Kindle

 When most people hear the word kindle - they immediately think of the e-reader sold by Amazon - originally designed as a convenient way to read and to promote sales of books in an electronic format - today a full fledged tablet with functionality similar to Apple's iPad and other tablet devices. The official definition of kindle means to ignite or set on fire - arouse - inspire - awaken - to bring one to awareness of new and awesome possibilities. As we celebrate the second Sunday of Lent - Holy Mother Church seeks to kindle a renewed love of God - Jesus - the Holy Spirit - within each of us. As the catechumens and candidates in the OCIA process experienced last Sunday - at Holy Mass - the first of a series of scrutinies - deeper observations of them - their intent - their desire to become Catholic - each of us in the pews - serving at the altar - needs to also look at our intent - desire - to deepen our personal relationship with God. Through prayer - through inspiring homilies - through gestures and responses - through each other - we pray that we are inspired to become the people God intended us to be.  Today also marks the transistion of parish leadership.  As we say goodbye - good luck - to Father Matt - leaving for his new assignmeent - we also begin what will be a new - renewed - commitment to our parish family.

When Jesus said that He came to light a fire on this Earth - He meant a fire in our hearts -     minds - souls. He wanted each of us to be completely inspired by Him - the teacher - the      healer - the preacher - so that we could attain all that God had promised His people throughout the ages. Many have said yes - been inspired - many - wait - unable to make a decision - a commitment. Over the span of two thousand years - that fire - kindled by Jesus - still burns brightly - still arouses - still inspires.  Jesus stands waiting to kindle that fire in your heart -    waiting - for you to accept a newness in your selves - in our parish family - leadership - and all these chanes that His Holy Spirit may bring - a new Fire inside each of us. 

Deacon Dale 

Broken Promises

 Ask anyone and they will say one of the worst things anyone can do is to break a promise - not do as intended - commitment not honored. There are many reasons why this happens - sudden change in plans - unexpected illness - something critical came up - character flaw. For those who habitually break their promises - do not keep their word - fail to honor a commitment - a serious character flaw. The average person rarely breaks a promise - then only for a very good reason - a few others - cannot trust them any further than you can throw them. During Lent - biggest promise broken - failing to make an effort to make a commitment for spiritual growth and failing to honor that commitment. The good news - there is still plenty of time left to work on your relationship with God. What is important is the intent and the effort. God does not care how lofty a goal you set - nor does He care how many days you commit to. To put it very simply - just do it - do it well.

Jesus told us that He didn't promise us a rose garden - He never said following Him would be easy. He did promise a great reward - not here - in Heaven - not immediately - at the end of     time. If you hesitate to make a Lenten commitment - don't - your promise to yourself - assures His promise to you. Before any more days of Lent pass - do it now - Jesus is waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Thirsting

 When walking through any desert - whether actual - symbolic - thirst is a major concern. Before setting out for any journey one of the most important items to pack - water. Your hiking shoes may be the newest on the market - your backpack the largest made - your trekking poles lightweight aluminum - your clothing quick drying fabric - none as important as your provisions for water. You can hike barefoot - you can carry nothing but your poles and very little clothing - you cannot walk without water. Not only must you start with water - you must know where you can get additional as you travel your selected path. If more will not be available - then an adequate amount must be carried from the start. When walking a spiritual journey the same applies - whatever it is that you will need - your Bible - Rosary - prayer book - must be in hand before you start the journey. To get half way into your trek and have no water - no spiritual guide - dangerous - in a desert - life threatening - on a spiritual trek - risk of a bad experience.

In life the only constant that we may rely on is Jesus - He is always there - has always been there - since the beginning - with the Father - with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is what nourishes us - feeds us - quenches our thirst. When entering any prayer experience - the Holy Spirit - that breath of fresh air - the living water - that quenches all thirst - must be invoked - before starting any journey. We begin with prayer to God - through Jesus - His Son - through the power of the Holy Spirit - we continue prayer as we journey - at the conclusion - an ending prayer of thanksgiving. If you thirst for life - if you seek fulfilment - seek Jesus and His Holy Spirit - He is there - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale

Desert Experience

 Living - working - walking - in a desert climate - takes some adjustments. Coping with excessively bright sun light - extreme heat - dust storms - lack of water - takes awhile to adapt - learn how to live with those conditions. One would think it impossible - very difficult - hard on individuals - families - elderly. Reality - it is no worse than adjusting to any new climate. Excess heat - no worse than excess cold - just the other side of the spectrum. When very hot in the desert - escape to the inside with air conditioning - when very cold in the north or mid-west - escape inside with furnace warming the air. When these minor inconveniences are ignored - living in the desert opens one up to amazing and interesting things - the animals - plants - people. One after another - each has a story to tell - experiences to share.

As Jesus walked in the desert of Israel - He was able to view first hand - God incarnate - how people lived - coped - adjusted - treated each other. He knew from His own life's experiences what people were really like - good and bad - saint and sinner - young and old. As the God - who walked among His people - He knew patience - love - concern - for all mankind.  Even now - as you walk through the desert of Lent - He knows exactly where you are - what you have done well - where you failed - in all of this - He waits patiently for you.

Deacon Dale 

Dusty Feet

 If you wear sandals in the desert you are guaranteed to get dusty feet - sand underfoot - pebbles between toes - an occasional thorn or two. Logic would seem to demand wearing another style of footwear - yet - desert in Israel - desert in Arizona - most prefer sandals. The airy open shoe style - very comfortable - allows feet to breathe. Sandals have been a favorite of many since the time of Jesus - a favorite particularly with women even in 2015.

