by Maryknoll Society | Aug 16, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”
~ Ephesians 5:8“
Dear Friend,
St. Paul says we should live as children of light. I think that’s really good advice.
You have to admit: we just don’t do well in the dark. We hurt ourselves… we bump into things… we get lost. Today’s reading tells us what we know in our hearts: that by welcoming the light of Christ into our lives, we leave the darkness behind. For us that means relationship problems, disappointments, the setbacks and the hurts. In Christ we can see as the blind man in today’s readings was able to see. Jesus anointed his eyes with clay and then told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. At once his eyes were opened and he gave praise.
This parable is a great lesson. Once we realize the power of Christ’s message, we not only see the light. We become the light.
We’re now less than a month away from Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Think how you can be the light of Christ for someone close to you: a parent or sibling, a spouse, a child, a friend, a neighbor. See how you can be more light to them than darkness.
Adam, here’s the Good News: all the things that bring light are yours to give: solace and comfort, kindness and encouragement, forgiveness and hope. Be generous in the giving and you will be blessed as St. Paul’s child of light.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.
Prayer for 4th Sunday of Lent
O Lord, You are the light of the world,
let Your word be a lamp to our feet
and Your gospel a guiding star
to show us the way to You.
May Your truth enlighten all who dwell
in darkness and the shadow of death
and may the radiance of Your truth
brighten even the darkest night.
With You ever by my side
let me face each day’s trials
with courage and peace.
You who calmed the storm and
shattered the gates of hell
gather us all into Your kingdom.
Amen.
Prayer by Maryknoll Missioner, Father Joseph Veneroso
by Adam Mitchell | Mar 22, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”
~ Ephesians 5:8“
Dear Friend,
St. Paul says we should live as children of light. I think that’s really good advice.
You have to admit: we just don’t do well in the dark. We hurt ourselves… we bump into things… we get lost. Today’s reading tells us what we know in our hearts: that by welcoming the light of Christ into our lives, we leave the darkness behind. For us that means relationship problems, disappointments, the setbacks and the hurts. In Christ we can see as the blind man in today’s readings was able to see. Jesus anointed his eyes with clay and then told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. At once his eyes were opened and he gave praise.
This parable is a great lesson. Once we realize the power of Christ’s message, we not only see the light. We become the light.
We’re now less than a month away from Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Think how you can be the light of Christ for someone close to you: a parent or sibling, a spouse, a child, a friend, a neighbor. See how you can be more light to them than darkness.
Adam, here’s the Good News: all the things that bring light are yours to give: solace and comfort, kindness and encouragement, forgiveness and hope. Be generous in the giving and you will be blessed as St. Paul’s child of light.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.
Prayer for 4th Sunday of Lent
O Lord, You are the light of the world,
let Your word be a lamp to our feet
and Your gospel a guiding star
to show us the way to You.
May Your truth enlighten all who dwell
in darkness and the shadow of death
and may the radiance of Your truth
brighten even the darkest night.
With You ever by my side
let me face each day’s trials
with courage and peace.
You who calmed the storm and
shattered the gates of hell
gather us all into Your kingdom.
Amen.
Prayer by Maryknoll Missioner, Father Joseph Veneroso
by Adam Mitchell | Mar 15, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
~ Psalm 95:7
Friend,
This is hard work. It’s the third week of Lent and what we started with every good intention is starting to feel weighty—maybe even burdensome. What exactly did we start anyway?
Listen to the reading today from Exodus. The Israelites said the same thing to Moses when they left Egypt: “Why did you make us leave, only to die of thirst in the desert?” Worried for his people, Moses prayed with all his might; then he followed God’s command. He struck a rock and water flowed.
How does that apply to me, you ask?
We know what God wants for us: joy in giving witness to the compassion of Our Lord and, one day, a welcome home with the gift of eternal life. I understand… sometimes we feel like we’re stuck in a personal desert without a lifeline. This is where prayer helps—and sharing our feelings with people we know who are on the same journey.
