Fish Story

Almost everyone has spun a tale or two in which the details - not as accurate as should be - perhaps embellished - the truth stretched - a bit. The six foot fish caught in the ocean - in reality maybe 18 inches - off the end of the dock. Perhaps photo-shopped to extend the tale. Long tales often center around sporting feats - the number of guys or gals you have dated - the size of your boat - house - summer home - bank account. The deception - a lie of sorts - not meant to defraud - rather impress - family - friends - strangers. These fish stories - an attempt to boost ones self image - in the eyes of others.

God knows not only our minds and hearts - also what we have done - will do - are capable of. Only God sees our true potential - abilities - to succeed - fail. To Him - it does not matter - He could care less about the feats we have done - rather He looks at our hearts - who we love - will love - care for. He wants us to love Him first - foremost - above all else - to worship Him - serve Him - in the persons we live and work with. With God - no need to stretch the truth - He loves you just the way your are.

Deacon Dale 

You Can't Do That

One of the biggest killers of personal growth - you can't do that - prejudging a situation - ability. How many of us were stopped - dead in our tracks - by that comment. Learn to play a musical instrument - participate in some sport - travel to a distant land - join a special interest group - you can't do that. Most of the time the one judging if we were capable - themselves - unable to do what we intended. Often we are limited in our expectations - only because others were limited - held back. Not all of us have the same abilities - desires - expectations - hopes - dreams. This would be a boring world if we were all identical - did the same things - had the same limitations. The world needs dreamers - risk takers - those who push themselves beyond the ordinary. 

When God created humankind - we were given Free Will - the ability to accept - reject - ideas - thoughts - dreams - hopes. He created each of us to - be. Everyone has the ability to excel - in one way or another - to become more than we are - to reach for the stars. In our searching - reaching - attaining - we need to remember the One who gave us this ability - who created us with an inner potential - the possibility of becoming more. As we advance in thought - reason - expand our abilities - we need to first thank the One who is -  the Author of Life - Our God.

Deacon Dale 

Two Too To

Two people too busy to make a difference - caught up in their own world- focusing on their own issues - self absorbed - in themselves. Not an unusual situation. Most couples - their first priority is themselves - their needs - wants - desires. It is normal - not the only option - choice - available to them. All of us at one time or another - share the same plight - serve ourselves - serve others. It is important that we see to our basic needs - to take care of our own mental - physical - spiritual - health - to make ourselves whole - to be better equipped to serve the needs of others. We need to feed ourselves with good wholesome foods and drink - exercise our bodies to keep our muscles toned and in good shape - to stimulate our minds - thoughts - to focus on the important things in life. Only then may we be empowered to reach out - to help those - too week to help themselves.

Jesus is the answer to all our questions - He is the goal we all seek - in one way or another - we know that at the core of our being - the presence of God - lives. It does not matter if we actively attend a church - worship services - if we refuse to acknowledge that we are - spiritual beings. "Our being is an instantaneous flash of light in the midst of eternal night." As living - thinking - rational - people we are blind if we refuse to acknowledge that each of us has a spiritual part of our lives. Just as we have a physical and intellectual - we have a spiritual - facet - a three fold - trinitarian existence. This Lent - seek that inner spirit - dig deep into your very self - see that the two parts - too easy to see - lead to the third hidden part - that makes you whole.

Deacon Dale 

Faith Of Our Fathers

When discussing a person's faith life - not unusual for them to respond - that was my father's faith - I was raised that way - not necessarily what I believe now. I have heard this very comment from people from all faith backgrounds - Jewish - Christian - Muslim - Buddhist - Hindi - to name a few. What these people are saying is that it was perfectly fine for their parents to believe - worship - in one way or another - for them - no longer applicable. This is particularly noticeable in times of good employment - healthy economy. It is not until things fall apart - unemployment rears its ugly head - financial market hits a low - that people begin to show interest in their faith life. It is a common concern of many parents these days - concerned that their children who were brought up in a family with a very active faith life - no longer attend services - show no signs of belief in the spiritual life - credit their good fortune instead to knowledge - science - money - technology. All forget where the ability to create ideas came from - minds of ordinary people - blessed with extraordinary intellect. None of us created our own minds - although we may exercise and develop them - the ability to think - assess - evaluate - create - goes beyond the intellect we were born with. We have to acknowledge that we are not the creator - we did not design our bodies - minds - natural abilities - all credit goes to the One who created humankind in the first place. Recognizing this - why do so many fail to worship - practice any faith?

