Each day is a blessing!

All our days have passed away in your indignation;
We have spent our years like a sigh.
Seventy is the sum of our years,
Or eighty, or ninety, or more,
If we are strong,
And most of them are fruitless toil,
For they pass quickly and we drift away.
May the gracious care of the
Lord our God be ours;
Prosper the works of our hands for us! - Psalm 90:9-10, 16-17

Lord, you know the numbers of our days
and the toil and
trouble we may encounter.
Give us the wisdom to cope
with these and to enjoy the blessings of each day.
The breath of fresh air.
The sunrise.
The warmth of a hug.
The smile of a friend.

Some metal in the sky

Metal in the sky

Finding our way through prayer

"Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth." PSALM 86:11

A new shepard; A new Kingdom

Trust in God!

Don't desire to change for our own sake but for God's sake.
Aren't we to seek lives of God's will not our own?
The reading below shows how the people of Israel seek a king to be like the surrounding kingdoms. Subdued by their cultural influence. When they should have been seeking what did God want for them.


Jer 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds
who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,
says the LORD.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
against the shepherds who shepherd my people:
You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.
You have not cared for them,
but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.
I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
from all the lands to which I have driven them
and bring them back to their meadow;
there they shall increase and multiply.
I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them
so that they need no longer fear and tremble;
and none shall be missing, says the LORD.

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
as king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Bring no belt or purse - God will provide!

Gospel
Mk 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
but a walking stick—
no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals
but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them."
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Fireworks over Lake Michigan

Trust in God banishes fear

In trying times, times of economic hardship, emotional strain, physical demands for our labor; how does my faith in God help me cope?

NAB - Psalm 56

Trust in God

I
Have mercy on me, God,
for I am treated harshly;
attackers press me all the day.
My foes treat me harshly all the day;
yes, many are my attackers.
O Most High, when I am afraid,
in you I place my trust.
God, I praise your promise;
in you I trust, I do not fear.
What can mere flesh do to me?

II
All the day they foil my plans;
their every thought is of evil against me.
They hide together in ambush;
they watch my every step;
they lie in wait for my life.
They are evil; watch them, God!
Cast the nations down in your anger!
My wanderings you have noted;
are my tears not stored in your vial,
recorded in your book?
My foes turn back when I call on you.
This I know: God is on my side.
God, I praise your promise;
in you I trust, I do not fear.
What can mere mortals do to me?

III
I have made vows to you, God;
with offerings I will fulfill them,
Once you have snatched me from death,
kept my feet from stumbling,
That I may walk before God
in the light of the living.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament © 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Lord, you are the light over my path. Throw away any fear from my heart. Give me the courage to speak your truths on my lips. Allow my shoulders strength to bear any burden before me. May your light guide me on the paths of righteousness and peace.