Year of Faith

In his Apostolic Letter of October 11, 2011 - Pope Benedict XVI - declared that a "Year of Faith" would begin on October 11, 2012 and conclude on November 24, 2013.  The beginning date was the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) and also the 20th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  During that time period all Catholics have been asked to study and reflect on the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism - in order that they may deepen their knowledge of the faith.  This "Year of Faith" is an opportunity for Catholics to deepen their personal relationship with Jesus and encounter Him in the Sacraments - especially the Eucharist - and rediscover the Faith and the Church.  After the closing of Vatican II there was a rush by the people to re-encounter their faith as Catholics. Many found a new freedom - as well as confusion - in the rush - many entered a period of loose translation and  poor communication - to the extent that today their faith commitments to Jesus are weak and ill informed. Pope Benedict's hope is that in this time Catholics will make a new and firm commitment to Jesus - as Lord and Savior - and learn and understand what the Catholic faith is all about.

When Jesus called each of us to Him - He told us to come as we were. There was nothing special  that we had to do - no preparation - no studying -  simply accept Him at His word. To trust in Him - to become a disciple. That was His original call - in the continuing call - we were expected to develop a very deep - a very personal - relationship with Him - with His Father - with the Holy Spirit. To be effective disciples - He expected us to learn - about Him - His message - about Holy Scripture - about the foundation of the Church. He expected that we would - over time - become knowledgeable - about all things related to being Christian. As a Catholic - He expects each of us to be well educated - as a Catholic Christian. Many have fallen by the wayside - many have been lured to other beliefs - many have ignored the call to deeper conversion - to deeper understanding. As in all things - Jesus is still here - available - waiting to lead - to accomplish that which has been started. It is not too late - nor too difficult - now is that time - to study - to worship - to pray - to focus - on all things spiritual. Now is the time - in this "Year of Faith" to truly become people of Faith.

Deacon Dale 

When You Fall

Why is it when you fall - fail - that it is never something small - tiny - inconspicuous? Failures are always giant things - aren't they - or are they? None of us likes to fail - at anything.  It might be a project - a relationship - something completely new - or an everyday task - we just hate it when it doesn't happen as planned. We beat ourselves up - we become frustrated - we wonder why we attempted it - in the first place. Falling - failing - is much more common than we realize. Any good salesman knows you have to get through a lot of "nos" before you hear the first "yes".  To be successful - you have to make great effort - experience a lot of failures - before success happens.  Michael Jordan is one who knows how easy it is to fail. Although one of the most successful athletes of all time - in his career - he missed over 9000 shots! 

Jesus knew that we would have a hard time living our lives according to His Gospel. He knew we would have successes and failures - that some days would be wonderful - others a total loss. His Heavenly Father knew it - that is why He sent Jesus to us - in the first place - to be a role model for us - to show us how to make an honest attempt at life. By some standards - Jesus failed - He was nailed to a cross - right?  As men judge things - that was a failure - to God - a success. To you and me - inspiration.  That is why Jesus told us that He would always be with us - always there to help - always there to love - always there - no matter what.  Today put your trust in Jesus - He will not fail you.

Deacon Dale 

Fishers of Men

What does it mean to be "fishers of men"? Are we suppose to take some metaphoric "fishing pole" loaded with "lines" and "lures" and put a modern "spin" on issues and answers to win others over - to our way of thinking?  It seems that is more of the status quo than we want to admit.  I have to admit - in some ways - I am just as guilty - as many others in doing this. I use words - well chosen - not only for the information they provide - but also for the impact - they will have on the reader's mind and heart.  We do this - we hope - to make a point - to get our ideas - our beliefs - across to others.  Nothing wrong in this - as long as we are professing - words of  truth - words of encouragement - words of love.  If - however - we are positioning ourselves - for personal gain - at a cost to others - then shame on us. My intention - in my writings - in what I share - is to share the joy and peace - that I have experienced - so that others - may experience the same.  The benefit to me - is happier people - happier families - happier communities.  When I go "fishing" - I hope to "catch" others - with God's message of agape love.

Jesus did not mince His words - He spoke from His heart - to the hearts of others - He did not need to "spin" His words - His words of love - forgiveness - acceptance.  When people heard with their hearts - they were changed. Today hearts are still being changed - when we - His modern disciples - share His truth - openly and honestly. Today - more  than ever - each of us - men and women - young and old - are called to be - fishers of men.

Deacon Dale 

Lent

Today we celebrated the first Sunday of Lent - that day when the color changed to purple - when we changed the "Alleluia" verse to "Glory and Praise to You" and Holy Scripture pointed our attention to prayer - penance - alms giving and self-denial. This is a time that continues - until Holy Thursday eve - just before Easter. In this solemn liturgical season of the Church - we reflect on our lives and how we are living them. We take time to reflect - not so much on what we have accomplished - but rather - on what we have not accomplished - what people we have forgiven and which ones we have not. We look deep and honestly into how we act and react to others - the areas where we have willingly been less than what God asked us to be. In these reflections - we see the stain of sin - dwelling in our lives - and in these 40 days - we pray - repent - ask forgiveness - for acting less like Christ - and more like the evil He came to free us from.

