Passion Sunday

Today we began Holy Week - Palm Sunday - aka - Passion Sunday - one of the longest services in the Christian liturgical calendar.  Here in Arizona - on the reservation - we began outdoors in the warm Arizona sun with the blessing of palms at the outdoor altar - then -  procession inside into the 120 year old Spanish styled mission church.  Inside we celebrated a typical Palm Sunday Mass complete with a reading of the Passion - an enthusiastic homily  by Father Antony - fueled by the Fire of the Holy Spirit - a charism of the charismatic Franciscan Friars of The Holy Spirit. Two hours later we emerged - inspired - excited - to enter into Holy Week with a passion to - do it right - with right minds - focusing our energies on the events that will be celebrated during this very special week.

I enjoy hearing the reading of Holy Scripture - especially when it describe the Holy Land - places that I have personally visited - anticipating a third visit later t his fall.  My first pastor had told me that I would never hear Holy Scripture the same once I would visit Israel.  He was right - my writing - my preaching - have all changed since that first visit in 2010.  Now when I have an opportunity to preach and the scriptures refer to Cana or the Kidron Valley or Jerusalem - my preaching takes on a new excitement that I attempt to share with the congregation.  Visiting the Holy Land - important religious sites in Spain - Italy - Poland - have all increased my passion to preach the Gospel to all who will listen. As each of us enters Holy Week - we need to realize that all of us - ordained or not - have been called to share the Good news of Christ.- with passion.

Deacon Dale 

Holy Land Update

Just a quickie update regarding our fall pilgrimage to  Israel - The Holy Land.  We have been notified that our final date to register and still earn $300 in early registration discounts is extended until April 25, 2018.  Any registration after that date loses the $250 early registration discount and the $50 webinar discount.  That means we now have thirty days to get those commitments finalized and registration forms submitted.  If you are serious about joining us on this exciting - educational - spiritual experience - now is the time!

Over the past 8 years Arlene and I have participated in 10 pilgrimages.  We have visited Spain twice - Italy three times - Poland twice - Israel three times which includes this 2018 experience.  Although itineraries have been very similar - none of our pilgrimages has been identical. Different participants - minor changes in itinerary - have resulted in 10 very different pilgrimages.  The only constant has been Arlene and myself -  pilgrimage specialists who - along with professional travel people - have delivered very memorable experiences that have brought people closer to God - closer to each other - in shared experiences.  

We are able to offer multiple gateways - which means people from many different locations are able to join us.  The main group will be departing from Chicago, Illinois.  Prices for all gateways are listed below:

Atlanta                          ATL        $3899

Chicago O’Hare           ORD       $3799   rated guaranteed

Los Angeles                 LAX        $3849

Minneapolis-St Paul     MSP       $3999

New York NYC  (JFK or LGA)    $3549

Orlando                        MCO      $3899

Philadelphia                 PHL        $3749

Phoenix                        PHX       $3849

San Diego                   SAN        $4049

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan YXE $3849

Tampa                          TPA        $3999

All prices shown reflect the $300 available in discounts and are per person - double occupancy.  Single person supplement is $800.  To register only costs $500 per person or if electing trip insurance/cancellation waiver then $290 insurance + $250 deposit.

Registration forms are available at www.deacontravel.org   If you have any questions please email:  deacondale-holyland@deacontravel.org  or call 1.630.334.5065

Deacon Dale 

                            

Tracking Number

Lately we have been doing a lot of online shopping - much easier for items that do not have to be tried on - for size and fit - staple items - consumables - that we buy in large quantity.  Easier to have shipped to the house than trying to fit in a vehicle - also very handy for unique items.  In the past we use to drive all over the place - going from one store to another to seek and find not so popular items.  Now - with the internet - very easy to do a search - investigate the assortment of brands - read reviews - then buy and have shipped.  All these purchases offer free tracking service - a number assigned by the merchant and whomever they ship through - providing a number to keep track of where your order is in the purchasing process and eventually the shipping - with date of arrival.  If anything gets delayed - the tracking number provides an explanation and new arrival date.

When a person talks with God - no need for tracking numbers - every request - every prayer - given top priority - all prayers are equal - all get the same attention.  Some people believe that God does not answer prayers right away - some think He stores away - assigns a tracking number - to be processed - answered later.  I personally believe that God answers our prayers even before they have left our lips - hearts - minds.  I have come to believe that God knows what I need - what I am going to request - even before I know it - and answers my prayers the second I initiate my conversation with Him. What confuses many - although God answers immediately - the result of that request often takes time to manifest in our lives. Not every answer will appear to us - until we actually believe that He has answered.  Some things have to happen through the course of natural events - other people - situations - demanding our patience.  The biggest road block to answered prayers - our disbelief that our prayer is worth answering - lack of faith in God - could possibly be the cause of any delay in seeing our prayer answered.  As we prepare for Palm Sunday - we must - be people of faith - believing all that He reveals to us now - today - during Holy Week - through out our entire Lenten experience. 

