-
The Lord’s Prayer: Twelve Tips for The Lord’s Prayer, Phrase-by-Phrase – “Lead Us Not Into Temptation”
9. Lead Us Not Into Temptation Really!! You’re such a Debbie Downer. Temptations can be exciting. Sometimes it’s fun to play with fire. Do you want me to be boring? Didn’t Jesus hang out with sinners? By now you’re reckoned I’m more arguing than praying this one. You put me in the world and you told to light up its darkness and shadows. But isn’t that where temptations lurk? I think I get it. I’m weak and can’t resist some bad things. So it’s better to not to be led there. But I’m pretty sure it’s not so simple or Maybe, I just disagree. Do you really only want me to…
-
The Lord’s Prayer: Twelve Tips for The Lord’s Prayer, Phrase-by-Phrase – “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”
7. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread Today’s prayer for today’s needs!! Jesus taught “the power of now” – well before contemporary gurus. No accruals from yesterday. No deferrals for tomorrow. Pretty sly of you, God! You know how to keep your power base. Tomorrow I’ll have to ask you again. But you know my A.D.D. distractions, my impatience when you don’t answer right away and my insecurity that you might not be there tomorrow… So, I have an idea. Why can’t I make one big prayer payment for the month – like I pay my bills? Umm – I don’t see you nodding, yes. Well, then please…
-
The Lord’s Prayer: Twelve Tips for The Lord’s Prayer, Phrase-by-Phrase – “Thy Will be Done”
5. Thy Will Be Done Two problems with this one: # 1 I want to do my will… but, o.k. you’re God and so you win – even if I don’t like it and it’s hard. # 2 What is your will? (this is the tricky one) Is this a “tough love” or “tender kindness” day. Your boy Jesus had both – whips for the money changes in the Temple, and mercy for the woman caught in adultery. So Father, with my family, my friends my colleagues, my clients etc. etc. What do you want from me? Speak up – let me know what you want and I’ll try….…
-
Pope Francis & Atheists & Catholic Charities
Pope Francis’ recent talk about the how the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all – including atheists struck a chord with the world – and with me in a particular way. People often have asked me if Catholic Charities helps “non-Catholics.” At first this bothered me because Catholic Charities for as long as I can remember and much beyond has always helped people regardless of their religion. I was a little frustrated that after all these years people would still ask. But then I realized we must not have been doing a good enough job in making sure people knew this fact. So now in all material we put…
-
Homily on Frances Xavier Cabrini
Over the past year, our country has debated how we should treat foreigners and immigrants. How do we treat those who come here with the right immigration papers? How do we treat those who are here without the right papers- estimated now at 12 million individuals living and working in the United States? This debate reminds me of the biblical story of Jesus and the lepers. In this story, ten men suffering from leprosy, the most dreaded disease during biblical times, approached our Lord, calling out “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus cured them all yet only one special person, a Samaritan – a foreigner — returned to thank…