Jesus knew - when he began His public ministry - that He would encounter - us - we who have sinned - we who are arrogant - we who think we know better - and in encountering - us - He knew that we would have a hard time accepting - His unconditional love - His unconditional forgiveness - He unconditional sacrifice. This Lent - we need to trust - trust in His words - trust in His promises - trust in His forgiveness. There is no darkness in His heart - He is waiting to remove the darkness in ours.

Deacon Dale 

Act of Valor

Act of Valor is a 2007 project originally intended as a promotional short film authorized for recruiting for Navy Special Warfare - released in 2012 as a full length action war movie in which nine featured Seal actors were - in fact - actual combat veterans trained in military tactics. In producing the movie - the directors determined that actors would never be able to replicate the abilities of real life Seals and thus arranged with the Navy to use real life Seals. In some parts of the movie actual training exercises were filmed using live ammunition to replicate actual warfare conditions. Some in the military felt that it was an error to reveal actual techniques employed and yet - others felt that many tactics were already known by those who might be interested in learning about those very tactics. In the movie - the high standards and quality of the Seals easily came forth by the real-life Seals as actors - none of the men had to be taught how to act and respond as men of courage and valor.

It would be well for all of us - if we would act as courageous and with as much valor in how we live our daily lives as Christians. All too many - are reeds blowing in  the wind - solid in their faith - until challenged by adverse winds - of change and challenges. Many people - right now - are questioning their faith - especially as Catholics - in the face of Pope Benedict's recent announcement of his impending resignation. They fear - unjustifiably -  that the Pope has lost his faith - allowing false rumors - to disrupt the comfort of their faith beliefs. What they fail to recognize - that the Pope - as a man of faith - courage - valor - has made one of the most astounding and significant announcements in recent history. As Christians - Jesus calls each of us to be men and women of valor - to live our lives sincerely and honestly - bravely going where others fear to tread - to walk securely - with Jesus - into the future.

Deacon Dale 

Valentine

Saint Valentine's Day - Valentine's Day - the Feast of Saint Valentine - celebrated on February 14th each year is an international day of celebration - although a working day for most. There is some confusion as to the origination of Saint Valentine - there appear to be many men who were named Valentine and numerous stories about them. One of the most popular is that Valentinus was a holy priest in Rome who along with Saint Marius assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was captured - beaten with clubs and beheaded on February 14th, 270. Pope Julius I was reported to have built a church near Ponte Mole in his memory. Other Valentines existed - also associated with healing and helping people in various stages of need.  Whomever he was - he did really exist - archaeologists unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom. Although no longer listed in the official Roman Catholic calendar of Saints - he is still officially observed by the Angelican Communion, the Lutheran Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. Valentine's Day did not become a secular observance connected with romantic love until its recorded association in Parlement of Foules (1382) written by Geoffrey Chaucer. The poem was written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia - at the time of their marriage both were only 15 years old. From that grew the concept of young love and its connection to February 14th - a tradition which continues today - not limited by religious restrictions - but available to all those who love.

God tells us in Holy Scripture how much He loves us. Many have proclaimed that the Bible is the longest love letter ever written - a guideline how to live our lives - how to love other people - how to bring God's love into this world by living the Gospel message of Jesus. Today we celebrate the concept - the reality - the existance of love - today we share that love with all we know - today we share the Christ in our heart - with the world.

Deacon Dale 

What's In It For Me?

[For Deacon Jack] - What's in it for me - a common expression voiced by all too many people - skeptics - critics - people on the side lines - what do I get out of this or that - how do I benefit - if I dare get involved - follow your example - do as you do?  Everyone of us has these people in our lives - the naysayers - the whiners - the complainers. We have a hard time pleasing them - because everything is impossible - too hard - untried - out of the box. Recently I decided to quit thinking outside of the box - instead I have disposed of the box - no more constraints - no more restrictions - no more limitations - imposed upon me by those who will.  I am a renegade - I chose not to follow - rather to lead - by thought - by design - by practice - by action. Sure I care about other people and my impact on them - but I do not have to please them. There are a lot of those who please - politicians for one - spinning stories of comfort and wealth - personal gain and benefit - only to have those promises disappear in a whiff of smoke into the fantasy world in which they were spun. I choose to speak the truth - to proclaim that which I know is real - possible - in the face of difficulties - worth gaining - at the reality of honest work. 

Jesus never promised us a rose garden - he did promise an eternal life with Him and His Heavenly Father - if we were faithful to the Gospel - as we recited over and over again yesterday - as we imposed ashes on the foreheads of parishioners - young and old - "repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15). This Lent I choose to believe what I read - teach what I believe - practice what I teach. Those are the words spoken to me by my bishop at my ordination - words that I have done my best to keep. This Lent - as I pray and reflect - as I preach and teach - I will continue to do the same - just as Jesus would do.

Deacon Dale 

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