Sixth Sunday of Easter_C - Keeping God's Word_052525

Photo attribution - Pinterest.com

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Keeping God’s Word”

 

Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C

 

In today’s gospel Jesus tells His disciples, “Whoever loves me will keep my word and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him”. It sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? If we keep God’s Word, the Eternal, Almighty, Divine Presence will come and be a part of our lives forever, through the good times and the bad, through thick and thin.

 

The problem is there are many of Jesus’ words that are really troubling to us; words that we choose not to believe, let along want to keep; words that challenge us, like...

   “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” … Matthew 6:33

     “Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you” …Luke 6:27

       “No one can serve two masters” … Matthew 6:24

          “Go and sin no more” … John 6:11

     Or this one.... “Do not judge” ... Matthew 7:1

 

We dismiss the hard words of Jesus, the words that are at the core of his teaching…to love one another – as I have loved you. Loving one another, showing respect to everyone because of one’s intrinsic worth, one’s divine essence, one’s very nature as a child of God, is how we reflect the love of God in our lives. This love is an active, conscious act of the will; it is how we cooperate with God, allowing ourselves to be transformed by God and in turn helping bring about the transformation of the world. This is what it means to keep God’s word. We just can’t pick and choose which words of Jesus we will accept and which ones we will ignore if we want to have an authentic relationship with Jesus and grow in his love.

 

In all reality there is another question we need to ask ourselves, “Do we really want God living within us?” Within, well, that may be too close for comfort. It’s better when he’s living some distance away like the “In-Laws” whom we can invite over whenever we have something they can do for us. Far enough away that they can only come over when invited. How much God enters our life is pretty much our choice! We can keep God’s Word and look forward to the promises he has made to us, or we can go it alone and see what the world has in store for us. It’s…. all our call. 

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three 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: Do Not Judge Anyone - Desert Wisdom for a Polarized World Too often Christianity has been hijacked by the superego and the good news of grace has been compromised by fear and the rationalization of violence. In “Do Not Judge Anyone” Cistercian monk Isaac Slater reflects on the desert fathers’ teachings and practice of not judging with a focus on contemporary life. Interweaving sources from East and West, ancient and modern, Slater finds profound points of contact between the first monks and figures like Dostoevsky and Simone Weil, and in the teaching and witness of Pope Francis. “Do Not Judge Anyone” offers a radical, refreshing, and deeply hopeful vision of the gospel for the twenty-first century. 
 
Following closely Jesus’s injunction to “Stop judging!” the first Christian monks strongly emphasized the practice of not judging others as central to the gospel ethos. Through captivating and sometimes enigmatic sayings and stories of the desert fathers, Slater shares a monastic approach to everyday living that applies Jesus’s teaching of radical non-judgement as a balm for the polarized environment commonly found in the Church and the world today. This book can be a wonderful group read for us today. Why not ask some of your friends and parishioners to join in and do this.

 

Recommended YouTube Video Catholics for the Common Good with Daryl Grigsby - Author, Daryl Grigsby, joins FutureChurch to share about his new book, "Catholics for the Common Good: An Eternal Offering." In his book, Grigsby profiles 36 contemporary Catholics who have worked for justice and human dignity. He features Catholics from diverse national and racial backgrounds; religious, lay, and ordained. During the presentation, Grigsby shares the origins of his book, how it's organized, offers highlights about four of the Catholics who appear in the book, and takes questions from our community. Daryl Grigsby is an author and commentator on contemporary Catholic issues. A retired public works director, he also holds a Master’s Degree in Theology and Pastoral Studies from Seattle University and is a graduate of the Sabbatical Renewal Program at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. He is a board member for Leadership Foundations, which resolves critical urban challenges around the world, and for FutureChurch. Grigsby is the author of In Their Footsteps: Inspirational Reflections on Black History for Every Day of the Year and is a frequent contributor to National Catholic Reporter and Black Catholic Messenger.

 

 

 

Fifth Sunday of Easter_C - Glory Days_051825

  

Deacon Tom writes,

Glory Days

Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C

 

Today’s gospel has all the makings of a great Hollywood movie that begins on the night before Jesus dies. Jesus and his companions are nearing the end of their last meal together. Judas had just taken “the morsel… and left at once.” “The morsel,” we know, is the Eucharist, Jesus’ legacy to remain a “real presence” for his followers. Judas takes the Eucharist…then leaves.

