Sunday, October 20, 2024

To Autumn

For the past month I have been intrigued by the beauty of the changing leaves. Cooler mornings and cold evenings have been happening more frequently. There is a true beauty to fall. I came across the poem To Autumn by John Keats. As you read it take some time to enjoy the beauty of autumn today.

To Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
  Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
  With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
  And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
    To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
  With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
    For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
  Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
  Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
  Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
    Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
  Steady thy laden head across a brook;
  Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
    Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
  Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
  And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
  Among the river sallows, borne aloft
    Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
  Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
  The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,
    And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Written September 19, 1819; first published in 1820. This poem is in the public domain.



Sunday, October 13, 2024

Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

In today’s Gospel, a young man approaches Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replies that one must follow the commandments. The man acknowledges that he has observed all of these since his childhood. Jesus then says that only one thing is lacking: he must give his possessions to the poor and follow Jesus. The man leaves in sadness, and Mark tells us that this is because he had many possessions. This is a unique passage as the young man went away sad.  Encounters with Jesus usually end with the person being happy and grateful. In this story it is not the case.

Jesus makes two requirements of the wealthy man who approaches him. First, he must give up his possessions. The second requirement Jesus makes of this man is the invitation that Jesus extends to all would-be disciples: “follow me.” Jesus very much wants this man to be his disciple.

What does this Gospel mean for us as we move forward. Perhaps it is a call to give yourself first to God. Ground yourself in God and everything else will be blessed by God and fall into place. Let us live this day in joy rather than despair. May we hear and believe the responsorial psalm “Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!” May we be filled with the love and mercy of God every day!




Sunday, October 6, 2024

Pray for Peace in the Middle East

 

Monday, October 7th marks the 1 year anniversary of thekidnapping of the hostages which escalated the conflict in the Middle East. As we mark this somber anniversary let us pray for peace in our hearts, our homes, and our universe. May peace reign in the hearts of all.

Peace in the Middle East

God of mercy and compassion,
of grace and reconciliation,
pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East:
Jews, Muslims and Christians,
Palestinians and Israelis.
Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces,
and peace and justice could be experienced by all.

- Reverend Said