Sunday, August 28, 2011

Preparation

What a week for us Northeasterners!

First a 5.8 earthquake came out of nowhere and shook the very ground we walked on.

Then, we were battered with Hurricane Irene - the worst storm we have seen in 25 years.

Both events got me thinking a lot about preparation. 

We had no warning an earthquake was coming our way.  It just happened.  There was no time to prepare, and most people did not know the proper procedure for staying safe.

By contrast, we all knew the hurricane was coming.  It had been front page news ever since Irene set her sights on the eastern seaboard.  That gave everyone two to three days to get ready.  

And yet, despite that heads up, many people were unable to get the extra bottled water they were advised to get, the backup generators they wanted, or the D batteries most flashlights need.  It still was not enough time to get ready.  

And therein was a lesson.

Preparation needs to start well before the test. 

Like these natural disasters, someday our judgement day will come.  It might come unexpectedly like the earthquake.  Or we might get a small warning like with the hurricane. 

But the truth is, we should be preparing now.    

Prayers for everyone affected by the events this week ... 

God Bless you.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

True or False?

Circle one for each.

True or False:  Jesus, in today's Gospel (Mt. 15:21-28), is not being sarcastic or mean. He is assessing and unveiling the great faith of a woman.

True or False: Jesus made her ask for help three times to gauge her conviction.

True or False: One lesson we can take from this is that the Lord is always testing our faith and love in Him.

True or False: Another lesson we can take from this is that we need to trust in God, even when we are not given what we want immediately. 

Extra Credit:  Show the parallels between the test in today's Gospel and the crosses we carry every day in our lives.  Explain how you will change your behavior accordingly. 

You will have the remainder of your life to finish this test.

(Unfortunately a woman from Canaan has set the curve.) 

God Bless you.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Eddie Money and Today's Gospel

Well if I could walk on water
And if I could find some way to prove
If I could walk on water would you believe in me
My love is so true
          - Walk on Water by Eddie Money


In today's Gospel (Mt 14:22-33) Jesus calls Peter to walk on the water to Him.  

We all know what happened.  Peter tried, become frightened, and called for Jesus to save him.

Like the song, Peter's love for our Lord is strong, and he is always looking to prove that to Him.

But unlike Mr. Money, Peter didn't have to walk on water to get Our Savior to believe in him.  He just had to trust Him completely.  

Ironically almost every homily I have ever heard on this Gospel focuses on Peter's fall.  His flailing and disbelief.  The fact that he needed Jesus to reach out and save him as usual.  

And while all this is true, and a great lesson in itself, I think it misses one of the most powerful parts of this story.

He actually walked on water for a few steps while he believed. 

I wonder how much more could we do if we fully turned everything over to the Lord and just trusted in Him?

God Bless you.