Lent #43 - T - 1 SPY Wednesday

The Last day of Lent - the end of the journey - finito - done - finished - countdown ended.  For many - SPY Wednesday - following the belief that Judas betrayed Jesus on a Wednesday prior to His crucifixion - Easter.  SPY because some believe Judas was recruited to spy on Jesus' activity - report back His actions - location - leading to His arrest - all for 30 pieces of silver.  Nobody can say definitely with one hundred percent accuracy - but it is a valid assumption knowing what followed as recorded in history.  That next day - Holy Thursday - the Last Supper - seems reasonable.  That should not be our main concern today - rather - an evaluation of how we personally handled our own Lenten experience.  Not how much we did - nor where we did anything - instead - what does our heart tell us.  Are we in a better place than we were back on Ash Wednesday - did we identify things that could be improved in our life.  Have we changed anything - did we stop doing things that were not appropriate - did we apologize to anyone for things we have done - anyone we offended - did we pick up our Bible - study the catechism - participate in a charitable event - offered ourselves in service - at no charge - did we pray more - sit in silence with God - did we do anything - only you can answer those and many other questions.  God knows what you did - what you did not do - one last day to complete Lent on a positive note.

It is so important to remember that God loves us - as we are - Jesus came for us - as we are - died for us - as we are.  It is up to us to make any changes necessary - nobody can do that for us - ours alone to do.  With God all things possible (Matthew 19:26) - everyone of us can improve - all we need is Jesus.  Think about that today - Jesus I Trust in You.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #42 - T - 2 - Twos-day

Yes - believe it or not today is - Twos-day - the final two days of this year's Lenten experience.  It is hard to believe that we are already in the sixth week of Lent - the time has passed so quickly - before we know it we will be participating in the Triduum and Easter.  At one time this seemed so far away - trying to figure out - plan what we each would do in our search for a rewarding - beneficial Lent.  Now  the prayers prayed - the Masses attended - the Scriptures we have read - the hours spent in meditation - adoration - are all accumulating - ending in these final days.

As with any journey - planning - beginning - an end - the value experienced - always on the journey.  Many of us perhaps thought the Gift to be attained at the end of Lent - not really correct. Perhaps during the three days of the Triduum - not really there either. Then Easter - perhaps - if you stop at Easter Sunday - the true Gift - still to come.  There is an entire Easter Season yet to be experienced.  At the Easter Vigil - New Life for those entering the Church - for those of us who are already members - the joy at welcoming new people to sharing that which we already have - Life in Christ.  Our duty - to help guide the new members - those still on the outside - looking in - a life of discipleship.  In two days we evolve like the caterpillar that turns into a beautiful butterfly.  In two days - a new experience begins.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #41 - T-3 - Holy Monday

Holy Monday is Significant  - two reasons - particularly important.  First - Holy Monday set up the events which happened on Maundy Thursday - clearing the temple - Jesus criticized the leaders who allowed - promoted the activity happening in the temple. His teachings rebuked the religious leaders overtly - telling a parable meant to criticize them (Matthew 21:45-46) -  religious leaders had been concerned about Jesus before this - his actions on Holy Monday - Holy Tuesday clinched it - they wanted him dead.  Second - Jesus describes these teachings - parables as being about the kingdom of God. They use different images - words but are all about two ideas - God will offer the kingdom to unexpected people - when the kingdom arrives in full - there will be judgment.  In simple terms - Jesus made corrupt leaders uncomfortable - exposing their wrong doings - making Him go away - permanently - their goal. Getting Judas to help - sealed that deal.

In Jesus' day - even today - corrupt leaders everywhere afraid of being exposed - loss of authority - power - money - too important to many - to lose.  We are now in our countdown to the end of Lent - only 3 days remaining.  Three days to reflect on those things that we are guilty of doing - not doing.  Very unlikely any of us as bad as the religious leaders in Jesus' time - our sins - more ordinary - much less serious.  In these last days - confession - prayers - placing ourselves in His presence - leads us much closer to that brass ring - holiness.

Deacon Dale  

Lent #40 - T - 4 Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem - an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels - marks the first day of Holy Week - the holiest week in the Christian calendar.  Palm Sunday - celebrated with Holy Mass in which the Gospel narrative of Jesus' entry - acceptance by the people - waving - laying palms in His path - the triumphant entry as a king enters His kingdom - - trial by those who did not understand - feared Him - eventual Crucifixion - Resurrection - all in God's plan to offer Salvation to all. Even to those casual Christians who do not regularly attend church services - highly attended - as is Most of Holy Week activities.

