M Is For Mother

M is for mother - mama - mom - mommy - mysterious - masterful - magnificent - mine.  We all have a mother - many of us are married to women who are mothers. In our lives few women impress us as much as mothers. They might be your own - your friend's - your neighbor's. Whomever they are - wherever they may be - they surround us - touch our lives. There is nothing like a mother's love - that unconditional - always loves you - always forgives you - always cares for you - love. Mom is always there - always waiting - always helping - always encouraging - constant - a peg firmly set in place - hard to move - hard to change.  Mothers are a treasure to behold - God's gift to His children.

Mary - beautiful by any name - Saint Mary - Mother of Jesus - Mother of God - Mother to the World - Mother to all Mankind - the First Mother. Mary prays for us - intercedes for us - cares for us - just as she does for her own son - Jesus. As a role model for all mothers - Mary reminds them and us - of God's constant love - God's constant forgiveness - God's awesome agape love for all people - Christians - Jews - Muslims - Buddhists - Hindi - all faiths - believers and non-believers - atheists and agnostics - everyone -  everywhere. This Mother's Day as we celebrate the gift of our own mothers - remember who created her and who loves each of us - every day.

Deacon Dale 

Changing Times

Those of us who live in the Midwest are still waiting for Spring to arrive in full force - bringing with it some long awaited warmer temperatures. Last week my wife and I spent seven days in Arizona looking for a winter home - seeking to avoid the cold Midwest winter next year. We were blessed with very nice temperatures all week long - ranging from the 90's to over 100 - wishing that we could have brought some of that warmth back home with us. Today - our second day back - cool and wet - not exactly the weather either of us prefer. It is what it is - and as the saying goes around Chicago Land - wait a few minutes - it will change. While driving all around the Phoenix area - with the sun constantly shinning and beating down on us - one question that came to mind was - how hot can we tolerate - keeping in mind that famous Arizona expression - but - it is a DRY heat. We will give them that - at 100 degrees we did not perspire - we did not wilt - but it was still hot. As we age we learn more and more every day how our tolerances have changed from our younger days - when we tolerated all sorts of things - not just the weather - but attitudes - people - politics. Tolerance is a virtue too often ignored by many these days - we try to the best of our ability - to be tolerant - especially to other people.

Jesus was probably one of the most tolerant people of all times - yet - He too had His limits. The money changers in the temples - a common sight in His times - finally rubbed Him the wrong way - causing Him to overturn their tables - driving  them out of the temple with cords formed into a whip. Even God has limits - our One True Loving God - can become irritated with any of us. When we fail to listen to His words - fail to do as He asks - fail to turn the other cheek - time and again - knowing all the good examples left for us by His Son - even God becomes angry. Unlike we - who chose to ignore - who chose to go astray - who chose to turn our backs on Him - on each other - He is always there - waiting. Waiting for us - to turn back - to come around - to seek - to ask. God - Jesus - tolerates us - until we are ready to let Him into our lives.

Deacon Dale 

Yes Viriginia - There Is A Heaven

Many people know without a doubt that heaven exists - no questions - no arguments - others - quite the different opinion - varying from questioning its existence - to outright denial. Obviously none of us have seen heaven - the proof of its reality - only in testimony - in Holy Scripture - only in Near Death experiences. The Majority of people hope there is a heaven - pray that it is real - disappointed when some refute its reality. Near Death stories support believers - are fodder for those who chose to ridicule. Evidence supporting its existence does tend to conflict from witness to witness - the one common aspect is the sense of peacefulness - serenity - comfort. As we read and listen to stories - it appears that heaven is more of a personal experience for each person - one person's heaven may be similar to others - yet still different.  Christians are not the only ones to believe in heaven - other religions - have similar beliefs of a special place where one receives  their eternal rewards after leaving this life.

Jesus promised His disciples - Us - that heaven does exist. In John 14:12 Jesus tells that his Father's house has many rooms and that He goes before to prepare a room for us. If we who believe in Jesus - believe in His promises - then there is no question for us - no doubt - no fear. Jesus says to you - to me - to Virginia - yes there is a heaven.

