tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8745414697441011822024-03-05T18:13:31.622-08:00Deacon Mike's Blogdeaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.comBlogger288125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-68723035718528409972023-12-18T15:47:00.000-08:002023-12-20T11:14:42.281-08:00Homily Third Sunday in Advent 2023<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7TdDwFMASm-XC5GoIOeP2dN3xaU-Fb36mK4icnA77abN19vtvofIOBz8U3RMBEfyHBFMZDJyO4Pv2AC1k_Ydg8ULIJ6GKIJ83uA61zqfHOQekjIlRwjwhyqPCOiQqn3V6TNg65Wgko7hy2TA5w4oYcfr01eIcNUygh1duDrooNqOnW7TsqW1cDzuMfQ/s799/advent-season-e1607639233895.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="799" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7TdDwFMASm-XC5GoIOeP2dN3xaU-Fb36mK4icnA77abN19vtvofIOBz8U3RMBEfyHBFMZDJyO4Pv2AC1k_Ydg8ULIJ6GKIJ83uA61zqfHOQekjIlRwjwhyqPCOiQqn3V6TNg65Wgko7hy2TA5w4oYcfr01eIcNUygh1duDrooNqOnW7TsqW1cDzuMfQ/s320/advent-season-e1607639233895.png" width="320" /></a></div>“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice,” <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Saint Paul, in the second reading, says something thought-provoking. He said, <span style="color: #cc0000;">“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”</span></p><p>Twenty-five years ago, when I was battling cancer. And I discovered this reading from Saint Paul: <span style="color: #351c75;">"Give thanks in all circumstances,”</span> Give thanks for cancer. Are you kidding me? But no matter how hard I tried, I could not get this reading out of my head. Mercifully, I went into remission but kept thinking about this reading. The truth is, as crazy as it sounds, I began to realize that the cancer brought me closer to Jesus. Looking back at that time, it is clear to me I would not be a deacon today if not for the cancer. </p><p>When faced with significant challenges like illness, job loss, or relationship challenges, the question that often comes to mind is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” </p><p>We have all faced trials and sufferings of different kinds. Losing loved ones, facing sickness, and financial struggles have disrupted the lives of people all over the world. I'm sure there have been times when you, too, asked, "Why me?" Why did my father get cancer? Why did my child die? Why does a child have to live with a disability like cerebral palsy? </p><p>When pondering why bad things happen, and they happen to all of us, the critical question to be answered is:<span style="color: #990000;"> How will we respond? </span>That is what I think our readings today are asking us. What do we intend to do now that “It” has happened? Can we live loving lives in a world that has disappointed us by not being perfect? </p><p>Christianity, our faith, helps us, and enables us to face our challenges and work through them. We live in a broken world. Jesus is asking us today: Can we rejoice? Can we find JOY in the face of a world full of imperfections? A world capable of containing great beauty and goodness at the same time. Can we find joy in this world because it is our only world?</p><p>God's will for our lives is about more than the circumstances we face. It is about how we respond to those circumstances.</p><p> My wife Linda has a saying that always makes me smile and think. She says, "Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning how to dance in the rain." Even in the storms of life, as worshipers of God, we can rejoice; we can dance in the rain because of what Jesus has gained for us. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaLHkDmeLve1RJC5YArrLrBwrJF_TKfTmZiCcxCGg4GEL8epwUBhEQOFcShKNNHBdPiyCJfQ41066K6Adfz9D3ezT2bBJGVv8OJmhX4wkT-tW8x42CbSjwQP8XFs4cODnW62Vsi9NR4deJB2akyc1avfJ7eiVhVLva46FvjU3UA_0P8KkRXLQ_nwOnp0/s4032/IMG_0099.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaLHkDmeLve1RJC5YArrLrBwrJF_TKfTmZiCcxCGg4GEL8epwUBhEQOFcShKNNHBdPiyCJfQ41066K6Adfz9D3ezT2bBJGVv8OJmhX4wkT-tW8x42CbSjwQP8XFs4cODnW62Vsi9NR4deJB2akyc1avfJ7eiVhVLva46FvjU3UA_0P8KkRXLQ_nwOnp0/s320/IMG_0099.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>In our church, the stations of the cross are so powerful, and one of the most powerful statements in these stations is here at the end. It says, “For behold by the wood of the cross JOY came into the whole world.” <p></p><p>Crosses bring JOY? Yes! Christ’s cross brought us great joy. We rejoice not because our circumstances are perfect! We rejoice because, as St Paul told us in his letter to the Romans: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.”</p><p>God can and does work in our challenges. When you get to my age and look back, there are plenty of challenges. My career didn’t go as we planned. We lost our fourth child, which is never an easy situation. These experiences helped us help other couples who have lost a child or lost a job. My journey with cancer has allowed me to speak with people and pray with people going through something similar.</p><p>I’ve learned that – <span style="color: #800180;">t</span><span style="color: #990000;">he experiences of our lives, if we let God use them, are the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work he would have us do. </span></p><p>Yes, bad things happen to good people. But when we learn to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, we can live this way when we respond to our challenges with HOPE. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvU9qzUu6sBrQLjaD6m2GrKQ2s5Ekz6KQJz5X_XIbWxgd2-PJFRJMSjkTnNkUIY3hAeToKtctX0DCeBkv6xmMUCJxeurwNG5iv-2vyTg1Ih5hfuh7UEU_QpacSCAIJQ8Pbde2dd_oZ3FjbasLhpj3azinsci7h9Q8Cp636p2ARrW3oqhKmgFfbYafLgY/s300/Van-Tuan-1-300x200.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvU9qzUu6sBrQLjaD6m2GrKQ2s5Ekz6KQJz5X_XIbWxgd2-PJFRJMSjkTnNkUIY3hAeToKtctX0DCeBkv6xmMUCJxeurwNG5iv-2vyTg1Ih5hfuh7UEU_QpacSCAIJQ8Pbde2dd_oZ3FjbasLhpj3azinsci7h9Q8Cp636p2ARrW3oqhKmgFfbYafLgY/w300-h199/Van-Tuan-1-300x200.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>During the Vietnam War, they imprisoned the Catholic bishop of South Vietnam for 13 years in solitary confinement. He was asked later in life how he made it through that experience. He said something we all should embrace. He said: “I told myself I will not wait. I will live the present moment, filling it to the brim with love.” He said, “I simply recall that I must live each day, each moment as if it were the last of my life. I leave aside everything accidental and concentrate only on the essential, then each word, each gesture, each telephone call, and each decision I make is the most beautiful of my life. I give my love to everyone and my smile to everyone. I am afraid of wasting even one second by living without meaning.” <div><p></p><p>He said, "Only one moment exists for you in all its beauty, and that is the present moment. Live it entirely in the love of God.</p><p>When we follow this advice and live each moment, we can live through the challenges and allow God to use them as Jesus did. </p><p>St. Paul and this Vietnamese bishop understood that <span style="color: #800180;">it is not joy that makes us grateful but it is gratitude that makes us joyful.</span></p><div><br /></div></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-3155220010649126322023-10-30T17:53:00.000-07:002023-10-30T17:53:57.215-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxEIc1L1zmKGQOxxFKPLUkLpV53ckR2DuD5SGlRwsFvSiHxvLvztiFJ6KzjKZh0eJOrcCJxv0SZ8BxhrEvxBeb6qvL0rZdJ3ArIOT6aPCjVWSLGyudSVLJrWBCDpV9kO5PCcGf-cANRdI-f5iywe1q2p8PywPLtbA2uWkosEElk0Bh46RaFsup4oXcDTA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="724" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxEIc1L1zmKGQOxxFKPLUkLpV53ckR2DuD5SGlRwsFvSiHxvLvztiFJ6KzjKZh0eJOrcCJxv0SZ8BxhrEvxBeb6qvL0rZdJ3ArIOT6aPCjVWSLGyudSVLJrWBCDpV9kO5PCcGf-cANRdI-f5iywe1q2p8PywPLtbA2uWkosEElk0Bh46RaFsup4oXcDTA=w368-h245" width="368" /></a></div><i>"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" </i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>He said to him,</i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>This is the greatest and the first commandment.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">We are living in challenging times. We are dealing with a
difficult economic situation, with inflation impacting all of us. We hear over
and over the perils of global warming. We recently lived through a pandemic. And
now wars are flaring up around the globe. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's easy to get so caught up in this kind of news that we
lose heart. Jesus says to each one of us today: Don’t lose heart. Don’t
lose heart.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are focused on the world's problems, he tells us you
are focused on the wrong thing. The most important commandment our God has
given us is to LOVE.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus is saying our call in life is to love God and each
other … period.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The good news of our faith is that this love we are called
to is not one way. God never gives up on us. God never stops loving us. He is
always seeking us out, patiently offering His love for us. When we love God
with our whole heart, our whole mind, and our whole soul, when loving God and
each other becomes the focus of our lives, the problems of the world fade into
the background. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The love Jesus speaks of is not mere sentiment. He is asking
us to make a total commitment to God, to love God and each other, to make this
the focus of our lives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He is calling us to make loving God our highest priority. And
then to express that love through loving actions towards others. If we truly
love God, we will love everyone God loves, even those who are, for us, rather
unlovable.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">About 100 years after the time of Christ, a non-Christian named
Aristides wrote to Emperor Hadrian describing how the early Christians lived.
