Camino Angels

It has been a year since Arlene and I walked the El Camino de Santiago de Compostela (The Way of Saint James) in Northern Spain. Since walking the Camino - we have found nothing that compares to that experience. What we initially thought would be a once in a lifetime event - has taken on a life of its own and even now - a year later - we find ourselves discussing the Camino on a daily basis. For anyone who has shared that experience - for reasons not completely clear - the Camino gets into your blood - becomes a part of your life - the lessons learned - infiltrate our lives constantly. We think a bit different - react a bit different - hope a bit different. One reason that this event has had such a great impact on both of us is because of what we call - Camino Angels - people - out of nowhere - who offered help - assistance - encouragement - at the drop of a hat - freely offering advice - giving directions - solving issues - before being asked. We remember one specific point - having walked about 10 days - when two older ladies appeared out of nowhere - who offered - words of encouragement - sweet candies - well wishes - then disappeared. Many other peregrinos shared similar stories - all happening in that one location. Perhaps it was two old women who had a lot of time on their hands - slowly walking between villages - maybe it was something completely different - don't know - don't care - it happened - and that is all we need to know.

As people of faith - each of us is called to be silent - quiet - mysterious - angels - helping others - without being asked - without being paid - without any expectations. None of us walks this Camino called life - alone.  Everyone has someone - known - unknown - who is waiting there to help. Often we are called to be that person - that angel - who makes the impossible - possible. Just yesterday I had an impulse to help out our local homeless shelter - Hesed House - with the purchase of some travel size soap that I knew they needed. In my search to seek out a supplier - I called a friend - a fellow Knight of Columbus - a real gentlemen who not only gave me the answers I sought - but also arranged the donation of some 45,000 bars of soap - plus 1000 deodorants and shampoo. I never expected that - completely caught off guard - completely impressed - without being asked - arranged that very sizable donation to the needy. Do angels exist - yes - I know one personally.

Deacon Dale 

Bi-Lingual

Those who are able to speak in two different languages are among those who are bi-lingual - knowing two languages - communicating with more than one group of people. When I was a child - in the Mid-West - English was the only language that most of us spoke. Those who spoke other languages quickly had to learn English or fall behind - in school - job opportunities - social activities.  All that has changed with the advent of immigration of numerous non English speaking persons. While they struggle to learn English - we struggle to learn their native language - seeking to facilitate better communication among all people. Some people resent the addition of a second - third - language in their community. Those who refuse to learn - even a few words - will soon find themselves falling behind those who make the effort to expand their language skills. Although only fluent in English - today I can state that I am comfortable with Spanish - Italian - even Polish. If dropped into their communities - I could survive - with effort. As a person who is constantly seeking new and additional knowledge - I welcome the opportunity to go outside my comfort level - to reach more - to improve my communications.  Recently we added a new name to our pilgrimage ministry. Feeling that DeaconTravel had issues and limitations we added the name CaminoWalkers - hoping that those who understand Spanish - those who know about the "Camino" in Spain - would understand the new name and what we were trying to do with that addition. As with any change - there have been both positive and negative comments. In time it should grow on those to whom we promote that ministry.

When Jesus spoke to His followers - when he delivered His famous dissertations to the mass of people following Him - He had to speak in words unfamiliar to many of the people. He spoke in parables - in phrases previously unknown - but in words that made it easy - for those seeking God's presence - in their lives - easier to grasp. Even today - God - speaks to each of us in numerous and various ways - thorough spoken language - native and foreign - through sights and sounds - through modern media - through art and music - through sports. God reveals Himself to us constantly - seeking a place in our hearts - our lives. Each of us needs to stop - listen - He is speaking our language.

