Sunday, March 29, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
just ONE question?
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Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she was going to have a baby, Mary had just one question. Drawing on her earthly experience, she asked “how is this going to work?”
If I had been Mary, then I’d have had MANY more questions:
What am I going to tell Joseph?
What am I going to tell my parents?
What will my friends and neighbors say?
Will I be stoned?
He sounds pretty special. I’m just a girl. Who will help me take care of Him?
Where will He lead me?
Am I up to it?
Who will give me strength?
How will I persevere?
After about an hour or more of my questions, I’m sure that the angel Gabriel would have said to me: “you know, I gotta go. See ya!”
The difference between Mary and me is summed up in her response to Gabriel after he answered her ONE question: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
Mary, you are TOTALLY obedient to God’s will. I am not. Please ask God to forgive me for all of my questions, and for my disobedience. Ask Him to send me the graces to be more obedient, like you. I ask these things in the Holy Name of your Son, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she was going to have a baby, Mary had just one question. Drawing on her earthly experience, she asked “how is this going to work?”
If I had been Mary, then I’d have had MANY more questions:
What am I going to tell Joseph?
What am I going to tell my parents?
What will my friends and neighbors say?
Will I be stoned?
He sounds pretty special. I’m just a girl. Who will help me take care of Him?
Where will He lead me?
Am I up to it?
Who will give me strength?
How will I persevere?
After about an hour or more of my questions, I’m sure that the angel Gabriel would have said to me: “you know, I gotta go. See ya!”
The difference between Mary and me is summed up in her response to Gabriel after he answered her ONE question: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
Mary, you are TOTALLY obedient to God’s will. I am not. Please ask God to forgive me for all of my questions, and for my disobedience. Ask Him to send me the graces to be more obedient, like you. I ask these things in the Holy Name of your Son, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009
more than respect
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If you were invited to dinner with the President, a king or queen, or a head of state, would you leave before dinner was over, while others are still being served? If you were invited to a state ceremony, would you chatter away about golf, restaurants, shopping, friends, etc. in the presence of the head of state?
Compared with God, heads of state are insignificant. Earthly kings reign over earthly kingdoms that come and go. God reigns over His vast Kingdom that lasts for all eternity.
In His house, God deserves more than respect. We should be dumbstruck in God’s presence—unable to speak, on our faces, filled with wonder and awe that we are in the Presence of the our Creator, Almighty God of the Universe.
“How Great Thou Art”
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
All lyrics are property and copyright of their owners
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If you were invited to dinner with the President, a king or queen, or a head of state, would you leave before dinner was over, while others are still being served? If you were invited to a state ceremony, would you chatter away about golf, restaurants, shopping, friends, etc. in the presence of the head of state?
Compared with God, heads of state are insignificant. Earthly kings reign over earthly kingdoms that come and go. God reigns over His vast Kingdom that lasts for all eternity.
In His house, God deserves more than respect. We should be dumbstruck in God’s presence—unable to speak, on our faces, filled with wonder and awe that we are in the Presence of the our Creator, Almighty God of the Universe.
“How Great Thou Art”
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
All lyrics are property and copyright of their owners
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Thursday, March 5, 2009
Villanova University's Daily Lenten Reflections
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http://www.villanova.edu/mission/lent.htm?page=0305.htm
First Thursday of Lent - March 5th
Readings: Est C: 12, 14-16, 23-25 // Ps 138: 1-3, 7-8 // Mt. 7:7-12
Today's readings focus clearly on 4 truths: Choose recourse to the Lord alone: Perhaps, only in the darkest moments in our lives, do we really rely only on Our Lord for strength. When all else earthly fails us and when all other sources of earthly strength seem to vanish, do we turn to Our Lord for strength and guidance. Here, by these choices, we see our own weaknesses and failures emerge. For, recourse to Our Lord should not be our last path to internal strength, but instead, our first. Recourse to Our Lord should be the first arrow that we select from our quiver; not the last.
Praise of God leads to Strength from God: In our prayer life; perhaps, we should consider who we're praying to! God, Our Father, is the creator of the Universe and the source of our personal salvation. If we seek strength from God to confront our most difficult moments, it seems appropriate to, first, offer praise to Him with a clear understanding that we're NOT on the same plane with God. We're the creatures. He's the Creator. Praise of God sets the proper initial 'prayer tone' through which we can ask for strength to live our lives in courageously, in accordance with His will, not ours.
The Power of Prayer is endless: When we select recourse to Our Lord first, offer praise to Him and ask for strength from Him through the infusion of the Holy Spirit, nothing is beyond our capabilities. Countless miracles are occurring every day everywhere on this earth. Simply because we, as mortal humans, don't recognize them or choose not to do so because we're blinded by our own self praise, does not mean that they're not occurring. Miracles are manifestations of answered prayer and testaments to the endless power of prayer when requests of Our Lord are founded on praise of Him and on strength from Him. Prayer is as essential to our spiritual lives as water is to our physical lives. And, the power of prayer, like our eternal spirits, is endless.
The Golden Rule guides our lives: "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them", Mt 7:12. Recourse to Our Lord through praise and through the request for strength fills our hearts, minds and spirits with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And, through these gifts, we feel the emergence of the "Golden Rule" in our lives. And, in this Golden Rule, we find the second of the great commandments given to us by our Savior, Jesus Christ. The first great commandment, centered on Our Farther in Heaven, is evident from the first 3 phrases listed above and the second great commandment, centered on love for others, flows from the first 3 and is manifested in the "Golden Rule". We need not 'learn' the Golden Rule. Through a genuine, soul centered search for the truth, we 'feel' the Golden Rule etched on our hearts by the very hand of God, Himself.
