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

Star Gazing

 In its simplest form - star gazing - staring - looking - at stars - in the skies. Astronomers 

would be the most likely to be involved in this activity - joined by many amateurs - observing the activities up in space. Telescopes - long range lens - cameras - all incorporated in this study - hobby - documenting positions - movement - in the skies. On a lower level - there are also those who gaze at stars - not in the skies - rather on the streets - especially in Hollywood - wherever public figures - celebrities - gather. The stores are filled with magazines focusing on both types of star gazing - the internet loaded with an uncountable number of sites - for both kinds.  As people we are drawn to the grandiose - brilliant - shining - glamorous - around us - above us. As a diversion from what many see as a boring - ordinary existence - people gaze at stars. 

For Christians - all Believers - Jesus is our Star. When God filled the heavens with the 

planets - stars - He knew we would look up - to see - observe - all above us. His hope - that in looking up - away from ourselves - from our problems - concerns - worries - we would see that the world is a lot more than just us - our daily existence. He painted the skies with awesome colors - mostly blue - often gray - frequently with bright reds - oranges - fire in the sky.  He 

wants us to know that He lives everywhere - around us - above us - below us - in us. When Jesus ascended up to the heavens He became the One Star that all would gaze upon.  His disciples wondered what was to come.  They had been instructed to go spread the Gospel message - take that message to the four corners of the world - to baptize all they encountered

 - in the Name of the Father - the Son - the Holy Spirit.  As modern day disciples His messaage

to us - do the same. We are called to look outside ourselves - to the beauty of His world - our playground. When your life begins to feel boring - lacking the beauty you seek - you only have 

to look upwards - to God.  Do as He commanded - spread His message and your life will be filled with joy.

Deacon Dale

The Second Greatest

 In any competition - everyone strives to be number one - the best - greatest - among all competitors. Whomever that person is gets all - the attention - the publicity - the grand prize. All others - "also-rans" - second - third - fourth - place - passed over - smaller rewards - less publicity - very little attention - losers. All eyes on the big prize - the rest - ignored. All worthy of attention - anyone who enters the competition - should be acknowledged - complemented for making an effort.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he told them - Love the Lord your God with all your heart - your soul - your mind. That is the number One - First -commandment - He went on to say - there is another - second commandment - Love your neighbor as yourself. The second commandment - an also-ran - second place - often overlooked - ignored. Like the First - the Second is very important and not to be overlooked. To understand what it means to love one's neighbor means you have to understand what it means to be - loved as yourself - loved - not by yourself - rather as you are loved - by God. That also-ran commandment - very important - it tells us to love others as God loves us - them - a love that cannot be measured - limited - put into a box. We are each called to love in earnest - consciously - with our whole heart. Not always easy to do - not something we wish to do with  those who oppress - offend - hurt us. As disciples of Jesus - we have no choice we must love - without limits. To love without limits does not mean accepting bad behavior - rather if we truly love - care about others - we will speak honestly to them - in love - informing them why they are hard to love - what they are doing wrong - why they are difficult to love. It is incumbent on us to be frank - honest - to bear the burden of trying to help them to become lovable. Our job - as Christians - to turn losers - into winners.

Deacon Dale 

Super Who?

When a person accomplishes an awesome feat - does something out of the ordinary - far exceeds expectations - the event is declared - great - super. This may be applied to anyone - man - women - child - even animals. Everyone has opportunities to excel in life - to perform so well - to attain what were believed unreachable goals. A female runner - setting a record time - superwoman - a young boy - saving a small toddler from drowning - superboy - a teen girl - receiving a perfect ten in gymnastics - supergirl - a father honoring his wedding vows - not straying outside marriage - superman. The list can go on and on. 

When God created man and woman - they were told to go and multiply - to create with God's blessing. Create they did - children - families - neighborhoods - communities - towns - cities - countries - nations. What started with a few - blessed by God - has become the world. We have been created to become super at all we do - in our daily living - in our families - in our communities - in the work place. We are called to be super - to go beyond the ordinary - to make our lives count - to make other peoples lives count - to make what we do - super. Many live very ordinary lives - merely existing - those who know better - called to a higher level of life - to be who God created us to be - to live as one - to worship the Lord - to be super people.