 

When Judas leaves, Jesus brings this extraordinary Passover celebration to a dramatic close saying, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” What intrigue! Jesus seems to infer that what’s about to happen, his betrayal, torture, and death, will somehow bring Glory to God! How unimaginable! Yet for God, all things are possible, even turning these horrific events into something that can and does reveal God’s glory!

 

How much our faith depends on this Truth, that “…with God, all things are possible.” That includes the fact that God took upon himself our human nature and all of our limitations and experiences to teach us how we might become like him in all ways. Jesus suffers the betrayal of a friend, gets convicted on trumped-up charges, suffers beatings and humiliations of all sorts that no one, let alone he deserves. Imagine, he knows all of this ahead of time and still chooses his suffering and death to teach us to love and forgive one another. And, because he sees what lies ahead as God’s Will, he accepts it all. In fact, he embraces it all knowing that doing God’s Will was all he desired to do in this life.

 

Jesus leaves his followers with a “Command,” not a request, not a “can you do me a favor... but a “Command” ... to “Love one another as I have loved you.” He sets our hearts and minds on God’s Will…. that we love one another as he loves us…. completely. Christ held nothing back. He emptied himself on our account…. That’s the standard he set, if we are to be disciples…. to embrace the disappointments, betrayals, broken promises and relationships, sickness and death…to take it all in, the good and the bad, and accept all that comes our way as Christ did, and to do so while remaining faithful to God’s promises that he is with us always, till the end of days. And yes, he sustains us through each and every one of them, through all the glory days of our lives... this one and the one to come.

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three 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.

 

 

Recommended Reading: The Saint's Guide to Happiness by Robert Ellsberg - suggests that some of the best people to show us are holy men and women throughout history—Learn who they are and the lessons they teach us.

 

Recommended YouTube Video: John Main and the Practice of Christian Meditation. A deep look into the practice of Christian Meditation by two masters: John Main and Laurence Freeman

Fourth Sunday of Easter_C - Hearing Voices_051125

Deacon Tom Writes

“Hearing Voices?”

Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C

Jesus often used everyday examples from the pastoral settings that surrounded him. He drew upon them because they didn’t need any explaining. People knew that all a shepherd had to do was to call out and his sheep would follow his voice. It is said that shepherds would graze their sheep in different fields during the day but when night came the shepherds gathered the sheep into one sheepfold so they could have safety in numbers. At daybreak, the shepherds would simply call out and, amazingly, each sheep would instinctively follow the voice of its own protector and guardian… What a beautiful image of this dynamic relationship between the sheep and the shepherd.

We may have lost the pastoral setting that the shepherds enjoyed back then, but we are still able to understand the message Jesus wants to communicate when he says, “My sheep hear my voice.” This is what Jesus expects of his disciples. Not only the hearing but also the following too. So, a disciple is one who hears and follows the voice of the Good Shepherd.

Today there are many voices competing for our attention. And, there are many gods for us to follow; whispers invite us to seek fame, fortune, be all that we can be in the eyes of the world... top dog, Numero Uno, the king of the hill. How do we choose which voice to follow? Whose voice are we attuned to? Jesus is calling us to “eternal life.” He is promising us the safety and security that comes from the Father, a joy and happiness that is “not of this world.” He is calling us to be his disciples and to live our lives according to his teachings on love, forgiveness, and sacrifice. He is asking us not to count the cost of what it takes to walk in his footsteps as we endeavor to have a genuine relationship with him and one another. Other voices are calling us to focus our attention on ourselves, on getting as much as we can here and now, no matter the cost. Many paths of life to choose; many different flocks to be a part of, and many different shepherd voices to follow, but only one will lead us to green pastures.

Today’s Responsorial Psalm reminds us of some of the additional benefits we receive from the hands of the Good Shepherd… we are filled with his joy and gladness; we share in his unending kindness and enduring faithfulness. God cannot be outdone in generosity to paraphrase Scripture. He loves each of his sheep; our safety, earthly well-being and eternal destiny are his only concern.