The halfway mark of Lent is a good time to ask ourselves what really matters. If we want change and transformation, what are we willing to do to deepen our relationship with God? Only you can answer that question. But in my personal mission experience, I have found God’s presence at the most unexpected moments… an Aymara mother who had trouble feeding her children offering me a meal; an aggrieved young man forgiving the person who hurt him… a young seminarian choosing to work with at-risk children.
Friend, take just 10 minutes now to realize that you are in God’s presence, and in the prayers of the Maryknoll family. Ask for the help you need. Renew the process that you began just two weeks ago. And be restored for the final weeks of Lent. I am praying with you.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.
Prayer for 3rd Sunday of Lent
O God, my deliverer and redeemer,
I listen in silence for Your word
while my heart longs to hear Your voice.
As we walk these forty days
through this barren dessert of Lent
let my ears and heart be ever open
to what You have to say.
Let me rely only on Your presence
to comfort me, Your wisdom
to guide me, and Your mercy
to sustain me on my way to You.
O purify my thoughts and desires
that I might think only of You
and desire only to do Your Will
all the days of my life
till I meet You face to face
and rejoice with my brothers and sisters forever.
Amen.
Prayer by Maryknoll Missioner, Father Joseph Veneroso
by Adam Mitchell | Mar 8, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
“Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in You.”
~ Psalm 33, 20 to 22
Friend,
The second week of Lent… and transformation is definitely the message of today’s Gospel. Are you up to the challenge?
In the company of his disciples—Peter, James and John his brother—Jesus revealed his divinity. At that moment, Matthew says “his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” What Jesus is telling us by example is that we can be changed, too.
Lent is the time for a quiet transformation of our spiritual lives, a time to shine our light and proclaim through prayer and good works salvation in Christ. The best way I know to be transformed is to give ourselves over to God so that each day we are a new creation, reflecting in some way an expression of infinite love and endless compassion.
With the words of a humble missioner, let’s ask God to transform us today. Here’s a suggestion: Stop for a moment and think about the things in your life that may be going in the wrong direction. Pick just one thing you want to change, and place your intentions in God’s hands. Pray over it. Then be open to the Spirit and let yourself be transformed.
Friend, we can be comforted knowing that the goodness we do as God’s children will not only change us, but every life we touch. In this second week of Lent, I’ll be working on my own transformation right beside you. Let’s pray for each other and place our trust in God. God never fails.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.
Prayer for 2nd Sunday of Lent
It is good for us to be here, Jesus,
alone with You in prayer and praise.
For here You reveal to us
not only who You are but also
who You call us to become.
You do not take away our suffering,
You transform it into the door
that opens the way to You.
You do not protect us from temptation
but give us the grace to resist.
You do not spare us from failing
but rather show us Your love even there.
For when we offer You our faults and failures
and give our temptations and testing
over to Your Holy Will in that daily dying to ourselves
we find we too have been transformed and transfigured.
Amen.
Prayer by Maryknoll Missioner, Father Joseph Veneroso
by Adam Mitchell | Mar 1, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.”
Psalm Chapter 51, verses 3-4
Friend,
Today is the first Sunday of Lent… and as some poets might say, the first day of the rest of our lives. Time to get on with the work of personal reckoning—acknowledging our sins and shortcomings, and seeking forgiveness. But it’s work of the most rewarding kind.
Because we are missioners, each of us has a great desire to connect with God and be renewed in the compassion of Our Lord. So the first thing we can do in our Lenten journey is acknowledge our limitations. Even our flaws. And definitely our sins. Lent gives us the mental space to do that—and the comfort of knowing that the faithful person next door—and believers all over the world—are seeking a deeper relationship with God, too.
When we take these first few steps toward renewal, the world changes. We change! We don’t just seek forgiveness. We give it as well and that’s when healing replaces pain. Take a minute now to think how it would feel to be free of some burden in your life just by saying, “I’m sorry…” or “I forgive you.”
Friend, when we seek forgiveness from God, it’s a good idea to be forgiving in our own lives. And don’t forget: that even means being able to forgive yourself. Make room for God this Lent in all the ways that are meaningful to you and I know the blessings of renewal will follow. That is the gift of Lent.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.
Prayer for 1st Sunday of Lent
Cleanse me, O Lord, from my sins
and wash away my guilt.
