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Reflections – Hanging Lake, Colorado

Today is the memorial of Saint John XXIII.  Born to a family of farmers, John’s humble roots resonated throughout his life.  In World War I, John served as a stretcher barrier.  In World War II; as a papal diplomat in Turkey and in France, he provided a safe pathway to many saving an estimated 24,000 Jews. In his papacy he convened the Second Vatican Council.  John promoted a dialog among Protestants, Orthodox, Jews and Muslims.  Emerging from a period of wars John wrote an encyclical on Peace on Earth and another on the role of the Church as Mother and Teacher.  Let spend some time reflecting on Saint John XXIII words.

“Christianity is the meeting-point of earth and heaven. It lays claim to the whole man, body and soul, intellect and will, inducing him to raise his mind above the changing conditions of this earthly existence and reach upwards for the eternal life of heaven, where one day he will find his unfailing happiness and peace.” Mother and Teacher (1961) Paragraph 2

Pacific Coastline, Oregon, U.S.A.

Today is the World Day of Prayer for Creation as designated by Pope Francis.  The following prayer is at the end of Laudato Si’ – On Care for our Common Home.

A Christian prayer in union with creation,

Father, we praise you with all your creatures. They came forth from your all-powerful hand; they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love. Praise be to you!

Son of God, Jesus, through you all things were made. You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother, you became part of this earth, and you gazed upon this world with human eyes. Today you are alive in every creature in your risen glory. Praise be to you!

Holy Spirit, by your light you guide this world towards the Father’s love and accompany creation as it groans in travail. You also dwell in our hearts and you inspire us to do what is good. Praise be to you!

Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love, teach us to contemplate you in the beauty of the universe, for all things speak of you. Awaken our praise and thankfulness for every being that you have made. Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined to everything that is.

God of love, show us our place in this world as channels of your love for all the creatures of this earth, for not one of them is forgotten in your sight. Enlighten those who possess power and money that they may avoid the sin of indifference, that they may love the common good, advance the weak, and care for this world in which we live.

The poor and the earth are crying out. O Lord, seize us with your power and light, help us to protect all life, to prepare for a better future, for the coming of your Kingdom of justice, peace, love and beauty.

Praise be to you!

Amen.

 

Monarch Butterflies resting on flowers, Fredericksburg, Texas, U.S.A.

Man is constantly searching, trying to find rest. 

He searches for money, for health, for beauty, for power, for prestige, for influence; but finds no rest.

Man’s heart is only satisfied in the Lord.

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” – Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions – whose feast day we celebrate today

Work of the field, Spring Branch, Texas, U.S.A.

“Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfilment. Helping the poor financially must always be a provisional solution in the face of pressing needs. The broader objective should always be to allow them a dignified life through work.”  Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, Par 128

Golden Gate Bridge, California, U.S.A.

The Narrow Bridge 

Let us walk the narrow bridge;

loving God, loving others and following the Lord’s commandments;

never judging but leading by example and through prayer. 

What is the name of this bridge?

Faith. 

Where does this bridge lead?

To heaven, where our Lord Jesus Christ,

the angles and saints,

and our family and friends

who have walked this bridge before

joyously await our arrival.

Oaks Give Praise to Creation, Hill Country, Texas, U.S.A.

Today is the feast day of Saint Maximillian Mary Kolbe.  Maximillian lived a life honoring Mary; and with Mary, he praised and worshiped the Lord. 

Priest, publisher and evangelist; Maximillian is most known for his resistance to the Nazi’s and his offering of his life in lieu of a fellow prisoner in Auschwitz.  After saving the man’s life, Maximillian and nine others were lead to a cell where they were to die by starvation and dehydration.  The guards were amazed that instead of hearing the groans of the dying, they heard songs and prayers from the cell.  Eventually the Nazi’s killed Maximillian with an injection of carboxylic acid. 

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much.  You can never love her more than Jesus did.”   Saint Maximillian Mary Kolbe

The Window, Big Bend National Park, Texas, U.S.A.

As Christians, we are also called “to accept the world as a sacrament of communion, as a way of sharing with God and our neighbors on a global scale.  It is our humble conviction that the divine and the human meet in the slightest detail in the seamless garment of God’s creation,” Pope Francis quoting the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Laudato Si’, par. 9

Grasping for autumn leaf, Lost Maples State Park, Texas, U.S.A.

Today is the feast day of the St. Edith Stein.  Edith was born in 1891 to a devout Jewish family but at an early age became an atheist.  Edith was an excellent student getting her PhD in Philosophy in 1915.  Edith was always grasping for the truth which lead her to the Christian faith.  In 1922 after reading the autobiography of St Teresa of Avila, Edith exclaimed, “That is the truth.”  Shortly afterward Edith was baptized and joined the Church.  She became an educator, a lecturer and a writer.  Then in 1933 she joined the order of Carmel making her final vows as a nun in 1938.  Edith’s life was cut tragically short as she was killed by the Nazi’s in Auschwitz on August 9, 1942.

May we always follow Edith’s example and grasp for the truth.

Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico, U.S.A.

“Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Mathew 17:20

What is this type of faith?

Is it the trust that the apostles had in the Lord by praising their Lord Jesus Christ even if it meant their death?  Billions have since put their faith in the Lord.

Is it the trust that Saint Francis of Assisi had in the Lord by leaving wealth to live a life of poverty, love of nature and love of others?  Many hundreds of thousands have since followed his example.   

Is it the trust that Saint Teresse of Lisieux had in the Lord by living a simple life and giving to those around her in the smallest of actions each and every day?  Today hundreds of thousands follow the example of the “Little Flower”.

Is it the trust that Saint Teresa of Calcutta had in the Lord by serving the poorest of the poor?   Today 4,500 sisters have Missions of Charity in over 133 countries.

Faith can move mountains!

 

Clouds descending onto the Scottish Highlands, Scotland, U.K.

Today is the feast day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, may we always listen to Him.

Mark 9: 2, 3, 7 Jesus took Peter, James and John, and lead them up a high mountain apart by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became a dazzling white.... Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son.  Listen to him.”

New Born Fawn, Hill Country, Texas, U.S.A.

"When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities - to offer just a few examples - it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected." Pope Francis, Laudato Si', Par 117