Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time_C - The Days to Come_111625

Deacon Tom Writes,

“The Days to Come’”

 

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

Seeing Christmas decorations in the stores and hearing the countdown to Christmas since early September is a sure sign that our holiday shopping season has arrived. In the spiritual realm it is a reminder that this current Liturgical Year is drawing to a close. As it does, Sacred Scripture invites us to consider “the days to come”. Today we hear the first of several prophetic warnings about the judgment that will take place in “the days to come”. The Prophet Malachi issues a warning that the proud and evildoers will be punished, and those who fear the Lord and follow his ways will be rewarded in “the days to come”.

 

Jesus, too, sees that in “the days to come” there will be a judgment rendered upon Jerusalem, a day when the magnificent Temple standing before him will be leveled…. “So that not one stone will be left upon another”, a painful image for the people of his day.

 

What Malachi and Jesus both envision for us today is that the days of this world are numbered. The clock is running...tic, toc. History, with its wars, famines, revolutions and plagues will give way to a new chapter in the Creator’s plan in “the days to come”. These readings remind us that everything around us is temporary. The world and all that has been developed over the ages in the course of human achievement and progress will one day fade away. What will not fade away, however, is God’s judgment!

 

In these last several weeks of our Liturgical Year, we are challenged to prepare ourselves for “the days to come” by setting our hearts and minds on the things that matter, on the things that will endure, Jesus and the kingdom he inaugurated. As citizens of God’s kingdom, we are invited to live a healthy and mature spiritual life that leads to a deeper relationship with God; we are encouraged to develop a discerning spirit so that we know how to make the right choices for ourselves and our families; we are asked to conform our lives to Christ’s so that we live and act justly and do what we can to comfort and help the poor and the needy.

 

Following Christ’s example can be costly, as Jesus makes clear in the gospel today. Being a witness of the gospel can cause us hardship, suffering, and distress. Just try speaking out against capital punishment or advocating the principles of our Catholic Social Teaching. Watch what happens if you welcome a political refugee from Venezuela into your home.  That’s because the gospel stands in contrast to the world around us, a world that is often indifferent, wasteful, unjust and, oh, by the way, passing.

 

As our Liturgical Year ends, we look forward to “the days to come”, when all that is temporary and lacking gives way to the plans that God has in mind for those who persevere in following his ways. Today, we wait in hope for “the Lord to come and rule the earth with justice.”

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com where you will find contemporary conversations with Paulist Deacon Affiliates and their guests exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it. 

OTHER RESOURCES

Recommended Reading: Letters From an Understanding Friend by Isaias Powers, C.P., draws the reader into Christ's loving care to experience his love and compassion.

 

Recommended YouTube Video  Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI on Catholic Social Teaching. This is an excerpt from his lecture series "Simply Being Good-Hearted is Not Enough: A Spirituality of Charity, Justice, and Prophecy." I hope you will find this very interesting.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome_C - Holy Space_110925

Lateran Basilica, Rome

 

Deacon Tom Writes

Holy Space

 

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. It is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, and to Jesus Christ, our Savior. It became the Mother Church of Christendom around 313 A.D. when the Emperor Constantine gave it to the Bishop of Rome. Many Councils, referred to as Lateran Councils, were held within its walls in the early days of the church. It was there that much of the dogma of our faith that we profess today was formulated.

 

I have seen this beautiful church and indeed it is a masterpiece. The architecture, the decorations, the adornments are works of art description. This is true for many of our basilicas and cathedrals. Many of our churches are a sight to behold. Yet, what gives them their real beauty is not the adornments. It’s not the gold and silver decorations, nor the famed renaissance paintings, nor the jeweled sacred vessels. What makes these grand structures so magnificent is the One in whose name and memory these houses of worship were built - the Lord, God Almighty. 

 

We know from our Old Testament history that David desired to build a house for the Lord and that his son, Solomon, is credited with building the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem. But buildings come and go. The temple that God wanted to establish among His people was made of human flesh. It was Christ, the God-Man. Salvation History is the story of God visiting His people and creating within them “holy space” that would be the living, breathing temples of His Holy Spirit.

