Praying the Hours

All ordained men in the Catholic Church - Bishops - Priests and Deacons are obliged to pray the "Official Hours" of the Church.  Known as the "Liturgy of the Hours" or "The Breviary" - the Hours are comprised of five different sets of prayers which are prayed throughout the day. These prayers originated in the Jewish community and are for the most part based on the Psalms. The day begins with the "Office of Readings" which includes Holy Scripture and Apostolic Writings and prayers. Next is "Lauds" or Morning Prayer which includes Holy Scripture and prayers. Daytime prayers follows which has three sections - Mid-Morning - Mid-Day - Mid-Afternoon.  Next is "Vespers" or Evening Prayer which again consists of Holy Scripture and prayers. The day ends with "Compline" or Night Prayer.  Throughout the day - throughout the World - somewhere - someone - is praying the Liturgy of the Hours.  Bishops and Priests have committed to praying as much of the entire set as their day allows. Deacons make a promise to their Bishop at ordination to pray Morning and Evening Prayer.  Religious communities of Brothers and Sisters also pray the Hours according to their specific guidelines established by their respective Order. Something new - is the involvement of Lay people praying the Hours. These people pray the Hours either privately or in groups.  At our parish - the practice has begun in which - Adorers - people attending Adoration - pray Morning Prayer - Evening Prayer and Night Prayer with fellow Adorers.  Beyond that - the practice is growing. The effect is that the Holy Roman Catholic Church is being prayed for every single minute of every day.  Somewhere - at any given time - someone is praying the Hours.  Making it even more convenient to pray the Hours are new electronic versions.  Where the hardbound book form requires turning many pages and jumping from one section to another - the electronic form follows a straight forward format - making it less confusing and distracting to pray the Hours. The Vatican has approved the iBreviary format for the Hours. The app is free and is available for iPhone - Android - Blackberry and iPad.

Prayer keeps us connected with God - as individuals - as Church.  God devotes His constant attention on us and the World and it is only fitting that we as a body of believers should give God the attention He deserves.  As a committed Catholic Christian you now have the tools available to you to join thousands of other Lay people participate in the Prayer of the Church. Just as many pray the Rosary daily - now you can pray along with your Bishops - Priests and Deacons.


Deacon Dale 

Under Pressure

What do you think of when you hear the words"under pressure"? Do you immediately think of your job and a rapidly approaching deadline - perhaps an upcoming date with that special girl or guy - maybe you are in the first or last hours of delivering a new baby into the world - perhaps you are sitting for a special exam for college or a job application. As you can see there are a lot of situations when the words "under pressure" applies. Recently I was opening up a carton of soda pop and I could not find the perforated lines so I decided to carefully use a knife to open the carton - I diligently felt for the space between the cans and inserted the knife - voila! - I had just cut directly into the side of one of the cans.  Under pressure has a whole new meaning when you do that - pop spraying all over the place - and you cannot do anything about it until the pressure goes away.

Unfortunately a lot of people view their religious life in that exact way. Under pressure - from their family or friends - their co-workers - their minister or priest - from God. Although many people may pressure you about how you practice your faith life - or if you are a casual or serious believer - or how frequently you attend services - God does not. Sure He wants you to worship Him - sure Jesus wants you to accept Him as your personal Savior - sure He who loved you first - before you were in your mother's womb - wants you to return His love - but never under pressure. We know that we cannot buttonhole God and push Him around - we have to wait for Him to act in His time - so why would Jesus be any different? He knows your mind and your heart - He knows what is going on inside you - and He is ever patient - waiting for you to make the next move - no pressure.  After all - He has all the time in the world - but do you?

Deacon Dale 

Lack of Faith

In last week's Gospel the people just could not get close enough to Jesus - they all wanted to be next to Him - to be healed - to feel God's love in their lives. One woman - who had been sick for twelve years - even dared to touch His garments - seeking a miracle. The Gospel was all about Faith - faith as shown by the synagogue official - Jairus - by the woman - by all pressing in on Jesus. 


Today it is just the opposite - in today's Gospel of Mark 6:1-6  in the last line we read - " He was amazed at their lack of faith."  What happened from everyone showing great faith - to no faith?  It all had to do with location. In business everyone knows that to succeed - you must be in the right location. In the Gospel - Jesus - went from the lake to His hometown - where he was met with a lot of questions and a bunch of skeptical people. Two groups of people - with two completely different perspectives. Faith and no faith.

Jesus challenges each of us daily to follow Him and walk the journey of life with Him. It is not an easy journey - it is not without its challenges - it requires a lot of strength - it takes faith. Faith in Jesus - faith in God - faith in other people - faith in yourself. At the end of the day you have to ask yourself - will you be more like the people in last week's Gospel or this week's - will you have faith or no faith?


