Shrines of Italy

Shrines of Italy is a pilgrimage scheduled for November 3 - 13, 2015.  This pilgrimage is a spiritual travel experience combined with international travel and led by myself and my wife. We are pilgrimage specialists - leading spiritual travel in Israel - the Holy Land - Poland - Italy - Spain - sharing our faith with fellow pilgrims. The sights and wonders - the opportunities for prayers - Holy Mass - meditations - in special spaces around the world - provides opportunities for deep spiritual growth. We are ecumenical - leading Christians of many denominations - Catholic based - Christ centered - God focused.  Our current trip has room for thirty participants - currently about half full - plenty of space for additional couples - singles. Deadline to register is May 1st.  Complete registration information is on our web page at www.deacontravel.org

The opportunity to encounter Jesus in Italy is everywhere. There is an abundance of churches - shrines - holy sites - available to all. On a pilgrimage the participants have the opportunity to see - experience the awesome artwork present in paintings - statues - buildings.  In one way or another - everyone will feel the presence of Christ - traveling with them - surrounding them with His love. Right now the Euro is almost equivalent to the US Dollar which makes travel to Italy very affordable.  The opportunity will not last forever - time is short - opportunities like this do not last forever. Jesus waits - quietly - for you.

Deacon Dale 

Treasure Found

In Matthew 13:46 a man found a treasure buried in a field - bought that field - returned to claim his prize. In life all of us - will have opportunities - to find hidden treasure - not in a field - not pearls - gold - diamonds - rather - people. People come - go - in our lives. Many - ordinary - not memorable - others - a few special - people you never forget. The other day we came across old friends - memorable - special - from the past - here in Arizona - snow birds - like us. What joy - excitement - a chance to reconnect - to gather - to visit.

In everything that Jesus did - He tried to impress upon people - the value of fellow humans. Like pearls in the field - gold - diamonds - in the hand - treasure of greatest value.  True friendships never die - reunited - life rekindled - renewed.  As we walk this week of Lent - may each of us - find - rediscover - the friend we have in Jesus.

Deacon Dale 

Negotations

It takes a specific skill to be a good negotiator - not all are qualified - able to view both sides of a discussion - argument - to control - not dominate - to bring opposing sides together - to create common ground - to achieve positive results. Labor unions - management - one eyed visions - tunnel vision - self serving.  Contracts often come to a halt - no movement either way - no progress - loss on both sides. To negotiate well - sensitivity - to both parties - vision for union - fairness the goal.

As ministers of the Gospel - God expects - Jesus - demands - His disciples - to fairness - to openness - vision - for unity.  He looks for a common union - a communion - of hearts - souls - spirits. On this Fifth Sunday of Lent - we are called to a New Covenant - a change in hearts - to create for ourselves - others - a better world - to love - to live.  Jesus call us to the bargaining table - different - the same - will you come? 

Deacon Dale 

Game Time

Game Time - time to start - let's play - play ball - batter up - on the ice - ready - set - go! The energy that one feels as any game is beginning to start - the anticipation - first point - first goal - first run - let it begin. Everyone loves sports - individual - team - the excitement - cheering - shouting - high fives. Early wins - overtime - quick wins - slow loses - adrenalin flows.

When Jesus was selecting His disciples - game time - time to learn - time to  commit - time to go the extra mile. His disciples - enthusiastic - full of energy - looking for results. Jesus had to calm - get under control - inform.  When we first felt our call to serve Him - ready - too quick - to jump in. As neophytes we need to become well grounded - allow our roots to sink deeply into His soil of knowledge - love - to empower us to enter the game - well prepared - for ministry. Lent is a training period for all Christians - ordained - lay - a time to regroup - to pray - to study - to listen. Time is running short - game day - soon upon us. Jesus - waits - watches - calls us - to join - His first string.

Deacon Dale 

Taxes

Taxes have been around since the earliest days - the price for protection - community development - getting rich off the poor. I am in the process of doing my income taxes - early for me - usually left until early April. The hard part - gathering records - income - expenses - deductible - not deductible - digging up obscure receipts - depending on memory. I hate doing my taxes - will not farm the work out - hardest part - getting the necessary information - easiest part - filling out the forms. For those who have already filed - received refunds - congratulations - for those like myself - good luck.

When Jesus was asked if it was right to pay taxes - whose image on the coins - who was in charge - who ran the government - pay the man. As unpleasant as it was - paying taxes the norm. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's - give to God what is God's.  God does not want your money - the Church wants your money - for ministry - evangelization - paying its own way. No - God does not want your money - He wants your heart - not ten percent - not 20 percent - rather - one hundred percent. He wants your love - your attention - your life - to love Him - to serve Him - to help Him make this world better for everyone.  In this Lenten season as you pray - fast - give alms - remember - first - to give your heart - your love away - to God.

Deacon Dale 

The Rain in Spain

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain - a song from the musical - My Fair Lady - originally published in 1956. The song was a turning point in the plot of the musical in which Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering had been incessantly drilling Eliza Doolittle with exercises to correct her speech - to break her Cockney accent. When my wife and I were preparing to walk the 500 mile El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain in 2013 - we read - studied - devoured - all the information we could find - walking conditions - weather probabilities - equipment needed - proper use of trekking poles - availability of food - language issues - everything.  One major concern was rain - the mud - humidity - wet boots - wet socks - wet clothes.  We were blessed in many and numerous ways - the one special blessing - one rain day - the last day - the easiest day. It rained in the mountains - the plains - the high lands and the low lands - it did not stay in the plain.

