Lent #20 - World Classic

Sunday we had the opportunity to attend the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field in Phoenix to watch the baseball game between Canada and Great Britain as part of the World Baseball Classic - an international tournament - being played in Phoenix - Miami - Tokyo - Taichung - in cooperation with Major League Baseball.  It is interesting for those who follow baseball - normally thinking only of the teams that play in the United States - to be able to watch  international teams playing here in our country. This tournament in a small way - shows to peoples of all countries that we are all very similar - not always as different as we may think.

The one World Classic - known around the world for thousands of years - not a sport - rather the Christ Event - that day when God became Man - born of a virgin - He who is Lord - God for all. Religion may be considered a game by those who mock true followers - for those who are sincere - honestly believe - dead serious - much more important than any sporting event.  Jesus came for all - around the globe - young - old - men - women - no matter where one lives - He is there - for you.  Saint - sinner - no difference - all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)..  In our prayers this Lent - may we constantly pray - Lord have mercy on me a sinner (Luke 18:13) 

Deacon Dale 

Lent #19 - Well Well

Today - the Third Sunday of Lent - Cycle A readings - focused primarily on Catechumens - those preparing for baptism - confirmation - Eucharist.  Lent designed originally for those preparing to enter the Catholic Church.  Today marks the first of three Scrutinies - a period of deep introspection - focusing on the three facets of reception into the Church.  This week - the focus on water - thirsting - being filled with Living Waters.  Israelites wandering in the desert - thirsting for water - Moses with his stick - God pouring His Love into hearts - Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman - asking for Living water.  Water one of the basics of life - with out it - life would cease.  

Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink - told her she should be asking for Living Water

- a gift of the Holy Spirit - the water that flows through all baptized persons. For those of us who are already fully received into the Church - we journey along with the Catechumens - praying for their conversion of heart - a renewal of our own hearts - asking for forgiveness for our sins - praying for those who wish to become Catholic - that their sins also be forgiven - together in Mass - celebrating the Scrutinies - together for mutual benefit.  Come Lord Jesus Come.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #18 - Happy Feet

Dancing your heart out - beautiful partner - great music - for many - awesome experience - happy feet.  Enjoying life to the fullest - experiencing what Jesus wanted us to do.  Music - dancing - not everything that makes for a full - pleasing life.  Many other aspects to consider. Good food - drink - great friends - happy families - pleasant jobs - earning a good salary - being able  to afford the necessities - extras in life - worshiping God - time set apart from worldly obligations.  All these activities consume the majority of many lives.  The time - set apart from life's normal activities - time best shared with others - by oneself - enjoying the sights - sounds of nature - immersing yourself - in quiet - with God.  All that - life lived - experienced - to the fullest.

Too many people - trapped in a merry-go-round life style - too many commitments - not enough time in the day - constant pressure - to do - to excel - to earn - to acquire - often consumes their entire life - no time for themselves.  That is not what Jesus promised.  As we end the second week of Lent - for those who have - no time - time to get off the merry-go-round - just say no - step back from what controls them.  To truly experience the life that Jesus promised - need to realize that often - less is more.  If you are able to do this - take control of your life - how you spend your time - especially with God - Jesus - that will be a Happy FEAT.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #17 - Fry Day Fish Day

Yes - it is Friday - during Lent - abstaining today from eating meat - looking for dinner alternatives.  It has been sometime now that Catholics were expected to abstain every Friday from eating meat - now the mandate - applies only to Fridays in Lent - other special days of fast - prayer.  The idea of fasting - extremely old - even before Christianity began.  The idea - replace the act of eating - spending that time in prayer instead.  For many - not a problem - others - object quite strenuously.   Religions - philosophies that practice fasting include - not limited to - Buddhism - Christianity - Islam - Judaism - Taoism - Jainism - Hinduism.  Fasting can last for just a few hours - even a few weeks - usually with practitioners eating at night.  Interestingly - even within a religion - different denominations - sects may fast differently - at different times.  For example - within Christianity - several different denominations that fast at different times.  Catholics - no meat on Fridays during Lent - Coptic Christians - the main form of Christianity in Egypt - fast for different durations for a total of 210 days throughout the year.  - Some cultures even fast for non-religious reasons.  The town of Geneva, Switzerland - holds the “Jeune genevois” - “Fast of Geneva”  - a public holiday - day of fasting in the canton of Geneva occurring in September.  The holiday originated in the Middle Ages when some days were officially decided to be fasting days as penitence after calamities such as wars, epidemics, or the plague. 