Deacon Dale 

Naming The Baby

One of the hardest tasks a prospective parent has to face is selecting the name for a child that is yet unborn. When a person has experience with an individual - opportunities to see special characteristics - note individual quirks - special talents - naming becomes easy. In the case of a child - yet to be born - no idea of their gender - physical features - other characteristics - a very difficult task. In some cases the names fit the new baby perfectly - in many others - not at all. That is where nicknames come into play - Tiger - Champ - Honey - Buddy - whatever the mind conjures up. Naming a business or a church ministry is just as difficult - pick the wrong name - no business - picking a name that says exactly what you do or who you are - right on target - most of the time. For unknown reasons - sometimes that perfect name - becomes a burden - a hindrance - rather than a help. That is exactly what has happened with a pilgrimage ministry that we started a few years ago. We were Catholic deacons who wanted to share the experience of spiritual travel - pilgrimage - with others. To keep it short and memorable - we chose DeaconTravel.  That name says it all - deacons and travel. So why the difficulty - why the need to change?  Money - yes money - although this was a ministry in which we invested our money - helped others to experience spiritual travel at a reasonable cost - a ministry that impacted hundreds of lives - we were constantly accused of profiting from our efforts.  The only profit any of us received was the "thank yous" from those who participated in our programs - evenings of reflection - Lenten retreats - RCIA retreats - senior trips to visit churches - over night trips to visit shrines - week long pilgrimages - to the Holy Land - Italy - Poland - Spain. The out of pocket cost to us to organize and participate in all these - in the tens of thousands. There is no financial gain in real ministry - there is always a cost of time and personal money invested - to help others draw closer to Jesus - closer to God. So the baby has a new name - one that hopefully says who we are - what we do - without any connection to money or profit. 

CaminoWalkers

Introducing CaminoWalkers (formerly DeaconTravel Ministries). A simple name - a name that says clearly - Camino - to travel - to journey - Walkers - walking closer to God - together - experiencing all that He has in store for us - through prayer - meditation - guided journey - in evenings of reflection - parish missions - day trips to visit churches and shrines - international pilgrimages to spiritual places around the world. An old ministry - with a new name - eliminating the confusion that we were a travel agency - eliminating the confusion that we were a for profit business - eliminating the idea that we are not a legitimate ministry. Now - through the Grace of God - we will be able to continue - serving God - His Church - His people - as the humble servants that we are.

With God - all things are possible. With CaminoWalkers - you journey closer to the God who loves you - the God who heals you - the God who calls you to journey with Him.

Deacon Dale 

Charity Challenge

Right now the "Ice Bucket Challenge" is one of the hottest topics on the Internet and social media. What started as a celebration at sporting events - pouring the giant container of Gatorade over the head of team members - has evolved to a historically unprecedented event of everyone - adults - teens - children - famous and not so famous - recording icy water being poured over their heads - a challenge to do so and then follow up with a donation to charity. It is great fun - an attention getter - displaying how willing almost everyone is to become involved in clean honest fun while raising awareness of those in need. In the days ahead - others will be inventing similar challenges - specifically on social media - to bring awareness to other social issues. Hopefully - in the process - this should not evolve into a mundane occurrence - rather - using the tool of social media - help people with needs to connect with others of means - to solve some of the many issues previously gone unnoticed. People helping people - what a great idea.

God designed this world with that very concept in mind - people helping people. We were never expected to cope with life's issues alone - rather the community was to be the source of constant support and assistance. God calls each of us to be aware - of His presence in our lives - of the presence of others around us - of the presence of those in need. You do not have to be any specific religion - only a caring person - responding to the need when necessary. If we all could learn that - this would be a much better world.

Deacon Dale 

Wading in the Waters

In this Sunday's Gospel we read the account of Jesus walking on the water - yet another of His miracles performed around the Sea of Gallilee - following the miracle of feeding the 5000 men. In the First scripture for Sunday's Holy Mass we heard about Elijah waiting on the Lord - waiting for Him to appear - not in the flashes and loud winds - rather in the quiet breeze. In the Gospel the Lord is found in the midst of a storm - why the difference - why not a gentle breeze instead? It points out to us - God is everywhere - in all of life's events - the quiet - the noisy - the hectic and frantic - the calm and serene. It is we - who expect - anticipate - who miss - His constant presence around us. Two years ago I was in a boat on the Sea of Galilee - calm peaceful - once on shore I was able to remove my sandals and walk into its cool refreshing waters. Unlike our Lord when I walked on the water - it was the bottom layer of the Sea - not on top as He did. It didn't make any difference - I was in and on top of the very same Sea of Galilee that Jesus walked on - preached on - ministered on. I also had the privilege of preaching at Holy Mass on the edge of the Sea of Galilee - a God moment - if I ever had one - shared with the pilgrims traveling with our group.

