Jesus called God "Father."  In actuality, the word he used to name God was "Abba," which means "daddy,"  more intimate endearment than "father." 

What are some characteristics of a "daddy"?  A daddy loves his kids and will do what he needs to do to make sure that they are safe, healthy, and happy.  A daddy plays with his children, rolling around on the floor with them, carrying them on his back, tossing a ball back and forth, and splashing them with water on hot summer days.  A daddy comforts his kids when they are hurt or sad, cradling them in his arms, drying their tears, and listening to their cares.  A daddy carries his kids to bed, tucking them in for a cozy night's sleep.  While a daddy shows his love through play, comfort, and tender care, he also shows his love through his guidance.  A daddy can be strict, setting limits to keep his kids safe and healthy.  A daddy offers advice and direction as his kids get older and begin to make their own decisions.

I believe God is a very good daddy.  Unfortunately, not all fathers are daddies.  Some people may struggle with the image of God as a father.  They may not have had good relationships with their own fathers, which in turn sours their consideration of God as Father.  Thankfully, God is more than a daddy.  I would bet that most people envision God in human terms and form, but God is not human.  God is neither male nor female.God is not a "thing."  God is really beyond human comprehension, not bound by space or time.

"Before we make our own this first exclamation of the Lord's Prayer, we must humbly cleanse our hearts of certain false images drawn from this world...The purification of our hearts has to do with paternal or maternal images, stemming from our personal and cultural history, and influencing our relationship with God.  God transcends the categories of the created world.  To impose our own ideas in this area upon him would be to fabricate idols to adore or pull down" (Catechism of the Catholic Churcn, no. 2779).

Take some time to reflect on these questions:

• BELIEVE
• SERVE
• SURRENDER
• ASK & SEEK
• FORGIVE
• PERSEVERE

This prayer teaches us that our first and foremost desires should be for belief in God, "Our Father."  In love, God created humankind to love God in return.  God did not create humans as puppets, though, to have blind faith.  Rather, God created humans with free will, so that we would have the choice to accept and return God's love.  When we pray this first line of the Our Father, we express our desire, our need, for belief in God.

If we sincerely pray "Our," we must recognize our connectedness to all of humanity and all of creation.  Everything that we do affects other humans as well as creation.  When we buy something, our purchase touches those people who sold it to us, those who shipped it to get to us, those who made it, etc.  The materials used to make the item we purchased came from the created world.  When we smile at someone, we can brighten their day.  They, in turn, can then smile at someone else and brighten their day, and the cycle may continue.

As you reflect on the "Our" of this prayer, consider how your actions affect other people in the world as well as creation.  Our actions create a web of effect.  Consider one of your recent actions.  Create a web noting who your action affected or touched.  What is the impact of your action on the created world?

Before we pray "Our," we need to recognize and work to eliminate our prejudices.  We have to recognize that God created ALL humans - even people who aren't nice to us, people we don't like, people who don't have the same beliefs that we do, and even terrorists.  As children of God, we are collective and communal rather than individual.  Jesus showed us how to live this collective and communal lifestyle when he associated with sinners and righteous alike.  He didn't limit himself to the rich and powerful.  Rather, he spoke to and ate with the sick, the poor, and the shunned.  Jesus calls us to follow his example and work to overcome our prejudices. 

Continue your reflection on "Our" by considering your prejudices.  Who or what group of people do you tend to pre-judge?  What prejudices do you need to let go of?  Who do you need to accept?

In today's reading, Jesus answers his disciples' request to teach them to pray.  "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test." (Luke 11:2-4)

"The Lord's Prayer is the most perfect of prayers...[It] not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2763, citing St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, 83, 9).  With this in mind, we should ask to:

• BELIEVE
• SERVE
• SURRENDER
• ASK & SEEK
• FORGIVE
• PERSEVERE

I recently gave a presentation on the Transformational Power of the Lord's Prayer at my parish.  Over the course of this next week, I will share some insights from that presentation. 

