Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions pray with me: LORD, your Spirit will rest on whomever you choose. Help us to mindfully seek you where you may be found. Let your Spirit rest on us and help us to do good. May we quiet ourselves this week and show your glory by living fully. Forgive us our poor choices and let your love flow from us to those who offend us. Give us what we need this week: safe travels for our loved ones, renewed health to Judi and Danielle, and peace to our anxious spirits. Please guide all who have responsibilities to lead in government, business, church and school.

Birthdays: Jack Baker (10/3); In Memoriam: Robert Kilday (10/6).

Keeping In-touch: Well, Friday Marge left me to go see our Iowa grandchildren, Julianne & Charlie, and their parents. But I've kept busy with KofC tootsie roll drive, the Inauguration festivities for our new University President (Fr. John Fitzgibbons, S.J.), and building a website for Presentation of Our Lady Church and School. Marge will return Sunday (so I'll have some house cleaning to do). Otherwise we're just celebrating life one day at a time.

The Readings: Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some Commentary: Fr. John Foley, S. J.
My comments and an invitation for your comments:  The gospel reading this week welcomes us to delight in ecumenical appreciation of God's work in our world. As we seek never to lead others away from the life that the LORD offers each day, we should seek the good works of others rather than constantly condemning the evil or death-dealing works of others. I hope I will take this to heart and find joy in all the good others are doing whether they are a part of one of my communities or not.

Let us listen to the prophets among us for whoever in not against Jesus works with him.

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions pray with me: LORD, you give us life yet we often seek fame or power or fortune. Help us to live lives filled with love, wonder, and enthusiasm... like children at their best. Forgive us for the times we have failed one another and help us to love those who have harmed us through acts of commission or omission. Please give us what we need and help our efforts to serve as good stewards of your creation. May your name be praised in the love we share. Thank you for Mike DePriest's healing; continue your healing touch. Please help Danielle Lay find healing and guide her parents and doctors.

Birthdays: Hazel Quinn Figaro (9/24), Michael Olson (9/25); In Memoriam: Becky Peterson (9/30).

Keeping In-touch: Our trip to the hills provided great natural entertainment: we saw the confrontation of two bull elk and, as Marge said, "That was National Geographic Live!" We celebrated Marge's birthday quite well and it looks like a florist's shop in our sitting room. I have a little more free-time: I'm not doing the Jesus of Nazareth/Christ of Faith series at the parish. The LORD may be telling me, "Respect those talents I have given you.Choose the greater of the many goods I offer you." There's a bit of a nip in the air these mornings; we're pleased to have broken the heat spell.

The Readings: Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some Commentary: Fr. John Foley, S. J.
My comments and an invitation for your comments: I work hard and I desire to do great things. Except for the competition with my friend, Bill, on the tennis court, I don't think I bicker, like Jesus' followers, about "who will be greater." But I have received the brunt of the "jealousy and selfish ambition [that] exist" even in our parish community. And I fear the "disorder and every foul practice" that continues to threaten our church and our world. I will work this week to accept and seek the glory of God like a child.

Let us open ourselves to follow Jesus and become servants of all.

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions pray with me: LORD, you have shown us who you are by sending your son, help us to know Jesus. Help us to answer the question, "Who do you say I am?" not from "man's view," but as Jesus showed himself in ancient Israel and as we meet him in the Church today. Please forgive us our sins and help us to forgive those who alienate us. May we live full lives and show your glory.

Birthdays: Margaret Lay (9/19), Fr. Eustace Sequeira (9/20), Al Scheive (9/20), Sophie Schnitzer (9/20), Kristine Lay (9/23); Anniversary: Don & Kris Lay (9/20), Mary & Chuck Olson (9/23); In Memoriam: Willalee Haris (9/19), Rev. Tom Foley (9/23).

Keeping In-touch: Dave Larson emailed me with the good news that the gallstone had passed. He thanks everyone for your prayers. Dave also asked that we add baby Brielle to our prayers (born with ventricular septal defect). I enjoyed connecting with some of my colleagues at our faculty meeting and we had a wonderful visit with our friend, Pat. Our drive to Vail and back graced us with some beautiful views of some aspen trees turning gold, but the state is sooo dry and the reservoirs are drying up. Today we have received wonderful "pennies from heaven." We look forward to camping with Nathan and his parents this weekend: viewing the autumn mountain beauty and maybe hearing the horny elk bugle.

The Readings: Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some Commentary: Fr. John Foley, S. J.
My comments and an invitation for your comments: This gospel reading has challenged me for many years and I have often told my students, "Who you say Jesus is probably says more about you than it says about Jesus." What kind of "messiah" do you seek?: one who will bring you bread? one who will bring you health? one who will bring you power? I, for one, desire all good things and expect that our LORD's love is more gracious than we can imagine and will provide us the fullness of life beyond all our imagining. Jesus tells us that he must pass through suffering and we too must follow him.

Let us open ourselves to welcome Jesus who passed through suffering and offers us eternal life if we but pick up our cross(es) and follow him.

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Companions pray with me: LORD, as we turn to you in praise and thanksgiving and seek forgiveness for our failures to live in the fullness of your love, take away our fear and make us whole; help us to hear and to speak of your glory. How can we accept your unconditional love if our hearing is impaired by fear? How can we speak of your glory when we're anxious about our physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual well being? Help us to listen to your whispers in our lives.

Birthdays: MaryKate Weed (9/13), Taylor Smith (9/13). Anniversary: Evelyn & Jim Green (9/16)

Keeping In-touch: Once again, we've enjoyed a quiet week. We did attend the Labor Day TTA tennis social and we went to a movie with our friends Leo & Carmon. We made plans for our last summer camping trip to Hermit Park (the 14th & 15th) with Lori Beth, Tony & Nate. And we will enjoy visiting our friend Pat Dolan this weekend.

The Readings: Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some Commentary: Fr. John Foley, S. J.
My comments and an invitation for your comments: In our first reading this weekend we're told to "Be strong and fear not!" because God comes to save you. I experience being blinded and deafened by fear. Like others, I'm afraid to be my true self. I'm afraid to let others be. We live in a world and a church filled with fear, not without reason: can we drive with all the other crazies on the road? can we go to a movie or to school without the worry of another "going postal"? can we really welcome a stranger? We need to be prudent, but we need to trust in the love of the LORD.

Let us work to live without fear, trust in the LORD, and hear his whispers of the fullness of life!

John

Comments, Reflections, Insights...