As we continue Sunday's Gospel we read that Peter also walked on water - for a time - then when he took his eyes off Jesus - when he doubted - when his faith started to waiver - he began to sink.  That tells us that if we keep our eyes focused on Jesus - not on worldly concerns - we too will be able to do like Jesus - maybe not walk on water - rather - spread his message of love and peace - offer hope and help to others - reassure others who are drowning in their problems. Like Jesus we are called - to give a hand up - a help out. Daily - God calls us to be more and more - Christ like. Today would be a good day to start.

Deacon Dale

Loaves and Fishes and Thirsty Seekers

 In Today's Holy scriptures the first reading and Gospel seems to focus on earthly needs of people - thirsting - loaves and fishes - feeding 5000 - comforting the belly and the senses. That is not the true focus though - thirsting for God's presence - thirsting for God's blessing - water - wine - milk - honey - that which is needed by all - not always sought after by all. In the Gospel - rather than send people away who are actively seeking the Word - Jesus has them share a communal meal - a feast by some standards - five loaves and two fish - come sit and eat - share with each other the feast laid before you. To us - no feast - to people far from home - no food to eat - hungry - a feast. To be lonesome and hungry - to take and receive - to share from your need - the fragments of yourself - with another - is a reflection of the communion of man.

Besides the apparent miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish - besides the miracle of the ability to feed 5000 - and more - only men were counted - the miracle -  that those who had none - when they finally had their hands on some food - chose to share - rather than hoard - chose to be civil - rather than rude - chose community - over self. Today Jesus calls us - each of us - to share what we have - no matter what - no matter how much - to share in Love - to share as community - thinking of all - not self. We are called to be Christ like - we are called to diakonia - to service - to those - we know - to those we do not know. Called to serve - who will stand - who will respond - who will make themselves uncomfortable - to make others comfortable - Jesus knows.

Deacon Dale 

Besties

According to the Urban Dictionary - Besties - are "friends who have each other's backs, look out for each other, spend lots of time together, and are just really good friends. They have inside jokes together, they go to the park and swing on swing sets, get ice cream, go to the beach, go to concerts, go bowling, and basically any activity that they like doing together as friends." Most people will have at least a few besties - other people - usually not family - who are there to help and support - even when not asked. They know what is happening in your life - they know when you are happy or sad - they know when you can stand on your own feet or when you need help getting around. Life without even one or two besties would be less fulfilling - less fun - less tolerable. Casual acquaintances come and go - here today - gone tomorrow. Besties are here - now and forever - even when separated for long periods of time or great distances. As each of us walks the path of life - we experience life not only in the times and events that occur -  but also - in the people who come in and out of our lives. Above all else - it is people who add the real color - the real flavor to our lives. 

As Christians - we rejoice in the knowledge that Jesus has always been there for us - waiting - watching - helping - protecting - guiding - healing - forgiving - completing - our lives. He is the one very true constant in our lives - even in those moments when we doubted His presence - doubted His words - doubted His love. When we look back in our lives and see Jesus so far away from ourselves - we need to ask "who moved" - not Him - He is after all a constant. Jesus is our first Bestie - if you cannot see Him at the moment - just turn around - He is standing there - right next to you - waiting for you to welcome Him -back into your life.

Deacon Dale 

Spreading Seeds

Earlier this Spring farmers everywhere were busy spreading various seeds in the ground after tilling and preparing the soil for a new crop. It doesn't make much difference what seed they were planting - the process is basically the same - prepare the soil to make it receptive to accepting the seeds - adding fertilizer and weed killer where necessary - then physically spreading the seed - hoping for a rainfall to settle the seed and begin the process of germination. Then the waiting game - waiting to see the first signs that the seed took hold - sprouted - poked its tiny green head above ground. Most of the seed normally takes root - with continued care in the early days - roots go deep and a healthy stand appears in the field. Not all seed germinates - not all seed grows - some withers and falls by the wayside - to be thrown in the trash later in the growing season.