Listen to these words. They tell us what we are called to be like.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Aristides said to the Emperor, "<i>Christians love one
another. They never fail to help widows. They save orphans from those who would
hurt them. If a Christian person has something, he gives to a person who has
nothing. If they see a stranger, Christians invite them to come into their home
and consider them a brother or a sister. If they see someone who is ill or
someone who is in prison, they go visit them. If they hear that one of them is
in great tribulation, they will give that person all that he or she needs.
These Christians are a new kind of people. They seem to be filled with the
Spirit of God! There is something Divine in them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This description by Aristides is what we, as followers of
Christ, are called to be. That is what Jesus is talking about today: loving our
God and loving each other. If we make that our priority, it changes us. We see
the world differently. We live out our call to LOVE. It may not change the
world, but it will undoubtedly change us; it will change OUR WORLD.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Loving our neighbor as ourselves means seeing and treating
others with the respect and love that God gives them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As Christians, we don't want to waste our lives. We know in
our hearts that what Jesus says today is true.We know Jesus is right when he says the only path to life is
loving God and our neighbor as ourselves. We want to do something and not just
talk about it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So what are we to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First, we must let God's love enfold us. In the embrace of
him, who sees everything yet loves us nonetheless, we find the power to act. The
power to give ourselves to one another. And in doing that, we'll find the joy
we long for.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Trust in God’s love for you. Trust the full extent of it.
Let him enfold you completely, and the power to love with all your heart will
follow. Living in this world of love, it becomes much easier to – as the great
saint Padre Pio said – pray, hope, and don't worry. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Always remember God loves you and wants your love in return.<o:p></o:p></p></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-44443568828527729512023-09-25T16:38:00.001-07:002023-09-25T16:38:38.001-07:00<p> <b>Jesus told his disciples this parable:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTBya7HK9a07-p2BKMja3hUlwyA2FFYJhskdzPnTKSoQCZPfz2SgEE_l84V39EQn8BcKjEz-bO6tzQhhOXVqsdFWoUygUnq94o00ly431blXo58J1sCQwpMzkdjN-f4CHSzsng4Fdz6aAl665PtbQ3yJMNGn7D79Sy4WxCsuqsbOU4BTmmM1PgQ9cZnPc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="724" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTBya7HK9a07-p2BKMja3hUlwyA2FFYJhskdzPnTKSoQCZPfz2SgEE_l84V39EQn8BcKjEz-bO6tzQhhOXVqsdFWoUygUnq94o00ly431blXo58J1sCQwpMzkdjN-f4CHSzsng4Fdz6aAl665PtbQ3yJMNGn7D79Sy4WxCsuqsbOU4BTmmM1PgQ9cZnPc=w476-h316" width="476" /></a></div><i>"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out
at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the
usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.<o:p></o:p></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Going out about nine o'clock, the landowner saw others
standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my
vineyard, and I will give you what is just.' So they went off. And he went out
again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise. Going out about
five o'clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why
do you stand here idle all day?' They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.' He
said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.' <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his
foreman, 'Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last
and ending with the first.' When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that
they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on
receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last ones
worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's
burden and the heat.' He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not
cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is
yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not
free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?'</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Reflection<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If I polled the congregation this morning, I think many, if
not most of us, would feel the first workers who worked all day and received
the same as those who worked a few hours got a lousy deal.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This story isn’t really about the workers being taken
advantage of, because they’re receiving exactly what He promised them. When we
look at this situation, it's easy to make the big mistake of judging by the
world's standards, not God's. The prophet Isaiah reminds us God does not think
like us! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This story is all about the vineyard owner’s
generosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>God’s generosity.</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In this parable, the vineyard owner is God, and all of
humanity are the workers. If we judge this situation by God's standards, we
might discover that when you come to faith in God, when you enter God's
vineyard, is not the issue; the issue is how generous our God is when we do
enter his vineyard.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A few years ago, my good friend Bob O'Neill told me a story
about a friend of his. Bob was a judge, and the friend he told me about was
also a judge. Bob's friend was dying, and he was very depressed. The judge who
was passing had not been a man of faith. In fact, he was a person who had
regularly ridiculed people of faith. On his deathbed, Bob heard that his friend
was frightened. Bob O'Neil visited his friend and courageously asked his friend
how he was with God. The terminally ill man said to Bob: <b>It’s too late for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To which Bob responded by reading his friend – this passage
– this parable from the bible. He told his friend that God doesn't care when
you enter the vineyard. The reward is the same. That day, Bob's friend
committed his life to Christ and passed on a few days later, full of joy. Bob's
courageous conversation impacted the man's whole family, who found God through their
father’s spiritual journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How does Jesus’ parable of the Workers apply to us today? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Look at it this way. Every Christian is a worker God calls
to labor in the vineyard of God's earthly Kingdom. Some of us were called at
birth; we are often called "cradle Catholics." And maybe some of us
workers are not carrying our workload. Perhaps this is why the vineyard owner
in the parable had to keep hiring more workers. It wasn't that he had
underestimated the size of the job. It’s just that some of the all-day workers
were not pulling their load. They were not using their talents as God had
intended that they use them. This leads us back to the fact that some
late-coming Christians are doing remarkable work in the vineyard of God's
Kingdom. Converts to the faith are often among the hardest-working members of
the Church. I think about 20% of all the deacons in San Diego are converts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, as we return to the altar, let us thank God for the zeal
and the inspiration of those who have been called at a later hour to work in
the vineyard of God’s Kingdom. And let us ask God to inspire and motivate us to join them
in working harder to bring in the great harvest that is out there. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like my friend Bob O’Neill did.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then, in heaven, we will all rejoice together, singing the
