There is a Longing

Luke 19:1-10 My first thought whenever I hear the story of Zacchaeus is the children's song I first heard on my kids' Veggie Tales CD many years ago.  Check out Pa Grape singing Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man. It's often tempting to rush through a familiar Gospel story. We think we know it & don't need to spend a good amount of time rereading it. In doing so, though, we end up missing out on deeper messages God may be trying to share with us. I often find that each rereading draws my attention to another aspect of the story. Today's Gospel is the familiar story of Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector not well liked by those in his community. He was a short man who heard that Jesus was passing through his town of Jericho & climbed a sycamore tree to get a better look.  What stood out to me in reading the Gospel this time around was the very first sentence... "At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town." It doesn't so...

This week we celebrate the solemnity of All Saints and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Thus, rather than focusing on a particular saint this week’s Saintly Saturday, we’ll take a look at All Saints’ and All Souls’ instead. ~Solemnity of All Saints~     November 1st is celebrated as the solemn holy day of all the saints. These are particularly the known saints, those recognized by the Church. Pope Boniface IV initially established All Saints’ in 609 AD. The pope had consecrated the Pantheon, a Roman temple, to the Blessed Virgin and to Martyrs. It is said that he intended the place, formerly dedicated to the worship of demons, to from thence forward be a place where the memory of saints could be honored. The day was originally celebrated on May 13th, until it was later moved to November 1st by Pope Gregory III in the eighth century.  ~Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed~     Following All Saints’ is the Commemoration of All the...

Instead of quoting a saint this week, we'd like to share a quote from Fr. Mitch Pacwa on praising God for our problems. This came from an article he wrote, titled How to Listen When God is Speaking. The article appeared online at The Word Among Us website a few weeks ago. "When a car is parked, one can turn the steering wheel, but it takes a bit of effort. In contrast, when a car is in motion, the wheel turns with a flick of the wrist. Similarly, when we are upset, anxious, and complaining about our problems, we are like a parked car. Our Lord can redirect us, but we resist His efforts. However, when we begin praising the Lord for our difficulties, then we are like that car in motion." (Fr. Mitch Pacwa)

We apologize for not posting Saintly Saturday & the Gospel Reflection this weekend. We took a trip to visit the Carmelite Sisters in Loretto, Pennsylvania & ran out of time to get posts set up before we left. We had a lovely trip. The sisters were so welcoming & full of much joy!

This week, our quotes come from the wisdom of some great Carmelites. Click HERE for more information on the Carmelite Order. ************ "Prayer and comfortable living are incompatible." (St. Theresa of Avila) "What does it profit you to give God one thing if He asks of you another? Consider what it is God wants, and then do it." (St. John of the Cross) "Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be and becoming that person." (St. Therese of Lisieux) "A soul united to Jesus is a living smile that radiates Him and gives Him." (St. Elizabeth of the Trinity) "Helping Christ carry His cross fills one with a strong and pure joy, and those who may and can do so, the builders of God's kingdom, are the most authentic children of God."  (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) "We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it i...

10/16/2022     Dear W.H.R.,     (Whoever Happens to be Reading)     Praised be Jesus Christ!     Well, it’s fall now. I don’t think I was ready for the chilly weather. It caught me by surprise this year and I forgot how hard it is to get out of bed during the cold seasons. But I must say, I have long since been ready for the fall baking, warm soups, and of course, the cliche pumpkin spice.      The changing of seasons is so marvelous! One proceeds the other and the cycle never ceases. Each possesses its own unique beauty. In a way, I see the changes of life reflected in the changing of seasons. From long term to even on a day by day basis. There’s always change; nothing remains the same. Even if we do things regularly each day, whether by routine or circumstance, there’s always some aspect that differentiates it from the day before.      That thought satisfies my habitual desire for somet...

Luke 18:1-8 Following is my reflection on today's Gospel, written three years ago for my parents' church bulletin. See my notes in parenthesis at the end of the first paragraph!   ************  Our 11 year old son has been begging us to get him a bunny for two years. He sneaks bunny comments into everyday conversation; he sends me photos and videos of cute bunnies; he tries to catch the one living somewhere in our backyard; he tells me the perfect location to keep and care for his bunny (in our sunroom so that it doesn’t have to mess up our house, in case you’re wondering!) I admire his persistence and creativity in his request, but unlike the judge giving in to the widow’s persistence in today’s Gospel, we will not be giving in to our son.  (I had to chuckle when I reread this today. Little did I know at the time that our son, now 14, would be like the widow & we actually WOULD be like the judge! Nine months after I wrote this, we did indeed get our son a rabbit...

