Burdens

God our Father,help us to follow the exampleof your Son’s patience in suffering.By sharing the burden he carries,may we come to share his gloryin the kingdom where he lives with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.– Amen.Ever feel like the whole world is stepping all over you? We all get those days from time to time. But for some people, it may seem like it happens everyday. As my wife says, 'sometimes we are the pigeon, and sometimes we are the car under the tree where the pigeon sits.'
  Our life is full of burden and disappointment at many turns. Each time we feel the splat of life taking its turn at disappointment. But there in lies the example of Christ, who carried the burden of our sins though He was sinless. By example, Jesus taught us to continue on no matter how heavy the day's cross seems to be. And sometimes even the little things seem to be very heavy.
  I was told today, after someone listened to some of the things that have been going on in my life, that I must be under a great deal of stress. The person perceived that I had a lot to deal with. And while I listened to the response and thought, yes, it is a lot, I must say that I don't feel as stressed out as she thought I should be.  There is some stress, but our faith is keeping us focused. My wife and I are constantly looking for the window that God has opened when a door closes, and it always seems to be there.
  If you carry a burden tonight, before going to sleep, ask Jesus, or the Blessed Mother, or your favorite Saint, to help you recognize the open window and acknowledge that things could be worse and the burden could be heavier. In the morning, just as we experience the light of a new day, you can experience the light of a new outlook.

Peace.

Is The Hour At Hand?

I was at the wake for a friend's loved one this evening. While I was in Spencer, I got word of his relative's death. As I visited this evening, I found out that the death was sudden. A thud in the adjourning room, and the person was gone. It reminded me of how short our lives are on the earth. I recalled my mother-in-law's passing. It was around St. Patrick's day, because she had called and asked us to join her for dinner as she had made corned beef and cabbage, but my wife and I were exhausted and told her we would be by the next day. That evening she did not answer her phone, and we assumed she was visiting cousins up the block. I will never forget the phone call I received the next day artwork, telling me she was gone. Or having to relay this information to my distraught wife.
  We really do not know when God will call us home. Our time can be short, a mere 13 years like my niece. I little longer, like my wife's mom in here fifties, or even more. But when that  time is we do not know.so we must be prepared as if the time is tomorrow, or tonight. Jesus reminds us that no one knows the time or the place. We must be ever vigilant, like the virgins with their lamps, awaiting the coming of the bridegroom.
  So how do we stay vigilant? We know deep inside that to be ready, we must have followed in the footsteps of Jesus as closely as possible. And that's not easy. We struggle every day of our life to achieve this life, but we all fall short. It is our human nature. We are not divine. We don't have that edge. We do however have a loving God who will do whatever is needed to help us and constantly forgive us and let us begin anew.
  So be ready. I believe we will all see the morning sun rise. But we should be ready, for we do not know the hour.

Peace

Deacon is Speakin' Again

Hello everyone. I am happy to say the Deacon's Speakin' is back from its hiatus. This happens to most preachers. As one shares thoughts and reflections, seeds of doubt are sometimes born as to whether anyone might be listening. Sometimes I wonder if anyone actually reads the posts, since most of the feedback is just a touch of the like button on Facebook. Are people just being nice or are they really getting something out of this sharing. It is these thoughts that allow evil to sneak in and develop those same ideas, and in essence stop the message from happening.
  This is what happened to me. I allowed my thoughts of insecurity and futility to fester and grow. These led me to the belief that no one was listening and these posts were not worthwhile.
  Thank you to the many people who dropped me a line in the past few weeks to ask what happened. It has made me realize that I opened the door to this doubt and Satan ran with it. To my friend from grammar school, yes, the deacon is speakin again!
  This is what we allow to happening in our lives each day if we doubt the plan God has for us. If we lose sight of our calling as disciples of the one risen Lord by right of our baptism. We hesitate. We doubt. We think about giving up. And Satan steps in and helps us along that path. It is the stumbling that we do over and over again as we strive for perfection in our faith. Time to shake the dust from the sandals and move on again.
  When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He rose above the temptation and stayed the course that the Father had laid out for Him. We need to call upon that same strength.
   Many years ago, when St. Pius X was ordained a priest, he arrived at his appointed parish to take over as pastor. There was only a church. No rectory or residence awaited him. A kind family of the parish took him in and let him stay in a room above their home until his own residence was completed. Years later, when Pius had been elected Pope, the family visited him. Pius felt he needed to give them something special since they had opened the hearts in kindness to him. He removed his zuchetto, the small, yarmulke  like hat the pope wears, and gave it to them. All these years later, members of that family retain pieces of the zuchetto that they shared. These were my ancestors and Pius has been watching over me since I started the road to ordination. The piece of his zuchetto sits in a prominent place in our home. I find it no coincidence that today was the day I was moved to begin blogging again. Today is the feast of St. Pius X.
   God's plan never ceases. He constantly calls us to it. And we may stray. And we may get lost. And we may fail. But the love of God, and those who have gone before us in the faith, is strong enough to call us back.
  Stay strong in the faith. And pray for guidance. Pray to God. pray to Jesus. Pray to the Blessed Mother. Pray to the Saints.

Peace