Bulletin December 1, 2013

1^st Sunday of Advent Cycle A

Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44
I find it so amazing and awesome, how sheltered a life I live. In this age of modern communications I hear immediately what is happening all over the world and in my own community. I know where there are traffic jams via radio and phone if I want to ask. I know what the weather will be and the Weather Channel alerts me to all the impending storms. The five different doctors that I go to tell me everything that is going on inside of my body and tell me what I have to do to maintain good health. I, like so many others, live a secure life. And Jesus is telling me today that no matter what signs appear in my life, I do not know and will not know when the Lord will come and my death will come or when the Lord will come at the end of time to usher in the Parousia. So I ask: what am I putting off in my life that I just don’t want to tackle yet but I know I need to do to ‘be ready for the Lord?’
Now it is important for me to keep reminding myself that what I am preparing for are the joys of heaven, so why am I looking at my preparatory process as drudgery? There is an interesting part of St. Augustine’s life that parallel’s my journey, each person’s journey and the readings on this first Sunday of Advent. Augustine shares the story of his conversion in The Confessions. For a long time he totally occupied himself in a worldly and wild lifestyle. His mother, St Monica, prayed and prayed for his conversion. But a part of Augustine still kept him from giving himself completely to God. One day he heard a child playing a game that involved the constant repeating of these words in Latin, Tolle et lege...tolle et lege...which means ‘Take up and read’. Augustine opened Scriptures randomly to a page and put his finger on the verse from Paul today, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” Was this luck that he opened to this passage or what? I believe that there are no coincidences with God; He is always leading everyone closer to Himself and helps each in amazing ways.
Paul is encouraging each person to recognize that we are in the end-time. Who knows when each person will be called, so ‘be prepared.’ Jesus said the same in the Gospel, “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” As I look at myself there is so much that I have to review:

• I am to put off the ‘deeds of darkness’ which Paul says are my evil deeds.
  
• I am to put off those acts, thoughts or feelings that are not consistent with me being Jesus to others.
  
• I am to put off those sins especially the ones of habit that I really don’t want to address, but which hinder my realizing the Lord’s love of me.
  
• I am to put off whatever robs me of peace and joy.
  
• I am to put off all that negativity that brings out bad things in my judging of others and me.
  
• I am to put off all those regrets and ‘should of’s that have long been forgiven by God and to live in the present by being Jesus.
  

• Am I to put on the ‘armor of light’ God’s armor to protect myself...this involves being truthful, honest, being ready to spread the Gospel of love and hope and be constant and consistent in my prayer life.
  
• Paul tells me to put on the virtues in Colossians 3:12-15, “...heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another, as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.”
  
• I must concentrate on being in the present, that’s the only time I really have, the gift of this present moment will never come again.
  

There is much to do and it starts with the now of this moment. For years I have been praying this prayer of St. Augustine each day, it helps me:
“Late have I loved You, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved You! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for You. In my unloveliness, I plunged into the lovely things which You created. You were with me, but I was not with You. Created things kept me from You; yet if they had not been in You they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and You broke through my deafness. You flashed, You shone, and You dispelled my blindness. You breathed Your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for You. I have tasted You, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for Your peace. When once I shall be united to You with my whole being, I shall at last be free of sorrow and toil. Then my life will be alive, filled entirely with You. When You fill someone, You relieve him of his burden, but because I am not yet filled with You, I am a burden to myself. My joy when I would be weeping struggles with my sorrows when I should be rejoicing. I know not where victory lies. Woe is me! Lord, have mercy on me! My evil sorrows and good joys are at war with one another. I know not where victory lies. Woe is me! Lord have mercy! Woe is me! I make no effort to conceal my wounds. You are my physician, I Your patient. You are merciful; I stand in need of mercy....All my hope lies in Your great mercy.” So I come to this Advent season and each day try to find a few moments in all the craziness and running around to be still and to let God be God to me and me to bring me to my loving God. So I reflect on:

• What will become most important in my life if I truly live as if I were preparing for the coming of God at my end time and/or the end time of the world?
  
• Are my priorities in line with Gospel based values?
  
• What unimportant or distracting elements of my life need to be left behind?
  

Sacred Space 2014 makes some practical points:

“Staying awake means noticing and being alert. As I take time to pray I allow the things I have been too busy to see to come to my notice.

Looking ahead, I consider what might help me remain alert.”

Lord increase my longing for You each day!

November 24, 2013

Bulletin November 24, 2013 C

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

2 Samuel 5:1-3; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23: 35-43
Who is God to me? Who is Jesus to me? I find it way to easy to be so involved in my own ‘little world’ that I easily lose sight not only of God’s constant presence and interaction in the world but of the need God has for me to be Jesus. I find this to be the bottom line meaning of the readings on this feast of Christ the King.
In the first reading the tribes from Israel came to David wanting him to be their king. What had happened was that Saul was engaged in a war with the Philistines. The Philistines were soundly beating Saul and his troops and they fled to Mount Gilboa where the Philistines caught up with them and killed Saul and his sons, Jonathan included. David at the same time had a successful campaign against the Amalekites and heard of Saul’s death and went to Hebron where he was named king of that area and Ishbaal, a son of Saul, was named king over Israel. Two years later Ishbaal was killed in combat which led the tribes of Israel to come to David asking him to be their king. They used unusual words to say this: “In days past, when Saul our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.’” So even though it was the people who anointed David as their king, they believed that it was really God who had chosen him. Not only was he ‘kin’ to them but also they characterized his as a shepherd because shepherds were familiar with and personally concerned about their flocks. What does this tell me about Jesus and the Father? Jesus continued the shepherd theme continually by saying ‘I am the Good Shepherd’...’I know my sheep’...a good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.’ This is God...this is the love of the Father...this is the love of Jesus saying ‘yes’ to come and suffer and die for each and every person, to die for me, to redeem all from their sins. That’s why I and each person can say, ‘I am a sinner...I am a redeemed sinner...I am a loved, redeemed sinner. This is what God did, where is my gratitude?
And Jesus added that the ‘good shepherd’ left the 99 sheep to go out after one lost sheep and bring it back and St. Luke gave witness to this in describing the last moments of Jesus life on the cross. Even amid all the cruelty, rejection and hatred all around Him, one criminal calls on Jesus to save the three of them hanging there in death’s throws. But the other criminal recognizes that Jesus is the innocent one who is “passing over into His kingdom” and asks that Jesus take him there. In some of the most beautiful and tender words that I love to reflect on, Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” This is what God’s love is all about...this is the proof of God’s love and Jesus’ love. Now what am I to do with this?
Paul takes this love and praises the divine character of Jesus rather than His human nature. Paul characterizes Christ in several ways; each reference adding a significant dimension to how each person can come to an understanding of Him. As Living the Word explains, “He is a visible manifestation of the invisible God. He enjoys priority in time and primacy in importance. He is the agent through whom all was created, and He is also the goal of all creation. He holds all things together. He is the agent of reconciliation. The sacrificial deal of the human Jesus becomes the means though which the cosmic Christ reconciles all of creation with God.” AND this is what it is all about...Jesus died for me...for every person...Jesus came to tell me and every person of God’s love and not only that but that He wants and needs each person through their gifts and love to be Jesus to each person, every day, all the time. This is the way, the only way that I and each and every person can obtain heaven and be with God. THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT....

Alice Camille a wonderful spiritual writer writes this in her weekly column explaining the Weekly Readings, “’Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ Paradise can seem a long way off, depending on where you’re sitting. Yet even from the cross, Jesus views Paradise as an event happening later today. Such faith is astonishment to us, so we want to brush it away by saying, ‘Well, of course, he’s Jesus.’ Then we have to take into account that Jesus is in conversation with another crucified man, a criminal not less. And it’s this poor schmuck—who has no reason to hope for anything at all—who’s initiated the talk of Paradise and is assured he’ll be there shortly.

