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