Back to Back to Back

Visiting with friends today - afternoon at Spring Training - Cubs versus Indians - fun in the sun. Losing zero to four - Cubs at bat - home run - repeated - repeated - back to back to back. Of course - fans excited - cheering - screaming - three home runs in a row. Everyone loves back to back homers - wins - success. A special accomplishment - pride of accomplishment.

Wandering alone in the desert of life - often one wonders who has their back - who is there to offer guidance - support - encouragement - protection. Each of us is responsible for our own relationship with God - nobody can do this for us - we alone - are respoosible - for our decisions - our future. The only one who can help us - guide us - assure us - each step of the journey - Jesus. He alone - has our back - He alone stays with us constantly - He alone - no one else - only Jesus - again and again and again - back to back to back.

Deacon Dale 

Safety Net

Typically when thinking about a safety net - one will think of high wire acts - tightrope walkers - aerial performers. Anyone working in any capacity at great heights - danger of falling - would be advised to use some type of safety net - protection from serious injury - death. Construction workers - roofers - telecommunication crews - all put themselves in danger - working at extreme heights. Safety vests - netting - rope systems - webbing apparatus - all provide a level of security - safety from injury - death.

In life there are very few safety nets - when really needed - unable to know for sure when danger will occur. Our spiritual life - as unsure as any other part of life - no guarantees - nothing we can do to ensure - heaven - salvation. For Christians - Jesus - our safety net - no ropes - no life vests - only His promise - His guarantee - life eternal - if we believe in Him - hold tightly to our faith - trust in Him - not ourselves. As we ponder - wander though life - Jesus stands waiting - safety net in hand - offering safety - salvation - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Living Water

If you read this blog regularly - you will know that we have been constructing a new swimming pool - in Arizona. After delays - solid rock - rain - yes - even in Arizona - acid wash - filling the pool - now it is almost ready. Who would think you would fill a 13,000 gallon pool with a garden hose - twenty-four hours later task finished. The pool is filled - water - blue - looking good - final step - tomorrow morning - balancing the pH - adding chemicals - starting the pump and filter. In perhaps twenty-four hours - ready for swimming - living water - energized - ready for relaxation - exercise - enjoyment.

When Jesus met the woman at the well - in today's Gospel - He offered her living water - water that would quench all thirst - fill her with the Holy Spirit of God - bring her life to fulfilment. She pondered how that would be possible - the well was old - deep - Jesus - no bucket. She did not realize that she was talking with the Promised One - the Messiah - the Lord. The living water He promised - salvation - new life in Christ. Today the Church celebrates the first of three scrutinies for the Elect - the focus on water - baptism - cleansing of sins. As the Elect ponder the prayers prayed over them - we - along with them - also ponder this wonderful mystery of God. How does He do this - why would He want us - what does the future hold.  Jesus - smiles - maybe even laughs - the promise of life with God - unfathomable - waiting - waiting for a response - from you.

Deacon Dale  

Acid Wash

The final step in the construction phase of building a swimming pool is the acid wash. After everything else has been completed - the excavation - plumbing - rebar - electrical - shotcrete - sculpting - curing - decking - acrylic layer - interior finish - is the acid wash. The step through which the interior is scrubbed clean - prepared for the initial filling with water - start up with chemicals - turning on the pumps and filters. This last step assures that all has been done well - met multiple inspections by the city - guaranteeing safety - meeting all requirements.

When God calls you - beckons you to come to him - He accepts you - as you are - where you are. There is no requirement for you to clean yourself - no bath necessary - no acid wash - to purify yourself. The only thing He asks of you is an open mind - a willing heart - to draw yourself into His presence - to commit yourself to Him - to become a disciple. As you make this commitment - on your own - you will rid your life of anything that is wrong - impure - unhealthy - for a proper relationship with Jesus - with God. All you have to do is to say YES - Jesus stands - arms open wide - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Justification

It seems as if everyone is constantly having to justify - their actions - decisions - thoughts - actions. We live at a time when almost everyone is guilty of judging others - being judged themselves - explaining their actions. We have become a country where the operating code is - political correctness. Nobody is allowed to make a statement about anything without another calling them to task for what they said - how they said it - why they spoke in the first place. If the spoken word fails to meet every one's expectations - not justified - not correct - declared wrong - insensitive - thoughtless - out of place. As a nation - we walk on eggs - overly careful - to not misspeak - state the obvious - fear repercussions - for thoughts - serious - silly - moments of speaking without thinking. 

God speaks to humankind in various and interesting ways - not always accepted - often at the wrong time - inconvenient - not fitting into our idea of proper timing. In the Temple - Jesus did not ask to speak to the person in charge - instead - overthrowing the money changers' tables - driving people out of the Temple with a whip of cords - not politically correct - insensitive - what was He thinking - what drove Him to action.  God calls each of us to accountability - to Him - to ourselves - to our community. We are bound by His commands - to act - to do - His bidding. The money changers still exist - the wrong people crowd the Temple steps - we stand idly by - watching - fearful - to act. Jesus calls us - as His modern day disciples - to walk boldly - to speak the truth - to live with conviction - to be examples to the lost - the uninformed. It is we - you and I - called to share His Divine love with others - wherever we go - at work - school - shopping - on vacation - wherever.  Jesus speaks - He watches - observing how we live our call - watching - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Play Ball

Opening Day at Mesa, Arizona - the first Chicago Cubs game of 2015 at Spring Training - the crowd of loyal Cubs fan was there - the two of us among them - excitement - fun - smiles - adults - kids - men - women - young - old - sporting blue Cub shirts - hats - cameras. A festive atmosphere - happy - enjoying the warm weather - sun - food - drink. The first game anywhere - always fun - always interesting - filled with hope - expectation - praying for a win. Today's score - tied - 2 to 2.