This leaves us with no excuse but to admit that our lack of faith has no rationale to hide behind. Even when our prospects seem pretty dim, the fulfillment of every hope is a stone’s throw from here: from the midterm exam room and the college rejection notice, from the marital argument and the divorce filing, from the grueling job and the pink slip, from the courtroom and the prison cell, from the doctor’s office and the chemo waiting, from the confessional and the deathbed. Wherever we are, Paradise is within reach.” And she gives these three questions for reflection:

• “How many chapters has your life had so far? What do you carry from one episode of life to the next?
  
• How do you signal your acceptance of the divine invitation?
  
• How do you foster an attitude of hope in every circumstance?”
  

And I continue to reflect on:

• Do I sometimes deny my beliefs, as the first criminal did in this gospel passage?
  
• How do I act as the good criminal and realize the great gift given me through the death and resurrection of Jesus?
  
• Do I believe God is an all-merciful God all the time?
  
• Is there someone with whom I need to reach in reconciliation?
  

And Sacred Space 2013 continues:

“Glamour and splendor mark the presence of earthly royalty. Jesus is not recognizable as King to those expecting power or glory. We need to train ourselves to look for signs of Jesus’ reign. His real identity can be seen only by the humble.

The ‘good thief’ saw things as they were: he knew his own sinfulness; he recognized Jesus’ character; he asked for little yet was rewarded for his honesty. Humility brings a true perspective and is the ground for meeting God. I pray for humility.”

November 17, 2013

33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C

Malachi 3:19-20; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19
How am I living in the now? God has mapped out a plan for me...am I aware of my gifts and living my life in a way that my gifts are being shared? What will my life be like after I die? What am I going to do after I die? What are my obligations to God...to the people in my life...to myself? Do I feel that death is going to avoid me? Am I living in this way? These last Sundays in the Church year are times when the liturgies say, ‘Stop’...’Reflect on your life and your death; be in contact with God and the ‘End Time.’
When I was young I never thought that I would live to be 72; that is where I’m at now. I certainly never thought that God would bring me through all these priestly experiences and that I would be thinking of the afterlife a lot more. I had this ‘invincible feeling’ to some degree that ‘when I got old’ I could start being more realistic about my ‘future’ with God. I love the quote of Pope John XXIII from retreat when he was 76: ‘It is time to start simplifying my life.’
Michael Kent in Bringing the Word to Life states: “Where is your heart? Do your relationships with others help, or prevent, you from being a true disciple of Christ? How do you view the things you own? Are you so concerned about your possessions that little else matters in life, especially the state of your soul? What might you need to renounce to fulfill your Christian destiny and become a more loving person? Is it your vindictiveness, laziness, stubbornness; your need to have the last word or have things always go your way? Might you even need to renounce your depression, always feeling sorry for yourself, or thinking only of your own problems? Be willing to detach yourself from whatever restricts your loving spirit.”
Paul is giving his readers this example of himself: ‘his own conduct is beyond reproach...he has not presumed upon the hospitality of others...he is not a financial burden to people; he works hard and tells others to do so.’ Why is Paul saying this? It could be that since some people thought that Jesus’ final coming was imminent, why should they work, why not just wait for the Lord? Paul is saying that it’s good to be ready for the Lord, but that means obeying the Lord in every area of their lives: in their prayer life, in their work life and in their family life. That’s why he is putting himself up as an example.
In Luke’s gospel, which was written after Mark and Matthew’s, the expectation of the second coming had diminished. They still believed that the end was coming but it was clear that the Church would have to live in the present world for the foreseeable future. Jesus addresses this issue as He looks on the beauty of the temple. He tells each person that they must be attentive to the signs of the times. There will be persecutions how will each person: are they going to give up or give in to the pressures of the ruling countries? There will be betrayal by families and friends who give up on the way and teachings of Jesus; does that mean that people disregard what Jesus said?
Jesus says that there will be much evil in the world which will attempt to allure all Christians from the ‘Christian way. The way to live and react to this is to always be grounded in Jesus and in the faith. It comes down to how am I being a person of God?

I read this Anonymous tale: “There was once a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions. The servant returned a short time later, white and trembling.

‘Master,’ he cried, ‘just now when I was in the market place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw that it was Death that jostled me! She looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Please, lend me your horse, so that I can ride away from this place and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra there Death will not find me.’

