Eres Mia

Eres Mia - You are Mine.  It doesn't matter what language it is spoken in - when God tells us that we are His - we feel loved and accepted. Last night we attended the pilgrims Holy Mass in the Chapel of Saint Tecla at the Cathedral in Burgos, Spain. Of course the Mass was entirely in Spanish so we didn't understand a lot of what was said. I did pickup up enough to know the priest was referring to Saint Augustine and to pilgrims. I could also tell from his facial expressions and delivery and smile that he was encouraging each of us on our walk to Santiago. Mass ended with a special pilgrims blessing - the crowded chapel dismissed with the simple form - "Go - in peace".

Walking in peace is not always an easy thing to do - too many distractions - too many things to do - too many things on our mind. To walk in peace means to step back - to walk away - to a place of solitude - where you can empty your mind and open it up to God. In that time of quiet He will speak to you and you will hear - Eres Mia - You Are mine.

Deacon Dale 

Waiting

Waiting for anything can be an ordeal - the anticipation of what is to come - will it be on time or late - will there be any obstacles - will I experience or receive all that I expect - what if I don't? All of us have gone through a period of waiting - waiting in line - waiting to be selected - waiting to be served - waiting to arrive. It is normal for us to experience the full range of emotions as we wait. It is only a few days before we leave for our Camino walk in Spain. There are so many parts of this adventure that the waiting game will get every opportunity to surface. The airport - the flights - the connection mid-way - the arrival in Spain - waiting for the train - arriving at the starting point - all involve periods of waiting.

When we first made the adult decision to commit our lives to Christ - we waited.  Waited to see what would happen - waited to see if our lives would change - waited to see Jesus reveal Himself to us in a new and wondrous way. We waited - and waited - and then He acted - often in ways we didn't expect. Jesus is there for all of us - we only have to ask Him into our lives and wait - He will come.

Deacon Dale 

Mustard Seeds

In Luke 17:6 Jesus declared that if one had the faith the size of a mustard seed they could perform miracles - tiny faith - small faith - minuscule faith.  Not faith on a grand scale - not faith that would burst seams - nor tip the scales of a balance.  Just everyday day - old - small faith. How would this be possible - how can a little faith have such drastic affects?  Simple - faith is faith no matter how large or small.  It comes down to what one really believes - is your faith wishy - washy - feeble - weak - of little substance - or does your faith have "legs" - does it move you and others - to a true deep belief  that God will definitely hear and answer your prayers? Do you speak or pray your intention and "hope" that God will act - or do you know - without a doubt - that He listens to you - hears what you say - and acts on it - with true - unyielding faith.

True faith is knowing that God really listens - really hears - really acts in your life. The secret is patience - because the answer is not always - or rarely - immediate. One has to simply believe - and trust that God will act in His way - in His time - according to His will - not ours. Jesus promised that He would be with us until the end of time - and sitting right next to Jesus is God - the Father - acting in all matters of faith.

Deacon Dale 

17 on 17th

Today was an interesting day for the Diaconate Community in the Joliet Diocese.  This morning at the Cathedral of Saint Raymond - Bishop R. Daniel Conlon ordained seventeen men to the order of deacon.  The ceremony took two hours - praising God for His gift of life and ordained ministry.  I find it interesting that 17 men were ordained on the 17th day of the month.  Perhaps something special will come from this new group of deacons.  Watching this ceremony reminded me of my own ordination - almost 25 years ago. 

I remember lying face down on the cold tile floor during the Litany - wondering what I was doing - how I had gotten to that place - if I really was the right man for the job.  Twenty-five years later I still ask myself - am I the right man.  I may never know.  I left the Cathedral and went home and later in the day celebrated the validation of a marriage with a young couple - I shared this privilege with a brother deacon - it was solemn - it was enjoyable - it was fun.  Maybe I am doing something right - only God knows for sure.

Deacon Dale 

Martha Martha

We heard that phrase this Sunday at Holy Mass - in the Gospel - when Jesus was trying to get Martha to relax and not be so concerned about Mary sitting at His feet - rather than helping prepare the meal.  For the most part - Martha has been portrayed as a bad person - ignoring the fact that Jesus was in her house - tending to mundane activities of preparing a meal.  Upon closer inspection - one has to realize that Martha had her hands full - in more ways than one. Most likely Martha was the head of the house - the leader in the family - the one expected to see that things ran well as expected. She is the one who ran out to meet Jesus when he first came to see what had happened to her brother Lazarus - and today - she is the one focused on treating her guest properly - seeing that preparations are being made to see to His comfort. She is also the one - who like Peter - called Jesus to task - "why didn't you come sooner and save my brother from death" - and - "tell Mary to get up and help me" - a bold action - one expected from the person in a position of responsibility. It was not only Jesus who she was concerned with - He did travel with His disciples and some women - Martha had a house full - about twenty people to feed and make comfortable. Her house had to be packed - room and seating stretched to their limits - and Martha attempting this huge task alone. Placing ourselves in her situation - we can easily see her concern.

Jesus was well aware of what was going on in Martha's mind - He knew the issues at hand - still His first thought was that Martha should not worry about earthly needs - rather that she should stop to focus - on that which was really important - allowing her to place herself in His presence - to allow Him to feed her - with His words - His love. He knew - as Mary had realized - the concerns of the world would take care of themselves - that worrying about what to wear - what to eat - who to invite - when to meet - how to do - would all be taken care of in due time. To be aware that you are in the presence of the Divine - to recognize a "God moment" when it is happening - to bathe yourself in all that God has to offer - is far better than anything else. God calls each of us to be both Martha and Mary - to see to the needs of others - to offer ourselves when needed - to stop what we are doing - when those God moments happen - to allow ourselves to touch the Divine. Those moments happen often - Jesus calls us constantly - it is up to us to stop and hear His call.

Deacon Dale 

Shrink Wrap

Shrink Wrap according to wikipedia - is a product made of a polymer plastic film that has many uses in industry.  The most common form of shrink wrap that most of us would encounter is that used in the food industry - to protect and preserve food items.  It is flexible and durable and conforms to almost any shape you desire. Depending on the thickness - it can be easily pierced or pierced only by sharp instruments. One of its best characteristics - is that it is transparent which makes it desirable for the food industry. Numerous food items are safely displayed - and on open display for all to see and touch.

Not everything in life is transparent or easy to see through. People are not transparent - many hide their real selves behind masks or identities that defy detection.  Many prowl about among the population looking for easy "marks" - those gullible enough to fall for scams and schemes that quickly separate them from their money and valuables.  Luckily for us - most people are honest - and transparent - in who they are - what they do.  Jesus was that way - what He said -He meant - what He did - was real - what He proposed - was life. There was no masking Him or His intentions.  He was open and honest - completely transparent - in all His actions.  He said that He came that we might have life - He meant it.  He said He forgave sinners - He did.  He promised to be with us always - He is. Jesus is not shrink wrapped - He is approachable and touchable - He waits for you - for your touch - your embrace - to experience for yourself - His divine presence.

Deacon Dale 

Forty!

Forty years ago we welcomed our first born son into our family - it was a very special day for us - first time parents - first time fears - first time joys. In what feels like only a few years - our son has grown into a fine young man - educated - well liked - honest - straight forward - a pleasure to be with.  With time - many changes have taken place in our lives and in his - learning - growing - understanding - coping with issues - rising above disappointments - succeeding. As parents we are very pleased with our son - and he pleased with our growth as well. We are friends - as well as parents - not always the case in some families. We are separated by miles - but connected by our mutual love for each other. Our relationship best described as steadfast.

When God sent His Son to us - he knew that there would be times of trials - times of separation between His people and His Son. In time His people grew to understand just who Jesus is. As in any family - the love steadfast - pure - true.  For all people - for all ages - Jesus is the best birthday present you will ever receive.

Deacon Dale 

Trekking Buddies

As my wife and I prepare to walk El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain - we are learning many things.  Camino "buddies" is one topic that comes up in many conversations that I read in the various camino forums and Facebook pilgrim groups.  The comments vary from the negative - snoring that interrupts your sleep - to the positive - great conversations and sharing of stories.  These "buddies" are those people who walk with you - either sharing their stories - or in silence - those who bandage others injuries and care for another pilgrim's blisters.  Some "buddies" share their trekking poles in difficult terrain - others share clothes - food - supplies.  Strangers when they started - friends for life - when their trek ends. Even here at home - "buddies" make the training more bearable - more friendly - less boring.  Our newest "buddy" is Dana - a friend from Poland who is visiting for a few months.  Little did she know that most of her time with us will be on the road ways and in the fields training for our Camino walk. Another person to share - to contemplate life with - to endure the many hours of training.

