B-C-E

B - C - E - Baptism - Confirmation - Eucharist - that is what Lent is all about.  Lent was originally a period of prayer - reflection - for those who were considering joining the Catholic Church. Nothing more - nothing less.  Eventually it was decided that - in addition to the - Catechumens -  those who were already members of the Church - should also be involved.  The  faithful of the congregation - asked to pray for those in the process of committing their selves - to Jesus - in return those in the RCIA - asked in turn to pray for all those who were already active members of the Church.  Basically parishioners praying for those who wished to become parishioners.  Each one - pray for - each one.  Thus the current members became involved with those seeking membership.  At this point - Lent - involving the entire parish community.  New people - gain faith - community - existing people - renewing the faith they had already attained.  Faith begetting Faith.  Sounds complicated - not - very simple in practice.

                        Baptism                                Confirmation                              Eucharist 

Now that we have shed the excuses that troubled many in the first four weeks of Lent - now that we have made our commitment to really get serious with Lent - together with those seeking - Baptism - Confirmation - Eucharist - we can appreciate the gift of Faith that we already have - the gift that they will soon receive at the Easter Vigil Mass.  It is an exciting time - a time of rejoicing - a happy time - now recommitted to our daily prayers - time of meditation - sitting at Adoration in Church - doing all that is necessary - to prepare ourselves to celebrate the victory of Jesus - at Easter.  In quiet - we consider our own baptism - confirmation - the gift of receiving Christ in Holy Eucharist.  We pray that in those times when we receive communion - when it has become a routine - we stop - halt in our steps - consider just what we are doing - the gift we receive.  That gift to be celebrated - B - C - E - Because Communion is Everything.  It should never become ordinary - exactly the opposite -  an unbelievable gift - offered to us - each - every time - we attend Holy Mass.  Here I am Lord - I come to do your will.

Deacon Dale 

It's All About You

Yes - it is true - it is all about YOU - where you have been - where you are heading - where your journey will take you. Yesterday I said it is time to get serious - to quit playing games - blaming others - situations - for your failure to take Lent seriously.   So far - this Lent - I have posted thirty-three - minute meditations - in an effort to help kick start Lenten devotions - helping to get back on track - showing many - the true path to salvation.  For some - great success - for others - just another minute read while drinking their morning coffee.  

God calls each and everyone of us - constantly - some hear - respond - others - words falling on deaf ears.  For many - Jesus was sent - a visible sign that God is - Love - Forgiving - Compassionate - waiting patiently for an acknowledgement - that He is there.  Ten days left - Lent is gone - done - finito - finished.  Ten days - not a ton of time - yet - in a flash - in an instant - your heart can be given over to God.  All anyone has to do is admit they are a sinner - ask honestly for forgiveness - invite Jesus into their heart - accept Him as their Lord - Savior.  It can be done - should be done - now.  Anyone can make that commitment - today - now - and still experience the best Lent of their life.  As we continue this journey together - walking through the sands of our lives - not looking for an oasis - instead enjoying the oasis - that is Jesus.  He is all that you need - there - waiting to fill your soul with - Living Water - New Life - in Christ.  

Deacon Dale 

Tri-Cycle

One of the things that is often confusing about Lent is the fact that many churches during Lent will avoid the prescribed readings of the year - instead use Year A - those scriptures more focused on those planning to enter the church at Easter.  Normally the Sunday scriptures follow a three year cycle of A - B- C.  This year we are in Cycle-C - for churches who have candidates in the RCIA program - the option to use Cycle-A often taken - Cycle-A lending it self more closely to - water - light - new life - as those candidates prepare themselves for baptism - confirmation - Communion.  Like many things in life - specific - prescribed cycles - exist.  Just as one typically starts riding a tricycle when young - providing a secure basis - three points - creating balance - preparing one for future cycling - so does the three year cycle of scripture help to create a spiritual balance. 

At this point in Lent - all of us should have experienced that feeling of being balanced in our journey.  We have less than two weeks before Lent ends and we enter the holiest three days of the Christian calendar - the Triduum.  If we haven't gotten serious yet - this is the day to get focused - stop making excuses - getting down to the work that is Lent.  No more excuses - no more delays - today we pick up ourselves - make a commitment to make the most of the few days we have left.  God calls each of us - everyday - He speaks our name - today is the day when we finally respond to His call.  Here I am Lord - I come to do your will.

