Time To Say Goodbye

Yes - sad but once again - time to say goodbye.  A time of separation from a loved one - a family member - a close friend - a person in and out of your life on a routine basis.  All of us have or will experience  this - a fact of life - one that none of us will escape. It was only about a month ago that I attended a Celebration of LIfe for my nephew - a young man only 45 years old - taken by an inherited genetic mutation - a predictable early death.  Now - not so predicatable - a more ordinary death at the age of 88 years - my oldest sister - giving in to the aging process - as the body starts to wear out - the scourages of time.  No matter what the cause - DNA defect - old age - normal disease - accident - result of a violent situation - death comes calling each of us.  As we celebrate the life of a loved one - in whatever manner was requested - we  unconsciously consider when our final day will arrive.  

For those of Faith - we pray and hope that our time will be gentle - free from pain.  Watching my nephew and sister in their last days - thankful that both did not have to endure any discomfort beyond the normal.  Prayers in their last days - granting them the peace and comfort they prayed for.  Jesus has promised all of us that He will always be with us in the happy and sad days of our lives.  We are reminded frequently to pray - Jesus I Trust in You.  Do that and all of our days will be filled with His presence - His peace.

Deacon Dale 

The Grace Of God

As intelligent life forms each of us is capable of many varied and awesome things. The skills - knowledge we have acquired in the process of growing into mature adults are so varied that I could never list them all. Even if I could name them all - tomorrow - somebody would discover a new and awesome skill not discovered by another.  Each of us - in our own way - is a very specialized creation of God. Yes - we seem to look alike on the surface - that is only our exterior - it is the "stuff" underneath that makes each of us so special.  None of us is identical - even my twin and I were very different in so many ways.  We looked identical - that is where it ended.  We shared many similar interests - to different degrees - to different levels of interest - abilities. All peoples are created in the image of God - all are cut from the same mold - both men and women share that one common fact - beyond that - many differences exist.  Besides the obvious - the "stuff" under the skin - who we are - what we do - how we do it - fantastic variations.  This weekend - in the USA - many churches will walk in procession - in their neighborhoods - carrying a monstrance - holding the Blessed Sacrament - for all to see as the Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi.  In Europe - many huge public celebrations on Thursday - doing the same. 

Too many people take the Grace of God for granted - do not understand what it means to experience His Blessings - to be filled with His Graces.  His Grace is what gives us - the ability - strength - energy - to actively serve Him.  Those steeped in prayer - those with a personal relationship with Jesus - also experience the gift of God's Grace - empowering them to be active disciples of our Lord.  All of us - ordained or not - share the responsibility of sharing that gift with all we meet - to the glory of God Almighty.  To participate in person locally this Sunday June 7, 2026 join us at St Patrick Church in Yorkville, IL at 11:30 AM for our small but powerful procession around our local block. 

Deacon Dale 

Memories

 Today is Memorial Day - an official Holiday - a Day off from work - time to relax - gather with family - friends.  For many the first cook-out of the year.  With good weather an enjoyable time sharing thoughts - playing games - discussing past memories - good times.  The unofficial beginning of summer.  Many unfortunstely do not know - forget - the reason for today.  Remembering those individuals who sacrificed - gave their lives for this country.  It is not just about those who were involved in wars - battles - being a member of the Armed Forces.  Many who served the United States of America who lost their lives - also recognized.  Today we pause - remember - that the lives we enjoy today - are at the expense of someone elses life.

For those who are mindeful of others sacrifice - this day very important to them - not one to forget what orgers freely did for people they never knew - never met.  For Christians - not just a reminder of fellow humans who gave up their lives - also a reminder of Jesus - the Christ - the Saviour of the World - who gave His Life for All.  Today we celebrate Our Lord & God - His people who followed Him in serving mankind.

Deacon Dale 

Flame Thrower

 A flamethrower is a mechanical incendiary device  - designed to project a long controllable stream of fire. They were first used during World War I  and widely used in World War II.  Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid -  some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids - commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and natural gas - which is considered safer. They are used by the military and by people needing controlled burning capacity - as in agriculture  or other land management tasks. They can be designed to either be carried by the operator or mounted on a vehicle.  Flame throwing devices have made their way into modern movies - creating dramatic effects. All demand respect and careful use.

