A La Derecha

 A la derecha - Spanish for - to the right - turn here - on your right side - go the correct way. In English we often confuse - not only non English speaking persons - often ourselves - when we use the word right. Taken out of context - not written down - we are unsure if the speaker is talking about a direction - an attitude - the act of inscribing a word. To clearly understand which word the speaker is attempting to use we need to hear it spoken in a sentence. Much of everyday conversation - in many languages - incorporates the use of slang - idioms - phrases - as a normal form of communicating with others. It is not until confusion arises - errors made - that we realize that we should have spoken in a more formal manner - complete with all the adjectives - adverbs - word modifiers - to express ourselves in a clear and precise manner. Good communication requires good communication skills.

When speaking to God - in prayer - we should be as concise as possible - elaborate sentences - long stories - not necessary. God knows our minds - hearts - our needs - our desires. Even before we open our mouths - He knows what we will say. Many question if this is true then why does He wait before He acts in our lives. Sometimes He does - often He waits to hear it from our lips - from our minds - from our hearts. This process is how we communicate with God - humbly - personally - with sincerity. Every day - Jesus - Our Lord - Our Savior - waits to hear from each of us. Long conversations - not necessary - daily conversation - even very brief ones - the rule. Try it today - He waits for you.

Deacon Dale 

Back Again

 For those who follow this blog - know me personally - I am back in Illinois.  Different from Arizona.  In Arizona I can easily walk outside - see blue skies - smell fresh air - enjoy pleasant temperature.  In Illinois - different - pick one skies - gray - over cast - sometimes blue - air pleasant - not so nice - filled with tiny bugs flying all over in and around your face - not nice.  Yes country living - enjoyable with limits.  People - as everywhere - that makes any place you call home - different.  Unfortunately so many are caught up in the politics of the day.  Who says what - how do they say it - is there anger - joy in their voice?  Mix in personal obstacles that many face - affectes your own experience.

When God created this world - all was good.  Then Mankind got involved - since that day individual personalities - ideas - motives have affected God's creation.  Today we live in a world that holds many differing concepts - ideas - situations - which by themseles does not mean that our lived experience of life needs to be bad - unhappy.  If each of us would take a step back - take a deep breath - look at life around us - we might see the world God intended.  Some will - many will not - controlled by their individual thoughts on what their life should look like.  Many will chose differently from God - they think they know better - if only God would listen to me - not a good idea.  For those who live the life God planned - good for you - for those who know better - are smarter than God - good luck.

Deacon Dale 

I AM

I AM - what?  Now a days it seems that nobody is who they seem to be. Famous people reveal they are not who everyone thinks they are - saints become sinners - sinners become saints - trusted dignitaries show they cannot be trusted - men become women - women become men. For most of my life I thought it was only people - like me - born as a twin - who had to cope with confusion about who they were. As an infant - I was the skinny one - my twin a bit heavier - you could see in our faces who was who - as long as you remembered who the skinny one was. As toddlers we grew more similar - the issue compounded by mom dressing us in identical clothes. Even when we started selecting our own clothes to wear - making an obvious effort to look different - people still could not tell us apart. We both chose the same career path - the same occupation - similar wives - both having two sons. It has only been the last sixteen  years - since my twin died - that I have been a single person. Even his death did not solve the issue of who I am. To this day - I meet people who still think I am my twin - dead or alive - it will never end.  Inside - I know who I am - God knows who I am - and in the end - that is all that matters. I never had to wander - never had to worry - about who I was.  I feel sorry for those - today - confused about issues - created by unreasonable expectations - unreasonable demands - unreasonable attempts to be politically correct - to define individuals.  We are who God made us - pure and simple. We may not fit into - the same box - pigeon hole - predetermined niche - that makes others comfortable - at the expense of our comfort. That is their problem - not ours. What we are - who we are - belongs to only one person - concerns only God - period.

When asked what His name was - God replied - I am - Who am - period. No definition needed - no explanation provided. A simple - complete - outrageous - statement. God does not fit into a box - is not limited by our fragile minds. He is - He was - He will be - I AM.  As we grow in our faith - as we understand His - I AM - we come to know the reality of what He is all about. For most of us - this will be a lifetime journey - no problem - we have our entire life to learn.

Deacon Dale 

Too Old

 There is probably nothing more frustrating to people of all ages - youth - young adults - seniors - to be told that they are too old to do almost anything. As children grow older they are told - too old to play with dolls - too old to pretend - youth - too old to act certain ways - too old - to grow up - young adults - told that is child's play - they are too old to do almost anything that seems fun - seniors - too old - to do almost everything.  As a senior - I am constantly  reminded that I am too old.  When my wife and I walked almost 400 miles in Spain on the Camino de Santiago in 2013 at 68 years old - concerns were expressed that weren't we too old to do that?  Today we bike - not your normal - ride a bike around the block - first of all we don't have a block - we live in the country - our block is miles long and incompasses highways that any intelligent person would not bike on. We seek bike paths - much safer - for anyone - of any age. Today we ride recumbent trikes - three wheel laid back cycles - not just for seniors - people of all ages.  An almost daily event both in Illinois - Arizona - keeping our bodies in good physical - mental condition.  Just  the other day a fellow painting a house had to stop working - approached us to talk for an easy twenty minutes talking about our recumbents - sharing inventions his broher had ceated - his plans for retiremnt soon as he planned to stop working at sixty-nine years old. 

