Daily Reflection – Giving Pain and Suffering a Purpose
Minute Meditation – Hope Blossoms in Mercy
“So many people ask to be listened to and to be understood. The Gospel of mercy requires generous and joyful servants, people who love freely without expecting anything in return. ‘Peace be with you!’ (John 20:21) is the greeting of Jesus to his disciples; this same peace awaits men and women of our own day.… It is a peace that does not divide but unites; it is a peace that does not abandon us but makes us feel listened to and loved; it is a peace that persists even in pain and enables hope to blossom. This peace, as on the day of Easter, is born ever anew by the forgiveness of God which calms our anxious hearts.” —Pope Francis
The story of Thomas in the Upper Room is a clear example of Jesus meeting us in those wounded places in our lives and wordlessly offering us whatever we need to move beyond the hurt into a place of healing, trust, and peace. He doesn’t scold Thomas for needing proof; he doesn’t condemn him for a lack of faith. He holds out his hands and gives Thomas what he needs. We each have our own struggles with faith, with trust, with love, whether in our relationships with others, our connection to a church community, our responsibilities at home, at work, in school. As we place our needs before God’s loving mercy, we open ourselves to receive whatever gesture of peace he offers us. Mercy is the sign of God’s ongoing presence in the world. Few people have made this more clear and compelling than Pope Francis. And it’s not just about realizing that God is merciful to us. It’s realizing that we are now called, compelled, even commanded to be merciful to all those people we meet.
In his preaching on mercy, Pope Francis often emphasizes the importance of listening compassionately to people who are wounded, struggling, searching for God’s love. So often we want to rush in to fix other people’s lives. The next time you feel this urge, take a step back and first simply listen to and love the person before you. God’s peace passes all our human understanding. And often it lies beyond our limited human words.
— from the book The Hope of Lent: Daily Reflections from Pope Francis
by Diane M. Houdek
A Prayer for the One Feeling Overwhelmed
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27, NIV
Life is too short to be anxious and constantly bent out of shape. And even more, I’m convinced when I allow my life to become like that, that Jesus didn’t want it to be this way.
When Jesus was having one of several final conversations with His disciples before His death and resurrection, He said the words from our key verse. He wanted them to know He was leaving them, but He didn’t want them to live in a state of panic. He knew their life would be hard, but He didn’t want them to think that He had abandoned them. He acknowledged that they would miss His presence, but He wanted them to know that He would give them His presence in a new way, and with it, they would also have His peace (John 14:25-28).
I love that Jesus took the time to compare His peace to the false sense of peace that the world gives us. You see, the world says to have peace, you have to be on a luxurious vacation in Malibu. Or to have peace, you have to have complete financial security, a great job, and a 401k to boot. The world says that you’ll finally have peace when your life looks like someone else’s Instagram feed.
This world offers fake peace that leaves us chasing a moving target. Jesus said you will have peace when you have my Spirit because the fruit of the Spirit is peace ( Galatians 5:22-23). This isn’t peace that we can get from this world. This kind of peace only comes from a relationship with God.
This kind of peace isn’t rattled when our finances aren’t where we want them to be or worse, when we are in financial despair. Jesus’s peace is still there as we wait for daily bread, sometimes moment by moment. The peace that God gives helps us to celebrate others’ accomplishments and give thanks for what God has generously given us.
So when my heart is troubled and anxious, I have to ask myself, where are you looking for peace? When we find our peace in God, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in a way that baffles the world. Onlookers don’t understand how we can be so peaceful while they frantically search for what can only be found in Christ. So today, when you are overwhelmed, instead of looking to the world for a reprieve, ask God for His peace.
Let’s pray:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving us the gift of a relationship with you through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. But God, you don’t stop there! You also ensure that we know you have not abandoned us by giving us the gift of your Holy Spirit. Lord, when we face difficulties, and we get overwhelmed, we have the assurance that you are with us because we have your Spirit living inside of us. And God, with that, you give us the unshakeable gift of peace.
Lord, I pray you would help us to remember where we find true rest and true peace. Lord, forgive us for chasing down peace from this world. Lord, as you know, it never lasts. More money does not lead to peace; it creates new problems. More security just leads to more frenzied attempts at managing our lives. And attempting to live someone else’s life robs us of all joy, Jesus. I pray you’d give us the strength to turn away from these false sources of peace. Help us turn to you, God.
