Lent #24 - Not My Will..

When God created Man - one of the best gifts - to humankind - the gift of free will.  As much as God wants us to follow - worship Him - He will not force us to do anything we don't want to do - including things that He knows would be best for us.  He wishes to have people who chose to follow Him - not puppets - who blindly jump when He pulls their strings.  For humans that can be a challenge - doing what one knows is right - struggle between choosing attractive options - maybe not best for them - not as God would have them chose.  As a human - Jesus had the same challenges with which to cope.  With His experiences learned from living with people - knowing what others might often choose - Jesus had to balance His life experiences - knowing all along what the plan was that His Father had - do His will or make another decision.  In the end - when push came to shove Jesus knew He had only one choice - Not my will.....(Lk 22:42).

As His modern day disciples - struggling to make the correct decisions - sometimes a challenge.  Most of us have to admit - some past decisions have been questionable - if we could go back - we would not make the same decision a second time.  On our Lenten journey we choose how - when - we spend time with our Lenten exercises.  How many things - how long we are actively engaged - our decision.  Bottom line - God will not force us to do anything we do not want to do - He will nudge - give us hints - still our decision in the end.  With very difficult decisions - in the end best to stop fighting with God - instead - do as He has asked us - place our trust in Him - finally say - Not my will...

Deacon Dale 

Lent #23 - Weight Control

The majority of people today - everywhere - coping with all sorts of weight problems.  Bad diet - lack of exercise - foods filled with nutritional time bombs - old food myths - busted daily.  Low fat - no fat - bad tasting food - flavor added - sugar - sweet - dangerous - culprit.  For those who have understanding - realize - what tastes - sweet - looks pretty - shines like gold - not necessarily good.  There are other - just as important issues facing all of us.  Regarding impatience - being in a rush - constantly - going - too fast - ignoring warning signs.  Everyone - needs to chill - learn how to wait - control those urges - do it now - not always a good choice.  Planning ahead - not waiting until the last minute - developing better plans - becoming tolerant of others who failed to plan - in a hurry - rushing into danger.

Prayer is a great tool to help one learn - patience - tolerance - acceptance. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians he wrote "I therefore - beg you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called - with all humility - gentleness - with patience - bearing with one another in love" (Eph 4:1-2)  In prison - Paul had lots of time to think - pray - consider his life.  We may not be in prison - rather trapped in preconceived ideas - thoughts - situations that demand - waiting.  In Lent - each of us - should take on the attitude of - patience - place ourselves in the Lord's presence - wait for Him - to speak to our hearts - minds. In quiet time - in prayer - meditation - sitting in Adoration - in front of the Blessed Sacrament - we learn to sit in waiting.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #22 - Seeking Greatness

The majority of people are very happy living normal - quiet lives - doing mundane everyday things - taking care of those they love - basically - keeping it simple - honest.  A few - energetic - highly motivated - by money - fame - fortune - not happy with that life - instead spend their energy - seeking greatness.  Out of those - few succeed to the level sought - end up - very unhappy - miserable.  On the surface - media - especially social media - these days - makes it look - too easy - too important - to become - important - an influencer - wealthy financially - with thousands of total strangers - becoming - friends.  Unfortunately - fame - fleeting - fickle - does not last - quickly replaced by the newer - better - bigger - in the moment.

God sent Jesus - to walk - live among His people - to give direction - set them on the correct path of life.  Many ignored His words - for those who listened - took His words to heart - peace - forgiveness - a fullness of life became - a reality.  For over two thousand years that same story - told over - over again.  Even today - that same story Jesus shared - being shared this very moment.  He shared God's commandments - how to live - act - warned that those who ignored would be - the least - but "whoever obeys - teaches - these commandments - called the greatest - in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt 5:19).  Today - as you continue your Lenten journey - heed these words - just as true in 2023 as the day Christ spoke them.  Do as He commanded - greatness will be yours. 

Deacon Dale 

Lent #21 - Lucky 7s

Throughout history - the number seven has been considered very special - special to the point that it is consider lucky.  Seven appears in various religions - myths - historical stories.  Research points to the story of creation - God created the world - the heavens - the entire universe - in six days - rests on the seventh - final day.  Therefore seven understood to mean the perfect completion of His creation - making the number seven - the perfect number.  Being perfect - belief that anything perfect - also lucky.  In Holy Scripture we read (Matt 18:21-22) Peter asking Jesus "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times." 

In this special time of Lent as we seek to correct our faults - failings - one needs to look at what is known as the sins of omission - things that we should have done - failed to do.  In this regard - one of the hardest things is forgiving those who have sinned against you - done harm to you - physically - mentally - spiritually.  Forgiving others - very difficult - especially when the other person fails to understand why - how they hurt you in the first place.  Quite often their actions - not intentional - done accidentally with out malice - other times - intentional - meaning to cause you harm - hurt feelings. Those intentional actions understandable - hardest to forgive.  As seen above Jesus's answer - remember the magical number of seven - and as often as necessary.  Eventually - with prayer - compassion - strength from His Holy Spirit - possible. You may not be able to forgive the first time you try - over time - Jesus at your side - forgiveness will happen.  Remember the Lord's Prayer - Forgive me my sins - as I forgive those who have sinned against me - take time - pray - let those words sink in this Lent.

Deacon Dale 

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