A First Time For Everything

Never in my lifetime - yours - did we ever think the Catholic Church would cancel Holy Masses - especially on the weekend - a staple for all involved.  When I read that Italy was closing everything - except pharmacies - grocery stores - during this pandemic - I never thought that would happen in America.  In large cities on the east coast - in the midwest - churches closed - this weekend.  In the Chicago area - hundreds of churches closed.  It is understandable - wise - difficult - decision by the bishops - seeking to help stem the spread of the Coronavirus COVID19.  Better to miss church services - than irresponsibly - assist in the early death of parishioners - neighbors - friends - family. 

As Christians - we claim to be people of Faith - people who trust in God - people who believe Jesus' words - that He came that we might have Life - live it to the fullest.  Missing a church service - will not kill us - figuratively - literally.  God is much larger than that - He commands us to Love Him - Worship Him - Serve Him - never said it had to be in a church building - never said it had to be in a crowd - never said that we had to put our own health at risk - to Honor Him.  As committed Catholics - Christians - the Temple where we first worship Him - in our Hearts - Minds.  If we can't - don't worship Him - in the Temples of our Bodies - then all other worship - meaningless.  Jesus told us to Worship - with our whole - Mind - Heart - Soul - in the Temple that we call our body.  First and foremost - worship - begins at Home - in our bodies.  Worship continued in community - in buildings - churches - secondary.  Gathering each weekend - Sunday - as the Body of Christ - a reminder to all of us - we are not alone - we - as disciples of Christ - a visible witness to Him - the Author of Life.  Even when not in the parish church - our visible witness remains.  For  those without a church this weekend - there are many services televised - live streamed via computers - phones - tablets.  You will miss Holy Eucharist - something that many take for granted - for those who really understand - a very special sacrifice - this Lent.

Deacon Dale 

Rolling With The Times

There are always a ton of distractions during Lent that get in the way of our best intentions - work - family - illness - emergencies - helping others.  It is inevitable - if it can go wrong - it will.  In spite of all this - doing Lent properly - still possible.  All it takes is minutes - not hours.  Prayer time does not have to be hours - minutes count - seconds matter.  What is important - prayer period.  The Sign of the Cross - a prayer. A quick Hail Mary - Glory Be - Our Father - prayers that carry more power than hours of words.  Jesus I Trust In You - speaks volumes.  

Life is filled with so many challenges - making time for faith matters - one of them.  Avoiding panic buying during virus pandemic - another.  If people would hoard up prayers as much as they hoard toilet paper - world would be in better shape than currently is.  This too - will pass - Heaven - will not.  Faith in self - others - Jesus - worth more than all the toilet paper in the world.  There are options to toilet paper - not to Jesus 

Deacon Dale 

Trust In The Lord

It is printed on our money - In God We Trust - but do we really?  Trust is something that does not happen immediately - it is earned - gained - from experience.  Many people have difficulty trusting in God - past disappointments - ignored prayers - paradise gained - lost.  It is understandable why some have this feeling - losing loved ones - jobs - financial security.  Life is filled with so many variables - at any moment things can change from good to bad - vice versa.  God has blessed us with this Earth and all that is in it - He does not micro manage.  With His gift of Free Will - we affect many of the changes in our lives.  Taking the high road or the low - up to us - God blesses whichever route we take - up to us to make the most of the route we chose to follow.  If we choose wrongly - can always go back - make a new decision - follow a different route. When we think God failed us - vice versa - we failed ourselves.  Ignoring His clues - things placed before our eyes - our fault - not His.  When analyzing our failures - not because He wasn't trust worthy - rather the World - not God failed us.

Jesus had no choice but to trust in God - His Father.  There must have been times when He paused - questioned - placed His trust in His Father - who knows all.  His trust paid off - just as ours will. Trust in God is golden - a link between Him - us. In these days of Lent - in these days of concerns of the coronavirus - we place our trust completely in God.

