Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions: Let us praise the LORD from the depths of our pain and suffering and from the heights of our joy and fullness of life!  Let us seek forgiveness from our LORD and from our sisters and brothers who have the power to bind and loose. Let our hearts be filled with gratitude.  And let us bring our needs and brokenness to the LORD for healing: touch all who are sick, I hold up especially Marge and Wally; guide the unemployed and under-employed; help all who struggle because of political and/or weather challenges, grant us our daily bread and all we need to do Your work for Your Kingdom.

Birthday: Evan Parise (9/1). Anniversary: Mike McClanahan (d, 8/28).

Keeping In-touch: We've tried to keep cool and look forward to the cooler Fall nights ahead.  I do not have any college courses so I'm mainly working on my Emmaus tasks. Through Wednesday Marge felt well with only a bit of a diminished energy level. The hammer dropped on Thursday: no energy, back & abdominal pain and a chilled self. But she fought hard and we joined our SCC group on Friday and Saturday afternoons at the camp sites at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. The companionship and shared activities contributed to her stand! Lori Beth and Nathan joined us for the ride up and activities on Saturday: some of the best ammunition!  Sunday Marge had her hair cropped short in preparation for the inevitable loss ahead. This takes a toll on her spirit, but she looks like an enthusiastic little pixie to me.  Much of her energy has returned. Her allergies bug her a bit, but it's that time of year again.

The Readings: Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Foley's Reflections: A Love Story
My comments and an invitation for your comments: Sometimes I think that I'm pretty good at "forgiving and forgetting," but I find I tell and retell the stories of the abuse I took from an employer or a colleague.  Sure I forgive but I still sing the "he done me wrong" song!  I also avoid confrontation: "Why should I even bother with him/her?"  I guess because Jesus tells us, "He/she is your neighbor!"  It's an awesome power we have to love and to loose and bind.  Only if we accept the awesome love of the Father can we really follow Jesus and give forgiveness. Then we can pray from our hearts, "... forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Let us open ourselves to the LORD's love and forgiveness and love and forgive others.

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions: Glory and praise to our God, who alone gives life to our world! Forgiveness hurting others by action or inaction...thus hurting You. Thank You for all Your wonderful gifts.  And give us all we need; help us to share our abundance with others.

Birthdays: James Carnegie (8/26).  Anniversary: Fr Joe Hirsch (d. 8/24)

Keeping In-touch: We relaxed and enjoyed our trip to Vail.  Then Marge "fought like a girl" at her first chemo session (8:30 am to 4:00 pm on Friday) and, pleasantly, did not have any reaction to the treatment. We went shopping right away that afternoon for some groceries and took our half hour walk Saturday morning.  Saturday evening we attended the Broncos game and walked a mile and a half to and from "Sports Authority at Mile High."  We went for our walk on Sunday, she received shots at the hospital on Monday, and she's been well. When we arrived at the hospital for chemo, I ran into Deacon Baker who told me that Dcn. Mike Howard had died (see below).  Marge and I were blessed to visit him in his home on the 8th and he died on the 10th.  We were friends who often only had a chance to share topic sentences.

The article in the Denver Catholic Register



The Readings: Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fr. Foley's Reflections: What's in a Name?

My comments and an invitation for your comments: Do we fear acknowledging Jesus as the Christ because our notion of messiah may not be the Father's gift of the Messiah?

Let us open ourselves to our Brother & Lord, Jesus, who shows us the Father.

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions: Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!  Let us faithfully open ourselves to the Glory of the LORD.  Let us come to peace in our failings and know of the LORD's wonderful mercy and offer of the fullness of life.  Let us thank the Lord for all our gifts: especially our health and our participation in Love.  Thank You for the new members of the Ross Clan: Coraline and Max. Thank You for the fruit of the land and for opportunities to learn and grow.  Please give us our daily bread, both food and companionship. Help us live with an "active compassion" with those in need.

Birthdays: Margie (Czarnecki-Norton) Pintek (8/16), Katie (Lay) Johnson (8/19); Anniversary: Mark & Vicki Schnitzer (8/20).

Keeping In-touch: Marge had her port put in and is quite sore in that area.  She had a heart scan; an experience she described as "like Star-Wars."  And we're preparing for our first dose of Chemotherapy on Friday; actually we're escaping to the mountains for a couple days (curtesy of Kim Dixon) before we begin the process. I've been in-touch with a religious education professional in Hawaii and expect we will do some work there when we travel.  And Megan has found a contact for me in Des Moines. Charlie started kindergarten yesterday and Julianne began the second grade. Nathan visited on Sunday (papa let him drench himself playing in water and gave him a sucker... don't tell his Mama).  There is so much love and life surrounding us!!

