Prayer Walk Thru the Woods

 

If we take seriously that prayer is “lifting mind and heart to God” then every feeling and every thought we have is a valid entry into prayer. This morning I took a walk through the woods during morning fog and share this this mediation walk for you.

What’s important is that we pray what’s inside of us and not what we think God would like to find inside of us. 

Fr Marcus son Mauricio recovering from car accident, my brother priests attending clergy conference in Lancaster, NY,  

Shanna cancer treatment in Roswell, Carol recovering from cancer surgery in North Java, Tim cancer treatment in Nashua Jerry cancer treatment in Lancaster, Kathy cancer treatment in Rochester, Ted cancer free in Farmington, Aunt Shelia cancer free in Webster, Tina cancer free in Strykersville,  

Sandy in North Java, Sherry in Lancaster. Pati’s mom Madeline in Buffalo hospital, Mary S in Buffalo, Theresa in Bennington, VT., Kerry in Fairport, Devon 8 years old & his parents Alicia and Nick, Bob G.in Lancaster, Mary Z in San Antonia, TX,  Jerry in Fairport, Matt in Batavia,  

Patty’s parents Madeline & George W in Buffalo, Beau in Spain, Sister Ann Marie and Sister Miriam in IL. Monastery, Cheryl in Florida, Mary Hills in Toronto, Jane in NC, Ricki & Marina in Brockport, Fr. Donald F in Florida, Melanie in Attica,  Alivia and her dad Art, Bob & Kathy in Macedon, Beth in Massachusetts, Stan In Greece NY, Steve in North Java,  

Will in Canandaigua, Ruth in Rochester, ospital, Fr. Don & Yvonne in Batavia, Brad in Akron, Tony in Greece, Diane in Virginia, little Henry in Ohio, Paul in Lancaster, O B in North Carolina, Jane in Lockport, Maggie in East Bethany, Kathy in Farmington, Nelson in Buffalo, Joe & Carol in Rochester, Tracy in Fairport.

 

 

Kindly add intentions of your own....

 

Blessings & take good care of yourself,

fr. matt 

Prayering When We Don't Feel Like It

 

Most of us find it difficult to pray. We want to pray, make resolutions to pray, but never quite get around to actually praying. Why?

It’s not so much that we are insincere, ill-motivated, or lazy, it’s just that invariably we are too tired, too distracted, too restless, too emotionally preoccupied, too angry, too busy, or feel ourselves too distant from God to feel that we can actually pray. We have too many headaches and too many heartaches. And so we come home after a long day and simply can’t work up the energy to pray and instead call a friend, watch television, rest, putter round the house, or do anything to soothe our tiredness and wind down from the pressures of life, except pray.

So how can we pray when both our bodies and our hearts are chronically stressed and on over-load? By understanding what prayer really is. Prayer, as one of its oldest definitions puts it, is “lifting mind and heart to God.”

That sounds simple but it is hard to do. Why?

Because we have the wrong notion of what it means. We unconsciously nurse the idea that we can only pray when we are not distracted, not bored, not angry, not emotionally preoccupied, and not caught up in our many heartaches and headaches so that we can give proper attention to God in a reverent and loving way. God then is like a parent who only wants to see us on our best behavior and we only go into his presence when we have nothing to hide, are joy-filled, and can give God praise and honor.

If we take seriously that prayer is “lifting mind and heart to God” then every feeling and every thought we have is a valid entry into prayer, no matter how irreverent, unholy, selfish, or angry that thought or feeling might seem. Simply put, if you go to pray and you are feeling bored, pray boredom; if you are feeling angry, pray anger; if you are feeling grumpy, pray grumpy, and if you are feeling full of fervor and want to praise and thank God, pray fervor. Every thought or feeling is a valid entry into prayer. What’s important is that we pray what’s inside of us and not what we think God would like to find inside of us.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we try to pray precisely when we most need it, that is, when we are feeling bad, irreverent, sinful, emotionally preoccupied and unworthy of praying. All of these feelings can be our entry into prayer. No matter the headache or the heartache, we only need to lift it up to God.

