Then the LORD said (to Elijah), “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” 
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD – but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake – but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire – but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” 1 Kings 19:11-13
Why are YOU here?
Was it to discover magnificent colors? Was it to find colorful music or awesome videos? Was it just curiosity? Was it accidental? Were you really looking for God, for Hope, for true LOVE somewhere in this menagerie we call the web? Or were you just hiding in a cave, waiting on the Lord to whisper in your ear – a Word – LIFE! Life, it’s in You! And YOU are beautiful in the Eyes of God, no matter what the world may say or think.
You are Loved, beloved!!
Every day the Lord whispers in our ears – Words of HOPE, Words of LOVE, and maybe not even words – just His JOY in our hearts. Let’s follow the Scriptures of our daily Mass and see if we can catch those Words – simple but beautiful Whispers to the Wind . . .
For Daily Scripture Quotes:
Link to Scriptures by Date
To find Quote sources, click on Link above, select Today’s Readings or pick date from calendar.
Link for information on the day’s saints is at the bottom of this page.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quotes for reflection:
02-28-13
Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD...
But,
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD…
I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways, according
to the merit of his deeds. Jer 17:5-10
So where are our hearts, beloved?
Is our trust, our survival teetering on the foolish antics of deviant
government leaders, targeting the destruction of a nation
created by “TRUST in God”?
Or, is our faith, our trust in God so great that we thank Him every minute of the day
for the one job that keeps us fed, sheltered and always able to give to those who
truly need Him and us – in order to stay sane, to stay alive!
NEVER let go of that Faith, beloved.
God knows our hearts!
Jesus told a parable about a greedy, rich man who was condemned in death.
And in the heaping, burning coals of hell the man pleaded for his
greedy relatives. But knowing the hardness of their hearts he was told,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they
be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’ Lk 16:19-31
Trust in God, beloved, NOW, while we’re still alive.
Believe the signs – they’re all around us.
Allow metanoia into our hearts.
Before it’s too late!
02-27-13
The prophet Jeremiah said to the LORD,
“Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life?
Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf,
to turn away your wrath from them.” Jer 18:18-20
It’s the age-old question – “What IS the matter with them?”
“Here I am trying to save their lives and they’re trying to kill me!
And so I have no recourse but to pray to my God to save me.
No other options. My life is in Your Hands O God!”
Funny, you know what, it not only is now, but it always has been – in His Hands.
The perfectly healthy, exercisers and dieters one day just die of a heart attack.
While the lazy, the obese, the smokers and evil ones just seem to last forever!
(Well, maybe not statistically, but it just seems that way.)
Almost makes one want to give up, become a glutton, go wild.
Give up on Caring!
But NO!
As Christians, we know better!
There’s more to the big picture than just this little piece that we’re living.
That’s WHY there were people like Jeremiah and Isaiah and Jesus!
They told us that it’s not ABOUT ME.
It’s exactly that ‘Caring’ that will Save us in the long run.
Jesus reinforces that concept today in responding to his disciples
request to become GREAT in His kingdom. He said,
“whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
And He himself lived, modeled the example. . .
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mt 20:17-28
The epitome of Caring!
When we can Care so much about the ‘Other’ that we’re willing
to offer our ALL for their sake, then we’re about as close
to reaching that Kingdom as we can possibly be.
Then we know the true meaning of
LOVE!
02-26-13
Jesus said, “The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Mt 23:1-12
Many years ago I began attending daily Mass at 6:30 am in our parish.
It seemed that most of the people who came, had been coming to that early
Mass for many years before I ever started. They each had their own
personal seat and if you had inadvertently sat in someone’s personal seat,
you’d certainly get the evil eye, or maybe even a word the next day.
But one thing I noticed was that it was all so solemn.
Not many people spoke with one another.
And they all seemed to glum.
So one day I got the bright idea of holding the door open for them.
With a smile and warm greeting every morning,
I hoped to see if we could break the gloom.
It was funny, in the beginning I would get the strangest looks.
“What are you, the deacon, doing holding the door?”
“Isn’t that way below you?”
Oh what looks I’d get!
