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Let us sing!

A melody is about to burst from this mockingbird’s throat as he is about to sing his first song of the spring.  

" I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.” Psalm 104:33

Mockingbird, Spring Branch, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Contemplation

Have you ever contemplated “What can I do to make this world a better place?”

Mathew 25: 31-40

“Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

Northern Cardinal, Spring Branch, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Flight of Freedom

Earlier this week was the memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita, slave, free person, nun and Saint. 

"Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!"  - St. Bakhita

Freedom is so beautiful and precious.  Jesus said in Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”  “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives.”  “To let the oppressed go free.”  If you are held captive by your thoughts, desires, addictions or circumstances; ask Jesus to work with you to set you free.

Crested Caracara – Gonzales, Texas, U.S.A.

Hiding in the Peripheries

“Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel.”  Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis

Ruddy Turnstone, Hiding in Seaweed, Mustang Island, Texas

 

What can I, a week fragile sinner, do?

What can I, a weak fragile sinner, do? God says to you: do not be afraid of holiness, do not be afraid to aim high, to let yourself be loved and purified by God, do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit. Let us be infected by the holiness of God. Every Christian is called to sanctity; and sanctity does not consist especially in doing extraordinary things, but in allowing God to act. It is the meeting of our weakness with the strength of his grace, it is having faith in his action that allows us to live in charity, to do everything with joy and humility, for the glory of God and as a service to our neighbor. There is a celebrated saying by the French writer Léon Bloy, who in the last moments of his life, said: “The only real sadness in life is not becoming a saint”. Let us not lose the hope of holiness, let us follow this path. Do we want to be saints? The Lord awaits us, with open arms; he waits to accompany us on the path to sanctity. Let us live in the joy of our faith, let us allow ourselves to be loved by the Lord... let us ask for this gift from God in prayer, for ourselves and for others.  Pope Francis, General Audience, October 2, 2013

White Ibis, Mustang Island State Park, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Follow me

Jesus says “Follow me”.  Don’t be afraid.  Leave what seems comfortable behind.  Join the excitement of a relationship with our Lord ……. and fly…….

Great Egret, High Island, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Waiting for our return

“God always waits for us, even when we have left him behind! He is never far from us, and if we return to Him, He is ready to embrace us.”  Pope Francis, Homily, April 7, 2013

Willet, Mustang Island State Park, Texas, U.S.A.

 

The Greatness of the Lord

Let us, and all of creation, join Mary in her words….

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”  (Lk 1:46)

Male Summer Tanager, High Island, Texas

 

 

 

Giving

“The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry. The cloak in your wardrobe belongs to the naked. The shoes you allow to rot belong to the barefoot. The money in your vaults belongs to the destitute. You do injustice to every man whom you could help but do not.”  St. Basil the Great (330 – 379 AD)

In this advent season let us remember those that are in need of our excess and give from our time, talent and treasure.

Female Summer Tanager, Big Bend, Texas

The Light of Life

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Let us walk in His light as we prepare for the celebration of His birth. 

Sunset, Spring Branch, Texas

Sing Songs of Joy

great egret standing.jpg

Sing joyfully, O Israel!  The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.  Zephaniah 3: 14, 17

Let us sing songs of joy as we prepare for the celebration of His birth. 

Great Egret, Galveston Island, TX

Wildflower, Texas Hill Country, U.S.A., background mosaic from Basilica of our Lady of the Rosary, Lourdes, France

“(she) laid him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.” (Lk 2:6)

“From the moment of his birth, he belongs outside the realm of what is important and powerful in worldly terms.  Yet it is this unimportant and powerless child that proves to be the truly powerful one, the one whom ultimately everything depends.  So one aspect of becoming a Christian is having to leave behind what everyone else thinks and wants, the prevailing standards, in order to enter the light of the truth of our being, and aided by that light to find the right path.” The Infancy Narratives, Jesus of Nazareth, pg 67, Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI

As we enter into this Advent season may we encounter Jesus and renew our relationship with the Lord.

 

Turkeys, Waterton Canyon, Colorado, U.S.A.

And now, bless the God of all,
who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,
and fashions them according to his will!
May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you

Sirach 50: 22-23