Jesus instructed His disciples to travel with no extra baggage - one pair of sandals - a walking stick - the earliest ultralight trekkers. Dust in sandals a given - not being accepted when proclaiming the Gospel - uncertain - possible - not probable.  For those who refused to listen - dust shaken from the sandals - a sign of displeasure - a lesson for all.  Walking with Jesus - dusty sandals a given - expectations - many - walking alone - never.  He stands - looking for a companion - waiting - for you. 

Deacon Dale 

Not All Bad

  During Lent it is not uncommon to find people who think they are the worse person in the world - all bad - doomed to hell - forsaken forever. Yes - there are many bad people - people who are so bad - the rest all look like saints.  Everyone has sinned - period - everyone has redeeming qualities - even the worse sinner - can be forgiven. It does not matter what the sin is - how it was committed - when it was done - where it happened. Believe it or not - sin - is - sin. There are no colors to sin - no taste - no flavor - no size - no shape. It is not big sin - nor little sin. It is like being - a lttle bit pregnant - either you are - or you are not. Sin is the same - one size fits all - not gender specific - not limited to one age or another. My sin may be completely different from your sin - it is still sin. How often we sin - slightly different - yet the same.  If someone sins once and another ten times - it makes no difference - if neither has repented - asked for forgivemess.  When sinners do finally repent - all receive the same  giveness from God - like sin - forgiveness has no size - no limits.

Jesus promises all - come to me all who are weak and burdened - I will give you rest.  Not a little rest - not a big rest - simply rest. He loves all equally - He forgives all equally - He calls each of us to holiness - equally - no limits - no restraints - no time limit.  His call is constant - His love unmeasurable.  Listen - today - God is calling - waiting - for you.
Deacon Dale 

Cookie Cutter

 According to the Urban Dictionary cookie-cutter means marked by sameness and a lack of originality - mass produced - often used to describe housing developments in which all of the houses are based on the same floor plans and differentiated only by color scheme. The benefit of cookie-cutter houses translates into saving for the home buyer.  Same design plans - same square footage - translates into large savings - quality housing - fair and equitable prices.  The trade off - lack of uniqueness.  In some areas - easy to get lost - since all of the houses share the same appearance.  Benefit - clean design - organized - outrageous - unpleasant designs avoided.  Pros and cons - abound.

God sent Jesus to Mankind to show us how to live - in general terms. Treat your neighbor as yourself - for most of us - night and day - what pleases me - not pleasing to you.  Jesus offers salvation to all - His love - His forgiveness - His acceptance - not in equal ways - only in equal opportunity. For each - customized for individual needs - to individual situations. No cookie-cutter relationship - with God - with Jesus.  If any of us were the only person who needed salvation - it would be customized specifically for us.  No cookie-cutter - no mass produced forgiveness - quite simply - one on one - waiting - just for you.
Deacon Dale 

Repent & Believe

Repent and Believe in the Gospel - as was proclaimed this First Sunday of Lent. Repent - admit your wrongs - be sorrowful that you thought or acted wrongly - make amends - take corrective actions. We have all sinned - saint and sinner - humans - mortal - well meaning - thoughtless - frivolous - people. Only One was perfect - He was God - is God. How can we compare with Jesus - we can't. How can we be exactly like Him - the Author of Life - we can't. Not needed - not intended - not expected. When God created mankind - He knew we would not be infallible - He knew we would have limitations - He knew that each one of us was a possibility - holding the potential of greatness within ourselves. He knew we would fail - error - make mistakes - mess up. Just as He gave us the Rainbow as a promise - He gives us hope - weekly - daily - hourly.  Ate an apple before it was offered to you - apologize.

Jesus came to show us the right path to walk - the right way to act - the right way to think - the right way to live. He came that we could have life and live it to the fullest. In that fullness - experiencing all that God has planned - good and bad - joy and sadness - health and sickness - the things we do not like to think about - the wrong - the evil - the cruel times. His promise of New Life - New Hope - the Rainbow - moments of touching the Divine. He knew - He forgives - He waits - for you. Now time for each of us to take action.

Deacon Dale 

Time To Retreat

 Today is the Annual Lent retreat for all adults in our parish church.  The parish has been offering this time at the beginning of Lent so that eveyone may begin Lent with the proper focus.  Some consider that Lent does not begin until this weekend when we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent - in our parish we begin Lent on Ash Wednesday.  Once Ash has been imposed on our foreheads we are in Lent mood - praying - fasting - meditating on the various aspects that will help us all grow during these next 40 day.  This Saurday our theme - A Journey Through Lent With Jesus and Faustina.  St Faustina who brough the Divine Mercy Devotion to the Church is one of the focuses in our parish whenever we discuss God's Divine Mercy.

As we spent time this morning with Holy Mass - a presentation by Fr. Jim McCormack MIC
- sharing various prayers - we began to immerse ourselves into this most precious period
of 40 days.  Just image if the person pictured above was not St Faustina - rather You. How would that make you feel with His hand on your shoulder?

Deacon Dale 

On THe Road

Our Lenten journey has begun - we are now into our third day - still energized by the imposition of ashes on our foreheads - still excited about our 40 day adventure - walking with Jesus - walking closer to God. Before we get much further - we assess the supplies - equipment needed for a long journey.  Our Bible - spiritual food for the journey - Sturdy Sandals - protection from the rocks in our path - Living Water - with the Spirit of God flowing within - all things are possible.  As we walk this journey - important to pace ourselves - too fast - the risk of burning out - getting spiritual blisters - walking too slow - risk of distractions - falling off the path of life.  

Jesus asks us to walk with him - to see where He lives - to see what He sees - to hear 
what He hears - He stands at the road of life - beckoning - calling - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale