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Miserere Mei Deus Psalm 51

Today is the first Friday of Lent. Traditionally a day of penitence and reflection. Psalm 51 sets a mood for both. I would like to suggest diving deep into this Psalm today and to reflect with gratitude on a particular reality. Two days ago we were reminded that “we were dust and to dust we would return”. But even with this truth, God loves dust! God in his incarnate Son, sacrificed his Glory for dust. Dust has worth! If dust has such worth in the eyes of God, who are we to diminish it!

Today, let us seek God’s forgiveness for our weakness, our failings, our stumbling, our lack of intentional faith…and at the same time give God thanks for all the blessings with which we have been blessed. Mercy and Grace!

PSALM 51A Heart Contrite and Humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. My offenses truly I know them; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.

That you may be justified when you give sentence and be without reproach when you judge. O see, in guilt was I born, a sinner was I conceived. Indeed you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.

O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,that the bones you have crushed may revive. From my sins turn away your face and blot out all my guilt. A pure heart create for me,

O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, with a spirit of fervor sustain me, that I may teach transgressors your waysand sinners may return to you. O rescue me, God, my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.

O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise. For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse; my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

In your goodness, show favor to Zion: rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice, holocausts offered on your altar.

Memories of Black and Tan

^{Today in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver a beautiful liturgy is being celebrated. I am sure that every day the litury celebrated their raises the hearts and souls of the faithful. but today will be with singular exception as we begin our Lenten journey. Today is the funeral mass for Msgr. Michael Glenn. How appropriate, that the day of his funeral will focus on the Resurrection which comes after the passion and cross. Did you plan it that way Mike?}

^{I met Mike when we were seminarians in Rome. He was very type A and serious. Opposites do attract! We were not really close friends. But there were a few common bonds we shared. Apart from our love of Christ and His Church, we both studied hard (he a bit more than me) and we enjoyed an occasional Black and Tan. Rome had two great Irish Pubs and at least bi-annually we would know it was time to unwind and visit one of them – the Druid’s Den or the Fiddler’s Elbow. Treasured memories.}

^{PRAYER is one of the Lenten anchors. Today, as Michael Glenn is embraced into the loving arms of a Merciful God, I thought I would share the profound spirit that was his, even while he walked an unchosen path of cancer and its challenging treatment.}

EXCEPTS from the emails of Msgr. Michael Glenn June 2016

Never put a priest on his back without something to pray for

Each weekday as I arrive for radiation, I get strapped down to the table with a Freddy Krueger-like mask of the front and back of my head. Nobody likes to go to radiation either for the short terms effects, nor the long-term effects, yet it is very necessary to fight aggressive cancers.

What a joy the ladies are who care for me, Linda and Jennifer! I joked the first day they should never put a priest on his back without something to prayer for – they took me at my word. They have blessed me almost every day with prayer requests prayers for family, others struggling with radiation, their faith communities, co-workers. I am amazed how much people want prayer if we ask. Today alone I was praying with Jesus in the Methodist chapel when a man opened the tabernacle and removed Hosts, put them into his pyx for rounds. I genuflected and then asked him if he was and Eucharistic Minster. He told me he was a deacon candidate. I thank him for his service to those who need Jesus so much; I asked the question: Can I pray for anything for you? He immediately told he me he had an exam at the seminary that afternoon and was nervous – I told him I had special expertise in praying for those in this situation. Then downstairs I went to radiation, as the mask was being put on I asked the ladies for their request: Linda asked for prayers for family– giving me details; Jennifer asked for prayers for struggles with her economics class. Strapped-in for 25 minutes on my back, I had the leisure and privilege on interceding for these needs – what an honor and incredible gift to be a priest of Jesus Christ.

Going early and wasting time
The last two-day I was late for radiation, Tuesday by 2 minutes and yesterday by 1 minute. I learned a great lessened from the witness of Archbishop Chaput, who, if he ever kept me waiting for a meeting, always apologize and would even acknowledge the time I had been waiting – what humility and respect he showed me. As many of you know, my favorite gospel is Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46f). In it, we see something about a desperate blind man waiting for healing, who has only heard of Jesus from gossip around the gates of Jericho, now Jesus is drawing close. As he cries out, many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more. And then we are given the line that describes our roles in inviting others to know Jesus’ care for them: And they (“Jesus’ disciples” is assumed in the text) called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” Intercession is more about connecting those in need with Jesus, than anything else. God can use well our early arrivals and lingering departures.

Sorry for the not so tiny letter – just wanted you to know I was still on the clock and ministering as a priest in the TMC.

Fr. Michael

Go Now in peace Michael…whisper in the Father’s ear for me. Matt 25:23

Ash Wednesday 2019

I recently changed my LinkedIn job status. In October I was invited to join my great friend Michael Ross as his company was acquired by HBK CPA and Consultants. When my new profile was posted there were many in my family (a few with accounting credentials) shaking their heads. Surely, some of them must have said, “Jimmy at a CPA firm? He can’t even add!” (True story!!). Lucky for the clients of HBK I am helping to build a different division!