Deacon Dale 

Movement

Here is an interesting article I just came across - as posted in the Catholic News Service. 


"Anglican communities in California find 'new home' in Catholic Church
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (CNS) -- Two Anglican communities from Southern California are now in full communion with the Catholic Church. Members of the St. Augustine of Canterbury and Blessed John Henry Newman communities, based in Oceanside/Carlsbad and Santa Ana respectively, were received into the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter during a July 3 liturgy at Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano. Established by Pope Benedict XVI, the ordinariate is essentially a diocese for former Anglicans throughout the United States who wish to be fully Catholic while retaining their rich Anglican traditions and liturgical practices. Bishop Tod D. Brown of Orange was the presiding celebrant at the liturgy. His concelebrants included San Diego Coadjutor Bishop Cirilo B. Flores, his former auxiliary bishop; Msgr. Jeffrey N. Steenson, a former Episcopal bishop who heads the ordinariate; and Father Andrew Bartus, a former Anglican priest and administrator of the Blessed John Henry Newman community, who was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in the same liturgy. In addition to ordaining Father Bartus, Bishop Brown also received and confirmed members of the Blessed John Henry Newman community, including Father Bartus' wife, Laura. Bishop Flores similarly received and confirmed members of the St. Augustine of Canterbury community. In his homily, Msgr. Steenson reflected on the ongoing challenge "to be people -- men and women -- of communion." While noting the significance of their reception into full communion, he reminded the former Anglicans that their pursuit of unity must continue. He explained that all Christians must spend their lives working toward an ever deeper sense of communion with God and one another."

As a Catholic deacon I love reading about people of similar faith expressions who are able to be included under the rich traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.  Jesus came to call all of us to worship and honor His Heavenly Father.  Over many years what started as one body of worshipers grew into a multitude of different groups.  When we are able to reunite groups under the same umbrella of faith -to witness movement from difference to closeness -  then it means that we - as Catholics - are doing something right. As a Church - as individuals - we need to pray daily - "come Lord Jesus" - unite us as one!

Deacon Dale 

Stairways

I was recently doing some work around our back deck and noticed that the stairs needed repair. The one stairway needs minor work but the second set was structurally damaged and needed to be replaced which meant that I could correct a design flaw in the original stairway. A simple project - one that many do-it-yourself people would not shy away from. Building a stairway is not a simple task - so I have learned. After doing the proper research - I was able to decide on how I should proceed. The hardest part - making the stairway stringers - was easily solved when I discovered that they were available pre-cut and matching my exact dimensions!  The rest fell into place - buying the lumber - putting in some necessary supports - and voila - a new stairway.

When you are working on your relationship with God - you are building your stairway to heaven. Luckily - when building that stairway you do not have to worry about creating any risers - you do not need a list of lumber - and there is no working in one hundred degree temperatures. As you develop your spiritual life - you add another stair onto your stairway to heaven. Getting to understand your relationship with Jesus - accepting Him as your Lord and Savior - all adds stairs.  Each spiritual step brings you closer and closer to your heavenly home. Every day Jesus stands at the top of the stairway calling your name - it is up to you how quickly you add steps and how close you draw nearer to God. Prayer is the tool - faith is the glue - start your stairway today!


Deacon Dale 

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost was written by English poet John Milton. Originally it was published in ten books with over ten thousand individual lines of verse. The poem is about the Fall of Man - the temptation of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. When people think that they possess everything that they wanted out of life and then lose it - they too feel like they have lost their paradise. Upon closer look - often what looked like paradise - only existed in their mind and not in reality. We all know the saying that love is blind - and that may apply to anything that we love - so much that we are blinded to the reality of lack of perfection. When the "scales fall from our eyes" and we see what really exists - disappointment settles in and we become unhappy to learn that the paradise we thought we had - never existed at all. 

Jesus never promised us a paradise - a perfect world to live in - when He spoke of paradise it was only a promise of what laid ahead - in heaven. He told us that we would experience conflict in this life - that the perfect life was only to be attained in the future with His heavenly Father. Although many people may feel they have found perfection in this life - what is yet to come cannot be comprehended and will be much better than anyone has in their present life. Jesus promised - we trust and belive that one day paradise will be found.

Deacon Dale 

Independence Day..

Independence Day - also known as as the Fourth of July is very special to Americans. If you have studied American history - then you know what an ordeal it was for the original settlers to organize and then break away from the control of the British Empire.  The legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain actually occurred on July 2, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was officially approved and signed on July 4th. The significance of the signing of that document is so important that it is celebrated annually - to remind us of how precious liberty really is. One of the hallmarks of being American is the liberty and freedom that is associated with the word American.

