Bullseye Reflections

THE REAL PRESENCE welded art sculpture  by  RALPH GUIDROZ Sara Fontana's father What is that? What is that?" The child's voice broke the silence of the congregation that was focused on the Priest who was holding up the Host during the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass. After reverently placing the Host back on the altar and genuflecting, the priest stood up and looked out at the congregation. He said, "I have to stop a minute. I'm sure everyone heard the child just now. What you may not know is that in Hebrew the word MANNA means 'What is this?' That child yelling out just now was prophetic! This is Jesus, our Manna from heaven!" After he said these words to the congregation, the priest attempted to begin reading the Eucharistic Prayer once again. He started with so much emotion and at one point had to stop because he was holding back tears. At that moment, I began to truly hear the power of the words of the Eucharistic Prayer. These words, said

REFLECTION ON PSALM 23 Born in the valley of the shadow of death Live in the valley of the shadow of death Walk in the valley of the shadow of death Always looming Always present Possibility and fact Consistent shadow I walk in this valley Placed in this valley To learn, to grow, to become To know, to love, to serve The Creator of this valley. The Creator of this valley and All that is beyond this valley  Calls me into relationship My Creator, God of the Universe, Bigger than the valley  Bigger than all the shadows Cares enough to enter into my l ife. Relationship with the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, God the Holy Spirit  Intense light shimmering in the shadows. Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for God is with me. Guiding me through the valley Anointing me with oil My cup overflows God dwells within me  as I walk through this valley  Moving towards dwelling within God for eternity.  Poem by Sara Fontana Paintings by Kenneth Petr

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY ADULT CHILDREN... "... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) I believe in a loving God. A God who is parent, sibling and friend – Father, Son & Holy Spirit - rolled into one. In an imperfect way my relationship with my own adult children is a metaphor for my relationship with God.  GOD THE PARENT:  In my children’s life experience, I am the one who gave birth to them. When I held each one of them for the first time, I loved them completely. They did nothing to earn that love, my love was freely given to them. Like God, the parent, I rejoiced in their birth. I have been there holding them, caring for them, loving them, disciplining them, guiding them, listening to them, waiting for them to come home, delighting in time spent together. When they were children, my primary role was as mother. There were times when they were angry with me because, out of love, I disciplined them working to instill an interna