Celtic Woman: "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

As this bless week draws to a close, I offer this version of Celtic Woman presenting "Bridge Over Troubled Water":

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You touch our hearts in the various reflective moments You place/allow in our lives.

Effie Caldarola on the Unfinished Symphonies in Our Lives

"Fall has arrived. A heavy fog hangs over the city like a damp blanket that someone took out of the dryer too soon.

"People love spring for good reasons: There's rebirth, renewal, the return of light and warmth.

"But fall has its gifts. We look forward to hunkering with a good book. Mornings on the patio yield to hot coffee inside after the early morning walk.

"We lean toward contemplation, and that's a good thing. Flowers fade, leaves fall, we think about the end of things, and remind ourselves that, for the believer, endings are temporary.

"Father Karl Rahner, the Jesuit theologian, said that we eventually learn 'that here, in this life, all symphonies remain unfinished.'"

In a recent commentary, writer Effie Caldarola reflected on trusting in God and accepting the unfinished symphonies in our lives.

To access Ms. Caldarola's complete essay, please visit:

The Pilot: Echoes: Life's unfinished symphony (20 OCT 17)

Reflection Starter from Lettie Cowman

"Others may do a greater work,
But you have your part to do;
And no one in all God's heritage
Can do it so well as you." - Lettie Cowman (in Streams in the Desert)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for our call to holiness and for the many graces You give us as we respond to this call.

Bishop Tobin on Our Call to Holiness

"The Celebration of All Saints on November 1st is a joyful and blessed day for the Church; it's a victory celebration for us. On this day we honor the saints, our heroes, members of the Church who are now enshrined in the heavenly Hall of Fame. We look to the saints for inspiration and guidance, and we pray for their assistance in our daily lives.

"Pope John Paul II, now counted among the saints himself, put it this way: 'Let us all rejoice in the Lord on this Solemnity of All the Saints! Ours is a sheer joy, a strengthening one, like that found in a big family.'

"Devotion to the saints is one of the really special aspects of our Catholic Faith. It speaks to us of the 'Communion of Saints.' As I've observed previously, Catholics embrace their saints as favorite, if sometimes eccentric, members of our spiritual family.

"We know that our spiritual family, the Church, is comprised of diverse vocations - priests, deacons, religious and lay. Everyone has a role to play and an important contribution to make. The saints, however, remind us of the one vocation, the foundational vocation, that we share: the call to holiness! Simply put, that's the goal of our entire Christian life - to be holy!"

In a recent commentary, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, of the Diocese of Providence (RI), reflected on the calling each person has - to be a saint.

To access Bishop Tobin's complete essay, please visit:

Without A Doubt: Holiness: The Vocation We Share (2 NOV 17)

Reflection Starter from St. Martin De Porres

"Compassion, my dear Brothers, is preferable to cleanliness. Reflect that with a little soap I can easily clean my bed covers, but even with a torrent of tears I would never wash from my soul the stain that my harshness toward the unfortunate would create." - Saint Martin De Porres (spoken to his Dominican brothers when admonished for bringing an elderly, dirty beggar off the streets and allowing him to take the saint's own bed while he cared for the sick man)

"For All the Saints"

As we continue our celebration of All Saints Day, I offer this version of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, UK, presenting "For All the Saints":

Solemnity of All Saints

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints. The assigned readings are Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; and Matthew 5:1-12. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 24 (Psalm 24:1-6).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 24 "Lord this is the people that longs to see Your face"

The Gospel reading is as follows:

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
   for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
   for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: All Saints (November 1, 2017)

Community in Mission: On the Feast of All Saints, a Pastoral Letter on Racism Reminds Us of the Communion of the Saints (1 NOV 15)

Aleteia: Deacon Greg Kandra: Praying for an end to terrorism: Homily for November 1, 2017, Solemnity of All Saints (1 NOV 17)

 

Fr. Tommy Lane: All Saints Homily November 1st - The Saints Remind Us Who We Are and their Spiritual Growth Encourages Us

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for Your call to each of us to be a saint.

Stop Worrying, Start Living

Sleepless nights. Stomach problems. Panic attacks that required a trip to the Emergency Room. Those were just a few of the symptoms experienced by Catholic author, speaker, and radio host Gary Zimak. The reason? He had been a chronic worrier since childhood, and the problem wasn't getting any better. During an interview with me on The Christophers' radio show, he recalled that this had been going on since he was six or seven years old.

Gary was a cradle Catholic who went to Mass every week, but he admits his prayer life was "pretty lukewarm." In times of turmoil, he would ask God for help. But when things got better temporarily, he would forget about God again.

Eventually, the medical issues got so bad that Gary said to God, "From now on, I'm going to take You and our relationship seriously." And this time, he meant it: "I got to know Jesus on a personal level, and started feeling all kinds of peace...[I still] categorize myself as someone who has a tendency to be anxious, but [I take] one day at a time, with God's help."

Gary shares his anxiety issues in his book Stop Worrying and Start Living in order to help other worriers like himself. Among his sources of inspiration are Biblical figures, such as Abraham. He explained, "Abraham was asked to do something frightening. The Lord said, 'I need you to follow Me and leave your homeland.' And Abraham did it. He didn't have any concrete proof, and he didn't have a game plan. The Lord just said, 'Follow Me.'...So when I look at Abraham, I realize that I've got to trust God each day that He's good for His word."

Another way that Gary learned to deal with worry is by taking himself less seriously, which means "we cut God out of the picture, and start feeling like this is all up to me."

In addition, Gary has written another book called Find a Real Friend in Jesus, to help readers develop a close relationship with the Savior. He realizes it can be difficult for Catholics to think in this way because the Church offers an abundance of blessings that we take for granted.

For instance, "We have the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Sometimes we get so used to the routine that we don't take it a step further and say, 'I'm receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, but am I really doing my part to be His friend?' Friendship has to go both ways."

The first step in building that friendship, says Gary, is to simply tell Jesus, "Lord, tell me what I can do to get to know You better." Also, start sharing your daily thoughts and needs with Him. Reading Scripture is another important step because it's "one of the best ways to listen to the Lord. Start by reading the daily Mass readings or the Gospels...Make some quiet time for Him and say, 'Lord, speak to me and let me know You're there.' You’re going to hear Him speak in the silence of your heart."

Also crucial, love your neighbor. "We can sit in church all day long, but if we get out of church and we're not being kind or charitable, we're going to be in for a rude awakening when we're judged."

In a nutshell, Gary advises people to light a candle rather than curse the darkness. It's the best way to stop worrying, start living, and nurture your friendship with Jesus.

This essay is a recent week's "Light One Candle" column, written by Tony Rossi, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)

Background information:

The Christophers

Reflection Starter from Woodrow Wilson

"We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire on a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dream die, but others nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days until they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true." - Woodrow Wilson