The Solemnity of All Saints - We Remember_110120

Deacon Tom Writes,

“ We Remember”

The Solemnity of All Saints, Year A

“From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name.”

These words from Eucharistic Prayer III remind us that our faith unites us to one another throughout time and throughout space. Our Church honors as Saints those who have gone before us having lived exceptionally good and virtuous lives. They are models for us to imitate. We see them as sources of inspiration to follow in our attempt to live holy, decent and charitable lives. Names like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Martin de Porres, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Damien of Molokai and more recently, St Teresa of Calcutta have earned their place in this ever-growing litany of inspirational lives. They inspire us in our efforts to serve one another as Christ taught us and to carry those crosses that come our way as we experience the challenges and disappointments of life. Their lives are an open book on the good that can be done, the hardships that can be endured, the forgiveness that can flow from the human heart when we allow God’s grace to enter into our lives and we willingly submit our will to the Divine. Today we witness many ordinary people who live each and every day with this same spirit of humility, who go through life making many sacrifices to ease the burdens of those around them. They do this because they are disciples of Jesus and they desire to follow in his footsteps. These too are saints in every sense of the word. As Pope Francis once commented, “holiness is not only a gift from God, it is the ‘common’ vocation of the disciples of Christ”. 

We honor both categories of Saints today: those formerly named as such by the Church and those whose “ordinary lives” yield bountiful goodness. They are witnesses and practitioners of God’s love, mercy, and compassion. Yes, we remember the lives of the saints that we called our mothers and grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers, our husbands and wives and children who made a difference in our lives. We recall the joy and happiness they brought into our lives and into the lives of so many others. We recall their faith, their struggles and their love.

It is all these wonderful lives that make up the “Communion of Saints”. It is both the great and the small saints as John Nava depicted in his rendition of the “Communion of Saints” that we honor today. It is these men and women who have been “good and faithful servants” who have entered the Kingdom of God and who now faithfully pray for us, that we, like them, may rise to holiness. And for them we praise God!

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom 

Image Credit: Los Angeles Cathedral Tapestry by John Nava

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Love in Action_090620

Not published on original date... 

Additional food for thought today.... 

Deacon Tom Writes,

Love in Action

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

There is a very wise saying that cautions, “Before you tell someone what you’re going to do, tell her or him what you have done.” In other words, it is experience that counts more than talk!

It’s no different on the spiritual plain. The essence of spiritual life is action. There must be growth in the form of a deeper understanding of self and God, of movement in the form of a change of heart that gradually becomes less self-absorbed and more concerned about the well-being of others; of activity in the form of service to the “least of my brothers and sisters” (Mt 25:45). St. Paul writes to the Romans that keeping the law means obedience to the commandments to do no harm by not murdering, not committing adultery, not stealing, etc. But these and “whatever other commandments there may be”  (Rom 13:9) are all housed together within the framework of the great commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk 12:31) which is a clear and concise summary of God’s commands.

If love is the ultimate sign of the depth of our faith and the fulfillment of the law, if love shows our willingness to put others before self, then one of the mantras of our contemporary society is appropriate for us…. more is better! We need more in the way of   spiritual matters, i.e. spiritual truths, spiritual insight, spiritual growth and depth. The difference, between God’s way and the ways of the world, of course, is that there are no negative side effects to loving without limit. Actually, it is our spiritual goal: to grow in love each and every day.

Love in action is what Christ demands of his disciples. We are expected not only to be the messengers of his words, but also doers of his works. This is what it means, to deny oneself and take up the cross daily and follow him (Lk 9:23). This is the difficult work of discipleship. Christian love demands that we love when love is needed, not just when we feel in the mood. These times call for an outpouring of self-sacrificing love, the love Jesus poured out on us. There are so many people in need due to Covid-19. We don’t have to look very far to see where we can reach out in love and compassion as faith in action dictates. The need is overwhelming, not just for financial assistance but for a spiritual response also, through our prayers and sacrifices. We are “One body in Christ” (Rom 12:5) St Paul reminds us. In the Spirit of that unity, may we reach out to our brothers and sisters in needs so that we too may, “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer”. (Rom 12:12)

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Just For Today”

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

In this vivid passage from Exodus, the Lord sternly warns His people they shall… “not molest or oppress an alien….... or wrong any widow or orphan” because, God reminds them, “they were once aliens in the land of Egypt”. It is God who reminds the Israelites to keep this memory of the harsh treatment they received at the hands of the Egyptians alive in their “collective consciousness” so that they treat the weakest and most vulnerable members of their society with the respect and dignity they deserve. God goes on to make this pledge to them…. since the aliens, widows and orphans have no one to protect them or defend them…. then, “If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surly hear their cry and my wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword.” Wow! Do these words strike us to the heart today as we watch the fallout from a failed governmental policy that separated children from their parents as they crossed our Southern border. Say what you will but my word is: "SHAME"!

Jesus makes it clear that the weak and vulnerable have a special place in the Kingdom of God. By all that He says and does, Jesus reveals them to be a “protected class of people” whom God will look after and see to it that they are not harmed or exploited or left to fend for themselves…or else‼

Were these words that we read in Exodus only intended for the people of antiquity or does the Lord speak to us and warn us to care for the aliens, widows and orphans among us today? If we do sense that the Word of God speaks to each and every generation, do we feel that we are insulated from God’s promise to listen to their cries and to act on their behalf? Is God, right this very moment, listening to the cries of the weak and vulnerable who are crying out to Him during this pandemic…the father who has been out of work for the last 18 months and is desperate for a job… those losing their homes to foreclosure, the children who suffer the ravages of war, poverty and disease…. for those who live day to day but can’t get to see a doctor because they have no money and no medical insurance... and those who are distraught they will lose their insurance because our government is desperate to take it away from them…. and for the aliens and immigrants - the "dreamers" among us today? Will God not remember His promise? There are millions of our brothers and sisters who are weak and vulnerable and in need of our help…in need of systems that are fair and just and that recognize the dignity we all possess as children of God. How should God act toward us if we fail to do what is right? No need to guess! The Hebrew Scriptures may shed some light on how things could work out. 

