We Are Always Courageous

San Damiano Cross - Commons.Wikipedia

Deacon Tom Writes ©

“We are always courageous”

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

“We are always courageous” St. Paul writes to the Corinthians because “we walk by faith, not by sight”. It does take a lot of courage to put your heart and soul into something when you’re not sure what the outcome of your efforts will be. St. Paul set a good example for us as he preached the kingdom of God to the Corinthians. “The kingdom of God is among you” (LK 17:21), Jesus told his disciples.  It has its roots here in this life and yet much of the fruit won’t be ready for harvesting until the next life, when we “appear before the judgment seat of Christ… and receive recompense” for what we have done, “…whether good or evil”.

It takes courage to give witness to the gospel of Christ by living each day in accordance with the values Christ taught us. Being a follower of Christ is easier said than done. It’s easier to preach ten sermons than to live one, as the saying goes!

St. Paul was on to something when he spoke of the courage it takes to live a life of faith. It takes courage to have one foot planted firmly here in this world, in terra firma as they say, and the other foot planted in that spiritual realm, the kingdom of God, that Christ preached to help govern and direct our lives. People of faith face much difficulty trying to manage their responsibilities, in attempting to balance the realities of this world…the need to provide for family, to pay the mortgage, to save for college for the kids, and taking care of ageing parents all while living virtuous lives that reflect the gospel values.

It takes courage to face our own struggles and at the same time to reach out and help others who face their own set of challenges and difficulties. It takes courage to visit the soup kitchen each week and not feel helpless in the face of the endless need. It takes courage to work for peace and justice with all that we see happening in our communities and in the world. Yet, our faith constantly encourages us to be courageous and not lose heart in the face of the obstacles we encounter.

It is so important as Christians to be constantly aware of God’s love and to remember that God’s grace is always at work in us, giving us the courage to persevere in our faith.  Aware of God’s love and presence in our lives, we are then better able to love and serve him by loving one another.

Enjoy the Day!

Deacon Tom 

Rise and Shine!

123RF.com "waking up sun"

Deacon Tom Writes ©

The Resurrection of the Lord, 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 my mother’s words echo in my mind, especially on those rainy days when I just want to roll over and go back to sleep…. and then,  “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 one day also rise with him to eternal life. There will come a time 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 don’t believe that the promise of rising to new life is one that is reserved only for the next life. We are meant to “rise and shine” today…. because we share 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 and his teachings about love and putting others and their interests before our own. We “rise and shine” when peace, justice, and holiness become the rhythm of our lives.

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… (So many suffering from the ravages of war, violence, trafficking, victimized by those who profit from human misery… their suffering must be ours as brothers and sisters in Christ).  We "rise and shine" with every effort we make to persevere to the end as Christ did and not lose hope.

On this most wonderful day, may we, like Christ, awaken to God’s call to “rise and shine” so we may live life to the fullest, now and forever… ALLELUIA!!!

Happy Easter!  May the joy and peace of the Risen Christ fill you this day and always.

Deacon Tom

Time Out

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Deacon Tom writes ©

“Time-Out”

Third Sunday of Lent, Year B

Many motivational speakers direct their marketing efforts so they appeal to our lack of success, our poor self-image and low self-esteem. They claim to have the know how to help us be successful in life or how to achieve our highest aspirations. Some will attribute their success to the lessons they learned from sacred scripture. It’s not exactly “breaking news” that the bible provides critical insight into our own human nature, that is, if we take the time to look. Yes, the bible gives us valuable insight on how all of us can find the road to success.

Today Moses reveals God’s instructions for our well-being and happiness, key ingredients for a successful life. He does this with amazing efficiency, identifying ten key ingredients on how to treat God and neighbor that if we get right, we are pretty much guaranteed to be rolling along on the road to success. There doesn’t seem to be any real big show stoppers here, really…love God and your parents, don’t sell your soul to any idol, control your language, no adultery, don’t kill or steal or be desirous of you neighbor or his wife or their possessions. Oh, and one more little nugget of advice:  come, set some quiet time and rest with me once a week says the Lord.

God’s tenderness and love for us is revealed in this commandment to keep holy the Sabbath. God is concerned about our well-being. He rested after six days of creation and he invites us to do the same, put ourselves in “Time Out” so to speak.  The Third Commandment is God inviting us into his Rest, where he speaks to us, comforts us from the worries and anxieties we have suffered during the week. Resting in God is where our energy to do anything good or even have the idea to do anything good comes from; it is where our vision of the good is restored, so we can see God at work in our world and in our lives, or where he is absent, and not fall victim to the naysayers or become the voice of cynicism; it is where we come to know and experience God’s love for us; it is where we come to know God’s Divine Will for us. Resting in God is what the Sabbath Day envisioned. If we use this day as God intended, we will embrace the other commandments as well, each in their own way helping us along the road to success, which for us is loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. So, give yourself a break and take this Sunday off, and Rest in God.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom 

Rejoice

Angel Trumpets Gaudete Sunday / odcsuffolk.com

Deacon Tom writes ©

"Rejoice"

Third Sunday of Advent, Year B

Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee quoting the words of the Prophet Isaiah that we hear today on this Third Sunday of Advent (remember Gaudete Sunday?).  They are worth reading again:

“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God…” 

(IS 61:1- 2a)

This is the “Good News” that has been celebrated generation after generation since this prophesy was fulfilled by Christ 2000 years ago. Jesus is the one who brings us the good news that our captivity has come to and end, the good news that lifts our broken spirits pummeled by sickness, sin, and death. Jesus is the one who frees us from everything that imprisons us or has robbed us of our human dignity; Jesus restores our genuine freedom. Jesus comes to our rescue announcing that God’s favor is upon us. On our part, we wait in hope; we wait patiently for Emmanuel to come into our lives. So we wait… and watch.

Advent is a wonderful time of year. It is a season of hope and anticipation. It is even more so this year as we face so many challenges and difficulties of epic proportions. Our world has grown cold. It is a world very much in need of the “fire of God’s love”.

As we light the rose candle this Third Sunday of Advent, we rejoice in God’s nearness to us. We rejoice because the Light of Christ approaches and the days of darkness are coming to an end. We rejoice because Christ comes to fill us with the fire of His love. We rejoice because our time of deliverance is at hand. We rejoice because Our Savior comes to do what the world cannot do – give us the joy and happiness that can only come from Him; joy and happiness to be shared with one another; joy and happiness that will last forever.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom