GLIMPSES OF GOD 2025

 

Glimpse of God for the week of November 23, 2025 

This week’s Glimpse of God comes from various sources. Conversations that I have had with others who are looking to downsize because they realize that they do not need the large house that they raised their children in.  House for Sale”, New homes under construction, Room for Rent”, Open House and of course the random phone call asking if one would be willing to sell their house as is. I believe that In all of these scenarios, there is one common factor, and that is moving to a new place that will be called home. As we walk on our earthly journey, there will be many times where our house/home changes.

So , What is a house? It is a building with a solid foundation and is constructed of strong walls that are supposed to protect its inhabitants from the various and difficult weather conditions that mother nature can cause. It is place that is heated in the winter to keep one warm and cool in the summer to keep one comfortable. It is a building that is a dwelling for an individual or a family. It provides one with an address so that one can belong to a community and develop a sense of belonging. To me, a house with four walls is what we dwell in, but a home is where love dwells, is nurtured, fostered and grows.

To take it one step further, as we grow in our faith as Catholic Christians, and we open the doors of our heart to Christ, and our eyes to see Him in those we encounter, His home, our heart, is where His love grows and we see Him more clearly in ourselves and in others. When we invite Christ to come into our home, that is our heart, mind, spirit, soul and body, we are saying Yes to being our best self, the person that He created us to be and have the potential to become. As we prepare for the winter months, there will be signs in our neighborhoods both near and far, saying house for sale, open house, new homes under construction, and room for rent. But as a Catholic, I could only hope that I would not have a sign that said that my home, my heart is for sale or that the room where I want Christ to dwell is for rent and that I would be willing to give it up so easily for what? Selling my soul to the devil? 

But the one sign that I would be willing to hang is “open house” Why, because that would mean that I am transparent, that I have an openness  to God and His will, that the many rooms of my home, although, at times they may be messy, and full of clutter, or too clean and perfect for the wrong reason, I know that God knows and understands the reasons and because of His great and unconditional love for me, does not judge or condemn me, but rather, invites me to take a good look in the mirror, pray for the grace to see as He does and seek to change so that my house is not vacant but rather lived in. Open house can mean being open to God’s will and desire for me not just when it suits me, or is easier or less demanding, but always. We are all God’s beloved sons and daughters so these signs, especially Open House, would be for all of us. Since we all are progressing towards perfection, (be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” a sign for our home could be “Under Construction.” As baptized Christians, as a sacramental people, as followers of Jesus Christ with Mary as our Mother and role model, when we read under construction, we understand that the building is not complete, or that things need to be repaired. For us as Catholics, in and through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, we are given the opportunity to repair, be healed of that which is damaged, most importantly our relationship with God and others. the signs that we see in our neighborhoods could be for both big houses and small, for old houses and new, for those that are in the beginning stages of construction, as well as those that are in the poorest of conditions. We can look at a house and see its beauty and its flaws. When we look in the mirror, we also see our beauty and our flaws. Unfortunately, when we see the imperfections of our homes, we call a repair person, yet when we see the flaws in the mirror, we judge, are very critical, condemning and merciless.  We see these signs on the lawns during every season throughout the year and seem to survive any of the weather conditions that hit against it. Yet when we face the weather conditions of our spiritual life, we don’t always seem to withstand the conditions as well as we hoped to or wanted to. We know that in areas where floods, tornados, droughts, hurricanes and other forces of nature hit, many of the houses do not survive, they are flattened and destroyed. Yet, although the house may be destroyed, the builders of the home that was built on love come out stronger and more determined to rebuild and not be permanently flattened.