As I was grabbing a cup of coffee yesterday, I noticed a sign in the break area. The CPA humor caught my eye. “Know your worth. Add Tax.” Frankly that is what Ash Wednesday and Lent is all about. Please Know your worth. The life, message, mission, passion, and death of Christ s the ‘Value Added” tax to our lives. Look at Him, look to Him, Listen to Him, Sit with Him, Follow Him, Die with Him …and you will know HIS WORTH and YOUR OWN.

Humility is the first step on this Lenten journey. Do we have the humility to abandon our ways and our choices to follow His?

St. Paul told the Philippians who He was and how to follow. Ponder this today and get LinkedIn!

Philippians 2:5-11
Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
8he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name^*
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Excited about a letter…from prison

Excited. I can say it no other way. Sorting through the mail today, I found a letter from a friend in prison. I was so excited. (No stigma. Statistics reflect the national reality that over 1/3 of us are connected to someone in the prison or correctional system — sad stat for our nation.) I had written two letters and hadn’t heard from him. All I wanted to know was that he was ok, and if he wanted to hear from me. We all make mistakes. I wanted him to know he was still my friend — I needed him to know that.

It is the night before Ash Wednesday. Two millenia ago, three young Christian communities and a believer were also excited to get letters from prison. The Churches at Ephesus, Corinth and Philippi and a certain beleiver named Philemon recieved letters from prison from a certain Paul. His letter was to comfort them…to challenge them…the teach them…and to remind them in whose name he was imprisoned, and in turn, in whose name they needed to remain steadfast. The prisoner was reminding the free that they sometimes made mistakes, and that both he and Christ were still their friends and loved them.

Tomorrow we will be reminded of our mortality – ashes and dust – but we shall also be called to a deeper reflection – to the immortal and eternal call – to reform our lives and believe the Good News.

Are you from around here?

Standing at the gas pump filling my tank, I could tell that the car slowly coming toward me was lost. Lowing her window, the driver asked, “Excuse me. Are you from around here?” “Yes,” I said. With that I got to show up the GPS and give her the precise directions to her destination. “I could see how you could miss that. When you come to the second light, take a left and then an immediate right. You’ll find your way.” “Thank you so much! I could never have found it without you.”

So are you a little lost on the journey? Looking to pull over and ask for directions? A wise man once said, even a genius is lost in a foreign land with a map! Make sure you are asking the correct person for directions. But first, make sure you know where you are going…or where you want to go.

Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going: how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” -John 14: 5-6

Disciples show people the way. Two days ’til LENT!!

Now!

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Happy Sunday everyone! Welcome you to my blog “Acceptable Time”. It has a simple purpose and goal: to share the Good News and invite others to “subscribe”to the same!

Looking at the world today, what else should we subscribe to? I’ll take the good news of a loving, redeeming Savior over the tid-bits, headlines, soundbites and bad news that the world has to offer.

Why acceptable time? Lent is coming. A few days from now, through the pen of St. Paul, God will give us our annual reminder that there is no time like the present. We can’t go backwards (except to seek HIS forgiveness) and we can only go forward — truly forward — with His Grace. But we must do it NOW.

There is a story told of a wanderer who was seeking the way of happiness, enlightenment and peace. Hearing of a monastery of mystic monks, the wanderer made the journey to find them. He said “They must know the way!” Coming upon the monastery, the wanderer’s fists pounded on the massive door. Suddenly the door opened and a bearded, wild-eyed monk yelled at the wanderer: “What do you seek?” Startled, the wanderer sheepishly said, “I seek happiness, enlightenment and peace.” The wild-eyed monk yelled, “You can have it NOW.” With that, the crazed monk grabbed a club and started swinging at the wanderer. The wanderer quickly turned and ran.

It is said that the wanderer is still running to this day…and still seeking happiness, enlightenment and peace.

In our heart of hearts, don’t we seek happiness, enlightenment and peace? We are all like the wanderer in one way or another…we seek and when we find it, we run! Don’t we all want joy,kindness, hope, generosity, souls filled with gratitude and thankfulness? Don’t we desire deep and satifying relationships and communities? Don’t we want to know LOVE? to feel LOVE and to be LOVED? And don’t we know where it truly can be found, where it is already? And yet, we still quickly turn and run…like the wanderer.

Well, NOW is the acceptable time, Now is the day of Salvation. (2 Cor 6:2) Let’s get ready for LENT together. NO CLUB NECESSARY. All you need is an open heart, a trusting soul and a willingness to follow and carry our CROSS.

“Lord, it is good to give thanks to YOU!” Psalm 92