May the voice we hear this Easter Season be that of the Good Shepherd, calling us to grow in love, in holiness and service to our brothers and sisters in Christ, the Risen One!

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three 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.


Recommended Reading: The Shattered Lantern by Fr. Ronald Rolheiser O.M.I is a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He is a theologian, professor, award-winning author who knows how to make faith real and tangible for the contemporary reader. The Shattered Lantern invites us to rediscover that while not all seems well, or just, faith truly can make sense of it all.

Recommended Youtube: New Seeds of Contemplation: A guide to Thomas Merton’s Famous book explores the path to spiritual awakening and union with God. It emphasizes the importance of cultivating an inner contemplative life by recognizing the seeds of spiritual vitality present in everyday experiences. The book encourages readers to detach from the superficial self and embrace humility, poverty, and solitude to discover their true identity in Christ.

Third Sunday of Easter _C - Year C - How Do I Love You? Let Me Count the Ways_050525

Image Credit:  2.bp.blogspot.com/jesus-peter-reconciliation1.jpg

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Deacon Tom Writes,

“How Do I Love You? Let Me Count the Ways”

 

Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

 

It takes real courage to admit our mistakes. It takes more courage to move foreword and not be paralyzed or held back by mistakes of the past. Peter appears to have resumed his prior way of life as a fisherman after the death of Jesus, perhaps trying to forget those last days: Jesus’ brutal death, his own cowardly denying his friendship with Jesus, his inability to comprehend Jesus’ mysterious presence in the midst of his disciples. It was just too much for Peter to grasp!

 

It is understandable that Peter and the others would go back to a way of life that was most familiar to them, fishing. They could pick up where they had left off before Jesus called them and now put their ambition and energy back into rebuilding their business. But think about it! Do your really believe anyone could have put that kind of experience behind them and pick up where they left off? No way! Then, as now, that personal experience with Jesus leaves you changed for life. There is no going back. And that is the experience we find in today’s gospel as the Apostles flight to the safety of the past is very short lived.

 

This is more than Peter’s physical encounter with Jesus. It is the consequence of Peter’s coming to terms with himself, with his own failures and shortcomings, with his own fears and doubts. It is our privileged view into Peter’s soul-searching and honest self-reflection that leads to his confessing his love for Jesus. Only after this spiritual catharsis is Peter able to put to rest his failures and weaknesses, and, most importantly, to accept them for what they are. Once he comes to grips with his inner demons, he is ready to move forward to a new and heightened mental and spiritual life that awaits him. He is able to accept Christ’s forgiveness and even to forgive himself and embrace the work that Jesus gives him to do, “Feed my sheep.” Peter embraces this new mission with a renewed enthusiasm fueled by the power he has received from the Holy Spirit. He is now willing and able to assume his role as first among the Apostles and leads them on their mission to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” MT 228:19.

 

Like Peter, many of us have had our “ups and downs” in our relationship with Jesus. We have had our share of doubts and fears and have often disappointed Jesus by our sinful behavior, by our bad choices, by “what we have done and by what we have failed to do.” Over time these actions become like a wedge and sever our relationship with Our Lord. But today’s gospel gives us all hope that we can never be far from God’s abundant mercy and forgiveness. Jesus will always come looking for us, to nourish us physically and spiritually and to bring us his healing presence and compassion so that we can begin again, renewed and restored.

 

Easter is a time of God renewing the whole world. And renewal is what we need now given the present state of our world. Let us embrace Our Risen Savior’s love and forgiveness and be renewed ourselves so that we may be able to experience the newness of life brought about through Christ’s suffering and death.

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

OTHER RESOURCE

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three 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.

 

Recommended Reading: Everything Belongs by Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M. is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation who teaches primarily on incarnational mysticism, nondual consciousness, and contemplation, with a particular emphasis on how these affect the social justice issues of our time.

 

Recommended Podcast: Catholic - Link Podcast is A podcast for busy Catholics. A mix of short, informative episodes, long form interviews, and interesting historical episodes. Wherever you are in your faith, we have content for you!