Progress is defined as advancing towards a goal - growth in a positive direction - movement - steady improvement. When we start a project we seek progress - signs that something has been done - is being done to accomplish the goal laid before us. We plan - we research - we recruit - we devise - we scheme - none showing positive action - until finally - something is put down on paper - until a plan is created - until volunteers and team members are recruited and assigned. Once a team is firmly established - progress begins to move forward - at faster paces. Most projects take far too long in the planning stages - even longer in the implementation stage. Most projects tend to run longer than planned - over budget - under funded - missing critical deadlines. It takes one individual with vision - energy - determination - to see any project - successfully brought in - on time and on budget.
Spiritual progress in an individual's life takes even longer than ordinary projects. Although a seemingly simple task - projects dealing with the spiritual side of a person are among the most complex and confusing imaginable. Unforeseen obstacles lurk around almost every corner - past events seem to destine future growth to a stand still. Yet - if one is truly faithful - if one dares to place even this - into the hands of Jesus - growth will happen. If your spiritual growth has come to a halt - is not where you want it to be - give it over to Jesus - He alone will make things happen -in a positive way.
Deacon Dale
According to Wikipedia - an umbrella or parasol - also called a brolly - parapluie - rainshade - sunshade - gamp - bumbershoot - umbrolly - is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The word parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun - umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain. Often the difference is the material - some parasols are not waterproof - therefore useless for rain. Umbrellas come in all sorts of sizes and colors - designed specifically for men - women - children. Typically most are black in color - with women's and children's - available in bright and fun colors and decorations. All are useful to help protect one from wind - rain - sun. As a protective device they are rated high on the scale of objects needed to help make the outdoors more bearable - especially in poor and bad weather. They are small and easily carried - ready in a moments notice to place into use. On long walks and excursions into strange places - they are very valuable walking aids. On occasion some even are usable as a walking stick or cane.
In our spiritual lives we seek knowledge and comfort - God's presence - actively surrounding us as we walk throughout our lives. On that journey we encounter many different situations - some pleasant - some uncomfortable. Quite often as we walk our journeys - we find that we need protection as we are assaulted and attacked by evil spiritual forces. In seeking protection from those forces we turn to Jesus - as our umbrella of protection. In Jesus we not only have a friend - teacher - leader - but also a protector. When you find your life filled with confusion - stress - anxiety - ask Jesus and He will provide the protection you need to cope with all of life's issues.
Deacon Dale
Its here - it's here - that wonderful time of year - or so the song says. Yes it is finally spring - the days are starting to get longer with more daylight - warmer weather - and spring cleaning! Now is the time to work outdoors on the good days and indoors on the rainy. Picking up fallen branches - cleaning the flower beds - planting new plants - fertilizing - moving things around - time to clean behind the refrigerator - rearrange the closets - bring out the summer clothes and store away the winter ones - an annual task looked forward to by many - dreaded by others. It is a labor of love for most - everyone loves better weather - getting out of the confines of the house and being outside in the fresh air and sun. The sun warms us - makes us feel more alive - like the plants - we too need sunshine - more sun on our skin means more vitamin D production by our bodies - our melanin granules are stimulated and we start the tanning process - our eyes learn to adjust to the brightness of the sun and most of us - feel more alive. Cleaning the inside of our homes - moving furniture - applying a fresh coat of paint and similar activities - brings new life to dreariness - endured during the winter.
As we go through our spring cleaning rituals - we need to also look at the interior of our souls - what have we allowed to clutter up our spiritual houses - have our hearts become stony and dark - do we need a new influx of the Holy Spirit in our lives to bring joy and peace to ourselves - are we more alive this spring than last - have we experienced Easter with true peace - are we comfortable in our own skin. Jesus is here - arms opened wide - waiting to help you cleanse your soul - He is the Son - that lightens up your life. As you work around your house - allow Jesus to work in your heart - that your spring cleaning may be complete.
Deacon Dale
May has finally arrived and with it better weather and the opportunity to wander outside the house. With that - it is time to begin the annual ritual of prepping the lawn and landscaping - removing leaves left over from last fall - trimming bushes and hedges - fertilizing the flower beds - sprucing up the entire yard. If you have a normal sized yard - the task should not be overwhelming - if you have five acres as we do - that is another story. Luckily we do have tools - lots of tools - to help us with this annual task. One interesting thing about doing lawn work is that it gives you time to be away - away from the phone - away from people - away from other things that occupy one's mind. When you are focusing on you lawn chores - especially when operating dangerous tools - you lose yourself in that task - nothing else matters for the moment. I enjoy the time I spend working around the house and especially with lawn work. It becomes a time when I can relax - work at my own pace - and be with myself - to think - to ponder - to pray.
