Signs and Wonders

So many people have difficulty accepting the Word of God as valid - real - unless they are accompanied by - Signs and Wonders.  Too many fail to accept Holy Scripture based solely on reading - hearing it proclaimed.  All too often we hear - yes - I heard - but I doubt it is real.  Just because it is written on paper - appears in Holy Scripture - does not make it real.  For some - not real - unless some supernatural event accompanies the Word.  Although the Bible is filled with miracles - we often hear - but that was back then - at the time of Jesus - never hear that these still happen in our time.  Sadly - this is a modern day myth perpetuated even by some clergy.  For those who are more open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit - miracles - signs - wonders - seen very frequently.  What many claim to be coincidences - over looked natural occurrences - really are modern day miracles.  For  those who close their eyes to the signs around them - missing out on special blessings God sends every day.

Camino Sign Post - Northern Spain 

When my wife and I walked the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage route in Spain - our eyes focused not only on the goal at the end - also on Camino sign posts - pointing the correct path to follow.  Most noticeable - concrete pillars like the one above - the historical sun shaped arrow with radiating rays - the modern arrow - always in yellow - on pillars - painted on walls - roadways - directing us on the Way.  Jesus very often pointed people in His day to the Way - not with yellow arrows - rather by using the miracles He performed.  Through numerous signs - wonders - Jesus got the peoples' attention - stopped them in their tracks - made them rethink things they thought they knew - corrected errors taught by others.  Even now in this day - in this Lent - Jesus constantly pointing us in the right direction - along the correct path - to His Father - to Holiness.  Blessed are we who see - believe - His Signs - Wonders.

Deacon Dale 

A Moment In Time

When we take time to meditate - consider - awesome events in the course of history - it all comes down to a single moment.  A moment - a fraction of a minute - smaller than a single second - a time so small - insignificant - yet - very eventful.  Everyone has had those moments - minutes - hours - days - spent considering the pros - cons - about a decision you had to make.  Education - job selection - commitment to something - someone - marriage - a final decision.  No matter how much time was spent - lingering over the decision - the final yay - nay - made in a split second.  

From Pxfuel.com 

When God decided to create the world - inhabitants - animals - people - made in a split second.  The time for that decision to become reality - to materialize - much longer - in our way of counting time - years - thousands - millions - of years.  Even those who are not religious - agree that the creation of the world began with a single spark - wherever that came from - an energy surge - some celestial event - the mind - will of God.  In a micro-second that spark happened - what followed over time - creation of all life.  When we reflect on our life during Lent - very often we are inspired by a thought - in a moment in time - in a micro-second - what we have done - good - bad.  It is in that moment our spirit touches - the Divine.  In that very tiny space of time we - understand.  Although that moment lasts for such a short time - it does happen - an opening - a doorway - window - into our hearts.  When that happens we pause - contemplate - reflect - invite Jesus into our hearts to investigate that thought. In those moments - Jesus is with us - encouraging us to go deeper - leading us to His Father - to Holiness.  In that special - moment in time - some - not all - accept that invitation - choose to make their Lenten experience - significant. 

Deacon Dale 

Give It Up!

One of the biggest focuses during Lent - by clergy - parishioners - bystanders - giving up things for Lent.  There are numerous thoughts on these sacrificial actions - the value of what was given up - the reasons behind them.  I remember one youngster - years ago - very proudly telling me they had given up watching their favorite television show - not television itself - just one particular show - replaced it with another show.  To them - a sacrifice - to many - no sacrifice at all - just an altered habit.  For adults - similar to a smoker who quits during Lent - not intending to quit permanently - resuming that habit once Lent ends.  For myself - nothing material given up - rather - make a point to focus my free time - on others needs - increasing prayer time - spiritual writing - thus the increase in blog posts.  Spending additional time on this blog - very helpful for me to focus my thoughts - say more prayers for guidance - benefits me - those who read my posts.  One of the most important things in my life - my personal time - how I spend it - alone - with others - what I do - what I don't do.

When Jesus walked in the desert - as we walk alongside Him this Lent - lots of time to consider the important - compared to the non important.  It is important for us to know why we sacrifice - give up things - especially in Lent.  When we give up one thing - it is usually to make room for something else - more important.  Denying one self - food - smokes - time - creates an opportunity for other things - prayer - meditation - worship - connecting with the Divine. As we journey closer to Jesus during this Lenten experience - take time to seriously consider what you have given up - will give up - what will be gained in return.

Deacon Dale 

Deliver Us From Evil

Whenever we pray The Lord's Prayer - we always ask to be delivered from evil.  Just the fact that we are constantly surrounded - tempted by evil - should be enough to make anyone live an honest - honorable - holy - life.  That is not how it happens.  For many - evil is the food that they thrive on - being evil - doing evil - enjoying evil.  That fact makes one ask - why?  Why is evil so attractive - so seductive - even when the majority shun - go to extreme ends to avoid.  The answer - it is easier to do evil - be evil - than be good - holy.  That is what Lent asks us to focus on - not on how many sins we commit - rather that we sin in the first place. In Lent we need to re-evaluate our lives - what we do that is good - what is bad and why.  In these forty days we reflect - take spiritual inventory of ourselves - leave others to themselves.  The life we ought to focus on - ours alone - it is not our responsibility to focus on others - that belongs to them alone. 

