Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways! Psalm 128:1

“ when we are very young, we learn a few simple and clear lessons: God created us. God knows us. God loves us. But the idea of ‘fearing’ this creating, personal, loving God throws us for a loop. What can that possibly mean?

The fear of the Lord that is required of us is a kin to the deep, confusing emotion we feel standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon or another of earth’s great wonders. This kind of fear is the beginning of wisdom and everything holy. For if we can learn to pray and worship with this kind of ‘fear’, we just might be able to believe that we are created, known and loved by that God

Standing speechless and breathless before God, the very best thing we can do is follow.” Steve Givens

I have always struggled with the phrase ‘fear of the Lord’ but I like this image. It gives me a new perspective. Let us ask God’s Spirit to keep opening our eyes to new and inspiring ideas

They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.” Mark 12:14

“ The world is filled with opinions about what others should or should not think and do. With rare exception, most people are on the alert for others’ opinions about themselves. I’ve noticed this in certain comments: ‘You’ll think this is crazy…’or ‘I’m sure he thinks that…’

Jesus did not let the opinions of others affect him, especially when they consisted of lavish affirmation or hostile disapproval. Imagine if he had caved into what others decided about his teaching and actions. Instead, Jesus remained authentic and honest, showing by example that the judgments of others need not define our lives. The authentic quality we bring to our daily behavior is what counts. Today, let us be attentive to how much we allow others’ opinions to influence how we live.” Joyce Rupp

Do we live our lives totally unconcerned about what people think or say? When I was growing up, I remember my father saying, “When people are paying your bills, then you can worry about what they say.”

How true!

This is why you must acknowledge, and fix in your heart, that the Lord is God… Deuteronomy 4:39

“When questions and doubts are storming around you, what is it that helps you to remain strong in your faith? For me, it’s the strength of memory. I return to my experiences of love and beauty and remember how faithful God has been. Once I am open to it, I see it everywhere: God‘s love is evident in all the wonders of creation, from the tiniest heartbeat to the most distant stars. When I remember my own experience of truth and beauty, I am reminded of what I know deep in my heart – that God is great and worthy of my focus, praise and adoration . I can love and proclaim the good news to others because I know what God has done in my own life. I can also acknowledge that this pattern of doubt, memory, return and devotion is ancient Dash deeply bonding me with our ancestors of faith. As they did, I can fix my heart on God and know that God‘s goodness deserves my hopeful, faithful response of love.”

Sr. Julia Walsh, F.S.P.A

Today is the feast of the most holy trinity. This is one of the great mysteries of our church one God with three persons. Let us ask the Trinity to guide us on our way today and all our days.

“Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his site and followed him on the way. Mark 10:51-52

”To varying degrees, everyone today who needs glasses would have been considered blind, or somewhat blind, in the time of Jesus because glasses didn’t exist. (What a profound change this invention of corrective lenses has made!) Blindness was a big issue in the ancient world, and sight is used frequently in Scripture as a metaphor for spiritual awareness. As Carl Jung puts it, the tragedy is not about the absence of light; the light is always there. It’s about ‘people who do not know that their eyes could see.’ So much of our spiritual work is about seeing God all around us – seeing God in other people – seeing the good rather than being blinded by fear and doubt and anger.

Lord help me to see – to see you and your handiwork in and through everyone and everything I encounter today.” Phil Fox Rose

Our world needs this more now than ever. Each one of us needs to challenge ourselves to see the good in other people. Many times people are trying to figure out what’s that person’s angle. Let us ask God to give us the eyes of Jesus and see people through Jesus’s eyes.

The just ones offering and riches the altar and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High. Sirach 35:8

“Ever have the experience of going to lunch with friends and fighting over the check? Maybe responding with, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have.’ Or, ‘No, I just can’t let you do that.’ I wonder if we might not occasionally, graciously, take the receiver role allowing someone else to be generous. If we adopt a spirit of mutuality, might not more and even sweeter odors rise to the Most High? Always paying for everything beating others to the check and displaying our magnanimity may prop up our ego, but it may make others feel beholden to us or rob them of the opportunity to make their offering.

If you are a parent, you may be used to always paying for your financially strapped adult children, but when my son says, ‘I got it, Mom,’ I give my husband that looked at says, ‘ allow him to experience the sweet odor of giving.’ Jennifer Christ

Many times it is difficult to receive the gift with grace. It is always so much fun to be able to give to others but many times we need to learn to receive from others.