Great Post from Henri Nouwen

For  anyone I have ever wounded -- please forgive me......Tom 

 

From

Sunday October 26, 2014

The Authority of Compassion

The Church often wounds us deeply.  People with religious authority often wound us by their words, attitudes, and demands.  Precisely because our religion brings us in touch with the questions of life and death, our religious sensibilities can get hurt most easily.   Ministers and priests seldom fully realize how a critical remark, a gesture of rejection, or an act of impatience can be remembered for life by those to whom it is directed.

There is such an enormous hunger for meaning in life, for comfort and consolation, for forgiveness and reconciliation, for restoration and healing, that anyone who has any authority in the Church should constantly be reminded that the best word to characterize religious authority is compassion. Let's keep looking at Jesus whose authority was expressed in compassion.

Liturgy Prep for 5th Sunday of Lent (A)

For those who can use these in their communities

God Bless,

Deacon Tom

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Prayers of the Faithful5th Sunday of Lent (A)

Deacon/Lector

For the People of God, the Church: May our loving God bless it for all it has given to us like God's love, God's life through the guidance and strength of the Spirit,...Let us pray to the Lord. 

For all those called to the priesthood, diaconate & consecrated life: May Christ deepen their faith to glorify God in a profoundly personal way through their vocations,...Let us pray to the Lord.  

For those in our Parish needing new spiritual life: May we hear God’s invitation to come forth from our tombs of fear, anger, or abuse and live freely in God’s love,...Let us pray to the Lord. 

For all who died in the Malaysian Airline crash and for all who mourn them: May God Draw them into eternal light and give peace to their families and friends,…Let us pray to the Lord. 

For those ministering to death, like medical professionals and hospital chaplains: may God strengthen their spirits & help them respect the life of each patient…Let us pray to the Lord. 

Reflecting on Pope Francis' Challenge for Us to Live in Simplicity

Today I want to look at the way Pope Francis calls us to simplicity and to share our excess with the poor.

His constant reminders, which are often misinterpreted, are  absolutely brilliant not because of it’s well constructed words and phrases – which it contains; because it seems to be the ultimate challenge for us in Western society.

Everywhere I go and every friend I have, including myself are affected and impacted by the corporate marketing of today’s world. We are called to buy bigger; more expensive, and to throw away old last year’s model. 

On the other hand, God is calling us, Through the words of the Bishop of Rome, to live in simplicity and to share our excess with those who don’t even have the minimum.

My wife and I made a decision to buy a small house a few years back. From time to time after visiting friends with larger houses ie, with three car garages, etc. I feel myself with the pressure of personal failure as I compare myself to that other person. I guess that is what our Lord teaches us in the Our Gather when he says, "...lead us not into temptation."

Today Lord, I ask you to help me be satisfied with the gifts you’ve given me and to share my excess with someone who has the minimal.

God bless and peace to all,
Deacon Tom