Forth Sunday of Easter_A - Abundant Life_050320

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Abundant life”

Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A

The reason that Jesus came into this world, he tells us, is that we might have “abundant life”. That’s interesting, for who doesn’t want to get the most out of life or have the greatest experiences during this lifetime? We all do! The trouble is that we all have a different idea about what such a life would look like and how we would go about pursuing it. There is a cataclysmic difference of opinion between what we would consider living an “abundant life” and the “abundant life” Jesus had in mind when he spoke these words.

We are living in the most prosperous country ever to have existed. We are living during the most unprecedented expansion of technological knowledge that gives instant access to information to anyone anywhere on our planet or traveling in space above it. We have diagnostic capabilities that are simply amazing, increasing both the quality and duration of our lives. We have countless forms of entertainment; we have access to products made around the world. Just key in a couple of digits, swipe your credit card, and products from around the world will be at your door tomorrow. We have all sorts of toys and gadgets that compete for our time. We have so much food that we throw a quarter of it away! We want for nothing…. Except…. this may not be the “abundant life” that Jesus came to give us.

The “abundant life” Jesus came to share with us has to do with satisfying the deepest desires of our hearts: our need to love and be loved; our need to be respected as people who are created in the image and likeness of God. We have within us the need for “human flourishing” which means that we will never achieve true happiness unless we strive to become all God created us to be. Because we have this need to be all that God calls us to be, we possess an intrinsic dignity and worth that must be respected at all times. “Abundant life”, in Jesus’ eyes, envisions a just and peaceful world where we all can achieve the highest and most dignified status possible by the proper use of the gifts and talents God has given us and who one day will ask us to render an account of what we have done with those gifts and talents.

Reading today’s gospel suggests that we need to be doing more in pursuit of the “abundantly life” to which each of us has been called. In order to achieve this richer existence we should strive to rid ourselves of some of our worldly concerns such as our need to be in control of outcomes and others and place our trust in God’s divine plan; we need to overcome our selfish tendencies and resist our prideful attitudes; we need to develop a spirit of generosity and compassion. To grow firmly in the “abundant life” Jesus intended for us means that we need to better prepare ourselves to serve others and to find in them the face of Jesus who calls us to, “deny ourselves, pick up our crosses daily and follow him”. In doing so we become more fully engaged in that “abundant life” to which we have been called.

As I reflect on today’s gospel about the “Good Shepherd”, I see the many health care workers, first responders, rescue personnel and medical staff who put there lives on the line moment by moment as ‘shepherds’ watching over the flock of those who have contracted covid 19. They are shining examples of what it means to put your life at risk for love of neighbor. It is uplifting to see that proper attention is being given them and they are being held up as heroes and role models. In fact, Mattel, the toy company, just introduced a special edition of toy figures called “Thank You Workers” honoring the front line workers in the fight to combat the coronavirus. It is a small thing, really, but significant, since it spotlights ordinary people as real heroes at a time when comic book super-heroes have dominated the toy world. It confirms the message in today’s gospel: service dedicated to the well being of others is a path that leads to the abundant life that Jesus calls all his followers to travel. At this critical time for our world, we pray that we may all find this pathway. God bless you and your loved ones and stay safe.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

Third Sunday of Easter - Spread The Word_042620

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Spread the Word”

Third Sunday of Easter, Year A

The coronavirus continues to cast a pall over most of the world. The suffering measured by lives lost, the inability to be with loved ones in their time of need or to gather for funerals, weddings and anniversaries, is sad beyond imagination. It is painful and fearful time for many. Yet, fear, uncertainty over what the future holds and a sense of dread has been the human condition since the beginning of time. The more things change, the more they remain someone noticed along the line. And so it remains. Yet, in light of Jesus' resurrection, we have something to hold on to - our faith. Looking over the gospel of St. Luke, we can only imagine fears and uncertainties the early disciples of Jesus encountered. 

Reading St. Luke's account of the events following Jesus' resurrection we see that the only post-resurrection encounters with Jesus recorded in Luke’s gospel take place on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday is a busy day for Jesus. At dawn, some of the woman came to the tomb to complete the burial ritual that was interrupted by the Passover feast. They found the stone rolled back and two men in dazzling white asked them, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has been raised up.” So, they ran off, found Peter, and told him what they had seen and heard. Peter did not believe them and had to go check it out for himself. When he arrived at the tomb, he found it empty, just as the women had said (LK 24:1-10).