Today, I invite you to reflect on your own prayer life.  How do you pray?  For what do you pray?  When do you pray?  Why do you pray?  What is your favorite prayer or way to pray?  What do expect to receive from your prayer?

Faith Chat:

Adults/Youth:  Do you really believe prayers make a difference?  Share an example of how prayer has made a difference in your life.

Children:  How do you pray - talk and listen to God?  What is your favorite prayer?  When is your favorite time to pray?

Faith Response:  Ask family members to share what they typically pray for.  Challenge one another to not only pray for personal matters, but also for others, including your neighborhood, parish, city, state, and world.  Make a prayer list and post it on your refrigerator door.  Invite family members to add petitions to the list.  Include these petitions in your family prayer.

Pray:  Lord, teach us to pray.  May our prayers draw us closer to you and connect us to other people and all of creation.  Amen.

I agree with Bishop Malone.  It goes beyond the activities.  Because they were always with other Catholics, children were "marinated" in a Catholic way of life.  Yes, they received formal training through religious education or Catholic school, but it went beyond the formal education.  They were steeped in Catholic life - they learned how to live as Catholics by watching their parents and their parents' friends live.

In our 21st century culture, the neighborhood is no longer the center of activity.  There are many, many more opportunities than just parish activities.  Families move from home to work to school to baseball to gymnastics to piano lessons to dance lessons to soccer to football to cheerleading to Mass to religious education to...  The list could be endless - and it often is for many families.  This seemingly unlimited variety of opportunities means that families are no longer drawn to the parish as the center of their activities.  Unless parents are intentional about creating a Catholic atmosphere in their home, children are no longer steeped - marinated - in a Catholic way of life.

This brings me to the question of "What is a Catholic lifestyle?"  What does it mean to live a Catholic way of life in our 21st century culture?  We should know what a Catholic lifestyle looks like in order to develop a new Catholic Marinade. 

Click on "Comments" to share what you think it means to live a Catholic lifestyle and the ingredients that should be included in a Catholic Marinade.

When we hear this passage, we often think that the Lord was rebuking Martha for her busyness, but his rebuke focused on her anxiety and her complaining.  The meal needed to be made; they needed to eat.  Someone had to make sure that people's needs were met.  Martha was good at taking care of people.

Martha's anxiety centered around her anger with her sister.  She felt like Mary should have been helping her.  Martha likely had everything under control, so Mary took advantage of the Lord's presence and sat at his feet.  Martha could have listened while she lovingly prepared and served their meal, without frustration and anger.  Instead, she let her emotions get the best of her.  She let her mind influence her negatively to the point of complaining.

I used to find myself frustrated that no one was helping me.  I made the meals.  I vacuumed.  I did the laundry.  Why didn't anyone help me?  Then I realized that I didn't have to be frustrated about doing these tasks while others were watching TV or playing.  I realized that I could choose to either complain about the work or I could pour love into the tasks and make them a prayer.  When I made the decision to pour my love into the tasks, they became prayer for me.  It was then that I realized that I like to make sure that my family's needs are taken care of.  It's not a chore; it's an act of love. 

I admit that I sometimes still get frustrated when no one is helping, especially if I'm tired or hot.  At those times, I feel the Lord gently rebuking me to focus on what really matters.

Tasks need to be completed.  Houses need to be cleaned.  Lawns need to be mowed.  Cars need to be fixed.  Clothes need to be washed.  There will always be something to do.  What matters is not our busyness, but rather how we face those tasks.  Do we complete the tasks with love and prayer or do we allow our minds to fill us with thoughts of frustration and anxiety?

Faith Chat Questions:

Adults/Youth:  Martha chose to serve.  Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet.  Of those two actions, service or contemplation, with which do you feel more comfortable?  Why?

Children:  Name a time when you shared what you had with your brother or sister, a friend, or a classmate.  How did you feel when you shared?

Faith Response:  Imagine Jesus is coming to your home for a visit.  What will you do to prepare?  What will you do during his visit?  Actually do what you would do if Jesus came for a visit.  Set an extra plate at your meal table.  Include Jesus in your family conversation - ask him questions, share your thoughts.  Have fun imagining that Jesus is really with you...which, of course, he is!