Deacon Dale 

Giving Up

Now that is something I hear frequently during Lent - giving up - giving up candy - giving up cakes - giving up ice cream - giving up television - giving up Facebook - giving up a hundred other - things. During Lent - we are asked to focus - focus on what really matters - our interior life - that which brings us closer to holiness - closer to Jesus.  In today's Gospel - Jesus tells his disciples that he will be giving up His life - for all.  There is a discussion about who will share in His Kingdom - finally warned that all will share His fate - in the end.

The hardest thing about Lent is time. Time to pray - time to meditate - time to focus on helping others.  Lent can become tedious - difficult - stressful.  Giving up - quitting - not an option.  When Jesus faced obstacles - He did not give up - instead - prayed more.  Like HIm - we need to be faithful to this journey - faithful to Jesus - faithful to God - faithful to ourselves.  Giving up - not an option.

Deacon Dale 

Wash Yourselves Clean!

In today's Holy Scriptures we read in Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 - WASH YOURSELVES CLEAN!  We can take that literally in view of the current Coronavirus issue.  Yes - it is always smart to keep yourself - surroundings - clean - free from dirt that you can see - free from germs that you cannot see.  It is imperative - not an option - that people keep their senses about them. There are a lot of ridiculous things being published almost everywhere promoting crazy things people are doing - afraid that they will get sick - die.  Drinking pure alcohol not meant for human consumption - drinking bleach which will burn their throat and stomach - all will cause death - not from the virus - rather from idiotic actions.  If you find yourself in one of the higher risk groups - do the simple things that make sense - are proven ways to avoid the virus.  Number one - wash your hands - do not touch your mouth - face.  Next - avoid crowds - it is Lent so a great time to sacrifice - avoid public events - stay away from the movies - sporting events - even church.  Yes - if you are at high risk - better to stay home and watch services on TV or online - than risk sitting for an hour or more among those who may be carriers of the virus without their knowledge.  Thousands of people each year are exposed to the seasonal flu - get a few sniffles - maybe a runny nose - without it getting worse.  They will say they had a cold - that is a virus also - not realizing they had a mild case of the flu - now a carrier of that virus which they innocently spread to others - even just by their breath - talking with others while making no physical contact.  Viruses spread in the air as a primary means of transmission.  You will never see it coming.  For myself and wife - since we are in that older group - limiting our excursions outside the house - keeping active by ourselves - mostly in isolation.  Cycling in the desert with no body around except for a few snakes - coyotes.  Our house is like a walled in isolation chamber - our entire living space isolated even from the neighbors.  If we elect to stay home from church - remember Arizona is filled with the demographic most likely to get the virus - we will attend church via our home parish streaming service.  To view - visit Saint Patrick Church  and scroll down the welcome page to "Live Stream".  We may miss receiving Holy Eucharist but that is a sacrifice we can make this Lent - to protect ourselves and those around us.  As you can see in the photos below we already live in a cloistered environment.  Notice all the walls.

  

 

Isaiah's proclamation to wash clean was targeted at the people of Sodom and Gomorrah but still applies to each of us today.  It is not only our hands - body - homes - that need to be washed clean - also our spirit - the thoughts that we think - the doubts - fears - lack of trust - that we carry in our minds - hearts.  As we walk these days of trials during Lent - we must remove all that from ourselves that create a roadblock to holiness.  We worship God first in our minds - hearts - secondly in the way we live.  As Christians we walk each day trusting that Jesus - God will carry us safely to Easter.  

Deacon Dale 

Fear

Everyday we are told to fear something - be afraid - of the sun - the rain - the humidity - the flu - germs - violence - war - poverty - famine - God.  In the USA we are a people of fear - everyday we are warned about politicians who want to ruin this country - medical specialists who tell us to fear the newest virus - fear the loss of jobs - the decline in the economy.  All these do require that we pay attention - be informed - learn how to cope - roll with the punches - take preventative actions - to avoid bad situations.  Most of these are within our control - if we act wisely.  A few such as flu epidemics - the current COVID19 virus spreading around the world - out of our control - still within our own power to take action - to avoid - minimize effects.  

Fear of God is totally different - He only wants what is best for us.  In the old world use of the word fear it should replaced with the word - respect.  Respect the Lord God - His commands - respect what He asks - tells us.  Respect His Name - the name of Jesus - the Name above all Names.  We have the power to control all our fears - somethings we should fear - never - fear God - always - respect.  As we continue our walk through Lent - we continue to grow in our respect of the Lord Our God.