Feedback from a Sonshine Friend

 

Dear Fr. Matt 

By the blessing of God you have you have touched my heart ❤️ as you described being greeted by a furry friend.  As I feel the unconditional love 💕 of my kitty each day.  Her loud purring every morning as we greet a new day that God has given us!  

I truly believe that unknown to us God gave this beautiful creature to us at the animal shelter for a special reason.  God knew that my Rosemary would be getting sick and when the ambulance took her away on the night before New Year’s Eve she would never return to our home.  For the next 10 months of 2023 our faith would be tested with hospitalization’s and rehabilitation and finally death.  Our kitty became my companion that greeted me each day.  I believe that the 10 months before her passing was God’s way of preparing me for her passing.  The purring kitty was God’s way of telling me that I’m not alone.  As I fed this creature of God it reminded me that she depended on me for her care.  Her companionship was God’s gift to me because for some reason God chose to spare me.

When cancer took over my body this year and my daughter became involved in my journey along with my other dear family members.  God was good to me.  I keep searching for an answer as to why He provided me with the comfort of you, my Priest friend, who is so versed in the ministry of death and dying.  What does God have in mind for me?  By the grace of God I believe that I should pray for others that they should be healed.  Pray for others for the love of Jesus !  

Thank you dear friend for inspiring me on my journey.
God bless you,

Ted

Faith in All Living Creatures Great and Small

 

There is a story about a boss at the shoe store where the person worked: Whenever one of the employees would whine, “Hey Boss! Can I take my break?” He’d snarl back, “I gave you a break when I hired you.”

The message is pretty clear. You don’t get any special treatment or extra pay for doing what you’re supposed to be doing anyway. When the apostles ask Jesus for more faith, he’s quick to let them know they already have enough to get the job done. Before they start asking for an increase, they should take a look at the blessings from God they currently possess.

St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast day is celebrated on October 4^th is a great example of taking a mustard seed’s worth of faith and using it to change the course of Christian history. This guy is probably the most popular canonized saint in history next to Saint Nicolas (It’s hard to beat Santa!). As a young man Francis had everything going for him. He came from a rich family and was in line to inherit his dad’s lucrative commercial silk business. But, to his old man’s great displeasure, Francis gave up the family money and the prospect of becoming a big shot silk merchant and embarked on a life in service to the gospel without a penny to his name. He became a beggar so he could minister to other beggars.

Francis did what he thought he ought to do—live a life in imitation of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t have a bank account either. Jesus hung out with the poor and the sick, so Francis did the same. Jesus trusted in the Father’s goodness, and so did Francis. The result was that Christians were attracted to the poor missionary’s Christ-like simplicity and sincerity. Men and women joined the religious order Francis created, wanting nothing but to be faithful servants who made others fall in love with the goodness of God.

Because of his love for the earth and all living things, Francis is known as the patron saint of animals, and it’s become traditional to bless animals on his feast day. I have a spouse who has a great passion for animals, especially orphaned kitties. She serves as a coordinator for Volunteers for Animals, an organization helping foster moms with potential adopters. Sue receives calls daily from the foster moms seeking advice how to care for a sick kitten and restore the furry creature to health.

I like to think that an adoring pair of eyes and purrs greeting you as you return home from a trip of any duration would be a reminder of God’s unconditional love. I hope that we, like Francis, would feel the wonder and the mystery of God in all living things—plant or animal—about us, and grow in true love, respect, and admiration for the blessed gift of this earth.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who have “fur babies” in their homes and like to offer this blessing prayer for your pet companion. “Good and gracious God, we give you thanks for the animals who share our lives and have done so in the past. We thank you for the joy and comfort they have given us. We humbly ask you to protect them from illness and injury and grant them long, happy lives. May they, through our hands, feel the love you have for all you have created, and may we, through their selfless love and companionship, be ever reminded of your constant presence, love, and care for us. We ask this in Christ Jesus, Our Lord.

If you would like to make a donation to help “fur babies” click link below:

Click here to make donation to Volunteers4Animals.

