Unwrapping Your Cheer

Pink - Rose - Purple - on this Third Sunday of Advent the focus is not on the color of vestments worn at Holy Mass - rather - Joy - Happiness - Hope.  As people of hope we pause and reflect on where we might possibly find moments of joy - cheer - happy events that bring pleasure into our lives.  Advent - unlike Lent - which is a time of penance - is the season in which we reflect and review our lives and what we have accomplished - how good we are. In Advent  - we should focus on how we can improve - become better Christians .  All too often - others - meaning well - lead us on a path of discovery - focusing only on our failures - disappointments - wrapping the good - happy moments - in stories that overshadow any cheerful moments we could remember. 

Rather than focusing on our failures - we need to unwrap everything that is hiding the cheer that is in our life.  With the help of Jesus - we may see our goodness - too often hidden by guilt - anxiety - distractions - placed in front of us by the world.  As Christians we live counter cultural to what the world says is important.  People not things are what helps us unwrap our cheer.  As we continue our Advent journey - may all of us rediscover the cheer in our lives.

Deacon Dale 

Road To Salvation

On this Second Sunday of Advent we hear - "Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God"  (Is 40:3) - prepare a path for Him.  We have been called to go before Him - to smooth out the path - to make clear for His feet - to prepare hearts - to hear His message - to be heralds of His message. The majority or us will ask - how?  How can we possibly do that?  We are not theologians - priests - deacons - not trained in Holy Scripture - not comfortable sharing our faith with others - not people of influence.  How may we do as He asks - as limited as we are?  In faith we go into the world - to walk a path of faith.

The reality of the matter - all of us have been called - through our baptism - we have been given everything we need.  We believe - therefore we can share what we know with all that we meet.  We are not called to debate - only to share our faith - our belief.  It is up to those who hear - to sort out our message - to digest it in their minds - hearts - to let the words we share grow within them.  Like farmers - we are called to spread seeds - to let God do the watering.  We share what we know freely in Advent because so many people are searching in these days for words of hope - inspiration.  Whatever path we take - Jesus will always be with us.

Come Journey With Us

Deacon Dale 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year? Now?  Yes! - The First Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new Church Liturgical Year - in this four week period we are given a fresh chance to prepare ourselves for what lies ahead.  Short vision - preparing for Christmas - the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Long vision - preparing for that time - somewhere in the future - when we will meet Our Lord Face to Face - the end of our life - the end of the world. Advent is not a penitential season - rather a time of reflection to see who we are - what we have done - where we are headed - what we need to do - to be ready for Christ's Second Coming.

There are so many times in our lives that we are given a second chance to get things right - a re-do of sorts.  Time to revisit events and situations that we have already experienced when we did not do as well as originally hoped.  In Advent we have the gift of four weeks to focus on our spiritual life - what was done well - what needs improvement - how to accomplish that goal.  At the end of these four weeks we will not just be ready to celebrate Our Lord's birth - but also better prepared for our own end days.  Advent a season looking to the future - what is coming.

Come Lord Jesus

Deacon Dale 

Waiting For A Miracle

Everyone is waiting for some sort of a miracle.  For the majority - an end to the pandemic - for others - personal needs - new jobs - financial relief - physical and spiritual healings.  Like most people - I am not the best model of quiet waiting.  Since this pandemic started I have been preoccupied with so many things - primarily - avoiding people - keeping my risk to a minimum. Obviously I am not alone.  Avoiding family - close friends - neighbors - wearing a mask when necessary - hiding from life.  These past months have created tension - stress - concern not only for my own well being - also for my spouse - children.  On top of all this - I recently had knee surgery which has placed me in a higher risk category.  Adding surgical pain - physical therapy which challenges my body - lack of sleep - I am ready for a miracle.

Deacon Class Ordained October 1988 - The Other Twelve

This past October we celebrated our 32nd year of ordination.  In those 32 years we - the Other Twelve - served our parishes - the parishioners - through the grace of our ordination as Permanent Deacons - ordinary men called to do the extra ordinary.  We have performed weddings - funerals - preached hundreds - maybe thousands of homilies - easily baptized thousands of babies and some adults. In the last ten years I have been privileged to lead some 20+ pilgrimages - domestic and international.  I have been blessed to preach at Shepherd's Field Chapel in Bethlehem in the Holy Land - la Familia Sagrada in Barcelona - Saint Francis Basilica in Assisi, Italy and many others.  These memories - experiences - the people who joined me on pilgrimage - all inspire me to continue on - to look forward to that day - when by the grace of God we will emerge from this pandemic.  Until then we wait - trusting in God - for a miracle.