You give us peace that the world cannot give and the world cannot take away. Jesus, help us believe and trust that every word you say is true. You are with us, you are for us, and you will give us peace so we don’t have to be troubled or afraid.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
By Ashley Moore
Sermon Notes – January 15, 2023 – “Peace is a Who”
“Peace is a Who”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
January 14-15, 2023
Gospel: John 1:29-34
29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. 30 It was of Him that I said, “Behind me comes one who has passed ahead of me because He existed before me.” 31 I did not know Him myself, and yet my purpose in coming to baptise with water was so that He might be revealed to Israel.’ 32 And John declared, ‘I saw the Spirit come down on Him like a dove from heaven and rest on Him. 33 I did not know Him myself, but He who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The Man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” 34 I have seen and I testify that He is the Chosen One of God.’
This happened to me several times while I was overseas. The Army had some “guests” we were keeping. Apparently, they didn’t like our hospitality and began to riot. So, we sent in the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), and the riot ended rather quickly. That’s all I can tell you about that. But peace reigned again. I like that. But that’s not the peace our good Lord was talking about. He didn’t mean sending angels down to do a quick and brutal beat down on people. He was talking about the peace in our soul. Peace is not a “what”. Peace is a “Who.” Jesus is our peace, and He is a “Who.” If we want peace, we must have that “Who” inside of us. This gift of peace is one that the world cannot take away. “We want peace on Earth!” Great. I’m all for that. I was in an organization that enforced peace, but I’d much rather see people convert to Christ than receive an American bullet.
If you want peace, let Christ into your souls. Then you will have peace and a lot of happiness. That happiness will be deep and abiding. It will change over time and become deeper. It will be different, but different is not always bad. The true way to peace is Christ. It is not a negotiation. Negotiations involve conflict and don’t get to the root cause. The root cause of evil in the world is sin. “Nobody ever says that!” Shocking! The way to peace is Christ.
In every 12-Step Program, what is the basis for maintaining sobriety or abstinence? Do participants just “white knuckle” it? In these programs, there is a phase in which people have a spiritual awakening. They have something far better. They have God in their souls, and they no longer want the booze or drugs. It’s in the literature…check it. The same is true for us. Having Christ in our souls is how we get peace.
Recently, we had a Spanish quinceañera for a 15-year-old girl, and I gave her the secret to happiness. You all know what the secret to happiness is don’t you? It is to be holy. I haven’t done my job in over 18 years if you don’t know that by now. It is to be holy – that’s what Jesus said, and I tend to remember my boss’ words. You will have a peace that nobody can take from you. Look it up. It’s in the black part of the Book. He said, “You will have a peace that no one can take from you.” Our happiness lies in a Person and not in things. Even rich people get upset – did you know that? I was the curate at the richest parish in the diocese, and we had people who would get upset even though they had boo-koo cha-ching. The secret to happiness is having peace in your soul. And that peace comes with Christ.
That inner peace – that place where Christ resides in our souls – cannot be removed by any outward occurrence, be it spiritual or temporal. It can only be removed by us through neglect or unrepentant venial sin and directly by committing mortal sin and throwing Christ out of our souls. The only thing that can take our peace away is us. People may challenge our peace, and bad things may happen to us. We may get Covid. We may have our cars scratched. We may get cut off in traffic. People may give us the one finger salute. I’ve been here for 18 years, and I haven’t been made a Monsignor yet. And I’m very hurt. Saint Teresa of Avila said, “If this is how you treat your friends, Lord, no wonder you have so few.” Granted, sometimes our peace may be threatened, and we’ll be upset. But that is just normal.
Two by-products of having Christ in our souls is that it gets better and better the closer you grow to Christ. Your situations will be different that’s true. You’ll be older, maybe not as good looking, and you may not have as much hair. Nowadays at the barber shop, I try to convince myself that “I’m too sexy for my hair.” But whether it’s by scissor or by time, I’m losing mine. Your happiness will increase as your love for Christ and His presence in your soul increases. You will find that you will have more energy because you won’t be distracted by fighting all those other things.