Deacon Dale 

No Way

No Way - a definite No!  Zero chance of ever doing it - never going to try - buy - attempt - whatever. Decision made - no need to even discuss it any further. All of us have said these two words at one time or another. For everyone - there is always at least one thing that we find impossible - repulsive - threatening - scary - highly undesirable. No one should ever be surprised that anyone has limits - boundaries - never to be crossed. It could be skydiving - bungee jumping - flying in an airplane - hiking in the mountains - sailing on the ocean - speaking in front of a group - eating sushi - any imaginable thing you can think of. We all have limits - a normal part of who we are - how we have been raised - what we feel - think.

When we come to Jesus -  to God in prayer - especially when asking for forgiveness - for anything - He always offers us His Heart. His Divine Heart is so large - so forgiving that many doubt - question - the possibility that He is able to forgive certain sins. What we must understand is that His love is not like our love. Our love is limited by human weakness - His love has no limits. Just as God is so much more than any of us can imagine - so is His love. It is called agape - beyond limits - love. He will - can - forgive - anything you place before Him. Lies - stealing - cheating - broken vows - adultery - abortion - murder - all forgivable by God. Denying His existence - turning your back on Him - speaking foul words towards Him - all forgivable. He has the power to do anything - even forgive  the forgivable. Turn His back on you - refuse to forgive you - No Way!

Deacon Dale 

Take A Hike

 Take a hike - often spoken when one is tired - irritated - with another person - get away - leave me alone - take a hike. The truth - hiking - taking long walks - away from your normal busy life is very healthy. It is not just the fact that you are off the couch and exercising your body - but there are beneficial aspects to your mental health. According to an article posted on the website of outsideonline.com - research has been done both in America and England citing data to show that hiking makes one happier. The study followed participants who walked in cities and countryside walks measuring their levels of depression - happiness. Bottom line - getting out side your house - away from hectic lives - the stress of work and daily commitments - helps one cope much better with their life overall.

Jesus told us in Holy Scripture - that He came that we might have life and live it to the fullest. Some would say that means spending all your time on your knees - in prayer - alone and quiet. If you really think about what Jesus said - He declared that we should live life to the fullest - taking advantage of the world created for all of us by God. That means the land - water - air. We are called to explore - investigate - immerse ourselves - in all of God's creation. If we sit in our chairs - spend countless hours on our knees - when is there time to explore - experience all the rest? That is only possible when we move outside our homes - our comfort zones - into the rest of the world. Hiking through a woods - forest - nature trail - traveling to other cities - states - countries - meeting and exploring the cultures of the world - is how we experience life to the fullest. God calls each of us to move - from complacency - to being active participants in all He offers us. He asks you and me to venture with Him - into the unknown - uncharted - corners of our lives.

Deacon Dale 

Safety Recall

 I think almost everyone is familiar with the concept of a safety recall - merchandise or product - deemed to have an inherent flaw - dangerous to the well being of the public in general. My sister frequently sends me notices about food recalls - contamination with bacteria - foreign material - unhealthy for even animals to consume. The food recalls are unbelievably common - more common that we would like to think.  Other products - toys - contaminated with lead paint - toxic plastics - harmful vapors - harmful to anyone who uses them. Possibly the biggest and most well known - automobile recalls - failed brakes - steering systems - faulty air bags - and on and on - all defects - discovered after the fact. At the time of manufacture - production - safety tested - only to fail ongoing testing at a later date - after it has landed in the hands of the final consumer. Thankfully - few are harmed - because of the due diligence by these companies.

When God sent Jesus - no need for safety testing - no need to follow up with additional testing - rather - follow up only to see how effective His Word - actions were. God is the original - Jesus - the real deal - no prototype - no future model. God gives us His best - first and foremost - no need for a second or third edition. What we see - what we get - day after day - hour after hour - minute after minute. Unlike the rest of the world - we get the best first and forever. In these days we tend to relax - let up on our spiritual observances - take the low road - ignore the high road - skip a Mass here and there - let our relationship with God slide into a lower place - possibly - no place at all. Instead of allowing this to happen - insert God moments - times when you may touch the Divine - into your summer activities. Had a great golf game - thank God - experience an awesome camp out  - praise the Lord - enjoy an well deserved vacation - sing your praise to the God who loves you. The only recall you should have with God - is recalling that He loved you - first.