And hmmm, I thought, isn’t service what a deacon is supposed to do?
Some people would actually park in the far lot so that they could
come in the back way to avoid my holding the door for them.
It took years for some of them to actually accept
the door holding and greeting.
Even today, some still prefer to pout and grump.
“That’s OK, if it’s their way,” I say. We’ll keep giving it our “best College try!”
But now, after some 10-years of door holding, our regulars have
come to expect it. I’ll even get a chastising if I’m late or sick a day.
Funny, I can even get myself “fired” from my volunteer job!
And the point was never to exalt myself. It was purely to cheer up
some morning grumpiness. It actually was humbling and at times still is.
But now I find more people want to stop and chat a minute.
We’re finally getting a little deeper than just “Nice morning.”
In the end, my hope is that someday, when I really am gone,
some nice soul will take up the spot – the very humbling
yet exalted spot of early morning door greeter!
What an awesome and blessed job!
What an awesome Lord to serve for.
Peace in Christ, beloved,
with my Love always!
02-25-13
Jesus said, “the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.” Lk 6:36-38
That’s quite profound! Yet it fits right in with the
‘Golden Rule’ – “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.”
But this goes beyond. Not just expect back what you
hand out: bad begets bad and good begets good,
but how much bad or how much good.
Judgment of others will have others judging you.
Yet, caring and giving, and smiling and loving
will get those simple things back too!
Am I cheap with my giving?
Am I reluctant with my caring?
Do I wait for them to smile before I do?
Or does my smile get them to smile?
That is such an awesome reward for so simple a gesture!
Doesn’t always work, but most times does!
Then top it off with a sincere complement,
and the “measures”
just keep getting bigger!
Love and be LOVED!
Thank you for visiting, beloved.
And may our Loving God bless you, richly
now and always!
02-24-13
(2nd Sunday of Lent C)
Faith, the change that brings Light to the darkness…
God promised Abraham a huge line of descendants
and a land in which they were to live.
Abraham had no children (yet).
Then Abraham questioned God, “How will I know?”
God had Abraham make a blood path.
(This was the path of promise that
the fathers of a newly betrothed
couple would walk through,
stating that they would give their
life’s blood should anything
impede that marriage.)
Then, after Abraham had passed through a terrifying darkness,
God, as the LIGHT of a torch and the incense of a fire pot,
passed through that blood path Himself to prove
to Abraham that He truly meant what He said.
“It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with
Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.’“
“Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him
as an act of righteousness.” Gn 15:5-12, 17-18
All of this prefigured another great transformation
in Faith. This time much later, with the Apostles, Peter, James and John.
As Jesus was transfigured, in the glowing purity of His Glory, a dark cloud enveloped the Apostles causing them great fear.
And out of the cloud, out of the darkness, came a voice saying, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” Lk 9:28b-36
Later there would be another blood path through which God Himself,
this time Jesus, would pass through. And that path would be
created from His own blood. And the promise would
be given to us, beloved.
If we have Faith in that Covenant promise,
then out of the darkness of sin and evil,
we too would be offered New Life, in His LIGHT,
in His LOVE, both now and for eternity.
And we will dwell in that ‘land’ of His Kingdom forever!
FAITH!
02-23-13
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you, that you may
be children of your heavenly Father,” Mt 5:43-48
Probably the easiest way out of this one is just
not to have any enemies.
But that could be pretty tricky too.
For it seems no matter what we do or say,
there’s always someone who disagrees.
And no matter what we have or don’t have,
there’s always someone who wants more out of us.
So what do we do, hide in a closet?
I don’t think that’s quite what Jesus had in mind either.
Then, how do we psychologically deal with someone who
maliciously hurts us or someone we deeply love?
You see, they may not have been our enemies in the first place.
We may not have even known them.
But now they certainly are!
Ever notice how much our anger and our hatred just eats us up inside.
It’s really not hurting anyone but ourselves.
And why would we want to hurt ourselves? There surely are always
lots of other people who purposely or inadvertently can do that.
Maybe that’s the whole point.
If we can possibly, even remotely, begin to eliminate all the
hatred, anger and revenge in our lives, then just maybe,
we’ll begin to have more time to LOVE.