 

Whenever we enter into this “holy space”, we come into a communal celebration to share in the banquet Christ has prepared for us through His sacrifice on Calvary. We enter into a mystery that is beyond us and that summons within us a faith that rises above our understanding. Within this “holy space” we are joined by other believers to be nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ and enlivened by the Words of Sacred Scripture. Then, reenergized by God’s love for us, we are commissioned to take our gifts out into the world and share them eagerly with everyone we meet. The gifts we receive inside our “holy spaces” will atrophy and die if we do not bring them to each and every person we encounter; if we do not used them in every situation we find ourselves, if they are not a part of all our decisions and judgments we make in the course of the day. We are the church, the living, breathing, holy spaces God desires to dwell within and fill with His Glory.

 

Enjoy the Day!

Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com where you will find contemporary conversations with Paulist Deacon Affiliates and their guests exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

 

 

Recommended Reading:  John the Baptizer by Bonnie B Thurston. This "narrative biography" of John the Baptist, drawn primarily from New Testament texts, introduces the reader to the life of John the Baptist in the Gospels and Christian spirituality.

With more verses devoted to him than anyone except Jesus, John the Baptist appears some ninety times in the New Testament. This book introduces the reader to John's life, especially its importance in the ministry of Jesus, the development of the early church, and his enduring spiritual significance. This is a good read for our upcoming Advent Season.

 

Recommended YouTube Video: What is Contemplative Prayer and Why is it so Needed? with Fr. Richard Rohr "A Long, loving, look at the Real" – If you have not yet discovered contemplative prayer for yourself get ready. Soon you'll want to be doing nothing else! In this video Fr. Rohr dives into the essence of a contemplative inner life, what it is, how to start and its historical context in the Christian story.... Check out his daily meditations at cac.org for more. This particular issue is all on contemplative prayer:

 

 

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day), Year C - All Souls Are Called to Be All Saints_110225

Deacon Tom Writes,

All Souls Are Called to Be All Saints

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day), Year C

 

 

Celebration of the Feast of All Souls had its origin in the Benedictine Monastery in Cluny, France. In 998 A.D. Odilo, the Abbot, instructed his men to pray for the souls of the dead on the day after All Saints Day when the Church honored the lives of holy women and men. This practice was quickly embraced by the faithful and by the 13^th century had spread to Rome. By the 14 century it was a universal feast of the church. Today we celebrate what is officially known as, “The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed”, commonly known as “All Souls” day.

 

The arranging of All Saints Day and All Souls Day back-to-back gives us a great opportunity to reflect on our lives in light of our Christian vocations and our mortality. As we recall the lives of those who have gone before us, we can’t help but know that one day we will follow in their footsteps. What kind of life do we want to live? What spiritual legacy and witness do we want to leave? What did we learn from the lives of the Saints and the holy people have gone before us?  Do you see the wisdom of connecting the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls?  To make the relationship between these two feasts practical, we have to overcome a general misperception that the Feast of All Souls is only about paying homage to the great saints, the likes of St. Francis, St Augustine, St. Thomas or St. Peter. The Feast of All Souls encompasses a much wider vision.

 

Just after converting to Catholicism, Thomas Merton was asked by a friend what he wanted to be, now that he was Catholic. “I don’t know, I suppose I just want to be a good Catholic”, Merton replied. His friend responded with this challenge: “What you should say is that you want to be a saint!” Merton was dumbfounded. “How do you expect me to become a saint?” Merton asked him. To which his friend said: “All that is necessary to be a saint is to want to be one. Don’t you trust that God can make you what He created you to be, Thomas”?  Merton was silent.

 

These words must have taken root in Merton’s heart. For he would go on to become one of the great spiritual thinkers and writers of the last century, and, in the eyes of many, he was indeed a saint.

 

This brief exchange between Merton and his friend speaks so simply and profoundly to our calling as Catholic Christians. We should want to be saints. And to be a saint, all we need is to want to be a saint.