Deacon Dale 

America The Beautiful

The beginning of September - Labor Day weekend upon us - the corn starting to turn brown - signaling that harvest will soon be upon us.  And in this year of 2020 - the pandemic still very present in our lives.  Face masks - restrictions on gathering in groups - cancelled vacations - students returning to school - the threat of the Corona virus still with us - numbers of those infected still growing - people confused with fake - false news - where do we turn for help?  The President - governors - local authorities - just as clueless as the rest of us.  It is unbelievable in the midst of a pandemic - which has affected the entire world -  conspiracy theories fly around us like a swarm of murder hornets - that it is all political.  It does not matter which party one belongs to - lies flying out of their mouths like bees as seen in so many horror movies.  Concern for others - down the toilet like so much other political waste - where does it end?  The end begins with us - you and me - responsible people who act - not react - act with common sense - study the information published by reliable sources - understand what we read - what the numbers really mean - not what others tell us they mean.  A recent report stated that only 6 percent of those who died recently - only died from the Corona virus. So that means that 94 percent who died in that same time period did not die from the virus - false!  The majority of people who die always die from multiple causes - drunk driving - car accident - was only one factor the cause - no - two causes.  I have seen plenty of people who were drunk or in car accidents who did not die from either - same with diseases that affect multiple parts of the body - a virus that affects the structure of the lungs - lungs that fail to properly absorb oxygen - it is called cause and effect.  Was it lung disease - virus infection - both?  Many people have multiple medical issues who contract the virus and do not die - so what gives?  Different people - different levels of health - no two exactly the same.  The answer - all take precautions to guard yourself - others.

When God created the world - all was good - then evil entered and sickness followed.  As People of God - we have been blessed with all that we need to live productive - helpful lives.  In times of trouble - we are called to be messengers of hope - healing.  The healing begins inside us - spreads to others - as we share faith that we will survive - as will many others.  With common sense - taking reasonable precautions - caring for each other - this pandemic will eventually end.  It takes time - faith in each other - faith in God.  A prayer here and there wouldn't hurt either. 

Deacon Dale 

In His Time

When we consider God and what He has in store for each of us - we must remember - In His Time.  This has been a very rough year for everyone,  Even the elite - cannot be guaranteed that they will not be touched by the pandemic that we are experiencing.  It has been two months since my last post.  In that time away from blogging - I have been occupied with - little things.  Mowing the lawn - doing minor repairs - completing small projects that had been set aside for a better time - filling the empty hours - with stuff.  Free time can be a gift - or an enemy - depending on how one uses it.  On the plus side we were able to freshen up our outdoor deck - making it comfortable for ourselves and visitors - the people we normally socialize with and entertain.  That will not happen this year.  So many events cancelled - family reunions - the annual chili cook off - family gatherings - bocce games - all on hold for some future date.  In the midst of all this - time to sit on the deck - to reflect - pray - talk to God.  

Luckily for us - we have been blessed by God with a peaceful view from our deck.  Nice landscaping - a field of corn standing tall reaching upwards to heaven.  Each tassel gently waving in the wind - as if God's angels were saying hello - our flag waving in that breeze - reminding us of the promises to each of us that on this planet we have the right to live and worship as we choose with promises of equality for all - a promise still not quite a reality - one day soon we pray.  We realize that there are those who may not enjoy those promises yet - but through prayer and actively helping those that we can - it will become a truth - not just a dream.  With God - all things are possible - in His Time

Deacon Dale 

Flesh and Blood

Today around the world - Churches everywhere are celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi - The Body and Blood of Christ.  In the early Church - even in the time of Jesus Himself - many followers walked away - from Him - His message - His teachings - when He said that He - Jesus of Nazareth - was the Bread come down from Heaven - referencing the Manna - Jews had eaten - lived upon in the desert.  Those followers - not comprehending - understand this statement - elected to distance themselves from Him.  Unfortunately too many people today - including Catholics - do not understand the concept of - the Real Presence in the Eucharist.  This is a confusing concept that many struggle with - the fact that during the words of consecration - the communion bread and wine - become transformed into Christ's Body and Blood - while remaining to look like ordinary communion wafers and everyday wine.  To believe - takes a step of faith - faith in Jesus' own words spoken at the Last Supper with His disciples.  After offering the bread and wine to His Heavenly Father - He said "take and eat - this IS my body and in similar words this IS my blood"  - as people of faith - we believe.

God sent His Son - Jesus - that we might have life and live it to the fullest.  That means enjoying all the benefits that this life gives us - along with the evil that surrounds us.  He never said it would be perfect - with His help - better than many would expect.  To complete the gifts He gives - the gift of Himself in Holy Communion - Eucharist - at every Mass we participate in whether in person - or now online - live streamed.  Jesus is Lord - now and forever.  Amen

Deacon Dale 

A Rising Son

Sunday - The Ascension of the Lord - leaving His disciples - going to Heaven - to take His seat at the right hand of his Father.  Like we mere mortals - after spending some time in apprenticeship - we move from student to crafts person - educated in the ways of whatever craft we have selected.  Spending some thirty - three years living among His people - God experiencing humanity through the life of Jesus - better prepared to understand how people - think - feel - tick.  Although God has all knowledge - His gift of Free Will - a variable He could not know - until He became man himself - experienced it for Himself in daily life.  In that time - He listened - reasoned - debated - with the very people He gave life to.  Completing His apprenticeship - His time on Earth completed - time to return to His Father. 