We were baptized as babies - dedicated to God - as infants - recommitted ourselves as followers in our youth and again as young adults. On October 5, 1980 - we attended a marriage encounter weekend - again we rededicated ourselves to God as modern day disciples. At my ordination in 1988 - I again made that same commitment - this time to serve Him as a member of the ordained Catholic clergy. Now 38 years later - preparing to celebrate 81 years of life - I and my wife - continue to rededicate ourselves to serving God. You see - when it comes to serving - worshiping -God - Jesus - the Holy Spirit - you are never too young or too old. If you have never made a commitment - feel the call to do so - simply offer Him - the Lord of Lords - King of Kings - the Author of Life - this simple prayer - Have Mercy On Me A Sinner - then profess with all your heart - mind - soul - spirit to serve Him - in anyway He calls you to. You are never - too old.

Deacon Dale 

Put It In Writing

 Put it in writing - a common phrase - often when something is spoken - unbelievable - out of the ordinary - worthy of remembering.  A bit back I received a call from a friend - a parishioner - seeking information - advice. I did not have a clue what I would be asked - told - requested. Whenever I am in this situation I do the only thing I know to help prepare myself - to speak - listen - react - appropriately.  I pray.  That morning I prayed - God guide me - help me - to be present - attentive - receptive. As I drove to our meeting point - driving through the ongoing construction in our area - I came upon a flashing road sign - warning drivers of the current construction conditions. The sign flashed three messages - Be Alert! - New traffic patterns - Focus on the road. To anyone driving that route - warnings that - once again - the lanes had changed - again - ignore everything else - focus on the road - the barriers - the flashing lights. To me - a different message - immediately I saw in that sign - God's hand in the construction of those three messages - preparing me for my meeting - Be alert - paths are changing - keep my eyes on the road - on the journey.  As I met my friend and discussed his concerns - I shared with him - God's message to me - the same message I left with him. Pay attention to his situation - there were changes happening in his life - how he would act and react to those changes - challenges - had to be carefully discerned - with eyes on the road - the journey - the end goal he was seeking. He wrote those three messages down - God's advice to me - in writing - shared with him as a brother in Christ - the message - the answer to his questions. Our meeting - an awesome time - spent together - sharing our lives - sharing the one message - for each of us.

God does not always write His answers down - most often when we seek His counsel - we hear nothing - see nothing - we wonder if He heard our request. As a firm believer - I know God always hears us - the answer normally - a work in progress - often manifested only at a later time. Jesus assures each of us that He - His Father - are always there for us - listening - guiding - answering. In faith we wait - in faith we rest - knowing that in His time - not ours - He will answer our prayers - our requests. Very rarely will we get our answer in writing - always - His answer - written in love - will be etched in our hearts.

Deacon Dale 

In Search Of A Hero

 A few years ago - much talk about heroes - what makes a hero - what gender may be a hero - past - present - future. I will not debate that issue as recently presented. Heroes come in all sizes - shapes - forms - gender - species. One of my favorite heroes was a dog - yes a dog - who saved another dog's life.  Most people would immediately say a dog cannot be a hero - I disagree. Heroes are those who go beyond normal limits - to excel at one specific task. Heroes do not have to repeat an event - once is enough for most to be recognized. It might be a firefighter - carrying a person from a burning home - a high school youth - rescuing a young swimmer - a dog - dragging an injured companion out of harms way - a parent - showing their children by example - how to live a good healthy productive life.  Some years ago a study was done with high school youth - asking who their heroes were. A small percentage - named Michael Jordan or another sports figure - an overwhelming 98 percent - named their parents - as their hero - who they most admired - wanted to grow up to be like. Nobody named any of the popular Super Heroes as their real life hero.

Jesus did not want to be a hero - He came - as the obedient Son - following His Father's wishes - to share the Good News - with all.  Some listened - followed Him - became disciples - students - others - ignored - turned away. Although He came for all - not all accepted Him. That same situation remains today - we have believers - non-believers - accepting - rejecting. In the big scheme of things - not ours to worry who accepts or rejects - ours is to stand firm in our faith - to live lives - that inspire - create hope - sharing the Truth.  We do not have to be heroes - Super Heroes - just ordinary people of God - doing a super job.