As the saying goes - into every life - a little rain must fall.  It is inevitable - unavoidable - a definite possibility. Where there is life - there will be heat and cold - dry and wet - snow and rain.  Rain nurtures - cleanses - revitalizes - people - plants - animals. Without rain - we would not have water - we would cease to exist.  For all of God's people - His blessings are poured upon us - daily - every day. We are showered with His love - His forgiveness - His acceptance. As rain falls from the sky and waters the ground - so does His love rain upon us to fill us with all His promises. When God sends His rain - do not run inside - to avoid - stay outside - let His blessing pour upon you - receive His Spirit - His love.  As we continue to contemplate our Lenten journey - dance in the rain - with Jesus.

Deacon Dale 

Rock of Ages

The home we bought in Arizona was previously a rental home - ignored - abused - bare minimum - little maintenance.  Before it could be placed on the market for sale - a lot of work had to be done to make it clean - updated - marketable.  If we had seen it - would not have bought it.  Months later - a crew of twenty plus - hours of sweat - transformed - freshened - renewed - given new life.  What we saw when we viewed it - not at all what the neighbors described. The interior of the house was not all that was ignored - the landscaping - a jungle - the decomposed granite - decomposed - the jungle was cleared - the granite left as is - dust unto dust - very biblical. We bought it as is - potential to make it our own - huge. In the transformation of the back yard we bought rock -  lots of rock - twenty-eight tons of rock. One inch by the new pool - 3/8 inch for the main yard - 1/4 minus for the bocce court. The community where the house is located is ruled by an HOA - homeowners association - two hundred sixteen pages of rules - covenants - restrictions. Change the color of the house - ask the HOA - change the size or color of the rock - not without HOA approval. Jumping through hoops - part of belonging to an HOA - rules - mostly fair - for the benefit of all. Approval received - the old - aged - dusty - rock - upgraded - new color - less dust - bigger stones - looking good.

Jesus wanted a leader to help Him lead His disciples - to proclaim His Gospel message - to reach the mass of people. His search led Him to Simon - Shimon - Simeon - who He named Cephas - Peter - the Rock. As He told Peter - you shall be known as Cephas - the Rock - upon whom I shall build my church - a Rock that has stood as the first leader of Jesus' Church. This Rock - this Peter - the original Rock of Ages - the same Rock who three times denied the Lord - this man known for putting his foot in his mouth - stood - solid - following Jesus - even into death. Jesus does not ask us to die for Him - He did that once - for all.  He does ask us to be solid - rock solid in our faith - to be firm in our belief in Him - to be a peg fixed firmly in place - as we seek to deepen our relationship with Him - with God - as we serve Him and His people.  Jesus asks - we respond - He hopes - we will be - rock solid - for all ages.

Deacon Dale  

Just A Kiss

A kiss - never just a kiss - meaningful - affects - effects - many. Some would say a kiss is nothing - a simple action - no consequence - not worth discussing. Others - quite different - very meaningful - impacts - changes - aftermath. Kissing - sign of affection for most - often shared frivolously - no meaning - no intent.  Most people contemplate - consider - who to kiss - when to kiss - how to kiss. Recently it was reported that a casual kiss - given an infant - led to death - sadness all around - a cold sore - herpes virus - infection - hospital - second infection at hospital - baby too weak to survive. 

When Jesus was betrayed by Judas - with a kiss - well intended - planned - arrested - condemned - crucified - died - the world shuddered. When Jesus asked Judas - you betray me with a kiss? - the thoughts through his mind - what he had done - the consequences - like the infant - innocent - no future. Even though He was betrayed - Jesus - loved - Judas - the world - enemies - critics - you - me - all of us. His love has no end - for God so loved the world - all in the world - all of the world - He sent His only Son - Jesus - to die - from a kiss - for all of us. Would that we could meet Jesus - face to face - to offer Him - our kiss.

Deacon Dale 

Stunted Growth

According to Wikipedia stunted growth refers to a reduced growth rate in human development presenting as a manifestation of malnutrition and repeated infections such as diarrhea and parasitic worms. The world is filled with people who suffer with stunted growth - for the most part - most fare pretty well - with shorter height being one of their least concerns in life.  Short people are all around us - not all necessarily victims of stunted growth.  Height is not only a nutrition issue - genetics - ancestral history - playing a large role in growth patterns and height of individuals.  In reality the height of a person is nothing compared  to what resides inside - in the mind - the heart.

Jesus- Himself - not a giant of a man - somewhat short by today's standards - in physical 
characteristics - a giant - spiritually - ethically- morally. Through Him - God showed the true merit lies inside the person - how they think - what they think - how they act - what they say - do - believe.  God asks all of us to  put aside pre-conceived ideas about the value of others - to look with His eyes - to hear with His ears - to love with His heart.  Do this and your Lenten journey - will bear much fruit.

Deacon Dale

Laetare Sunday

The Fourth Sunday of Lent - Laetare Sunday - celebrated by most western rite liturgical churches - Roman Catholic - Anglican - some Protestant churches - Laetare - translated from Latin - to rejoice. What is it about this particular Sunday of Lent - a period of purple - sadness - reflection - penance - that we see rose - pinkish colored vestments - told to be happy - rejoice.  Is it more than the fact that we are half way through LENT - looking forward to celebrating - Easter - resurrection - new life.  On this Sunday -- God - the Church reminds us - not all is bad - not all is sad - not all needs forgiveness.  There is natural joy in the world - in people - friends - animals - plants - joy that never leaves.

Jesus told us that He came to set a fire on the earth - a fire  in the hearts of men -women - adults - children - a fire to burn brightly - to illuminate lives - to warm hearts - to shed light where there is darkness - to reveal hope for the lost - the lonely - the sick. In Lent - as we reflect on all that Jesus taught - we repent of the times we  failed to acknowledge - celebrate the joy of life.   Jesus shows us the way - He stands at the door - waiting for a knock - from you.

Deacon Dale