How is this a Glimpse of God? A house is four walls, a home is built on love, in love and out of love. Whether you own or rent or find yourself without a home to call your own, the love that possesses you, the unconditional love that comes for God your creator, is what gives you the safety, the warmth, the protection from all the outside forces that seek to destroy the home of your heart, where love dwells. The devil seeks to break through the foundation of love that your heart is built on and strengthened by. He seeks to build up walls of anger, hatred, bitterness, and resentment so that love does not have an entry point. He then takes shame, guilt, faithlessness, selfishness and self-righteousness and makes them separate rooms so that one can dwell in them and not see God’s mercy, compassion, healing and peace. He makes no room for windows so that the light of Christ can shine through only darkness. And to top it all off, his roof is made of straw so that destruction can continue the vicious cycle of ressentiment, anger……The devil does not want us to have a home, just a house so that he can have more room to enter and destroy, one brick of hatred, one pillar of anger, one nail of pride and one wall of bitterness at a time. 

A house is just a building, but if it is built with love, maintained in love, and perseveres in love, the love of God as it shines forth from His sons and daughters, it becomes a HOME.

A house becomes a different type of dwelling when one chooses to dwell with God. When one chooses to dwell with God, their heart becomes God’s home. When I see a sign “house for sale”, I often wonder what took place in the house and what is being left behind as the house is put up for sale. When I see the sign “open house” I wonder what is being left open for others to see and what doors have been closed so that no one can see through or past them.

As Catholic Christians, as God’s sons and daughters, God’s home should be our heart. Our heart is what we open to God so that He can enter in and help us to become the best loving sons and daughters that we can be. God chose us before we came into existence. He created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. Only through, with and in Him can we experience true peace, and the sense of belonging that He alone can provide.

For this week let us take an opportunity to reflect on how our relationship with our God is renewed and strengthened through the reception of the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation. How our loving God invites us to ongoing transformation and conversion, and how through His grace we are able to seek ongoing renovations to our home so that we can be refreshed, restored, and renewed. Let us stand at the doorway where Christ is knocking and we can choose to open the door of our heart, mind and soul or keep it closed.

SUNDAY – “D” – Dependable

Do others see me as dependable or as one who can’t be relied on? Am I faithful in word and deed with my family, coworkers, community members?

Do I recognize the needs of others above my own or is everything all about me and what I want, to the point that others need become unimportant? Being dependable means being reliable, trustworthy, steadfast and faithful, do I see myself as dependable? Does God see me as dependable? For today, I will open the door of my heart, mind and soul, and close the door of unreliability

 

MONDAY – “O” – Open-minded

Being open minded can mean allowing the Spirit of God to enter in and take hold of us, because we hold no judgment but rather are unbiased, impartial and tolerant. Do you see yourself as open minded where God’s Holy Spirit can enter in to your mind, soul and spirit to the point where you are a greater reflection of that Spirit? Or are your mind, heart and spirit closed because of a need to be in control, or low self-image? For today, I will open the door of my heart, mind and soul, and close the door of a narrow, self-seeking mindset.

TUESDAY – “O” -Observant

Being observant can mean many things. It can mean that you have are detail oriented, and that you don’t seem to miss anything. Do you see yourself as observant? Whereas no detail is too small, Do you recognize changes or differences in your family members, yourself? colleagues? How are you spiritually observant? For today, I will open the door of my heart, mind and soul, and close the door of inattentiveness.

WEDNESDAY – “R” – Reliable

Being reliable, like dependable, means that others cannot only trust you, but that you trust yourself and don’t waver in matters of the heart. If you are reliable with small matters, you are reliable with larger matters. Do others see you as reliable? What is your tack record? If others do not see you as reliable, what reason or explanation can you offer for that or do you offer one excuse after another when you fail to come through, and others have had to suffer because of you not being dependable? is it a matter of excuses? Does God see you as a reliable follower? How? For today, I will open the door of my heart, mind and soul, and close the door of unreliability.

THURSDAY – “W” – Welcoming

Being a welcoming person can sometimes be a challenge, and a lot of work. Is it for you? Why is it a challenge to welcome the stranger, or your enemy into the home of your heart, mind and spirit? It is easier to close the door to others especially those who have hurt you, or even the perfect stranger than it is to welcome, allow entrance into your home. It takes work, it takes being hospitable, it takes a good ear to listen. Yet you do this often. Do you feel like you are a welcoming individual? Why or  why not? And would God agree?