When Jesus went into the desert - He was seeking quiet for Himself - He needed to be away - to reflect - to ponder - to pray. His tool was prayer - His task much more important that doing lawn work - His goal - the salvation of the world. Although He did leave the desert - He has not left us. He continues to work in our lives - to work in our hearts - in our minds. Jesus plants seeds of faith in the soil of our hearts - He waters them with His Holy Spirit - He prunes our growth with loving care. Today when you work in your yard - allow Jesus to come into your heart - in those quiet moments - allow Him to love you - to heal you - to nurture your soul - He is waiting - go out and be with Him.
Deacon Dale
According to Wikipedia a shrine is a holy or sacred place - dedicated to a specific deity - ancestor - hero - martyr - saint - or similar figure of awe and respect - at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines frequently contain idols - relics - or other objects associated with the figure being venerated. The most common shrines are dedicated to religious figures - almost all religious beliefs - have their shrines. Roman Catholics have their own share of shrines - many dedicated to Saint Mary - the mother of Jesus - under her various names - as well as other significant figures associated with the Catholic faith. Saint Paul - Saint Anthony - Saint Teresa - Saint Joseph - just to name a few. It is at these shrines that people stop - to venerate - pray - meditate - on the mysteries of God - their relationship to the various figures - the relationship that specific figure had with God and their own relationship to that saint or God. This past weekend our Pastor held a dedication ceremony for a shrine to be constructed in memory of a very modern saint - Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. This saint is unique not because she was a married lay women - but rather that - unlike other women who went on to form or join religious communities - Gianna Molla remained as she was - a wife - physician - mother. It is because of her strong belief in life - that she refused to terminate a pregnancy that threatened her own life - in the end - it took her life. She is to be admired for the fact that she valued human life - so much that - she gave her own - for another.
Jesus values human life - just as His Heavenly Father does - to the point that He was willing to give His life for each and every one of us. That is why Catholics attend Holy Mass - some daily - to venerate and worship Jesus at the shrine of the altar. It is in those hours and minutes at shrines and altars that God speaks to us - encourages us - reminds us - that He alone is the answer - He alone is the One.
Deacon Dale
SPS - Sudden Prayer Syndrome - is my term for prayer that is not planned - rehearsed - learned - rather it is prayer spoken from the heart - in one's own words and thoughts - that happen any time - place - situation. Prayer of any type is always good prayer - learned prayers are good prayers - prayers said in community - with families and friends - at church during services - is good prayer. The one issue that exists with those prayers are that they do not happen as often as they should. SPS happens on the spot - in the moment - at the drop of a hat - unplanned - unrehearsed - spontaneously. Like a fire that begins due to spontaneous combustion - SPS - is the fire of one's heart - speaking to God in the moment - freely - for no reason - for every reason. Those who pray on schedule - when convenient - when planned - practice one form of spirituality. Those who allow SPS to become a part of their life - practice another tye of spirituality. Whereas one is open to the Spirit of God - on ocassion - on schedule - windows open and closed - the other walks in the Spirit of God constantly - never stopping their prayers - never closing the doors - always keeping the window of opportunity - the lines of communication - open.
Jesus walked in the Spirit - his total life. He was never disconnected from His Father - with God. He lived and breathed the Divine connection between Father and Son - Son and Spirit. That is why He is so scary to so many people - people who fear that they cannot ever be truly like Jesus. No one is expected to be another Jesus - however - we can and should model our lives - our prayers - after Him. He is the One - who shows us the way - He is the One who guides us - He is the One - alone - who practices true SPS - not for His benefit - rather for ours.
Deacon Dale
Priority Mail is a trademark of the USPS - United States Postal Service - an indicator of an upgrade to their normal service - with expedited delivery schedules. Normal mail - also known today as "snail mail" travels to its destination in a fairly reasonable amount of time. In today's environment of computers and online transactions - along with the advent of electronic mail - i.e. email - standard delivery times appear to take an unusually long time to arrive at their destination. With modern sorting and handling processes utilized by the USPS - mail does reach its destination in a fairly quick amount of time - but there is no reasonable way that it can compete with the electronic competition. To combat this perception of slow delivery time - the USPS now offers "Express" and "Priority" mail service - as a means of leveling the playing field. Offering as little as one day service - their goal is to retain their customer base while providing that which people seem to need - immediate action and service.
