Feeling Sheepish

Everyone of us has had that moment - a time we would like to forget when we felt sheepish - embarrassed - bashful - having done something silly - wrong - foolish.  Trying to get that special person - to notice us - pay attention to what we were doing - hoping to impress. On other occasions - opening our mouth - putting foot in mouth - wrong on all accounts - embarrassed - sheepish. It is only human nature - to want to excel - to show off - to impress - family - friends.  It is all a part of growing up - becoming a mature individual.

Jesus - the Good Shepard - the One who loves us - cares for us - directs our lives - along paths of peace - joy - asks us to be like sheep. To follow - without question - to comply with His requests - to live as He asked. Not all comply - Peter - with head hung low - after denying Jesus on the Cross - asked three times - do you love me? Three times - told by Jesus - feed my sheep - feed my people. As a shepherd cares - loves - his sheep - so does Jesus love each of us. Not all will respond to His offer of love - His offer of healing - His offer of peace.  Most will accept - come into His fold.  A few - turn away - reject His offer - leaving them - only later to realize the gift they threw away - leaving them - to feel - sheepish.

Deacon Dale 

Rocky Times

We are veteran hikers - to some degree - not experts - experienced - long walks - blisters - wrong turns - lost trails - sore feet - legs - backs. It all comes with putting oneself out there - lost in nature - no distractions - no crowds - smelling roses - creosote plants - fresh rain. As romantic as it sounds - not always romantic - sometimes - tiring - cactus needles - in legs - feet. The other day on our hike - trail disappeared - in the mountains - searching for paths - none to find - crawling over rocks - looking for footprints - signs of other hikers - alone by ourselves. Our hiking partner had a sense of where to head - she had never trekked the path previously - just kept walking - in dried up river beds - the last traces of the previous monsoon gone - rocks bleached white from non existent waterfalls - boulders to climb - watching for steps carved by the sands and waters of previous ages. It was the hardest trek we have ever attempted - eight hours - too long - too soon - sore feet - tired legs - rest not an option. Tired - exhausted - we completed the hike.

White Tank Mountains - Arizona

Coping with the crowds - the people - the curses - ridicule - Jesus had to face very rocky times. His path - down the hallways of people's hearts - through their souls - over the mountains of sins - into the fleshy - loving part of their beings. His strength - the Holy Spirit - the love of His heavenly Father - the support of His disciples - friends. Along every path that we may walk - God is constantly with us - helping us - protecting us - guiding us - according to His plan - not ours. Jesus calls each of us to walk with Him - to face the rocks - the boulders - in our paths - to victory - with Him.

Deacon Dale 

Trail Mix

When most people think of trail mix - they think food - fruits and nuts - mixed together - snack food - party mix - energy food for hiking - outdoor activities. When I think of trail mix - I think of hiking trails in the mountains - desert - winding paths - uphill - downhill - through river beds - over boulders. Today my wife and I hiked the White Tank Mountains in Arizona - one trail after another - after another. There was a lot of ascents - descents - walking in sandy river beds - climbing over rocky boulders - seeking the trail path. On a number of occasions - sure we were lost - trail markers - few and far apart - not completely clear on the correct direction. After a lot of switch backs - trail reversals - trekking over lots of rocks in the path we finally finished. About 10 miles - over the course of 8 hours - much slower than we normally hike - stopped frequently so look at desert plants - observe the surprises and beauty - the desert holds.

When Jesus walked His trail - town to town - village to village - over rocky terrain - through sandy deserts - He experienced a lot of switch backs - changes in direction - in people lives. As He shared the Good News - lives transformed - paths - trails - mixed - altered - changed. As His disciples today - we are called to walk that same trail - to mix peoples lives with the goodness of God - the blessings of Jesus - to  share the wonders of life - to reveal that even in a personal desert - there is beauty - surprises mixed in the sand - mixed in lives. Jesus calls each of us - to mix it up - to become trail guides - leading others - to Christ.

Deacon Dale  

Waiting

Waiting is very much under rated - it builds character - provides time for other things - balancing your checkbook - following up on Twitter - Facebook posts - verifying your winning lottery numbers. In truth - nobody likes to wait - for anything. We are impatient - seeking instant answers - immediate results. Waiting stops forward movement - it is the boulder in a roadblock. While it may - at times - prove beneficial - most people are not big fans of waiting.

Jesus told His disciples that He would return - take them to His Father's house - to a place filled with peace and harmony. For most - still waiting - still seeking - that final gift. The issue has to do with the concept of time - God's time is not our time - one day with God - like a thousand days in our lives - a minute - like a lifetime   God has promised - God will honor that promise - in the meantime - we need to learn patience - we need to learn how to wait - the value of waiting. For true believe we know it will happen - in God's time - for now - we encourage you to just wait - a minute.

Deacon Dale 

Did It Hurt?

Did it hurt - a line used by men - women - when trying to introduce themselves to someone they wish to meet. When asked - did what hurt - the response - when you fell from heaven - indicating - that the person who asked the question thought the other person was beautiful - handsome - heaven sent. It is a funny line - has to make one laugh - a compliment paid - to create interest in the one asking. 

In Holy Scripture we never read if anyone asked Jesus - did it hurt. They knew - common knowledge - scourging - crucifixion - hurt - very painful. His disciples questioned Him - how was it possible that He was alive - how did He survive - never - did it hurt. Modern disciples - rarely ask - did it hurt. We know - we understand - we realize the pain Jesus endured for each of us. That is why we believe - why we worship - why we adore Him - the One who took all our sins upon Himself - who accepted death - death on a cross - for each of us. Because we know - we proclaim His death - His resurrection - His promises - to all we meet.

