Daily Reflection with Fr. Tomas Del Valle-Reyes
Dear Friends: Praying is not easy. Our daily routine calls for our full attention. And the world around us puts little value on prayer; our lives are full of material things but at the same time are getting emptier in God’s value.
For this reason, I will post a daily reflection and as you visit this site may the Holy Spirit within you come to your aid and guide you gently to the God who loves you.
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said,
'
Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'
The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.
In the middle of the room was a large round table.
In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew,
which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.
They appeared to be famished.
They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.
But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.
They went to the next room and opened the door.
It was exactly the same as the first one.
There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.
The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, '
I don't understand.
'
It is simple,'
said the Lord.
'It requires but one skill.
You see, they have learned to feed each other. The greedy think only of themselves.'
When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you.
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Discovering 21century
Fr
Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
(212)
244 4778
When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.
When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.
When you are worried.....I will give you hope.
When you are confused.....I will help you cope. 
And when you are lost....And can't see the light, I shall be your beacon....Shining ever so bright.
This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.
Why you may ask?....Because you're my friend.
Signed: GOD
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Discovering 21century
Fr
Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
(212)
244 4778
Heavenly Father,
on windswept beaches
your saints of old
held their hands up to you
in wonder and amazement felt your power through the roar
of wind and surf and exposed to the elements
felt an oneness with the One
who had created all things.
This world does not often allow us
such intimacy with you,
Father
we are crowded out by circumstances of our own choosing
seeking fellowship with each other
rather than with you.
Forgive our unwillingness
to follow in the footsteps of your saints
to meet you in the solitude of your creation
Forgive our unwillingness
to get our feet wet.
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Discovering 21century
Fr
Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
(212)
244 4778
Does your schedule keep growing beyond control
Till you're just running around day after day?
And you know you need to, but you just can't see how
To take time to study and pray.
For you take kids to school five days a week
With appointments and deadlines to keep.
Then you have club activities and baseball practices
With barely enough time to sleep.
Most of the time, you feel like you are "running on empty"
Or on "fumes" from the last sermon you heard.
But the God who loves you wants to energize you each day
From the pages of His Holy Word.
And if you'd make time each day to seek Him and pray
He'd grant a peace when you're frazzled and sore.
For He wants you to grow in the midst of your busyness
And to hunger for Him even more.
So if your life is that hectic, you need to shift gears
And make time with Him a priority each day.
Then you'll be so blessed, convinced and refreshed
That you can't afford not to study and pray.
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Discovering 21century
Fr
Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
(212)
244 4778
When I meditated on the word Guidance
I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge
to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw 'G: I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'.
'God, 'u' and 'i' dance' God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.
This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.
If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else, for prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another ! And I Hope You Dance Have a Good Day!
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Discovering 21century
Fr
Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
(212)
244 4778
Our Lord! not for nothing
You have created us all this!
Glory to Thee! Give us
Salvation from the Penalty
Of the Fire.
Our Lord! any whom Thou
Dost admit to the Fire,
Truly Thou coverest with shame,
And never will wrongdoers
Find any helpers!
Our Lord! we have heard
The call of one calling
Us to Faith, 'Believe you
In the Lord,' and we
Have believed.
Our Lord!
Forgive us our sins,
Blot out from us
Our iniquities, and take
To 
Thyself our souls
In the company of the righteous.
Our Lord! Grant us
What Thou didst promise
Unto us through Thy Messengers,
And save us from shame
On the Day of Judgment;
For Thou never breakest
Thy promise.
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Discovering 21century
Fr
Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
(212)
244 4778
When the going gets tough
the tough get going.
It is easy to say 'No'
to take the easy way out easy to play safe 
and live to fight another day.
Like Peter, who loved you
with such a passion, Lord filled with such energy
so impetuous ready to speak first
and ask questions later.
Except when asked if he was with you, Lord
except when his faith was seriously challenged
when the road to the cross became dangerous.
You knew Peter
knew the caliber of the man what would happen
before the cock crowed twice
But it didn't stop you choosing him
the rock upon which
your Church would be built.
There is comfort for us, Lord
in Peter's frailty
reassurance that your love
and confidence extends
to both strong and frail
as you look to our potential
and in your love forget
our momentary weakness
How often when weary do we sigh 'The spirit is willing,
but the body is weak.'
How often when in prayer are thoughts distracted by
sounds or circumstance or prayers diverted
by trivial concerns? Baggage carried with us
rather than left at your feet.
How often do we find ourselves
apologizing to you for our abbreviated prayer life.
And yet you draw us still to be in your presence
as you did the disciples at Gethsemane
You want us to share in your life
to play our part.
You told your disciples to watch and pray
so that they might not fall into temptation
Do you ask the same of us
and do we also fail you
each time we whisper
'The spirit is willing,
but the body is weak.'
Grant us the strength, Lord
of body and of spirit
to offer you the sacrifice
of our lives
Descubriendo el Siglo 21
Discovering 21century
Fr
Tomás Del Valle-Reyes
P. O. BOX 1170
New
York, NY 10018
(212)
244 4778