Deacon Dale 

Easter Frenzy

It is now four days after Easter Sunday - four days in which I have been decompressing - coming down from the activities of Holy Week - The Chrism Mass - Holy Thursday - Good Friday - Holy Saturday - Easter Sunday - planning - scheduling - meeting - rehearsing - making phone calls - recruiting - emailing - a one man show - attempting to make Holy Week and Easter special for all who would participate.  It was not my plan to undertake all of this - on my own - it was not my plan to attempt all that had to be done - on my own - it was the reality of being told that it was my job - one week prior - that I was expected to arrange Holy Week - on my own.  In the past - others have been in charge and I have willing helped - this year those same people - for various reasons - could not help - did not want to help - so I did it - on my own.  I will never repeat that error - again.  I was there - I attended every service - I planned and led every rehearsal - I did the extras - the Holy Saturday blessing of Easter food baskets - the final rite for those in RCIA - I even bought the special candles and certificates for our RCIA participants - because that also fell through the cracks - on my own. My sole help - my sole support was my wife - who helped where she could - who allowed me the time - to make all this work - without a single heartfelt thank you.  I know I was serving God - serving His Son - my only real regret is that I failed to spend any quality time worshiping Him - my saviour - this past week.  My prayer is that He forgive me for allowing myself to be so unbelievably busy during the holiest week of the year - that I was caught up in such a frenzy organizing - that I failed to worship. This week - I pray that in some small way I can make it up to Him.

Jesus had a lot more disciples - followers - than the dozen we commonly hear about. They came from all over to see him - to listen to him - to worship Him - to touch Him.  At the end - with hundreds and thousands of followers - He ended up alone - walking the final step - on His own - enduring the punishment - on His own - hanging on the cross - on His own. Nobody else could have done what He did - nobody else could suffer the way He did - it was His - His alone to do - on His own - for you - for me - for the world.  As we continue our celebration of the Easter season - each of us needs to realize - if we were the only one worth saving - He would have still died for us - on His own - for us - alone.

Deacon Dale 

Easter Season

Easter is such a monumental event that one day does not do it justice - therefore - Easter season - 50 days - which lasts all the way to Pentecost - the Christian Church celebrates Christ's victory over death and sin. The victory is so important - so grand that one day is not long enough to honor the significance of this victory. In this season we are affirmed in our belief - in Jesus - in God - in the promises of New Life for ourselves. Jesus was the first - we are to follow one day - assured that He has gone to His Father to create a room for each of us.

Jesus is the same today as yesterday - His promises as valid today as when first spoken -  He calls each of us - daily - to come to Him - to accept His offer and promise - of New Life. In these 50 days - He waits for you to respond.

Deacon Dale 

Easter - Resurrection - הַלְּלוּיָהּ

Easter - the Big Day - Christ is Risen - He is Alive - Resurrection - Birth to New LIfe. Today we celebrate the most often recorded - and debated - event of all history - the resurrection of Jesus - the Christ.  Around the world - in as many languages as there are people - the one word most often spoken - that universal utterance - known by almost all - Alleluia - Hallelujah - a transliteration of the Hebrew word הַלְּלוּיָהּ - halleluya - a two part word meaning praise (you) + the Lord. On this day Christians of all denominations celebrate - rejoice - in this one act - the raising from the dead - of Jesus.  A statement - in fact - if God can raise Jesus - what can He do with us? Can we truly be saved from our sins - from a sinful world - from sinful people - from those who would harm us - those who would deny us - those who would seek our personal destruction? In Jesus' resurrection the answer is - YES - without a doubt - no challenge - to a God who is not only - the Author of Life - but the Guardian of Life - The One who Is - the One who will Be - the Source and Summit of our existence.  

On this day Jesus - celebrates with all people around the world - He came for all - but not all will accept His gift - He offers New Life - many will accept - some will reject. For those of us who believe - we place our trust in the promises of God - we rejoice - we proclaim alleluia - praise the Lord.

Deacon Dale 

The Triduum - Holy Saturday - The Mother of all Vigils

Our third day of the Triduum - this morning we blessed Easter food baskets - for that Easter meal which breaks the Paschal fast - we blessed our catechumens as they recited the creed - a time of instruction for tonight's vigil Mass - server training - back home to rest and prepare for tonight's Vigil Mass - the longest Mass of the year. Tonight we bless fire - the new Easter Candle -the water in the font - for those who will be baptized - received - confirmed in  the Church - as they prepare to celebrate their First Eucharist - Holy Communion with the parish family. Mass will last more than two hours - time filled with darkness and light - Holy Smoke - as we incense the Easter candle - the altar - the people. We listen attentively to a string of seven readings from Holy Scripture - as the Litany of Saints is sung - prayers spoken - hearts lifted - as we wait- anticipate - Easter morning.

