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