 

The Church elevates the lives of the Saints to give us a good example of ordinary people who have attainted extraordinary holiness.  These men and women have dedicated their lives to being witnesses of the faith through sacrifice, service, and prayer. Often, they suffered great pain, rejection, torture, and even death in professing their love and devotion to God. It is right that they be honored and their intercessions sought by the faithful throughout the ages.

 

At the same time, our church also recognizes the ordinary acts of courage and dedication on the part of those living the faith day in and day out…. that is, the “All Souls”. We believe in the “Communion of Saints”, that body of believers who, in addition to those “major” Saints, have professed their faith in God by their daily perseverance and their constant prayers. Included in this group are our family, loved ones, and friends, all those people who got up every day, took care of their families, and lived a good life, struggled to do the right thing…one day at a time. When things were good, they were faithful…When things were bad…they were faithful. In remaining faithful in good times and in bad, they handed on to us the legacy of our faith, our Catholic “Tradition”.

 

As we remember our loved ones and those who have gone before us and their sacrifice, their witness encourages us to imitate the good example they gave us. We call them to mind now as they share their reward for hearing and responding to their call to be saints.  We turn to them that they may ask God to help us answer our call to holiness so we may join them when our pilgrimage on earth comes to an end.  

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom 

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com where you will find contemporary conversations with Paulist Deacon Affiliates and their guests exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

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OTHER RESOURCES

 

Recommended Reading:  Alive in God by Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. How can Christianity touch the imagination of our contemporaries when ever fewer people in the West identify as religious? Timothy Radcliffe argues we must show how everything we believe is an invitation to live fully. God says: "I put before you life and death: choose life."

Anyone who understands the beauty and messiness of human life--novelists, poets, filmmakers and so on--can be our allies, whether they believe or not. The challenge is not today's secularism but its banality.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time_C - All Cried Out_102625

 

Deacon Tom Writes,

All Cried Out

 

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

This picture of a Syrian boy bruised and bloodied during the battle for Aleppo several years ago has haunted my mind since the moment I first saw it. But new, more graphic ones now flood the airwaves and social media as a new set of victims emerge from Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and Haiti. More victims, more suffering, more violence and despair.

While the hearts of some are overwhelmed with sorrow and grief, such grief apparently is not sufficient to bring the fighting to an end.

 

Kids have a way of letting their faces show their emotions as this picture depicts quite vividly. I look at it and I feel a sense of horrific loss: the loss of another generation of children who have inherited the legacy of war, poverty, hopelessness and desperation. One can only believe that these horrible conditions are helping to condition young minds into believing that the future holds no hope for them or their loved ones. In the absence of  a new vision emboldened by hope and roadmap for peace, the violence and devastation will continue. 

           

The Old Testament reading from Sirach today stresses, “The Lord is a God of justice” who “hears the cry of the oppressed”. Sirach writes further, “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds… and the Lord will not delay”. 

 

This reminder that the Lord is a God of Justice should inspire us and encourage us never to miss an opportunity to reach out to the hopeless and despairing. Those who believe in God’s justice seek to cooperate with him in helping to answer the cries of the poor. Faithful people do not lose hope! Rather, they look to inspire and generate hope in the most desperate of situations.

 

Thank God for the many volunteers whose personal sacrifice and efforts engender hope to people who remain in the war-torn cities, the many refugee camps, and those fleeing the devastation. Catholic Relief Services is a global organization with a vast network of outreach providing much-needed assistance to places where it is desperately needed. Supporting such relief agencies financially is one way for us to overcome indifference to the suffering of others and to put into practice the Corporal Works of Mercy. Also, don’t forget to continue to offer prayers and sacrifices for an end to this and other conflicts around the world. Remember, “The Lord hears the cry of the poor” and one day he is sure to ask us if we did and how we responded.