    St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775) was born Paolo Francesco Danei, in northern Italy, and was the second of the sixteen children, only six of whom survived infancy. He received his education in Lombardy before returning home at the age of fifteen. At the age of nineteen, Paul had a conversion to the life of prayer and was, for the rest of his life, devoted to God found in the Passion of Christ. After receiving a series of experiences in prayer, Paul felt called to found a community dedicated to sharing the love of God in Christ’s Passion. This congregation would later be named the Congregation of the Passion of Christ, or the Passionists. Paul’s first companion was his brother, and the two were ordained priests in 1727. The two brothers preached and gave retreats at seminaries and religious houses, which brought attention to their mission and aided the growth of the community. Paul wrote that his community would live a penitential life of poverty and solitude, giving three ...

Yesterday was the feast of Pope St. John XXIII. Here, today we share a few quotes from him. "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." ************ "It often happens that I wake up at night and begin to think about a serious problem and decide I must tell the Pope about it. Then I wake up completely and remember that I am the Pope." ************ "Every man has the right to life, to bodily integrity."

Luke 17:12-19 This week we have the Gospel of the ten lepers who approached Jesus & were healed, but only one returned to thank Him. Most reflections or homilies on this Gospel revolve around the Samaritan - the foreigner who realized he'd been healed & returned to give thanks to Jesus. I'd like to turn our focus to the other nine lepers. Standing a distance from Jesus, all ten men did not follow the law which required them to announce themselves as unclean. Instead, they called out to Him & addressed Him as "Master", asking for pity. Somewhere along the line, they'd heard stories of His wonderous deeds & healings. Rather them say they were healed, He told them to present themselves to the priests. This was a ritual that usually took place after a leper was healed. Surely they knew this, yet they set off at once for the priests. The Samaritan leper realized he'd been healed & returned to thank Jesus. What about the other nine, who were also...

Angelo Guiseppe Roncalli was born on November 25th, 1881, in Sotto il Monte, a small town in Italy. He was ordained a priest in 1904 and was appointed the following year as  secretary to his bishop. When the first World War broke out, Roncalli served as chaplain in the Italian Army until 1919, when he was discharged. Following that, he was appointed as the Italian president of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Beginning in 1925 he served as an Apostolic Visitor, apostolic delegate, and then made archbishop of Mesembra.  W hen issues began to arise in 1935, causing racial tension and violence against Jews, Roncalli made use of his influence, seeking to save the innocent people being threatened. He is known to have saved thousands of Jews. By 1953, Roncalli had been appointed as the papal Nuncio, and then as the Patriarch of Venice. He was also made Cardinal-priest of Santa Prisca. In 1958, Roncalli was elected pope and took the name John. As pope, John XXIII visite...

Luke 17:5-10 This Gospel has stood out to me since I was a young girl. My best friend & I even had matching necklaces with a mustard seed encased in a marble-sized orb. This seed was about 1-2mm in diameter &, according to Jesus, faith that size can move an invasive 70 foot tall, 20-40 foot wide mulberry tree. Really? How can that be? A well-tendered mustard seed can produce a bush up to 20 feet tall, with a width up to 20 feet. That’s a lot of growth from one tiny seed! So how can we grow our faith on a scale of that magnitude? We can plant seeds of our own to produce much for the Kingdom of God through a servant’s heart. Hold the door for the person behind you, even if you have to wait a moment. Pay for another’s drive thru order. Leave a quarter (or several quarters) near the carts at Aldi. Take a meal to a new mother or someone homebound. The possibilities are endless. Additionally, pray & let others witness your prayers. My children have never felt shy or embarra...

Anne Therese was born in Etables, France on October 2nd, 1798. She was the oldest surviving child of Laurent and Isabelle Guerin. At the age of fifteen, tragedy fell upon the Guerin family, when Laurent, an officer in the French Navy, was murdered. Anne Therese then took responsibility of caring for her mother and younger sister. In 1823, Anne Therese left home with her mother’s blessing and entered the Sisters of Providence, and took the name Sister Saint Theodora. In the beginning of her life as a religious, Sister Saint Theodora taught and ministered to the sick. She later grew sick herself, from which she recovered, though the illness left her with fragile health throughout the rest of her life.  In 1840, Sister Saint Theodora, along with five other sisters, was sent to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. There she founded a motherhouse and novitiate, and served as the superior and foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Wood. She became known ...