Deacon Dale 

Removing Barriers

One of the truths of life - barriers - little - giant - pop up when you least expect them.  After weeks of planning - taking everything into consideration - weighing various options - plans should go exactly as expected - once started - everything going as expected - BAM - hit a barrier.  Some barriers have a good purpose - others - no reason for them to exist.  When we go cycling in the mountains there are a few roads that come to a sudden end - obviously a future extension planned - barriers in place that do not say - NO - rather - not now.   As shown in the photo - easy to see what lies ahead in the future. 

As we journey through Lent - not uncommon to run into a few barriers to our plans - things that cause us to deviate from our agenda.  Instead of assuming they are saying - NO - pause - consider -  it might be one of those - not now moments.  It is not unusual when we talk to God - His answer - not yes - instead - wait - not now - maybe later.  Lent is a time to focus on the small things that will make us better - now - not the big things of the future.  As Jesus walked through the desert - as we journey with Him in Lent - baby steps - moving gently around any barriers - we encounter. 

Deacon Dale 

Jumping Through Hoops

Most people have heard the phrase - jumping through hoops - to do a complicated or annoying series of things in order to get or achieve something.  Too often those in control - make tasks more complicated than needed - as a means to delaying completion - a senseless way to mistreat another person - lording ones power over another.  This is not the way anyone should treat another.  Then again - an entirely different meaning among the native Americans who belong to many of the indigenous tribes.  Dancing through hoops - Hoop Dancing - an art passed down through the ages - an art form that tells a story - takes extreme skill. The art of hoop dance honors cultural traditions shared by multiple Indigenous communities - with roots in healing ceremonies - traditions - practices. Today hoop dance is shared as an artistic expression to celebrate - honor Indigenous traditions throughout the U.S. and Canada.  This past weekend we had the opportunity to attend the Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest.  The ages varied from youth as young as six years up through seniors forty and over.  Both boys - girls - men - women compete on an equal basis.  Hoop Dancing is a high energy event - dancers literally jumping through hoops - forming various shapes with the hoops - all in timed competition.  For competitors - spectators - serious - fun - family event.

World Championship Hoop Dance Contest - Heard Museum - Phoenix, AZ 

In Lent some feel that the church ask too much of individuals - making participants jump through hoops - seeking personal holiness. Although there are multiple guidelines - nothing really enforced on anyone. A few simple suggestions - making more time for prayer - making personal sacrifices of time - money - reevaluating their lifestyle - where they have been - where they are going - benefiting primarily only the individual - only benefit to community - better citizens.  In Lent no jumping through hoops - only opportunities to draw closer to God. 

Deacon Dale 

Opening minds

Open ears - open hearts - open minds - what gives?  We have previously discussed opening our ears - hearts to Jesus - isn't that enough - now - why our minds?  Truth be told - we need to be one hundred percent open - available - to God.  As an instrument - as a disciple - we need to allow God to use our entire being - to minister to others.  Even thought we may have an awesome - fantastic - relationship with Jesus - His Father - The Holy Spirit - that is not where it ends - nor should it be.  When we came to Faith - when our lives became truly devoted to Him - that was not the end - rather the beginning.  For many - their relationship is theirs alone - not to be shared with others.  Once committed to Christ - any further development - change - stopped.  Honestly - we are not for ourselves - the real mission - to help spread the Gospel message of Jesus - to draw others to Christ.  It is not about church attendance - adding donations of money - time - to the parish coffers.  It is all about community - gathering believers - to go to  the four corners of  the world to spread His message.

It has been over two thousand years since Jesus walked this Earth.  One would think that was plenty of time to tell everyone about the Gospel - about God's Divine Mercy - His forgiveness - His acceptance of all - no matter what they have done - what they will do.  People die - are born - every year - who never know the love of God.  They walk among us - those who have heard - but not listened - have seen - but not seen - have witnessed from afar other's faith - but have never experienced it for themselves.  As we journey through Lent - in addition to drawing ourselves closer to Christ - we need to bring others along - to share our experience with them - that they - for themselves - may hear - see - feel - open their hearts to Jesus.

Deacon Dale 

Opening hearts

Hearts can be soft fleshy organs that pump blood throughout our bodies - filled with love for mankind - life - God.  Some hearts - cold - stony - diseased - not with biological issues - rather unemotional - hardened by the tests of time.  Too often - beaten up - beaten down - individuals lose the ability to love - be loved - conditioned by unfortunate events in life.  Most people confuse their biological heart with their emotional heart - that center where we store love - hate - pleasure.  The place that we call our "heart" - actually a spot in our minds - where we process all sorts of memories - happy - sad - fun - tragic - good - bad.  Majority of people have open hearts - freely sharing - what makes them - special - different from others.  A smaller number - closed hearts - difficult to get inside with them - where they live.  

