Mighty Acts

There are acts - things accomplished - routine - normal - sometimes - not so normal - unusually cleaver - awesome - mighty acts - things beyond expectations. For the majority - expectations are that any task will be done - as usual - not out of the ordinary. Once in awhile - unexpected results surface - impressing almost everyone. The majority of the time we see what is routine - good works - done well - not outstanding - business as usual. To impress us would take an act of God or something else highly unusual.

Being told that you have been healed - cured of an incurable disease - a mighty act.  In today's scriptures Peter does just that - tells a cripple to get up - walk - go about life - healed - surprised the cripple - surprised everyone. As we journey through this season of Easter - we read scriptures from the Act of the apostles - acts done in the name of Jesus - acts done through confidence in God - not just acts - mighty acts - miracles. Today those mighty acts still happen - here and now - through faith in the risen Christ.  

Deacon Dale 

Easter Day #2

Yes - Easter - Day #2 - not one single day - an entire season - celebrating the miracle - mystery of Easter. Unlike Christmas - when Christians celebrate the birth of the Christ - a miracle - not unlike our own birth - each a miracle - special event in its own right - Easter - a celebration of resurrection - none - except - Jesus - known to have raised from the dead. This miracle - this mystery - so great - 50 days - to contemplate - celebrate - this unbelievable event . In the end - none - will ever really understand - except through the eyes of God.

In these 50 days - Jesus continues to reveal Himself - His message - His love for all mankind - no single person - group - over looked.  Just as the butterfly goes through changes to become a beautiful new creation - we also change - into new creations - life filled - filled with life - beautiful in the eyes of God. Just as Jesus called us closer to Him during Lent - He now calls us to live a closer relationship with Him in New Life.  50 days - to celebrate our own rebirth - to make a permanent commitment to Him - forever.

Deacon Dale 

Easter Joy!

Happy Easter - Buona Pasqua - Boas Pascuas - Wesołego Alleluja! - Frohe Ostern - ¡Felices Pascuas! - ஈஸ்ட்டர் நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள் - in any language - the greeting for this Sunday - from believers and non-believers alike. Like Christmas - Easter has evolved from one of the most significant religious holy days - to a secular holiday. Attend early morning sunrise services - early tee time - hunting for colored Easter eggs - all these and more - rolled into one day of festivities. Easter in this day and age - more about the gathering of families - friends.  People celebrating - life.

For the believer - the Celebration - Celebration of New Life - Life in Christ - Life Redeemed - Life Saved - Forgiveness - Resurrection.  Resurrection not only of Jesus - one day - our own - His promise - to believers - a share in His Heavenly Kingdom - peace - healing - comfort - eternal joy. This Gift - from God - offered to all - available to all - offered at no price - no personal sacrifice - no judgement - free for the taking. As the World celebrates Easter Joy - may each of us - join in that celebration - for ourselves - our family - our friends - for the lost - the saved - for all. As His disciples - may each of us - share this Good News - with all.        Buona Pasqua!

Deacon Dale 

The Third Day

Today - Holy Saturday - the Third Day - confusing for many who do not understand how we connect Holy Saturday with "rising on the third day". In the time of Jesus the day ended at sundown - work stopped - daily chores completed - the last meal of the day finished. Somewhere in the darkness of one day and sunrise of the next the new day began - thus on Holy Thursday at dusk - the Last Supper - in the dark - Jesus betrayed - His Passion began - in the darkness of Holy Thursday began the first day - and on that day - trial - condemnation - rejection - crucifixion - laid in the tomb - in the darkness began the second day - a day of mourning - a day of prayer - a day of lost hope - a day of laying in the tomb - in the darkness began the third day - sunrise - resurrection - meeting the women - Easter Glory - the Good News - joy - hope - reclaimed. Today we count the days differently - counting as they did in the time of Jesus - makes complete sense.

As we walk through this Holy Saturday - we celebrate the preparation Rites - the Blessing of Easter food to be enjoyed Sunday - Easter Sunday - the final Rite of the Elect - called to profess their faith this morning - last minute instructions for the Vigil tonight - at dusk - in the early twilight - the beginning of the Easter Vigil - the Mother of all Vigils - the Holiest Mass to be celebrated in the entire year - the litany of readings and psalms - the prayers - litany of saints - the reception - baptism - confirmation - First Eucharist - all in preparation for Easter Sunday - the Third Day.  Jesus welcomes all - saints - sinners - believers - unbelievers - His heart has room for all - for you.

Deacon Dale 

What's So Good About Friday?

Good Friday - what makes the day of Christ's death "Good" - according to some the "Good" is an early English translation also meaning "Holy".  From Wikipedia we read that the etymology of the term "Good" in the context of Good Friday is contested - some claiming it is from the senses pious - holy - of the word "Good" - others contending it is a corruption of "God Friday" - the Oxford English Dictionary supporting the first etymology - meaning "of a day or season observed as holy by the Church - as an archaic sense ofgood - similar to ofgood tide meaning Christmas. In non-English speaking countries it is more commonly called by other names. 

No matter what anyone calls it - Good Friday - commemorates the day that Jesus - willing accepted death - death on a cross - that action usually reserved for criminals and serious offenders - for you - for me. The Gift of Salvation - made available to all - demanded that one offer a sacrifice - an ultimate sacrifice - for all of mankind. No one person - would be able to do this - so God's only Son - Jesus - accepted His Father's request to be that sacrificial lamb - offered once - for all. To all who accept Him - as Lord - Savior - we remember with sadness - that anyone should die for another's sins - in joy - we celebrate this awesome gift - freely offered by Jesus. Day two of the Triduum - we continue in this most holy trilogy of days. 