God is very patient with us - more patient than anyone of us would ever be. He knows our problems with acknowledging His presence - yet - He continues - to love and bless us in spite of ourselves. Leaving hints - clues - signs of wonder - awe - often fail to gather attention - still He persists. One day - one time - eyes will be opened - hearts will receive - His message. Until then - we of faith - keep on praying.

Deacon Dale 

Long Distance

The term - long distance - to most people - refers to telephone calls - conversations - between two people - separated by very long distances. When I was a child - an important event - news - prompted the use - the expense - of long distance calls. There was always an extra expense involved - conversations kept to a minimum - to avoid the high expense of making such a call. Today long distance - included in most cellular phone packages - no longer carry any extra fees - expenses. Conversations may last minutes - to  hours. There is no hesitation in placing a long distance call - easy to keep in touch with family - friends.

Talking with God in prayer - even easier than making a long distance phone call. God is always available - ready in an instant - to receive your call - to listen - to converse with you. Unfortunately too many people feel that God is not available to them - unreachable - too busy to listen. The reality is that God waits - patiently - for all of us to call Him - to converse - to discuss - request - complain - share - whatever is on our heart and mind. Try calling Him today - His line is never busy.

Deacon Dale 

I Can See Clearly Now

I can see Clearly Now was an original song written and sung  by Johnny Nash in 1972 hitting the pop charts and becoming a number one best seller. It has stood the test of time - being sung by many singers since and re-done by Jimmy Cliff in 1993 and used in the soundtrack for Cool Runnings when it again reached #20 on the pop charts. It is about ones vision returning after a rain - vision restored - obstacles removed - enabling one to visually see clearly. Often in our lives issues - become clouded - confused by rhetoric - propaganda - lies - rumors. Many times the confusion - an honest error -not intended - not clearly explained. Other times - a direct attempt to misinform - confuse - lead away from the truth. In today's Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Lent - at the celebration of the Second Scrutiny - for the Elect - we heard about Jesus healing the man born blind - visually impaired - unable to see. His blindness - of natural causes - not a sin committed by either parent - a situation of circumstance. Those who are unable to see - blind - partially blind - no fault of their own. Those spiritually blind - another issue completely.

Jesus came to open our eyes - to His presence - His Father's presence - the reality of Their existence. He came to help us see - the reality of our spiritual life - into the very depths of our souls. He came to cure that blindness - to reveal to each of us - the potential each of us possesses - to live good wholesome lives - to treat each other with kindness - love - to prepare our mortal souls - for life in eternity with God. Jesus has revealed the truth - can you see clearly now - or - are you still blind?

Deacon Dale  

The I Of God

Just what do I mean - The I Of God - what am I saying? There is the EYE of God - in this reference - the all seeing - all knowing - eye of our Creator - our Lord - our God. The One who knows everything - is all knowledgeable - all loving - all forgiving - all healing. When I refer to the I of God - that is me - myself - the one individual - who hopefully - in some small way - reflects this one small part of the community of believers - who makeup up the body of Christ - God. Each and every one of us - individuals - together - help form - give shape - give substance to the body of Christ - the God of the people. How I act - react - speak - say - reply - respond - to others - a reflection on the entire body of Christ. When I sin - do something wrong - make a decision to hurt - harm - another - I diminish - the body of Christ. My actions - reactions - speak for themselves. All of us - no one excluded - at times - will error - do something wrong - to diminish the dignity of  the entire body. As I watch - observe - the current political gymnastics - between opponents - it is apparent that none of them - respects the communal body of Christ. It does not matter if they are Jew - Greek - Christian - Protestant - Catholic - Atheist - Agnostic - religion aside - none of the political hopeful - shows any respect to their fellow opponents. A very sad commentary on the times.