And it never meant love the act, love the meanness in others.
It meant just don’t hate. And then, the closer we can come
to “loving” instead of hating, the closer we will
come to the “perfection” of God.
Jesus gave us the example – as he excruciatingly hung on that cross,
praying to His Father to forgive those very people who put Him there . . .
‘For they know not what they are doing’
When we CAN accomplish this, beloved,
then we are well on our way to
His Kingdom!
May the Peace of Christ overwhelm YOU in Love!
02-22-13
(The Chair of St. Peter)
Jesus asked his disciples “who do you say that I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.“
How SURE are we, beloved, to immediately reply,
without thought, without hesitation,
that Jesus truly is the Son of the Living God?
If we truly believe that, then we’d recognize that every Word Jesus spoke
has TREMENDOUS impact on our lives. And if we remember
none of those Words, save one, that Word is
LOVE.
02-21-13
Jesus taught His disciples,
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” Mt 7:7-12
We call it “the Golden Rule.”
It says, If I want peace in the world, it has to start with me.
If I want forgiveness, I must be the first to forgive.
If I want justice and fairness, it has to start with me.
But if I slap my brother, how can I not expect to get slapped back,
maybe not today, because I’m bigger, but beware a day will come.
Jesus endured, He let it be – for now . . .
and the moral is, to LOVE, beloved,
if that’s what we would have them do for us,
maybe not today,
but that day will come!
BELIEVE it!
02-20-13
Jonah walked through Nineveh, loudly proclaiming,
“Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” Jon 3:1-10
Sometimes, it’s not a whisper at all, but a LOUD shouting voice.
“Do this. Don’t do that. Can’t you read the sign?“
The King of Nineveh ‘read’ it, and saved his city!
‘And the sign says . .
“I Love YOU ou ou!
Come on back to the Lord.”
02-19-13
Jesus said, “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father
will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will
your Father forgive your transgressions.” Mt 6:7-15
Ever notice that whenever we’re so quick to judge others
actions or looks or thoughts, we ourselves end up
in a situation thinking or looking or acting
that same way. God gave us this awesome
gift of the ability to forgive and be forgiven,
IN LOVE !
02-18-13
The LORD spoke to Moses, “You shall not bear hatred for your brother
in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him,
do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and
cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD.” Lv 19:1-2, 11-18
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger
and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you,
whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine,
you did for me.’ Mt 25:31-46
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
(Whoever he/she may be)
02-17-13
(First Sunday of Lent C)
In His hunger, Jesus answered His tempter,
“It is written, ‘One does not live on bread alone.’”
Then offered “the world,” in his humility and loneliness,
Jesus answered His tempter, “It is written:
‘You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.’”
And challenged about His authority, Jesus answered His tempter,
“It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’” Lk 4:1-13
And St. Paul affirms, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.” Rom 10:8-13
So ‘fear not’ beloved, but believe!
Know Jesus in the Scriptures. Know Jesus in your prayers.
And Know that whatever temptations may come,
He will always save you!
02-16-13
After Jesus invited Levi, or Matthew, the tax collector, to
become a follower, Levi had a banquet for Jesus, His disciples,
Levi’s friends and the Pharisees. But the Pharisees complained that
Jesus consorted and ate with sinners.
Jesus answered, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician,
but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance
but sinners.” (Among whom were the Pharisees themselves!)
Lk 5:27-32
Just makes us think. Who is it that I consider a sinner
or an outcast or just not worthy to be associated
with my Jesus?
That’s when Jesus is most loudly calling me to repentance.
That’s when I should be most deeply aware that
it’s me who’s now being the Pharisee.
That’s when I most need the healing of the Master Physician,
JESUS!
02-15-13
The LORD said, through the prophet Isaiah,
“This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.” Is 58:1-9a
Is there something, EVERY DAY, I can do to help someone
other than myself? Maybe that should be my fast.
Make a journal of all the little things I have done each day
to lift a Spirit, to bring comfort, to feed or to clothe
the needy. And then remember HOW MANY
others there are out there whom I may have missed.