Jesus came for all - all did not accept Him - He came for every man - woman - child - people of all cultures - all beliefs - no one excluded from His offer of salvation.  Throughout the years many have become His followers - disciples - many others - turned to other beliefs.  In spite of this - they have not been abandoned - His offer still stands today as much as it did 2000 years ago.  Lent will conclude this coming Wednesday - three more days to complete our Lenten experience.  Three more days of prayers - meditation - reflection - helping each of us to seek holiness.

Deacon Dale   

Lent #39 - T - 5 and counting

So Lent is over and tomorrow is Easter! - April Fools! - Just kidding - we still have 5 more days of Lent left.  It is getting very close to Easter - tomorrow is Palm Sunday - the beginning of Holy Week - the holiest week in the Christian calendar. On Palm Sunday we listen to the reading of the Passion for the first of two times in this week.  Then on Monday the bishops typically celebrate a yearly Chrism Mass when they bless the Sacramental Oils that will be used throughout the year.  After blessing - the oils are distributed to all the parishes in that diocese.  Tuesday is normally a calm day - nothing special done on Tuesday or Wednesday - except note the end of the Lenten season.  Once that is accomplished - we move into the Triduum.  As for today - Saturday is basically the calm before the storm.  Last minute preparations for the celebration of Palm Sunday - making sure there are enough palms to be handed out to all the parishioners once they have been blessed - additional seating for the large crowds at Mass.

As in any grand celebration - a lot of work has to be done before the big day.  Anyone who has helped arrange a special birthday party - wedding - knows fairly well what that entails.  This is usually - in most parishes - a much bigger celebration that those - especially because it is a very special religious event - honoring God - Our Lord Jesus - His Holy Spirit.  Everything that we have been doing for the last five weeks has been leading up to this special sixth week.  For us as individuals - it reflects in a special way - our individual efforts during Lent - the prayers - scripture study - time in reflection - meditation - adoration - attending Holy Mass - confession - reconciliation - our personal efforts this Lent.  A few days remain - not time to stop - rather continue our efforts - Jesus asks to stay with Him until all is accomplished.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #38 - T - 6

It is countdown time - now only six days of Lent left - in less than one week we will begin the Triduum - the three holiest days of the liturgical year.  In these final days of Lent we are very easily at the end of a successful Lenten experience - or - we are crying - where has the time gone - I have not even started yet.  Reminder - do not be like the Pharisee in the temple - (Luke 18:9-14) - do not be so quick to pat yourself on the back - nor does one need to beat themselves - rather - be grateful for where you are at this moment.  We are all individuals - our relationship with God is an individual one -not communal - although we walk together in community - each of us is walking our own path to Holiness - redemption.  My journey will never be like yours - nor yours like mine.  We all had a starting point - we all have a finishing point - they hopefully take all of us to the same destination. 

When Jesus was walking to HIs Death - Resurrection - often had to take side steps - life came at Him from all directions - like anyone who sets out on a journey - never a completely straight path. Rocks in the path - roadblocks - unplanned events - happen to all of us.  Our starting point may be - X - our goal - Z - but while on our own journey - Y - things always happen.  That is the story of life.  Each of us has our own story - no two stories identical.  Everyone's journey has an X - Y - Z - never - ever the same.  Does not mean one is better than another - just different.  God has blessed each of us as we walk our journeys - Jesus is with each of us - constantly assisting us - especially on the diversions - those are what makes our journey so beautiful - meaningful - ours.  So Lent ends soon - great - when that happens we transition on a new much shorter - three day experience - leading each of us to -  Easter.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #37 - Covenants

A covenant is a written agreement or promise - usually under seal - between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action.  In today's Scriptures - God makes a covenant with Abram - in which He changes Abram's name to Abraham - informs him that he is to be the - Father of all nations - (Genesis 17:3-9) - basically - "I will be Your God - you will be my people."   A covenant that will be perpetual through all eternity. In the Bible there are five covenants - the Noahic Covenant - the Abrahamic Covenant - the Mosaic Covenant - the Davidic Covenant - the New Covenant.  All agreements between God and various people throughout time.  Each one - to be honored specifically with God.  Even in this day - covenants are made - legal agreements between parties for numerous things -  very often involving business - financial transactions.