 

 

No Applause, No Nobel Peace Prize

 

This gospel passage reminds me of a Reese's Cup. Part chocolate, my favorite, and part peanut butter, something I really could easily live without. I'm not crazy about peanut butter, and my apologies to Reese's. Give me the chocolate, you can keep the peanut butter. Part favorite, part not so much, that's this gospel. The part that's my favorite, it always inspires me when Jesus teaches us about the mustard seed. If you have faith as small as a grain of mustard seed, you'll be amazed at what you can do. Just need a little. And yet we really struggle to believe. And it always reminds me of God's great power, faith the size of a mustard seed. 

But then in the gospel there's this peanut butter part. Not so favorite. Jesus says when you're doing the will of God, when you're serving people, loving God, bringing justice, sharing peace, do not look to be thanked, or even recognized. Hear these challenging words. When you have done all that is commanded of you, you say, "We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty." Just doing our duty? 

I got to admit, I'm not all that crazy about that. I don't mind the doing my duty part, I'm all about that. But being honest, I kind of like to be thanked. Or at least acknowledged. Have you ever given somebody a gift, and they never even acknowledge receiving it? And they never say, "Thank you." It's not very satisfying, is it? In fact, it can be highly demotivating. I'll go where my gifts are appreciated or wanted, thank you very much. My neighbor is not big on saying thank you very much. I’m glad the nurse and physical therapist show up to her home just the same.

But these words of Jesus, "We are unworthy servants. We've only done what was our duty." These words of Jesus make me think about Fr Erick. He should be the patron saint of anonymous service. Poor Fr. Erick, when his parish was struggling through shock and disbelief that they would be homeless, Fr. Erick was there. When the parish had to relocate to a new building, Fr Erick was the moving van that took the altar, pulpit, altar rail tabernacle and statue of Our Lady of Gaudeloupe and relocated into a neighborhood mall. When you walked into their new worship site everything was in its place like before. Eventually after the move, all the extra statues he placed in storage pods. I know because I was with him setting up for Holy Week where he found the statue of Jesus lying in the tomb in one ot the pods. Fr Erick just quietly goes about following Jesus without recognition or special treatment. Fr. Erick: quiet, faithful, almost anonymous.

Think about it. Some of the most remarkable people in your life are just like that, aren't they? Stuff just sort of gets done and nobody really knows who did it. The meal just got delivered; the church just got cleaned up; the home visitation ministry just helped some seniors; the dishes just got washed; the bus for the youth, it just got driven; the chapel just got unlocked for morning Mass. 

What do you do that no one else really notices?

Are you faithful in the little things when nobody's paying attention? Are you good with serving and doing things without recognition? No plaque, no banquet, no applause, no Nobel peace prize. Fr. Erick understands that we all serve an audience of one. And he was good with that. He preaches the gospel every Sunday from his heart and his people benefit from his humility and generosity.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are challenged with these tough words, "We've only done what was our duty." Expect no gratitude, expect no praise, expect no recognition, we have only done what was our duty. And that's the thing about Reese's Cups. If you like the chocolate, you got to eat the peanut butter too.

 

 

Bridging the Great Chasm

 

The story of the rich man and Lazarus presents us with two lives lived in stark contrast—one in luxury, the other in misery—and the eternal consequences that follow.

We hear of a rich man who "dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day." Purple cloth was extraordinarily expensive in Jesus' time, a symbol of extreme wealth and status. At his gate lay Lazarus, covered with sores, longing to eat the scraps from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came to lick his sores—a detail that emphasizes his utter destitution and suffering.

What is striking about this parable is not merely the contrast between wealth and poverty during their earthly lives, but what happens after death. Lazarus is carried by angels to the "bosom of Abraham"—a Jewish expression for paradise—while the rich man finds himself in the netherworld, in torment. Now the tables have turned completely. The rich man, who once feasted, now thirsts desperately for even a drop of water. Lazarus, who once longed for scraps, now rests in comfort.

But notice something important: the rich man is not condemned simply because he was wealthy. The Gospel does not condemn possessions themselves. Rather, his sin was indifference—a complete blindness to the suffering at his very doorstep. It is not wealth itself that is evil, but rather the indifference that wealth can generate in us toward the needs of others.