The merchant lent him his horse and the terrified servant mounted the animal, dug his spurs into its flanks and galloped away as fast as he could.

The merchant then went into the market place and saw, standing in the crowd, the woman who had terrified his servant.

‘Why did you make such a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?’

Death replied, ‘That was not a threatening gesture. It was a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.’”
Jay Cormier the editor of Connections says this: “We foolishly believe that somehow death does not apply to us, that we are invincible, that we will go on forever. But, as Jesus warns us in the terrifying images of today’s Gospel, the time we are given in this life is precious – God gives us this gift of life to embrace and be embraced by the love that is uniquely of God. Jesus calls us not to be obsessed with the ‘stones’ that will one day collapse and become dust but to seek instead the lasting things of the soul, the things of God. May love that never ends, compassion that never fades, forgiveness that never falters be the focus of our journey to the eternal dwelling place of God.” So I reflect on:

• Why do people seem to get caught up in following an errant person that leads people away from God? Does this ever attract me?
  
• I look back at the times that I have been challenged or threatened by others because of my belief in Christian values: some just wanted to start a fight...some wanted an approval for the contrary way of life they were living and thus wanted to make a ‘fool’ of me...some just enjoyed the ‘world, the flesh and the devil’. Did I rely on the Spirit’s grace and power or did I rely on myself?
  

In all of the craziness that exists in my life and in my world and in the world and in all the chaos that the devil distracts me with Jesus told me and each person to go to Him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” This will not always be clear or apparent. It doesn’t come without work. It really does require great perseverance. Jesus has said repeatedly that each person much continue to build their lives on the timeless things of God: compassion, forgiveness, generosity, reconciliation and love. The devil brings hopelessness, God brings life without end.

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. Pope John XXIII 

November 10, 2013

Bulletin November 10, 2013
32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time C
2 Maccabees 7: 1-2, 9-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5; Luke 20: 27-38
During my priesthood I’ve encountered people who said there was no heaven and earth, but they said, ‘I try to live a good life.’ Knowing that you can never win an argument, I still asked them, ’could you explain to me what you mean by a good life. ‘ ‘Well, I try not to get in people’s way...I try to be nice to people...I try to respect people...I try and if it works, fine...if it doesn’t I just continue on in my life doing what I feel and generally keeping the laws of society.’ It was an honest answer, but to me it seemed like this person just went through the motions, and really wasn’t that concerned with others. I wondered if this man’s life was inspiring to people who lived and worked with him? Did he show care and compassion...did he go out of his way...did he feel that ‘I only walk this way once, and I can be an influence to help those who watch and follow me?’ It was hard for me to see that he lived for anyone else but himself. I certainly can be wrong...but his response made me think about the first reading from the Book of Maccabees.