Deacon Dale 

It's A Crazy Life

 Yes we are not alone - too many of us -  experiencing crazy times. Now that we are back in the Midwest - life has taken on a whole new aspect.  After enjoying a relatively relaxing four months - the hectic stuff has quickly crept back into our lives.   Illinois is more challenging - lots of grass to mow - lawn tractors that break down when you want to use them - weeds to pull - flower gardens to spruce up - not to mention just getting back in touch with everyone we left behind - reconnecting - gathering - getting crazy.  Add to these issues - coping with life's daily issues - the political scene - social media - humidity - lots of bugs - fixing things around the house.  Slowly getting back to deacon duties at church. 

God looks over every thing that is going on - not only in my life - but all of our lives - and smiles. Smiles because we are experiencing life to the fullest - with ordinary events - extra ordinary - happy - sad - frustrating - fun - stressful - relaxing. Just as He wanted - exactly why Jesus came - that all might experience life to the fullest. Often people will complain about the unpleasant things in life - why do we have to have those off moments - yet - if we think about it - the rough times - make the good times better - makes us appreciate little things - like peace - quiet - blue skies - white puffy clouds - handshakes - hugs - moments sharing with others. Like my friend Tom said last night - keeping in touch - looking to the future. God is present in 

everyone - everything we experience. Crazy or not - God is always there - smiling - calling us to touch the Divine.

Deacon Dale 

Mother's Day

 Today - a universal celebration of women - mothers - moms - grandmothers - women who have either given birth to another human - women who have acted very much lke a mother to children not born by them.  Going through the process of pregnancy - the actual - percieved - pain - sacrifice in order to bring another person into this world.  Unless one has personally given birth - not able to truely share that experience.  As a male I can only share what I have observed - been told by women what that process is like.  I know there are struggles - difficulties - pain - joy in that process.  I recently read that a women's body goes through multiple changes biologically in order to carry - give birth.  It almost sounds like a woman's body internally becomes a very different person - unseen by the naked eye.  On this Mothers Day - I for one say thank you!  

When Mary was told that she had been selected to bring the Christ child into the world there is no way that she knew what was being asked of her.  In those days even highly educated people really had no clue that a women went so many biological changes.  The could only observe the changed emotions - the obvious weigh gain - the tears - pain that most experienced.  Add onto the natural pain - the additional struggles to local customs - religious beliefs - heaped upon women due the no knowledge of the process.  To St Mary - thank you for saying - Yes - to the angel when told she would become pregnant through the power of God.  Thank you for making it possible for God to take on flesh - to experience human life - as the God wih flesh on.  I know that for Jesus - He could oly love Mary evn more for her sacrifice - a gift for Him - a gift for all humanity.  Happy Mpthers Day - St Mary - Arlene my wife and all women in the world.

Deacon Dale 

May Day

The first day of May is celebrated around the world - primarily in the northern hemisphere - 

as a festival - public holiday. In Europe - Great Britain - Finland - Estonia - France - Germany - Ireland - Italy - Greece - Bulgaria - Romania - Spain - Sweden - Poland - Canada - United States - Hawaii - celebrations predating the time of Christianity. One of the earliest - to honor the Roman goddess of flowers. Most celebrations - the crowning of a May queen - dancing around a maypole - village festivities - bring people together. The Roman Catholic Church in the 18th century selected May as the month to celebrate and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. Many churches sponsor special prayer times in which the rosary is prayed in community - First Communicants crowning statues of Mary at Holy Mass - focusing on our special relationship with the Mother of Jesus.  This Sunday - in our parish - those who just received their First Holy Communion will crown the parish statue of Mary during the primary Mass for all to witness.

Celebration of all God's gifts are good - taking time away from our normal routine - to focus on the good things in life. Honoring God with music - dance - festivities - prayers - always good. As we begin this month of May - may our days be filled with sunshine - warmth - joy - all gifts from Our Father in Heaven.  Mary - Mother of God - Pray for us. 