In today's Gospel - Jesus shares the parable about the seeds - some falling on good soil - some falling on rocky ground - roots that do not grow deep - seed surrounds by thorns - His seed the Word of God - His parable - how different people receive His seeds - the Word of God tickling their ears - in the end not always providing growth in the person's life - not showing growth in the community. As much as He warns - the people - those who have ears - need to hear - those who have eyes - need to see - His warning is also to those who preach. To bishops - priests - deacons - He tells us - give the people real food - preach His Word - honestly - completely - give the people something they can sink their spiritual teeth in - not the fluff and warm fuzzies preached by too many these days. It is not about feeling good - rather being good - it is about hearing the truth - spoken in Love - Truth that admonishes - teaches - encourages - inspires. His Word gaining for His Heavenly Father true and honest disciples - disciples who are more numerous than all the ordained clergy in the world - those disciples - joining with the ordained - to spread His Gospel message - of Love - Forgiveness - Reconciliation - Salvation. Jesus says forget the fluff - the boring - feel good homilies and sermons - instead plant seeds of faith - seeds that produce mature and faithful Christians.

Deacon Dale 

Beasts of Burden

A beast of burden is typically a pack animal used to carry or move heavy objects - as compared to draft animals which are used to pull a load behind themselves. Common pack animals would be elephants - camels - horses - reindeer - dogs - mules - donkeys. Although termed "burden" - the weight these animals are asked to carry are reasonable given their size and load weight. Humans would normallly not be considered a beast of burden - the term loosly applied to humans who are asked to bear emotional burdens of a serious nature - beyond that which the typical person would be able to cope with. Most people cope with the stresses of normal life in very good syle - on ocassion - some expereince issues that seem to snowball and grow in size well beyound that which anyone would normally expect to bear - reaching a critical point where the person finally collapses - usually emotionally.

In Matthew 11 Jesus tells us "come to me all you who labor and are burdened - and I will give you rest - take my yolk upon you and learn from me - for I am meek and humble of heart - and you will find rest for yourselves - for my yolk is easy - and my burden light".  The yolk that He asks us to share is His commitment to love all - equally - fairly - with no judgement - it is not a yolk of wood - rather a circle of love - we are asked to love all as He loves - to help all  - to open ourselves to the presence of Christ in those whom we meet - to bear the burden of His love - carried joyfully for all.
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Deacon Dale

Scare Tactics

I find it very frustrating that so many people - organizations - special interest groups - use scare tactics - when recruiting or promoting their agenda or business. We have become a nation of fear - afraid of what might happen if we fail to join - participate - buy into whatever is being handed to us. Recently I received a letter informing me that our local county had finally received voter approval to negotiate electrical rates for the people of our county. It is called aggregation - putting all homes into one large buying group - creating a large body of consumers into one bargaining unit with the hope of getting lower electrical rates - saving everyone money in the process. I was shocked - as I read the letter - that the bargain rate - locked in for the next three years - was no bargain at all. Verifying my purchase history I verified that I was - and currently am paying only 63% of the rate offered to the group. I called and opted out - wondering how many homes were mislead and signed up for the bargain rate because of the threat of an increase that very likely will never happen. I could be wrong - maybe I am lucky to get a fantastic rate since my home is total electric - maybe I am one of the lucky ones. It is not only electric rates that people fear - gas prices fluctuate daily - keeping people trapped in their homes - afraid that they will spend their life's savings on a long awaited trip - vacation - shopping spree. Some religions take the same tactic - don't be left behind - commit today - you know not the day or the hour - convert before it is too late.

It is true that we do not know the day or hour when Christ will return - but our God is a merciful God - slow to anger - quick to forgive - His Divine Mercy - unmeasurable. It would be incompatible with all we know about Jesus - with God - for Him to swoop down upon mankind - in an instant - giving no time to act - to react - to repent. He warns us constantly - in the end - when the end comes -  I have to believe - He will be compassionate to all - one last time - no scare tactics -  in truth - with love.

Deacon Dale