Deacon Dale 

Holy Thursday

Today the Church begins the Triduum - the three holiest days of the Christian year - Holy Thursday - Good Friday - Holy Saturday with the Easter Vigil. Three days in which we are asked to spend extra time reflecting on our personal relationship with God. Today the focus is on the beginning of the priesthood and Holy Eucharist. Two very significant events in Christian history. The celebration focuses on Holy Thursday Mass - held in the evening - parishioners gathered with pregnant expectation - the washing of the feet of the twelve - an inspiring homily in which the faithful are filled with the joy and wonder of the mystery of the Triduum.

Jesus continues to call each of us - closer to Him - closer to His Father - closer to the Holy Spirit. Time is running short - celebrate and rejoice tonight - tomorrow - a day of sadness - guilt - repentance. How will you spend these three Holy Days?

Deacon Dale 

April Fools

April Fool's Day - the first day of April - a day filled with pranks and hoaxes - jokes played upon friend and foe alike. Although not an official holiday - celebrated around the world - Italy - India - England - France - Australia - Brazil - Canada - the USA. A day for individuals - businesses - to prank each other - in good spirits - for fun - for laughs. The custom of marking one day - April 1st - as a day of harmless pranks - recognized everywhere - early observances - the Roman festival of Hilaria - the Holi festival of India - the Medieval Feast of Fools.

The fact that April Fool's Day falls during Holy Week - a contradiction of beliefs? How can one be frivolous and somber - spiritual at the same time?  The joke - to rejoice in - the defeat of all that is good and holy - evil pranked - April Fool - Jesus is ALIVE!  His death not a joke - His ressurection - the reality. Through GRACE - each of us - given the strength to walk this Holy Week - heads up - not down - our Saviour LIVES! 

Deacon Dale 

Pointy Hats and Robes

Pointy hats and robes - startling to see - mean different things to each of us. In Monday's post I discussed the beginning of Holy Week - all the activities and celebrations to be observed during this holiest week of the year. To make a point - to startle - to open eyes - the celebration photo I selected showed a group of people clad in various colored robes - white - red - purple - all wearing pointy head coverings. As an American - at first sight - some would think that was a photo of a group that many in America find very un-Christian. That is not who those are - shown in the photo - these are people from Spain - celebrating - Semana Santa - Holy Week. Those in the garments - men who belong to various Catholic brotherhoods - deeply spiritual men - observing a tradition that dates as far back as the late 1100's - penitents - wearing the nazareno - penitential robe - consisting of a tunic - hood with a conical tip - capirote - used to hide the face of the wearer - often with a cloak. Dating from medieval Spain - this tradition continues today - a very serious - holy time of year for the men who belong to the different brotherhoods. Processions - led through the towns - often with large statues - paso - on the shoulders of the penitents - some in chains - offering a public act of penance.

Salamanca, Spain

During this week - Jesus asks us - as individuals - to seriously reflect on our relationship with Him - to contemplate the sacrifice He made for each of us. He does not demand we wear robes - nor chains - only to change our hearts - to be Christ like. He asks that we honestly consider - the precious gift of salvation - at no expense to ourselves - paid in full - by the price - of His blood.

Deacon Dale 

Holy Week

Holy Week began with Sunday's observance of Palm Sunday - Passion Sunday - the Passion of Christ - now on Monday - we contemplate the mystery - the reason - the significance. One could spend a lifetime - trying to wrap their head around - understand - comprehend - what had happened. In a lifetime - not one of us would ever fully understand - instead - we spend a week steeped in prayer - contemplation - meditation - in an effort to see where we fit into the bigger picture. This week - filled with significant ceremonies - the Chrism Mass - Holy Thursday - the Last Super - washing of the feet - Good Friday - anguish - pain - blood - fear - Holy Saturday - the waiting - Easter sunrise - Resurrection - victory - salvation. How this is possible - how this was orchestrated???

Jesus calls each of us - in a special way - to walk even closer with Him this week - to experience through His eyes - ears - all that will be laid before us - for ourselves as individuals - for the larger us - as a community. With hands outstretched - He waits for us to discover - Him.

Deacon Dale 

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday - the beginning of Holy Week - the holiest week of the year. Today the joyful entry into Jerusalem - gathering with family - fiends - to celebrate- Holy Mass - palms waving in the air - blessed with sprinkled water - red vestments - the reading of the processional gospel - the passion - dismissal - to go - to love - to serve the Lord.

What started as a cheerful event for Jesus - turned bad - all too quickly - the dinner - Last Supper - the kiss - the betrayal - judgement - abuse - death - not a happy ending. Holy Week shocks us to the realities of life - all is not fair - all is not just - all is not plentiful - beautiful.  Sometimes life - leaves a lot to be desired - a bad taste in our mouth - unpleasant memories. As we walk this journey with Jesus - the Via Dolarosa - the agony in the garden - those final steps - we are called to remember. To re-member - to put back together - the pieces - the fragments - of our faith - into the one loving sacrifice of Our Lord. WE are called - each of us - to walk this week in the sandals of Jesus.

Deacon Dale