The second by-product of having Christ in your soul is that you will have more friends. You’ll have more people who want to be around you and not because of the things you bake or cook although I appreciate that as your pastor. People will like being around you. They may not be able to define it, but there is something about you that they like being around. They feel wonderful while they are with you and as they leave. You will bring Christ to them. Look at Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint John Paul II. People wanted to be around them – not to ask questions or ask for favors – but just to be with them. Why? Because of He who was inside their souls. And He who was inside them can also be inside us. This is the peace our Lord has come to offer us. Whether we take it or not is up to us.
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
Minute Meditation – Gospel Poverty
Francis believed that without God we are nothing, and his rejection of wealth and power was a statement of his total dependence on God, the giver of all gifts, whose overflowing love is beyond our comprehension and who, as a Provident Father, is lavish in bestowing gifts on his children. Francis identified with the poor because he understood his own poverty, and he knew that without God he was utterly empty and could do nothing without God’s help. In renouncing his father’s wealth and his own patrimony he was free to be truly dependent on God. This was the source of his profound peace and joy. For Franciscans today, material poverty is not the greatest concern but rather an acknowledgment that their “poverty of being” is essential. Poverty exists first in the heart, or it doesn’t exist at all.
—from the book Franciscan Field Guide: People, Places, Practices, and Prayers
by Sister Rosemary Stets, OSF
//Franciscan Media//
Minute Meditation – God’s Love Never Fails
The gifts we give are ultimately about the receiver, not about the giver. How often when we’re giving gifts do we think about how the gift will reflect on us, our great taste, our generosity, our discretionary income? Much of this stems from insecurity, a fear that we’re somehow not enough in ourselves, that what we do and how much we make and the gifts we give bolster our sense of self. But the peril of this approach is that we’re bound to be disappointed by the receiver’s reaction, no matter how much they thank us. The Christmas holidays often surface doubts and insecurities that we ignore the rest of the year. It might be the stress of extra activities, more spending than we’re accustomed to, less sleep than we need, more food and drink than we should have. We see people we haven’t seen in several months, perhaps not since last Christmas, and we wonder what they think of us. Family gatherings can raise tensions as well. The wonder of the birth of Jesus is balanced by a darker reality: We are all broken and marginalized in some way. We are called to see the mercy and forgiveness that are such an essential part of the incarnation. The peace we can’t find in our daily life is waiting for us in the love of God, a love so clearly shown in the gift of Jesus.
Treat yourself to a little soul-searching. We usually know what fault we most need to work on in ourselves. Minor issues can often be dealt with through some reflection and journaling, being honest with ourselves, and making a commitment to work on our bad habits. More serious issues might need some counseling or therapy. That could be the best Christmas gift you could give yourself. Many churches have special reconciliation services during the Advent season; if you’re so inclined, you might want to attend one, with or without individual confession. A peaceful heart is one of the greatest gifts of Christmas.
—from the book The Peace of Christmas: Quiet Reflections from Pope Francis
by Diane M. Houdek
//Franciscan Media//
Minute Meditation – God at the Center
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God.” —Romans 8:28
Instinctively every human being has a hunger for God because each of us has a hunger for happiness. Most of us have discovered that all those things we thought would make us happy might have for a while but faded and kept us searching. St. Augustine wrote of his search: “You have made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” Your heart, your life, and mine have a deep capacity for limitless, infinite, pure, irrevocable love. No human being or beings can satisfy that deep yearning. Only God can fill it with his infinite, gentle, unconditional, eternal love. Human interpersonal relationships are great gifts from God. We need the love of others, but we must keep God at the center. We must look to God for that deep peace, happiness, and security that only God can give and not expect it from another limited, imperfect human being. Only God is perfect; humans are not. In daily, peaceful prayer, God continues to fill that capacity. Keep God at the center, and he will put the puzzle of life together for you.
Lord, call me often to prayer and reflection so I can keep you at my center. Amen.
—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno
Daily Reflection – We Draw Near to God in Prayer
How Do You Respond During Difficult Moments?
How do you respond when you encounter difficult moments? Do you allow your life in Christ, your peace and joy to be taken from you? In this episode, Dr. Sri examines Christ’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane and explains how we can lay down our lives instead of having our life taken from us.
Click on link:
Daily Reflection – If Your Heart is Restless. . .