Extra: a meditation, watch to the end

The Readings: Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Foley's Reflections: A Saving Faith

My comments and an invitation for your comments: And who do you say Jesus is?  Our answer probably says more about us than it does about Jesus!  What kind of Messiah do you seek?  Sometimes I just want to win the lottery or have the perfect employment with no worries and many amenities.  Rarely, if ever, do I want to hang on a tree with nails in my hands and feet. I would like someone to take away Marge's pain...  but Jesus is the Messiah who showed us to pass through the pain with love: that's who we say Jesus is.

Find comfort in your trials and experience the Love of the LORD!

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions: Holy, Holy, Holy... let us acknowledge the glory of our Creator.  The life we have, and the life we have been promised shines with the Glory of the LORD.  Raise our voices to celebrate such glory.  And then let's bow our heads for our failures, and the greed and lack of compassion... the selfishness of so many who refuse the love of the LORD and do not let the glory of the LORD shine through.  Knowing the LORD's mercy and love we can live with grateful hearts: thank You, thank You, thank You!!!  Thank You for the new life, a new Ross baby.  Thank you for companions with compassion.  And thank You for our medical professionals who improve our sight, help us fight disease, and respect our physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual selves. We beg you LORD that you "give us our daily bread."  Help us to know the difference between our needs and our wants.  Give us what we need to build Your kingdom. 

Birthdays: Gary Carnegie (8/7), Neil Cyrus (8/11), and "Baby Ross" (8/10); Anniversaries: Phil Bammer (d. 8/7), Michele & Mike Lay (8/12)

Keeping In-touch: Another busy week! Tennis matches, golf tournaments and cook-outs along with meeting with the doctor gave us a very busy schedule. I used credits from a credit card to order an iPad and it's fun keeping-up with the technology.  Marge feels anxious about treatments that begin the end of the week and next week.  We're planning to get through the chemotherapy and celebrate its success on our trip to Hawaii.  We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.  We have good news: another new baby, Clint and Theresa Ross had a healthy baby girl this week.  We had our portrait taken for the parish directory... good timing before Margaret's treatments... I'm looking forward to sharing the picture with all our companions.

The Readings: Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fr. Foley's Reflections: Food for Dogs?
My comments and an invitation for you for comment: I see Jesus doing his assigned tasks... to show Our Father and His Love to Israel for they are chosen to be an example to the nations.  And I see the great faith of the Canaanite Woman.  And I know, in my heart, that the "dogs" (of whom I count myself) at the table of the LORD will experience the Love of our Master more than any that chase the glitter of wealth or fame.

Enjoy the "wonderful scraps" that have fallen your way!

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions: Let us adore the LORD who gives us life, all good things and the promise of new life as we pass through sorrows, sickness and even death.  Let us know the mercy of the LORD as we move away from selfishness, dishonesty and greed. Let us thank the LORD for all good things as we show our appreciation to one another for companionship and support.  And let us call out for all our needs, that the LORD's glory will shine through our use of all gifts.

No Birthdays/Anniversaries on My Calendar; help with updates is always appreciated.

Keeping In-touch: Our camping trip gave us time with wonderful companions who give us great support and help us laugh on the hiking trail and as we play cards and board games.  At 8600 ft and upper 90s temps, we sought both shade and air!  We're listening to our caregivers and our friends.  It looks like we will begin a variety of treatments in a week or so.  And we're getting back to "diet and exercise."

The Readings: Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fr. Foley's Reflections: Needs
My comments and an invitation for you for comment: How difficult, especially in these times of sickness and recovery, to hear the voice of the LORD: we listen to doctors, to companions who have experienced a similar situation, and to friends who show us some latest research.  But where is the LORD's voice?  How do we discern the LORD's will through the whispers and winds of our experience?  And then, do we trust that the LORD will "write straight with these crooked lines"?  Unlike Peter, I do not think I would ask Jesus to "command me to walk on water," but these days I would like to dive-in and swim to His feet!  I guess one really only knows one needs "to be saved," when one is drowning... or when one can not hear through the whisper or the wind.  May our trust in the LORD grow and our ears be opened!

Celebrate your moments of consolation and discernment in your lives this week!

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...