them both to go work in the vineyard. The fist son says no, but then changes his mind and goes out. The second son says yes, but did not go. Thus, on the surface, the second son appears to be more obedient, while in reality, the first son is the one who actually obeyed his father.  

Thankful Thursday 9/25/14 - struggles

Thursday was not my finest day.  I wasn't feeling 100% and I struggled with tasks.  My arms were still vibrating from my hedge-trimming escapade the night before.  I felt blah and run-down.  I wasn't living Murphy's law, but it was a challenge.  Every so often, I would stop and wonder, 'What is my problem?'  Then, I would look at the beautiful rose on my desk, and that was enough.  Enough to help me let go of my frustration, tiredness, and stress.  This cycle repeated many, many times during the day, as I would naturally slide back into the negatives.  At one point I smiled and asked God if the rose was God's nudge so I could appreciate life.  Life, which, on that day, included a lot of imperfections and acceptance of me as I was.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Generosity

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092114.cfm 

Quick recap:

1st Reading - Isaish - God's ways are not our ways.

Psalm 145 - The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Epistle - Philippians - life is Christ and death is gain.

Gospel - parable of the landowner who hires laborers for his vineyard and pays them all the same wage, regardless of how long they worked.

This Sunday's parable challenges me. I am called to apply this in all areas of my life, and I generally fall short. It's a great story of the landowner who goes out several times during the day to find workers for his vineyard. Each time he goes out, he hires more laborers. At the end of the day, he pays them all the same wage. Those who worked all day grumbled. The landowner asks if they are envious of his generosity. He reminds them that they agreed to work for the wage they received, and that he can do what he wants with his money.

Thankful Thursday 9/18/14 - The Farm

This week has been full of good things.  Friday is the 6 yr anniversary of my parents move off of the  farm.  It is bittersweet; I miss the open space and the inherent simplicity, but I am also thankful for the change.  I appreciate that my parents are closer now and it is feasible to visit more often.  They have more support with one of my siblings living in the same town, which is a comfort as well.

 

Thankful Thursday 9/11/14 - never forget

This post is overdue, I know.  There are so many things for which to be thankful, but 9/11 reminds me of the value of life.  I need to live each day completely, as I may not be here tomorrow.  I also need to live each day ready to die.  That means my soul needs to be prepared, and my actions should reflect the state of my soul.  I'm not trying to be dramatic or induce a panic.  The reality is we don't know when we will die.  Sure, we have life-expectancies, and many of us will meet or exceed them.  However, there are accidents, and misfortunes, and evil that is a part of our world as well.

We probably all know the story of someone who was in the towers, or was supposed to be in the towers.  Life is fleeting.  9/11 makes me want to simultaneously collect all of my friends and family and hug them like I'll never see them again, and go out and live life fully, pushing the boundaries of what I thought I could do.  Confusing?  Yep.  The emotional response to such a tragic event is both the need to hold on to what we have, sometimes too tightly, and to throw caution to the wind.  I think of it as a see-saw, trying to balance what we think we can control and also doing something that takes away our control.  Like stock-piling food to prepare for the worst and then going sky-diving to feel really alive.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/091414.cfm

Quick recap:

1st Reading - The people of Israel were saved when the looked at the bronze serpent mounted on a pole.

Psalm 78 - Do not forget the works of the Lord!

Epistle - Phil 2 - Jesus emptied himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross

Gospel - John 3 - Salvation through Jesus because of God's love for us.

This is an exciting day - this feast day falls on a Sunday! Great! So, what's the big deal? Well, there's a lot of interesting things to keep in mind. I'm not a scholar, but here's what I've picked up:

1 - Historically, September 14, 320 is the date when the empress Helena (Constantine's mother) reportedly found the true cross (Living Liturgy 2014). That's exciting stuff.

2 - While Good Friday is the more well-known feast of the cross, both days can and should remind us of the life-giving qualities of the cross.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - integrity

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/090714.cfm 

Quick recap:
1st Reading - Ezekiel - we must avoid sin and lead others away from sin
Psalm 95 - If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Epistle - Romans 13 - "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Gospel - Matthew 18 - our responsibility is to love others and to help them

With everything that has been going on this past week, I didn't get my usual preparation time, so today I'm going to borrow from the homilies I heard.  Two words stuck out in our teaching - integrity and authenticity.  We are called to be true to ourselves at all times, no matter where we are or with whom.

in·teg·ri·ty   inˈtegritē/   noun

1.the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. "he is known to be a man of integrity"
synonyms: honesty, probity, rectitude, honor, good character, principle(s), ethics,morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness,scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness
"I never doubted his integrity"
2.the state of being whole and undivided. "upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty"
synonyms: unity, unification, coherence, cohesion, togetherness, solidarity
"the integrity of the federation"

1. 
   

au·then·tic     ôˈTHentik/    adjective

1.of undisputed origin; genuine.  "the letter is now accepted as an authentic document"
synonyms: genuine, real, bona fide, true, veritable; More

Don't worry . . .

Don't worry . . . Be happy?

It's not about the song. It's some advice I gave a friend who was having a rough day. It's the kind of advice that will come back to bite me in the butt. Not that long ago I wrote about the problem with giving advice to someone. In my experience, if I give someone advice, I will have the opportunity to take my own advice in the very near future.  So, in the conversation with my friend, I knew that God was preparing me for a situation in which that is the advice I will need to hear. I am NOT looking forward to this.

Dependence on God. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?  Matthew 6:25-27