Let us offer this prayer today… that just for today we may do all within our power to help those in need with a meal, a listening ear, some words of hope and encouragement, to be agents of change for the good and well being of others. Just for today let us cooperate with the Lord by helping those who cry out to Him. Just for today let us seek to build the kingdom of God right where we live, work, and worship. Just for today let us work to build the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth so all God’s children may live in peace and harmony and the cries of the poor are turned to tears of joy. 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom 

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Our Help Is In The Name Of The Lord_101820

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Our Help Is In The Name Of The LORD” PS 124:8

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Have you ever had this experience: you are in a difficult situation and you are desperately in need of help but you have no idea where to turn. Then, someone, a complete stranger, comes to the rescue, and you are left with this overwhelming sense of amazement. You just know that God somehow had His hands in these events that touched your life.

The story of the Jews liberation from captivity in Babylon at the hands of the Persian King Cyrus is just such an experience. It is a genuine sign of God calling upon a “stranger” to accomplish His plan in an amazing and awesome way. About King Cyrus, Isaiah wrote, “I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not”. The Jews were in a hopeless situation; they were being held captive away from their home; their temple lay in ruin; their way of life altered forever. So they thought! Then Cyrus, the King of the Persians, one not numbered among the tribes of Israel, rises up and defeats the Babylonians and comes to their aid. In 538 B.C. Cyrus issued an edict allowing the return of all the Hebrews to Jerusalem. Better yet, he ordered the rebuilding of the Temple and provided that the Israelites be given a royal subsidy from his treasury. He directed that the sacred vessels seized by the Babylonians when they destroyed the Temple should be sent back with the released captives.  Finally, he urged all Israelites to contribute to the restoration of public worship. Isaiah tells how God took Cyrus’ right hand and led him, “subduing nations before him…..opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred”. Isaiah wrote that the Lord summoned Cyrus. The events that followed tell us that responding to the Lord’s call produces amazing results. 

Today we face an unimaginable, life threatening and life changing global pandemic. Evidence of the devastation this pandemic has caused is all around us.. in the loss of lives, in the physical, emotional and financial suffering we or our family or friends and neighbors have or are suffering. This tragedy only exacerbates the everyday problems and difficulties we face in our lives, problems with our relationships, with our kids, our boss, fears of losing our jobs or our health. We struggle with forgiving those who have hurt us; we struggle with addictions and all sorts of impossible situations.  We even struggle with the teachings of our church. We ask ourselves, “How am I going to get through this?”  or, “Where can I turn for help?”  

It’s always darkest before the dawn, they say. I am sure the Jews held captive in Babylon felt that way. But, then God, who is the master of doing the impossible, comes to their rescue and turns their tears into laughter. Isaiah tells us today to keep the faith. There is no struggle or difficulty God cannot overcome!! There is no struggle or difficulty of ours that God does not want to overcome. But, the lesson from Isaiah’s text is clear….the Lord called Cyrus by name to do His work, to liberate His Chosen People, to rebuild the Temple and restore Israel to its former glory. The thing is, God has call us by name, today… and he asks us to do the same. He calls us to respond to the needs of those around us… who have suffered tragic loss, who are in desperate need, who have given up hope. How will we decide to be instruments in the hands of our Lord in helping accomplish His plan?

Enjoy the Day!
Deacon Tom

Twenty-eight Sunday in Ordinary Time - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner_101120

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?”

 Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A 

Jesus uses the story of a king who invites his subjects to the wedding banquet for his son and the people reject his invitation outright.  What an insult!  The King’s outrage is understandable. And so is his desire to have a banquet in honor of his son’s wedding.  

The Jews knew they were the ones Jesus was talking about and they certainly didn’t like the way the story ended. Jesus says how the King sent his servants out to the highways and byways and brought in others to celebrate this festive occasion.  

It’s interesting that history seems to be repeating itself. Every Sunday we are invited to celebrate a special Eucharistic banquet in honor of God’s Son, Jesus. It is a standing invitation to come and celebrate and to be one with each other and God.  We gather together to give thanks to God for sending His Son into our world and freeing us from sin and death….AND giving us Eternal life….But, as in times past, so many people today are just too busy, too tired, too involved with other interests, or simply not interested….too spent perhaps …to respond to this invitation.

I think it’s by invitation and example that those who come to Mass on a regular basis can help others to see how important it is to center our lives around this most holy banquet. We as Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our lives, spiritual and temporal, for it is within the context of these sacred mysteries that we are renewed and strengthen for all that life throws at us. And for many, life is coming at them hard. If our lives reflect the presence of Christ, others will notice that uniqueness and that may spark some interest for them. If others see that there is a connection between what we receive from the Eucharist and how we handle the misfortunes of life, make sacrifices for our families - running the kids around to soccer practice, religious ed. classes and piano lessons, doing the shopping and chores - contribute to our community, they may want to find the source of that strength and experience the interior joy and peace that comes from the Eucharist for themselves. As they say… “Imitation is the best form of flattery.”

The banquet is prepared, the table is set, we all have our reservations that says to bring a friend.  Do you have someone in mind you would like to invite to this banquet?          

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom          

Image credit:  220px-Nicolas_Poussin_-_The_Institution_of_the_Eucharist_-_WGA18310.jpg