The rich man knew Lazarus by name—we see this when he calls out to Abraham about him—yet he did nothing to relieve Lazarus's suffering. Day after day, he stepped over or around this suffering man to enter his home. He had countless opportunities to show mercy, yet he remained blind to Lazarus's humanity.

In death, a great chasm separates them, which Abraham says cannot be crossed. This chasm, however, did not suddenly appear after death. It existed during their lifetimes—a chasm of indifference that the rich man himself created and maintained. In eternity, this self-made chasm simply becomes permanent.

The rich man was not punished because he was rich, but because he was unmerciful. His wealth was not his condemnation, but rather his failure to use that wealth in service of love and mercy.

This parable challenges us to examine our own lives. Who are the Lazaruses at our gates today? They may be the homeless person we pass on the street, the elderly neighbor living in isolation, the immigrant family struggling to make ends meet, the colleague battling depression behind a brave face, or the abandoned orphan kitty we find in our backyard

The "gate" in the parable represents the boundaries we create between ourselves and others. Our gates might be our busy schedules, our comfortable routines, our social circles, or simply our self-absorption. These gates can blind us to the suffering around us.

What is one concrete step you can take this week to bridge the chasms in your own life? This Saturday, I am hosting a thank you picnic for 80 foster moms who take stray kittens into their homes and provide shelter, love and meds to raise these furry companions until they are ready to be spayed or neutered and adopted into caring homes.

Perhaps you are making time to visit someone who is lonely, contributing to organizations that serves the vulnerable, advocating for just policies that protects human dignity, or simply being more attentive to the needs of those you encounter daily.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends for the grace to see as God sees—to recognize Christ himself in the face of every Lazarus or furry friend at our gate. May we use the gifts God has entrusted to us not to widen chasms of indifference, but to build bridges of compassion and love.

Enjoy images of Animal Shelter Appreciation Picnic

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acts of Kindness

Oh, yeah the gospel story this week is about a “slimy dude. The Parable of the Dishonest Steward in Luke’s gospel is one of those lessons pastors can’t seem to navigate smoothly. It’s like a driver’s test where we keep running over the orange safety cones because we don’t really know for sure what Jesus (or our evangelist, St. Luke) is trying to tell us.

However, I want to share a true story about a Sonshine Friend who recently retired and choose to work part-time as a home companion. He is providing home care for a senior physically challenge patient. This patient called my friend to say he had fallen in the bathroom and his wife was not at home to help. My friend called his agency to inform them that their client needed assistance and the agency response: “that was against policy for the patient to call the home care aide and he was not to go to the home.” Really! The client is required to call the agency first to request services. My friend was told “not to go.”

However, my friend is not bound by policy but rather a compassionate heart and he immediately got in his car and drove over to help the patient.  He waited to get scolded or worse lose his job because he violated agency policy. To his surprise, he received a letter in the mail with a commendation from the agency for his willingness to help their patient. Go Figure?

Of course, he never told the agency that he ignored their policy and went to help that man in his time of need. Yesterday, my friend shared that this gentleman and his spouse were celebrating their wedding anniversary. Due to his disability the couple would not be able to go and celebrate this occasion. So my friend asked the couple what they would like to eat for dinner to celebrate. The wife shared “real mashed potatoes” not the kind that come out of a box. So he was preparing in his kitchen a sumptuous meal and planning to uber the dinner to their home that included “real mashed potatoes.”

Back to that parable where the sneaky guy gets commended, and Jesus leaves it up to the listeners to figure out what the story really means. You could just say the manager was in a pickle, knew he had to act quickly for he would be out of a job and homeless.

What does that have to do with us? We know how the times are. They’re just as desperate, confusing, and uncertain for our generation as they were for those who heard Jesus preach centuries ago. We have resources, but how do we use them? How should we use them? Are we squandering the things the Boss has left in our charge?  How are we called to reduce the burden of our neighbors? These are questions we should be asking.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who have compassionate hearts like my friend who put aside policy and went to help that man in his time of need. Better yet, he went beyond the call of duty to help that couple celebrate their wedding vows and love for one another. Now why don’t you go do the same for someone you know in need of your gifts with your acts of kindness.