Many benefits come from fasting - most current - intermittent fasting - for weight loss.  Others fast as a way to cleanse the body of toxins - body impurities.  All forms of fasting - secular - religious - definitely has benefits.  For those of us in Lent - a meaningful way to focus our thoughts on - ourselves - our relationship with - God - Jesus - others.  A very useful tool for all.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #16 - Tiny Houses

In our free time we enjoy watching the HGTV show Tiny House Living - focuses on people trying to minimize the size of their home - minimal financial burden - compact life style inside - allowing for a larger life - outside the home.  It is educational - listening to the logic of the buyers - justifying what they need to dispose of - what to keep - to be able to fit possessions in their new tiny space.  The process forces buyers to prioritize what possessions are important - how they may be able to live a life - meaningful - with less distractions.  In Lent we are asked to make a similar effort - to scale back what is necessary to live a meaningful life as a Christian - eliminating the distractions present in all lives.  In our spiritual homes - that part in our minds - souls - space devoted to time with God - often become cluttered with worldly concerns.  In Lent we take time to - clean our spiritual homes - remove that which distracts - helping us to focus on what really is important in our relationship with God.

Jesus told us that He came that we might have life - live it to the fullest. (John 10:10).  That does not mean that our lives will not be filled with distractions - good - bad - growth comes from experiencing all facets that life gives us.  In bad - sad - times - we learn - just as we do in good - happy moments.  It is up to us to discern - that which we hold on to - that which we discard.  Our spiritual homes confined to our physical bodies - the space in our mind - soul - that we have made space for Jesus - His teachings.  With Jesus' help - each one of us can put our spiritual house - our tiny house in order.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #15 - Teach Me To Pray

One of the most common comments from those who have newly started to develop a spiritual life - have entered catechism classes - preparing for baptism - confirmation - Holy Communion - please - teach me how to pray.  Most often various prayer books placed in their hands - told to read - learn - an assortment of prepared prayers.  This gives them approved - popular - prayers recited by many.  Adding common prayers normally prayed during Holy Mass - adds an additional assortment of common prayer.  Once comfortable with these - next step - teaching how to create - pray their own words - directly from their heart - free form - personal words - spoken to God.

When Jesus' disciples felt comfortable journeying with Him - as their personal relationships  developed to a deeper level - finally  they asked Him - teach us how to pray.  This obviously something people have been seeking ever since prayer - talking with God was discovered. For Jesus - taught as we do - starting with the Lord's Prayer - not in a booklet - rather straight from  His heart - now the most common prayer known to Christians.  In Lent our daily exercises - observances - always must include prayer.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #14 - Learning Tolerance

Tolerance is not something that everyone has a good handle on - in fact - something that majority have to develop.  Unfortunately - most of us have been raised with certain - attitudes - ideas about - some types of people - activities - driven by - life experiences - ancestors who lived before them.  Some attitudes go back generations - compounds the difficulty of changing attitudes - learning how to become tolerant.  In order to develop tolerance - takes time - getting to understand - accept - differences with which you are not familiar.  Prayer helps when seeking to become tolerance - accepting those with different beliefs - customs - experiences.