Deacon Don - Father Dan - Deacon Jerry - Deacon Dale at Deacon Jerry's Ordination

So it is and will be with us.  Our lives are short - compared to time itself - each one of us is here - on Earth - living lives as full as we chose to fill them.  Some end their lives - relatively empty - having acquired little while they were alive.  Others - like my good friend - Deacon Jerome Heitschmidt - who died May 15th - left this life completely filled.  Filled with the  experiences he shared with his family - his wife - his friends.  Deacon Jerry was a leader - filled his personal life and the lives of all who knew him with prayer - joy - celebration of all that God gives each of us.  Because of Deacon Jerry - many programs were started - given new life - because of the energy he brought into those programs.  The lives he touched - all better now because he took the time - interest - in others.  Deacon Jerry - now ascended to his heavenly reward - definitely used his gift of Free Will to accept Jesus as his savior - freely choosing ordination to become a deacon - freely electing to serve God's people in Illinois - California - Internationally.   To Deacon Jerry I owe many thank yous for encouraging me to travel to Israel with him which led to a pilgrimage ministry which has flourished over ten years.  It was on pilgrimage to the Holy Land - when we walked in the steps of Jesus - along with our wives and during our private pilgrimage to Poland where we discovered churches in Poland not normally visited when on pilgrimage.  His constant smile - a gift to all - will remain with each of us.  Like Jesus - our brother Deacon Jerry now - rising to heaven to take his place at the altar of the Lord.  Rest in Peace - Good and Faithful Servant - until we meet again.

Deacon Dale 

The Way

In the earliest days of Christianity - before the official Church was established - those who followed Jesus - the earliest disciples - did not identify themselves as Christians.  They were Jews - Jews when Jesus called them by name to follow Him - Jews in their observance of Jewish laws - customs - Jews after the crucifixion.  It was not until later - after Jesus' death - that they were challenged by authorities to define just who they were - Jews or some new cult.  As Christ followers they were still Jews and as such bound by Jewish laws.  In an effort to honor Jesus' words at the Last Supper - they had to find another time - place - where they could - "do this in memory of me".  At first they attended Shabbat - the recognized Jewish time and place of worship of God on Saturday.  Adding the commemoration of the Last Supper - moved onto Sunday - to avoid conflict with existing Jewish law.  For a time - they attended both services - eventually leaving Shabbat - attending only the developing service worshiping God trough Jesus' teachings.  This new worship - still not labeled as Christianity - became known as the - Way.  Initially because of extreme persecution - a new cult - not an established religion - an underground movement.  Those seeking to learn - attend services - under whispered breath - asked how - where - was The Way.

In today's Holy Scripture - Jesus once again - tells His disciples that He is The Way.  Simple enough - hard enough to comprehend - understand fully - just what that meant - still means to us today.  Jesus told His disciples - no one could come to the Father without first coming to Him - The Christ.  Plain and simple - no alternatives.  Many seek Him - not all find Him.  Distracted by worldly concerns - money - material possessions.  For those who seek earnestly - He is there waiting - silently - for them - you - to accept Him as the Lord of your life.  Today would be a good day to do that - say yes to Jesus - make mom proud.

Deacon Dale 

Back To The Future?

So many people - during the Coronavirus pandemic - praying to go back - to the way it was - unhappy with the world right now.  For myself - praying that we do not go back - restart a world that was broken - not working - unfair practices - too much negativity - too many rich - too many poor - too many hungry - struggling to exist.  With so much money in so few hands - wealth most cannot imagine - standing next to personal warehouses filled with all sorts of toys - collections - millions of dollars of things - benefiting no one.  Empty buildings that could house the homeless - people starving while food products go to waste - sitting on shipping docks - rotting.  Human beings deprived of water - not just clean water - no water at all - villages with no electricity - while millions of homes run enough electricity through their meters that could power a village.  I pray that we don't go back to a normal that was broken - did not work.  There must be a better future - for all - as we rebuild our world.

While they were walking on their way to Emmaus - two disciples talking about the Resurrection Event - encounter Jesus - not recognizing Him at first.  As they walked together - their eyes opened - finally - understood everything Jesus had told them.  Jesus disappeared - they turned - back to where they had been.  Sharing the joy - news - new knowledge gained from that short time with Jesus.  From that meeting - a new normal - not going back - rather forward - knowledge gained - guiding future events - benefiting all.  It is true - once you encounter Jesus - you cannot continue to walk the same path - your journey changed - now heading in a new direction.  With faith we walk with Jesus - God at our side - as we move now to a new - better - normal.

Deacon Dale