Looking at self 

Jesus has told us - your sins are forgiven - go and sin no more - yet we do.  Avoiding sin - harder than losing weight.  Unfortunately in the world that we live - it is so easy to mess up - do - say - the wrong things - not necessarily evil - still wrong.  One exercise now - ask why we slip - allow these to be a part of our life.  Identify the fault - why it happens - correct whatever it is that makes it so easy to do - then - concentrate on eliminating it from your life.  It takes time - very possible.  Then when you have solved that one - move on to the next - yes - we all have more than one fault to correct.  In  these forty days - Jesus - always at our side - working with us - to seek - holiness.

Deacon Dale 

Tool Chest

When a person is given a task to accomplish - the first thing to do - assess one's tool chest.  What tools are available - are there enough - proper tools - how well can one use those available .  After all the tools are gathered - time to begin the task at hand.  As we start our Lenten experience all of us should also look at what is available to help us have the best experience we can.  Books - writing materials - time schedule - Rosaries - Mass times - availability of Adoration - Confession - Stations schedule - Days of Reflection - Retreats.  With six weeks of Lent - plenty of time to make use of everything available.  

In Lent there is no wrong way to experience the bountiful blessings - no wrong way to use the tools available - pick as few - as many - as one wishes. All efforts are rewarded - praiseworthy.  The goal - the golden ring - holiness - available to all - at different degrees of effort.  As long as ones tries - the attempt will be rewarded.

Deacon Dale 

Eyes On The Prize

Ten years ago when my wife and I made the decision to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain the first thing we did - research.  We looked for the who - what - why - where - everything we could learn about the Camino.  We learned that many others who made the decision to walk this 500 mile pilgrimage - primarily on foot - jumped into it both feet first - no research - no preparation - often resulted in early failure.  No planning - bad planning - in a rush to reach the goal - ended their pilgrimage after only two or three days.  We did not want to be those pilgrims - spending time and money to fly to Spain - only to return home four days later.  Our preparation time involved research - selection of equipment - testing - returning - new selections - multiple times - as the pilgrimage had multiple variables.  Once we had settled on the equipment - actual training for walking began.  Our decision had been made in the late fall of 2012 - outside training delayed until spring 2013.  Finally - August of 2013 - we left for Spain - our focus on walking daily - through what I referred to as - the back yards of Spain.  Flat - hilly - mountainous trails through Northern Spain - Madrid to Santiago - to Finisterre - the end of the world. From the very beginning in the fall of 2012 through a long month of walking - through blisters - very hot days - our eyes firmly focused on the Cathedral at Santiago - to the sacred bones of St. James.

    Sonoran Desert Arizona

Jesus calls us to walk with Him - eyes on the prize - that golden ring of - holiness - never wavering - never losing sight of what is truly important.  The world is filled with distractions - some important - unavoidable - others frivolous.  In Lent we are asked to make a few decisions - choosing what is important versus unnecessary.  So often what we think is very important - not important after all.  One's eternal life - the most important to many - not all.  The individual is the only one who can honestly make that decision.  All have been called by God - not all with answer that call.  Because of the Gift of Free Will - that decision is up to the individual.  In Lent - we are called to choose - what prize do we seek - will we keep - our eyes on the true prize.

Deacon Dale 

And Left And Right And....

When anyone decides to take on a new challenge - the hardest part - starting.  One can think - plan - schedule - calculate time required - barriers - all sorts of variables - hardest part - actually starting.  Once that first effort is made - the first step taken - it is simply a matter of continuing the motion.  One foot after the other - left - right - until the goal is reached - project completed.  That is exactly how we should approach Lent.  There are many ways to observe Lent - silently alone - vocally in groups - sitting in church - Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament - Bible Study - attending Holy Mass - Stations of the Cross - meditation - reading inspirational articles - sitting on the back porch - making oneself present to God.  In the quiet - in the noise - in the peaceful moments - times of chaos - God is there.  It is important for everyone who has made a decision to participate fully in the Lenten experience to understand that quality not quantity is what is important.  When my wife and I walk through the desert - the greatest effort is not always the climb - rather the length of the journey.  A short hike up the mountains at a slower pace often is very relaxing compared to the temptation to walk quickly over flat terrain.

Sonoran Desert Arizona

As mentioned before - God is looking for quality - not quantity.  Better to spend fifteen minutes in deep meditation - rather than an an hour of distracted prayers.  As pilgrims on a journey - better to walk sure footed than run on a slippery slope.  Lent is forty days long - plenty of time for everyone to draw closer to Our Lord.