On the Day of Pentecost - God became the original flame thrower. That flame - commonly known as the Holy Spirit - did not terrify as much as confuse.  The disciples and those with them did not know what to think - visual disturbances - strange languages - speaking in foreign tongues - did not make it easier to understand what was happening. In retrospect - we today - understand what was occurring - are impressed - our faith strengthened.  Many ask why the Holy Spirit does not come down upon believers as it did on that first Pentecost - yet - it does.  In Baptism - Holy Communion - Confirmation - God still sends His Holy Spirit among believers. Each of us has received the fullness of God's Holy Spirit - if we do not see it in our lives - we have to ask ourselves - why not?  Do we live lives truly in the Spirit - or have we allowed ourselves to become spiritual couch potatoes?  If you are missing this important part of your spiritual life - then immediately pray - Come Holy Spirit Come - and watch for the flames!

Deacon Dale 

Rest In Peace Buddy

Today the family gathers to celebrate the life of my nephew Joshua - the first born of my twin brother Dean.  My twin - his wife Susan - will not be there - Dean left this world almost 16 years ago - his wife - 8 years before him. None of us know the day - the hour - when our life on this Earth will end. Unlike most - Joshua knew what would cause his death - not discounting an accident or such. Like his grandfather and mother - Joshua was born with a genetic defect known as Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), or Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) - a rare, inherited, progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It was not until after Sue's death that a test was finally developed to know if you had inherited this anomoly.  Joshua and his yournger brother did the test.  Joshus was positive - his younger brother tested negative.  What that meant to Joshua was that he would die a very similar death as his mother at an early age.  His grandfather died at 61 years - his mother at 51 years - for Joshua that ended up being 45 years.  Facing the fact that you knew you were born with a defect has to be traumatc.  There are  many people born with inherited diseases.  Diabetic - heart issues - visual abnormalities - walking issues - brain disfunction - and much more.  Many can be dealt with - insulin for diabetics - eye glasses for visual - mobility devices for bone issues and even more.  For him - no cure - no treatments - Joshua functioned as a fairly normal person - graduating college - having a successful career as a computer IT person - socializing with friends - family - until the SCA3 finally kicked in full force.  Living with the knowledge of what the end of his life would look like and facing it head on - took courage.

St. Faustina & Jesus

Jesus had to deal with a similar situation - being God - Himself - He knew that His life would be a short one - His time on Earth - walking with the very humans that He created - eating - drinking - laughing - loving - all too short of a time - knowing that HIs death would come at an early age - a burden few would really understand.  Jesus lived about 33 years - Joshua 45 years.  The majority of humans avoid the thought of death untiil we become much older.  As we age - the end of life becomes a true reality.  It is in these last years we seriously consider how we handle our death - funeral preparations - writing wills - instrucions to family.  Because we tend to think it will not happen to us - many avoid last minute preparations.  God gives us many gentle reminders as friends our own age pass away - make way for the Lord - the day YOU will meet Jesus face to face.  It doesn't matter if you attend church every day - week - month - year - it is all about how well are you prepared.  Have you accepted him as the Lord of your life - have you lived as He said - are you sharing the message of His Gospel to all you meet - have you personallly led - brought someone to a personal relationship with Christ.  What have you done - what will you do - if you are reading this - you still have time. 

Deacon Dale 

Best Dressed

 Almost weekly one group or another seems to publish their list of best dressed - celebrities - international figures - men - women - children - senior citizen - teen - child actor - dogs - cats - ad nauseum. We seem to be obsessed with how people look - how clothes look on certain people - who wore it the best - worse. If we believed the media then looks would be the criteria upon which we valued people. Personalities - manners - attitude - aside - only what pleases the eyes - not the mind - heart. Being caught up in these mindless games - not a sign of maturity. Everyone knows that what really matters - is inside - who the person really is - not what they look like. A beautiful woman - man - might just be the shallowest - meanest person alive. 

God knows each of us so well - He does not look at our appearance - clothes - jewelry - homes - cars - bank accounts. He looks into our hearts - minds - where we love - whom we love. Inside where no one can see - except God - is what really matters. The same goes for us - we should not judge a book by its cover - nor people by their possessions - rather their words - actions. When God call us to serve Him - He did not ask us to first buy a new suit - dress - rather He accepted us as we were - no changes needed -  we need to continue to celebrate the gift of New Life offered by God - for ourselves - for others - just as we are.