Deacon Dale 

Pilot Light

A pilot light is a small gas flame which serves as an ignition source for a more powerful gas burner. Originally - kept permanently alight - now - more common to light a burner electronically - only when needed. As a child when we entered a room and smelled gas - we knew the pilot light had gone out - needed to be safely re lit. With electronic ignition - the gas does not constantly flow - only when intentionally turned on - conserves gas - saves lives from unlit free flowing gas. Like many natural resources gas has the power to be friend or foe. It is up to us to see that it is used wisely - for the benefit of ourselves - others.

When God sent His only Son - Jesus - He intended Him to be His pilot light - the spark to ignite the fire of His love among His chosen people. Jesus came to start the fire - to fan the flames of faith - to draw the embers - growing dim - together as one body - in Christ. Just as kindle that has lost its flame - flickering itself into extinction - when mixed with other kindle - draws on the heat - the fire inside - to once again - glow with the light within - to become a fire burning brightly - so does Jesus draw us together - Christians around the world  - into one family of believers - creating a fire that cannot - will not be extinguished. We - the believers of today - are that flame - that fire - our flames burn brightly - to spread His message to the world. You are called - to burn brightly - to harness the power of God that is inside you - to radiate His love - to all you meet.

Deacon Dale 

On Target

One of the hardest things in life to do is to stay focused - on target - with long - difficult projects. Almost all - consume time - energy - create tension - become exhausting - stressful. A clear vision - good planning - creating the correct team - assembling materials - implementing - demand focus. Any distraction has the potential to drastically effect the project. A good project manager - necessary for successful completion. 

Jesus calls each of us to an active part in His ministry to others - as His - eyes - ears - voice - heart. We must be His hands and feet - listening with an understanding heart - moving into action when necessary. There is no need for special skills or tools - we only need - faith. Through faith we have been healed - through faith we have been empowered - through faith we have all that is needed to minister in this day and age. With our eyes on Jesus - staying connected through prayer - we can stay - on target.

Deacon Dale 

Lost and Found

When I made the decision to live in Arizona for the winter months I knew that I would not be able to continue my diaconal ministry while in Arizona. The process to receive faculties - to function as a Catholic deacon - involves red tape - lots of red tape. The Church moves slowly when approving ministers from outside their boundaries - giving permission to function when visiting - relocating. For four months I have been the - man in the pew - observing other deacons - praying along with the local community.  This weekend - I visited a brother deacon in California - invited to serve Holy Mass at his parish - welcomed by his pastor. It felt very good to proclaim the Gospel - announce the prayers of the faithful - distribute the Body of Christ at communion. It felt like home - serving the people of God - at the altar - a ministry lost - newly found - hope regained.

The primary mission of Jesus - seeking the lost - those who had strayed - drifted away from His Father. In three short years He not only located the lost -attracted thousands away from lives lived poorly - to relationship with Him - with God. This Easter - Jesus again found new hearts to bring into His Church - new souls to save. As we continue our Easter celebration - we rejoice that we who were once lost - have been found - that others still - in this day - may also be found - for a new life in Christ. 

Deacon Dale 

Go West

Go West! - The opportunities are in the west - chances for a new start - begin over.  When life seems stuck - not going where we thought it would - time to pick up - start over. A friend of mine felt very frustrated a few years ago - with job - location - future possibilities - going nowhere quickly. Sharing his frustration with his employer - new opportunity laid before him - in front of his eyes - to go west. Fulfilling a life long dream to relocate to the west coast - a reality - definite possibility. Within months - plans finalized - move implemented. A visit with him recently - at his new home - found a very happy person. 

Jesus calls us to be alive - mobile - ready to spring into action. It is not just our spiritual life - also our daily life - where He wants us to be happy. Too often opportunities are laid before us - we miss - ignore - avoid - refuse to believe are possible. As people of faith - God expects - wants us to seize the day - the opportunities - for ourselves. We need to keep our eyes - ears - open to the possibilities before us. We need to walk in faith - knowing that God - calls us - to new adventures - with Jesus. 

Deacon Dale 

Barking Buddies

There is a discussion currently going on in our community in Arizona in regards to dogs - people who own dogs - dogs who bark - people who allow their dogs to bark - telling dogs not to bark. Just as any other animal - including humans - needs to communicate - so do dogs. Dogs need to tell us when they are hungry - need to go outside - when danger is approaching - when the neighborhood cat is trespassing - among other important things. Dogs bark - at - to - other dogs - cats - birds - people. Depending on the tone - intensity - we know if they are welcoming or threatening. It is completely natural for a dog to bark - yet some - usually people with too much time on their hands - complain about dogs who bark. I am sure there is an occasional midnight howler who disrupts some body's sleep - but in my opinion - the exception - not the rule. Tolerance - is called for by all - especially those who do not have dogs in their home.

That is one of the most important things that Jesus tried to get across to the people - tolerance - acceptance - not throwing stones - building bridges instead. He never promised a rose garden - but declared it a possibility - if we would become more Christ like. It is not only our actions - also our reactions - that determine the person we will be - the effect we will have - in - on - our neighbors. Jesus asks all to walk proudly - but speak - with a tolerant bark.

Deacon Dale