Deacon Dale 

In This Moment

 When communicating with people from the midwest - it is not common to hear anyone use the phrase - in this moment. This was brought to my attention a few years back when speaking with people who speak English as their second - not primary - language. Relatives and friends from Italy and Poland made me aware of this comment - attempting to translate - now - or - right now - into American English. Each of  them used this same phrase - in this moment. To my ears - a funny way to express - now - immediately.  As a native North American - speaking the North American version of English - different from British English - we have adapted - modified - the original language from England to a somewhat different version - so that at times it would appear that we are speaking two completely different languages. As I pondered why anyone from Europe would express themselves with unusual English words - foreign to my ears - I came to realize that they were speaking British English words and phrases - not the North American version. Definitely a learning experience - expanding my understanding of other peoples - their language - cultures.

Pentecost changed many things when it happened to the disciples in the upper room - the room where they had shared the Last Supper - with Our Lord. That room - visited today in Jerusalem - a very basic plain room - the most interesting feature - I can remember seeing when I was there in 2010 & 2012 & 2018 - the capstones on the pillars - carved intricate designs. Beyond that feature - nothing outstanding to the naked eye. What the eye could not - cannot see - the history that took place between those four walls. The words spoken - actions taken - meals shared - stories of love for one another - a quick departure - an admonition from Our Lord to His disciples - the washing of the disciples' feet - the breaking of the bread - passing the cup of precious blood - the first consecration - institution of the Eucharist - the Priesthood - all hidden from sight - buried in the rings of time - spoken - unspoken words of - adoration - reverence. If we could only experience those moments for ourselves - the affect it would have on our lives - we can only imagine. As it is we have those memories recorded in the Holy Bible - words to be read - digested - over and over - to contemplate our place in God's Plan for the world - for each of us - in this moment.

Deacon Dale 

Royalty

 Royalty - in the most popular sense - when referring to people - indicates those born of Royal blood - The Queen of England - those who control an entire country. There are Kings and Queens - Princes and Princesses - Dukes and Duchesses - Barons and Baronesses - all held in high esteem above the ordinary people - the commoners. Not all royalty in reality from Royal blood. In Germany it is common for different groups to select a Queen - a young woman - to be their spokesperson - representative for their specific region or product. There is a Queen of the Blossom - Queen of the Lakeland - Queen of the Horseradish - Queen of the Bavarian Veal Sausage. Typically they are photographed in the county they represent - next to the product they promote - always alone - no pomp - plain stark reality - simple beauty. Celebrating the beautiful - simple things of life.

God created us all to be equal. In His eyes we are all Royal - all worthy of special attention - His Son Jesus - the only One to wear the crown. When we were baptized - we were baptized into the Body of Christ - to share in His ministry. Our obligation - as baptized Christians - to promote the Gospel of Jesus - to minister to the poor - to strengthen the weak - to bring comfort to the sick and dying. We are royal - in the sense that we have an obligation imposed not by Earthly powers - rather from heaven. We are called - each of us - to be servants to all - our crown - the sweat on our brow - our scepter - the dirt on our hands - our robes - the garments with which we clothe the naked. Today - our royal duty - to serve God with our entire heart - soul - mind. 

Deacon Dale  

When It Rains

You know the saying - when it rains - it pours - not necessarily anything to do with water. This phrase is a common expression - used by many - expressing frustration - anxiety - about events which are happening at a pace - faster than one would desire. It could be a series of unfortunate or sad - happy or pleasing events - the issue that the rate of events leaves one barely enough time to breathe - to recover from something bad - to enjoy the goodness - in something pleasing. Now that we are into the month of May we will be over active with First Communions - Confirmations - Graduations - Weddings - just for starters. Add into that mix any other special activities that you are involved with and you too will be singing - Dancing in the Rain. May is also the month in Spain when activity on the Camino de Santiago starts to get very crowded - especially in Holy Years.  Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims will walk all or part of the 500 mile pilgrimage to Santiago, Spain. Many people think this is a - walk in the park - a very long park of 500 miles - in reality much more difficult than most would realize. Today I am posting a photo of an acquaintance currently walking the Camino de Santiago. If you look closely at the photo - what appears to be a waterfall in the background is actually part of the trail she is walking. This is the Camino - one hill after another - one mountain range after another - when it rains....