praises of our God, who has been so merciful, forgiving, and generous. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-64220564164092555082023-05-30T12:13:00.000-07:002023-05-30T12:13:30.911-07:00What happened at the Ascension? <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF72WJvy08FzeDAc6sPiTAxCaXiTjYzCsoAE2p9bmS9Ef-MWqsWdoWPOyxxMctAEBz46dVee8cQHapDDzUm2ltEgXB5bSpw0jQotaBxQCO-kw9L9ICZuNoMyMtGs8ffRuuIXDLgj0B9GMcFY_sdwil7Hp5i-D43hAhIRrhVbBJkFZmkkteqaHnWpN0/s703/Passing-the-Relay-Baton-108220033_706x499.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="703" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF72WJvy08FzeDAc6sPiTAxCaXiTjYzCsoAE2p9bmS9Ef-MWqsWdoWPOyxxMctAEBz46dVee8cQHapDDzUm2ltEgXB5bSpw0jQotaBxQCO-kw9L9ICZuNoMyMtGs8ffRuuIXDLgj0B9GMcFY_sdwil7Hp5i-D43hAhIRrhVbBJkFZmkkteqaHnWpN0/s320/Passing-the-Relay-Baton-108220033_706x499.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">We might compare the feast of the Ascension to the passing of a baton from one runner to another in a relay race. That day Jesus passed the baton of responsibility for the Kingdom of God to his followers … to us. </span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jesus gave us the assignment to complete the work He began. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The message of the Ascension is a simple one. Jesus invites us to take from his hand the baton he received from his Father; and tells us to continue the work that his Father gave Him to do on earth. It’s a call to witness Jesus and teach others about Him wherever we find ourselves and in whatever manner the Holy Spirit inspires us to use.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Ascension is all about simply taking Jesus' invitation seriously to be His witness to our world and his teacher to those we encounter in our life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As Jesus exited this earth, He asked us to continue the work He began on earth in the environments where we live … our homes … our places of work … our parishes. Does this mean we must preach about Jesus as Peter and the other disciples did in our first reading? For most of us, probably not. It’s more about how we live. St. Frances once said: "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Taking the baton from Jesus means living the Gospel in our daily lives. At the very least, it means being witnesses to Jesus in our own families. Only if we begin taking our Christian calling seriously will the message of Jesus take hold in our world. And, if we step out in faith and do it, our faith will ripple around the globe. And, if enough of us do it, that ripple will grow into a tidal wave. And that tidal wave — empowered by the Holy Spirit — will renew the face of the earth in a way we never dreamed possible.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Don't be disheartened; pick up the baton and carry on!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div><br /></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-71420622095610922992023-05-20T10:23:00.003-07:002023-05-20T10:23:55.406-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah; font-size: large;">With gratitude </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah; font-size: large;">optimism is sustainable.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah; font-size: large;">If you can find something</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah; font-size: large;">to be grateful for</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah; font-size: large;">Then you find something</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah; font-size: large;">to look forward to</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah; font-size: large;">Then you can carry on. </span></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-77471850798309450932022-10-27T08:54:00.001-07:002022-10-27T08:54:32.211-07:00<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44D6rgLXqvsN883uV3zJF87v-hfSYgbuCKZPXC2s-QCMIUYV2DDZSOu7ovmtJvujQhx_ioT0LOwguxk5I61VG1VJQ2-EQTgCYyW2_7xEicSKKvKe9uk4BhQYgTXr8iLONiPw_2hemJ0NcdiJsRGJ8y4pPE8zZytZBXV1DW0CS1BfzvzQ_uzJFOHdT/s724/Life-is-short-962685926_727x484.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="724" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44D6rgLXqvsN883uV3zJF87v-hfSYgbuCKZPXC2s-QCMIUYV2DDZSOu7ovmtJvujQhx_ioT0LOwguxk5I61VG1VJQ2-EQTgCYyW2_7xEicSKKvKe9uk4BhQYgTXr8iLONiPw_2hemJ0NcdiJsRGJ8y4pPE8zZytZBXV1DW0CS1BfzvzQ_uzJFOHdT/w378-h252/Life-is-short-962685926_727x484.jpeg" width="378" /></a></div>I've been to four funerals in the past week or so. Which filled my heart with this message for us all: Life is short, and the goal should be to live each moment to the fullest. We mustn’t waste time in anger, regrets, and worries. Life is too short to be holding grudges. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mother Theresa said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet. We have only today.”</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />My two brothers and I did not speak to each other for many years. Some of that was from past hurts, but most was laziness. We didn't take the time to reach out to each other. My brothers died within a few months of each other last year. My heart is heavy with regret. Learn from me – call someone today and tell them you care; mend fences if you need to. Life is fleeting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />One way to make life more joyful is to be grateful. Gratitude and joy are uniquely linked. According to a study by psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, people who keep a happiness journal for a week feel happier than people who don't, even three months after they stopped writing it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lately, I've learned to take some time in the morning - praying, sipping coffee, and coming up with my day's to-do list. It has become the most precious time of the day for me now. I try to make sure the things on my list are not just chores but reflect what came to my heart during prayer. I try to ensure my list includes things I want to be doing and reaching out to people God put on my heart. In my morning prayer time, I reflect on the life I want to be living.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />A Swiss philosopher once said: "Life is short. We don't have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind," and I would add to that beautiful message to always be aware of the blessings of God, who made us, loves us, and encourages us to love one another.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-28107500159855207512022-10-01T13:28:00.002-07:002022-10-01T13:28:58.831-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b> On October 7, we celebrate </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>in honor of the Blessed Mother. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>October was also the month in which Mary appeared for the last time to shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: x-large;">urging them to </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: x-large;"><b>'SAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: x-large;"><b>TO OBTAIN PEACE FOR THE WORLD.'</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><b>Join me this October</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">praying the rosary for peace in U</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">kraine</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-75278457912568707302022-08-31T14:25:00.000-07:002022-08-31T14:25:20.761-07:00God values humility - Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs6QHP_iRkV6Sf-H47slcRQlMQhs3yR-4M__iRLorOzuek5Yo7hRmirfMnJNXM6XBL_crh1xxioTZUrMFIMfdAFUs2A4XJLdYLBpgvSSoPd7FELfXWiRS5DqvtVxWEFm8UW5eE6XNIDNVhX_4ORoqGzW9coRCGiJNvC7_OViQXUwd434cfBfH2JlE/s641/Stay-humble-card.-1000141248_643x546.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="641" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs6QHP_iRkV6Sf-H47slcRQlMQhs3yR-4M__iRLorOzuek5Yo7hRmirfMnJNXM6XBL_crh1xxioTZUrMFIMfdAFUs2A4XJLdYLBpgvSSoPd7FELfXWiRS5DqvtVxWEFm8UW5eE6XNIDNVhX_4ORoqGzW9coRCGiJNvC7_OViQXUwd434cfBfH2JlE/w400-h340/Stay-humble-card.-1000141248_643x546.