For today, I will open the door of my heart, mind and soul, and close the door of judgment and rejection.

FRIDAY – “A” – Adaptable

When I think of being adaptable, or flexible, I think of Gumby, sorry…Pliable and easy to shape. God is the great potter, and we are His clay. He can shape us into whatever He wants, if we allow Him to. When it comes to being adaptable, it comes down to do we allow God to shape us into a greater reflection of His image, with our crosses and our tombs. As living tabernacles, we can choose to live and breathe Christ or hold our breath. For today, I will open the door of my heart, mind and soul, and close the door of rigidness and judgment

SATURDAY – “Y” – Young at heart

We’re all getting older. Are we becoming wiser in our older age or are we letting that number of years determine how we will act and treat others?  Jesus encourages us to be childlike, and not childish. Do you understand that? For today, I will open the door of my heart, mind and soul, and close the door of being an old know- it- all

 

GLIMPSE OF GOD FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 12, 2025

The weekly Glimpses of God are back and can be viewed on my website doctorcookiescorner.org, by a requested email and in hard copy format. For those who are receiving this week’s Glimpse of God for the first time, you might be asking why? And for those of you who haven’t received your weekly copy since February of this year, via email, hard copy or from my website, you might be asking why not?

For those of you who might not know, I have been writing the weekly Glimpse of God since 2016. The weekly Glimpse of God along with the daily reflections are God’s inspiration and Holy Spirit working through me as His humble instrument.  These Glimpses have also made their way into my latest book: Glimpses of God: Seeing God in Everyday Life; Christian Faith Publishing. For those of you who have missed reading my glimpses and were curious as to why they dropped off all of a sudden, let me summarize the why and the why not. Although I am a private person and am uncomfortable reciting the litany of aches and ailments, I have found that this year has afforded me the opportunity to discover or add a few verses to that litany, it is still very much a surprise to me when I see all that is included and in such a short period of time.

To summarize?? In the beginning of January, I was unable to tolerate the amount of pain that my body was experiencing, and I was admitted to Fox Chase Cancer Center for what turned out to be a 22-day visit.  This was the beginning of my health journey that took me 3.5 months in the hospital concluding with Bryn Mawr rehab. After Fox Chase and 2 bleeding ulcers, I was transferred to Jeanes Hospital then to Temple where the brain and heart surgery took place. My life completely changed with the brain aneurysm, followed by open heart surgery to repair the heart valve, then there were 2 mini strokes, 2 blood clots, high blood pressure, AFib, 3 major blood infections, the main fungus infection attacked the heart valve. After the 3. 5 months I was discharged to home where I underwent cardiac, physical and occupational rehab. I was not permitted to return to driving or volunteering at Assisi House until my clearances were obtained.  As I began to build up my endurance here at home, I found that, although the simple daily tasks were a challenge, they were not unsurmountable. To help meet the challenges of steps, being winded and feeling exhausted, John, in the midst of working full time, visiting me everyday, and taking care of the puppy, arranged to have an elevator put in our home.  

As I look back and still can’t seem to grasp how I went from healthy to not, it was only in and through God’s grace and the prayers of so many, that I am healing and becoming stronger each and every day. As I look at the bigger picture, I am inspired to write this glimpse.  I can honestly say that where I took certain things for granted; walking, steps, breathing, daily tasks, I have come to grow in a greater appreciation for them now.

 

“Walking”

This week’s Glimpse of God on “Walking” comes from these past several months and how something so simple and ordinary had become a challenge. As I look back, I see how I took walking for granted. As I reflected further, I began to ask questions like, why do we walk, what do we walk towards or away from. If we define walking as placing one foot in front of the other and this sounds so simple, what do we allow to deter us from placing one foot in front of the other each day? Who or what motivates us to place one foot in front of the other? What trips us up, makes us go backward, causes us to walk quickly or even stand still? Who or what sets our walking pace? Is it joy, happiness, love, fear, anxiety, stress or pain, and when these factors set the pace, do we think that we are in control, or do we allow God to be in control?  Where is God in our walking? Is He there as we place one foot in front of the other or even when we keep our feet still, firmly planted? Are we walking with God when we choose to sit down, standstill, or fail to go forward and regress to spiritually walking backwards? Are we walking with God when we need assistance because our bodies cannot walk any longer and we are restricted to being in a wheelchair or having to use a walker, rollator or a cane?

