Perspective

Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Ps.89:12

Psalm 89 is called "A prayer of Moses the man of God". Moses seeks the wisdom to know that the riches of this world are dust compared to the treasures of heaven. 

Perspective is a point of view on something. In today's Psalm the prayer is for a right perspective on the things of the world. Yes, good things on earth are good. But they are not the ultimate good. Being right with God far exceeds the pleasures of this world. 

Lord, give me a right perspective on the blessings of this world. Help me always keep one eye firmly on the treasures of heaven.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Tell Jesus

John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.
Mt.14:12

John the Baptist has just been beheaded by King Herod. John's disciples retrieve his body and then go immediately to inform Jesus of what has happened to his cousin.

In their grief, John's disciples first thought was to go to Jesus. To whom else could they turn? There's something in the sharing of grief with Jesus that starts a healing process. John wasn't raised from the dead like Lazarus but Jesus puts things in perspective. It wasn't the end of John's story.

When good or bad happens in my life it's good for me to go tell Jesus. He wants to be part of my life. He puts it all in perspective. There is a bigger story than the one I'm writing here on earth. Jesus holds the pen for that bigger story. It's a story that ends well.

Thank you Jesus that you want me to share my highs and lows, that you want to walk along beside me. I place my trust in you.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

I will Live

I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Jn.11:25,26

Jesus arrives at Lazarus' tomb. He reassures Martha that he is the source of eternal life for all who believe.

We know the story. Lazarus, four days dead, is raised miraculously back to life by Jesus' call into the tomb. Yet, Lazarus eventually died. There's no record of a man in Palestine walking around for two thousand years. Lazarus' physical return to life was to demonstrate the glory of God's wonderful plan for all who believe, God's wonderful plan for me, that death does not have the final say.

As all consuming as the joys and struggles of my day could be, overarching everything is the truth that even though I will die one day, I will live. Death has been conquered. Halleluia!

Thank you Jesus for rescuing me from the grave. My hope and joy is placed in you.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Clay in His Hands

House of Israel, cannot I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.
Jer.18:6

Jeremiah is led by God to a potter's house. There he watches the potter as he reshapes a distorted pot on his wheel into one that is new and perfect. God says he can do the same with mankind.

The truth is we are all cracked pots, distorted by wounds and sadness. God re-softens the hard, brittle clay of my life and then shapes me into what I was always meant to be. What looked as though it was beyond redemption is made new. I'm a new man.

This is Good News. This gives me renewed hope and purpose. 

Thank you Jesus that you are in the business of making old distortions into something new and beautiful. I give you permission to reshape me into the man you always meant me to be.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

A Friend of God

I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Jn.15:15

Today's Gospel Acclamation has Jesus telling us we are his friends to whom he has revealed everything.

This is a greater reminder of who I am because of what I am about to hear in the Gospel. I am a friend of God, proven by Jesus making known to me all that needs to be known. There are no secrets. All has been revealed. 

I walk into today as a friend of God, equipped by Jesus' revelation with everything I need to face whatever the day may bring.

Jesus, thank you for calling me a friend. Holy Spirit, help behave like one.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

See Hear and be Happy

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’
Mt13:16,17

Jesus is explaining to his disciples why he teaches in parables, to overcome the blindness and deafness of those who do not want to repent and believe. Meanwhile the disciples have happiness because they see and hear what God is saying.

What was it that the disciples saw and heard to gain their happiness? It was Jesus. They saw Jesus and they heard him speak. Where is it that I can see and hear Jesus to gain happiness? The Church he established for this very purpose is a good place to start. In his Church I see him in the sacraments and hear him through scripture.

Today is the feast of Saints Anne and Joachim. A good day to go to Mass to see, hear and be happy.

Thank you Jesus for establishing your Church so I may see you, hear you and be happy.
Saints Anne and Joachim, please pray for us.

Wheat among the Weeds

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well.
Mt.13:24-26

Jesus tells the parable of the wheat among the weeds, warning that evil can enter a church and appear to do well but judgement will come when good and evil will be separated, one for reward and the other for damnation.

I live in a world full of weeds and the weeds appear to be doing quite nicely thank you.  Even though the weeds grow well, so does the wheat. As long as I don't cross pollinate, stay true to my Christian calling, I'll be alright in the end. But, why not help some of the weeds become wheat in the process. Now that defies science but is entirely possible for God. It's what happened in my life.

Jesus, you give weeds a chance, their day in the sun, to allow time for them to become wheat. Help me be a gardener in that field.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.