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There aren't too many benefits of growing old, except if you live long enough, you begin to put things in perspective. When you're young, you constantly worry about what other people think of you. You worry about whether they think you're good-looking or your peers think you are cool. I can’t imagine what it’s like with social media! If you're lucky, you stop worrying about those things somewhere along the line. You stop caring so much about what other people think of you. And when you get to my age, you realize that most of the people you worried about weren’t thinking about you at all. <p></p><p>In our Gospel reading, Jesus is with a whole lot of people who were all caught up in what others thought of them. And he told them a truth about how God sees us. He said:</p><p></p>“Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.”<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Luke 14:11</span><p></p><p>We all want to be great … right? So, what does it mean to be humble?</p><p>Does it mean to put ourselves down?</p><p>Does it mean to think less of ourselves? </p><p>Does it mean to deny our true worth or to belittle it?</p><p>Not at all!</p><p>Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself. It doesn't mean having a low opinion of your gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all. When we take ourselves out of the picture, what is left? God and others. That is what Jesus is talking about, putting God and others first in our lives.</p><p>Jesus is the most remarkable example of humility. In his letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul tells us: “… though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave.” Jesus Christ was humble. He lived his life obeying his Father and serving us, even giving up his life to save us. </p><p>To be humble is to imitate Jesus. He once said about himself: “The Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve." <span style="font-size: x-small;">Mark 10:45 </span> If you are struggling to understand what Jesus is saying about humility, just think of Him on his knees washing his disciples' feet. Or think about Him on the cross giving up his life for us. True humility is to take the talents that God has given us and use them to lift others up. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISQDWLnUwp7s_Nv5ms6QWiqXSh2uBWrIVbR1j4TEYQKZVhExLLaT3eVDuGEZIpChCkFHLWx0JJWzNKp05yElDBz4Fb-KX8d2M8uYXKas-QzJ-UbrRnJxv09gNDVohPOkTNvenqHgbbDsnIyMaTh2Ao7VufK2MgoTsfYczP79kXGH-kp3J6dLBwPhO/s739/Rome---The-paint-of-St.-John-Paul-II.-599689378_474x742.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="473" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISQDWLnUwp7s_Nv5ms6QWiqXSh2uBWrIVbR1j4TEYQKZVhExLLaT3eVDuGEZIpChCkFHLWx0JJWzNKp05yElDBz4Fb-KX8d2M8uYXKas-QzJ-UbrRnJxv09gNDVohPOkTNvenqHgbbDsnIyMaTh2Ao7VufK2MgoTsfYczP79kXGH-kp3J6dLBwPhO/w410-h640/Rome---The-paint-of-St.-John-Paul-II.-599689378_474x742.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div>I read a story about Pope John Paul II, now "Saint" John Paul II. The story goes that a priest was visiting Rome. And on the steps of one of the churches, he saw a beggar who looked very familiar. To his surprise, he realized it was one of his classmates from the seminary. "Didn't we go to the seminary together?" he asked. "Yes," said the beggar. "But you're a priest, right?" "Not anymore," the beggar replied, "I fell off the deep end."<p></p><p>A short time later, the priest had an audience with Pope John Paul II. He told him the story and asked him to pray for his friend. The Pope assured him that he would. Later that day, the priest received a phone call inviting him to have dinner with the Pope, and the Pope asked him to bring the ex-priest with him. He ran to the church, found his friend, and gave him the good news. But the beggar said, "I'm a mess. I haven't showered in a long time, and my clothes are filthy." But the priest took him back to his hotel room and helped him get all cleaned up.</p><p>At the end of a very enjoyable dinner, the Holy Father asked to be alone with the ex-priest. After a long while, the man came out with tears in his eyes. "What happened?" his friend asked. The man replied, "The Pope asked me to hear his confession! I told him, 'Your Holiness, look at me! I'm a beggar, not a priest!' But the Pope looked at me and said, "Who among us is not a beggar? I too come before the Lord as a beggar asking for forgiveness of my sins." I told him I was not in good standing with the Church, but the Pope assured me that as the Bishop of Rome, he could reinstate me right then and there."</p><p>After he heard the Holy Father's confession, the newly reinstated priest asked the Pope to hear his confession. Then Pope John Paul II gave him an assignment to minister to the beggars on the steps of the church where he had been found. Through the humility of Pope John Paul II, who saw himself as God saw him, this former beggar received a new hope, a new mission, and a new beginning.</p><p>The Goal for each of us is to see ourselves as God sees us. The world doesn’t believe that the Virtue of Humility is important or even desirable. But God thinks otherwise. To be truly humble means to see ourselves as God sees us.</p><p>We’re about to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. But before we do, we will all make the following statement: </p><p>“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”</p><p>We say these words first spoken by a Roman Centurion, a very powerful man, a very successful man who came to Jesus to plead for him to save his sick servant. Jesus was a nobody in that culture, just a humble carpenter, but this powerful man came to him in humility. And like that Centurion, in a few minutes, we are called to humble ourselves before Jesus and see his power and presence in the simple bread and wine that Father Sebastian will bless in a moment. We believe as Catholics that in the holy Eucharist, the Lord is truly and substantially present under the appearance of bread and wine. Just as the mighty Centurion recognized God's power in a humble carpenter, we are called to see that same Jesus in the humble elements of bread and wine. So today, let’s each of us say those words before communion with conviction. In true humility, let us open our hearts to the Lord our God, who humbled himself to join us today.</p><div><br /></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-83024683807868406952022-08-29T17:45:00.000-07:002022-08-29T17:45:55.554-07:00Martha and Mary Homily<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4O8FEdM3v6_o8GSVYS7-6FYhVeM0CBc4mx4n9LGG5ycG7lHZAWhGdYEMRhYPw7mgz9lOMCwgeG76rE2sN84XWxvvSJmwYBWInOcU3cSSrehSZdNi7DGs3Mts_mWAhLM6T7dxdZ4T70bPQLkgqRZk-PPL4nqe9oi9e3yT0H1voT3HpurT72mWGVRy/s1024/slow-down-vector-id516234360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4O8FEdM3v6_o8GSVYS7-6FYhVeM0CBc4mx4n9LGG5ycG7lHZAWhGdYEMRhYPw7mgz9lOMCwgeG76rE2sN84XWxvvSJmwYBWInOcU3cSSrehSZdNi7DGs3Mts_mWAhLM6T7dxdZ4T70bPQLkgqRZk-PPL4nqe9oi9e3yT0H1voT3HpurT72mWGVRy/s320/slow-down-vector-id516234360.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The great American philosopher Dolly Parton once said:<p></p><p>“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” </p><p>Martha was so busy serving Jesus that she missed something much more important. … Because I’m kind of a Martha, I get her. For me, she is the servant leader of the family, doing what needs to be done. But it’s also clear that Mary, the devoted learner chose the better part. She recognized the rare opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn from and pray with Him. </p><p>Making dinner or being with Jesus? From our perspective, it's easy to see which is the better choice. Both women were serving Jesus but choosing different ways to serve. Both sisters are admirable; they both acted out of love.</p><p>Luke positions this story between two of Jesus’ most important teachings. I don’t think that’s an accident. Right before this story comes the parable of the Good Samaritan, which is the ultimate story of discipleship as service. And right after the Martha and Mary story, Luke tells how the disciples come to Jesus and say Lord teach us to pray. So you see. The sister of service and the sister of prayer are sandwiched right between the two passages, emphasizing the importance of service and devotion.</p><p>So why did Jesus say Mary picked “the better part?” Martha's mistake that day was to get so caught up in her servants' heart, so full of worry about her hostess duties, that she completely misses the more significant point. As was so often the case, Jesus was doing something radical that day.