When God moves in our lives and asks us to do anything - helping out at church - teaching a religion class - re-potting plants for spring planting - walking a pilgrimage - helping a neighbor - it often seems like too much -  too soon. Quite often we beg God - wait - let us catch our breath - you are asking too much - too soon. The beauty of God's plan for our lives is that He will give us the strength - the energy - the time - to accomplish whatever it is we are suppose to do. When  we run out of the resources listed above - He gives us more - strength - energy - time - to finish the task. Daily God rains down His blessings - love - upon each one of us - daily - He calls us to walk with Him - in the rain.

Deacon Dale 

A La Derecha

 A la derecha - Spanish for - to the right - turn here - on your right side - go the correct way. In English we often confuse - not only non English speaking persons - often ourselves - when we use the word right. Taken out of context - not written down - we are unsure if the speaker is talking about a direction - an attitude - the act of inscribing a word. To clearly understand which word the speaker is attempting to use we need to hear it spoken in a sentence. Much of everyday conversation - in many languages - incorporates the use of slang - idioms - phrases - as a normal form of communicating with others. It is not until confusion arises - errors made - that we realize that we should have spoken in a more formal manner - complete with all the adjectives - adverbs - word modifiers - to express ourselves in a clear and precise manner. Good communication requires good communication skills.

When speaking to God - in prayer - we should be as concise as possible - elaborate sentences - long stories - not necessary. God knows our minds - hearts - our needs - our desires. Even before we open our mouths - He knows what we will say. Many question if this is true then why does He wait before He acts in our lives. Sometimes He does - often He waits to hear it from our lips - from our minds - from our hearts. This process is how we communicate with God - humbly - personally - with sincerity. Every day - Jesus - Our Lord - Our Savior - waits to hear from each of us. Long conversations - not necessary - daily conversation - even very brief ones - the rule. Try it today - He waits for you.

Deacon Dale 

Back Again

 For those who follow this blog - know me personally - I am back in Illinois.  Different from Arizona.  In Arizona I can easily walk outside - see blue skies - smell fresh air - enjoy pleasant temperature.  In Illinois - different - pick one skies - gray - over cast - sometimes blue - air pleasant - not so nice - filled with tiny bugs flying all over in and around your face - not nice.  Yes country living - enjoyable with limits.  People - as everywhere - that makes any place you call home - different.  Unfortunately so many are caught up in the politics of the day.  Who says what - how do they say it - is there anger - joy in their voice?  Mix in personal obstacles that many face - affectes your own experience.

When God created this world - all was good.  Then Mankind got involved - since that day individual personalities - ideas - motives have affected God's creation.  Today we live in a world that holds many differing concepts - ideas - situations - which by themseles does not mean that our lived experience of life needs to be bad - unhappy.  If each of us would take a step back - take a deep breath - look at life around us - we might see the world God intended.  Some will - many will not - controlled by their individual thoughts on what their life should look like.  Many will chose differently from God - they think they know better - if only God would listen to me - not a good idea.  For those who live the life God planned - good for you - for those who know better - are smarter than God - good luck.

Deacon Dale 

I AM

I AM - what?  Now a days it seems that nobody is who they seem to be. Famous people reveal they are not who everyone thinks they are - saints become sinners - sinners become saints - trusted dignitaries show they cannot be trusted - men become women - women become men. For most of my life I thought it was only people - like me - born as a twin - who had to cope with confusion about who they were. As an infant - I was the skinny one - my twin a bit heavier - you could see in our faces who was who - as long as you remembered who the skinny one was. As toddlers we grew more similar - the issue compounded by mom dressing us in identical clothes. Even when we started selecting our own clothes to wear - making an obvious effort to look different - people still could not tell us apart. We both chose the same career path - the same occupation - similar wives - both having two sons. It has only been the last sixteen  years - since my twin died - that I have been a single person. Even his death did not solve the issue of who I am. To this day - I meet people who still think I am my twin - dead or alive - it will never end.  Inside - I know who I am - God knows who I am - and in the end - that is all that matters. I never had to wander - never had to worry - about who I was.  I feel sorry for those - today - confused about issues - created by unreasonable expectations - unreasonable demands - unreasonable attempts to be politically correct - to define individuals.  We are who God made us - pure and simple. We may not fit into - the same box - pigeon hole - predetermined niche - that makes others comfortable - at the expense of our comfort. That is their problem - not ours. What we are - who we are - belongs to only one person - concerns only God - period.

