Now that we have moved into a global world with easy access to almost everything international one common issue that many people face is the conversion between different systems of weight and measures. How does one easily convert inches to centimeters - miles to kilometers - pounds to kilograms and so on? For those with a scientific background those should be easy conversions. For the rest - conversion charts exist that make this simple. What about changing money from one country to another - US Dollars to Euros - or to Polish Zloty - or to Great Britain Pounds. Again using formulas developed to make these conversions is actually very easy to find those answers.
When a person has experienced a change of heart and is moving from a life of unbelief to belief or who has been uneducated about religious matters and then has a spiritual experience - they go through a conversion of their mind and heart. There are no special formulas that have to be applied here - conversion - or turning their minds and hearts to a new vision that includes God is left completely up to God. He alone works in that person's life to make them see Him - the One who loves them in new light. As a lifelong Christian - I see this a God's job - nothing for us to do but rejoice in the one who now sees God in new light. We do nothing - God does it all - nothing for us to worry about - do the math.
Deacon Dale
How true that it is always the little things that end up mattering the most. Large adults and very small children - the little ones are the ones we worry about the most. Major projects - the large picture - but it is the little details that mean success or failure. Giant beams support large buildings - but it is the little rivets and bolts that hold it all together. We are impressed by that which is big - and in the process we ignore the tiny little things that make up the glue of success.
We read in Mark 10:14 "When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children." He didn't say turn them away - let the grownups come first - no He made it a point to welcome the children and then reminded the adults present that they needed to make themselves small in the eyes of God - to stop being grandiose and start being humble - to become little so that God could work mighty wonders in their lives. Today when you start feeling very large about yourself - take Jesus' advice and make yourself little.
Deacon Dale
Be Prepared - the Boy Scout motto that every young scout must learn. Be prepared so that you are ready for any contingency that may arise - be prepared so you can help when called upon to volunteer - be prepared and life will rarely catch you off guard. Good advice for both young and not so young. How many times have you thought that you would have been better of if you had taken the time to properly prepare - how many occasions did you falter and stumble because you thought you had more time than you actually did? Learning to plan ahead and following through with those plans often make the difference between success and failure.
Jesus gave us the same kind of advice - in Matthew 3:2 - He warned "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" and in Matthew 24:36 He said "no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen...." He gave his disciples a warning that the time to make changes was now rather than later when it might be too late. Today He gives us the same message - make things right - make them sincere - be prepared.
Deacon Dale
"No foot - no horse" is an old saying that I heard quite often years ago when we had horses and ponies around our ranch. What it meant was that you were a sorry rancher if you did not take the time to properly care for your horses and other animals entrusted to your care. Just like brushing your dog's or cat's fur to remove whatever they might have gotten into - it was imperative that to have a healthy happy horse you had to spend the money and hire a farrier to properly trim and shoe your horse - if they wore shoes. A lame horse was useless - you could not ride them or work them. The same goes for people - no foot - no mom (or dad) or whomever. Foot health is very important to people so they may remain active and healthy. Most of us ignore our feet. Sure we wash them and dry between the toes - but that is where most people stop. Women in particular are guilty of squeezing their feet into shoes that are too small or narrow in the name of fashion. Some men also do this but for whatever reason it seems to be more of a female issue.
When going on a pilgrimage or any long walking trip it is imperative that you wear comfy shoes or sandals. Failing to do so means paying the price with hot blistered feet and being unable to enjoy the remaining walking part of the journey. We need our feet to get to important places. Jesus instructed his disciples to travel light - not taking extra tunics or sandals - but he did expect them to have one pair to wear - obviously walking through the desert without something on your feet would not be the smartest thing to do. Walking on sand is fine - but there are always little rocks hidden in the sand and that would hurt. Our journey through life is like walking in sand with those hidden rocks. All is fine until we stumble - we fall - we fail - we sin - but Jesus is always there - helping us get up and setting us back on the path. Today when you walk as a modern day disciple - wear comfy shoes.
Deacon Dale
PRN is an acronym that stands for "pro re nata" which is Latin and means "as needed". The most common use of this acronym is in medical use by doctors, nurses and pharmacists. When a doctor or nurse uses the term it is intended to signify that the treatment or order is to be used as the need arises. When a pharmacist sees this written on a prescription order it either means that the medication is to be taken or used as the need arises - or it may be written to indicate that the prescription order may be refilled as the need arises. Our lives are filled with acronyms and this is one lone example of the multitude of abbreviations in our lives.
Jesus had his own form of easy speak - otherwise know as parables. He used this literary device to make truths easier to comprehend. When Jesus spoke to his disciples - he was attempting to inform them so they would be prepared to carry on his mission after he was gone. His parables and words have been passed down to us so that we may do the same. Today - as then - Jesus asks us to teach - to share - to inform - PRN - as the need arises. Praying that the need does arise every day!
