Rise and Shine

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Rise and Shine”

Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of the Lord - The Mass of Easter Day, Year B

One of my lingering childhood memories is that of my mother calling from the bottom of the stairs, “Tommy Joe, rise and shine! It’s time to get ready for school.” It’s a pleasant memory. To this day there are times when I can still hear those words echo in my mind, especially on those rainy days when I just want to roll over and go back to sleep…. and then, softly in the back of my head, I hear these words, “Tommy Joe, rise and shine! It’s time to get ready..”.

As people who profess Christ’s Resurrection, we realize that we who have been baptized with Christ into His death will also rise with Him to eternal life. There will come a day when we all will “rise and shine” forever; a day when we will possess the fullness of life that Christ has promised to all who believe in Him and follow His ways. 

Yet, I do not think that the promise of rising to new life is one that is entirely reserved for the next life. We are meant to “rise and shine” today because we participate in the Mystical body of Christ. We “rise and shine” today because God has chosen us to be the stewards of all of creation and we have said “yes” to that call. We “rise and shine” today because we have committed ourselves to follow Our Lord in the ways of peace. 

We “rise and shine” every time we chose to imitate Christ by forgiving others who hurt us; when we offer up our sufferings to be a part of His suffering; when we embrace others’ sorrows as if they were our own; when we persevere to the end as He did.

On this most wonderful day, may we, like Christ, awaken to God’s call to “rise and shine.”

Happy and Blessed Easter to you and your loved ones!

Deacon Tom

The Lady with the Jar of Oil

Deacon Tom Writes,

The Lady with the Jar of Oil

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Year B

We don’t know much about the woman who walks into Simon the leper’s house from our reading in Mark’s Gospel. But we do know that this was an important event for two reasons. First, because Jesus tells us that “wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Second, this story is told in all four gospels. (If you’re interested, here are the references:  Matthew 26.6, Mark 24.4, Luke 7.36, and John 12.1. You can see how details are added to the earliest account that we read today in Mark).

I like Mark’s account because we don’t get caught up in personalities. Rather, we gain insight into how God provides us with all that we need in life just as we need it.

Picture the scene. Jesus is having dinner with Simon and this uninvited woman comes in off the street, breaks open an expensive jar of perfumed oil, and anoints Jesus’ head. There is a little outbreak on how unreasonable this is, to do such a thing at the expense of feeding the poor. (An estimate places the value of the oil at about one year’s wages for a field worker). But Jesus states and awful truth, “the poor you will always have with you”. How true and how sad!

This act of kindness by the woman with the oil comforts Jesus as His hour approaches. A stranger appears on the scene, does what needs to be done, and then goes off into the night. Jesus needed to be strengthened and encouraged but he gets neither from His close friends and disciples, only from this stranger.

There are times in our lives when we have the chance to be an “angel of mercy” just like this woman with the jar. We have opportunities to lift someone’s spirits, give them some positive affirmation, encourage them, or cheer them up. It may cost us some time and some energy. We may have to rearrange our schedules or go out of our way. But remember, it was expensive oil, a year’s salary. Remember too, as we come into Holy Week, that when we do any kind deed for another person, we are really doing it to Jesus who was so grateful for this act of kindness that He tells them it will be remembered as long as the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world. And, that’s why we hear this story today.

Have a holy, Holy Week!

Deacon Tom

Image credit: riverwindgallaryart.com

Extreme Makeover

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Extreme Makeover”

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year B

One of the most emotionally charged psalms in the Old Testament is the one we read today. It is attributed to King David and is so appropriate as our Lenten journey nears completion. David is guilt ridden, and rightfully so. (Read 2 Samuel, chapter 11 to see why). In this dreadful state he wants his guilt taken away and to be washed clean. Mindful of the damage he has done to others, himself, and to his people, he turns to God and begs, “create a clean heart in me, O God.” Most of us can relate to David because we have been in his shoes. And we, like David, would like to have a fresh start, an “extreme makeover” to renew and purify us through and through.

If we have engaged in the difficult work of spiritual introspection this Lent, we most likely have encountered some of our flaws, and that’s a good thing, one of the primary purposes of these forty days. But then comes the more challenging task…. changing our ways…. And that’s very hard to do. Yet all the energy, time, and effort we may make to bring about changes in attitudes and behaviors will, by themselves, likely won’t be enough; we are going to need even more. So we turn to God and ask Him to cleanse us, renew us, and give us a willing spirit to change our ways.