The book recounts the efforts of a very religious family forced to go against the Jewish dietary laws. After the death of Alexander the Great, Syria controlled the East, yet the influences of the Greek culture and customs were still very strong. And very many of the Israelites ‘compromised’ their Jewish faith to go along with the new rulers. In today’s reading, royal officers attempted to bully a Jewish family to violate its dietary laws by eating pork. Even with the threat of torture and death, seven brothers bravely defended their faith. They said so eloquently that they put their faith in God. Even though they could be deprived of life on earth they would live on in the realm of God. There is no question that they were martyrs for their faith and are with God. Countless thousands, millions even with similar stories are a part of the history of Christianity.
In the Gospel the Sadducees are the ones challenging Jesus; this party is only mentioned in the New Testament. They were a group within Judaism that had members that belonged to the priestly aristocracy coupled with their dependents and supporters. They were more religious than political and were influential because of their wealth and contacts. Their faith was based on the Torah, the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). Since there is no mention of resurrection of the dead in these books, they rejected it. So they come to Jesus with their inane question. They certainly thought that this would make Jesus look foolish. And Jesus talks about false prophets...those who feel they know the ‘right way’, and their way is the right way not matter what...’my way right or wrong.’
Living the Word has a fascinating reflection: “To get the full impact of the first reading, I strongly suggest you go to your Bible and read Second Maccabees, Chapter 7 (where today’s first reading is from). You wonder what the mother of the Maccabees would have said to the Sadducees trying to trap Jesus over belief in the resurrection of the body. How would this woman, who watched the thugs of a sadistic king cruelly torture with whips and scourges her seven sons over their refusal to eat pork, ever have been able to encourage her sons to remain faithful to God’s law without a belief in the resurrection? This belief was her rock. It justified her taking the long view, that their death, in fidelity to God, gives way to a bodily resurrection.”
It’s also good to go back and to look at the different Creeds (Apostles and Nicene) which specify what faith in God is all about. It is good to reflect on Jesus telling us that He was sent to tell us that God loves every single person ever created and God wants every single person to be in heaven with Him. Jesus said this and proved God’s love by the sacrifice of His life which redeemed every person. Can we understand this? A spiritual classic which really should be read by everyone interested in getting to know God deeper is the Cloud of Unknowing. The author says, “...God can be loved, but not thought”...and he suggests that ‘we only begin to know God when we realize that we do not know Him and cannot know Him in any full way in this life.’ So God, by gifting us with faith and so many, many gifts, asks each, ‘Will you trust me in this?’
I find it so comforting that my life has a purpose...I find it very reassuring to know that I have a God who cares for me and for what I do for Him...I find it especially consoling to know that this God wants me to be in heaven with Him...I find it exceedingly encouraging that God has given me gifts so that in using them to touch others, and in believing in Jesus and living His way, I will be in heaven with Him. I find it awesome that I have a part to play and that I am not a ‘nothing’ but that I am loved. ‘Hope’ is the key word here. St Paul reminded the Romans in 8:22-25, “We were saved by this hope, and let us remember that hope always means waiting for something that we do not yet see. For whoever hopes when he can see? But if we hope for something we cannot see, then we must settle down to wait for it in patience.” (The New Testament in Modern English, J.B. Phillips) AND our faith promises us that ‘we will be with God.’ For this reason the title of Bishops Fulton Sheen’s TV program is so apropos: Life is Worth Living! So I reflect on:
Living the Word asks:

