Lenten Camino Preparation

As we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent - we look toward a successful Lenten Camino. To accomplish this we must be well prepared - minds - hearts - bodies - in shape for the journey ahead. We need our equipment - prayer books - bibles - rosaries - holy cards - as well as other supplies. We must lay out a plan - an itineriary - where we are heading - how far to journey each day - a timeline for success. We need to plan for our nutrition - rest times - how to manage our thirst and hunger - providing for a complete camino experience. We begin with prayer - we walk with prayer - we celebrate with prayer. Although excited and anxious to rush into our Camino - we pace ourselevs - ensuring that we do not burn out - that we attempt too much - that we become an early failure. Doing what is sensible and reasonable is very important. Laying the ground work will help ensure a successful Camino. When we first began our journey with Jesus - we rushed into it - and failed early on. Now that we are more mature we recignize the error of our early attempt - this time we approach it a bit wiser - a bit smarter - planning this time for
success.

God calls each of us to journey more closley with Him - Jesus is our guide - slow to anger - quick to forgive - always ready to come to our aid. To walk with Jesus - we pray - come Lord Jesus - help me in my Lenten Camino - be with me on this journey - guide me - that I may draw closer to you.  Spoken in earnest - He answers - come journey with me - take my hand - I will never forsake you.

Deacon Dale 

Lenten Camino - First Steps

In Isaiah chapter 58 we are told - "Thus says the Lord - If you remove from your midst -oppression - false accusation - malicious speech - If you bestow your bread on the hungry - satisfy the afflicted" - in other words - if we live as Christ taught us - if we dare to walk a path that others do not follow - if we place the needs and concerns of our bothers and sisters above our own - we will become true disciples of Jesus. In this day and age - there are so many excesses - in the midst of so much need - there are too many seeking to acquire more - while others seek only the bare minimum to exist. Lent is the perfect time for us to stop in our path - to pray and reflect - to consider what we have done - what we are doing - to better ourselves - to better others - to better the world. In a world filled with so many who hunger and thirst - for the basic needs of life - who hunger and thirst for the basic words of hope - who hunger and thirst for a hand up rather than a hand out - we are called - to act.

As we walk our Lenten Camino with Jesus - we will experience the dry and loneliness just as He did in the dessert - if we stop and reflect - we will see the naked and hungry - if we put aside our personal desires - we will see the desires of the sick and thirsty - we will see - with the eyes of God. To walk a Camino - to walk any journey - is difficult when done by oneself - to walk with God is a completely different experience. We walk as people of faith - keeping our eyes open for the signs He gives us - pointing The Way. As Isaiah continues - "thus says the Lord - if you honor by not following your ways - seeking your own interests - then you shall delight in the LORD - and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth - I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob - your father - for the mouth of the LORD has spoken". We walk our Camino journey - first and foremost - to honor God - to empty ourselves - to draw closer to Jesus.

Deacon Dale 

A Lenten Camino

It has been five months since my wife and I walked approximately 400 miles of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. While walking that Camino - we spent hours upon hours in prayer - for our Bishop - our diocese and its ministries - for our parish - our priests - many others' special requests - for ourselves. It was easy to do - no cell phones - no television - no distractions - just lots of quiet time to steep ourselves in prayer. As we begin our annual Lenten observance - I invite you to journey with me on a special Lenten Camino. Over the next 40 days - I will be praying and posting - reflecting on various topics - offering thoughts on multiple aspects of Camino - journey - pilgrimage.  As I begin - I wish to focus on a special Lenten presentation offered by my friend Tajci - Tatiana Cameron - whom I met a few years ago when she presented her Lenten program - I Thirst.  It was a powerful presentation and an excellent way to observe Lent. As you journey with me on this Lenten Camino - my prayer is that you will find yourself thirsting for more and more of all that Jesus offers each of us.

During Lent we are called to empty ourselves - to fast - to open ourselves to whatever God has in store for us. Jesus calls us to thirst - for Him - His Spirit - God's presence in our lives. We need to become empty - dry - hungering and thirsting for God - in our prayers - thoughts - deeds. We need to begin focusing on others - the invisible - the cast aways - the less fortunate - those whom society ignores. We need to actively look - to seek these souls out - to thirst for the blessings due them by God. By practicing random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty. - we hope to satisfy our thirst - for a world that is right and just - for a world where people care for each other - for a world where all are healed and whole.