When asked what His name was - God replied - I am - Who am - period. No definition needed - no explanation provided. A simple - complete - outrageous - statement. God does not fit into a box - is not limited by our fragile minds. He is - He was - He will be - I AM.  As we grow in our faith - as we understand His - I AM - we come to know the reality of what He is all about. For most of us - this will be a lifetime journey - no problem - we have our entire life to learn.

Deacon Dale 

Too Old

 There is probably nothing more frustrating to people of all ages - youth - young adults - seniors - to be told that they are too old to do almost anything. As children grow older they are told - too old to play with dolls - too old to pretend - youth - too old to act certain ways - too old - to grow up - young adults - told that is child's play - they are too old to do almost anything that seems fun - seniors - too old - to do almost everything.  As a senior - I am constantly  reminded that I am too old.  When my wife and I walked almost 400 miles in Spain on the Camino de Santiago in 2013 at 68 years old - concerns were expressed that weren't we too old to do that?  Today we bike - not your normal - ride a bike around the block - first of all we don't have a block - we live in the country - our block is miles long and incompasses highways that any intelligent person would not bike on. We seek bike paths - much safer - for anyone - of any age. Today we ride recumbent trikes - three wheel laid back cycles - not just for seniors - people of all ages.  An almost daily event both in Illinois - Arizona - keeping our bodies in good physical - mental condition.  Just  the other day a fellow painting a house had to stop working - approached us to talk for an easy twenty minutes talking about our recumbents - sharing inventions his broher had ceated - his plans for retiremnt soon as he planned to stop working at sixty-nine years old. 

We were baptized as babies - dedicated to God - as infants - recommitted ourselves as followers in our youth and again as young adults. On October 5, 1980 - we attended a marriage encounter weekend - again we rededicated ourselves to God as modern day disciples. At my ordination in 1988 - I again made that same commitment - this time to serve Him as a member of the ordained Catholic clergy. Now 38 years later - preparing to celebrate 81 years of life - I and my wife - continue to rededicate ourselves to serving God. You see - when it comes to serving - worshiping -God - Jesus - the Holy Spirit - you are never too young or too old. If you have never made a commitment - feel the call to do so - simply offer Him - the Lord of Lords - King of Kings - the Author of Life - this simple prayer - Have Mercy On Me A Sinner - then profess with all your heart - mind - soul - spirit to serve Him - in anyway He calls you to. You are never - too old.

Deacon Dale 

Put It In Writing

 Put it in writing - a common phrase - often when something is spoken - unbelievable - out of the ordinary - worthy of remembering.  A bit back I received a call from a friend - a parishioner - seeking information - advice. I did not have a clue what I would be asked - told - requested. Whenever I am in this situation I do the only thing I know to help prepare myself - to speak - listen - react - appropriately.  I pray.  That morning I prayed - God guide me - help me - to be present - attentive - receptive. As I drove to our meeting point - driving through the ongoing construction in our area - I came upon a flashing road sign - warning drivers of the current construction conditions. The sign flashed three messages - Be Alert! - New traffic patterns - Focus on the road. To anyone driving that route - warnings that - once again - the lanes had changed - again - ignore everything else - focus on the road - the barriers - the flashing lights. To me - a different message - immediately I saw in that sign - God's hand in the construction of those three messages - preparing me for my meeting - Be alert - paths are changing - keep my eyes on the road - on the journey.  As I met my friend and discussed his concerns - I shared with him - God's message to me - the same message I left with him. Pay attention to his situation - there were changes happening in his life - how he would act and react to those changes - challenges - had to be carefully discerned - with eyes on the road - the journey - the end goal he was seeking. He wrote those three messages down - God's advice to me - in writing - shared with him as a brother in Christ - the message - the answer to his questions. Our meeting - an awesome time - spent together - sharing our lives - sharing the one message - for each of us.

God does not always write His answers down - most often when we seek His counsel - we hear nothing - see nothing - we wonder if He heard our request. As a firm believer - I know God always hears us - the answer normally - a work in progress - often manifested only at a later time. Jesus assures each of us that He - His Father - are always there for us - listening - guiding - answering. In faith we wait - in faith we rest - knowing that in His time - not ours - He will answer our prayers - our requests. Very rarely will we get our answer in writing - always - His answer - written in love - will be etched in our hearts.

Deacon Dale