 

 

Kirby and Acts of Mercy

 

This retired shepherd was invited this morning to Holy Family’s annual picnic. Their pastor, Fr. Corey asked me if I would preach a childrens’ homily. So, I bring Kirby along and together we shared this story about mercy. I wanted the children to learn that Jesus’ love can come from people we never expect.

Once upon a time, there was a dog called Kirby who was going to the park to play with his favorite ball when – he was chased by a Big Bully Cat! The Big Bully Cat pulled Kirby’s ears and bit his tail and scratched his face and finally chased poor Kirby into a large bed of pricker bushes and left him there. Poor Kirby. It was worse than that. Poor Kirby was so hurt that he could not get up, he just lay in the bed of pricker bushed feeling very sad.

But just then, a poodle came by, a fluffy, white poodle. “Hooray!” thought Kirby, “This fluffy, white poodle will help me out of the pricker bushes. But the poodle did not help Kirby. She turned up her nose and walked straight past. Oh. That wasn’t very friendly. Poor Kirby.

 But then, a sausage dog came by, a long, sausagey sausage dog.
“Hooray!” thought Kirby, “This long, sausagey sausage dog will help me out of the pricker bushes.” But the sausage dog did not help Kirby. He looked the other way and walked straight past. Oh. That wasn’t very friendly.

Then, a dalmatian came by, a big, spotty dalmatian. “Hooray!” thought Kirby, “This big, spotty dalmatian will help me out of the pricker bushes.” But the dalmatian did not help Kirby. She turned her spotty back and walked straight past.

Poor Kirby. Kirby was feeling very sad. Would no-one come to help him? Then another Big Cat came walking along and Kirby feared he would be mean to him. He will pull my ears and bite my tail and scratch my face! Kirby shook in fear.

But this Big Cat did not do any of these things. Instead, this Big Cat pulled Kirby out of the pricker bushes. The Big Cat found a bandage in his pocket and he put the bandage around Kirby’s head. Then he rubbed Kirby’s ears better, put some soothing cream on his tail, and brushed his fur all smooth again.

Finally, this Big Cat gave Kirby his favorite treat – dog biscuits!. Then Kirby and the Big Cat who wasn’t a bully went to the park to play ball together.

To the grownups at the picnic, I ask.  Why do we do acts of mercy? There is a story about thirty-two members of my small parish who were willing to be volunteer hosts for guest families living in the church basement.  They brought them home-made dinners, watched their kids, and generally tried to treat them like human beings in the midst of their unfortunately crappy circumstances. As always happens, of course, there were some complaints from church members. They claimed their guests were sloppy, that they didn’t come for dinner on time, they didn’t do the dishes, their kids were bratty, they left the lights on. they didn’t leave the building when they were supposed to, etc., etc. (It just wouldn’t be a church if people didn’t whine about something, you know?)

I like to remind those who find fault that, if these guests actually had their acts together, they wouldn’t be living in a church basement. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves why we do acts of mercy in the first place. When the pastor was asked what we hoped to get out of it. He responded that he wanted a ministry for his church in which people could see that they had made a real difference in the lives of others. One of his parishioners answered that this program would “make God smile.” Others came up with similarly groovey-sounding answers, but one of his teenagers simply said, “I want these homeless people to get back on their feet.”

 

In this Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 15: 1-10), Jesus teaches us about rejoicing when the lost are found. It’s meant as a critique against those who get their shorts bunched up over why people get “lost” to begin with. We are to be supporters, not judges.

 

Think about it. If you’re a parent and you have a child with an addiction or an eating disorder, do you condemn or abandon that child? Wouldn’t you diligently search for the best care you could find to bring him or her back to your family in one piece?  And when that lost child reaches a recovery milestone or graduates from school or gets married or achieves some goal of a normal, healthy, functioning human being, aren’t you overcome with joy? Don’t you want to throw a party and celebrate?

 

All of us, after all, are lost in some way. Jesus has gone to pretty drastic lengths to find us and bring us back to ourselves. I’d say that calls for a party, or a picnic like today.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we realize that all our acts of mercy put us in a cloud closer to Our Lord and heaven.

