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Received Food for Thought

This was forwarded to me. It gave me some thought.

5 CENTS TOO MUCH

A priest moved to a new parish and some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the city.

When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him 5 cents too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the 5 cents back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only 5 cents. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet."

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door then he handed the 5 cents to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver with a smile replied, "Aren't you the new priest in my parish? I have been thinking lately about going to mass. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday"

When the priest stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest lamp post, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for 5 cents."

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.

This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Catholics and will put us to the test! Always remember (as I try to remember) that you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself "Catholic."

Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

16th Sunday in OT

"Some lose their health to make money...
and then lose their money to restore their health.

Some live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived."

In our lives, in the way we live, there are a lot ironies.

Many of us "like headless chicken", scamper around, aimlessly.
Some work, and work, and work, and yet remain unfulfilled.
Some seek leisure, more leisure, endless leisure, and yet remain deeply, unhappy.
Some enter into one relationship, to another, and another, and yet remain incomplete.
Some accumulate wealth, more wealth, and more wealth, and yet remain uncontented.
Many of us go through life but not find meaning.
Something in us seeks something more than what the world can offer.
This is because we are in this world, but we are not of this world. Genesis tells us, that we are made in the image and likeness of God. St. Augustine shares his insight: God has made us for himself. Our hearts are restless, until they rest in God.

This of course, we know. But often, we forget. And we remember only when we find time to reflect, to look into ourselves, to listen to God.

Prayer and our day to day activities are like two oars of the boat of our lives. If we keep rowing with only one, we will reach nowhere. We keep rowing and rowing, and we seem to move. Move yes, but only in circles. The boat of our lives would move only if we row with both oars - the oar of prayer and action - the oar of listening to God, and the oar of acting, working for a better life.