We are half way through the season of Lent - when most people seek ways to avoid sin - rid themselves of pettiness - flaws in lifestyle - to be better than they are - to raise themselves up in the eyes of God. If any of us wishes to be seen - in a positive light - as being one with our Lord - we cannot allow ourselves to - do as they do - rather - we must go against the flow - avoid the temptation - to be sucked into the cesspool of the political world. We do not live in their world - nor would we want to. Respect for ourselves - for each other - in all situations - is the way to be - to live - to become - The I of God.

Deacon Dale 

Game Day

If you are a Chicago Cubs baseball fan - this is the day you have been waiting for. The first game of spring training at Sloan Park. Today marks the first game at Sloan Park where Cubs fans from almost anywhere will gather to see what the Cubs team has lined up for their fans. There will be plenty of fans from Chicago in attendance today - as well as locals - all fans of the infamous Cubs. Many are snowbirds - here in Arizona for the winter - others like my cousins - here on vacation - in time to watch their beloved Cubbies. Win or lose - today will be a great day.

At some point in time most of us will see God - face to face - when our game day arrives - that day when we are taken from this earthly existence - to our heavenly one. When we come to that time in our life - when we are called by God - prepared or not - to join Him - we will celebrate with great joy - anticipation - of our eternal existence. There will be no more batting practice - no more leg stretches - no more running the bases - no time left for preparation. Ready or not - God will call us - to be with Him. One day - in the future - Jesus will tell us - it is game day.

Deacon Dale 

Morning Ritual

Everyone has a morning ritual - even if they do not recognize - acknowledge one. Waking early - stretching - visiting the bathroom - shaving - showering - brushing hair - teeth - morning coffee - juice - toast - cereal - leaving early for work - school - church - the same routine day after day. Five days a week - many repeat over and over - the same ritual. The weekend - similar - most likely a different schedule - each weekend a repeat of the previous. Our prayer life often falls into a similar ritual - morning prayers - daytime - evening - bedtime - words spoken to God - often the same praises - words of gratitude - petition - repeated - over and over. We are people of habit - doing - speaking the same mantra - repeatedly - a ritual. 

When we talk to Jesus - God in prayer - we need to be active partners in this conversation of praise - thanksgiving - petition. God knows our hearts - minds - no need to constantly say the exact same words repeated in a dulling mantra. Variation of the words - praises - petitions - shows God we are actively engaged with Him. When you pray an Our Father - add your personal words - introduce other thoughts - in the conversation. There is nothing wrong with learned - memorized prayers - adding onto a prayer shows that you are actively thinking about the words you speak. Pray formula prayers slower - thinking about the words - what they mean - to God - to you - reflecting on what the impact is on your life - situation. In all prayers - make your ritual a non-ritual - break free - use your own words to speak to your Lord. He waits to hear from you - your morning ritual.

Deacon Dale 

Cruise Control

Cruise control - sometimes known as speed control or auto cruise - is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system is a servomechanism that takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver. On most modern cars one simply activates the cruise switch - selects the speed to cruise - drive at - then sits back with foot off the accelerator - allows the vehicle to continue on at a steady speed. As long as the driver pays attention to the road condition - traffic changes - other vehicles - a safe system to use. On very long road trips - alleviates legs discomfort - driver fatigue. There is a risk - monotony - boredom - falling into a trance like state - when accidents may occur. Even when using cruise control - driver must be aware constantly - where they are going.

Many people who have made a commitment to God - to Jesus - have unfortunately placed their relationship on cruise control. Prayers spoken as in a trance - words voiced - without real meaning - blindly repeating prayer after prayer - no active thought involved - are in danger of an eventual spiritual collision - with themselves - with God. When developing a prayer life - a relationship with Jesus - it must always be an active - conscious effort. To keep your relationship fresh - openness to God and the many faces of the Divine must be investigated. Cruise control on a vehicle is fine when actively monitored - the same goes for your prayer life.

Deacon Dale