Deacon Dale 

Rocky Times

 We are veteran hikers - to some degree - not experts - experienced - long walks - blisters - wrong turns - lost trails - sore feet - legs - backs. It all comes with putting oneself out there - lost in nature - no distractions - no crowds - smelling roses - creosote plants - fresh rain. As romantic as it sounds - not always romantic - sometimes - tiring - cactus needles - in legs - feet. Remembering one special hike a few years back - trail disappeared - in the mountains - searching for paths - none to find - crawling over rocks - looking for footprints - signs of other hikers - alone by ourselves. Our hiking partner had a sense of where to head - she had never trekked the path previously - just kept walking - in dried up river beds - the last traces of the previous monsoon gone - rocks bleached white from non existent waterfalls - boulders to climb - watching for steps carved by the sands and waters of previous ages. It was the hardest trek we have ever attempted - eight hours - too long - too soon - sore feet - tired legs - rest not an option. Tired - exhausted - we completed the hike.

White Tank Mountains - Arizona

Coping with the crowds - the people - the curses - ridicule - Jesus had to face very rocky times. His path - down the hallways of people's hearts - through their souls - over the mountains of sins - into the fleshy - loving part of their beings. His strength - the Holy Spirit - the love of His Heavenly Father - the support of His disciples - friends.  Along every path that we may walk - God is constantly with us - helping us - protecting us - guiding us - according to His plan - not ours.  Jesus calls each of us to walk with Him - to face the rocks - the boulders - in our paths - 

to victory - with Him.  Jesus I trust in You.

Deacon Dale 

Large Garbage Day

 The city of Goodyear, Arizona - like many others - offers free pickup of large items - tree branches - furniture - items which do not go into the standard trash containers. The first Wednesday  of each month - the trash crews patrol each neighborhood for these items and remove them from each residence. Rather than refuse to pick up large items at all - this is a routine monthly service - keeping the community - individual homes - trash - garbage free.  

Jesus offers a similar service - for spiritual garbage - trash that has collected in our hearts and souls. He has no limits - how much you need to get rid of - when you want to cleanse your heart. He is available 24/7 - no need for an appointment - no need to arrange schedules - He is there - constantly on duty - waiting for you to ask. Sacramental cleansing - has a timeline - availability 

of a priest - talking it out with Jesus - no restrictions. Working through His priests - you have the ability to clean your spiritual house from top to bottom - completely cleansed - refreshed - to 

start over with a clean slate. Your priest - Jesus - wait for you.  Jesus we trust in you. 

Deacon Dale 

Fruitful

If you look up the word fruitful you will see that it literally means being full of fruit - filled with fruit - a good yield of fruit - a good harvest - an abundance - positive results. This does not have to apply only to farmers - gardeners.  Anyone who toils - works hard on any project - who sees great results - positive outcomes - may claim a fruitful yield. A teacher whose class all earn an "A" on a test may be sited as a fruitful yield - very positive results from concentrated effort.  To experience a fruitful yield - a sense of pride - positive affirmation.

Although Jesus only ministered publicly for a short three years or so - His yield of converts - beyond expectation.  Like a farmer - He planted seeds of faith - took root in hearts of men and women - yielded results beyond belief.  He reminds us that He is the true vine - as long as we stay connected to Him - we will produce results just as He did.  We are the branches - connected to Christ - our outcomes as great as His - as long as we stay connected.  Just as a grape withers and dies once it falls away from the vine - so may we wither - lose faith - grow weak in our own lives if we distance ourselves - disconnect from Jesus. Connected to Him - all things are possible - with God connected to us.

Deacon Dale 

Fourth Sunday of Easter

 Yes it is still Easter - similar to Christmas when the Church celebrates Jesus' birth for some twenty days - depending on your tradition versus the one day we celebrate for ordinary people - because of who Jesus is. At Easter - we celebrate this very special event for some forty days - not just because it involves Jesus - rather because He is the only person born of a woman who has ever been resurrected.  His ressurection is a promise to each of us that one day we will also be resurrected.

There are many things that Jesus told us - some simple to understand - others a bit

harder.  Today He tells us He is the Gate - what Gate - where does it go - how do we pass through?  Are we the sheep He refers to - or is there some other meaning.  Why is He the

Good Shepherd - who is the Bad one - gets a bit confusing right?  Speaking in parables - using words to represent different meaning - Good Sheperd Sunday - what?  Rather than dissect what Jesus is saying - keep it simple.  He is Our Lord - He came from the Father to guide us - to teach us - to help us find our way on the path to a life blessed by the Father.  Jesus is the Son - Our Lord and Savior - He alone died on the Cross for each of us.  He rose from the dead on the third day - as proof that the ressurection He romised us - is real.  As long as we believe - we will be given that Gift of New Life.  Day after day remind yourself -

Jesus I trust in You - all your promises - period.

Deacon Dale