</p><p>The reading tells us: that Mary sat beside the Lord at his feet, listening to him speak. Rather than assuming the role expected of women in her culture, she takes her place at the feet of Jesus. She assumes the posture of a student learning at the feet of a rabbi, a role traditionally reserved for men. And Jesus encouraged her. Jesus accepted Mary at the same level as a male disciple. She was assuming a position equal to a man. To call women to be equal to men in discipleship was radical. So radical Martha missed it. That was her mistake. She got so caught up in her work. She missed the better part. She missed the opportunity Jesus was calling her to because she was too busy with busy work. He was calling her to something more important than making dinner.</p><p>We do that! We can get so busy in our lives that we don't hear Jesus' call to us to do something big. We can't hear God calling us because we get so caught up in our work. We don’t take the time to listen. We don’t take the time to sit at his feet and listen to his call. We don’t take some time in quiet prayer to listen to God. We get so caught up in the day-to-day work that we forget to spend quality time each day with Jesus. And because of that, we can miss how he is calling us.</p><p>So many of us right now are like Martha, anxious and worried about many things. Jesus gives us the medicine for that anxiousness and worry. He shows it to us through Mary spending time at the feet of Jesus. </p><p>Jesus wants us to be his disciples, all of us. He wants us to slow down and spend more time in study and prayer. Like Dolly Parton, he's asking us to “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”</p><p>When I was a kid, we had nuns teaching in our Catholic grammar schools. They taught us from something called the Baltimore Catechism. It was a series of questions that the catechism answered.</p><p>Question # 6. It is one everyone who learned from this book can repeat. The question was: </p><p><b>Why did God make you?</b></p><p>And all the students would answer:</p><p><b>God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.</b></p><p>Martha and Mary teach us this same lesson. Mary shows us how important it is to KNOW him and Martha shows us how important it is to SERVE him. Ultimately, the goal is to LOVE him. But … we need to slow down enough to know and love our God.</p><p>I heard a poem a few years back that I think of whenever I'm going too fast – when I'm locked on to making a living rather than a life. I'd like to end with it today. </p><p><br /></p><p>Have you ever watched kids</p><p>On a merry-go-round?</p><p>Or listened to the rain</p><p>Slapping the ground?</p><p>Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?</p><p>Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?</p><p><br /></p><p>You better slow down</p><p>Don’t dance so fast.</p><p>Time is short.</p><p>The music won’t last.</p><p><br /></p><p>Do you run through each day</p><p>On the fly?</p><p>When you ask: How are you?</p><p>Do you hear the reply?</p><p><br /></p><p>When the day is done,</p><p>Do you lie in your bed</p><p>With the next hundred chores</p><p>Running through your head?</p><p><br /></p><p>You’d better slow down.</p><p>Don’t dance so fast.</p><p>Time is short.</p><p>The music won’t last.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ever told your child,</p><p>We’ll do it tomorrow?</p><p>And in your haste,</p><p>Not see his sorrow?</p><p><br /></p><p>Ever lost touch,</p><p>Let a good friendship die</p><p>Cause you never had time</p><p>To call and say, “Hi”?</p><p><br /></p><p>You’d better slow down</p><p>Don’t dance so fast.</p><p>Time is short.</p><p>The music won’t last.</p><p><br /></p><p>When you run so fast to get somewhere</p><p>You miss half the fun of getting there.</p><p>When you worry and hurry through the day,</p><p>It is like an unopened gift thrown away.</p><p><br /></p><p>Life is not a race.</p><p>Do take it slower.</p><p>Hear the music</p><p>Before the song is over.</p><div><br /></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-79828109245990267432022-08-01T09:36:00.006-07:002022-08-01T09:36:48.951-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">“God made you great. Stay great.”</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mark Link SJ</span></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-18717512200446254302022-07-22T13:22:00.001-07:002022-07-22T13:22:31.591-07:00<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHX_1edAQRCc1qy7wTbTwNKnJAkCjBbdJo_3sujUArXMkoxJORPUxw8ChzgnfeKYVPiu-wV70aTIpVC1rHKqJjQ-tORrseErBbqUwQm2zS-ZZtJXZNdJ_hL9OsbsG9lACn9p9DKtIbJrMLPpind_8DxV4QZBTUHJzqCLPbXmnBFBqCfMVORK-XbmD8/s808/woman%20praying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="594" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHX_1edAQRCc1qy7wTbTwNKnJAkCjBbdJo_3sujUArXMkoxJORPUxw8ChzgnfeKYVPiu-wV70aTIpVC1rHKqJjQ-tORrseErBbqUwQm2zS-ZZtJXZNdJ_hL9OsbsG9lACn9p9DKtIbJrMLPpind_8DxV4QZBTUHJzqCLPbXmnBFBqCfMVORK-XbmD8/w294-h400/woman%20praying.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>PROGRESS IN PRAYER </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />“To some extent<br />prayer comes naturally to man.<br />Like anything innate<br />it often tends to follow<br />a natural rhythm identifiable with growth.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />During childhood<br />recited prayer predominates<br />words learned by heart or read from a book ...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />From adolescence to adulthood<br />meditative prayer develops.<br />We also find spoken prayer during this period.<br />This species, while focusing upon<br />a subject of one’s own choosing,<br />breaks forth spontaneously ...<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It may be the outburst of an emotion of joy,<br />praise, gratefulness, sorrow ...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Finally,, silent prayer<br />is the prayer of the mature man, whose soul<br />remains speechless in the presence of God<br />aware of the inadequacy of whatever the soul may say to him.<br />But is simply content<br />to rest in God’s entrancing company.”<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by Michael Lapierre, S.J.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-39279961589648015972022-07-07T11:23:00.000-07:002022-07-07T11:23:04.605-07:00Asking God your reason for being ... <p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I give you </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">life </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I place you on </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">earth </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">for a very</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">special reason</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">but you won’t </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">find out unless </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">you ask me what </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">the reason is</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">and talking </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">is so easy</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">why don’t </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">you do more </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">with me?</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;">J. Janda</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-51606725201314472512022-05-01T12:21:00.000-07:002022-05-01T12:21:01.613-07:00<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSp3nYRjYCPWrkDGgi7RA-Zu5G2zDpFWWlZQfsgL99gi1Lv9NWRsapYeD3sLQCgCijc73e-d9cgK-A8MHpgCJOMh7oQ8ozLCyYU_lzHO5h4hXiDLLoKJno0wQasoAQdmFBfcLQcLhhjrn1-gXqxX70LNq7GFp8qtRbGZiyIstIGBaCsIz-jDO706Zx" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="400" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSp3nYRjYCPWrkDGgi7RA-Zu5G2zDpFWWlZQfsgL99gi1Lv9NWRsapYeD3sLQCgCijc73e-d9cgK-A8MHpgCJOMh7oQ8ozLCyYU_lzHO5h4hXiDLLoKJno0wQasoAQdmFBfcLQcLhhjrn1-gXqxX70LNq7GFp8qtRbGZiyIstIGBaCsIz-jDO706Zx=w400-h279" width="400" /></a> <span style="font-size: 26.6667px;">Saint Stephen </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 20pt;">Saint Philip</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 28.5333px;">Saint Prochorus<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 28.5333px;">Saint Nicanor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 28.5333px;">Saint Timon<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 28.5333px;">Saint Parmenas<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 28.5333px;">Saint Nicholas</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSp3nYRjYCPWrkDGgi7RA-Zu5G2zDpFWWlZQfsgL99gi1Lv9NWRsapYeD3sLQCgCijc73e-d9cgK-A8MHpgCJOMh7oQ8ozLCyYU_lzHO5h4hXiDLLoKJno0wQasoAQdmFBfcLQcLhhjrn1-gXqxX70LNq7GFp8qtRbGZiyIstIGBaCsIz-jDO706Zx" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;">Pray for the
