It was not that long ago that Aretha Franklin sang the song Respect written and originally released by Otis Redding in 1965 - became her signature song - reprised in the 1980 movie Blues Brothers. The original version - Aretha's version - slightly different ideas of respect. In today's use we expect people to respect - esteem - admire - hold in high regard - honor - others. Unfortunately all too often - respect - not shown - just the opposite true. There seems to be a section of society who hold no regard for others - do whatever they want - without thinking - considering how their actions may - will effect others. They only think about themselves - selfish - juvenile - immature. Many end up causing offenses so bad - they end up - incarcerated - in jail. Respect is learned at home - parents the primary teacher of children - respect - should be a high priority. Thankfully - the majority of people learn this lesson at an early age - continue throughout their lifetime - treating others as they should be.
Jesus calls us - brothers and sisters - sharing the one true Father - in Heaven. As children of God - as a Family of Christ - we are called - to live and learn - how to treat our fellow humans. Learning respect - tolerance of others - getting along in society. We teach our children - pets - proper rules of etiquette - how to approach - greet - others - what to do - what not to do. In all this - we show our regard not only for others - but for the God who created us. As modern day disciples of Jesus - we spread His Gospel message to all - honoring them as we would Jesus Himself.
Deacon Dale
As defined - toxic means containing - being poisonous - capable of causing death - serious debilitation - exhibiting symptoms of infection - extremely harsh - malicious - harmful - an asset that has lost so much value - no longer worth the time or effort to possess. When discussing toxic things the most frequent - chemicals - either industrial chemicals dumped into potable drinking supplies - well - rivers - chemicals that develop from improperly stored food items - chicken left out of refrigeration - meats warming on a kitchen counter - allowing bacteria to grow - multiply - giving rise to salmonella - toxic to humans. Other things may be labeled toxic - an investment in an under performing stock - having toxic - harmful affects on an investment portfolio - lowering the value of said portfolio - affecting financial stability. The worse form of toxic things - words - spoken in haste - unfairly judging others - spreading rumors - gossip - true or not - toxic to the well being of not only the person talked about - also family - friends - associates. The fact that we as humans have the ability - the power - to harm - destroy - the life of another - very sad.
When encountering toxic items specific steps may be taken to neutralize - offset the toxic effects - chemicals to neutralize the toxic one - devices - sponges - to soak up toxic spills - immediately placing food items in a refrigerator - disposing of an under performing stock - restoring financial health to a portfolio - stabilizing future investments - funds. In regards to toxic words spoken - very difficult to undo the damage - better to never have spoken those words in the first place. The ripple affect of toxic personalities - spreads very quickly - affects everyone in one way or another. After the fact - apology to the offended - apology to God - for being less than He created you - seek His forgiveness for your action. Although you will never be able to apologize to everyone affected by your comment - God in His Divine Mercy will not only forgive you - also help heal the hurt among others. As we continue this octave of Easter - celebrating Christ's resurrection - His transformation - we need to also celebrate the changes that have taken place in ourselves - moving from toxic to positive people of God.
Deacon Dale
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Almost everybody knows what a GPS device is - global positioning system - a feature of many smartphones - devices designed specifically for use by those in vehicles - hikers - fishermen - boaters - anyone who is an outdoors type of person - needing information on where they are going - where they have been. Garmin and Tom-Tom are two of the most popular brands - advertised to the public. Both manufacturers now selling related products for those into fitness - available at local merchants and Amazon - devices which record heart rate - calories burned - and other data of interest to those seeking to get into - maintain good health. Moving from the couch to the outdoors an excellent idea - fresh air - enjoying the scenery - mingling with other people - all aspects which help a person stay mentally - physically fit.
The third part of the human soul - spiritual - needs to be developed - exercised just like the mental - physical part. Even those who do not acknowledge the reality of God - most often do admit that they have a spiritual side - a higher power - something beyond the ordinary which they seek to relate to. People of faith - connect with God through various forms of prayer - private - public - personal - communal. In my home parish we have a group that gathers together for communal prayer - called G.P.S. - gathered to pray in the spirit. God speaks to all of us - not all hear - many in private prayer - question what they hear. Gathered in a prayer group - led by the Holy Spirit - the leaders are able to help discern - understand - what God is saying. This Sunday - Divine Mercy Sunday - around the world large groups of people will gather at the 3:00 Holy Hour to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet together - as one voice. Together they will be led - in the Spirit - to exercise - stimulate - their spiritual side to grow - in God's Divine Mercy.