Arlene and Dana

As each of us walks our own "camino" - there will be many challenges and accomplishments - moments of sadness - times of joy.  Experiencing these moments alone can be a big burden - having someone to share them with - a joy.  In our spiritual lives - the same is true.  For those who have accepted Jesus as their personal saviour - no problem - He is always there - waiting - smiling - helping - consoling - for those who have yet to make a personal commitment to God - they walk alone. It makes no difference if one walks the Camino in Spain - or their own personal Camino - doing so alone can be very difficult - for many impossible.  Asking Jesus to be your trekking "buddy" throughout life - will lighten the burden immensely. If you need a "buddy" - ask Jesus - He is available.

Deacon Dale

Pond Skimmer

Last summer I redesigned my fish pond - tore it down to the dirt - rebuilt it from the ground up. One of the new features - in addition to a much bigger waterfall - the skimmer.  The skimmer is a device that draws pond water into a holding area where dirt and debris are filtered out of the water before the water is pumped back into the pond. I also have an oak tree by the pond.  This spring the oak tree dropped tons of flowers - called catkins - onto the ground and into the pond. These catkinds can create a mess and in the pond they did exactly that.  My skimmer has been working overtime just to filter all  those particles and tiny stems out of the water.  The fish do not seem to mind - but I do.  All these dropping end up on the filter inside the skimmer and guess who gets to clean the filter - me.  Last summer- after I installed the skimmer - I had to clean the filter two or three times until the winter - when I cleaned it once.  Now this year - so far - I have cleaned it a dozen times or so - sometimes as often as every three days. If I am diligent and keep up with this task - the fish will be able to live in a clean pond.

Pond Skimmer

When Catholics go to confession in the Rite of Reconciliation with their priest - the priest acts in a similar way as the skimmer. Through prayerful discussion - the "dirt" clouding a person's life is removed and handed over to Jesus - who deals with it.  After reconciliation - the penitent is returned back into the mainstream of life - purified - cleansed.  Jesus is there waiting for all of us - to realize that He can and will cope with any issue that dirties the waters of our lives.  It only takes a few minutes - for miracles to happen - for loads to be lifted - sins removed - healing begun.  If you are wading in murky waters - if your life is not as pure as you would like - seek Jesus - the ultimate healer of hearts and souls.

Deacon Dale 

To Walk Far - Carry Less

To Walk Far, Carry Less is the title of a book dealing with the issue of ultralight backpacking - specifically for those considering walking the 500 mile El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In this book the author provides insight to her experience planning and walking the Camino.  She shares how she selected the lightest weight items to put into her backpack and other weight saving tips. The most drastic tip - suggesting cutting off size tags and manufacturer labels - once you made the decision to keep the item - and carry in the pack.  In her original book - published in November 2011 - she calculated that with all the tags removed she was able to trim almost one pound of weight. That translates into a lot of items with tags. Since that time many manufacturers have stopped sewing tags onto their clothing - using a new imprint method to eliminate tags.  Still - as my wife and I continue our training and selecting items for our backpack - we have noticed that only four or five items actually have tags - cutting them off would save us a very small amount of weight - but we did it anyhow.  Where weight on the Camino is important - we eliminate any unnecessary weight where we can.

In our personal lives and on our spiritual journeys - we need to follow the same mantra - To walk far - carry less.  Too many of us are carrying burdens that we should have given up ages ago. Old arguments - family squabbles - issues with work - things we have been unable to change - worries about our health - things we wished we had never done - sins committed - sins never confessed - to ourselves - to God.  All these things - are like "dust bunnies" - that we accumulate when we crawl under the bed and through dusty closets - we emerge covered with the "lint of life".  Unfortunately - too many - allow these issues to cling to their spirit - to weigh them down - to make life look worse than it is.  In confession - we are allowed to take this excess baggage and hand it over to Jesus - to give to Him - all our concerns - all our worries - all our sins - that we may be freed from this "lint of life" - to walk lighter - to walk refreshed - to walk anew in the Spirit.   Trust Jesus - He is there - waiting for you to unburden your life - to leave your baggage at the foot of His Cross - where He alone will deal with it.

Deacon Dale