success of our Million Meal Event</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-7221895067632160512022-04-27T12:37:00.000-07:002022-04-27T12:37:32.020-07:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-xFihOlMDCvRz34Pq5qY6L3c_2OJ-FUTDu4gC24VVAhxpi4a55BhBFddbypgr3Lzh48a6pN66kEMMyAqBnabkClqeQqhza71DzvgN-L0RE31rK5oI38NNAmkW_6Bzd8-QV6r1XMldh_4WiRMFIHAIwI69O_ShwXJI24TPUH_xLajF8nz2pfrMTC22" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="612" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-xFihOlMDCvRz34Pq5qY6L3c_2OJ-FUTDu4gC24VVAhxpi4a55BhBFddbypgr3Lzh48a6pN66kEMMyAqBnabkClqeQqhza71DzvgN-L0RE31rK5oI38NNAmkW_6Bzd8-QV6r1XMldh_4WiRMFIHAIwI69O_ShwXJI24TPUH_xLajF8nz2pfrMTC22=w407-h296" width="407" /></a></div>I’ve always identified with Thomas. <p></p><p>Thomas was asked to do what the other disciples didn’t have to do. He had to believe sight unseen. Thomas might be the easiest apostle to relate to because many of us have experienced what it is like to live between faith and doubt. Almost everyone experiences some kind of doubt at some point in their faith journey. It’s part of the faith journey.</p><p>Faith is often seen as the opposite of doubt, but that is inaccurate. The opposite of faith is certainty; there is no room for faith where there is certainty. </p><p>Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith. Doubt forces us to rely on God because we don’t have it all figured out. </p><p>In the ninth chapter of Mark’s Gospel, there is the story of a distraught father whose young son is possessed by an evil spirit. The boy's father has asked Jesus to heal his son, and Jesus told him to have faith, and his son would recover. Like the rest of us, the poor fellow had his doubts, so he said, “I’ll do my best, but while you’re attending to my son, please cure my unbelief.” The boy was cured; the father’s faith was strengthened by Jesus, who reminded him, “Everything is possible to one who has faith.”</p><p>The most excellent cure for doubt is a good prayer life that includes scripture reading. Ponder God’s word. Let it speak to you and use it to speak to God. Pray to God in the words of the psalms. Enter into the Gospel stories, try to imagine yourself in the reading. Visualize yourself as the person whom you see Jesus healing. Feel his hands rest upon you; hear his words as if they were spoken to you. Don’t read them as you read the morning paper but listen to them as part of your morning prayer. From my experience doing this, I can promise you that God will touch your heart and strengthen your faith.</p><div><br /></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-12395824559424523112022-03-16T11:31:00.000-07:002022-03-16T11:31:41.135-07:00<p>The Saint Brigid Parish Stations of the Cross are Amazing</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTik_TRJGdH017hBCG-kpAaDyNgh3i4QC9jme7q47ZOyoBI6MjRxX9a0kUqTE0JD8opdIvi48IAknZ1dd18J3jnOaocTJf7WYzpnBtoPukvuVF_LMTitmjoc2Tw-miFM_8Bt8tGG_tuszKNnprcZrCeN9HHGdbr5uPKG41Qy9AQTyr9vBAJNcdUSMB=s3300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="3300" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTik_TRJGdH017hBCG-kpAaDyNgh3i4QC9jme7q47ZOyoBI6MjRxX9a0kUqTE0JD8opdIvi48IAknZ1dd18J3jnOaocTJf7WYzpnBtoPukvuVF_LMTitmjoc2Tw-miFM_8Bt8tGG_tuszKNnprcZrCeN9HHGdbr5uPKG41Qy9AQTyr9vBAJNcdUSMB=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div>This Lent let's focus on the words rather than the images.<div><br /></div><div>The first panel says:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />We Adore Thee<br />O Christ<br />And<br />We Bless Thee<br />Because<br />By Thy Holy Cross<br />Thou Hast<br />Redeemed<br />The World</span></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>The cross of Christ is the greatest of all paradoxes. </b></h3><p style="text-align: center;">The cross was the darkest hour in history</p><p style="text-align: center;">yet it was the time of greatest light.</p><p style="text-align: center;">It was the most tragic event in the history of the world,</p><p style="text-align: center;">yet the most wonderful thing that ever happened. </p><p style="text-align: center;">It was the saddest spectacle man ever beheld,</p><p style="text-align: center;">yet it was the most stunning defeat Satan ever suffered</p><p style="text-align: center;"> and the most glorious victory Christ ever won. </p><p style="text-align: center;">He won by losing. </p><p style="text-align: center;">He conquered by surrendering. </p><p style="text-align: center;">We see man's hatred for Christ in the cross, </p><p style="text-align: center;">yet we see Christ's love for man. </p><p style="text-align: center;">There we see human vengeance as the crowds cried for His blood, </p><p style="text-align: center;">yet we see divine forgiveness as Jesus prayed, </p><p style="text-align: center;">"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."</p><p style="text-align: center;">The cross portrays man’s sinfulness and God’s holiness;</p><p style="text-align: center;"> human weakness and divine strength. </p><p style="text-align: center;">It demonstrates man's inability to save himself </p><p style="text-align: center;">and God's ability and power to do this for him. </p><p style="text-align: center;">The cross, from the human standpoint, is foolishness;</p><p style="text-align: center;">yet it is a revelation of the highest wisdom of God. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">💗</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that "for the Jewish people the cross is a scandal </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">and for the Greeks (Gentiles) the cross is foolishness, but to those on the way of salvation -- </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Jew and Gentile alike -- Christ the power and wisdom of God!"</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-67928634541883141242022-03-03T13:25:00.000-08:002022-03-03T13:25:14.426-08:00Make your Lenten prayers ... prayers for peace.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYIEvee7kGw3MVJ26bWxqjbR4jxojyTD14RN1grwEggnLZHEyN5c9uhFqPKTKuXiVD6TRm6RCYBzSD7vjZ6MC2aRTCDLmMJGOgC0dOfBYM7dpz3aokAzE0y-JN9zxLqtRqOd2pJ7JDNFzmDf2puUKiz2za-585vEhHNUkRh0WlJ2MGnMVTkx__UdW_=s724" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="724" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYIEvee7kGw3MVJ26bWxqjbR4jxojyTD14RN1grwEggnLZHEyN5c9uhFqPKTKuXiVD6TRm6RCYBzSD7vjZ6MC2aRTCDLmMJGOgC0dOfBYM7dpz3aokAzE0y-JN9zxLqtRqOd2pJ7JDNFzmDf2puUKiz2za-585vEhHNUkRh0WlJ2MGnMVTkx__UdW_=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>As we begin Lent, our 40-day season of prayer, sacrifice, and almsgiving in preparation for the celebration of Easter, I would suggest we offer our sacrifices and prayers for the people of Ukraine. We watch in horror as peaceful communities are turned into arenas of violence, families are separated, and young men young fathers pick up weapons. We see missiles destroy places of refuge and safety, and lives are abused, wounded, and lost, including innocent children. Millions must flee their homes with just the clothes they can carry. We all want to do something to help! And we can! As we begin our Lenten traditions, let all of us remember that prayer is powerful. Pray for peace! Pray for Ukraine. Ask God to pierce Putin’s heart. </p>O God, author and giver of peace,<br />in whose image and likeness each of us has been created<br />with a human dignity worthy of respect on earth<br />and destined for eternal glory,<br />Listen to the cry that rises from every corner of this fragile earth,<br />from our human family torn by violent conflict:<br /><br />Give peace in our time, O good and gracious God,<br />that peace which, as your son Jesus Christ told us<br />and as we have experienced in these days,<br />is a peace which the world cannot give.