Jesus calls us to be lovers - to have open hearts - freely sharing ourselves with others.  In doing so - we benefit from good relationships with others - life takes on a better meaning - problems openly  shared - experienced with each other.  When we made the decision to become Jesus' disciple - we made a commitment to trust in Him - to openly share all that we are with others - opening our hearts to their concerns - worries - needs.  In freely sharing our self with others - we open the door to the Divine - to touching the hearts of many - with God.  Jesus knocks at the door to your heart - is it open to Him?

Deacon Dale 

Ears to Hear

God calls all of us - not all hear His voice - some expecting to hear an audible sound - others refusing to accept His words flowing from the mouths of others - not His.  When God tries to get our attention - not always in big - grand - explosive moments - more often - in the quiet - whisper of the winds.  To hear God - one has to place themselves in a place where there are no distractions - where one is open to hearing His call - that would be normal.  In some instances - amidst the clamor - noise - of chaos - there are those who will hear His call.  It is in exceptional times - quiet - noisy - when He speaks our name.

As we wander throughout the days of Lent - busy in all our devotions - it is imperative that we open our minds - hearts - ears - to the sound of His voice.  It may be in a bird song - the rustlings of leaves - branches - in the wind - the cry of a baby - the mewing of a cat - bark of a dog - rarely - in the spoken voice.  In meditation - contemplation - quiet of our hearts - we might just hear what He has to say to us.  For those who have ears - let them hear.

Deacon Dale 

Consecration

This past Friday - March 25, 2022 - the Pope consecrated Russia - Ukraine - all of humanity to Mary.  This was not the first time this consecration was done.  From Wikipedia -the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary by a specific act of a reigning Pope along with all the other Catholic bishops of the world was allegedly ordered in a Marian apparition by Our Lady of Fatima on July 13, 1917. Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three visionaries publicly stated that at different times the Blessed Virgin Mary had given her a message of promise, that the consecration of Russia (as a country) would usher in a period of world peace.  Pope Pius XII, Paul VI, Pope John Paul II have consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart, albeit without directly referencing Russia or the USSR.  Some have felt that the request made by the Blessed Mother had never been properly done - thus the reason why the area commonly known as Russia continues to be an area of unrest.  Some question why Pope Francis included Ukraine in the recent consecration - failing to realize that Mary's request spoken in 1917 included that area called Russia - including all the regions of the U.S.S.R. - The United Socialist Soviet Republic which consisted of not only Russia but also - Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belorussia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Latvia to name the majority.  Thus when Pope Francis consecrated Russia AND Ukraine - he was doing EXACTLY what the Blessed Mother had asked and intended.  

Holy Mass Fatima Shrine 

When anyone is consecrated to Mary - the understanding is that they are making a commitment to Jesus - through Mary. Anyone may consecrate their self to Mary - assuming they have a special devotion to Jesus - through - with - His Mother. When I was in formation - prior to ordination - we had some classmates who held a deep devotion to Mary - the Rosary - thus when we met for classes - whoever was available - joined in the chapel to pray the Rosary before class. In approximately our second year of formation - it was proposed by a few of our class - that we as a group of future Catholic deacons consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Thus - our next time together we did just that - setting a precedent - the only class in the Joliet Diocese - since the restoration of the diaconate in 1968 - to be consecrated to Mary - almost twenty years after the restoration in the United States. As mentioned - any person - group may be consecrated - all it takes is a desire to make an honest sincere commitment to Jesus. Jesus calls all of us - different paths for different people - where is He calling you?

Deacon Dale 

Running on fumes

Anything worth doing involves physical - mental - energy.  Even when all the plans have been  made - schedules planned - team gathered - tools ready - energy - the key ingredient.  Without energy - a fuel source - back up reserves - failure almost guaranteed.  It doesn't matter if you are adding a garden feature - addition onto the house - publishing a book - novel - short story - leading a prayer service - helping with a youth group - all take considerable - time - energy.  Heading into any project when one is already feeling exhausted - failure looming on the horizon.  To be properly prepared - start with a full tank - energy reserves - close at hand. 

To many - Lent is very tiring - an exhaustive process - spread over a long time.  To some - six weeks a drop in the bucket - to others - anything beyond twenty-four hours - a long burdensome trek.  In those times when you feel like you are - running on fumes - no reserves available - the tank rapidly becoming empty - time to push the pause button - stop - seek respite.  No one in their right mind should ever criticize one for taking a break - putting a project on hold.  For some - a feeling that they are disappointing God - good news - He has all the time in the world - for you - for any effort you might make.  God is very patient - He created you to be Good - not perfect - so give it a rest.  If you need time - Jesus - always - will wait for you.

Deacon Dale