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com where you will find contemporary conversations with Paulist Deacon Affiliates and their guests exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

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OTHER RESOURCES

Recommended Reading:   Learning to Pray by Fr. James Martin S.J. who has written a brilliant introduction to prayer that will help us encounter the Living God who desires to encounter us.

 

Recommended YouTube Video: Hear Fr. Keating talk about the Divine Love we can discover through contemplative prayer. The Most Excellent Path, Part 3, with Thomas Keating

 

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time_C - Prayer in Action_101925

Deacon Tom Writes,

Prayer In Action

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Francis Cardinal Spellman gave us his unique perspective on prayer when he borrowed a line from St. Augustine, “Pray as if everything depended upon God and work as if everything depended upon you.” In today’s readings we see Moses and the woman plaintiff working very hard to get the results they wanted. Prayer is very much a part of the solutions we experience in life. But, as we read today, so is being active in pursuing the desired outcome.

We know that God wants us to pray because prayer is essentially a communication, a dialogue between us and God. It is a necessary and essential ingredient of building a deepening relationship with God. Jesus was a man of deep, intimate prayer with his father. The gospels tell us that Jesus often went off early in the morning and prayed. It was through his prayer life that Jesus was able to know what God asked of him and formulate what his response would be. Jesus’ prayers animated all his thoughts and actions.

It is this understanding of Jesus and his ministry that gives rise to Cardinal Spellman’s insight calling us to prayer inspired action. This is a very practical example for anyone trying to live the gospel message. How else can we do what Jesus asks us to do? Can we truly expect to love our enemies if we are not prepared to take some steps toward bringing about a peaceful reconciliation? Do we think that we can merely say a prayer that someone we have hurt will forgive us and, zap, everything will be all right? Or praying for the hungry in the hopes that others will feed them? I seriously doubt it. Forgiveness, reconciliation, peacemaking, changes in our attitudes and behaviors, all the real activities of spiritual maturity, take both much prayer and much work. That is probably why St. Paul said to “Pray without ceasing”, and why we have the “spiritual exercises” of St Ignatius. They encourage us to pray and work for a Godly balance in our lives. This will enable us to discover God’s priorities for us this day and to discover his Presence in ourselves, in others and in everything around us while keeping us from being overwhelmed by it all.

Central to our faith and essential to our spiritual growth and maturity is the constant need to maintain a proper balance of prayer and action in our lives. Doing so will deepen our relationship with our Lord who desires our constant love and who seeks to be our life long companion.

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com where you will find contemporary conversations with Paulist Deacon Affiliates and their guests exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

OTHER RESOURCES

Recommended Reading: Beginning To Pray By Metropolitan Anthony Bloom Beginning to Pray has established itself as a modern spiritual classic. Hailed by both Catholics and Protestants, it was written by an Orthodox archbishop for people who had never prayed before, and has been read and loved by persons at all levels of spiritual development.

"The realm of God is dangerous," says the author. "You must enter into it and not just seek information about it... The day when God is absent, when he is silent―that is the beginning of prayer."

Recommended YouTube Video: The Most Excellent Path, Part 2, with Thomas Keating Hear Fr. Keating talk about the Divine Love we can discover through contemplative prayer.

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time_C - Actions Speak Louder Than Words_101225

Deacon Tom Writes,

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

 

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

In St Luke’s Gospel for the Twenty-eighth Sunday, we witness one of several occasions when Jesus encounters Samaritans during his travels. You may recall that Jews and Samaritans despised each other. It was a religious rivalry fueled by differences from the past, such as where they worshiped, and how they interpreted scripture. These differences do not hinder Jesus from witnessing to the Samaritans about the Kingdom of God as in the story of the Woman at the Well or in today’s account of the Curing of the Lepers. In both stories it is the Samaritans, the outsiders, who are receptive to Jesus’ message and are thus able to receive the grace Jesus has in store for them.

 

Isn’t it amazing that Jesus is able to look beyond labels, divisions and even animosities and see the human needs present in those whose paths cross his? Jesus doesn’t proselytize. He doesn’t say, “Hey, become a good Jew first, then I’ll cure you or then I’ll tell you the Good News.” Not at all! Jesus lets his actions rooted in his ministry of inaugurating the Kingdom of God speak for him. And what do his actions say?