<br /><br />To world leaders grant the wisdom<br />to see beyond the boundaries of race, religion, and nation<br />to that common humanity that makes us all your children<br />and brothers and sisters to one another.<br /><br />To those who have taken up arms in anger or revenge<br />or even in the cause of justice<br />grant the grace of conversion to the path of peaceful dialogue<br />and constructive collaboration.<br /><br />To the innocent who live in the shadow of war and terror,<br />especially the frightened children,<br />be a shelter and strength, their haven and hope.<br /><br />And to those who have already lost their lives<br />as victims of human cruelty,<br />open wide your arms and enfold them all<br />in the embrace of your compassion, healing, and everlasting life.<br /><br />Grant this through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord.<br /><br />Mary, Mother of all and Queen of peace, pray for us.<br /><br />- Peter J. Scagnelli<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-14142094274726014212022-02-10T11:31:00.003-08:002022-02-10T11:31:55.624-08:00<p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: x-large;">“A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.” </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: x-large;">---Seneca </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-22291840218000451722021-12-28T12:15:00.000-08:002021-12-28T12:15:27.536-08:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4auYwM1_gtSkiLymQXaIGd-NvPAjme_l_vb6mlBSvX_Qlie4cabETtJac0LURZDNFxUctGsNhAZPzntlXQhX23PwZ41tv2f8PR72oWBqWUcjwXnRdX0CM1x2viCeOhuZpxg-E5c34pQg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4auYwM1_gtSkiLymQXaIGd-NvPAjme_l_vb6mlBSvX_Qlie4cabETtJac0LURZDNFxUctGsNhAZPzntlXQhX23PwZ41tv2f8PR72oWBqWUcjwXnRdX0CM1x2viCeOhuZpxg-E5c34pQg/w400-h400/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Hugs to all my dear friends recieving this blog.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I love you!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Happy New Year.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><p></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-34082150842088358592021-12-22T09:37:00.001-08:002021-12-22T09:37:21.456-08:00CAIN - The Commission (Official Music Video)<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/APATH3ea-D0" width="480"></iframe>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-25381734258743604862021-12-10T14:29:00.000-08:002021-12-10T14:29:38.810-08:00Thoughts about our Lady of Guadalupe <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5c4YW8fJ_k1qS-3zBBXU9g_aq6sWJwkWfpAQVoBeW14Pn95KVuNV1kk25TanI3Tm9_GYs-I0RXpRg8xeNkPoV9U7NeiJ2rdLAEb7ZuMAox7Ot_66cmJ1zUj8EumxHELCAwsk8mXSGnM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1200" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5c4YW8fJ_k1qS-3zBBXU9g_aq6sWJwkWfpAQVoBeW14Pn95KVuNV1kk25TanI3Tm9_GYs-I0RXpRg8xeNkPoV9U7NeiJ2rdLAEb7ZuMAox7Ot_66cmJ1zUj8EumxHELCAwsk8mXSGnM/w640-h290/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I feel so fortunate to have a devotion to Mary Jesus’ mother. We got our first look at Jesus' incredible powers came when Jesus performed a public miracle because his mother asked. He said it was not his time yet, but his mother asked for help. And he could not resist his mother’s request. That fact alone should encourage us to seek her assistance when we need to approach Jesus for help. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="297" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiYVU2TqMqrSlDzZsEpo3ecyFNLdpkOJW44ZMgja9qohI_-3IVApygqi2qAhPv_b33Z280chXRbZhvajeBkosiZCygV58bnVhGduKvnCOow3nebLewlj3FcL90eDNkIEHZBKz55lImMY/w267-h400/image.png" width="267" /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Throughout history, Mary has visited humankind at sites around the world. At least 13 apparitions of Mary have been recorded. My favorite aspect of those visits is that her physical appearance always reflects the local culture. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The two most dramatic examples of this are Our Lady of La Vang in Vietnam and Our Lady of Guadalupe. She appeared in Vietnam, when Catholics were being persecuted and killed, as a stunningly beautiful Vietnamese woman with the child Jesus. In the sixteenth century, Mary appeared in Mexico, and her face had the appearance of an indigenous maiden. The meaning of that is instantly evident; Mary is one of us – all of us!</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="470" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRs6u-w1n5UwG7nXs7D39w-TzvNHTDOkrDvl2Xx6PbHRR2MLPVwlLLr1zNkgyupAAjGwEhR5IaPRqVZY82YMAWM_8Onm-SJXVVJ-j0Z1t6_vOD64rG-aIpkCLcmTlqYmqEZN0SQNh_Elg/w267-h267/image.png" width="267" /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Her appearance as an indigenous, dark-skinned woman is something all of us should embrace at this moment when race relations are so much on our minds. Millions of Mexicans, Latin Americans, and U.S. Hispanics can see themselves in her face. Her complexion is mestiza (i.e., mixed races), just like so many of them. Her face is their face. All people of color can realize how much she and Jesus value them through her appearance.<br />The work of artist Yolanda Lopez (seen above) is tantalizing as she portrays </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Our Lady of Guadalupe performing everyday activities such as sowing and running.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Mary is a sign of divine presence in history, and the beauty of what she tells us in her visits is that God loves all people. Prejudice in our society—and in the Church— is real. Cherishing the indigenous, dark-skinned face of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good step in forming a welcoming heart for all people.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><br /></p></div></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-4916459048599164762021-11-29T13:06:00.002-08:002021-11-29T13:06:52.215-08:00The Wise Men ...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AxILMZhgtpVOMfMRhdROnawJG9DoGdpj-pHQ41fHT16xo2qc6C4a8cT0ExJO2tZ76DcqELUGUivGdiN8ckpRrJbpzR0XxfhawzPmOT78STQad_E8bQjLIqlkhqzkh_bzhoOSoZDYVRM/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="478" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AxILMZhgtpVOMfMRhdROnawJG9DoGdpj-pHQ41fHT16xo2qc6C4a8cT0ExJO2tZ76DcqELUGUivGdiN8ckpRrJbpzR0XxfhawzPmOT78STQad_E8bQjLIqlkhqzkh_bzhoOSoZDYVRM/w365-h229/image.png" width="365" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>The bible tells us that</div><div>the wise men after meeting Jesus</div><div>returned a different way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said,</div><div><br /></div><div>"Of course they did!</div><div>No one ever comes to Christ</div><div>and goes back the same way they came.</div><div><br /></div><div>The whole purpose of being Christian </div><div>is transformation.</div><div><br /></div></div><p></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-89121310066251120932021-11-12T10:27:00.002-08:002021-11-12T10:27:44.450-08:00<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;">You cannot do a kindness too soon, </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Architects Daughter";">for you never know how soon it will be too late.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Ralph Waldo Emerson </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-45403240431623382512021-11-05T12:07:00.000-07:002021-11-05T12:07:55.173-07:00The Parable of the Deceitful Steward. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIrTCjD-6_oOgODSFzywwc2IkMQzOV_b1cFZkBOMJy_78QT_CJ9kkn4i6D0U2A2tSfT-t13PC-cqgYj3A_AKtn1h6Y7OOp_cT6Q4pP8wLu8Qnfot2RpDPPZCq3B7eUmW1F6Nbp15mxRE/s724/Pencil-Eraser-Erasing-Debt-Word-1130220092_727x484.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="724" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIrTCjD-6_oOgODSFzywwc2IkMQzOV_b1cFZkBOMJy_78QT_CJ9kkn4i6D0U2A2tSfT-t13PC-cqgYj3A_AKtn1h6Y7OOp_cT6Q4pP8wLu8Qnfot2RpDPPZCq3B7eUmW1F6Nbp15mxRE/s320/Pencil-Eraser-Erasing-Debt-Word-1130220092_727x484.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The parable begins with a rich man calling his steward before him to inform him that he will be relieving him of his duties for mismanaging his Master's resources. The steward, realizing that he will soon be without a job, makes some deals behind his Master's back by reducing the debt owed by several of the Master's debtors in exchange for shelter when he is eventually put out. When the Master becomes aware of what the wicked servant had done, he commends him for his "shrewdness."