Luke continues with the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus and while in route, they encounter a stranger who is totally unaware of the happenings over the past several days, meaning that Jesus had been put to death. This stranger calls these disciples to task admonishing them on how little they learned from the Prophets and he begins to relate to them all that scripture had to say about the Christ. He then reveals his identity to them when he breaks bread with them. Then he suddenly disappears. LK 24:13-35

These disciples, their hearts on fire, rush back to Jerusalem and meet with Peter and the others and tell them what had just happened to them when, suddenly, Jesus comes into their presence. Jesus shows them his wounds and asks for something to eat. They gave him some fish and again he reminds all there of what had been written about him by the Prophets. He then opens their minds so they understand what was written about him in the scriptures. He then instructs them to be “witnesses of these things” (LK 24: 36-48)

Jesus and the disciples then head out on the road that leads to Bethany and Jesus ascends into heaven (LK 24: 50-53).

Quite a day wouldn’t you say!!! And it’s all in Chapter 24 of St. Luke’s Gospel. In each encounter that day, Jesus continues to teach and feed his disciples with the Word of God and the Bread of Life. This is the work that Jesus invites us to do – share with others the Good News others have shared with us.

During these next fifty days we have the opportunity to reflect on the precious gift we have received as beneficiaries of Jesus’ death and RESURRECTION. It would do us all some good to spend time over these next weeks reflecting on how grateful we are for this Good News to others.

And, don’t forget to bask in the joys of this Easter Season, for the gift of eternal life is quite a gift to ponder.

Stay safe, hopeful and trusting during these trying times.

And don’t forget to:

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Devoted to the Cause”

Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy), Year A

Webster’s Dictionary defines “Devote” as: “to commit by a solemn act 1) as devoted oneself to serving God or 2) to give over or direct (as time, money, or effort) to a cause, enterprise, or activity”.

In the midst of a global crisis, a worldwide pandemic, it is easy to see not only who is devoted to a cause but also the cause to which they are committed. On the one hand, there are those who risk their own personal safety (and that of their family) by doing what their vocation calls them to do – protect the lives and safety of others or place themselves at the service of others. We know who they are: the medical professionals, police officers and fire and rescue personnel. There are the field workers who continue to work the fields harvesting our food supply. They are truck drivers who bring these items to market. They are the ones who work in grocery stores and warehouses stacking shelves and moving inventory to keep us fed; restaurant and fast-food employees who leave home and venture out to their places of employment to prepare food for so many people. They are people who are devoted... committed to keep us safe, fed and help give others a sense of normalcy while placing their own lives at risk. Then, on the other hand, are those who ignore the health warnings put out by the medical and governmental authorities. Their behavior puts others at risk. They engage in their own self-serving behavior and disregard and disrespect the personal safety of others, to the point, in some localities, of protesting reasonable and professionally necessary precautions that safeguard the health and well-being of their neighbors. “By their fruit you will know them” St. Matthew noted. Mt 7:16

Our First reading today expresses the primary and central activity of the early “Believers” following Christ’s death and resurrection…. as being “devoted...to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to prayer”.

This has been a unique time for Christians, especially us Catholics who hold the Eucharist as the foundational reality of our faith. We gather to hear the Word of God and celebrate Christ’s presence in a real and sacramental way in the Eucharist. The coronavirus has temporarily suspended this two thousand year practice. To say the least, the last half of Lent, Holy Week and Easter have been extremely challenging. Perhaps, more so than ever, we have faced a different desert experience. What has helped me on my Lenten journey is the sacrifice and selflessness of those professionals whose concern has been for the lives and safety of others. They make God smile and they give many others a ray of hope in the goodness of humanity.

We emerge from Easter a little frazzled and dazed yet, as undoubtedly was the case that first Easter, we face the future with renewed hope knowing that our lives will never be the same.

We know that as Christianity took root during those early days, many people experienced deep and profound changes in the way they lived their lives as they began to care for and respond to the needs of their neighbors all because of the life and teachings of Christ and the work of the Apostles.  

The changes people made were remarkable. We read some of them in the Acts of the Apostles that chronicles the early days of our church and how the community of believers came together initially to be nourished by Word and Sacrament. But it soon grew into much more than that. We read today that….

Awe came upon everyone.

Wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

All who believed were together and held things in common.

They would sell their property and possessions and divide                                                                                                                              them among all according to each ones need.

Every day they devoted themselves

 to meeting together in the temple area

...and to the breaking of the bread in their homes.

They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart.

Praising God and enjoying favor with all people.

And every day the Lord added to their number

those who were being saved…..

People remain devoted to many causes today. Some are devoted to do good for others. Some are devoted to themselves. It is an individual choice!