Jesus came to help mankind with those issues and many others.  When God created mankind - intent was peaceful co-existence - sin changed all that.  Today we have a big problem with numerous ideas - ways to live - that challenge many beliefs. In these confusing times - best to give to God - go deep into prayer - ask Him to help you understand others - their different beliefs - that you may come to understand - accept them even when their beliefs do not match yours.  Often others beliefs may be different - not necessarily bad - wrong - just think - act different because of their lived experiences - how they were raised.  With God - Jesus - at your side - all things are possible - even becoming tolerant of others.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #13 - Father Forgive Us

Once we have said our - YES! - need to continue the journey to - living a life fully as a Christian.  Study - worship - prayer - acceptance - tolerance - all parts of who a Christian is.  There are many challenges along the road on this journey.  One of the hardest is forgiveness.  Too often many feel that past behavior - so bad - severe - God will not forgive them.  Others have that worked out - readily accept the Father's forgiveness - unable to do the same for others who have harmed - hurt them.  In those situations - I recommend people say the Lord's Prayer - really stop - think - what they are saying in that prayer - especially - Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.  In that prayer we are asking God for forgiveness in direct relation to how we forgive others - if we cannot forgive someone - we are telling God - since we are not willing - He should treat us in the same way - definitely not what we really want - hope for.

Luckily God will forgive us any sin - none too big - too little.  His Divine Mercy - completely beyond our understanding - comprehension.  If He who is - Lord - God Almighty - can forgive even the worst of sins - who are we - unwilling to forgive others.  As followers of  Christ - those who seek to do as He did - to follow His example - who is - Lord - God - then we must - no option - forgive all who have harmed us - even before they ask.  For some this may take great effort - with Jesus at their side - very possible.  This Lent - consider someone who you have not forgiven - if that is a situation in your life - ask Jesus for the strength to do - as He has done for you.

Deacon Dale                                                                                                    

Lent #12 - Just Say Yes

The Second Sunday of Lent - today's scriptures remind us of God's promise to Abraham to bless him if he did as asked - in the second reading we are reminded that if we are to be faithful to the Gospel - there will be difficult times that we must endure - the Gospel reminds us of the  transfiguration of Jesus before the disciples' eyes.  These scriptures assure us that if we listen to God - do as he asks - are open to transforming events in our lives - that all will work out for  the good of all.  That is the key - things will not work out just for us - ourselves - rather all - people near - close to us - people we have no idea that they exist.  Blessings abound not only for us personally - for all mankind - who are to follow.  

We have all been told through Holy Scripture - various ministers of the Gospel - in media - by others around us - every week when we attend worship services - God loves us - Jesus died for our sins - that we have been granted salvation - there is a life beyond this present existence - so what are we waiting for?  Time to say - YES! - time to make that commitment - no reason to wait.  For all those who came before you since the beginning of time - for those who will follow - say - YES! - commit to that - get on with your new life in Christ.  Now is the time to improve on that - YES! - which you said before. Time to say - YES! - if you have never done it before.  You do not have to be with out sin - you do not have to do anything right now - except commit to Jesus. The rest will follow - cleansing of heart - knowledge of God - understanding - all flows rapidly - quickly into your life - the life of  those around you - once you make that statement.  Jesus I trust in you - Have mercy on me a sinner -  bless me with your Holy Spirit - fill me with your love - acceptance - that I may spend this time in Lent - growing closer to you - rejoicing in the - YES! - you said to your Father - on the Cross.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #11 - Pray Without Ceasing

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Paul says to pray without ceasing - never stop - never give up on your prayer - be constant - stubborn with your prayers.  That does not mean that you should avoid other tasks in life - rather - even when doing everyday activities - do those in a prayerful way.  When driving on a congested road - pray for patience - when helping others - pray that your efforts - glorify God - in everything you do - with all that you help - make those efforts - a form of prayer.  

Jesus showed His disciples that prayer was key to their relationship with His Father.  In this season of Lent - our number one task - drawing closer to God.  The best way to connect - communicate with God - through prayer. When you take time to improve your prayer life - expand the time spent in prayer - learn new prayers - include more people in your prayer intentions - your prayers become deeper - fuller - add more substance not only to your prayer life - also the life you are seeking to live.  Consider these days of Lent - your prayer workshop.

Deacon Dale