When a person makes the decision to become a Christian their entire life changes. They do not have to get an act approved by congress and rarely is any official document needed to be signed.  The freedom given them by being baptized and accepted into the Christian Church grants them specific rights - liberty and freedom from Satan and sin. Becoming Christian opens doors - opportunities for spiritual growth are numerous and if the decision involved becoming Roman Catholic - they receive the greatest gift the Catholic Church can provide - Holy Eucharist! Another hallmark of being an American is the freedom to worship as we chose. On this day - we praise God that we enjoy that freedom!

Deacon Dale 

Doubting Thomas

I have a friend Tom - who was discussing my blog the other day. He was trying to figure out if I wrote a new blog each day or if I did a bunch all at one time. I think - in a nice way - he was trying to figure out if these are my original thoughts or if I have some source available to me that I use. First - it is almost impossible to have any real "original" thought - as almost every topic or subject that you can think of - somebody else has already written about. Secondly - I do use a resource - available to everyone - the Bible and the internet. With my basic knowledge of Holy Scripture - a solid background in Christianity -my diaconal training - and my basic love of Jesus and His people - all that - gives me more than enough material to write my daily blog. And write daily I do. On occasion - when I travel - I may prepare some articles in advance - as I did recently when I was in Poland. If I think that internet services may not be readily available - then I will write in advance - so all I have to do is go online and "Publish" a pre-written article. Otherwise what you read is written on a daily basis. The articles and titles are all mine - taken from whatever is happening in my personal life. The article about power washers - was the result of spending hours washing my deck.  You can probably go back and figure out what was happening to me the day previous if you really think and realize that my article titles actually tell a story of what is happening in my life.

So back to Tom's question - how do I manage to write daily? To me it is a gift from God - I have the ability to see God's hand at work in a lot of different and unusual situations. Where some people see only devastation - loneliness - emptiness - I see God. Where many people go for the first impression - I take a different road - and look for God hidden in minor details - that tells a completely different story. In the photo above some will see a nebula - others the eye of God. It is all about realizing that by myself - I am nothing - and only with God in my life - do I have a potential - a possibility to be - at best - average. If I can empty myself and be open to however and whenever God wants to work through me - then so be it.  Nothing more - nothing less - as I live out the words selected by my brothers in deacon formation - as our ordination motto - "To love and serve the Lord".


Deacon Dale 

Power Washer

Power washers are very helpful tools - using a gas engine or an electrical power source - it takes an ordinary stream of water and increases the force at which the water is sprayed. Power washers are used to clean cars, house siding and decks among other items. Using a power washer not only speeds up the task at hand - it also cleans deeper and with more force - with a small effort on the operator's part - to do a good deep cleaning.

Jesus does not need to use a power washer to get you clean. When you decide that you can no longer live with the stain of sin in your life - all you need to do is to go to Jesus and confess your sins to Him. He will take the sins in your life and remove them from you in a very gentle but very thorough way to completely clean you. Jesus cleans you and makes you whole - to enjoy the life that His Father had planned for you since the time of creation. If you are unsure how to do this -speak with your parish priest or minister - they will be more than happy to help you experience the power of God's cleansing in your life.

Deacon Dale 

Northern European Mutt

Northern European Mutt - that is me.  This is in reference to my genealogy. Some people - like my wife - can claim to be purebred since both her parents were of Polish descent - one generation removed from Poland. My family roots are not as clear or as clean. Although my mother was pure Italian direct from Italy - my father's family history is a bit more varied as our surname of English origin is compounded with English, Irish, Welsh, German, French and Jewish ancestry. My mother used to always say we were Heinz seven varities when discussing family origins. I never did figure out the Jewish roots as that is really a religious designation.  Most Americans probably fall into the same "mutt" category as I do - with a varied mix of nationalities.  For me this has not caused confusion - rather a desire to get to know each of the nationalities that are a part of my family history.

Spiritually all Christians claim the same background - Jesus people. The difference between Christians happens when you discuss denominational lines - Protestant - Catholic - Orthodox - and then all the sub-categories under each of those.  A few of these tend to see major differences from the others and because of that - do not see people from other "lines" as brothers and sisters in the Lord.  No matter what our doctrinal differences - we are all one - under the One - the only Lord.  When people begin to really understand their religious roots as well as their genealogical roots we might actually stop the pointing and accusing and get on with the business of being Christ's modern day disciples! Jesus said "to love the Lord your God with all your heart - with all your soul and with all your mind is the first commandment and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself."  If we are to be Jesus' modern day disciples we need to give up the finger and instead offer our hands!


Deacon Dale