Deacon Dale
Lord Have Mercy! - a commonly used expression - by many. I remember a sitcom from years back in which the mother constantly was exclaiming - that phrase - in response to almost everything her children were doing - usually showing her unbelief or displeasure. Lord Have Mercy! - also a Canadian sitcom in 2003 - about a youth pastor - his head pastor and others focusing on comedic situations - nominated for an award for Best Comedy Series. While this phrase is frequently spoken - in jest - lightheartedly - more often an honest request for intervention by God. In a more serious vein - a common phrase among believers when praying for themselves - others - often pleading for situations involving health - death - serious accidents - forgiveness
Jesus told us that no one knows the Father - unless He knows Christ - the only Son of God. Just as Jesus showed compassion - forgiveness - to those seen as - unworthy - the man born blind - the woman at the well - the leper - the tax collector - so does His Father - show that same forgiveness - Mercy to each of us. The Mercy shown by Jesus - God - goes way beyond our understanding. He forgives the unforgivable - those throughout history who have committed unbelievable sins - most notably - Judas. How is it possible that He can find Mercy for the one who betrayed His Son - Divine Mercy - mercy that goes beyond our understanding - our comprehension. Saint Pope John Paul II recognized the awesome power of God's Divine Mercy - declared the Sunday immediately following Easter Sunday - Divine Mercy Sunday. On this day - the Church focuses on - Divine Mercy. My home parish recognized this message to be of such importance - in the early 1980s - before it was fashionable - before the Pope's declaration - my wife with a close friend and I - at the prompting of a priest friend from the Marians of the Immaculate Conception began this devotion and celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday the year first proclaimed by the Pope. Frequently I stress to people - turn to God with your concerns - He hears and answers all prayers - in His Divine Mercy - He gives you what you need. This Sunday in parishes around the world - we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday - and His Mercy - all year long.
Deacon Dale
A chain gang - a group of prisoners - chained together to perform menial - physically challenging work - as a form of punishment. That work might include repairing buildings - building roads - clearing land. This system existed primarily in Southern United States. As of 1955 - phased out nationwide - Georgia being the last to stop this practice. Some - reintroduced in the 1990s - form of get tough on crime effort - by Alabama - ended after one year. Arizona still the one state - in Maricopa County - prisoners may volunteer for a chain gang - to earn credit towards high school diploma - avoid disciplinary lock downs. The introduction of chain gangs initially following the American Civil War - free labor for public works projects. In Maricopa County - today - inmates wearing bright orange coveralls - working on roadsides to keep the public landscapes well manicured.
During Easter Season many churches filled with chain gangs - different from above - rather groups - men - women - joining together to pray the Rosary - before morning Holy Mass - afterwords - spread throughout the day. Praying for the needs of others - for the church at large - for the sick - lonely - homeless - hungry. Most do not benefit personally - prayers - mostly for others. The fruits of their labors - the benefits gained from these chain gangs - healings - prayers answered - restored faith. Praying for others - natural for most Christians - intercessory prayer - sharing their faith with those in need. Easter Season - filled with opportunities - for any gang.
Deacon Dale
It is not too often that anyone asks what is being served for breakfast or lunch - dinner - a whole other story. Most of us are conditioned - trained from childhood - groomed by our mothers - a feast at dinnertime. Mom always served up her best for the evening meal - dinner - supper - call it what you want - always great. In my family as a youth - dinner - on a schedule - certain meals - specific days of the week. Fridays - always fish - even though we were not Catholic - mom - from Italy - a Catholic - so we ate fish. Then there was pot roast - spaghetti with meat balls - country fried chicken and dumplings - always on Sunday - had to keep my dad - a Kentucky boy happy. Each meal carefully planned - executed - kept the nine of us - very happy.
As we continue through this Season of Easter - not one day - rather fifty - we continue to experience our New Life in Christ in many - various ways - some days repeating themselves - falling into a routine - creating a spiritual menu - where we are fed - kept happy. All of us have a choice - daily - what spiritual food we will consume - perhaps a routine - Holy Mass one day - Bible study another - sitting in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - yet another. As we continue our Easter celebration - these fifty days will provide us time to select what we need - when we need it - formed into a spiritual banquet.
