Ashes

There are all kinds of ashes - ashes from burnt leaves - ashes from buildings that have been burned down - ashes from the remains of individuals who have died - ashes from dead vegetation . Today - of course - our focus is on the ashes that were distributed at church - ashes from palms that were blessed and handed out last year on Palm Sunday. As with the ashes from any object there is a natural cycle of llife. Green growing palms are cut and used to commemorate the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem prior to His passion. On Palm Sunday the green palms are waved and carried in procession at church - then afterwards carried into homes where they are tucked behind crosses and cricifixes and holy pictures - to stay there until just prior to Ash Wednesday - when they are collected and burned and prepared to be used in the annual distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday. 

Everything has a natural life cycle - there is birth - growth - utilization - death. All plants - animals - humans go through this process. Even "things" go throgh a life cycle - from creation - design -production - utilization - disposal. Living a life with no animation - no challenges - no experiences - is living a life poorly spent. Living a life that is filled with everything that God lays before us - is living a life well spent. As we begin Lent - as we reflect on what kind of life we are living - we need to pause and reflect - to stop and listen - listen to our hearts - listen to God - listen to life. If we listen well - we will hear God calling our names - calling us to greatness - calling us to experience the fullness of life.

Deacon Dale 

Fat Tuesday

It is that time of year - again - when we acknowledge and celebrate Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is the English translation of Mardi Gras (French) - in some areas it is also known as Shrove Tuesday from the word shrive which means to confess. This is an international celebration around the world in which Christians prepare themselves for the beginning of Lent which begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. In some places Mardi Gras is a one day event - in others - a three day event - in others the entire period between Epiphany or Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday. In the Belgian city of Binche the Mardi Gras festival is the most important day of the year and the high point of the Carnival of Binche. In Germany the celebration begins on November 11th at 11:00 PM at night and continues until Ash Wednesday. During these time periods people focus on celebrating life - many times to excess - as in the French Quarters in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Celebrating life is good - in John 10:10 - Jesus said the He came that we might have life and live it to the fullest. He did not say that we should gorge ourselves on sweets - rather that the sweetness of life - the presence of family and friends - the sharing of love - the spreading of forgiveness should fill our lives - that we would live full and holy lives. As we celebrate today - with our foods and friends - we celebrate life itself and prepare ourselves for tomorrow - for Ash Wednesday - for this special time in the Church year when we can strip away the excesses and focus on that which really matters - our relationship with Jesus.

Deacon Dale 

Perspective

If you listen to me enough you will hear me say - often - "to keep it in perspective". Perspective is defined as a way of regarding situations and facts - judging their relative importance - keeping a proper or accurate point of view - or the ability to see that view. It is interesting how often I come across people who are anxious and agitated by situations - situations they often cannot control. In spite of this - they let those situations or facts cause an obsessive or highly unusual level of concern. Once I gain their attention - I ask them to keep whatever is bothering them - in perspective.  Many times the situation does not even involve them personally - they should be concerned for others involved - but not to the point where they become obsessive about it. On other occasions - the situation or fact is greatly overstated - made worse or better than it actually is - again - they are urged to keep the situation in perspective to reality - seeing it as it really is - not an imagined reality.

Today Pope Benedict XVI announced his impending resignation as Pope - many people are confused and overly concerned about his decision. A lot of energy is being used to ask why. As  Pope he should be respected - his decision respected - not challenged - not questioned. He is a very intelligent man - for his own reason - he has made this decision. He is not denying that God selected him to be Pope - he is not denying his call to serve the people of God - he is acknowledging - publicly - that the time to serve as Pope has come to an end. He is not walking away from God - rather he is moving closer to God - empowering the Church to function as it should - to elect a new pope - to free himself to spend his remaining time in prayer - for the Church - for each of us.