When Jesus declared to His disciples that - I AM - He revealed His Divinity - the Fact that He is God - in Human form. The promise He made with Moses - King David - Noah - Abraham - just like the one He has made with You - Me.  When we were baptized - anointed with Chrism - received Holy Communion  - each of us said - Yes - to God.  You will be My God - I will be your disciple.  As we reflect this Lent on our relationship with Him - we need to take time to ask ourselves - How well am I honoring My covenant with Him.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #36 - The Depth of Love

Love is an emotion - a feeling for many things - people - pets - possessions - homes - jewelry - sports - food - almost anything that one likes very much - often declared as loved. We tend to categorize these things into good - bad - acceptable - not acceptable and in each of  these categories - levels  of how much we like - dislike them.  For some things that we like very much - we declare our love for them.  In regards to people - we treat differently - different levels of being liked - disliked.  Before we can state our love for any individual - we process that information in a different way and when we finally decide to declare our love for another person - it becomes a matter not of emotion - rather an intentional decision to love them.  When we declare our love for a person - we state our love knowing full well their flaws.

When God created the world and all that is in it - He saw that it was good. He did not say he loved the things He made - in the instance of mankind - took a different turn - for people He stated His love. Love that knows no limits - no boundaries - always accepting - forgiving - a love that only God can possess - known as agape love - a love unknown by humans. That is the love that Jesus had for mankind - still has for each of us. For Jesus - God His Father - the depth of how deeply they love us - completely unknown by humans - a love that we will never posses. It is because of that agape love - Jesus could look down from the Cross - forgive them for what the were dong to Him. In Romans 5:7 we read "Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person - though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die".  Even as He was dying on the Cross - the last drops of blood flowing from His body - Jesus loved all of us - even those who rejected Him - even those who tortured Him - to a depth that we cannot imagine - He loved all - very deeply.  Coming towards the end of Lent - in our prayers - thoughts - a good idea for us to consider how much God loves us - wants us to be close to Him - wants us to cast aside our petty issues and love others as deeply as He  loves us.  With Jesus at your side - you can  do this.

Deacon Dale 

Lent #35 - Who Pays The Price

The price of sin - in Jesus' time - stoned to death - today - honest admission of guilt - confession - absolution.  Happily we have moved from stoning to - conversion - conversation - repentance - forgiveness.  If we follow the example set by Jesus we practice acceptance - compassion.  Nobody is perfect - all of us have done - will do things that we are not - will not be proud of.  When we sin there is a price to be paid. 

Jesus knew what the future held for Him - scourging - stripping - nailed to the Cross - not for what He had done - rather for what mankind had done since the beginning of time - what you and I have done in our lifetimes - what we will do in the future.  It is an inherent weakness in all of us - we cannot - will not be prefect - ever.  No matter how hard we try - we will mess up.  Luckily most of what we do wrong will be minor - not necessarily sinful - on some occasions - much worse. Looking down from the Cross - nails in His hands - feet - blood dripping from HIs body - He will look down at us - Father Forgive Them - those upon whom my eyes look at - For They Know Not What They Do.  Then in one final breath - Jesus dies - for you - for me - price of sin - Paid in Full.  By His Blood - we have been redeemed.  His Blood - not ours.  For our sins - not His.  Pray on that this Lent.  

Deacon Dale 

Lent #34 - The Price of Sin

In today's morning scriptures we hear of two instances of women who were accused of adultery - one falsely - the second - justified.   The remedy - stoning to death.  In the first case a false accusation by two men who eventually were proven to have told a false account.  In the case in the Gospel a woman who definitely was guilty - brought before Jesus for judgement.  His response - sure go ahead stone her - let anyone who is without sin cast the first stone.  All walked away - everyone a sinner. Before anyone could suffer death by stoning - first had to be brought to judgement.

Unfortunately too many people are very willing to judge others - often without complete information - jumping to conclusions.  As we reflect on our own lives - our own sins that we have committed - the things we have failed to do - the sin of omission - all have sinned in the eyes of God.  Jesus the only one who never sinned - the rest of us - guilty as charged.  The hardest sin to avoid - unjustly judging others - need to quit that - accept others in the spirit of love - forgiveness.  Offer your prayers to God - in the name of Jesus - Father forgive us - we know not what we do.

Deacon Dale