Help me overcome ego and pride
and give me the strength and courage
to say “I’m sorry” and “I forgive You.”
Protect me from my unknown faults
so I might truly walk in Your ways
and know the fullness of joy
in Your presence forever.
Lord, lead me through the desert
during these forty days of Lent.
Help me let go of everything
that does not come from You
nor lead me back to You.
Accept, dear Jesus, my small sacrifices and service
to honor You and help others discover Your
beauty, love, and truth.
Amen.
Prayer by Maryknoll Missioner, Father Joseph Veneroso
by Adam Mitchell | Feb 23, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
“Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
2nd Corinthians Chapter 6, Verse 2
Reaching the fullness of life… isn’t that what we all want? Not in a material sense but in a deeply spiritual way—by relieving a hurt, eliminating some past guilt, or just finding a new direction that’s centered on doing good and witnessing God’s love. Fortunately, we have a way. It’s called Lent and the possibility of second chances.
This Wednesday we observe the ritual of the ashes and the beginning of Lent. We know the ashes are a reminder of our mortality, and Lent a time of denial. But I prefer to think of these sacred traditions as something more… a chance to start over and realize our full potential as sons and daughters of the Lord destined for eternal life.
So rather than focus on giving something up, how about focusing on something you can affirm—perhaps a relationship that means a lot to you but needs a little work. Is there some small thing you can say or do? An act of kindness that could help?
Lent is an opportunity to witness the Gospel with conviction because we are preparing to spend all eternity with our God. It’s a time to lighten our burdens and find comfort in our faith.
Friend, I will be praying for you during the 40 days of Lent as we prepare to receive the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday. The best way I know to find God is to remember that the good we do now is our pathway to heaven. May your personal Lent this year be the second chance you have longed for.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.
Prayer for 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
I praise You
O gracious God of second chances
Who never gives up on me.
Though I repeatedly stumble and fall
You stand ready to catch me and
help me up again.
By Your three falls on Your way
to crucifixion on Calvary
give me the strength and courage
always to get up again.
Confident Your power to save
is greater than my power to sin
may I always rely only on Your mercy.
Free me from discouragement
save me from despair
deliver me from indifference
that I might learn to live and love
anew beginning here, beginning now.
Amen.
Prayer by Father Joseph R. Veneroso, M.M.
by Adam Mitchell | Feb 16, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.”
~ Matthew 11:25
Friend,
Today’s Gospel is a lesson in wisdom. There is God’s way—the mysteries we may never understand in this life. And then there is our way—the very human tendency to rely on our own instincts and see just what we want to see.
Figuring out the difference doesn’t come from living longer or believing we’re smarter. It comes from knowing that God’s way is beyond us, and that trust in God is the way we draw closer to the mystery of our faith.
Jesus is asking us to seek wisdom with the eyes of the innocent—the children, the marginalized, the vulnerable—the people who do not hold positions that society regards as important. But we know that each person is valuable in God’s eyes because each is a unique expression of life worthy of inheriting the Kingdom. These are the exact messages I hear from our Maryknoll missioners serving overseas… that ministering to the sick, the mentally ill, and the poor is how the Gospel gets lived today, allowing God’s presence to be the wind beneath our wings.
Friend, as missioners we know that God’s ways are always better than our own. That’s because each person is destined for eternity though salvation in Christ. May the wisdom of our faith be the gift you share with confidence—and joy.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.
Prayer for 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Your thoughts are not our thoughts
nor Your ways our ways, my God.
For as far as the heavens
are from the earth, so far is
Your wisdom above and beyond us.
When we could no longer go up to You
You came down to us
to show us Your way
to teach us Your truth and
to give us Your life.
You ask us to receive Your grace
with the heart of a child
in innocence, wonder, and joy.
Take our hand and guide us
along the paths You’d have us walk
that our days may be blessed
and our nights secure in Your peace.
Amen.
Prayer by Fr. Joseph R. Veneroso, M.M.
by Adam Mitchell | Feb 9, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
“You are the light of the world.”
Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 14
Today’s scripture reminds me of the beautiful Gospel hymn that has inspired children and even mass movements: “This little light of mine… I’m gonna let it shine.” For those of us with faith, nothing dims the light of Christ. Our lives are dedicated to sharing our joy with one another and the world.
Jesus tells his disciples—which includes all of us who followed in baptism—that we are the light of the word, his messengers of salvation. To deliver that message, each of us is called for a purpose—a mission all our own. By shining our light for all to see, we are answering God’s unique call for us. When you think about it, God needs us to fulfill Christ’s mission of salvation. That’s how important each of us is. We are called to proclaim the gift of salvation in Christ and share it in ways that only each of us can.
When we shine our light for one another and the world, we are being everything Christ asked us to be: healers… teachers… counselors… peacemakers… and people who make a habit of practicing mercy and forgiveness.
Friend, shine your light, however God is calling you, and be fulfilled because your good deeds are the example of faith that will glorify our heavenly Father.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Raymond J. Finch, M.M.
Prayer for 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet,
Your gospel, a light to the world.
Through the Holy Spirit
let the radiance of Your truth,
Your love, and Your mercy
shine forth through my every
word and deed.
Confident Your light still shines
in the darkness, Lord,
and the darkness has not
overcome it, may I never
hesitate in showing kindness,
gentleness, and compassion
to everyone I meet, but especially
those most in need of Your mercy.
It is better to light a candle
than curse the darkness.
Accept my life, Lord, as a candle
dedicated to You,
consecrated to Your service
and sacrificed for Your glory.
Amen.
Prayer by Maryknoll Missioner, Father Joseph Veneroso
by Adam Mitchell | Feb 2, 2020 | Podcast, Prayers
“Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory.”
~ Psalm 24:8~ Psalm 24:8
Today the psalmist is asking us to open our portals wide and let the king of glory enter our hearts. Not just when we hear Mass or say the rosary. But all the time. Sometimes we have the impression that to find God we need to get outside of daily living. Not so. In fact, just the opposite. God is present everywhere… amidst struggles and joys, with family and at the office, when we’re on the phone or catching the bus. Each interaction is a chance to witness God’s presence and share a sign of peace.
Today’s Gospel, recounting the Presentation of the Christ Child in the temple, is an apt lesson in stewardship of the soul. Simeon was a devout man who throughout his long life had worshipped often at the temple. He was known among the people for his righteousness and love of the Lord. That is how he lived his life. According to Luke, the Holy Spirit visited Simeon and told this man of God that he would not see death before his eyes had seen the Christ of the Lord. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple as was the custom, Simeon took the child into his arms and exclaimed, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace… for my eyes have seen your salvation.”
Simeon recognized the Lord because he practiced his faith every day. His heart was open to the Spirit so his eyes could see.
Friend, finding Christ today isn’t hard. It’s just a matter of opening our hearts to God’s Word and being the missioner of goodness and compassion that we were called to be. And that’s something we can do
Prayer for The Presentation of the Lord
Lord, I long to see Your face
to hear Your voice
to feel Your healing touch.
More wonderful still is
the thought that You come
in search of me.
I seek You on Sundays
while You look for me daily.
I find You in church and
You find me in the marketplace.
O Lord, there is no place You are not.
Help me acknowledge Your presence
in the poor no less than in the Tabernacle
in the forest, and at the seaside
no less than in the cathedral or chapel.
May I find You everywhere.
Amen.
Prayer by Maryknoll Missioner, Father Joseph Veneroso
by Adam Mitchell | Jan 27, 2020 | Podcast
Interview with Maryknoll Missioner, Br. Marty Shea
There’s no question that today’s episode of Among the People is going to leave you in awe as we sit down with Maryknoll Brother, Marty Shea.
He’s a missionary from Chicopee Falls, who’s worked with the indigenous poor of Guatemala for over 50 years. His missionary journey since 1985 has taken him through the massacres in the jungles of El Peten to exile in Mexico to return with the people to their homeland in 1998.
In today’s episode, Brother Marty talk’s about his life with the people in Guatemala and in the Mexican refugee camps, and his unique reflections on the refugee crisis that we face in America, Guatemala, Mexico and realities of those refugees.