Deacon Dale 

Happy Trails

If you are old enough - you might remember the theme song of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans - the popular western acting and singing stars of the 1950s and 60s.  They would end their show with the song "Happy Trails" written by Dale Evans.  It was a nice way to end each episode wishing all their viewers "Happy Trails to You'.  All of us are on a journey - following various paths - trails as we navigate the way through our lives. For some the trail is very smooth - very few barriers with which to cope - for others - a rocky road - barriers at every twist and turn.  There are those who would proclaim that those who had few difficulties in their lives were more blessed by God - others - with a different perspective - would say that those who had to cope with the many struggles - barriers - difficulties - were more blessed.  The concept - that by allowing people to cope - learn - from their experiences gave them a better education - understanding of life and the issues with which many learn to rise above.  

Sonoran Desert Arizona 

As we begin our Lenten journey - many will stumble - fall - get side tracked - distracted by things of the world. Some will give up quickly - many will continue for a long time - eventually drifting away from their goal - finally those who are faithful to their selves - will continue to the end where they may reach their intended goal. That goal - what is hoped to achieve - will be different for different people. No two people are identical - and for each their goal very personalized. When Jesus walked in the desert - when my wife and I hike through the Sonoran Desert - although we walk a similar path - never identical - never the same goal. Jesus calls each of us to walk aside Him - not in His footsteps - rather our own - as only He can travel that path set out for Him by His Father - just as our steps are our own. For each of us - we pray for a meaningful encounter this Lent - with Our Lord - "Happy Trails"

Deacon Dale 

Walking In The Desert

Imagine walking in the desert with Jesus - 40 days in a very dry climate - sand - rocks - dust - little to no water - is this even possible?  In the time of Jesus - difficult to say the least.  Today - some two thousand years later - very possible.  Truth be told - my wife and I have spent the last eight years living in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona for the majority of the winter months or more - avoiding the winters in Illinois.  What was once thought to be complete wasteland - now a booming community.  Modern homes - farmers - abundance of crops - growing in the desert.  And yet - the desert is still there - undeveloped areas - thousands of acres - interestingly Arizona the only state in the USA that has four different deserts.  We spend the winter in the Sierra Estrella Mountains located in the Sonoran Desert with a lot of undeveloped desert areas.  While we are in Arizona we spend most of our free time cycling and hiking in and around the desert areas.  The southern most point of our community is located immediately adjacent to open desert land.  It is at that point the bike trails end and where we located what we refer to as our - Prayer Rock.  Sitting here - on the rocks - we look East - a tradition established by early religious communities who associated praying while facing the East - the Eastern sun rise - looking towards the Second Coming of Christ and more.  However in modern Christian theology - in the belief that God is omnipresent - the majority of Christians pray facing whatever directions they wish since being omnipresent means that God is everywhere - constantly around us - every which way we turn.  Our reason for facing the East - we look into the desert at the mountains - looking West - we would see a housing development.  Obviously when placing our minds and bodies in the presence of God - the fewer distractions the better. 

Sonoran Desert Arizona

Whenever we pray - we seek the place - time - with as few distractions as possible - to be able to focus our hearts - minds - thoughts - on God.  With words - in silence - just allowing oneself to - be - to sit - in His Presence - one of the best ways to communicate with God.  In Lent we focus on - prayers - fasting - almsgiving.  The best gift one can give during Lent - your presence to God.

Deacon Dale 

It Doesn't Look Good

It doesn't look good - often heard after a task has been completed - a critique of one's craftsmanship - quality of almost any task.  Most often this criticism means the task needs to be repeated - done over - a second attempt required to complete the task - project.  In life there are numerous opportunities for a do-over - an opportunity to improve upon ones efforts.  In some things - only one chance to get it correct - to do it right the first time.  Ash Wednesday presents us with a once in a year opportunity to - get it right.  For those who minister during Ash Wednesday services - serving at the altar - imposing blessed ashes on the foreheads of the faithful - one chance to get it correct.  In theory - blessed ashes - gently placed on the foreheads of those who approach the minister- ashes in hand - says a few words then - with their thumb - traces a cross on the penitent's forehead.  In more instances than one will admit - the cross appears more like a blob - a smudge.  

God does not expect perfection - never asked us to be perfect - never expected it.  What he does look for - faithfulness.  Ashes too dry - too damp - applied too quickly - does not matter.  The fact that one approached the altar - admitting they are a sinner - seeking help - on their journey to holiness - speaks volumes - especially to God.  The one who applied ashes - an imperfect result -  nothing to do with perfection - failure.  The real goal - place ashes on the forehead - no matter what it looks like.  One approached on their way to holiness - another there - in the moment - helping their fellow pilgrim - to achieve that goal.  In God's eye - a definite win - win situation.  As we join together over the next 40 days - all of us - by ourselves - with our community - walking our own journey - on our own path - aiming for the same goal - the golden ring of holiness.

Deacon Dale