God answers all questions for us and is the source of all understanding. We, simply, need to ask and it shall be given; to seek, and it shall be found and/or to knock, and the door shall be opened unto us. Mt.7:7.
Frank Falcone
Civil & Environmental Engineering
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http://www.villanova.edu/mission/lent.htm?page=0305.htm
First Thursday of Lent - March 5th
Readings: Est C: 12, 14-16, 23-25 // Ps 138: 1-3, 7-8 // Mt. 7:7-12
Today's readings focus clearly on 4 truths: Choose recourse to the Lord alone: Perhaps, only in the darkest moments in our lives, do we really rely only on Our Lord for strength. When all else earthly fails us and when all other sources of earthly strength seem to vanish, do we turn to Our Lord for strength and guidance. Here, by these choices, we see our own weaknesses and failures emerge. For, recourse to Our Lord should not be our last path to internal strength, but instead, our first. Recourse to Our Lord should be the first arrow that we select from our quiver; not the last.
Praise of God leads to Strength from God: In our prayer life; perhaps, we should consider who we're praying to! God, Our Father, is the creator of the Universe and the source of our personal salvation. If we seek strength from God to confront our most difficult moments, it seems appropriate to, first, offer praise to Him with a clear understanding that we're NOT on the same plane with God. We're the creatures. He's the Creator. Praise of God sets the proper initial 'prayer tone' through which we can ask for strength to live our lives in courageously, in accordance with His will, not ours.
The Power of Prayer is endless: When we select recourse to Our Lord first, offer praise to Him and ask for strength from Him through the infusion of the Holy Spirit, nothing is beyond our capabilities. Countless miracles are occurring every day everywhere on this earth. Simply because we, as mortal humans, don't recognize them or choose not to do so because we're blinded by our own self praise, does not mean that they're not occurring. Miracles are manifestations of answered prayer and testaments to the endless power of prayer when requests of Our Lord are founded on praise of Him and on strength from Him. Prayer is as essential to our spiritual lives as water is to our physical lives. And, the power of prayer, like our eternal spirits, is endless.
The Golden Rule guides our lives: "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them", Mt 7:12. Recourse to Our Lord through praise and through the request for strength fills our hearts, minds and spirits with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And, through these gifts, we feel the emergence of the "Golden Rule" in our lives. And, in this Golden Rule, we find the second of the great commandments given to us by our Savior, Jesus Christ. The first great commandment, centered on Our Farther in Heaven, is evident from the first 3 phrases listed above and the second great commandment, centered on love for others, flows from the first 3 and is manifested in the "Golden Rule". We need not 'learn' the Golden Rule. Through a genuine, soul centered search for the truth, we 'feel' the Golden Rule etched on our hearts by the very hand of God, Himself.
God answers all questions for us and is the source of all understanding. We, simply, need to ask and it shall be given; to seek, and it shall be found and/or to knock, and the door shall be opened unto us. Mt.7:7.
Frank Falcone
Civil & Environmental Engineering
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Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Prayers for the Kolbush family
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In our lives there are those who have a profound impact on us. In my “top 5” is the Kolbush family.
I still find it painful to think back to the time when Jack was sick and died. We prayed so hard for him. God works healing miracles, and I was sure that He was going to heal Jack. He was so sick. I struggled with “God’s Will” when Jack died.
My faith and my hope are small when compared to the faith and hope of the Kolbush family. They witnessed, and they continue to witness, the REAL meaning of faith and hope. This life is transient. Jack is in his eternal home with God. Hopefully, someday we will join him.
Please pray for the Kolbush family—Jack, his mom, his dad, his brother, and his sister.
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In our lives there are those who have a profound impact on us. In my “top 5” is the Kolbush family.
I still find it painful to think back to the time when Jack was sick and died. We prayed so hard for him. God works healing miracles, and I was sure that He was going to heal Jack. He was so sick. I struggled with “God’s Will” when Jack died.
My faith and my hope are small when compared to the faith and hope of the Kolbush family. They witnessed, and they continue to witness, the REAL meaning of faith and hope. This life is transient. Jack is in his eternal home with God. Hopefully, someday we will join him.
Please pray for the Kolbush family—Jack, his mom, his dad, his brother, and his sister.
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Sunday, March 1, 2009
"You can't handle the truth"
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Jack Nicholson is a good actor. In the movie “A Few Good Men”, he played Colonel Nathan Jessup, the commanding officer of a Marine detachment at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Tom Cruise plays LTJG Daniel Kaffee, an inexperienced U.S. Navy lawyer who leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines.
In my favorite courtroom scene, an agitated Col. Jessup yells at LTJG Kaffee, “You can’t handle the truth!”
I find that to be the case a lot. We can’t handle the truth—the truth about things that we’ve done, the truth about our biases, the truth about ourselves. When confronted with the facts, we can’t handle the truth--much less speak out in defense of it.
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Jack Nicholson is a good actor. In the movie “A Few Good Men”, he played Colonel Nathan Jessup, the commanding officer of a Marine detachment at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Tom Cruise plays LTJG Daniel Kaffee, an inexperienced U.S. Navy lawyer who leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines.
In my favorite courtroom scene, an agitated Col. Jessup yells at LTJG Kaffee, “You can’t handle the truth!”
I find that to be the case a lot. We can’t handle the truth—the truth about things that we’ve done, the truth about our biases, the truth about ourselves. When confronted with the facts, we can’t handle the truth--much less speak out in defense of it.
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