Jesus calls all of us to join His Father's team - to play ball with Him - to enjoy ourselves - each other - life. His plan - health - happiness - joy - comfort. All will celebrate - the good times - leave the bad times behind - looking forward to a future of endless joy. No try outs for God's team - no anxiety - no practice games - no cuts - no losers - no ties - everyone plays - everyone wins. Jesus invites everyone to join His team - this Lent - everyday - sign up is now - He stands - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Anger

Anger - defined by Wikipedia is an emotional response - related to one's psychosociological interpretation of having been threatened. There are many - various - forms of threat - physical - psychological - real - imagined. As a person interprets input from various sources - people - animals - weather - controllable - out of control - they have the ability to select a proper response. When threatened - the decision to act - react - up to the individual. An active response to defend - a passive response to ignore - within the control of the individual. When a person states - you made me angry - they are wrong - they should state - instead - I chose to become angry - in response to your - words - actions. Although admirable - anger is not the easiest thing to control - driven by emotions - sometimes low level - others highly driven. Call me stupid - easy to ignore - easy to avoid anger - insult my spouse - my child - my God - not as easy.

Jesus was the gentle prophet - walking through deserts - strange villages - through harsh terrain - to share God's story of love - acceptance. A simple message - delivered in love - with concern for others - to benefit others - not Himself. His message of living a good - moral life - angered many. They chose to react - not in love - with hate. He - attempting to spread peace - faced - unrest - scrutiny - fear. Even today He attempts to reach the lost - people on the fringe - the outcasts - meeting with anger - often. People fearing to allow Christ into their life - fearing conversion - angered that they are asked to change their life - for the benefit of themselves. Anger does not come from God - anger comes from fear - with Jesus - nothing to fear - with God - nothing to be afraid - except of your self. Giving up anger - the decision to be unhappy - yours. Waiting to help you cast your anger aside - to give you the inner peace you seek - Jesus - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Mission

One of the routine events held during Lent in many churches is the Parish Mission - a time of gathering outside of Holy Mass to discuss in greater detail some aspect of spirituality. The Mission may be presented by a priest - deacon - sister - brother - Catholic educator - evangelist. The format usually combines the weekend homily at all Masses with afternoon or evening sessions for an additional three or four days. The Mission typically ends with a period of reflection and confessions and a Mass of celebration. Through this time of intense study - prayer - reflection - meditation - renewed vigor for one's faith is attained.

Jesus' life was one long Mission - every day seeking the lost - confused - sick - alienated - on the fringe of society. His constant message - love - forgiveness - healing - redemption - salvation. He came for all - not all accepted - He preached to all -not everyone listened - He offered healing to all - not all were healed - refusing to accept the graces He offered - skeptical - not trusting - God. Today the message is the same - God works through His instruments of choosing - Holy men and women - speaking truth - love - exactly as Christ did. Today - through these people - Jesus offers everything to all - acceptance - not by all - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Search Light

A searchlight - spotlight - is an extremely powerful source of light used when looking for an object - person - place. Most often the search is for one - something - lost - at risk of danger. A lighthouse will operate very powerful searchlights to seek out boats in danger of running into hidden dangers in the water - helicopters utilize similar searchlights - seeking to locate the search object from the air - police - fire fighters - rescue teams - use those same handheld lights to assist them in their efforts to locate - save - rescue - apprehend - people. It is the size of the light beam - the luminescence generated by the power of the unit - which provide the light needed to see deeply - to seek what is lost. 

Jesus may be considered the original searchlight - seeking the lost - lonely - sick - forsaken - confused. As the source of all love - the light of His heart - more powerful than any man made searchlight. Strong enough to pierce into the heart - the very soul of people. Jesus came to seek - to search - for those who had lost their way - confused by worldly wisdom - unsure of God's plan - for their life. He began His search over two thousand years ago - seeking disciples - followers. His search has never stopped - still seeking - still calling - still lighting the way - to His Heavenly Father. Even now He calls - waiting - for you - to step into His light.

Deacon Dale 

Kindle

When most people hear the word kindle - they immediately think of the e-reader sold by Amazon - originally designed as a convenient way to read and to promote sales of books in an electronic format - today a full fledged tablet with functionality similar to Apple's iPad and other tablet devices. The official definition of kindle means to ignite or set on fire - arouse - inspire - awaken - to bring one to awareness of new and awesome possibilities. As we celebrate the second Sunday of Lent - Holy Mother Church seeks to kindle a renewed love of God - Jesus - the Holy Spirit - within each of us. As the catechumens and candidates in the RCIA process experience today - at Holy Mass - the first of a series of scrutinies - deeper observations of them - their intent - their desire to become Catholic - each of us in the pews - serving at the altar - needs to also look at our intent - desire - to deepen our personal relationship with God. Through prayer - through inspiring homilies - through gestures and responses - through each other - we pray that we are inspired to become the people God intended us to be.

When Jesus said that He came to light a fire on this Earth - He meant a fire in our hearts - minds - souls. He wanted each of us to be completely inspired by Him - the teacher - the healer - the preacher - so that we could attain all that God had promised His people throughout the ages. Many have said yes - been inspired - many - wait - unable to make a decision - a commitment. Over the span of two thousand years - that fire - kindled by Jesus - still burns brightly - still arouses - still inspires. Jesus stands waiting to kindle that fire in your heart - waiting - for you.

Deacon Dale