Open Letter

Open Letter

 I sat down tonight to write about Grace, then decided since that did not seem right for tonight then about the weekend with the Benedictine Monks but again that was not feeling right so I started this open letter to anyone’s life that has come into contact with mine whether it be for a short time, a while or is on going. 

Open Letter to All who crossed My Life’s Path,

     This letter is to anyone who’s life crossed mine, wether it was only for a short time, a extended time, or still in the process. I am writing this because over the past few months, I have come to a realization of my life. Where I was, Where I am and Where I am going. Each of those “Where’s” have people and will have people that have influenced me in one way or another. Some for the better and some for the worse. Even my influences on people around me where I may not have even realized. 

      The best place to start is “Thank You”. Thank you for all who have crossed my path. Without you all my life would not be the way it is now. I am not only Thanking those who have had positive influences but those who taught me lessons that I needed to learn. Sometimes it does take pain and sorrow to learn and become stronger for the next phase of life and without those people who, at the time, I felt wronged me or had a negative impact on my life have taught me something. I tend to be stubborned and need that hard hit at times so I can learn and move. Sometimes that hit caused me to fall and land on my knees in prayer and I know that is where I needed to be. I also think that is when God wanted me to call out to Him and seek Him when I was away from Him. Yet, it is not easy to Thank those who have hurt you or was not the best influence. But, I still must Thank You because I am stronger and can handle life much better because of you.

     For those people who have been a small or great influence on my life, I Thank You. Thank you for teaching me life lessons, morals, kindness, love, caring, sympathy, joy, etc...Thank You for teaching me how to get back up, how to wipe away a tear, how to stand tall, how to kick the dust off and to be strong. Without you all my life would not be what it is today. For whatever reasons that God had our paths cross, I Thank Him for it. I pray that no matter where you are right now, in or out of my life, that God will watch over you and care for you on your path. If your time here has ended I pray for your soul and the journey to Heaven. 

       The next place is to say “Sorry”. Sorry to all those who have crossed my path and who were hurt because of it. I am sorry for all the pain, sorrow, hurt, tears, questioning, sadness, etc... I am sorry for not being the person that God wanted me to be to you. Sorry for not being Christ’s Light in your life. Sorry for not listening to the Holy Spirit and changing my actions and words that caused you the pain and tears. Sorry that my actions have not always reflected the teachings and life of Jesus and my Faith. Sorry that I took joy, peace, strength, understanding from your lives and replaced it with pain. Sorry for pulling back my hand instead of reaching out to help. Sorry for closing my eyes to your suffering. Sorry for turning my head from your face in need. Sorry for turning a deaf ear to your calls. Sorry for sitting down and not standing up for you. Sorry for anything I have done or failed to do. 

      I am asking for your forgiveness for all the wrongs I have done or failed to do to each and everyone of you. I know I am not deserving of it because of my actions or words. I will continue to pray for all of you who I have hurt in my life and that God will continue to watch over you in this life and the next. 

      Where my life is now and the direction it is heading is in part due to all of you who have crossed my path. Wether it is “Thank You” , “Sorry”  or both that I must express to you, know that I will be forever changed because of you. God has a plan for each of us and sometimes He needs to use us to get another to where we are to be and for that I am grateful. 

      God Bless,

     Jim Harmon

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and my we all know the path we have taken to get where we are and those who were on it. 

Monday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 273

Reading 1

ACTS 6:8-15

Stephen, filled with grace and power,

was working great wonders and signs among the people.

Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,

Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,

and people from Cilicia and Asia,

came forward and debated with Stephen,

but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

Then they instigated some men to say,

“We have heard him speaking blasphemous words

against Moses and God.”

They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,

accosted him, seized him,

and brought him before the Sanhedrin.

They presented false witnesses who testified,

“This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.

For we have heard him claim

that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place

and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him

and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30

R. (1ab) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

or:

R. Alleluia.

Though princes meet and talk against me,

your servant meditates on your statutes.

Yes, your decrees are my delight;

they are my counselors.

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

or:

R. Alleluia.

I declared my ways, and you answered me;

teach me your statutes.

Make me understand the way of your precepts,

and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

or:

R. Alleluia.

Remove from me the way of falsehood,

and favor me with your law.

The way of truth I have chosen;

I have set your ordinances before me.

R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

or:

R. Alleluia.

Gospel

JN 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]

The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea

saw that there had been only one boat there,

and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,

but only his disciples had left.

Other boats came from Tiberias

near the place where they had eaten the bread

when the Lord gave thanks.

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,

they themselves got into boats

and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

And when they found him across the sea they said to him,

“Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus answered them and said,

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me

not because you saw signs

but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

Do not work for food that perishes

but for the food that endures for eternal life,

which the Son of Man will give you. 

For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 

So they said to him,

“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them,

“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”