The truth of the matter is that most of us carry around burdens of the past; burdens that weigh us down and rob us of the joy and happiness God intended for us to experience is this life. In this we can easily identify with David.. David finds comfort in the compassion of God, and so can we. Sinners that we are, God is always seeking to create a clean heart in us so that we can grow in His love and share in the joy of His salvation. These last few weeks of Lent give us ample opportunity to confront our shortcomings and defects so that we can join in the Easter celebrated as people who have been given a special blessing, an “extreme makeover,” and a fresh start that we enjoy life to the fullest as God intended for us from the foundation of the world..

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

By Grace You Have Been Saved

Deacon Tom Writes,

“By Grace You Have Been Saved”

Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year B

In the brief passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians we hear the phrase “By grace you have been saved” several times. According to St. Paul, grace is the dynamic principle at work in our lives, much like an invisible force, that leads us to faith in Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Grace as “the free and undeserved gift of God given to us to respond to His call.” Grace, then, is intended to activate or awaken within us the desire to respond to God in some manner or fashion. It is when we cooperate with this gift from God that we come to discover Him and desire Him above all else.  

The Franciscan Friar, Richard Rohr, explains grace this way:  God’s love is total, unconditional, absolute and forever. The state of grace – God’s attitude toward us – is eternal. We are the ones who change.

Fr. Richard goes on to explain: Sometimes we are able to believe that God loves us unconditionally, absolutely, and forever. That’s grace! And sometimes because we get down on ourselves, and carry guilt and fear and burdens, we are not able to believe that God loves us. Biblically, that’s the greatest sin: not to believe the good news, not to accept the unconditional love of God. When we no longer believe God loves us, we can no longer love ourselves. We have to allow God to continually fill us. Then we find in our own lives the power to give love away.  

What a powerful dynamic grace is! Grace engenders faith; faith leads to the awareness of God working in and through our lives. God working through us touches the lives of others while transforming each one of us so that “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). And by this divine formula, or can we say by this Amazing Grace, we and the world are conformed to Christ and each other.

May God’s grace be with us in our efforts to smoothen the rough edges of the stones of our lives during the remainder of our Lenten journey.  

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

That "Aha" Moment

Deacon Tom Writes,

“That Aha Moment”

Third Sunday of Lent, Year A 

(Optional – Scrutinies)

The gospel today is fascinating in many respects. Jesus has crossed over to Samaria, the land East of the Jordan, a place where Jews were not welcomed, to say the least. He stops to rest at a well and when a Samaritan woman comes to draw water, he asks her for a drink. This was unusual since it was not the custom of the day for men to engage in conversations with women, especially given the tension between Jew and Samaritan. Then there is the depth of the conversation. Here the story becomes remarkable!

Jesus and the woman share intimate truths about themselves. She is a sinner; Jesus is the Messiah. This encounter with Jesus changes this woman’s life forever, and that of her entire village. This simple woman, struggling with life and relationships, meets a complete stranger who turns her life around in a moment of truth. She has one of those “aha” moments, a time when she has deep insight into the mysteries of life and “she gets it.” During this brief encounter with Christ she comprehends that Jesus is the Messiah; grace has enlightens her mind. If you have ever had one of these experiences, you know the profound effect it can have on you and the rest of your life. The conversion of St. Paul comes to mind.

The story of the Samaritan Women is from the Third Sunday of Lent, Year A and is one of three optional reading proclaimed on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent as part of the rite of scrutinies. These Rites are intended for the catechumens i.e., those who are to receive Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation and are celebrated by the entire community each year to remind us that we all can have an experience similar to that of the Samaritan Woman. Any and all of us can have an “aha” moment, a moment when we experience Jesus in the depth of our being, a point in time when we realize that our lives our empty without Him. This encounter may take place as we watch the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, during quiet reflection, or at a time when we feel lonely, isolated, and alone. We encounter Jesus at unexpected and sometimes inconvenient places. Most likely, we meet Him when and where we are most in need of Him, just like the woman at the well.

May the remainder of our Lenten journey provide us with many chances to deepen our relationship with Christ, many opportunities to have our own “aha” moments when we are able to meet Jesus and experience His forgiveness, gentleness, and His love.

Enjoy the Day,

Deacon Tom