Pray:  Christ Jesus, may we welcome you in all that we do:  our work, our study, our time with family and friends, our prayer and contemplation.  Help us to recognize your presence in all whom we meet and greet.  Amen.

All we need is love.  So sang the Beatles.  So we are reminded in this Sunday's Gospel reading. 

As I sit here contemplating this story of the scholar asking Jesus what is necessary to inherit eternal life and Jesus' response with the story of the Good Samaritan, I am reminded that Jesus' way is really very simple.  Everything Jesus teaches and does is centered in love.  All we need is love.

What exactly is love, though?  Is it a feeling, an emotion?  We say, "I love you," to family members and close friends.  Is it because we feel good when we're with them?  They make us feel good about ourselves when we're with them, so we like to be with them, we love them.

Is love an action?  We show our love through acts of kindness.  We express love in what we say and do for others.  We take part in projects to help others in our communities and in our world.

I would say that love does encompass emotion, feeling, and action.  Love goes beyond feeling and action, though.  Love is a state of being, a way of life encompassing both feeling and action and more.  True Love is at our core, impacting the way that we live - what we think, the words that we speak, and our actions in the world.

Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan in answer to the scholar's question, "Who is my neighbor?"  The story is also about love.  If love were simply a feeling or emotion, then the Samaritan, not knowing the robbers' victim, would not have felt the need to act.  He had no emotional tie to the victim, so there was no need for him to care about the victim. 

Yet he did care about the victim.  He stopped, bound his wounds, and took him to a safe place.  Because the Samaritan lived in a state of love, it was only natural for him to care for the victim.  He would have done the same for anyone.

When we allow Love - God - to fill us, we live in a state of perpetual care and compassion.  When we love God, that is, open ourselves to allow God to fill us to the core, we cannot help but truly care for our neighbor and our self.  When we are filled with Love, mercy and kindness flow naturally from our words and our actions.

I think that the reason we continue to have so much hurt and pain, violence, and war in our world is because we don't truly love.  While we say we love our family and friends and even do good works for our communities and world, our love isn't pure.  We allow ourselves to hold on to a bit of pride.  We want what's best for ourselves.  Even though we seemingly act with good intentions, in the back of our minds we are asking, "What's in this for me?"  We want to feel good.  We want to look good.  The problem is that if we even allow a little bit of pride to influence what we say and do, we are ultimately pushing love out. 

Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan is an example of pure love.  The Samaritan risked his own life and his reputation to take care of the victim.  The robbers could return at any moment.  His friends and family could shun him for caring for someone who is not one of them.  Even though those thoughts may have crossed his mind, he pushed them out and allowed Love to fill him.  In doing so, he was able to become Love for another.

It is true that all we need is love.  It really is that simple.  The difficult part is pushing aside our own pride to allow Love to fill us and empower us.  When we say, "I love you," let us mean not only that "I feel good when I am with you," but also "You are an image of God to me."  When we do good things for others, may we not ask, "What's in it for me?" but rather become Love for others.  All we need is to allow Love become our state of being, our very core.

Faith Chat Questions:

Adults/Youth:  Jesus tells us today to love God, our neighbor, and our self.  How will you love God this week?  your neighbor?  yourself?

Children:  Name a time in the past week or two when you showed love for a family member or friend.  What did you do?

Faith Response:  As a family, snuggle in with some snacks and watch a good movie.  After the movie, discuss the ways the characters did or did not exemplify love of God, love of neighbor, love of self.  (Watch a favorite movie, rent a new DVD, or check out http://www.usccb.org/movies/ for movie suggestions.)

Pray:  Christ Jesus, through the waters of Baptism you have called us to share your love and Good News with others.  Help us to keep our hearts and minds open for those opportunities.  Amen.

By virtue of our baptism, we are laborers of the harvest.  Harvesting, however, is hard work.