Happy Valentine’s Day Beloved!
02-14-13
Before entering their “promised land”, Moses said,
“I have set before you life and death,
the blessing and the curse.
Choose life…” Dt 30:15-20
(. . follow the way of the Lord, your God)
Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.“
What are we willing to lose, beloved, for the sake of Jesus?
What are we hanging on to so strongly that keeps us from
giving a little more of ourselves for others?
Maybe it’s time to give it up and
LIVE!
02-13-13
(Ash Wednesday)
“Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.” Joel 2:12-18
Two camps:
Those who say, “I proudly display those ashes upon my head
because I’m a Catholic! So there!”
Hummm – Thought it said ‘Your hearts and not your garments.’
Or maybe instead, thinking / saying,
“I’m willing to be embarrassed by this mark,
because this is a sign of my love for God and my neighbor.
So ask me, and I’ll tell you about that Love!“
or Camp 2, who say –
“Phew, Church is over.
Quick rub that mark off. Or maybe I’ll wear bangs today.”
Hummm, Are you so embarrassed of your Faith, of your Lord,
or so uncertain of what you profess to believe in, that you
hide it in a closet?
Remember, He DIED for YOU!
“Ah, but that was a long time ago.
And if someone asks me about it, I won’t even know what to say!”
Hmmm, does that tell you something?
“Yeah but Jesus said, ‘when you fast, anoint your head and
wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who
sees what is hidden will repay you.‘ Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
. . . So God knows what’s in my heart.”
That’s ABSOLUTELY right, beloved!
Guess the question is, “What IS in your heart?”
Is it LOVE?
Does a little black mark really matter that much?
It’s not a pride thing! It’s not an embarrassment thing.
It’s a FAITH thing.
I love my God, I love Jesus, I love YOU, SO VERY MUCH,
that I’m willing to wear this little mark on my forehead
as a sign of that love.
And I’d love nothing more than for you to have that LOVE too . . .
IN YOUR HEART!
. . . and you know what?
I’m Catholic too!
02-12-13
“God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.” Gn 1:20—2:4a
CREATED, BLESSED, IN THE DIVINE IMAGE.
That’s YOU, beloved!
And everyone else whom we’re so judgmental about.
They’re not ours to judge – just Love!
02-11-13
“God saw how good it was.” Gn 1:1-19
. . . ALL of Creation – the light, the sky, the sea and the land,
the animals and the fish, the plants and the trees.
And EVEN mankind was GOOD in God’s eyes.
And, you know what, we STILL are, beloved.
We just all need to know that. We were Created GOOD!
So let’s not allow what’s not good to overcome us.
We have the power to BE as God Created us,
GOOD!
So let’s strive to find that Good in everyone,
and then acclaim it to the world!
02-10-13
(Fifth Sunday Ordinary Time C)
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’
‘Here I am,’ I said; ‘send me!’” Is 6:1-2a, 3-8
Who am I? A man of unclean lips and unclean thoughts.
But by your blazing fire you will cleanse me.
And I will say – Here I am Lord, send me!
Likewise, Peter said to Jesus,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” . . .
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
How much are we willing to leave behind, beloved,
to follow after HIM?
And in that following, in that losing of everything,
GAIN eternal life – gain MORE than everything!
COME!
02-09-13
“May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead
the great shepherd of the sheep by the Blood of the eternal covenant,
furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.”
Heb 13:15-17, 20-21
For I know that . . .
“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
(And whatever happens to this body in-between the day that I was born
and the day that I return to him, I also KNOW that . . . )
“. . I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.” . . .
FOREVER!
Just came back from a funeral Mass for one of the greatest priests I’ve ever known.
A man who suffered with every breath he took for many, many years.
Didn’t hear ONE soggy nose or see one weepy eye!
Everyone just KNEW that he is unquestionably in the arms of our LORD.
And now he’s hearing our prayers and
looking around at us in thanksgiving for all the blessings.
May our Loving God Bless you richly, Fr. David.
And may you always continue to watch over us,
as we know that one day we WILL join you,
in Paradise, with Jesus!
