Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Words..."Spoken With Authority_013121

Deacon Tom Writes,

Words… “Spoken With Authority”

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B 

Casting out the demons from the man in the Synagogue in Capernaum is the first cure Mark recounts as Jesus begins his ministry. Do you suspect there is a message here? I do! Jesus serves notice that the days of darkness are over. While the people in the synagogue may not have realized that at the time, they were quick to realize this event as a sign of Jesus’ authority. 

Today our world is still plagued by demons seemingly have imbedded themselves into the fabric of our daily lives. Unfortunately they are just as real and destructive and pathetic today as they were in Jesus’ time. We know them by the fruit of their works: hunger, poverty, war, ignorance, their empty promises and lying tongues, the division and chaos  that we see around us. They continue to raise havoc with many of our brothers and sisters, keeping them wrapped up in fear and seizing them with a perpetual sense of hopelessness. 

Mark wastes no time telling of Jesus miraculous power as He liberates a man bound up and tormented by some terrible affliction described only as “an unclean spirit”. Whatever that condition was, it sounds horrible. What people saw, what made them marvel was that Jesus had amazing power and that He used that power for the well-being of one of His neighbors who was longsuffering. They ask the question, “What is this, a new teaching with authority?” Yes, it is, one that we continue to spread nearly 2,000 years later. It is the quintessential teaching not only of one man’s liberation; it is our story too, of our struggle to get free from all that imprisons us, from all that has hardened our hearts and blinded us to the sorrows and sufferings of those around us. It is a new teaching which calls us to be like the Master, to imitate Him by helping others break free from whatever shackles them, diminishes their dignity and self-worth, exploits their labor, or impoverishes them. 

How do we who claim to be disciples of Jesus respond to the evils we witness as we go about our daily activities? Does the evil we see or experience motivate us to action or to prayer? Are we minimalists, adhering to the practice of attending Mass once on week on Sunday, dropping our envelope in the collection basket and getting our ticket punched? Or, do we go above and beyond the minimum by engaging in the corporal works of mercy – you remember them, don’t you? … feeding the hungry; giving drink to the thirsty; clothing the naked; sheltering the homeless; visiting the sick; ransoming the captive, burying the dead on the corporal side. Or, perhaps we prefer helping others on their spiritual journey by teaching them our faith, counseling them through their doubts; warning them they have wondered of the straight and narrow; bearing wrongs patiently; forgiving offences willingly; comforting the afflicted; praying for the living and the dead. St. Thomas Aquinas regarded the works of mercy as various forms of almsgiving. Furthermore, he considered these works to be a duty, an obligation we owe to one another predicated on the golden rule to do to others, as we would have them due to us. 

There are many ways in which followers of Jesus can respond in a positive way to the evils we see and experience in our daily life. What is important is that we do something to respond to the many faces of evil in our world. Doing nothing is not an option! We know the scriptures. We know what Jesus asks of us. AND, we know the consequences of choosing to turn our heads. We find them spelled out clearly in Matthew 25:41: “Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, in everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you covered me not; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me", etc.

It is easy to be overwhelmed with all the evil that we see or personally experience on a daily basis. It is easy to think that there is nothing we can do to change it… that the problem is too big and we don’t have the means to stop it. That way of thinking perpetuates the work of the devil. Apathy, indifference, inactivity, feelings of hopelessness, inadequacy, or that we are too old, or too young and similar thoughts on our part tip the scales even more in favor of the evil one. There is a saying that we should call to mind should such thinking enter our minds… “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” As friends of Jesus nothing could be more truthful. Christ is the light of the world who came to chase away the darkness, the chaos, the division and chaos and the evil in the world. By His life and His ministry, by His Death and Resurrection,  He set the example that we are to be lights to those around us too, to cast away the darkness and to resist the evils in our world, little by little, each and every day.  May we always be faithful in following his example and true to His Word. 

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Time Is Running Out_012421

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Time Is Running Out”

Third Sunday in OrdinaryTime, Year B

Paul’s message to the Corinthians rings equally true for us today, “Time is running out!” Who ever has enough time? Ronald Rolheiser in his book, “Against an Infinite Horizon” writes, “In the torment of the insufficiency of everything attainable we come to understand that here, in this life, all symphonies remain unfinished”. What a sobering thought that reminds us that we all suffer from a chronic shortage of time. The clock is always running; how important it is for us to invest our time wisely.

 Paul’s letter to the Corinthians wasn’t a lesson on time management! He stresses the importance of using the time we have now wisely in light of a future event looming on the horizon. Paul is referring to the end times, the end of one era, and the beginning of a new one, when Christ will return in glory. This will be the final age when the things of this world will pass away and God’s Kingdom that Christ established will dawn upon the earth. The message St. Paul wants us to understand is that in order to prepare for that day, we need to enter into a new way of living and acting; we need to align our lives with Jesus and His teaching and not in accord with the ways of the world. 

We look to Jesus to teach us how to be faithful to the gospel while living in this world. According to Mark the journey begins when we answer His call, as did His first disciples. Simon and Andrew, James and John dropped everything when Jesus invited them to “Come after me.” Jesus knew that time was critical and there was much work to be done. How interesting that two thousand years later nothing has really changed! Time is still the most precious element in our lives. My appreciation of that fact has deepened when I began visiting hospice on a regular basis. To some extent, time stops there. So many emotions are at work as spouses, children, grandchildren, and friends sit at the side of the bed as their loved one passes on. I often hear the expression, “I’ve lost track of time” or “I don’t even know what day it is.” Sometimes there is a lot of sadness and regret on the part of the survivors who feel guilty for not spending more time with their loved one, for not showing enough care. And as I said, time seems to stop as the inevitable unfolds. 

There is still much work to be done and the clock is running as we maintain our vigil for the Kingdom of God to dawn upon us. We have time now to do a simple act of kindness for a friend or loved one. We can lift somebody’s spirit with a phone call, a card, a simple “thank you” or a smile as you pass by. We have time to do so much good and to let the light of Christ shine in our lives so as to brighten the way for others as we wait for Christ to come again. 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom 

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - What Are We Looking For?_011721

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 in first revealing and then laying the foundation for His Kingdom on our earthly realm. 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 adulation 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 preaches 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

The Baptism of the Lord - The Word Became Flesh_011021

Deacon Tom Writes,

“The Word became Flesh”

The Baptism of the Lord_Year B    

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord completing our Christmas Season that began on the First Sunday of Advent way back on November 30th. I suspect for most of us these six weeks have been quite different than any other Advent / Christmas seasons we have known. We Americans are not accustomed to having our movements limited or restricted as has been necessary because of the pandemic. Yet, it seems to me, we were still able to occupy ourselves preparing as best we could to celebrate this Holy and festive occasion. Physical visits and hugs and kisses from our loved ones had to be virtual yet, thanks to technology such as Facetime and Google Meet, we have been able to be present to those we love. So, in the black hole that has clouded our Christmas Joy, my hope is that we are able to take in some quiet time to experience the mystery of our faith that liturgically comes to completion today… the mystery of the Incarnation, “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (JN 1:14)

Yes, this simple yet profound message of the Christmas season… “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” is not an easy message to incorporate into our daily lives. How do we who call ourselves “Christian” and who number ourselves among the “members of the Body of Christ” reengage the world after celebrating the birth of our infant savior? How do we engage this new year with a renewed level of energy and a deepened commitment to living the gospel message born by our infant savior? The answer, I believe, comes from this notion that our Savior came down from heaven to “dwell among us”. Once we grasp this profound reality, we begin to realize that for Christians there can be no “packing away” our faith along with the Advent Wreath and the Christmas ornaments until next year. No! We don’t just celebrate our Savior’s birth and baptism then just pick up where we left off with business as usual, forgetting our uniquely Catholic-Christian identity. Like Jesus, we too are called and we are sent… as His disciples, to make a difference in the world…for the better…to make His presence and His teachings known to all around us…not just by our words, but by our actions! Yes, it is one thing to sing “O Come All Ye Faithful” at Midnight Mass. It is quite another to be faithful to the teachings of Christ…and the example He set, of forgiveness, compassion, tolerance, patience, and unconditional love for all, even His enemies, even those who put Him to death. Recent history has put out a clarion call for Christians to be actively engage in being disciples of Jesus today…. in our time, in our homes, our communities, our schools, in our words and all our actions.

We begin 2021 with a deep sense of hope; hope that we will all choose peace over violence; hope that we will choose reconciliation instead of retaliation; hope that we will choose love over hatred. We hope to turn our backs to evil in all of its degrading forms. We resolve to denounce all forms of racism, bigotry, commoditization of people for profit, pleasure, for any and all evil purposes. We hope that by living the way Jesus lived we can transform this world into the kingdom ushered in by His birth. If we have truly come to believe that, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” all that we do will reflect the Christ Child’s abiding love and presence within us as we work together building the Kingdom of God on earth.

May the “Word become Flesh” dwell in our hearts, now and forever!

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Image Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God_New Year's Blessing_010121

Deacon Tom Writes,
“New Year’s Blessing”

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Year B 

In today’s First Reading from the Book of Numbers God blesses His people as they journey through the desert headed for the Promised Land. His blessings renew the promises He made to them on Mt. Sinai and instill in their hearts His kindness, His peace and His graciousness.  

One blessing we consider today is that God, in His goodness and mercy, was not satisfied to remain simply an abstract image or a name on the lips of His chosen ones. God planned from the very beginning of time to share in His creation. We are blessed because God revealed Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ who came to live among us and teach us His ways so that we “may live life to the fullest.”   (JN 10:10)

Today we honor Mary as the Mother of God. We celebrate today what was declared dogma by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431 AD, that Mary IS the Mother of God, Theotokos.  From the earliest days of our faith, people have turned to Mary and sought her intercession.  The Council of Ephesus only confirmed what the people already knew, that Mary was the Mother of God and as such was a refuge for us in our time of need.   

As we turn the page to a new year, one in which we hope the world sees and end to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are profoundly aware of our many needs and those of our families and our world.   Mary, whose love, sacrifice and surrender nurtured the Holy Family, waits for us to turn to her so that she can be an advocate on our behalf. And again, we are so spiritually needy. There is no favor Her Son will not grant her if only we turn to her, for, since the beginning of time, it has been upon her that His favor rests.  

Through the intercessions of Mary, may……
The Lord bless us and keep us!
The Lord let his face shine upon us and be gracious to us!
The Lord look upon us kindly and give us peace!

Wishing you and your families a…Happy, Holy, and Healthy New Year‼!

Deacon Tom 

The Epiphany of the Lord - Hearts That Throb and Overflow_010321

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Hearts That Throb and Overflow”

The Epiphany of the Lord, Year 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,“(y)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 prophecies 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 throughout the ages. Christ came to restore what was lost – our union with the divine. As our Covid-19 curtailed 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 profound reasons for our joyous 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 too.     

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Deacon Tom

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - Family Life or Family Strife_122720

Deacon Tom Writes,

Family Life or Family Strife?

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 120%”!!! 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. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Deacon Tom