Blowing In The Wind

It has been windy here for the past few days - difficult to enjoy cycling with winds blowing strongly in your face - telling one - go home.  Cycling with the wind - at your back makes for an easy go - quite the opposite when the winds turn against you.  Same goes for many of life's instances - school - work - relationships - everyone happy with you - motivates one to continue on their path - to stay the course.  It is the times when you lose favor - projects miss due dates - your thoughts - ideas not in favor with others - relationships sour - difficult to accomplish even simple tasks.  It is in the difficult times that one is tested - the true metal of a person shows through.

Palm Sunday In India

So it was with Jesus - a triumphant entry into Jerusalem - riding on the back of a donkey - something reserved for only the most worthy - notable.  Crowds cheering Him on - waving palm branches - leaves of anticipation blowing in the winds - laying robes at His feet - screaming praises - arousing those on the side lines to stand up - view - the Messiah.  A great entrance - only to be followed by a great fall - a last supper - unplanned - not anticipated - arrested - bound in chains - to be led away - questioned - over and over again - stripped naked - beaten - condemned.  Such is the beginning of Holy Week - the one week of the Christian calendar - unlike any other week - time for serious prayer - fasting - confession - reconciliation - forgiveness - families coming together - to acknowledge - in one way or another - the importance of family - each other - our purpose in life - the importance of God - His Son - Jesus.  In this week - we complete our Lenten Journey - to wholeness.

Deacon Dale 

Picking Olives and Hearts

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent - we hear the story about the woman accused of adultery - alternately - for those attending Holy Mass where the Third Scrutiny is being celebrated - the story of Lazarus - his death - being raised by Jesus to New Life. In the Cycle C Scripture Jesus is presented with a woman caught in adultery - condemned to death by stoning - the question presented to Him by the Scribes and Pharisees at the Mount of Olives - questioning the validity of the Law of Moses in such matters.  Thorny question - tell the people that Moses was wrong - stone a person to death for failing to live up to her potential as a person - what to do.  Do nothing - do something - take control of the situation by turning the answer back to those seeking to trap Him - let them - the one without sin cast the first stone - then the remainder may follow suit. Everyone walks away - no one has the guts to think they are without sin - Jesus - forgives - admonishes her to go - a changed person.  I have been privileged to visit the Mount of Olives on three occasions - each visit different - each experience special - each time a fresh opportunity to touch the Divine. From the Mount of Olives a clear view of the Kidron Valley - The Old City Wall of The City of David - the burial sites of the faithful - a proposed path that Jesus Himself might have walked on that fateful evening of The Last Supper - a shortcut that He may have taken on His way to Bethany - the site of Lazarus' burial. 

In the celebration of this Third Scrutiny - the focus on New Life - New Life granted through the celebration of Baptism - Confirmation - Holy Eucharist - New Life celebrated in the act of forgiveness - reconciliation - making oneself right with themselves - others - God.  In granting His forgiveness to the woman - in raising Lazarus from the dead - in our own reconciliation with Jesus - through the Sacrament of Confession - all of us given the opportunity of the GIFT of NEW LIFE.  Lent is not over yet - there are still many days in which we may make things right - amend our ways - put ourselves back on the path to God.  In Lent we pick olives - new hearts - new ways - your choice.

Deacon Dale 

A Blind Eye

During this period of Lent - The Church makes special use of the Third - Fourth - Fifth Sundays of Lent - particularly when it is blessed with those seeking Baptism - Confirmation - Holy Eucharist.  Although we are currently sharing the Scriptures from Cycle C of the Liturgical Year - those parishes with Catechumens - now called the Elect - have the option to use the scriptures from Liturgical Cycle A on these three specific Sundays.  In order - the Scriptures focus the attention of the Elect on the Rite of Baptism - Living Water - Light that opens the eyes - New Life - offered to all who claim Jesus as the Lord of their lives.  Lent has been designed as the Final Retreat for those seeking to enter into full communion with the Holy Catholic Church to be celebrated at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday.  Those of us - already full members of the Church - travel along with the Elect - supporting them in their quest with our prayers - they in turn - supporting us with their exuberance - excitement - at the Gift they will soon receive. 

It makes no difference if this Sunday you hear the Gospel proclaimed by the deacon - sharing the story of the Man born Blind - or alternately the popular Prodigal Son.  With our hearing the words effectively spoken - each of us acknowledges the blindness in our own lives - the times we failed to see - failed to act in humility - asked for more than was due us - charging ahead following our own plans - ignoring the plans laid before us by God.  Thankfully - Jesus waits for each of us - giving us time to wipe the fog from our eyes - dropping our heads in humility - acknowledging our failing - weakness - as we return - back to the embrace of our Heavenly Father. In Lent - we thank God for His Divine Mercy and praise Him for His patience with us.  With God - there is always time.

Deacon Dale 

Bearing Fruit

Fruit - in botanical terms - the seed bearing structure in flowering plants formed from the ovary after flowering.  Most people hearing the word fruit - think of apples - oranges - grapes - berries - easily harvested from various plants.  Less often - the product of any concentrated effort - the fruit of hard labor - the outcome of concentrated effort.  Before fruit of any kind can be harvested - much work - effort must be invested.  Soil needs to be tilled - seeds - planted - nurtured with nutrients - water from above - sweat from the brow - warmth from the sun - no one ingredient more important than the other.  After many long hours - results finally seen.  In time - all bear fruit.

In today's Gospel - the story of the fig plant - barren - not producing any fruit.  The impatient owner suggesting to dig up - remove the plant - to stop putting additional effort in an attempt to harvest fruit.  The gardener - refusing to comply - willing to invest more time - energy into the plant - wisely knowing that all will eventually produce if given enough time.  So often we see the same situation with people - people who appear to be going no where - taking up space - non productive members of society.  God knows differently - even with the worst - willing to give each of us all the time we need - to grow - to learn - to blossom into the gifts that we can be.  Each of us is a promise - a possibility - to untold greatness - in small - grand ways.  In this season of Lent - we seek that which will nurture us - prayer - fasting - giving to others.  There is still plenty of time this Lent to bear fruit in your life - for yourself - for others.

Deacon Dale 

Building Bridges & Tents

The Second Sunday of Lent and most are attempting to have a meaningful Lenten experience.  Praying more - fasting - making sacrifices - giving alms - basically doing the right thing.  Most are doing this - not all.  For some - no interest in participating in any sort of spiritual exercise - others - too many other issues they are coping with - more important at the moment.  None of us has the right answer - all doing the best we can - at the moment to face our individual lives - praying - hoping that we are on the correct path.  

Mount Tabor - Church of the Transfiguration

God calls each of us - to discipleship - to be aware of His presence - in our daily lives - the things we experience - see - hear - observe.  When Jesus' disciples saw Him standing with Moses and Elijah they had no idea what they were seeing.  Peter wanted to erect tents - one for each of them - his immediate reaction to what had been observed.  There is no mention what John and James wanted to do - caught up in the moment - processing in their minds what they had seen.  Just like them - all of us - standing at their sides - in the beginning of the Second week of Lent - sorting out what we need to do - how to accomplish what we are suppose to do.  With Jesus at our sides - not to worry - in His time - we will figure this all out.  In the meantime - eat less - drink less - give alms - pray like there is no tomorrow - build bridges with others - if you have time - erect a tent.

Deacon Dale 

In The Beginning

In the beginning - God created man - male and female He created them - to dominate and rule the World.  All was good - for a time - then - things changed.  Utilizing the Gift of Free Will - man began to think - that is when things started to change.  Men and women thought - communicated - developed ideas - most good - some not so.  Over time wrong thinking invaded God's World - clashed with the good - created tension.  Tension as such can be good when utilized to create - develop - advance society.  Tension between individuals - the opposite effect.  

Because of the development of society - how people interact - mankind allowed itself to drift away from God's Plan.  Rather than seek what God intended - people started overly focusing on what they wanted - whether good or bad.  In the course of time as religion became formalized - as moral codes developed - the need to pause and examine one's life - what they were doing - where they were headed - how they had fallen short of life's goals - drifted towards the selfish side  - the need for Lent became obvious.  Thus - today - we observe the First Sunday of Lent - the first of many Sundays and an entire forty day period to do a self examination - to help each of us to get back on course - to guide our lives in the proper direction - to make our life meaningful and of value to the world in which we live.  With Jesus - the God who walked this Earth - it is a task that can be undertaken with joy and peace.  May your personal Lenten experience be one filled with a multitude of blessings.