Deacon Dale 

Exemplification

An exemplification means that a process or object is being exemplified - or explained in a manner to make it clearer to understand. For example if I tell you about a big dog - that would be a simple description. If I explain something in more detail - a big white dog with short hair - then I have provided an example and clearer description in describing that dog - you now have a better picture of a big - short hair dog. This Saturday the Knights of Columbus in our district are holding a Fourth Degree Exemplification. The original process of becoming a Knight was to go through three degrees - or levels of instruction - to make you a full Knight. The Fourth degree is the patriotic degree which has been added to better describe the gentlemen who call themselves Knights. A Fourth degree Knight is not only a Catholic Gentleman who is serious about his faith - his family - his community - but also - serious about his country.

 4th Degree Knight in Tux

4th Degree Knight in Regalia

After going through the exemplification process the gentleman is now knighted and known as Sir Knight - the highest degree in the Order. By participating in this process - the gentleman has made it clearer - through example - what sort of gentleman he is - a man focused on his faith - his family - his community - his country.

Jesus asks all of us to become examples to others - to exemplify Him in our own lives - to live honorable and holy lives - to be "the only Christ that some people may ever know".

Deacon Dale 

Saint's Day

A "Saint's Day" is a special day in the life of the Church when a particular saint is commemorated. The more popular saints such as Saint Patrick - Saint Joseph - Saint Mary - Saint Francis - Saint Anthony - are all well known.  Besides these popular saints - there are numerous saints who are less popular - but still - significant. The number of saints is so large that one needs a calendar just to keep track of which saint is commemorated on any given day.  American Catholic.org comes to the rescue with their Saints Calendar. With one easy click you may see which saint is being commemorated on any given day. Their site also allows you to do other searches when seeking information on different saints.

When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savour - we not only became one of his modern day disciples - we also became saints-in-training. Many very good Christians - both living and deceased - live exemplary lives - holy people - that we may model our own lives after. Saints do not necessarily live perfect lives - through their personal struggles and accomplishments - we are shown how we too may live good and holy lives. We are all saints-in-training - most will never achieve the status of being canonized - but eventually - if we lives our lives in accordance with God's will - we will become saints.

Deacon Dale 

WMD

WMD is an acronym for Weapons of Mass Destruction.  According to Wikipedia a weapon of mass destruction is a weapon or instrument that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of people. This term - in normal use - describes things like bombs. It is a military term and used in the theater of war.  There are other types of WMD. Gossip is probably the most common WMD known to mankind. Although it does not normally cause physical harm or literally kill people - it may be much more devastating than any military weapon. When people start spreading rumors and stories about another person - all too many lives may be destroyed in the process. Through the process of gossip - rumors - often started by envious and hateful people - gain a life of their own - spreading rapid fire among  total strangers - gaining so much momentum that they become urban legends. Once they reach the status of urban legends - it becomes impossible to stop - peaking in popularity - settling down once a major number of people realize that the story is untrue - only to be picked up and recycled years later. Quite often - in an attempt to make an individual appear better or worse than they really are - an urban legend with be irresponsibly attributed to a completely different person - either elevating  their status if it shows a good characteristic - or destroying an otherwise good reputation.  The original small piece of gossip has now become a WMD - and lives on forever.

When Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees on the issue of not washing food before eating - He replied (Matthew 15:11) that "what goes into a man's mouth does not make him "unclean" - but what comes out of his mouth - that is what makes him "unclean".  In a similar vein - the phrase "the pen is mightier than a sword" - was made popular in 1839 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in his play "Richelieu - Or the Conspiracy". Both examples show the power of words - both written and spoken - the affect they may have on lives - both good and bad. The lesson for us is that we learn to chose our words wisely - thinking before we speak - rethinking what we write - before we hit the enter key and commit it to he world. Our words need to be the words of Jesus - spoken with conviction - spoken with love - spoken in truth.

Deacon Dale 

Expansion

Whenever anything is made larger - the size increased - the volume enlarged - it grows in size and is expanded - thus experiencing expansion. We love to see things grow bigger - our children - our families - our bank accounts - our stock portfolios - our teams - our membership. Not all expansion is good - headaches - stress - waistlines - troubles - turmoil. When coping with expansion we need a plan - a method of controlling - both the good and bad kinds. Left uncontrolled - expansion will lead to all kinds of issues. Rapid expansion without control means that it is not being managed properly. Larger families run out of room - not enough beds for everyone - teams that grow too large may mean that some members never get to play - membership that grows too rapidly means some end up being left behind and feel like second class members. Waistlines that expand rapidly - out of control -means medical issues down the road. The secret to managing expansion is organization - laying out plans - in advance - before the expansion happens - to avoid pitfalls.