 

Powerfully, the very fact that Jesus speaks to the lepers gives them a sense of dignity and breaks the isolation that has been imposed upon them by society. Their self-worth is affirmed when Jesus acknowledges their presence and instructs them to go and show themselves to the priest. When they listen to him, they are cured.

 

What immense joy, what amazement this must have given them. But, as we know, unfortunately only one returns to the source of that joy, and that one is the outsider, the Samaritan. The others may have been equally as thankful and went on their way praising God as they rushed home to their families and loved ones. This one Samaritan, however, had the heart-felt gratitude to return and thank Jesus for bringing him back to life in the fullest sense of the word.

 

Our Samaritan friend we encounter today reminds us to give thanks to God for restoring our lives to completeness by loving us and inviting us to let his love shine through our lives into the hearts and lives of everyone we meet.  

 

Enjoy the day

Deacon Tom      

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com where you will find contemporary conversations with Paulist Deacon Affiliates and their guests exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

 

 OTHER RESOURCES

Recommended Reading:  Open Mind, Open Heart 20th Anniversary Edition by Cistercian Father Thomas Keating This is a marvelous introduction to centering prayer as Father guides us how to say "Yes" to God's grace so we can "Be still and know that I am God.”

 

 

Recommended YouTube Video: Hear Fr. Keating talk about the Divine Love we can discover through contemplative prayer. The Most Excellent Path, Part 1, with Thomas Keating

 

 

 

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time_C - Plugged In_100525

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Plugged In”

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

Imagine we could harness the power Jesus associates with faith. If a tiny amount of faith could transform the physical environment, and one could move mountains, there would be no limit to the good that people with just a bit of faith could accomplish.  So why do we have so many conditions that cause us hardship, sorrow, regret and grief?  Is Jesus somehow chiding His disciples for lacking faith? 

 

The sudden urge the Apostles had for more faith is revealing. Was it because they are finally beginning to realize they needed to step up their game in order to follow Jesus; or they needed more faith themselves just to grasp Jesus’ revolutionary teachings about love, forgiveness and the cost of discipleship?  A little of each, I suspect. 

 

Today there is an obvious need for increased faith on our part. We need a deep faith to reshape the landscapes of our hearts and minds so that we realize that God is God and we are the work of His hands. This is a seismic shift in the prevailing wisdom of our contemporary society that feeds us non-stop with the toxic messaging that the individual is at the center of the universe; that holds out an empty wisdom that is relentless in feeding our egos and boosting our pride that “I” deserve the best, that “I’m # 1, that “I’m” a self-made person and everybody else has to take their place behind me.  Faith is the only antidote that enables us to see the bigger picture that places God at the center of everything and to recognize a power above and beyond us…a loving and caring God who invites us to enjoy and share this world and all its riches with one another and who gives us the vision there are greater things to come.  

 

Faith gives us a clear vision of what lies ahead and the obstacles we must overcome to get there. Once the Apostles recognized the road they were about to travel, they asked Jesus for the Faith to carry on. A wise request and one worthy of imitation. For, the more our faith increases, the more we will understand who we are: “we are unprofitable servants” striving to do what we have been asked to do – love, forgive and serve. 

 

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in to hear some Catholic Deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those on the threshold, those thinking of joining our Catholic Community or walking away from it.

OTHER RESOURCE

 

Recommended Reading: Why God? by Richard Leonard, S.J. is a collection of stories and is divided into four parts: Church; Liturgy and Sacraments, Society, Faith and Spirituality. Through these very personal and engaging stories, the author provides insights into the way God works through people and often unexpected places and events. These true stories speak of the power of God working in creation and through the unlikely individuals and places that we discover God's transforming love.

 

Recommended YouTube Video:  Fr Richard Leonard, S.J. YouTube Presentation, "Why God?",  Stories to Inspire Faith