Deacon Dale  

Guinea Pig

 A guinea pig is a species of rodent - despite the name - not a member of the pig family - not from Guinea. They originated in the Andes and were not found in the wild - played an important role in folk culture of many South American groups - as a food source - in folk medicine - religious ceremonies. At one time - used as laboratory test animals - now replaced by mice and rats - more often found as pets. One wonders how many households would be host to a guinea pig if they realized it is basically a fuzzy plump mouse. The name in modern use is often applied to any animal used as a test subject for many different projects - often including humans. The term - guinea pig - often used to refer to an individual - selected as the target - without  prior knowledge to be the first to attempt - try something in which the safety is unknown - testing a rope bridge - particularly an old one of dubious construction - the first one to attempt a safe crossing for a group. 

Although God is known to test people in various ways - He rarely uses the guinea pig method. On occasion - He may ask an individual to do something first - not at risk of their life - rather as a role model for those who will later follow. None of us is expendable - all have value in God's eyes. Each person a precious jewel in His crown - to be loved - nurtured - protected by God. When you feel that God might be testing you - pray for strength - He will provide - assist you through whatever trial you face. 

Deacon Dale 

Sounds of Silence

 The Sounds of Silence - a popular song by Simon and Garfunkel - popular recording artists of the 1960s - counterculture icons of the decade's social revolution - stirred people to rethink life - social issues. The true importance of the term - sounds of silence - is the concept of what silence really is. Silence is not only the absence of audible sound - a necessary part of making sound. Silence is what separates one sound from another - one musical note from another - one word from another. If there was no silence - all sound would run together into one continuous sound or hum. Anyone who has studied music is familiar with rest notes - moments when no sound is played on an instrument - no sound sung. These rest notes - moments of silence separate - embellish the sound just made - the note - sound to come. When using speech - pauses - moments of silence - introduced to bring attentions what was just said - what will be coming next. Without silence all forms of communication would lose much of its value.

When we speak to God in prayer - silence is golden - extreme value - in sitting in silence - not speaking - rather listening. In that silence God has an opportunity to speak to our mind - heart - to come close to us - giving us an opportunity - to touch the Divine. Many are uncomfortable with complete silence - choosing to speak rather than listen. In prayer - communicating with God - the sounds of silence - truly golden.

Deacon Dale

Name Calling

 As children it was not uncommon to yell at another child who was not being nice - not playing fair - bullying others. Physical violence was out - usually the one being mean - bigger than anyone else - stronger - older. The only thing left was to call the offender a name - any name - mean spirited - poking fun at anything - trying to get even - level the playing field - attempting to get them to stop. Sometimes it worked - more often than not - an adult heard what was going on - made you stop - not polite - not the way to treat a fellow human. The majority of us gave up name calling as we grew - matured into responsible adults - citizens. Unfortunately name calling is again in vogue - especially among politicians - candidates for public office - failing any legitimate criticism of an opposing candidate - slip into the gutter - spewing lies - filth - attempting to steer attention away from the other person - to oneself in an attempt in becoming popular.

Jesus - guilty of name calling in His day - brother - sister - friend - teacher - healer - names to compliment - build up - reinforce ones self esteem. When speaking a truth about another - using kind words - gestures - focusing on the true value of another human. God calls all of us to be like Jesus - to put on His manners - positive characteristics - to become Christ-like. He is with us always - guiding - helping - giving good direction to our lives - actions. If you listen - you will hear God's voice - calling your name.

Deacon Dale

Write - Rite - Right

 For those of us born in this country - learning English from our youth - our native tongue - easy. Those who come from other countries usually have a difficult time learning English. It is not just learning a new vocabulary - how to pronounce the words - complete with various dialects - inflections - but the number of words that sound identical - with completely different meanings which cause major issues. Write - the action of forming letters and numbers into words and sentences - Rite - a ritual or ceremony often involved in religion and solemn gatherings - right - as in the direction one may be looking or walking - the right side of the body - also meaning correct - morally good - justified - true. In just these three sound alike words - four different meanings. The list of other words that pose the same issue - many which are spelled identical - with different sounds and meanings - bass - the sound - bass - the fish - lead - to walk in front - lead - the metal. This does not include the very common issues with there- their - they're - pray - prey - to - two - too.

Language may be  the nemesis of people at different times - not an issue for God. No matter what words we speak - how we pronounce them - He always understands. When we come to God in prayer - when we initiate a discussion with Him - He listens - hears - understands everything we tell Him. He not only knows our words - also our hearts - the truth of what we speak. Language is no barrier when speaking with our Lord - when thanking Him - singing His praises. With God there is no phone line - no internet provider - no gateway that needs to be negotiated. He is available to all of us - at the same time - every second of the day. He is there for us to initiate a conversation with Him - open and available waiting for us - whenever we wish. No rite needed to follow - no letter to write - He is there - right now. 

Deacon Dale