<p></p><p>This parable about the shady steward is one of the most puzzling Jesus told. Not only does this steward get away with bribing the master’s debtors by reducing their debt, but his boss praises him for being shrewd! </p><p><b>What’s the moral for us? … What’s the takeaway from this odd parable?</b></p><p>Maybe it’s right before our eyes. </p><p>Jesus praises the steward for forgiving the debtors their debts. Isn’t forgiving our debts precisely what Jesus came to do? Isn’t the steward, in an odd way, doing what Jesus did?</p><p>Remember the Our Father. We Catholics say, "forgive us our trespasses," but many Christians say, "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Jesus taught us this prayer; it's how his heart works, it’s how he thinks. Maybe this story is about the shrewdness of forgiveness.</p><p>When our Master asks for an accounting of our life, what will we have to show Him? Maybe this bad steward got it right and Jesus wants to find us forgiving our debtors their debts. The shrewd thing he is calling us to do is - forgive others - like the steward forgave his Master's creditors. That's our calling.</p><p>Everything we own is a gift from God. God is the owner of everything, and we are His stewards. Our call is to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s goals. In this specific case, he is calling us to be generous with His gifts to benefit others. Our call is to make the debts of those around us lighter, to let them know we have a master who finds forgiveness praiseworthy. </p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-13587591790612969292021-10-21T10:09:00.000-07:002021-10-21T10:09:31.478-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBFDfYQJf1tOh7g6M09NzTRM-ZeC811L7-RRHPIlGfw4avQMAnoVvyv5LSbYVEurps-HXNYGUetGXDAFOVbHNPmCpZYep9We9Pe4nVPGyyPdbpQTHLs6fGz3VqUxXeI3ukwlAHIB0zAw/s724/Ripe-fig-fruits-on-the-tree.-504336570_727x484.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="724" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBFDfYQJf1tOh7g6M09NzTRM-ZeC811L7-RRHPIlGfw4avQMAnoVvyv5LSbYVEurps-HXNYGUetGXDAFOVbHNPmCpZYep9We9Pe4nVPGyyPdbpQTHLs6fGz3VqUxXeI3ukwlAHIB0zAw/s320/Ripe-fig-fruits-on-the-tree.-504336570_727x484.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Jesus told them this parable:<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in
his orchard, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and when he came in search
of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have
come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why
should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this
year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may
bear fruit in the future. If not, you can cut it down.'" Luke 13:6-9<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The parable Jesus told isn’t really about a Fig tree. It’s a
story about the Jewish people, God’s chosen people … <i>and</i> … it's a story
about us too, we who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ. All who call
themselves Christians receive a call to bear fruit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In John’s Gospel, Jesus says very clearly, “My Father's
glory is shown by your bearing much fruit, and in this way, you become my
disciples<i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John 15:8<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like that Fig tree, our job is to bear fruit for the master
… for God. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Are we?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Are we bearing fruit for God? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This thing we call religion isn’t a private thing; it’s a
call to action. It’s a call to share the Kingdom of God with those around
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God's Kingdom is all about fruitfulness.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bearing fruit requires
action. Action that results from developing a close relationship with God and
knowing what He desires. It comes from an intimate, sensitive connection to
Jesus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus once said, "If a man
remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do
nothing." <i>John 15:5</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ, it's impossible
to bear fruit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How is your relationship with Jesus?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fruitfulness is Christlikeness. The definition of
Christlikeness is a person who has qualities like Jesus Christ. Examples of
Christlikeness are being kind, forgiving, sincere, and caring and being a
person who produces healing. When we become more like Jesus, when He increases
in our lives, we can deliver the fruit that honors God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is the nourishment we need to produce
fruit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Being Christlike means giving a human face to the gifts we
receive through the sacraments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
gifts we speak of here are the “fruit of the Spirit” … love … joy … peace …
patience … kindness … goodness … faithfulness … gentleness, and self-control. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we see these traits in our lives, we will
begin to see the fruit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The fruit God wants us to share is our faith, a faith that brings people to Him, including new believers and fallen away believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's the fruit Jesus wants.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus is encouraging us all to till the soil of our faith
and develop a Christ-like attitude full of … love … joy … kindness … attitudes
we develop through studying the Bible and daily prayer time and being
charitable, giving to those who need it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s how we till the soil; that's how we bear fruit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874541469744101182.post-62931106156863651572021-10-09T11:23:00.000-07:002021-10-09T11:23:23.482-07:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSk9X1UED5rJQfqh2fbt0W87NnmxmEImCOHBbl15uDR_nXRv8MhERsHv-nYLH-LNspOzccCr7tczYGa18e9Oas8IBNmx6iazd2JZn23UdGPpRl99-iFAh1R4Q0MbDciK5WjySwCdrLPI/s703/Eve-offering-the-apple-to-Adam-1176945855_706x499.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="703" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSk9X1UED5rJQfqh2fbt0W87NnmxmEImCOHBbl15uDR_nXRv8MhERsHv-nYLH-LNspOzccCr7tczYGa18e9Oas8IBNmx6iazd2JZn23UdGPpRl99-iFAh1R4Q0MbDciK5WjySwCdrLPI/s320/Eve-offering-the-apple-to-Adam-1176945855_706x499.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The story of Adam and Eve is given to us to explain the mystery of good and evil. In the story, God gives Adam and Eve life and then adds a seemingly strange commandment: “Do not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” <p></p><p>What God was saying to them is, "I am giving you life. It's a gift, enjoy it." God even told them to: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. I give you dominion over all the earth.” God was telling them, and us, to receive life as a gift, not as something we can acquire. </p><p>The original sin was a failure to respect the gift. Taking the apple represents the sin of wanting to be in control. The original sin was a failure in gratitude, a failure to appreciate the gift. </p><p>It is so important we realize everything is gift, including life itself. Nothing should be acquired as if it was ours by right. It's all gift. The highest compliment someone can give to the gift-giver is to enjoy the gift thoroughly. The highest praise we have to give to our God, our Creator, is to enjoy the gift of life indeed. </p><p>That is why Jesus during his time with us didn't need anything and lived so simply, he understood the gift. We all need to let go of the need to acquire – to take – and simply receive God’s gift of life.</p><div><br /></div>deaconmikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817503982000511738noreply@blogger.com0