<TW>Weekend of 15 and 16 July 2006
- From: "Fr. Pat Umberger" <frpat@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <thisweekend@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2006 15:32:45 -0500
.=: T H I S W E E K E N D :=.
from Father Pat Umberger
___________________________________________________
Fatima / Lourdes/ Spain /France 2006
October 2-13, 2006. Several seats may still be available.
As always, the Pilgrimage Brochure, map of our travels, links to our Hotels
and much more are available at my Web Site. Just click the link from:
www.frpat.com
_________________________________________________
.=: V O L U M E 2 0 0 6 , Number 07-16 :=.
.=: T H I S W E E K E N D ' S S C R I P T U R E S :=.
The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B.
Weekend of 15 and 16 July 2006
Follow this link for this weekend's Scriptures:
www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
.=: R E F L E C T I O N Q U E S T I O N S :=.
"He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick-no
food, no sack, no money in their belts." Can we be distracted during our
journey of life by taking along too many things? What things would it be
better for us to be rid of? What are the essentials?
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." How does this apply to
our lives? The life of a single person? A priest, sister or brother? Any of
us?
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in
him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish
before him." What does it mean to be holy and without blemish? How can we
keep ourselves that way? Is it a permanent state? Can it be?
"In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that
we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ."
Have we been chosen by God? What does it mean that we should exist "for the
praise of his glory?"
How are these Scriptures comforting? Challenging?
(c)MMVI Fr. Pat Umberger. These Reflection Questions are found each week at
the Web Site www.frpat.com. Feel free to link to this page or reproduce
them for parish use as long as this credit remains.
.=: S P I R I T U A L R E F L E C T I O N :=.
"He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick-no
food, no sack, no money in their belts." We come into this world with
nothing at all. Perhaps family members and friends have purchased some
diapers, blankets and a few clothes. We allow ourselves to be taken care of.
For quite some time we're not concerned with remembering what we need.
Our mom or dad is in charge of food, diapers, sun-tan lotion, tissues and
anything else we might need. When we go someplace our only responsibility is
to get into the car. We know we are special. Everybody treats us that way.
We're content with all the attention we get.
As we grow a bit older we start thinking more about "things." We might have
a friend who has a toy or game we'd like to have. We might beg and beg for
it. We might become protective of our things. If someone else would touch
them or play with them they might never be the same. There are certain
things we consider "ours." Even though we might not always remember to bring
them in from outside or bring them home with us they're "our"
possessions.
When we get older yet we may start to get more and more responsible. We
might begin to worry about how we look and how we appear to others. We might
spend a long time in front of the mirror being sure we are "just right"
before anybody else is allowed to see us. Going somewhere now becomes quite
complicated. We might even need a list in order to remember all the things
we perceive we need, even for a short time away from home.
The more time and energy we spend accumulating things, the less we have to
devote to things that really matter in life. With good intentions we can set
out to provide the best for our families. We can work so hard and long that
we don't have time to enjoy being with them. We might even see our family
torn apart. We can become so preoccupied with what we have, what we need and
what we will need that we miss how nice life could be right now if we simply
focused on the things that matter, on the things that will last.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in
him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish
before him." We can bless God who has blessed us. God has chosen us before
the foundation of the world to be hold and without blemish before him. God
has a dream for us. That dream can be realized only when we stay close to
God and seek to do what God would have us do, when God would have us do it,
in the way God would have it done.
This week we can consider the things that will last forever. Will it do lots
of good for us to leave a great deal of money to our loved ones if we have
sacrificed spending time with them? Will it be valuable to gain titles and
higher paychecks? Will it be valuable for us to work so hard that we don't
have time for Church, for God, for our husband or wife, for our children? In
my 23 years of priesthood I've never heard a dying person express regret
that they hadn't worked enough hours or accumulated enough things. Their
focus is on God, love, family and friends.
God has called us to wear the world like a loose garment, focusing on the
things that matter. That's how we'll carry on the work of Jesus. Our faith
life can lead us to a healthy life each day as we devote time and energy to
God, Church, family and friends. If we do things God's way we can leave a
wonderful legacy for our children. Have a good week.
__________________________________________________
<TW>This Weekend is free, and comes from:
Father Pat Umberger, a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse
in Wisconsin U.S.A.
Web Site: www.frpat.com
Evangelization (reaching out): www.cmonback.com
.=: M A K E A D O N A T I O N ? :=.
www.frpat.com/donation.htm
.=: F O R W A R D I N G :=.
Please leave these credits when doing so.
.=: C H A N G E Y O U R S U B S C R I P T I O N :=.
Unsubscribe from your old address before you subscribe with your
new address. Use this link: www.frpat.com/morningprayer.htm#mp
You can also set your account to
Vacation Mode there.
Other related posts:
- » <TW>Weekend of 15 and 16 July 2006