As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, we pray that the Father of mercies, the God of all consolation will be with us in mind, heart and spirit and with those who are devoted to serving others.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

Easter_A - This IS The Day!_041220

Deacon Tom Writes,

“This Is The Day!”

The Resurrection of the Lord - The Mass of Easter Day, Year A

The Responsorial Psalm for the morning Mass of the Resurrection is taken from Psalm 118 encouraging us to embrace the moment, to live in the present, to let our hearts sing out  “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad”. I can’t think of a better attitude than this to embrace throughout the day, especially given the negativity that surrounds us. Being grateful for being alive and sharing in the wonders of family and friends might be a struggle for some of us because of the problems that we are facing – uncertainty because of serious medical issues or the lack of resources to pay for them, uncertainty about staying employed or finding a new job, uncertainty about the future for our children or grandchildren, uncertainty about the future prospects for peace in our world. Being grateful for this moment, what we call the ‘the eternal present now’ through which God continues to unfold creation is challenging at times since we often get swept up in the demands of this world. Finding reasons to rejoice in the Lord when there is so much change and so little security is, well, an act of faith to say the least.

Staying focused on the present is a “Eucharistic”, that is a “thankful, appreciative” mindset that we should take with us as we leave church after Mass. The reality of our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist should enable us to recognize that God is in, around and with us every moment of our lives. If we really believe this, our lives will change. We will find the joy and happiness God intends for us to have in each “present moment” that passes. This does not mean that we live in a bubble and that we go unscathed through life. This would be delusional thinking... there is nothing that can prevent us from experiencing the hurts and disappointments that life scatters along the way. But, what it does mean is that we are able to cope with the failures, disappointments, and sorrows that we suffer along the way and rise above them.

“This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad”. As we celebrate this great mystery of Christ’s rising from the dead, let this joyous refrain echo in our minds and in our hearts as we seek to keep His spirit alive within us and do our best to share our joy with all those we meet along the way.

May you and your loved ones enjoy a most Blessed Easter Season!

Deacon Tom

Palm Sunday_A - Wash Away My Troubles_040520

Deacon Tom Writes,

Wash Away My Troubles

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Year A

As we stand powerless in the face of the ravages the coronavirus is unleashing around the world, we come to Palm Sunday and witness Jesus, the Son of God, rendered powerless before Pilate. There will be a complete turn-around for Jesus come Easter Morning. And there will be a turn-around for the world too. We see it already. People doing amazing things to come to the aid of neighbor and stranger. This time of adversity will show peoples' true character... They will either take great personal risk to come to the aid of others or they will talk the good talk... Time will tell. 

As we read through Jesus’ passion by St. Matthew today, we hear how Pilate handled matters when he lost control of the crowd...“he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourself’”.

In capturing so vividly Pilate’s attempt to wash himself clean of any complicity in Christ’s death, Matthew has given us an image we may, at times, use to escape our own culpability in wrongdoing; we wash our hands of the matter. This need to become clean when things have gone wrong is universal and timeless. Pilate obviously realized that. Along similar lines we recall the story of King David years before whose guilt drove him to journal his remorse in Psalm 51:

            Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness;

            in your abundant compassion blot out my offense.

            Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.

            For I know my offense; my sin is always before me.

And, guess what? This need to become clean again when we are troubled by our guilt is still around today. It has even been popularized in our music, I’m sure some of you may recall these words to the song, “The Road to Shambala by Three Dog Night:

            Wash away my troubles, wash away my shame

            With the rain in Shambala

            Wash away my sorrow, wash away my pain

            With the rain in Shambala

Yes, in all honesty, we make mistakes, (yet rarely own up to them) and we do things that hurt others and ourselves. Or, sometimes, we fail to do the right thing and that makes us feel just as guilty as if we did something wrong. We need to get back on the right path... the path of righteousness. What better image than that of water as a sign of our becoming clean again as a first sign of our willingness to show remorse and begin anew?

That is the exact function of the Sacrament of Reconciliation…which also has fallen victim to the coronavirus. You see, this Sacrament provides real cleansing. It provides healing from the inside out, in the heart and attitude. And real forgiveness comes from the very person Pilate unjustly condemned to death. It’s unfortunate that today when there is so much need of forgiveness and such a profound underestimate of our own sinfulness, this healing Sacrament is so underutilized. As we come to the end of our Lenten journey, let us attempt to take advantage of the graces Our Lord makes available to us when we ask Him to cleanse us of our sins.

Remember: enjoy the day and let your joy touch others!

Deacon Tom