If we are healthy and can walk on our own yet we walk with a grudge, bitterness, or anger, are we walking with God or have we left Him and chose to walk alone? If we choose to carry bitterness and hatred, jealousy, and worry, are we really walking or are we limping along on our spiritual journey? As we walk, the very decision to walk involves making a choice and following it with an action. When we place one foot in front of the other, we do so that we can get to our destination, so that we can move forward.

Many times, as we place one foot in front of the other, we are not even aware of our actions. We were taught to walk as babies, and we have been doing it ever since.  When we were just babies and learning to walk, we smiled and laughed with our parents because we had just taken our very first steps by our self.  We may have fallen a few times, but we got right back up and kept going.  Today, as we get older, walking may be more difficult or challenging. The physical action of walking may be painful or leave us unsteady, yet each time we decide to place one foot in front of the other, despite the challenge we are facing, we progress forward to our destination.

Walking in our spiritual life is no different. When we choose to walk with our Lord, we may at times place one foot in front of the other with confidence, faith, and trust and yet there are other times as we think about placing one foot in front of the other, we become afraid and spiritually unsteady. As God’s beloved children, we need Him to lead and guide us on our spiritual life journey.

When we choose to walk without Him, it is like we are walking in the dark and our steps falter. Although we think and even try to walk alone because we want to be in control or feel that God has abandoned us because of our sinfulness, we are never alone and even when we fall short of being our best self, God lifts us up and helps us to become steady again.

Like our parents who were proud of us as we took our first steps, our God is always proud of us as we choose to take each step with Him. He smiles as we place one foot in front of the other despite the weight of our cross or the stress of life challenges. There may be times when we need the assistance of others to walk so that we don’t fall, or of a rollator, or wheelchair because our limbs can’t carry our weight, or a cane so that we do not lose our balance, yet all of these are not tools that God gives us to punish or embarrass us, but rather to assist us as we choose to walk with Him as He sees best. The choice to walk with Him is in response to the graces received at our baptism. We choose to walk with Christ on our earthly journey so that we can reach our final destination of being reunited with Him in heaven when our earthly journey has ended.

As with our physical health and the need to use the instruments or tools of a wheelchair, rollator, cane, walking stick, or walker, arises to help us walk and not be injured, it is similar in our spiritual life. The need to utilize the graces given to us through the of the Sacraments of the Church especially Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, enable us to walk with God and others.

Developing and nurturing a prayer relationship with God, spiritual support and guidance and community all are graces that empower us to walk with our Lord and each other so that we can become our best self, the person that God created us to be, and we have the potential to become. As children, tweens, young adults, and older adults, we may be able to physically walk without the assistance of a wheelchair, cane, rollator, walking stick, or walker. There are times as God’s beloved children, that we may think we are spiritually strong enough and in control, independent and self-supporting, and do not recognize the need for spiritual assistance, yet it is those very times that the devil is tempting us and pulling us away from God. He is making us believe that we do not need God or others on this earthly journey and that we can

 achieve eternal salvation on our own. It is those very times that we need the graces and the gifts of the sacraments, prayer, and others so that we do not fall and fail to get up, go backwards and not recognize that things are just wrong.

As we begin a new week during this beautiful season of autumn, let us choose to walk with God and others with a renewed sense of joy and happiness. Let our choice and our action to place one foot in front of the other remind us that Christ made that choice in our place and gave up His life freely, selflessly and without a grudge. Let us walk with each other with compassion and mercy.

Let us look at our steps backwards not with regret, shame, or guilt, but rather as transformative graces and gifts from God trusting that He knows our heart and our desire to do His will and when we fail to go forward, He has our back and uses the experience to help us so that we can become our best self, the person that HE created us to be and have the potential to become.