• “What does belief in the resurrection of the body tell you about God?
  
• What does it tell you about your own body? Does it have any implications for how you treat your body?”
  

• I find it interesting to reflect on the people who are my friends. I had very different impressions of some when I first met them...I certainly misjudged them...now they are special. How can I learn to overcome my initial prejudicial behavior?
  
• Thanksgiving and Christmas are quickly coming on the scene...am I putting more value on my worldly concerns versus my preparing for the kingdom of God?
  
• Sacred Space 2013 tells me to “...pray with compassion for all those whose reason and intelligence is missing the humility to accept the truths that faith uncovers. I give thanks for the intuitions and insights that have been given to me.”
  

A good exercise today is to sit and make a list of my good and bad characteristics. How can I use the good ones to overcome the ones that are less desirable?

November 3, 2013

Bulletin
31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time C
Wisdom 11:22-12:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2; Luke 19:1-10
This is a wonderful time of year in the Church’s readings and celebrations. All Saints day was celebrated on Friday. This is the day the every person in heaven is honored. God is praised for guiding them and sending people who enabled them to be people of faith. This allowed them to realize that they were gifted and loved by God and then they could live as Jesus taught them and then be ‘Jesus’ to people. This group is not only the ‘famous ones’ but the not so famous but famous, exemplary and inspiring to so many; people like our parents, grandparents, relatives, friends: all the holy people God has placed in our lives. I think when we pray to them we should use their title; like St. Mom, St. Dad, St. Grandma, St. Grandpa etc.
On Saturday, the feast of All Souls was celebrated; these are those people who will be in heaven, the time to be determined by God. They are now going through purification in love to be in heaven with the Lord. So many of these people touched each one of us and loved us. Both these groups and the people in them are the reason why I and each believer is the person we are: they were examples of self-sacrificing love and taught us to be the same. God be praised. The month continues with the celebration of Thanksgiving...and each person has so much to be thankful for: especially a God who is ‘crazy in love with ‘me’ individually and each of His creation. It’s a shame that I have to be reminded that I am to be thankful and to praise God for His love daily.
The readings today keep me focused on the reason why I am here, the reason why I was created: to be with God forever in all eternity with all God’s loved people. The first reading is from the Book of Wisdom; now previous traditions envisioned God’s creation and shared stories of its foundation and maybe God wasn’t involved. Today Solomon depicts the Creator as being personally present with every dimension of the world. God’s power is seen but also it is coupled with His love and mercy. As Living the Word shares, “Just as the power of the Creator is matched by the love of the Creator, so is this love manifested through mercy. God is merciful precisely because God is powerful. Finally the author claims that the imperishable sprit of God is in all things.” The author looks at the exodus to show signs of the ways of God. The overall theme is that God is gracious and merciful. For those who trust in God, His love and blessings are overflowing; for those who resist God or deny God, He withholds His blessings. And we cannot take anything for granted...just that God cares for each person, but does each person let God be God to them? Do I? How can I ‘let go and let God’?
Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and reminds them that God has called them, as God has called each person to Himself, and Paul is praying that each one remains faithful and worthy to this calling. Again, Living the Word expresses it in this way, “(Paul) states that thought they are obliged to live ethical lives, it is the prior grace of God and not their ethical behavior that saves them. He further teaches an ‘already-but-not-yet’ form of eschatology (teachings about the end-times). Thought the eschatological day of the Lord is imminent, it is not yet present. Believers must continue to live their lives in patient anticipation of Christ’s coming, realizing that they do so in His presence, for He has already come.” So I have to live my faith. I do this by showing my belief and trust in God; in my following all the commandments and the commands of love and in being Jesus. In concentrating on this I don’t have to worry about rumors or fearful times or events that try to tell me that God doesn’t care. He does, that’s why I am here and why each person has been created.
And the wonderful story of Zacchaeus; I remember on my first pilgrimage to Jericho, seeing the ‘tree’ that legend says Zacchaeus climbed. It doesn’t matter if this was the actual one, what mattered in my life was that Zaccheus was responding to the grace of the Spirit to come closer to Jesus. The Spirit does this to each person: come closer to Jesus...learn from Him...let Him love you and show you how to live and to love. The wonder of the story is that it doesn’t matter what has happened in my past or anyone’s past, God comes and is calling...so come. Tax collectors were known for their greed and their exploitation of the people in their ‘tax district’. They cared about themselves. Now Zacchaeus was very wealthy so he was very successful. Normally, Luke would have been very harsh with him as he is with other tax collectors, but he shows the curiosity of this man. Was this the Spirit gently urging Zacchaeus to come closer, to learn more about Jesus, I definitely think so? The Spirit does this to each person, do I, do we respond? OR am I, are we, more concerned with ourselves and our ‘riches’ as Zacchaeus? And Jesus does the shocking thing of inviting this man down because He wants to ‘come to his house.’ God wants to enter the ‘house’ of me and each person, do I let Him. I remember in my bedroom as a youngster was the painting of Jesus knocking at the door of a thatched hut and He was touching His Sacred Heart...there was not doorknob; it had to be opened from the inside. The symbolism was very clear to me then and now: I am reminded over and over; I have to open my heart to Jesus who always is knocking and wanting to enter and fill me and bring me closer.
Jesus wanted a change of heart from Zacchaeus and he changed his heart; Jesus wants a change in my heart and each person...this is what conversion is...converting to the ways of God, the ways of love. So I ask how I am doing. So I reflect on:

• Do I base my opinion of others on superficial appearances? Am I ready to let go of the stereotypes that cloud my judgment of others?
  
• I can so easily condemn or be very critical of others for their actions. Can I see in the power of prayer for them a way to see them as God sees them, people to be loved?
  
• God sees everything, He sees the good and the bad and respects and loves all. Am I ready to offer others the care, concern and love that Jesus gives me each day?
  
• How do I invite Jesus into my life? How do I express my thankfulness for His gifts and love?
  
• Do I allow myself to let Jesus point out the gifts and talents He has given me and how I might best use them in His service?