It Is Done

It is done - words to bring a smile to any one's face - involved in a long project - composing a musical score - writing a play - filing their taxes. Nothing is sweeter than speaking those three words - it is done. Shout for joy - throw hands in  the air - break out in dance - swing your partner - child around the room - it is done!  A sigh of relief - the tension gone - a sense of accomplishment - relief.  We have all been there - done that - everyone understands the concept - the feeling of relief - the absence of pressure - life looking good again.

When Jesus exclaimed - it is done - finished - sacrifice completed - stress gone - peace following. The difference between Jesus and ourselves - He was giving up His life - not a project. His suffering on the cross - over - ended - completed. As much as we enjoy the relief of stress being eliminated from our lives - Jesus could only enjoy the approval of His Father - the obedient Son - salvation guaranteed for the lost. When we contemplate all Jesus did for us - in this Easter season - we proclaim with sincerity - it is done.

Deacon Dale 

Black is White - White is Black

I am in the process of erecting a fence around my swimming pool equipment - to protect from the elements - to soften the noise - to create a more appealing view around the pool. As part of this project - after installing the poles and connecting lumber - we painted with a white primer - then applied a black finish coat. That got me to thinking about about my physics classes and how light is reflected and refracted. To make this easy - objects either absorb certain colors of the spectrum or they reflect certain colors of the spectrum. In other words when an object appears red - it is reflecting the red color back to your eyes and not absorbing that particular color - so what we see as red is really not red at all. With that in mind - we note that white contains all the colors of the spectrum while black is the absence of all colors - when you see a white object you are seeing all the colors reflected back to your eyes  - appearing white - when you see black - no light is being reflected to your eyes - so an object that appears white has no color and therefore is black and the object that appears black has absorbed all colors and reflects no color back - thus the object is white. Thus black is white and white is black. 

Understanding Jesus - God - is easier than understanding the physics of black and white color and for most people is as clear as - black and white. God is the supreme being - the center of our lives - the reason we exist - without God nothing exists - and all exists in God. Jesus is the human manifestation of God - the Son - who with the Holy Spirit makes up the Holy Trinity - three persons - three manifestations - of the One triune God. It is to God that we owe our devotion for all that God is - has done - will do - in our lives. There is no reason to question God's existence - it is as clear as - black and white.

Deacon Dale 

Writer's Block

Writer's Block - the feared enemy of anyone who writes for a living - that stuck in the mud - cannot get anywhere - brain dead - desperately seeking inspiration - my God what is happening to me - feeling. We have all been there - writers - authors - public speakers - priests - deacons - pastors - bloggers - everyone who communicates with others on a daily basis. Using material from someone else - not appreciated - criticized - unethical. Frustrating - does not even touch it - hard to explain to others - words cannot describe. With over 525 posts to date one would never guess that I would be at a loss for words - especially those who know me well - who can talk for hours - about almost anything. Truth be told - words are worthless - unless they are heard - digested - appreciated - consumed with interest - move another to action - educate - inform - inspire.

When Jesus spoke - people listened - reacted to His message - hearts were moved - motivated - to improve their lives - lives of people around them. Not all were motivated for good - a few - maybe many - hostile to His message - fearing condemnation of their own lives - actions. Even today - not all are inspired - not all react positively to the Good News - some mock - make little - of God and His love for mankind. In spite of this - God - every day - sends His messengers - His ministers out to proclaim the Good News. To those of us who have been called to serve - ordained or not - we are the mouths that speak His truth - we are the hands that type His words - we are the ones - to carry on the works of Jesus. With Holy Scripture - no writer's block - the Word - clearly laid before us - our one task - to share the Good News - with all we meet. 

Deacon Dale 

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