Resting in God's love Friday

A day of surprises.   As we arrived at the Museum early and worked over lunch hour (and I was feeling sick),  I said to Old Son, "Let's leave work early".     Old Son lept up from his work station and said, "Sounds good".   We decided to catch Bus #10 which would put us within six blocks of home.  Imagine our surprise when Bus #10 ended up 15 miles north of where we wanted to be.    We've never had this happen before but it didn't seem to be surprising for anyone else on the bus.  Hummm!   The next bus was either within 15 minutes or an hour and a half wait.... so we went to a fast food restaurant and had supper.    Old Son finished up early and said, "I think I can run for the next bus... I know you can't run so I'll see you at home."   

I finished up supper and slowly hauled myself to the bus stop.   With an hour and a half until the bus came,  what to do?   It was a great time of sitting in the shade on a beautiful day being able to pray for those who needed prayer as well as remembering that I'd brought along some new quilt calaculations to do.    A great time.    The bus came and went to the correct place.

Isn't it amazing how sometimes we think we know where we are going but God leads us down a different path.   And it is a path of love and joy!

   

Friday Retreat....

Prayer:    Great God,  You walk beside us each day.  You carry us when we are burdened.  You protect us within and without.    For this we give You our thanks and praise.  You are our God and we are Your humble people.    Amen.

Read St. Matthew 23:  16-22

Third Woe:  Woe to you,  blind guides!  You say if anyone swears by the temple it means nothing but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.  (Or translated another way…. If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that’s nothing but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that is serious   The Message Translation  Matthew 23: 16)

Sacred Space sums up these verses as:  “Here Jesus’ attack is directed at the leaders’ greed and their corruption of religion for material gain. They persuade people to swear by the gold of the temple and make them pay. People are told not to swear by the altar but by the gift they have put there. Which is more holy, Jesus asks, the temple or the gold which the temple makes holy, the altar or the gift which the altar sanctifies? Again, in the name of holiness, the Pharisee-types are exploiting the poor.
Daily we see the abuse of authority and power, whether in the Church, in government, in business leading to all kinds of greed and corruption which undermines the very fabric of societies. Positions of service are turned into instruments of personal gain, often at the expense of the weakest and the most needy. Countries which long ago should have become rich and prosperous and provided with a high quality of life for their people are bankrupt, in every sense of the word, while a small elite live lives of shameless luxury.
The Church, too, can find itself over-concerned with matters of money at the expense of its pastoral mission. A Church that is rich in a world of poverty and need is a major stumbling block to the hearing of the Gospel.”    (www.sacredspace.ie   Monday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time – Gospel)

Prayer:  Creator,  Redeemer,  Sustainer;  Your peace You have given to us.  Your peace we share with others.   You remind us continually that You lift up our troubled hearts.  May we bring to You this day our Churches so that the Light of Your Word will shine out into the community and bring  about a community which is whole and healed.  This we ask in Your Son’s name.  Amen.

Many blessings!