Things don’t always seem to be what we believe they are or should be based on our viewpoint. This Sunday’s readings and Gospel are indicative of that, especially in light of God’s plan for our lives. It often seems contradictory, because our beliefs propagated by what the world has put into place don’t always agree with God’s. The question for us is: “With whom do we place our trust, man or God, no matter how difficult the situation, if we seek eternal life”?
We are called to prepare the way for Jesus to come into ours and other people’s hearts so we can experience the joy of salvation, healing, wholeness and holiness for which we long and gives real meaning to our lives. But, how do we do that when we are imprisoned into a world of sin as was St. John the Baptist?
Connected through the ages of time, we still prepare during Advent for the coming of Christ in our lives beginning with his birth, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and return. Both readings and St. Matthew’s Gospel illustrate how God’s plan was meant for us whether we were known as an Israelite or Gentile prior to or after implementation of Christianity. Our preparation is for acceptance of who Jesus is as told to us through the scriptures and to find ways we can be repentant, have a personal change of heart and a transformation or conversion as we help to bring peace and justice as Jesus did.
DEAR FRIENDS –
TODAY’S BLOG MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD-YEAR (CYCLE “A”) I
HAVE BEEN SHARING IN “A CATHOLIC DEACON’S PERSPECTIVE.” AS I WROTE IN THE PAST, MY HOPE IS
THAT IT GIVES YOU A DEEPER INSIGHT INTO YOUR JOURNEY WITH THE LORD. JUST
AS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS “B” AND “C“ BLOG SUBMISSIONS HAVE REMAINED ON THIS
SITE TO REVIEW OR COMPARE, YEAR “A” WILL BE ADDED FOR THE SAME REASON. OUR
PRIMARY GOSPEL PROVIDER FOR YEAR “A” IS ST. MATTHEW.
PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU REMAIN IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AS WE
TRAVEL A PATH TO FOLLOW JESUS TO HIS PROMISE OF EVERLASTING LIFE FOR THOSE WHO
ARE FAITHFUL TO HIS TRUTH OF LOVE, MERCY AND FORGIVENESS.
GOD BLESS,
DEACON JIM MERLE
Benevolent monarchies without a spiritual force behind it rarely exist to offer the fullness of what Jesus, a Christian King, provides for us through His love of all that exists in His realm with His Father and the Holy Spirit. If that were not enough of a challenge, outside influences based on fulfilling one’s personal needs of wealth, fame and power all but destroy human decency, morals and integrity so that nothing can exist without negativity in all facets available for peaceful co-existence.
“Death is but a passing from this life to the next,” is how I define eternal life. Where that eternal life is depends on how you live your current life. If you are like the Sadducees in St. Luke’s Gospel today, you will spend it in hell. If you follow Jesus’ logic, you will be heaven in love with everyone you have ever loved on earth. After all, isn’t love God’s focus?
Each day I start my morning prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours with an examination of conscience in the following way:
“Lord, forgive my inequities, cleanse me from my sin, help me to be one with You in all that I am and in all that I do in thought, word and deed as well as Faith, Hope and Love. Give me courage, strength, wisdom, understanding, peace, joy and grace to be obedient to your will. For all those for whom I pray, may they receive your care, comfort and healing.”
A religious from Europe active in missionary work in Zambia at a hospital and orphanage and more recently in the Ukraine, shared yesterday at Mass about a four-day ordeal he had in a basement of an apartment building in which 13 children were hiding after being wounded by a Russian missile. Though he was able to help because of his work in Zambia, it was through perseverance in prayer that helped him and the children to cope with what happened and how they will be able to face an uncertain future. This incident brings our Gospel and readings this weekend to life and hopefully us in how we live as practicing Catholics.
Today is Respect Life Sunday based on Pope St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (The Gospel of Life) held every October to reaffirm the value and inviolability of every human life and to appeal to all people to respect, protect, love and serve every human life.
For those who live in urban areas, seeing a poor person like Lazarus in St. Luke’s Gospel is a normal scenario. Exit ramps from highways, expressways and freeways are filled with people begging for help due to being homeless or hungry. Whether it is a lone figure or a family, the cardboard signs with dark writing cannot help but catch the eye of those passing by. And, most do just pass by without an offer to help.
Have you ever heard the saying: I would rather be clever than smart? I even used it myself when I was much younger. It was a trait that peaked my imagination to allow me to be creative. People seemed to be more responsive when I said or did something either because it seemed to make sense or it made me look like I knew something they did not.
Once a month the clergy of our parish meet for Morning Prayer followed by a light breakfast to discuss what is happening in the Church, our parish and in our lives. Several weeks ago the topic landed on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the feedback clergy hear from those who take advantage of this sacred rite. The consensus was that though the laity initially accepts their forgiveness by God through the priest, they linger with the thought that it may be more of a pacifier for what is happening. The belief being that God still holds it in His heart when it comes to making decisions about our life and afterlife.