SUNDAY – “W” Walking alone or with others.

When we walk with others, do we see them as instruments of God’s peace in our life? When we walk by our self, are we able to recognize that we are instruments of God’s peace in the lives of others? When we walk alone or with others, do we look at our steps or just take them for granted? Each step on our spiritual journey is a step towards holiness as we all are sinners striving to become saints. Each step of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, love, reconciliation is a step towards us becoming our best self and helping others to become their best self in the light of God’s love. As builders of God’s kingdom here on earth, we can only build His kingdom one step, one prayer, one act of kindness, one act of mercy at a time.

For today: as you choose to walk alone or with others, look at each step you take as one step closer to seeing Christ in yourself and in them. As you seek to recognize Christ in all those you encounter, as well as when you look in the mirror, offer a prayer of gratitude to God for bringing you one step closer to seeing Him more clearly, loving Him more dearly and following Him more nearly each day.

 

MONDAY – “A” Assistance while you walk: cane, walker, rollator, dog or another’s hand.

The moment that we enter into being, the moment that we take our first breath, we can find our self needing the assistance of another, whether it be for a short time or an extended period of time. God places others like our parents, extended family members, friends and sometimes strangers to help us as we walk on our earthly journey. There are also times that we need the assistance of tools or instruments to help us walk. People can be there to offer us support and encouragement, yet there are times when God places His instruments to aid us as we walk.

These are not meant to deter from wanting to walk or taking the first steps, but rather to encourage us to take each step with courage and trust. When we are unsteady or unable to walk on our own, we have the gift of a wheelchair, cane, walking stick, or walker. These can be seen as gifts because they allow us to live with a quality of life that is better than remaining in bed or sedentary. These gifts allow us to get around, be mobile, walk with God and others and not be defeated or discouraged by our limitations. Although we may not be able to put one foot in front of the other without assistance, this does not diminish our self-worth or God’s love for us. In our spiritual life, God places instruments in our life to help us walk with a more steady pace. These instruments can look like the cane of courage, the walker of unwavering faith and dedication, the wheelchair of motivation and determination, the hand of humility and the feet of faithfulness.

It is in and through these instruments that God’s presence, His love, and His healing is occurring. As we seek to be open to God’s presence through these instruments and our surrender to God’s will in our life, we are being healed, not of the physical or spiritual limitations that requires us to use them, but rather the doubt, discouragement or frustrations of needing to ask for help. Jesus accepted help; how can we not?

For today: look at the many instruments that you use to assist you as you walk on your spiritual journey; others, humility, obedience, patience, acceptance, and openness, and as you walk, seek to recognize them as God’s instruments of love, for your healing and becoming whole. 

 

TUESDAY – “K” kickstarting – what gets you going, makes you walk: energy, others, nature. How do you begin your walk? Stressed out, weary, determined? Spiritually, how do you begin or what makes you walk with God or away from God? When we are happy, things are going well, we feel good, we can walk with joy in our step and with a quicker pace. We may walk as if the weight of our burdens or stresses, has been taken away or lessened, and it shows. What makes you walk with God? Your heart full of gratitude, your spirit overflowing with thanksgiving, your body being energized by the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that have been showered upon you.

What makes you walk away from God? Shame, weakness, sin, or guilt? As we choose to place one foot in front of the other, there are those things that can weigh our foot down so that we cannot walk right, we stumble and fall. The devil places that weight upon us because he knows that if our feet are stuck, we will also be stuck. If we allow our self to be afraid or ashamed of God because of our sin, guilt, weaknesses, or shortcomings, then the devil becomes the Kickstarter and we become the kicked. On our spiritual journey, as we discover or recognize those things that keep us from going forward, God gives us His grace and that is enough. He knows what we need and when, and that is when He places His grace in our life to motivate us to walk with Him and others.

