Keep Each Other in Prayer

08-30-2020The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew R. Paratore, S.T.L., J.C.L.

Dear Friend,

Paul and the Philippians remembered and supported one another in prayer.

A joyful, loving, and caring Catholic Community is one which keeps each other in prayer. Oftentimes, we fail to be a joyful, loving, caring Catholic Community because we fail to remember and support each other in prayer.

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God's Values vs the World's Values

08-30-2020Everyday Stewardship - Recognize God in Your Ordinary Moments

“What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:26)

St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Remember, you are what you are in the eyes of God, and nothing else.” We often forget this stewardship wisdom when we spend all of our time, talent, and treasure to gain more of the world’s riches. We need to set our priorities based on God’s values and not the values of the material world.

Challenged to Think Like God

08-30-2020Gospel Meditation© LPi

Secular pursuits only bring a temporary amount of satisfaction and fulfillment. As much as we may think that achieving worldly success, economic security, personal well-being, and self-fulfillment are worthy goals to obtain, they all are dependent on external variables and can lead to emptiness. We are trained to be very pragmatic and productive. Unless we are able to check off all of the boxes or comply with specific measurable requirements, our value and worth becomes questionable. Corporations, educational institutions, systems, structures, and secular ideology rarely consider deeper, more spiritual, and human contributions a person can and needs to make.

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Gratitude opens us to joyful generosity.

08-23-2020Everyday Stewardship - Recognize God in Your Ordinary Moments

”Or who has given the Lord anything that he may be repaid?” (Romans 11:35)

St. Paul reminds us of a central fact of stewardship. We cannot give the Lord anything — God already owns it all. God made everything. All we can do is return a portion of God’s many gifts back to Him. Sincere gratitude for our gifts opens our hearts to joyful generosity! Through your generous sharing, you just may be the answer to someone’s prayer.

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

08-23-2020The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew R. Paratore, S.T.L., J.C.L.

Dear Friend,

Do you remember the cartoon with Wiley Coyote and Ralph the sheep dog? I use to love that cartoon. Every morning Ralph and Wiley would meet at the time clock which was mounted on a tree. As they clocked in they would greet each other and then they would go to their respective departments.

Ralph the sheep dog went to his post on the cliff and took his position as head of the sheep protection department. Wiley, true to his nature, would slink away into the forest to plan his strategy as head of the sheep acquisition and consumption department.

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The only way to know God is to love God.

08-23-2020Gospel Meditation© LPi

The only way to know God is to love God. Our minds will never fully grasp the mystery of God, but our hearts and souls can learn to love the mystery. Years ago, when life had a more innocent quality to it, we believed what we were told or witnessed, unless there was direct evidence otherwise. This was especially true if the information came from someone in authority. In a sense, we were a bit more gullible on one hand but also more trusting on the other. The latter is an admirable quality that sadly can be eroded when we realize we have been duped. With education and technological advances, we find ourselves more skeptical and less likely to too quickly accept and believe what we see and hear.

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Brokenness

08-16-2020Gospel Meditation© LPi

We are hardwired for wholeness and crave it. When something is broken, we want it fixed. If a part of our body is not working properly, we want it healed. How often do we find ourselves saying, “I’m tired of struggling with this cold, I can’t wait for my surgery to heal, or I want my treatments to make me better.” Wholeness and healing restore our relationships and make us free to love as we desire. We know very well how our limitations, imperfections, and brokenness really limit us. They can easily prevent us from being and doing what we want to do.

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Your Mission

08-16-2020Everyday Stewardship - Recognize God in Your Ordinary Moments

“For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)

God has a special mission in mind for each of us. He has given us the gifts we need to accomplish that mission. We are called to be Good stewards by usingthose gifts to do the work that He has planned for each of us. If we deny our gifts or fail to use them as God calls us to use them, then some part of His workWill be left undone.

Ten Commandments of "Human Relations"

08-16-2020The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew R. Paratore, S.T.L., J.C.L.

Dear Friend,

A bishop friend of mine in Ireland recently sent this to me and I want to share it with you: Ten Commandments of "Human Relations"

1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.

2. Smile at people. It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, only fourteen to smile.

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Be still and know that I am God.

08-09-2020Gospel Meditation© LPi

Silence is sacred. Silence speaks the language of the soul and is the foundation of all life and eternity itself. Silence takes us beyond the limits of our minds and allows us to seek and to love the essence of all love, perfect love, and being. In silence, we can be non-verbally present to things and to God in ways that words cannot accomplish. We can discover, encounter, and be present to truths that our minds struggle to conceive and then set aside the boxes we put around things when comprehending them is challenging. We can know the unknowable and touch eternity when we encounter the core silence in our souls.

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Forgiven, Forgiven, Forgiven

08-09-2020The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew R. Paratore, S.T.L., J.C.L.

Dear Friends,

I once read a marvelous story about a country doctor in Ireland who had a very poor practice. Although his patients would pay him in eggs, chickens, vegetables at harvest, and meat at slaughtering time, his huge ledger book would contain many names, symptoms, treatments, and prescriptions, but a lot of empty boxes or columns where nothing was paid.

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How will you answer?

08-09-2020Everyday Stewardship - Recognize God in Your Ordinary Moments

“He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29)

When you hear Jesus calling, do you respondimmediately and trust that He knows what He’sdoing? If so, you are walking on water! Whenwe say “yes” to Jesus, we feel the power of Hispresence in our lives.We can feel the freedom it gives us!Listen to how Jesus is calling you to livethe extraordinary lifeHe has intended for you.

Hope

08-02-2020The Pastor's PenFr. Matthew R. Paratore, S.T.L., J.C.L.

Dear Friend,

What does hope in God do for humanity?


Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.
Hope motivates when discouragement comes.
Hope energizes when the body is tired.
Hope sweetens while bitterness bites.
Hope sings when all melodies are gone.

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Gifts Offered with Love

08-02-2020Everyday Stewardship - Recognize God in Your Ordinary Moments

“Jesus said to them, ‘There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves’.” (Matthew 14:16)

This is what Jesus said right before he fed thousand men. How often do we really place our trust in Jesus when the situation looks grim? With Jesus, no gift is too small or insignificant when offered with love. But, we have to do our part. We should trust that Jesus will provide all that we need. We need to believe that Jesus has a better plan in store for us.

Come to the water and then help another get there.

08-02-2020Gospel Meditation

Many people in our world are hungry and thirsty. This hunger and thirst go well beyond physical needs for food, security, and shelter. Many are emotionally and spiritually parched, too. Behind every act of violence is a soul who hungers. People live with relationships that actually starve them. They are abused, exploited, disrespected, laughed at, and marginalized. There is a lot of confusion and inner pain that needs to be acknowledged and expressed. We all long to be understood and loved, even when our inner demons or who I am make it difficult to be. Do you live with inner confusion and pain?

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