In the realm of relationships each one is unique even though there are identifying traits that psychologist, psychiatrists and scientists have data that often proves the outcomes are consistent no matter the person involved. The uniqueness comes when we interact with one another and the outcome produces or provides an avenue of action to change something for better or worse.
On the last Saturday of July I received a card from the wife of a man I have known for 61 years. After four and half years of suffering from stage four colon cancer he passed. Joe, not his real name, was one of my oldest friends and we considered each other as brothers because neither of us had siblings.
I have come to the conclusion that prayer is a life-long process that evolves over time. None of us awakens one day and says okay I finally figured out this prayer thing. It is more a time of questioning and trying to ascertain how we should pray to God.
One of the traits I have noticed about people, myself included, is that we have a curious nature that seeks to learn about the world around us; especially as it relates to others. Initially, it is about looking for things in common. If we find enough we like about someone, we begin to recognize differences by accident or on purpose. When we have satisfied our curiosity, we make a decision to continue in relationship with someone or to go elsewhere.
In mid1975 I was hired by a national wholesale nursery company as a regional salesman to represent them in the new territory of southern California and Nevada and all of Arizona. In addition, I would continue to handle their firm’s public relations. I closed my public relations/advertising agency and my wife and I sold our home and moved our family of four children under the age of seven from the Chicago area to Southern California.
About every five years or so there is a knock at our front door usually by two young men each nicely dressed in a white shirt, tie, dark colored pants and suspenders. They always have smile on their face, some pamphlets in their hands and sometimes a bible. They introduce themselves by name and tell us they are from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As a baptized believer in the Catholic faith my parents and godparents made a promise on my behalf as a child that I will love God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) with my whole heart, soul, mind and strength and all that God has created as Jesus loves us. My Confirmation followed up with that by my personal attestation that I will, with the help of the Holy Spirit, continue in that belief and work to bring those in need into the Church.
All things, good or bad, come to an end in some way, shape or form. When it happens, we usually have mixed emotions depending on our part in it and our expectations. That is how the Apostles felt at the end of Christ’s ministry on earth. All of them started out doing something unrelated to becoming future Church leaders who will expand a faith belief for the world. We know from Scripture that in their three years with Jesus prior to His demise as a human they wanted to follow in Jesus footsteps. Following His death, resurrection and visit with them, many initially returned to their former life because they were confused in their future. After spending an additional 40 days with Jesus ending with His Ascension, they reverted back to the desire of spiritual involvement.
(SUBSCRIBERS AND READERS)
For those who have access to social media, television or the written media, you know that many societies throughout the world are self-centered in their approach to life. Wealth, Power and Fame are the main catalyst on one side and being downtrodden by multiple circumstances is another. It almost seems hopeless that we will ever live in a society that not only offers equality, but practices it in all we think, say and do. That being the case, how can we ever love one another as Jesus loves us?
Have you been called by God? Have you responded? If so, what are you doing about it? If not, why not?
‘My Lord and my God! Help me to be one with You in all that I am and do in thought, word and deed, and in faith, hope and love. Help me, an unworthy servant, to be worthy.’
Easter, especially the Triduum, is a continuous historical and spiritual reminder to Christian believers of the greatest love story that ever happened in our reality nearly 2000 years ago. Without it, a massive amount of those would have no connection with God except at creation and at the end of one’s life for judgment. The years in between would be aimless based on one’s free-will decisions that may or may not lead to a relationship with God. The Blessed Trinity in their infinite wisdom provides a plan for each of us that circumvent what could have been a tragedy for all: A world without a Christian God who created us out of and for love.
Periodically, my wife accuses me of selective listening; especially when it concerns a point she is trying to make about something that I choose not to hear. My usual excuse for not hearing her, if I am still asked to respond, is that my tinnitus is so loud I couldn’t quite make out what she said. In my defense, that is often true, but it doesn’t excuse me from not responding in some fashion.
None of us are perfect as we are all sinners. Given that scenario, how do we stand a chance of being rewarded the promise of eternal life with the unpredictability of obstacles in our life such as diseases, violence and natural disasters in addition to our own culpability?
An adage I often use when people ask about me is: “What you see, is what you get.” I say this not to be glib, cocky or without thought. I want to honestly reflect the true me as much as possible with whatever positive and negative aspects I portray. I know I am not perfect and have many faults. With this attitude, I hope that people will see I mean well in all my relationships and I can continue to learn how I need to honor the other person’s self-worth.
My main purpose for writing my weekly blog is to help all those who read it to find the purpose for which God created them and in turn to use the God-given gifts and talents they possess to fulfill that purpose. Our Gospel and readings for this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time call us to do just that.
Last week I was invited by the principal of our parish school to be one of two speakers at an assembly on vocations. A former teacher, Mr. M, and husband of the current eighth grade teacher gave a PowerPoint presentation about vocations focusing on life’s goals, purpose and the call from the perspective of God’s influence in our lives. My part was an extemporaneous offering dedicated to my call from God on why I was called to become a deacon and accepted.