This past week, I hoed my garden.  Because of abundant - almost too much - rain in June, the weeds were taking over, and I hadn't been able to get out there and keep them under control.  Now, my garden is not large by any means; it only contains a few plants.  My husband likes the smell of corn - yes, the smell - so I usually plant some corn.  This year, I also planted beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, carrots, and lettuce.  Not a lot; just enough to get my hands a bit dirty and enjoy some fresh vegetables. 

Because my garden is small, I use a regular hand hoe to eliminate the weeds.  Every time I hoe, I gain a new respect for farmers.  After just half an hour or so of hoeing and pulling weeds, my back end was sore, my arms felt like rubber, and sweat was dripping into my eyes.  (I think I need to upgrade my exercise regimen!)  How do farmers do this all day every day? 

I shared my respect for farmers at our parish staff meeting the following morning.  My pastor, who grew up on a farm, told me that these days, most farmers use chemicals to eliminate the weeds, and they have equipment to make their work a little easier.  So farmers don't hoe by hand.  I was feeling a little bit justified for my sore back and stiff arms and legs.

Then I remembered my daughter's horse riding instructor.  Through the summer, she often calls my daughter to help bale hay.  Baling hay is not easy work.  Granted, machines are typically used to cut and bale the hay, but the bales still need to be tied and loaded onto wagons and then stacked into barns.  That is back-breaking, hot, dusty, and itchy work.  My daughter's instructor says that most of her "harvesters" don't make it through the day.  She and her farmer friends, however, have to make sure the hay is baled and stored before rains or storms so that the crop isn't ruined.  This helped me re-gain my profound respect for farmers, at least hay farmers.

Like baling hay, harvesting for the Kingdom of God is not easy work.  Jesus told his seventy-two harvesters, "I am sending you like lambs among wolves."  He instructed them to "carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way."  He didn't give them "tools" to make their harvesting easier, but he did give them something to empower and encourage them:  His Peace.

By virtue of our baptism, we, too, are called to help with the harvest.  Jesus calls us to proclaim, preach, and share the Kingdom of God with others in the world by our words and actions.  He never said it would be easy, but he promises us the peace of his Holy Spirit to empower and encourage us.  We need to stay connected to the Holy Spirit in order to be effective harvesters.

We stay connected to the Holy Spirit through prayer.  In order to know where God wants us to work in the harvest - and there are many, many ministries from which to choose - we need to listen for God's instructions.  The prayer of quiet is the best way to listen for God's instructions.  If we calm our racing minds, put away the distractions of the world, and sit quietly in God's presence, we will hear God's voice whispering guidance in the depths of our hearts.  God's whisperings are those desires that we feel deep in our hearts prompting us to act.

In addition to listening for God's whispers, we also need to discern that the desires in our hearts are really something that we can do.  The prayer of discernment is critical for knowing where God is calling us to serve in the Kingdom.  Discernment involves weighing the pro's and con's, discussing options and opportunities with others whose directions and opinions we respect, and even doing different actions and ministries to see if they fit with our abilities (like an internship).

Through the prayer of quiet and discernment, we will know where God is sending us to work for the harvest.  Filled with the peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit, we will persevere through the back-breaking and heart-wrenching labor of the harvest.  In this way, we will live our baptismal promises and help to bring about the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.

Faith Chat Questions:

Adults:  To what part of the harvest is God calling you?  What is God calling you to do for the kingdom of God?

Youth/Children:  How do you tell (or show) others about your faith in Jesus?  What risks do you have to take to share your faith with others?

Faith Response:  Prayer helps us to hear God's whispering words of love, encouragement, and direction.  Listening to God in prayer is critical for doing what God is calling us to do.  As a family, talk about those things that get in the way of taking time to listen to God in prayer each day.

Pray:  Christ Jesus, you have called us to follow you through the waters of Baptism.  Help us to take time to listen to your direction for our lives. Amen.

The beach can be a spiritual place. When we put ourselves in touch with God's creation, we experience God's own essence. There is something about sand and water and wind that calms and refreshes our spirits. Soft sand cradling us as we sit or lie on it reminds us of God's hands holding and comforting us. Feeling the bits of sand and wondering how many bits of sand there are on the beach and in the world reminds us of the vastness of God's power and creativity. The wind caressing our faces and skin reminds us that God's breath gives us life and is all around us. The water's waves rushing onto the shore reminds us of the life-giving refreshment of the water.