For today: kickstart: Help another who is stuck and unable to get going, to go forward. Be their Kickstarter, their reason to turn over and begin anew, their instrument of peace. 

 

WEDNESDAY – “L” levels of walking: speed walking, amble or unsteady due to injury or illness

As you spend some quiet God time walking, do you have an idea of the spiritual pace that you are walking? Is your pace quick, so that you can just go to the next thing on your check list? You gave God some time, now you have move on.  Is your pace more like a meander pace where you want to be still with God, yet not completely still so that you have to listen more, where you might hear Him tell you how much He loves you, adores you and wants the best for you, and this might make you want to run and not walk? Is your pace unsteady due to the spiritual injuries that you have suffered at the hands of others or that you have caused? Is your pace unsteady due to dis -ease where you need to, desire to, experience the healing graces of God in the sacrament of reconciliation?

For today: Look at your pace and ask God to help you walk at a pace that will allow you to grow closer to Him, and others. A pace that will bring forth a greater spirit of humility so that you do not choose to walk ahead of others because of pride or self-righteousness.

A pace that will allow you to walk with compassion and accompany those who are behind you. Not because of their education level, their addiction, or their status, but because of the weight of their cross is slowing them down.   A pace that will invoke mercy from you as you want to pass them by, where you want to leave them on the road so that you can get ahead and leave them in their sin, their bad choice, and their weakness. A pace that will help you to stop and see yourself as God sees you, His beloved child, loved unconditionally and His greatest creation. For today: Pace yourself. 

THURSDAY – “I” what is your incentive to walk: better health, lose weight, quiet time.

As you decide to take a walk, what is your incentive, who or what is behind you wanting to put one foot in front of the other? There are probably days when we have woken up and getting out of bed was more of a challenge than it needed to be. We might have been weary from not getting enough sleep, pure exhaustion set in as we looked at what needed to be done that day, we may not have been feeling well physically, the weather may have been dreary or whatever reason, I think we can all say that we have experienced those kinds of days. It is on those types of days where we had to make a conscious choice to get out of bed, place one foot in front of the other and go forward, verses putting the covers over our head, pressing the snooze button, and hoping none caught on. So, as we can all recall those kinds of days, what motivated you to get out of bed, place one foot in front of the other and walk with God, others or for yourself? Was it your commitment to get healthy, stay healthy or to lose weight? Was it to honor and reverence your quiet time with God? Was it to bond with your dog and embrace their unconditional love, support, and affection? For today: as you recognize what your incentive is that makes you want to walk with God, others and for yourself, be encouraged by it, cherish it, pray for it, and share its fruit with others.

 

FRIDAY – “N” nature walking; to observe, appreciate and be in awe of God’s creation.

Walking in nature is a like walking in grace because in and through all of God’s creatures and creation, He is alive and well, present and bursting with light and love. God is everywhere especially in His creation that shines through the windows of our home and our heart. God’s love shines through the window of our heart, that place where love dwells and there is no room for darkness. God’s love dwells in and through the windows of our homes, where the beauty, the color, the radiating joy bursts forth, where we can behold God through his creatures that hover above or crawl below. What an awesome walk.

For today: as you walk in nature or observe nature from inside, take a moment to recognize the many gifts of creation; birds and bugs, animals, and trees, that you are being given the gift to behold and thank God for each of them. As we strive to recognize the many gifts that are before us, may we open the eyes of our heart, mind, and spirit to recognize the gift that we are before God and others.

SATURDAY – “G” God time walking where your walk is your prayer.

How do you pray when you walk? Is your God time, the quiet time that you choose to reverence Him and your relationship with Him, either inside or outside, a time that allows you the opportunity to grow in your relationship with Him? Is your walk with God focused on the steps that you take going forward where you want to grow in your relationship with Him? Is your walk focused on the steps where you have gone backwards due to sin, weakness or shame and you truly desire to go forward and be reconciled? Or is your God time a time where you have stopped walking or felt that you could not walk any further? You only want to rest in the Lord? Our spiritual journey walk is one of greatness in that God can accomplish great things through us if we allow Him. When we realize that we do not have the energy or desire to walk one more step, it does not mean that we chose to stop walking with the Lord. It is in those times where and when God chooses to carry us so that we can be renewed, healed and whole.