Deacon Dale 

Smudges & Smears

When working with different media many artists intentionally allow smudges and smears to enter into their work - others go to extremes to avoid anything that looks like a smudge or smear in  their works.  Through their efforts - the artist is seeking to convey a message to the observer - tell a story - share an emotion.  The final product accomplishes this otherwise the efforts was in vain.

Most clergy are not artists - on Ash Wednesday - as seen above by @BillDonaghy - the ashes imposed on the foreheads of the faithful take many various forms.  As an artistic effort - most clergy fail - their goal not an artistic feat - rather an act of love - imposing ash from the previous years palms used on Palm Sunday - to bring the faithful closer to their faith - their belief in the death and resurrection - their own sins - their opportunity to look deeper inside to what they need to do in order to worthily celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday.  As we enter Lent - we pray for ourselves - each other - that Jesus will truely be the Lord of our lives.

Deacon Dale 

Pancake Day - Pączkis Day - Fastnacht Day

Pancake Day - Shrove Tuesday - Mardi Gras - Karnival - Fat Tuesday - all the same observance on the Tuesday immediately preceding Ash Wednesday - by Christians everywhere - in particular Anglicans - Lutherans - Methodists - Roman Catholics.  This observance in current times no longer limited to people of these groups - Christians of numerous denominations everywhere now - officially - unofficially - preparing themselves for the beginning of Lent - eventually Easter.  Today is celebrated as the last day when one may indulge in excesses - food - drink - partying - as they embrace the solemn days of Lent.  In England the custom of eating pancakes - in Germany fasnachts - in Poland pączkis - in the USA  - almost any pastry depending on your cultural heritage.  Parties are common with fun and fellowship.

On this day - wherever one may be - time should be spent with family and friends - celebrating all that God has blessed us with - rejoicing in the lives we live - preparing ourselves through prayer - fasting - giving to others - for the days of Lent when we look inside to see who and what we are - who and what we should be - in God's eyes.

Deacon Dale 

He Saw His Shadow

As He gazed around at everything surrounding Him - people - daylight - vegetation - ground - He saw His shadow.  Stretched out there before Him - His likeness - crawling out from His feet - slowly meandering away from Him.  Easy for all to see - the two of them - the One created by God Almighty - the other - a darkened image of who He might be.  Looking upon either - revealing only the shape - not the inner substance - the heart - mind - soul - the potential of a life lived well - the hopes and dreams - the possibilities.  Shadows fail - always - to reveal the Truth - darkened reflections of a shell - plant - animal - mineral - all casting  their own shadows - painting the surface of the surrounding earth with darkened shapes - masks of a reality - unknown.  

Not the shadow of Punxsutawney Phil, the world-famous meteorologist/groundhog - rather the shadow of the One who gave everything - for you - for me - that we might have life and live it  to the fullest.  To appreciate His shadow - understand what it represents - one must know the One who cast the shadow.  His name is Jesus - waiting for each of us - to answer His call - to come close to Him - to learn who He is - how much He loves us.  It only takes a second - He will come - you only have to invite Him into your life. 

Deacon Dale 

Rites Of Passage

A rite is a ritual of various natures observed by many different groups.  Some rites are religious in nature - baptism - confirmation - marriage - ordination.  Other rites are secular observances - reaching puberty - birthdays - coming of age - graduation - joining various groups.  All rites confer a change in status - observe a transition in one's life - recognizing a new period - a beginning or end.  Throughout everyone's life - all will experience  these rites of passage.  Not always recognized - birth and death - for all people - two rites of passage that all will experience. In the world view - births a rite to be celebrated - death a rite to be mourned.  In people with religious beliefs - death should be celebrated as the next step in one's spiritual life - reaching heaven - getting closer to their eventual goal - attainment of a completeness of their life.  For those with spiritual beliefs - death is not to be feared - rather expected.  

God created the world and all that is in it - that which we can see - things not visible to the naked eye.  No one can see atoms and molecules - with the aid of instrumentation - readily viewed.  All can smell the freshness of the morning air - none can see it.  Most can hear the sounds of nature - never view able.  So many things that exist in the world - intangible - untouchable - physically out of reach - grasped only by our minds and intellect.  For those who believe in a life after death - belief that once conceived - life eternal - ongoing - changed but never ending.  All will share these rites - embraced - and experienced - one life at a time.

Deacon Dale