A Very Special Sonshine

 

Last November, I received a phone call from Joe. He sadly shared that his father had died of a massive heart attack at home. The paramedics did all they could to bring him back but there was nothing more they could do to save him. I was stunned and I am still in disbelief. He was like a son to me.

 

In his memory, I am launching the attached photography website to remember his gift and generosity to his family and many friends. 

https://fathermattkawiak.myphotofeed.com/

 

At his funeral service, I shared this memory of Ken. He loved adventures and enjoyed traveling to new places and along the way doing some unexpected shenanigans. In 2017, we travelled on a Road Scholar trip to Acadia National Park. On our way to Maine, we stopped at a dozen lighthouses to take pictures. My hobby is as you will see attached is landscape photography, 

 

Ken’s hobby is wandering, especially to places that say “no admittance.” For him that meant there must be something interesting to explore so forget the sign that says ”too dangerous, government restricted or detours.” His attitude was fearless or perhaps reckless, “let’s find out what’s on the other side.” As I am setting up my composition, he would be wandering, up and down the shores and rocky coves, collecting rocks and stuff to bring home to his beloved grandchildren.

 

When we finally arrived in Acadia National Park, we began our walking tour with a group of twenty people from around the country. We hiked the trails 5-9 miles each day. During the tour, you had free time to do your own thing. That was Ken’s opportunity to explore new adventures not in the itinerary and this would get very interesting for you never knew what he was thinking or where we would end up. So off we are driving from Acadia to New Brunswick, Canada. Ken would be the pilot and I was his navigator recommending landscape sites to stop along the way. Our destination was a lighthouse claimed to be the most photographed in the world. It is located in Roosevelt Campobello International Park in New Brunswick that can only be reached at low tide. 

 

Ken surprised me with this crazy idea. He wanted to find a local Canadian grocery store searching for some unique candies that were only sold in Canada. I had no idea what he was plotting, but I got the shot of that lighthouse that he had enlarged and hangs behind his desk in his office. We are now searching for a local grocery store, in New Brunswick, nobody speaks English but he is determined to find a candy called “Smarties.

 

It's a candy like M&M’s, however different in that they have a sweet flavor from the coating, followed by an almost hot-chocolate-powder chocolate taste. Ken buys 20 boxes of Smarties, puts them in his backpack and we drive back over the border to our motel for the night.

 

The following morning, we rejoin our group and we are back on the trail hiking Cadillac mountain. Our group leader stops us for lunch. As people are getting their box lunches out of their backpacks, Ken starts passing out the Smarties boxes to all our fellow hikers. They were surprised and delighted to learn that this was a unique treat for them to enjoy. He shared the story about this candy coming from Canada, but I can only admire his desire to surprise and bring joy to our fellow hikers. Ken’s generosity and spontaneity to do these crazy acts of kindness made me smile to have such a thoughtful, generous friend. 

 

In the past nine years, it has been my humbled privilege to travel to many national parks from Banff National Park in Alberta to Crater Lake in Oregon last September. In Ken’s memory take a few minutes to review the images of our adventures and if there is a photo you would like to hang in your home or office, simply email your selection to my attention and I will help you with an order.

 

However, this photo website is an invitation to support a wonderful volunteer group called “Volunteers4Animals.” I have attached their website and encourage you to make donations to support their special work to save kitties and puppies.

 

Please feel free to forward Fr. Matt Photography to all your FaceBook friends for their support.

https://fathermattkawiak.myphotofeed.com/

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and for my spiritual son Ken. At his funeral, I asked the congregation: Is God calling you from a too self-indulgent lifestyle to one of helpful concern for people who are less fortunate than yourself? Is God calling you to some generosity of time and gifts? From his kindness we have all received a blessing. In the quiet of our hearts, in our prayers, may we forever be grateful for Ken's love and kindness and promise to continue all his good works and be a blessing to one another. Amen.

 

NOTE: At the end of Fr. Matt’s Photography website is a “Contact Me” message. Feel free to give me your thoughts, order a print or send a message that you want to take me along on your travels to visit a national park. 

https://fathermattkawiak.myphotofeed.com/