Deacon Dale 

Lenten Sacrifice

One of the most common concepts of Lent is sacrifice - giving up something - emptying oneself - making more room for prayer - meditation - reflection. I agree wholeheartedly about the concept of sacrifice - not completely with what so many give up - chocolate - candy - television - smoking - Facebook. All of us have more free time than we like to admit - time to nap - time to waste - time for almost anything - except prayer. I personally think the best sacrifice one can make during Lent is that of self - giving up ourselves - thinking about others - doing random acts of kindness - unrequested prayers for the needs of anyone besides yourself - senseless acts of charity - with no recognition - no recompense -- nothing - except the knowledge that you did the right thing - at the right time - in the right way - building  the kingdom of God - one prayer - one random act of kindness at a time. I devote more time to pray - considering the needs of others - especially those who don't attend church - those who do not believe in God - those who walk a different path. My goal this Lent - growth in the time spent helping others - not in organized activities - but those known only to myself - known only to God.

God doesn't need more temples - churches - shrines - programs - edifices built in our image. He needs us to break free from the common - to do the uncommon - the unrecognized - the anonymous - the senseless - touching hearts - through prayer - personal sacrifice - random acts of kindness and charity. He calls us to be true disciples - not promoting or advertising what we do - letting our actions speak for themselves. God calls you and me - to true servant hood - to true discipleship - to live our Lent - not just think about it - but to live it.

Deacon Dale 

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday - Ash Wednesday - celebrated around the world as the beginning of the Lenten season of prayer - fasting - alms giving. As an older member of the Church the rules of the Lenten Fast no longer apply to me - yet I still fast and abstain from meat products. I am healthy enough and have no dietary restrictions that otherwise dispense me from imposing these rules upon myself. So - no meat - two small meals - was enough to suffice. As a deacon - I spent a large portion of the mid-day visiting nursing homes and senior centers distributing ashes to whomever wanted them. It was interesting that perhaps half of the people who requested ashes were not Catholic - one woman was a self professed Jew - who explained that any prayers and blessings from God - were just fine in her book. The day ended by assisting at Holy Mass in the evening - again distributing ashes to a large group - many who do not attend Sunday Mass regularly - but always show up for their ashes.  One young man even approached me after Holy Mass to explain that he arrived late and "did not get his ashes" - easily remedied - he left church very happy - smudged forehead - blessed by God.

God is pleased with any and all actions that bring us closer to Him - to Jesus - to His Holy Spirit. In these 40 days of Lent - each of us is called - by name - from God's lips - to enter into this season with expectant hearts - with open eyes - seeking Him - above all else.

Deacon Dale 

Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday - also known as Mardi Gras - gets it's name from the French for fat = gras and Tuesday = Mardi - is an annual festival in New Orleans, Louisiana. The annual festivities begin on January 6th - the Twelfth Night Feast of the Epiphany - when the three kings visited the Christ child - building to a climax on Fat Tuesday - which always occurs the day before Ash Wednesday. Partying continues until midnight on Tuesday - the beginning of Lent. In New Orleans - Mardi Gras - has been an annual event for two centuries. In the rest of America and around the world similar celebrations are observed - celebrating excesses of food - drink - revelry - letting the senses run wild for one last day before the period of abstinence and fasting of Lent begins.

God understands us - our need to act and do excessive things - prior to an extended period of self denial - prayer - fasting - alms giving. He may not condone - but allows us this indulgence - knowing that it will strengthen and steel our resolve to experience a good - fruitful - prayerful - Lent. Each of us is a promise - a promise to God - to ourselves - to be the best that we can be. We are a promise to each other - to our families - our friends - strangers on the street. As we prepare to begin our Lenten devotions - let each one of us - hold the promise of self denial - promise of commitment - in our hearts.

Deacon Dale 

Melting Point

For all you scientists enjoy this - 

For everyone else - we can simplify the formula above for calculating the melting point of a substance and state that the melting point is that state or condition at which a solid substance becomes liquid - in general terms. If you try to discuss  this with a physicist or mathematician - they will be able to prove you wrong - as it really is not that straightforward or simple. At the moment - those of us in the Midwest are asking ourselves - when is all this - snow - ice - going to melt and go away.  It is what it is - it will melt - when it melts. Snow and ice are easy to cope with - emotions - much more difficult. Quite often we are forced to cope with people who insist on disappointing - proclaiming lies in place of truth - bending and shaping words to tickle ears - win over those not able to comprehend deceit. It takes time - like waiting for ice to melt - for most to reach that melting point - to finally endure enough - to proclaim - I quit - stop it - shut up! 