Deacon Dale 

Barriers

There are all kinds of barriers - sidewalk - city streets - highways - entrances to buildings - most erected to keep people out - a safety precaution - watching out for the well being of others.  Other barriers - not focused on a person's well being - erected to segregate - discriminate - to prevent others from joining in an activity - becoming involved in private - secretive events.  Many times these barriers erected by private clubs - exclusively restricted to those of a unique language - ethnicity - financial - social - organization.  It is reasonable - for example - that a knitting group would exclude those who do not know how or have no interest in knitting.  Unfortunately - some barriers - mean spirited - eliminating others for selfish reasons - fear of introducing the unknown - into their group.  Some barriers - perceived - unreal - only a figment of the imagination.  

There are those who for one reason or another - believe that God does not love them - want them - has no interest in them - their lives.  Nothing is further from the truth.  There are a few clerics - religious who may present that image - but in those cases - strictly their individual prejudices - not the organizations they represent.  In regards to the Catholic Church - some believe it a closed organization - open to only Catholics - nothing is further from the truth.  In the Catholic Church - as well as most faiths - people always welcome - invited in - to participate - to inquire - to learn - to become members to worship in community.  The majority of churches with which I am personally acquainted - go out of the way to be welcoming - inviting in the stranger - the lost - those seeking - faith - community.  Just as we welcome all - so does God.  As we come close to the end of Lent - as we prepare for the beginning of Holy Week - we remind all that all barriers to your participation -  have been removed.   Jesus stands at the door - arms open wide.

Deacon Dale 

Fork In The Road

When driving -  hiking - biking - without a map or GPS - often difficult to decided which way to go - especially when you come to a - fork in the road - right - left - one way correct - opposite - off into strange uncharted areas - or familiar?  Without prior preparation - you could easily become lost. Before leaving on any journey - best to do some homework - look at maps - ask for directions - landmarks - learning the correct route. When we hiked the Camino de Santiago - The Way of Saint James - in Spain - we had our guide book - maps and concrete pylons containing the Camino shell logo and yellow painted arrows pointing the correct direction.  After almost 400 miles - our path well marked for us.  In spite of this - we did take a few wrong tuns when the yellow arrows had faded - covered over with the growth of shrubs.  Eventually - short delays - back on the path in short order.  The most confusing was an occasional fork in the road with no arrow to point the way - that is when we walked by faith - not sight. 

Fork In The Road

In Lent - everyone walks their own path - their own Camino - journey towards God - towards His Son - seeking to improved their relationship with both - seeking holiness.  Very often our Lenten exercises will bring us to a fork in the road - a place where we have to make a decision - to continue the path we have been following - to take a new direction. When walking with Jesus - walking towards God - there is no wrong path.  All paths - walked in openness - honesty - will eventually lead to God.  Along the way - we will experience  the Divine in new and unplanned ways - drawing us closer to - ourselves - closer to our own holiness.  As long as we keep our eye on Jesus - His Father - we can never go wrong.

Deacon Dale 

Profit and Loss

In the business world profit and loss - primary indicators of how healthy a business is.  Big and small business alike all go through the same processes as they begin - grow - mature - into thriving or failing businesses. In a nutshell it is the task of increasing sales while minimizing expenses - seeking a wider margin between those two numbers.  Success not always measured in dollars - very often a business may be marginal - especially in very small operations - one owner - one employee - earning enough to keep the business alive and providing a reasonable income for the one individual. The service or product provided by that same business possibly could provide important benefits for those who buy or use the product.  Even though dollars earned are small - helping others and providing for oneself - an important gain - definitely a success.

In Lent all of us seek that which is hard to find - holiness.  Some make great effort while others apparently very little - all realizing growth in holiness.  Holiness can not be measured by the same tools used in business.  Holiness is an abstract - intangible - not held in human hands - rather in hearts - minds.  The only similarity to business in regards to profit and loss - what was gained - what was given up.  Losing the tendency to give in to sin - gaining the strength to spend more time with God - leaving behind wasted hours - experiencing growth in faith - unable to measure by normal means.  Only God really knows what change has happened - only God can see into the hearts - minds of each person - only God knows. In Lent we seek - not to please ourselves - only God - to lose any bad in our lives - to profit - from His love - forgiveness - acceptance.  Bottom line - growth in holiness - a winner every time.