Jesus is for many of us - our Priority Male - the One who delivers everything to us - in an instant - if need be. He alone can traverse the miles of our hearts - the highways of our minds - the oceans of our souls - to bring us His presence - His love - His healing. There is no extra fee - no special labels - no special packaging required. He only asks for your heart - to be open to Him - open to His gifts - open to His presence in your life. Take time today to talk with Him - with His Father - with His Spirit - you will be surprised how quickly He makes you His priority.
Deacon Dale
"Moving On" is a term used by many to indicate that they have finished an appointed task and are ready to begin a new project. It is also a common term used by those who are physically relocating from one location to another. Moving indicates motion - motion indicates action - action indicates an act or state of movement - all which goes to prove that in all this moving and action - what is old is new - nothing ever changes - everything constantly changes. As we pass through our lives we experience a lot of action and movement. Hopefully the result is growth - learning - experiencing - becoming a better person. Even when the action seems circular and no apparent growth is observed - there is always some change - usually on another plane. Image looking at a spring or a slinky toy - traveling along either results in circular motion appearing to end up where one started - in reality when observed correctly - the motion has also carried one either downwards or upwards. We live and experience on different planes of our existence - a body in motion - never ends in exactly the same place where it started.
Jesus moved people's minds and hearts - He taught them and loved them - they learned and experienced His presence among them. Their minds were elevated - their hearts were changed - they grew - they moved - in to a different plane of existence. No one can encounter Christ and remain the same - there is always a change - always growth - always movement. Jesus calls each of us to be open to that movement - to be open to change - to be open to Him working in our life.
Deacon Dale
Tax Time - one of the most dreaded times of the year. To struggle with the task of the annual reporting - accounting - of your financial life - is indeed taxing - a burden that very few people enjoy. Because of the stress - most people delegate this task to somebody else. Not so in this household - the challenge of being able to track down all the data - place it in the proper space on the form - is an annual challenge that - to this one person - is a labor of love. This annual task - provides a time for one to sharpen their thinking skills and research capabilities. It is not only the tasks of "where did I put that information" - but understanding what the form is requesting. In years past it was actually more difficult - today - thanks to programs such as TurboTax - it is almost easy. Easy of course is a relative term and what is easy to one may be daunting to another. Rest assured that this tax payer will have the taxes filed on time - with a sense of accomplishment in doing so.
Taxes have been with us since the time of Jesus. Those who govern people and provide services on their behalf have always "bit the hand that feeds them". Nobody in their right mind would ask anyone to become their keeper - watching and directing what they do or how they live. That is exactly what the "Lord of the Manor" does. He watches - directs - guides - limits - imposes - all in the name of being a good provider. Unfortunately - throughout history - those who tax - waste. Waste our monies - not on us - but on themselves - self-serving - personal - private - personal ambitions and goals. Too much ends up in the wrong pockets - not for the good of the many - only a few benefit - personal gain. Jesus told us that the "poor will always be with you" - never indicating that the poor would be us. Truth be told - even with unfair taxation - even with the wasted dollars - the majority of us do live decent lives. When considering the big picture - how much money we do or don't have does not mean as much as how well we love God. If we are rich in dollars - but love God not - then we truly are the poor of the world.
Deacon Dale
Today - the second Sunday of Easter - is Divine Mercy Sunday - proclaimed such by Blessed Pope John Paul II. On this Sunday we stop our lives - for a bit - to recognize just how merciful God really is. It is through His Divine Mercy that we are saved - saved from death - saved from hell - saved from ourselves. Nothing of this Earth can ever give us the solace - peace - joy - that is found in Christ Jesus. There is nothing we can do - it is a free gift - freely given - freely received - to all who accept. No strings attached - no terms - no conditions - no if or ands - just there for the receiving.
In His Divine Mercy - Jesus hung on the cross for us - not because He had to - because He wanted to. He gave His all - for our all - our sins - our lies - our deceptions - our blindness - our cruelty - our selfishness. Today we rejoice - our God has come to the Earth - our God died for us - our God saves.
Deacon Dale