Deacon Dale 

Beloved Sons and Daughters

Most parents will proudly say that their sons - daughters - highly loved - very happy with the people they have grown to be.  The constant sharing of photographs - stories - about this accomplishment or another - flowing freely from their mouths in an endless stream of praise.  As parents - that is what we do - boast about our offspring - their accomplishments become ours - rightly so - as we are the first teachers of our children.  When asked many years ago - a group of high school youth asked to say who their favorite hero was - a few mentioned Michael Jordan - others mentioned other favorite actors - athletes.  Surprisingly - the majority mentioned - their parents.  

It is no surprise that God would be so proud of Jesus - His Beloved Son - the Savior of the World.  In today's Gospel we heard about the transfiguration of Jesus before Peter - James - John - up on the mountain top. I have been at that very location numerous times now - each visit - one of wonder and awe.  Although we could not experience what Peter - James - John experienced - we could put ourselves in their place - physically - even for a few minutes.  In those minutes feeling in a similar way what God felt about Jesus - the way we feel about Jesus - as Lord - of all.  In Lent - we seek these same feelings - through prayer - meditation - sharing with others.  Through all of Lent we seek to become - His beloved children.

Deacon Dale 

Drive Time

For most drive time usually refers to the time it takes on ones daily commute from home to work.  Including the number of stops - amount of vehicles on the road - the time of day - road conditions - construction delays - that time will vary for most.  Unless one works from home - drive time always a factor to ones daily routine. When we think about Lent - all that we should be doing - to make it a fruitful experience - there is a drive time even with this. When to start - how to start - where to start - home - church - in nature - alone - with others - all decisions that increase our Lenten drive time.

Once we get over that hurdle - we are able to format some solid plans on how to spend our time in Lent.  The secret - no wrong way - no correct way.  What ever - however - you choose - it is your Lenten experience and none others.  Now is the time to get into gear and begin.

Deacon Dale 

The Engine of Lent

Behind any project - program - there is always a driving force - the engine that gets it off the ground - sustains it for the length of the journey - safely brings it home.  Our home in Arizona is fairly close to Luke Air force Base.  It is not unusual to hear the F-35 jets from the base flying over head as they do routine practice runs. A few complain about the noise - the majority - thank those in charge for keeping this country safe.  In Lent the engine behind it all - prayer - prayer that gets you started - prayer that sustains - prayer that safely brings you home at night.

As I open my eyes each morning I say a brief prayer to God - to thank Him for another day to try. To try harder - to try more often - to try for more endurance - to try for peace.  As large as an F-35 is - as powerful a machine as it is - that power pales in comparison to the power of prayer.  With more than 40,000 pounds of thrust, it can propel the F-35 to speeds of about Mach 1.6 (1,200 mph; 2,000 kph).  Prayers to God fly so fast they are impossible to measure - faster than any F-35.  Prayers so powerful they have the thrust to propel an entire world closer to God than any machine can.  Prayers so gentle - they can soothe any broken heart.  Prayer is the engine that makes Lent happen - unleash the power of your prayers this Lent - you will not be disappointed.

Deacon Dale 

Signals

You can find signals all around us - stop and go signal lights - roadway flashing lights signaling caution ahead - hand signals between people - gestures to aide communication when audible conversation is not possible - facial expressions - signs of approval - disapproval - panting - animal sounds by our pets - all designed to improve understanding between others.  When communication is accomplished - many things happen.

In Lent we receive signals to help us through this special season.  The Sign of the Cross - a signal that prayer is beginning or ending - pausing to kneel - indicating that one is setting oneself aside for personal quiet time - closing our eyes - pushing out the signals of the world - allowing time for God.  Often we are sent signals from God - in our haste - signals missed.  In Lent we need to learn to distinguish from all the signals that our eyes - ears -  minds receive - to learn to recognize those sent by God - once learned - then to follow them - closer to Him - closer to His Son Jesus.

Deacon Dale