For today: Allow God to carry you without complaining or condemning yourself. God knows our heart, our needs, and our limitations. When He chooses to carry us, it is not because He wants us to think that we have failed, so when we want to judge our self harshly as being too weak or incapable, let us be reminded that even Jesus accepted help in carrying His cross, and as His followers we are called to be Simon of Cyrene to others and allow others to be Simon to us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of February 16th, 2025

EAGLES!!!!! SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!

Of course, what else would the topic be for this week?

The Eagles football team not only won the Superbowl this past weekend, but they also celebrated with thousands of their closest friends, otherwise known as avid Philadelphia Eagles fans. After playing their best game, February 9th, will be remembered as one of unity, mutual support, determination and sportsmanship of both the players and fans of the city of Philadelphia, as well as nationwide. It has also been a source of great inspiration to all of Philadelphia; the avid sports fans as well as those who have been unexpectedly drawn in by the excitement and thrill of our very own football team achieving the greatest honor a football team can accomplish:  WINNING THE SUPERBOWL AND TAKING HOME THE VINCE LOMBARDI TROPHY.

The team played and interacted so well both on the field and off off the field. So many times, we have seen professional ball players be aloof to their fans or face legal issues, but this team is different. They personify the aspect of teamwork and supporting one another in good times and bad. They have fun and that is apparent in all of the news coverage and many

outreach programs they sponsor with a sense of love, compassion and empathy.

SO, as look back at the past week, the win, the snow, the parade, as well as Saint Valentine day, and possessing continuing bragging rights about it all, let us take time to thank God for the team that has represented His presence of being good role models of compassion, support, encouragement and selflessness to their fans, the city and those in need. But let us not lose sight of where God is, has been and will continue to be. He resides in the lives and hearts of all of us as His beloved children.  I believe that as you journey through the week  the various reflections will not only help you  grow as a more prayerful person, but will also help you to see that when one plays on a team, as a true teammate, a good role model, a mentor, these qualities shine through. We are all members of God's team. We are all members of the Christian faith that calls us to build each  other up, strengthen each other and see the good in each other. I believe that the Eagles strive to exemplify these qualities on and off the field.

SUNDAY, “E” = Empathetic

We are all called to extend empathy towards others. As followers of Christ and God’s beloved children, we are given the grace to walk with others through our care, concern, prayers and presence.

As you begin a new week, look to those in need, not to pity them, but rather to extend God’s compassion. Ask God to show you how you can be His instrument of empathy, care and kindheartedness and pray for the grace to respond. Empathy requires humility but rewards you with peace and spiritual fulfillment.

 

 

MONDAY “A” = Agile

Do you consider yourself agile? Have you ever considered yourself as being spiritually agile? To discover the answer to this question, I suggest that in your prayer, ask yourself and God if you are swift to answer His call or invitation  to be the best person that you can be, the person that He created you to be  and have the potential to become? Do you see yourself as one that is responsive to God’s call to serve Him by serving the needs of others? Does living out your faith come easily, are you on fire or do you feel as though your fire has become a little spark? Do you believe that God is with you, that He loves you unconditionally and that you are His beloved child? Can you imagine that He wants your spark to become a fire that draws others to want to know Him better through you?

For today, as you journey through the beginning of the workweek, ask God to increase your desire to be an instrument that draws others to Him. Ask for the grace to allow Him to take and make your sparks more like a great fire of love, faith and devotion, that draws other to love Him more dearly, see Him more clearly and follow Him more nearly in and through your example. 

 

TUESDAY, “G” = Grateful

Do you have a grateful heart? Do you find that you have much to be grateful for? Do you remember to thank God for the gift of the very next breath that you take, the gift of a new day, the gift of family and friends, colleagues and community that surround and embrace you, the gift of your crosses that have strengthened you, made you a better and more empathetic person and have drawn you closer to Christ, the gift that has been implanted in you of a deeper love and concern for others, for the gifts of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, peace and joy that being a follower of Christ has made you a recipient of?