The vigil for Jesus - quite different - betrayal - darkness - violence - ridicule - dropped into a cistern over night - waiting in darkness - waiting to see what the morning would bring - crucifixion - hanging on the cross - death - lying in the tomb - waiting - for resurrection.  The First Son waiting for the first sun - morning - new life - a new world. Tonight - we remember - we recreate - we too wait for the First Son - for Jesus - to enter our lives.

Deacon Dale 

The Triduum - Good Friday - Nails in the Pail

Today - Good Friday - a somber day of the year - a very somber day of the Triduum. Today we commemorated the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus - we read the Passion - again - we listened - again - to the reason - the justification of Jesus' atoning death. After listening - we walked - slowly - to the Cross of Christ - we knelt before the Crucifix - kissed the cross - the feet of Jesus - this year - with square head nails in hand - dropping the nails - our sins - in a metal pail - at the foot of His cross - giving to Him - our sins - our sorrows - our disappointments - the sound of the nails in the pail - resonating throughout the sanctuary - drawing us closer to His Passion - onwards to communion - where we shared in Eucharist - from last nights Holy Mass - walking away in silence - walking away - in sorrow - to meditate - to contemplate - to pray - awaiting Holy Saturday - the Vigil Mass - Resurrection

Jesus could not walk away - He had no options - He was submissive to His Father - allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross - for US. He committed no sins - carried Our sins to the cross - our sins - the metal of the nails that pierced His skin - His hands - His feet - for us.  Jesus died that we might live - tonight we wait - we pray - ready to celebrate - resurrection.

Deacon Dale 

The Triduum - Holy Thursday - The Pope Deacon

Today marks the beginning of the Triduum - the three holiest days in the Christian calendar. Holy Mass tonight will focus on three very important aspects of Catholicism - the Priesthood - Holy Eucharist - Service to our neighbors. At the beginning of Holy Mass the Oils blessed by the Bishop at the Chrism Mass this past Monday will be presented to Reverend Father to be placed in the parish ambry. In his homily tonight we will hear how - at the Last Supper - Jesus took bread and wine - blessed them and shared with His disciples - the origination of Holy Eucharist - the First Communion for His disciples and the institution of the priesthood as He told them to do likewise in remembrance of Him. And as they sat at table He - the First among Priests - the Son of Man - removed His outer garment - tied a towel around His waist and knelt in humility before each of His disciples as He washed their feet. Explaining to them - in this first - of ordination rituals - that they were to be the servants of all - to minister to all in charity - in love. Deacons first - servants of all - priests second - to confect the Eucharistic elements. As I watched a video of Pope Francis at His Holy Thursday service in Italy today - it struck me - at the foot washing ceremony - he removed his chasuble - wearing his alb and a deacon stole - proceeded to wash the feet of the twelve selected - to highlight the concept of Diaconia - service - to brother and sister - our Pope - deacon and priest - Bishop of Rome.

Jesus was the first - is the first - will always be the first - to serve - all - in humility - in charity. He is truly the Alpha - the Omega - the beginning - the end - the circle of life - summed up in one person - one God. As we celebrate His gift to us - His gift of salvation - His gift of Church - His gift of community - we - unworthy though we may be - celebrate Jesus.

Deacon Dale 

Camino Finale

The last day of our Lenten Camino - the walk is over - our destination reached! It is hard to believe that we are at the end of Lent - on the doorstep of the Triduum - the three holiest days of the year. Our Camino has had ups and downs - false starts - successes - happy moments - moments of sadness - in all these moments - a Divine presence. We have prayed Rosaries - Divine Mercy chaplets - the prayers of the Church - Lauds - Vespers - prayers of our hearts. We have meditated - contemplated - sat in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - wondered - pondered - the significance of ourselves - our lives - during this Camino journey. The journey ended - a new journey to begin in the morning - Holy Thursday - the Triduum.

As Jesus came to the end of His journey - as He prepared for His time remaining with His disciples - He wondered - contemplated - prayed. We join Him now in prayer - as we look forward to the next three days - we join Him - as never before - in solemn prayer.

Deacon Dale