Make time to go to the beach this summer, whether it be an ocean shore, one of the Great Lakes, or a local lake. Refresh your soul and have fun with your family as you enjoy God's gifts of wind, water, sunshine, and sand.

For some Beach-Themed Activities & Crafts, check out FamilyEducation.com: http://fun.familyeducation.com/slideshow/activities/65770.html?page=1

"No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)

The readings in these weeks of early summer seem to be inviting us to consider how and why we follow Jesus. He is very clear that it is not easy to follow his path. Last week, he told us that we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily. This week, he invites us to make a decision to follow him whole-heartedly or not at all.

When I was a young child, I remember my mother listening and singing to songs on the radio. One of the songs was, "I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden. Along with the sunshine, there's got to be a little rain sometimes." I think in the gospel reading today, Jesus is reminding us that he never promised us a rose garden and that there will be a little rain sometimes.

It does sometimes feels good to follow Jesus, like a relaxed walk through a fragrant rose garden. When we do good for others, we are filled with love and joy. While serving at a mission or soup kitchen may be difficult work and a challenge to serve those who don't look or smell too good, we are filled with joy by the smiles and "Thank you's" from those we are serving. While being a parent or grandparent can be exhausting, changing diapers and chasing little ones around all day and directing them to learn what is good, we are filled with contentment when they are snuggled up sleeping on our chests or in their beds.

Other times, however, it's not so easy to follow Jesus. We feel the thorns of the roses jabbing into our hearts. When an adult child is making the wrong decisions and while we want to shake them and tell them what to do, we know that they need to make their own mistakes and learn for themselves. When a loved one is suffering from pain or illness, growing nearer to death, we cry out to God for their relief only to hear God's silence. When life at work is a struggle and co-workers are irritable and edgy, we long for peace only to be faced with having to make difficult decisions in order to keep the company in business or close the doors.

In all of our suffering, though, we can draw comfort from Jesus. He suffered along with us. He had no place to rest his head. He was not welcomed in villages, turned away in hunger and exhaustion. He cried out to his Father in Gethsemane to "let this cup pass me by," but ultimately accepted that God's will should be done despite his own wishes. He allowed himself to be whipped and scorned and nailed to a cross, suffocating in agony to his death.

Following Jesus is not a walk in a rose garden. If we commit ourselves to following Jesus, we will experience hardships and pain and seemingly unbearable agony. Despite the thorns, though, we have the promise of Jesus' Resurrection to give us hope and see us through. Sometimes the thorniest roses have the most beautiful petals. If we are willing to commit to following Jesus, we will put our hands to the plow and not look back, but instead look forward with hope to eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Faith Chat Questions:

Adults/Youth: Sometimes we are like the people in the gospel reading who had excuses as to why they couldn't follow Jesus completely. What makes it difficult for you to follow Jesus? Why do you follow Jesus even though it's hard?

Children: Following Jesus means doing what is right and good. How have you followed Jesus this week by doing what is right and good?

Faith Response:Play a game of "Follow Jesus" (Follow the Leader) or "Jesus Says" (Simon Says). After playing the game, affirm one another by talking about the ways that you see each other doing things that Jesus would do, like giving a cold drink to a hot and thirsty family member, helping to fold clothes, emptying the dishwasher to help Mom or Dad, or playing a game with a younger sibling.

Pray: Christ Jesus, Son of Man, you call us to follow you, but it isn't always easy. Give us the courage and strength to live according to your example in all that we do and say. Amen.

Celebrate God's gift of the sun on the longest day of the year. The summer solstice, and the official beginning of summer, is June 21st this year. Wake up early and watch the sunrise. Play outside all day long. Lather on the sunscreen and rest in the sunshine. Stay outside until the sun's last pink rays fade into night.

Download and pray St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of Brother Sun: