Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B - What Are We Looking For?_011424

Deacon Tom Writes,

What Are We Looking For?

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

What is common to the scripture readings as we once again enter into these early days of Ordinary Time is how God has chosen certain individuals to partner with Him to reveal and lay the foundation for His Kingdom. That call to share in the divine effort comes from John the Baptist who points to Jesus as the “Lamb of God” and then watches as his followers turn away from him to follow Jesus. When Jesus notices them, He wastes no time confronting them about their motives asking, “What are you looking for?”  What a great question for us to reflect upon as we continue our faith journey in these new and challenging times. 

The disciples did not hesitate in their response. They wanted to know where Jesus was staying. Simple enough, isn’t it? At least on the surface that is. How do we respond to the question raised in the gospel today? What are we looking for? 

I believe we all have the natural tendency to pursue those things that we desire most in life, those things that we believe will give us the greatest amount of happiness and joy. We want the good things this life has to offer… material success and good fortune, a prestigious career, the praise and respect of others, good families and friends, ad infinitum. But, as we may have experienced so often in the past, once we have what we desire, the happiness that we imagined is seldom realized or, at best, is brief and fleeting. Soon disillusion surely follows and we begin the chase all over again!

Does that mean we are never to achieve true happiness in this life? Not at all! In today’s Gospel Jesus, “the teacher”, gives us some practical advice on how to find and maintain a spirit of true AND lasting happiness in this life. He invites us to join Him as He begins His public ministry, to “Come and…see” the marvelous things He has in store for those who tag along with Him as He reveals the gospel, the Good-News of the dawning of the reign of God. In the Gospels Jesus teaches us that it is by deepening our personal relationship with Him that we “Come and see” that only He can satisfy the innermost longings of our hearts. It is only through Christ that we can experience healthy and mutually beneficial relationships and have a sense of well being, be satisfied with who we are and what we have and to thus be filled with a joy and a peace that the world cannot give. 

As we begin this new and overly challenging year, may we respond to Our Lord’s invitation to “Come and see” as did Samuel, James and John, Peter and the first disciples. May we, like all those faithful souls whose self-sacrifice and genuine love have carried the seed of faith through the ages so that it could be passed on to us, discover the truth that, above all else, Jesus is our hearts greatest desire. 

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 thinking of coming into or leaving it.

 

 

The Epiphany of the Lord_B - Hearts that Throb and Overflow_010724

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Hearts That Throb and Overflow”

The Epiphany of the Lord_B

Isaiah gives us a vision of the future to tell us what God has in store us. The only way he can describe it is to describe our reaction to the things God is planning. This is how he sums it up, he says that our “hearts will throb and overflow…at what we see”.

We have just celebrated Christmas, the birth of Christ, our Savior. The most ancient of prophesies has been fulfilled, and we have joined in the festivities. The good news has gone out to all the earth, into every nook and cranny, carried in the hearts and minds of believers through- out the ages. Christ came to restore what was lost – our union with the divine. As our celebrations wind down, we can ask ourselves these few questions. Are our hearts throbbing? Are we overflowing with joy, peace, a clam inner spirit? Are we rejoicing because “the glory of the Lord” is shining in us? That’s what we celebrate today, God’ faithfulness to His promises of old, by repairing the breach that separated creatures from the creator, the human from the divine. What a cause for celebration!

The spirit of Epiphany is one of an awakening to all that surrounds us. Epiphany happens each and every day we chose to surrender ourselves to God and let Him guide our way, our thoughts and our actions. This is what gets our hearts into a constant state of throbbing and keeps them that way. Yes, a new house…. exciting for a while; a new car… fun, until the first dinger; the beach house…that will get the blood flowing during the summer. But where can we find the one thing that will fill all of our hearts desires and keep it throbbing? In the most unlikely place possible… in the very quiet within each of us; that place where God most high has chosen to dwell among us.

May the spirit of Christ dwelling within us cause our hearts to throb and overflow as we begin this New Year. And may the love within us reach out to others giving them comfort, hope and joy so that their hearts may throb and overflow with the love of the Christ child.

Enjoy these early days of 2024! (and all the rest that follow :)
Deacon Tom

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com  and listen in as Paulist Fathers Deacon Affiliates engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.

OTHER RESOURCES

Recommended Reading:  The Saints Guide to Happiness by Robert Ellsberg A noted spiritual writer seeks answers to life's big questions in the stories of the saints In "All Saints"---published in 1997 and already a classic of its kind---Robert Ellsberg told the stories of 365 holy people with great vividness and eloquence. In "The Saints' Guide to Happiness," Ellsberg looks to the saints to answer the questions: What is happiness, and how might we find it? Countless books answer these questions in terms of personal growth, career success, physical fitness, and the like. "The Saints' Guide to Happiness" proposes instead that happiness consists in a grasp of the deepest dimension of our humanity, which characterizes holy people past and present. The book offers a series of "lessons" in the life of the spirit: the struggle to feel alive in a frenzied society; the search for meaningful work, real friendship, and enduring love; the encounter with suffering and death; and the yearning to grasp the ultimate significance of our lives. In these "lessons," our guides are the saints: historical figures like Augustine, Francis of Assisi, and Teresa of Avila, and moderns such as Dorothy Day, Flannery O'Connor, and Henri J. Nouwen. In the course of the book the figures familiar from stained-glass windows come to seem exemplars, not just of holy piety but of "life in abundance," the quality in which happiness and holiness converge.

 

Recommended You Tube: Blessed Among Us: Thea Bowman Based on the book "Blessed Among Us: Day by Day with Saintly Witnesses" by Robert Ellsberg, this monthly video series of prayerful meditations on lives well-lived continues with Servant of God Thea Bowman (1937-1990), a religious sister who transcended racism and prejudice to leave a lasting mark on U.S. Catholic life in the late 20th century. Check out this YouTube site to find a treasure trove of Catholic Witness who lives support and encourage our faith through our day-to-day challenges.

 

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - Family Life or Family Strife?_123123

Deacon Tom Writes,

Family Life or Family Strife?

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Year B

You can’t expect to be on a championship team if you aren’t willing to give it all you’ve got…. plus some. Anyone who’s played sports or whose kids are athletes has heard the coach say, “Give me all you’ve got”!!! Those who want to make the team bad enough will strive to increase their performance so they can achieve their goal. Our human nature is such that we will do whatever it takes to get whatever we want, if, that is, we want it bad enough. 

St Paul’s Letter to the Colossians envisions a quality of life so desirous that we are willing to give everything we’ve got, plus some, to attain it. He is giving us incredible insight on how to live wholesome, faith-filled lives rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a life that yields peace, thankfulness, gratitude and harmony for ourselves and those with whom we share our lives, starting with our own family. 

 

Paul is creating within us the desire to be God’s family. He is giving us the image of what it is like to accept this generous invitation. In a world that was brutal, suspicious, violent, insensitive, uncaring, (gee, it seems nothing has changed!) Paul offers a vision of hope that flows from our identity of being a part of God’s family. He says, “Put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. (We must) bear with one another…forgive one another…settle disputes justly”. What an alternative vision compared to the harsh world around them and the world around us today. Is it any wonder why Christianity grew so rapidly?    

“I have set before you life and death”, we read in the Book of Deuteronomy. “Choose life”, we are commanded. That life that we are called to imitate is modeled after the Holy Family. That is where Jesus came to know and experience the love of a mother and of a father. That is where Jesus came to know of God’s love for Him. Amid the day-to-day life of the Holy Family, Jesus’ conscience was shaped; His love and dependency on God fashioned; His love for God’s Holy People realized. In the safety and security of the Holy Family, Jesus was able to discern the Father’s call. 

As we celebrate this Feast of the Holy Family, let us strive to create an environment for our children and one another that is healthy, safe, loving, respectful, joy-filled, generous, and full of laughter. Let us give our children and one another the space and atmosphere where we can all come to know God’s love, hear His call, and grow together as His children, members of God’s Holy Family. 

May this New Year bring you and your loved ones the

Joy, Peace and Holiness of the Christ Child

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom 

 

Please Visit  www.deaconspod.com  and listen in as Paulist Fathers Deacon Affiliates engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it. 

OTHER RESOURCES

 

Recommended Reading:  Blessed Among Us: Day by Day with Saintly Witnesses by Robert Ellsberg

Since the early centuries, Christians have held up the saints as models of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Blessed Among Us explores this eclectic “cloud of witnesses”—lay and religious, single and married, canonized and not, and even non-Christians whose faith and wisdom may illuminate our path. In two stories per day for a full calendar year, Ellsberg sketches figures from biblical times to the present age and from all corners of this world—ordinary figures whose extraordinary lives point to the new age in the world to come.
  
Blessed Among Us is drawn from Ellsberg’s acclaimed column of the same name in Give Us This Day, a monthly resource for daily prayer published by Liturgical Press

 

Recommended You Tube: Blessed Among Us: Thea Bowman Based on the book "Blessed Among Us: Day by Day with Saintly Witnesses" by Robert Ellsberg, this monthly video series of prayerful meditations on lives well-lived continues with Servant of God Thea Bowman (1937-1990), a religious sister who transcended racism and prejudice to leave a lasting mark on U.S. Catholic life in the late 20th century. Check out this YouTube site to find a treasure trove of Catholic Witness who lives support and encourage our faith through our day-to-day challenges.

 

 

Christmas Day_B - When Heaven Came Down To Earth_122523

Deacon Tom Writes,

“When Heaven Came Down To Earth”

The Nativity of the Lord, Year B – Mass During the Day

In the stillness of the night in a remote village, the sound of a newborn baby’s cry interrupts the silence. No ordinary child by heritage, his ancestors include Abraham, Jesse, David, Solomon and Amos, towering figures who had safeguarded the promises given to them by Yahweh that He would one day come down from heaven and live among His people. All creation celebrates this moment in time. Stars in the sky light the way. Angelic Beings sing with joy. Wise men set their course to find him. Nothing in the history of the world before or after this singular moment has had a greater impact on humanity than when heaven came down to earth.   

We look back two thousand years and celebrate this joyful event today as we look forward to the dawning of this new day and the promises it has in store for us… the promises of hope that we have for our children, grandchildren and, for some of us, our great grandchildren…. the promises we have that our loved ones who are suffering will find comfort and rest…. the promises that our broken world may find some peace and that all that divides us will be cast aside.

In the quiet of the evening, He came into the world to be its light.  But the world received him not, back then and still today when we choose resentment over forgiveness; when we choose self over other; when we choose deceit over virtue; when we choose that which does not nourish nor give life over the Eucharist, source of all life; when we choose darkness over light.  And yet, He chooses too; He chooses to come again and again into our broken lives, into our fractured world, peddling His goods… peace, justice, purity, love. One day we’ll get it right… That’s the promise. That’s our hope on this new and beautiful morn.  

May the joy of the Christ Child and the Holy Family be ours this Christmas and may the Son of God and Son of Mary grant us the deepest desires that lie within our hearts.  

Merry Christmas!

And a Healthy, Holy and Joyous New Year!

May the joy of the Christ Child and the Holy Family be ours this Christmas and may the Son of God and Son of Mary grant us the deepest desires that lie within our hearts.

Enjoy Every Moment!

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacs engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.

 

OTHER RESOURCES

 

Recommended Reading:  The Power of Now – A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhardt Tolle. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. The author leads the reader on a journey that is thrilling, and along the way, he shows us how to connect to the indestructible essence of our “Being” and how to live fully in the present.

 

 

Recommended You Tube: Bethlehem -  Psalm 2 - Psalm Sense with Fr. John Geaney, Paulist Fathers.  Fr John reminds of us the Reason for the Season. Listen in!

 

Fourth Sunday of Advent_B - A Wonderful Mystery_122423

Image Credit: Ignatian Solidarity Net

Deacon Tom Writes,

A Wonderful Mystery

 Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B

 St. Paul uses the one word that succinctly summarizes this Advent Season and the most holy event it precedes, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The word he uses is “mystery”. The Mystery of the Incarnation, the mystery of God enshrouding Himself in human flesh is the mystery of God’s abiding love for us. Because of this love, “Christ emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:7). Fully God, fully man, Jesus enters human history to reveal the fullness of God’s love for all creation.

We read today of two people who were drawn into this mystery of God’s self-revelation to the world. They are David and Mary. The Prophet Samuel tells us that David wants to build a dwelling for God. But God has other plans. Yes, David will establish a house for the Lord, but not in the way that David envisioned it. The household that the Lord will establish through David will be one that will last forever. It will be a household that includes Joseph and Mary and that finds its completion in Jesus who fulfills that promise by becoming a “dwelling place” for all.

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent as we hope for an end of the violence in Israel and the Ukraine, our hearts are yearning for the Divine to come to us. We turn away from the noise and clatter and frenzy of the world to hear the deep silence within give way to the chant, “Come, come, Emanuel, come Emanuel” as we invite the Holy Child into our lives, that He may abide in us and we become Temples of the Holy Spirit.

What is our heart’s desire this Christmas day? What is it that will make us complete? What will it take to fill our emptiness? My guess is that material things can’t come close to satisfying the cravings of our human spirit. What we really want, what will satisfy our innermost longings are the gifts that only God can give us, such as: calming our restless spirits, consoling our loss of a loved one, filling us with an inner peace, bringing us true joy, and, perhaps, a bit of happiness. Or, perhaps, we are in need of help so that we can let go of old grudges and to jettison old hurts or memories. We are in dire need of spiritual or emotional comforts and healings.

It is not possible to imagine that the infant whose birth we await desires that we remain in the constant state of hopelessness and despair. On the contrary, He came to set us free from all that would keep us bound up. He came to proclaim, “release to the prisoners”. That includes freeing us from our own self-imposed bondage(s).

May the mystery of God’s love revealed in the Infant Jesus free us from all that keeps us from loving Him and from loving one another.

May you experience a  most wonderful Christmas and a New Year filled with Christ’s abiding Peace and Joy!

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 thinking of coming into or leaving it.
 

 

OTHER RESOURCES

Recommended Reading: Reasons to Believe - A Personal Story  Belief is difficult. Sometimes we need to see to believe. Jesus was gentle with Thomas and his doubts. He allowed him to touch His wounded heart. Is He doing the same for us now, in this new millennium? As a compelling and thought-provoking witnesses to their faith, Ron Tesoriero, lawyer author, and Michael Willesee, investigative journalist, take a look at several Eucharistic Miracles and build a powerful fact-based-case for belief in Eucharist

 

Recommended You Tube: Eucharistic Miracles of Buenos Aires - Bread to Human Heart by Robert Ellsberg, Editor of Orbis Books on the release of her recent book, Father Ed The Story of Bill W.’s Spiritual Sponsor. Wonderful overview of this timely book.

 

Third Sunday of Advent_B - Rejoice_121723

Deacon Tom Writes,

Rejoice!

Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee quoting the words of the Prophet Isaiah that we hear today on this Third Sunday of Advent. 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; he teaches His disciples 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 as Covid-19 has imposed upon us an isolation beyond anything most of us have experienced previously. 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 Gaudete Sunday (R-E-J-O-I-C-E), 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 dispelled in our sight. 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

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacs engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.

 

 

OTHER RESOURCES

 

Recommended Reading: “Open Mind, Open Heart” by Cistercian Father Thomas Keating. A deep and thorough overview of the Christian contemplative tradition, a process of interior transformation, a conversation initiated by God and leading, if we consent, to divine union. Herein a restructuring of consciousness takes place which empowers one to perceive, relate and respond to everyday life with increasing sensitivity to the divine presence in, through, and beyond everything that happens. Fr. Thomas gives step-by-step guidance in the method of Centering Prayer, a movement of divine love designed to renew the Christian contemplative tradition.

Recommended You Tube:  “Stillness and the Fruit of Attention” YouTube: 79 The Most Excellent Path, Part 1, with Thomas Keating who leads us on the spiritual journey – Formation in the Christian Contemplative Life.

 

Second Sunday of Advent_B - Waiting in Hope_121023

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Waiting in Hope”

 

Second Sunday of Advent, Year B

Last week we read the Prophet Isaiah raising this prayer to God on behalf of God’s chosen ones who had long desired the Lord’s mighty presence to be with them: “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down”. Today Isaiah repeats that plea instructing the people, “Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by His strong arm…”.

These two readings from Isaiah express a wonderful mystery of our faith, not that we have to implore God to be by our side; not that we have to beg Him to come down from His lofty mountain and connect with His people. The mystery of our faith is that He is already here… that God is with us right at this present moment. Yet, at the same time, we have not yet fully experienced His presence; we are a people waiting for the Lord to return in glory and bring His Kingdom to its completion. Advent is a time to reflect on His presence in our daily lives and to know that there is more to come…And so, we wait in hope! We look ahead to the day when God’s fullness will totally reign in our hearts and in the world. We wait for that day when a new heaven and the new earth will replace the old order; we wait for the day when the justice, peace, and the realities of God’s Kingdom replace the disharmony, chaos and pure evil that are the dominant forces at work in our world today; we wait for our lives to be more complete and fulfilling with the gifts of God that satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

Advent is a season of expectant hope. It is a time when we dream new dreams about becoming the person God has called us to be. It is a time when the Spirit of Hope leads us to new beginnings. Who do you want to be when that new heaven and new earth arrives? Do you want to be a more caring person? Do you want to be more gracious, more thankful and more prayerful? Or, perhaps, we want to leave behind memories of the past that are painful and full of sorrow. The beauty of Advent is that we get to fill in the blanks… and be filled with the hope that, with God’s help, we can accomplish all we dare to hope. Advent is a time of waiting, a season of hope, for God to come into our lives and fill us with the true gifts of this season… peace, joy, love, those gifts that come from the Holy Spirit.

Each of us has the opportunity to reclaim Advent as a special time of hope. Each of us can make this a spiritual season by looking inward and hoping that the promises God holds in store for each one of us will become our reality… promises of newness, renewal, of our well being. That’s what hoping is all about. .

May this Advent journey be a time of new beginnings, new hopes and new joys. May God’s gift of new life set us free to seek the giver and share the many gifts He has in store for those who place their hope in Him.

Enjoy the day and the season!
Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacs engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.

 

OTHER RESOURCES

Recommended Reading: “Channel of Peace, Stranded in Gander on 9/11” by Kevin Tuerff tells the story of a stranded traveler’s encounter with boundless acts of generosity and compassion from total strangers. This is a great read during these challenging times.

 

Recommended You Tube: a short reflection on “Stillness and the Fruit of Attention” by Fr. Lawrence Freeman, OSB that encourages us to develop the practice of contemplation in our lives.