A Catholic Deacon's Perspective: October 2024

Friday, October 11, 2024

Pope Francis Says It Is Our Civic Duty to Vote. When it Comes to Voting, Choose the Lesser Evil If Voting for Trump or Harris When It Comes to Migration and Abortion Issues!

In less than a month from now, registered Americans, including a number of 72 million Catholic registered American voters, will be asked to vote for a change in presidency. The two main candidates are former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Recently, Pope Francis was asked at a news conference to provide guidance to Catholic American voters as to how they should vote as it related to these two front runners.

Friday, October 4, 2024

“This One, At Last, Is Bone Of My Bones And Flesh Of My Flesh.”

Please note that I am not an expert in marriage or divorce counseling as it relates to our Gospel and readings in which both are referenced. My blog this weekend is based on three perspectives: My own marriage of 56 years; Witnessing relative and friends’ marriages; and Meeting and talking with couples as a deacon either prior to a marriage in the Catholic Church or after a divorce of couples married either in or out of the Church.

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