Deacon Dale 

Standing Ovation

Everyone who performs - stage - television - sports - in front of an audience - loves it when they receive a standing ovation - acknowledgement of an outstanding - awesome - performance. When anyone puts in great effort - invests time and energy into any project - being recognized by others - an affirmation of ones abilities - talent - worth as a person.  We freely shower those in the limelight with our applause - admiration.

When Jesus spoke before crowds of people - always recognized - not always appreciated - no standing ovations - often the opposite.  Frequently - when speaking the truth - not popular with the crowds.  Nobody enjoys being reminded that they have climbed to a lower level - sunk into the mud and mire of lowliness. Jesus never intended to make people feel bad - rather He wanted them to see that despite themselves - the bad they had done or allowed done - their future still looked positive if they would only see their own potential possible if they listened to God - followed His commands.  This Lent God ask us to reevaluate ourselves - to see in ourselves - what He sees in us.  We are all a possibility - a promise of what can be - our goodness there - waiting to be exposed to  the world - the promise of holiness - rejoicing in His standing ovation.

Deacon Dale  

Rise and Shine

Three words that many hate to hear - especially in the morning - rise and shine. Many people value that extra five or ten minutes in their bed - delaying their eventual entrance into the world around them.  Adults and youth alike - love that extra time in a comfy bed - dreading - work - school - daily obligations. For many - hard to fall asleep - stay asleep - once in their happy place - too comfortable to face the upcoming days events - fearing what lies ahead of  them.  When considering work - school - difficult tasks - thoughts most often linger on more pleasurable things - fun - food - pleasing conversations.  

In today's Gospel - Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead - bringing him back from the nether world - to life and all that it held for him.  For his sisters - joy - for His disciples - confusion - for Lazarus himself - resurrection - another day - another chance to get it right.  For the Elect - those contemplating their baptism at the Easter Vigil - new life in Christ. For all of us - continued Hope in the promises of Jesus. Today we begin to seriously pray for those about to join the Church - they in turn pray for us - that we continue to hold to our beliefs - to support them in their journey to New Life in Christ.  This Fifth Sunday of Lent calls us to be alert - to stay the course towards Palm Sunday next week and the start of Holy Week - wakey wakey - rise and shine - now is the time for all.

Deacon Dale 

Green Beer and Little Men

Today all the world is Irish - celebrating Saint Patrick's Day - the myths - the truths - surrounding this holiday.  A day filled with Holy services - public gatherings - green beer - food and festivities - leprechauns.  There is nothing better than people gathering together - celebrating wonders of life. Irish dancers - corned beef and cabbage - shamrocks - celebrating Ireland's most famous saint - celebrating joy - happiness - in the midst of Lent.  I am only part Irish - but enough that this is one ethnic holiday that I happily claim. Anything that brings people together in the name of celebration is worthy of my - your - participation.

Saint Patrick's Day does not always fall on a Friday during Lent - a quandary for Catholics who normally abstain from meat on Fridays. This year very unusual that both Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine's Day - Saint Patrick's Day - a Friday - two special days of the year when most people celebrate with fine dining - very often meat dishes.  Bishops do have the authority to dispense their faithful from the obligation of abstaining from meat on these days - some do - some don't.  Truth be told - one does not have to eat meat - to celebrate well.  Celebrations take many different forms across the world - all celebrations worth noting - for God so loved  the world that He sent His Son - to remind us how much He loves us - how much He cares for us.  With that thought in mind - nothing can diminish our joy on this or any other day in our life.

Deacon Dale 

Conversions

I often ask myself what happened to the idea many years ago when the United States was going to give up their measurement system and go metric and fall in line with the majority of the world. Using a number system based on 10s seemed very practical.  I did not think about that until 2012 when my wife and I decided to walk the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain.  Being based in Spain - a country where they use  the metric system caused me never ending concerns when trying to figure out how far to walk - where our final destination would be for  the day - the distance between two points.  I am so use to estimating a half mile or one mile - but try to do the same in kilometers or meters and I become very frustrated.  Even now when I bike I try to follow the metric system - with real difficulty.  I do know that 10 miles is equal to 16 kilometers - but to envision a goal one kilometer away - my eyes just can't do it.  Had we converted to the metric system back when I was in junior high school - it would obviously be second nature by now. 

Many conversions are very difficult for most Americans.  Converting miles - pounds - temperature - the three most common.  The easiest conversion I know - is that of Faith.  Coming to believe in God - His Son - Jesus - the Holy Spirit - a much easier task.  There are no numbers involved - no equation to memorize.  When one meets Jesus - his heart is touched by the hand of God - it becomes a new creation - soft - loving - accepting.  When a person experiences the Love of God - the Forgiveness - things happen - often quickly.  In seconds - hearts - minds are converted.  This Lent - God calls you to a conversion - to become a new person - to start freshly - to re imagine your life.  He waits patiently for you no numbers needed.

Deacon Dale