In your prayer today, reflect on the gift of gratitude that God has given you. Pray always for a grateful heart and seek to spread that desire to others especially those who are struggling and cannot recognize any reason to be thankful or grateful. For today, as you encounter family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, community members and even the stranger, take time to sincerely thank them for some quality that you recognize in their presence that has made you appreciate them more and has allowed you see God more clearly in them.

 

WEDNESDAY, “L” = Loving

Do you think that you are a loving and kind person? What does it mean to be a loving person? Do you think that it means being perfect?  Being a loving person begins with desire and is complete with fulfillment. If one desires to be a loving person, a desire that can only originate with and from God, and seeks to follow through on that desire, can be a very loving person. Love is of God, finds its origin in God and grows only through God’s grace. In our sinful nature, that nature that Jesus died on the cross to redeem, God loved us into being and calls us to love in return. It is in our loving, that of God, self and others,

we grow in a habit to love, to seek the good in others, to forgive others, to reach out seeking forgiveness and to bind the wounds and be God’s healing instrument of love.

So today, as you communicate and interact with others, seek love. Look for love, that of the presence of God in those with whom you interact with and see how they interact with you.

Do they see the love of God within you, in your presence, surrounding you in and through your words, attitudes, actions, and deeds?

A truly loving person sees the positive before recognizing the negative, sees the good before pointing out the bad, recognizes and embraces that we are all God’s beloved sons and daughters, sinners as well, before judging and casting out.

For today, what the world needs now is love sweet love……..be that love today.

 

THURSDAY, “E” = Esteemed

It is tough to accept being esteemed by others. It seems more like an ago trip than a trip on humility highway. Yet as Christians, who truly seek to follow Christ and bring others to know Him better, we can be esteemed by others and that is not a bad quality, if it doesn’t go to one’s head. Who do you hold in high esteem? Why? Who holds you in high esteem? And why? For today, take a look at whom you hold in high esteem and look at the reasons?

If they are God centered, have brought you to know God better, and have helped you grow in your relationship with His Son and our Mother Mary, then thank God for such a great gift. If others hold you in true genuine God centered esteem, ask God to show you how you can improve, build on, grow in His love, the very love that has attracted others to Him through you.

 

FRIDAY, “S” = Selfless

Being selfless means being other centered and not selfish. It can be hard to be selfless when others seek to be more selfish and self-centered. One cannot be God centered if they are always looking at what they can get, acquire, own or have. God wants us to grow and become the best persons that we can be, the best person that He created us to be, and have the potential to become, but yet we get in the way of what God’s will is for us when we seek to have things our way and not His.

Jesus died on the cross for us. It was a free selfless act. He chose to die for us and when we suffer, when we are wounded, He is dying with us as we die to self.  When we unite our pain with His, when we choose not to be bitter, but rather to forgive, then we are being selfless. For today, look at the many ways that you are selfless: as a parent, as a spouse, as an employee, and ask God for the grace to grow in that humility and love that has placed His will first before any selfish will of yours.

SATURDAY, “1” = One

There is only 1 God, 1 you, 1 eagles team, and 1 chance for them to win the super bowl today.

We are all given special gifts and talents by God to be used to glorify and praise Him. Let us pray that the Eagles players continue to glorify God by being their best off season so that they can play their best next season. Being their best off season as they serve their community, focus on their faith, raising their family, being true to themselves and true to their God. We are all called to be team players and that involves cooperating, contributing to and allowing growth by not being the teacher, but rather the humble student.  We win when we see that we have become our best self, the person that God created us to be and seek to rise to our potential, and when we have helped others to recognize what their best self looks like, recognize that they are God’s beloved child so that they continue to seek to see the good in both teams during the low times and in the high times. For today, seek not to diminish the other team by mean and degrading words or behaviors, for when we do that we are not giving glory to God.