"This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it"

This passage comes from Psalm 118, a Psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord. Yes, give thanks to the Lord for giving you another day to share in his abundance and love. Be glad that you have been able to open your eyes and put your two feet on the floor and walk. Rejoice in the fact that you have been given another day of living.

What I put down in words is to remind me that no matter what may trouble me or afflict me I need to start each day with a fresh slate. What transpired last week or yesterday or one hour ago or two minutes ago is gone, wiped off the slate - nothing can be done about it -so Fogetaboutit as the wise guys say in the gangster movies.

One thing I've noticed during the last two or three years is how coaches and/or managers of winning teams stress the importance of focusing on the task at hand today, what's at stake now. When interviewed after a loss, most reporters will question them about what went wrong, the coaches will try to shift the focus on the next game. If the team dwells on the past they will have a hard time focusing on the next game. Yesterday I lost my temper and said some things to a loved one that I now regret. Can I go back and undo them? Can I undo the hurt I caused?

No, but I have been given a new day to work on making amends. I can use the events of yesterday as experience and hopefully to learn not to make the same mistake(s) again. The Lord whose steadfast love endures forever gives us this day, so give him thanks for having given you another chance.

As a volunteer at St. Anthony's Shrine on Arch st. in Boston, I occasionally work at the front desk. This area can be extremely busy since it's the place where people come to for information, Mass cards, requests to see a Brother of Father or just to vent some of their frustrations. On the counter there's a sheet of paper where people can write down their prayer intentions. Most people will come up and write a petition and leave without having any contact with the person at the desk. If I'm not serving anyone, I always try to acknowledge them with a greeting. Some respond and some don't. In some you can see by the pained looks on their faces that they are experiencing a lot of stress in their life.

Some have gone to Mass and prayed and probably also lit a candle to Our Lady or a saint prior to their stopping at the desk to write down their petition. It's almost like they want to make sure they cover all the bases in enlisting God's help. One man stopped and holding back tears mentioned that his new born child had been in the intensive care unit for 26 days. What could I say to this man other than offering my own prayers for his child.

On another occasion, as I was writing Mass cards for a man, I noticed a middle aged woman writing some petitions on the prayer list. The next time I picked my head up, I noticed she was gone. Fifteen minutes later, there was a lull at the window and I saw the same lady approaching the desk, she seemed troubled and did not make eye contact with me. When she finished writing she paused briefly and seeing that I was free approached me and said Father. I was so caught up in this woman's sorrowful expression that I didn't have a chance to tell her that I was not a priest.

She proceeded to tell me that she had lost her mother that week and was having a difficult time doing anything. She couldn't sleep nor eat and seemed really depressed. She came to church to pray to the Lord and was now waiting for the Ride to come to take her home. I tried my best to console her and I wanted her to leave feeling a little better than when she came in. It must have been the Holy Spirit working through me, because all it once I started to focus on some positive things that might be going on her life.

Things came to me all at once. I told her not to worry, her mother was now at peace and that she was no longer suffering. I could see her posture change, she started to come out of her slouch as if a heavy weight was being lifted from her shoulders. When I found out she had children, I tried to make her focus on them by telling her that her mother loves her and is watching out for them from above. I proceeded to tell her that whenever the Lord takes something away He replaces it with something even more precious. As she stared at me inquisitively, I told her that a child would be born to replace her mother. When she heard this her face started to beam and then she told me that her daughter was expecting a child soon.

Where did this come from? This all came to me, a person of a few words, in a matter of seconds. I was able to make this woman take her focus away from the death of her mother and respectfully place on today and the beauty and gift of life. She was now standing a lot taller. By that time, she noticed that her ride came, she turned to me and said, "Thank you father" and left. I was so caught up on her hurt that I never got the opportunity to blurt out that I wasn't a priest.

I am amazed at the number of people that come to church in time of stress, distress, and hurt to pray for God's help. Don't wait until your time of need. Thank Him for giving you today, rejoice and be glad in it.