Deacon Dale
Do you know people who are constantly complaining and making mountains out of mole hills? It is usually one thing after another - their health - their job - their finances - their family - their love life - their golf game - whatever. It becomes a problem when everything they view is seen in the negative. A common response to their constant whining and complaining is "would you like a little cheese with that whine?" Personally I prefer the other kind of wine - the red liquid that you drink with dinner.
Saint Paul told Timothy to stop drinking only water and to drink red wine for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23) - my cardiologist told me to drink red wine for my heart and cholesterol. Good advice on both parts - the wine has helped my numbers improve and my doctors are happy with the results. Jesus calls each of us to be "new wine" to be evangelists - to spread His message of love. Listen to Saint Paul and Jesus and be wine for others!
Deacon Dale
The Global Positioning System or GPS is a space based satellite navigation system. It provides location and time information in any kind of weather on or near Earth. The United States government maintains the system. Original development started in 1973 and became fully operational in 1994. Today many people - besides the government - use devices that rely on the GPS system. The most obvious are Garmin and TomTom navigation systems in automobiles. The next most common use is in cellular technology. If you use a cell phone then you are using GPS even if you did not know it. With this technology it is very easy for anyone to follow your every movement.
Just as those with GPS can track you so can God. Of course He does not need technology to let Him know where you are or what you are doing. God knows each of us so well that He has counted the hairs on our heads and can read things kept hidden in our hearts. Since He already knows us so well - it makes sense that we should know Him just as well. The best way is through prayer - the only to way ever really know anyone is by having open communication with them. As you know your friends better and better through constant communication - so can you know God. Why not start today - give God a call - He is waiting.
Deacon Dale
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What a beautiful day to celebrate Mothers Day. Sunshine - warm weather - slight wind - great time to be outdoors - family gatherings - cookouts - games - fellowship - fun. All the ingredients for a very special day - a day to celebrate mothers and all they have done for us. Yes - we are blessed but not just in the day - but also in our mothers. We celebrate and thank God for these dedicated women who gave us birth - who nurtured us - educated us - loved us - and soothed all our ills. On this day we appreciate all those women who we often tend to take for granted. Thank you mom for all you have done for us!
On this second Sunday of May we also celebrate the annual May Crowning - when we took the time prior to Holy Mass to honor and crown Saint Mary - the role model for all mothers. On this day we paused to give special reverence to the mother of our Lord, Jesus - to Mary the mother of all. Like our own mother - Mary is the Lady to whom we can turn in times of need. We offer prayers to her - who in turn offers them to the Lord for us. On this day we honor the mother of our best friend - Jesus.
Deacon Dale
Competitive creatures aren't we - in almost everything we do we compete. When our sons were growing up the youngest always wanted to play with his older brother's friends. Since he was two and a half years younger - he had to exert extra effort to be accepted by the older youth and in striving for their acceptance - he became very competitive. Everything he wanted to do had to be done on a competitive level since he was younger and physically smaller. It didn't matter if it was school work or sports or just goofing off around the house - competition became a way of life for him. His efforts paid off and he was accepted by the older youth and in the process he also made himself a very good student and athlete. Today you can see all different levels of competition in almost anyplace you look. It is no longer limited to the playing field but also in the work arena and the market place. All of us strive to excel - all of us work at trying to be the greatest in every field imaginable - because that is what is expected of us.
In Saint Paul's letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:7) he wrote "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." He was referring to the fact that he was in chains and it looked like his life would soon end. Even as he had competed with the weakness of men and their lack of faith he was now fighting the race against time - the time he would have left to fulfill his desire to serve God. He knew he wasn't the greatest - he knew he had faults - in spite of his shortcomings he still exerted his energies not to preserving his life - but to proclaiming the message about the One - the One worth proclaiming - the One who was to come - the One who makes everything right - the One who is the Greatest One of all - Jesus.
Deacon Dale
Tonight we celebrated the sacrament of confirmation for eighty-four eight graders.The Mass went well with no glitches. The Bishop's homily was was right on target and everything went well. What effect all this had on those who were confirmed has yet to be seen. Those of us in ministry will have to wait and see how all this develops and develop it will.
Confirmation is awesome from the point that young adults finally - after all these years - get to make their own decision about committing themselves to a life of faith. Some will be very diligent for the rest of their lives - many will drift away since they see confirmation as a sort of graduation away from religious education. On the contrary - it is a point of transition where they - not their parents - become responsible for nurturing their spiritual life. With the help and patience of a loving God all will eventually work out - in the meantime - those of us who stand besides them are called to encourage them to stay with the task - the task of being a true Christian.
Deacon Dale
When a person has experienced a change of heart and is moving from a life of unbelief to belief or who has been uneducated about religious matters and then has a spiritual experience - they go through a conversion of their mind and heart. There are no special formulas that have to be applied here - conversion - or turning their minds and hearts to a new vision that includes God is left completely up to God. He alone works in that person's life to make them see Him - the One who loves them in new light. As a lifelong Christian - I see this a God's job - nothing for us to do but rejoice in the one who now sees God in new light. We do nothing - God does it all - nothing for us to worry about - do the math.
