A Catholic Deacon's Perspective: April 2023

Friday, April 28, 2023

Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, Calls Us To Follow Him! Let Us Respond To His Voice By Living Our Vocation!

In addition to celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Easter (known as Good Shepherd Sunday), it also is the 60^th anniversary of Vocations Sunday. It is usually the day when we hear a homily on praying for future priests, deacons and religious life vocations. Well, maybe, not so much for deacons.

The Road To Emmaus Can Be A Conversion Experience, If We Trust Sacred Scripture And Our Eucharistic Sacrament!

Life is filled with disappointments, but probably none was ever greater to Christian belief than between the death of Jesus and His resurrection. St. Luke’s Gospel of two disciples of Jesus on the road to Emmaus brings to light the frustration that follows the failure of expectations or hopes causing confusion about the future.

Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen And Have Believed

Too often, the mantra we hear and sometimes say is: Seeing is believing! In other words we need some physical proof as the Apostle Thomas in St. St. John’s Gospel today when he said: “Unless I see…I will not believe” in reference to Jesus being alive after His death. What makes these words even harder to accept is that they are spoken by a believer who for three years lived with Jesus hearing His words and watching people being healed from all sorts of incurable ailments. Is Thomas really a doubter, or is he a man of faith because if what he was told is true, why aren’t the other Apostles jumping for joy rather than still hiding behind locked doors?

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection has Given Us A Second Chance. Don’t Miss the Opportunity!

There is no greater celebration for a Christian than Easter Sunday. It is the culmination and the purpose of God’s redemptive plan for man’s salvation. Jesus has died for our sins and is risen from the dead so that, if we have followed Him as we ought, we will have an everlasting life after we pass from our earthly existence.

So, how do we celebrate Easter Sunday? Hint: It is not with Easter Egg Hunts.

BLOG INTRODUCTION

Scripture is like the eyes into God’s soul. Whether from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) or the New Testament, we are able to garner, as best we can, who God is (what He feels and how He thinks in human terms). The original purpose of this blog, which began in 2019, was to take a three-year cycle of A, B and C Gospels and readings from each Sunday and provide a perspective as it pertains to our current lives as seen through the eyes of a Catholic deacon who for the last 18-1/2 years has served Catholics in words and deeds per his ordination. The intention was and still is to help all those who read the blog 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. Having completed the three-year cycle of A, B and C, I have decided to expand the perspective to look into the areas of Commentaries, Scripture and Theology. Similar to the last three years, I will be using the New American Bible to offer a perspective on what their messages might mean not only personally to you, but an additional aspect in which you as the reader can comment by offering your own take, if you choose to do so. In doing, all of us will be able to see various insights based on where we are at in our life. My theme is the same as in the past in that I am looking at God’s purpose for creating us. We are tasked to discover what that reason is based on the gifts we are graced with by Him and then using that answer to serve all that God has created. Though many responses will be similar, each and every one of us has a story to tell that is unique unto ourselves. It is my hope that by sharing different perspectives, we will begin to understand our relationship with God and come to realize how oneness with our Lord is truly what makes life work no matter what the situation. In these new blog presentations, there will be general and specific questions that pertain to the subject matter at hand. Their purpose is to provide you with insights into yourself that may create additional ideas you would like to explore. Based upon your need to receive a response from the blog or others is when you are asked to offer comments at the end of each blog. You and responders can be completely anonymous with what you or they write. My answers will include my name. In all cases I ask that you remember this is a Christian blog and what you write needs to be approached in that manner as it regards verbiage used. It is my hope that you will see this as something of value to help you grow closer to the Lord. If not, I would appreciate your feedback to improve it or, if necessary, allow me to use a different format for furtherance of the relationship theme. Thank you for your openness to this. I look forward to your comments for all of us to grow into a deeper relationship with the Lord. Deacon Jim Merle

A Catholic Deacon's Perspective

Friday, April 28, 2023

Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, Calls Us To Follow Him! Let Us Respond To His Voice By Living Our Vocation!

Friday, April 21, 2023

The Road To Emmaus Can Be A Conversion Experience, If We Trust Sacred Scripture And Our Eucharistic Sacrament!

Friday, April 14, 2023

Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen And Have Believed

Friday, April 7, 2023

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection has Given Us A Second Chance. Don’t Miss the Opportunity!

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