Deacon Dale
In Greek mythology - a phoenix - a long-lived bird that is cyclically regenerated - reborn. Associated with the sun - a phoenix - gets new life - arising from the ashes of its predecessor. Some believe the phoenix dies - in flames - combustion - then born again. The story of the phoenix - gives hope to all that when one life ends - another begins - when a situation comes to an end - a new opportunity awaits. To those who are facing the loss of a job - a loved one - or any loss - always hope - that the future holds new - better things.
During the Easter Season - many stories - about opportunities - new ventures - hope - life goes on. In any situation - good - bad - there is always another chapter - a book that never ends - chapters yet to be written. As we continue to rejoice in this Octave of Easter - these first eight days - we continue - in a special way - as people of hope. Each day will reveal more and more - if eyes are kept open - minds tuned to the possibilities that exist. Jesus did the hard part - now it is our turn - looking at the future - experiencing New Life.
Deacon Dale
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake - in the same area of the main shock. That is not the after shock that this article refers to. What I am focusing on - when something of unusual proportion occurs - an event that surprises - shocks - most people. It may be a good or bad event - winning the lottery - getting a surprise promotion - receiving a proposal for marriage - house burning to the ground - being fired from your job - sudden death. All of these events cause shock - great concern among those affected - confusion - a rush of emotions - happy - sad - joy - anger. In the time following the surprise - the after shock - those minutes - hours - days - following - trying to sort things out - clearing ones mind - making adjustments - looking to the next days. Focusing on what happens next.
When Jesus rose from the dead - His disciples - in a state of shock - was it real - was He a ghost - a figment of their imagination - trying to sort reality - from exhaustion - anxiety. The aftermath - sharing stories - putting it all together - to make sense - to create comfort. Two thousand years later - no after shock - we have been conditioned all our lives - to accept this unbelievable event - the Easter Event - Mystery of God's plan - Jesus - Resurrection. For believers - the Easter Mystery is an event to be celebrated - not dissected - analyzed. We rejoice in Christ's victory over Death - the next 50 days - Easter Season - focusing on what happens next.
Deacon Dale
I read a comment somewhere yesterday where the person was asking what the big deal was with Jesus' death. Scripture does clearly say that Jesus died on Good Friday - rose on Easter Sunday. From the writer's perspective - Jesus was only dead - three days - whereas others - soldiers for instance - dead forever. For some reason he seems to understand that Jesus only had to be dead for three days - then return to life as before. What? Obviously the fact that Jesus was raised to - New Life - a Glorified Body - NOT the same as before - Resurrected! The only person recorded in history to be resurrected from the dead - Jesus. His whole death - passion - was not about dying - all of us can - will - do that at some point in our lives. The Easter Mystery is about - Resurrection - only done once - only by Jesus.
Faith is a very big pill to swallow - very hard for many - not logical - defies understanding - wisdom. Faith cannot be held in the hand - nor can it be felt - smelled - seen. As an intangible object - invisible - impossible - for many. That is why Jesus performed miracles - why the disciples performed miracles - signs of God's presence - in ordinary people - in out of the ordinary events. Believing in God - the Holy Spirit - Resurrection - takes Faith. To believe one has to be open to the possibility - the opportunity - without hard evidence. - willing to place logic aside - to open oneself to a Mystery beyond human understanding. God wills it - Jesus speaks it - the Holy Spirit does it. It is all about Life - not Death.
Deacon Dale
A Victory Dance - any dance or special traditional movement - done in celebration of a small or grand victory - over anything. If you Google the term victory dance you will find a vast array of what is called a victory dance. In a nutshell - anything worth celebrating - worth dancing for. The most common victory dance - on the sports field - after a goal - win. Other victory dances - personal - among friends - celebrating small accomplishments. As a people - it is good to celebrate our small wins - with family - friends. Many cultures - celebrate - with dance. Dance expresses in movement - music - where words fail to convey - fully express - the emotions of joy - happiness.
When Jesus rose from the Dead - the angels in heaven danced for joy - rejoiced as He defeated Death - the enemy of mankind. His disciples - shocked - amazed - over joyed - filled with new hope - anticipation - of more to come. Today as we Celebrate Easter - a once pagan celebration - Christianized - now a celebration of Christ's Victory. The victory - not His alone - also ours - as we who call ourselves Christians - share in that victory over Death. To us - the promise of New Life - Life with God - an eternal gift from God the Father. - with fellow Christians. Today each of needs to dance with Jesus - celebrate His victory - in a victory dance.
Deacon Dale