02-08-13
Too many awesome quotes today…
“Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have
unknowingly entertained angels.” Heb 13
Hmmmmm, good thought for EVERYONE we ever run into.
Even ANGELS!
(And, oh by the way, I saw an angel this morning, wisping by my bedroom door.
No words, no sound, just caught between the dimensions of sight and spirituality.
And since I know that no one ever reads these Whispers, I really don’t have
to worry about anyone thinking I’m crazy. Isn’t God awesome! Angels!
Looks like St. Paul, or at least the writer of Hebrews knew too!)
“I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?“
Today’s Gospel is about the murder of John the Baptist.
Then we can think about the MULTITUDE of Saints
who were martyred for their faith.
WHAT can anyone do to me? Even death,
will not keep me from Jesus!
For . . .
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.“
What comfort, beloved. What HOPE!
02-07-13
Sending his disciples out in pairs to preach
the Good News to the world, Jesus instructed them to,
“take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.“
Unprepared? Maybe, but maybe not.
The Holy Spirit prepared them all, well.
They really didn’t need any material supplies
for what they were called to do.
And when they were done, it was found that:
“The Twelve drove out many demons, and they
anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” Mk 6:7-13
Miracles? Maybe, but maybe not.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us,
we just might be surprised at what we can accomplish.
And then again, with Jesus at our side,
that’s really no surprise!
Happy Thursday, beloved!
02-06-13
(St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs)
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.” Mk 6:1-6
Amazing, how Love can elicit such disdain, such hatred, such evil.
St. Paul Miki prayed for his persecutors, even as they hung
him on a cross and were about to lance him to death.
How BLESSED are you, beloved, who
day by day come to visit the simple reflections
of a mere servant, exposing the LORD’s Word
to the world outside his house.
God LOVE you always!
02-05-13
(St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr)
St. Paul said, “Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader
and perfecter of faith.” Heb 12:1-4
This “cloud of witnesses” is the Communion of Saints,
who lead, guide and give us the model of true faith in Jesus.
Of whom St. Agatha is a beautiful witness to us.
Jesus said to the hemorrhaging woman who was healed upon touching his cloak,
“Daughter, your faith has saved you.”
He said to the synagogue official, whose daughter had died,
“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
And He said to the little dead girl,
“Little girl, I say to you, arise!” Mk 5:21-43
FAITH, beloved, it gives us courage, saves and heals us,
even in the midst of persecution,
even in the extreme of
torture.
St. Agatha
02-04-13
“The world was not worthy of them.“
They are the Saints of Faith!
Not riches, not honor, not glory, nor power did they seek.
But only the pure LOVE of God,
“in order to obtain a better resurrection.”
Heb 11:32-40
02-03-13
(Fourth Sunday Ordinary Time C)
The LORD said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,” Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
LIFE! God LOVES Life!
“Love is patient, love is kind…
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.” 1 Cor 12:31—13:13
That’s YOU, beloved, you are Loved!
Beyond Imagination!
(Link to Jan 3rd Homily, “Deliverance”)
02-02-13
(Feast of the Presentation of the Lord)
In the Jerusalem Temple, Simeon took the baby Jesus
“into his arms and blessed God, saying:
‘Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace,
according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.’” Lk 2:22-40
When we, beloved, have come to see, to know
this Jesus, our Lord and Savior,
we too, like Simeon, will GO in the Peace,
that only God and those who love Him Know!
Shalom!
02-01-13
“my just one shall live by faith,” Heb 10:32-39
And that Faith may require some endurance
and commitment. Never give up, beloved,
for the reward for your perseverance
will be HEAVENLY!
. . . . . . .
Happy February beloved!
Please stop by and visit January’s Daily Mass Quotes too…
Link below.
___________________
EARLIER MONTH’S QUOTES can be found
in monthly subcategories of – “Whispers”
entitled “Daily Mass Quotes” (DMQs)
___________________________________
Link to Previous Month’s DMQs
Link to Following Month’s DMQs
Link back to Whispers to the Wind
Link to Saint of the Day
(also in Time page, under Liturgical Seasons section)
Whispers to the Wind 