PAX ET BONUM: Fr david Berger

Jesus send the apostles to spread the kingdom, cast out demons, bring healing to wherever they go. How do we set out each morning? Do we have a sense of purpose, mission, and direction in our life? Why do we leave off for the ordained when the unordained are just as equipped.

Why do we make life complicated? Why does everything seem so hard and difficult? Why not jut simplify! Jesus cuts to the chase into day's gospel with great precision, "hear it, do it, done!"

We all experience the cost of living but do we understand the price of life?What do we focus on in life? Where is our attention? How much of it goes to our spiritual well being, which is meant to contextualize everything else.What profit to gain the whole world and lose our soul? Who do we serve?

St PAul exhorts Timothy to compete well for the faith by pursuing righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Our life is a competition and i like to equate it to a triathlon, where there are multiple stages we must embrace. Being Christian is truly a "cross-training" endeavor daily.

WE reflect on the Luke 7:36 ff where the sinful women washes the feet of JEsus with her tears, wipes them with her hair, anoints them with oil. What a moving encounter with true contrition and sorrow. We see how sorrow bolsters love.

What is the pendulum of life. What is that single point, that pivot, the rock un which our life moves. Where do find the foundation of stability rather than getting swept up in the whims and fancies of each generation.

Today we reflect on the life of St. Robert Bellarmine, a jesuit from the 16th century. HE was short in stature but bold in proclamation of the word.

We read from Luke ch 15. The questions that arises for our meditation is, "does God have favorites?" It seems that he does. Then we take a brief journey through the story of the prodigal son and discover that both the younger and older sons are lost and in need of being found as do we, not in a lifetime but daily.

Today we reflect on Friday the 13th. Fridays have never been the same since the crucifixion and even the superstition of the 13th day cant derail the beauty of the cross that is the measure of the world. JEsus remind us in the gospel to remove the wooden beams from our eyes. Wooden beams can be used to build walls that separate or bridges that unite, we must choose.

We reflect on sharp dressed men and women. What do we put on in our life.

JEsus calls the twelve and names them apostles. THey each are unique and together the seem worlds apart. Yet in Christ they are all united. Christ the energizing force helps us get the better of our differences rather than letting our differences get the better of our.

We reflect on what it means to be an intentional disciple and to go the distance. We seek advice for Rocky Balboa. We also investigate unhappiness. What is our program for happiness, Jesus lays a plan for us all.

What holds things together when it all falls apart?

Jesus invites Peter to put out into the deep for a catch only to have Peter astonished, humbled, and eager to leave everything behind. A similar thing happens to many men and women like Mother Teresa who heard JEsus call and she was willingly to follow.

HOW do we greet one another? What if we did what St Paul does and greet one another with grace and peace of God our Father? What motivates us daily? What about our reservations set in heaven?