Jesus promised that He came into our lives that we might live our lives to the fullest. With Jesus - with God - all things are possible - not always probable. Jesus works in our hearts and minds - He sets the stage - unfortunately - all too often - others filled with their own self importance - defile the playing field - giving in to temptations - feeding their desires.  It irritates us - makes our tempers boil - bring us to a melting point. In all this we have to know that the devil has many followers - knowingly or not - who are seduced into following the wrong path. For us - our eyes must be kept focused on Jesus and Jesus alone - not worrying how we will be fed - how we will be clothed - what we will build - what we will accomplish - placing our total trust in God and His plan for us. Only by doing this may our souls be at rest - our melting point kept in control - our lives fulfilled. 

Deacon Dale 

Snowbirds

According to Wikipedia - A snowbird is someone from the U.S. Northeast - U.S. Midwest - Pacific Northwest - Canada who spends a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California - Arizona - Florida - Texas - the Carolinas - or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States - Mexico - areas of the Caribbean. These people are typically retired persons who - wishing to flee colder weather - relocate to warmer climates during the cold months. At one time only the wealthy were able to afford this - today many more are able to qualify as snowbirds due to lower costs of relocating.  Some people acquire permanent residences while others rely on  rental properties. For many years I found it hard to understand why people felt inclined to become snowbirds - until this January - when the bitter cold made it very clear to my wife and I why we might consider following this flock of snowbirds to warmer climates.  

In each of our lives we seek the basics of life - comfort being paramount.  If you are not comfortable then happiness will elude you.  Compromising your beliefs - living a life that is not compatible with your own comfort zone will lead to an unhappy existence.  To be true to ourselves means being true to your inner spirit - in contact with that spirit which unites you with God.  To deny yourself - to deny your happiness - is contrary to God's plan for your life.  Jesus came that we might have life and live it to the fullest - in comfort. If you are uncomfortable then invite Jesus into your life and He will create the warmth and happiness that you seek.

Deacon Dale 

Going For Gold

The world is currently focused on the Winter Olympic Games - the teams - the individuals - the Gold - Silver - Bronze - winners. Leaders have lost - newcomers have surpassed expectations - the world - watching - celebrating the successes. Some might criticize the attention and money invested in a series of games between nations - they miss the point that in these games - the world comes to the same table to share their training - their hopes - their aspirations. This is an opportunity in which the world - speaking the common language of sports - work together to show all of us how very similar we all are. This is the peoples of the world - people of different languages - different cultures - different beliefs - playing well together.

                                                      

God calls each of us to the same table - He brings us with different gifts - different talents - to share in the one ministry of acceptance of each other - not judging - not criticizing - building up - reaffirming - encouraging us to be the best we can be - to go for the Gold - to grab the hope that He has for all people. 

Deacon Dale

Outrageous

Outrageous is defined as shockingly bad or excessive - that is exactly how I felt the other day when I learned about the backlash in regards to the Coca-Cola Super Bowl video in which various people sang the song "America The Beautiful" in a multitude of languages.  Those on social media quickly took up the rant - speak English or leave and Tweeted the same across the nation.  How dare we - any of us - who stole "our" native tongue from - England - dare to complain about any language spoken here in these United States of America - the home of the "free and the brave" - the "lost and forlorn" - those seeking shelter and asylum from other countries?  How dare we - who trace our roots to anywhere else but America - except for a few native born Americans - complain about "foreign" languages - foods - cultures - that exist here in America?  I for one do not speak "American" - my heritage is not "American" - rather it is Italian - German - French - English- Irish - Scotch - Welsh - and with my marriage to Arlene introduced Polish as another beautiful addition to my family line. I am proud to be American - but my life lived is a mixture of all the cultures lived by both my maternal and paternal family lines.  All my relatives near and far - trace our roots to Europe - as do the majority of Americans.  Unless you are one of the few who have blood lines back to the Native American Indians - you did not get your start here either.  So America wake up - stop your complaining - immerse yourself in the multitude of cultures that this country is made up of - that and that alone - the diversity of colors - languages - foods -  cultures - is what makes America the best country in the world.  We are - the World - rolled into one nation.  Where else can you travel where every single culture - language - lifestyle is lived - except in America.  That is the one truth - so start living it - and liking it.  

God created us to experience and live life to the fullest - Jesus reminds us in John 10:10 that He came that we could do just that. Experience life - not comparing and criticizing the differences that exist - but to celebrate the uniqueness that each of us brings to this entire world - for the benefit of all mankind. Do that and the entire world will be a better place for all of us.

Deacon Dale