When Jesus started His public ministry - He had a plan - He started with twelve men and grew from there. In Matthew 14:13-21 we read of the people following Him - He led them to the open fields where there was enough room for the five thousand of them to sit and eat as He performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. As the number of His followers increased - so did those who ministered to them. As the early Church was forming the Apostles recognized the need for more helpers and so the diaconate was formed. Saint Stephen was one of the first deacons and an early martyr for the Church. Continued growth led to the need for presbyters. The apostles were the first bishops of the Church - with the deacons and presbyters - the organization of the Church was set for even greater expansion. As we expand our personal relationship with Jesus - we follow with baby steps - growing bit by bit - learning and understanding our place - our part - in the scheme of things. We may be just one small part in the larger vision - but we are a part and if we do our part correctly - each of us will play an important roles in the expansion of God's world.

Deacon Dale 

Table Change

Table change is what I call small amounts of money that is left over after you break a large denomination of money. A dollar when broken yields perhaps a few quarters - a twenty dollar bill when broken almost always yields some singles. With these smaller denominations you can feed the parking meter - put a smile on a young child's face - leave a tip for a waiter or waitress or drop into a hat placed on the ground by a street performer. To some - small means tiny - insignificant - not worth the bother. Yet - many small coins add up to dollars and dollars to twenties and twenties to hundreds. In no time - many small - combine into one large. Money is not the only thing that becomes more significant when accumulated - moments and minutes will add up to lifetimes - lifetimes to unforgettable events. A collection of events to memorable stories.

No matter how small and insignificant - it is always important to God. What others cast aside - God collects. He collects our individual thoughts and feelings - our hurts and longings - our wishes and dreams. When others scoff and mock - God holds dear and fills with His presence. On God's table - each of us is no more than table change - but unlike ourselves - He holds us in high regard. No matter how small or insignificant we may feel - We are always important to God. He created us to be good - He created us to be special - and special we are to Him - the author of life - the lover of souls - the One true God.

Deacon Dale 

Saint Blaise

Today after Holy Mass we blessed throats in honor of Saint Blaise. In this special blessing - done yearly in early February - we are asking Saint Blaise to intercede for us - that we may be protected and delivered from any and all diseases of the throat and all other illnesses. Saint Blaise was a physician and a bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (now Sivas,Turkey). He was martyred by being beaten to death with iron carding combs and beheaded. In iconography he is often pictured with either the carding combs or candles. In many churches crossed candles tied together with red ribbon are used in the blessing of throats. His feast day is celebrated on February 3rd - so today - it was even more fitting that this special blessing was offered to parishioners. Blessings such as these are important to us - to remind us - that God is with us - in even the most ordinary events of life.

When Jesus was growing as an adult and beginning His ministry - He participated in those ordinary events in life. He played with other children - He attended weddings - He observed people being people and everything that happens as people live with and interact with each other. He was able to observe life - not from a distance - but right in the thick of life - the good as well as the bad - the happy as well as the sad. Because He was personally immersed into human life He knew and understood people. He knew people even better than they could imagine - today He still knows us - He knows our hearts - our pains - our troubles - our hopes - our desires. Today - He is still there - waiting - watching - for you to turn to Him - to call His name - to profess your love - to accept Him as your Lord.

Deacon Dale 

New Blog

Just a very brief announcement that I have started a new Blog - this will chronicle our story about  preparing - training and walking the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela. I have created this second blog so I don't confuse people who only want to read one or the other of my blogs. If you are subscribed to my Deacon Dale's Blog you will have to subscribe to the new Blog also.

Dale & Arlene's Camino de Santiago de Compostela 2013

With God's blessing we will be properly trained by the time we embark on this journey. My plans are to carry my iPad and make daily posts over the six weeks that we will be in Spain. Say a prayer or two that we will be successful.

Deacon Dale