A Catholic Deacon's Perspective: February 2025

Friday, February 21, 2025

Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time (C): HATE THE SIN, NOT THE SINNER, SO WE CAN LOVE OUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR OUR PERSECUTORS!

Monsignor Owen P. Jinks, deceased pastor of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in La Mirada, California, when preaching on St. Luke’s Gospel from today, would say: “Hate the sin, not the sinner.” He did so because he understood we all have people who come into our lives who we either do not like or who cause us problems. So, instead of focusing on the person, it would lead us to look at what happened and why we found it difficult to love someone we believed was our enemy or at least caused us to be upset or angry.

Ninth Promise of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: “I will bless the homes in which the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.”

It is rare when I enter someone’s home that I do not see a picture of a family member or a friend adorning a wall or on a piece of furniture. If I ask who the person is, the response is one of honoring he or she for who they are or were or what they do or did.

GOD’S KINGDOMS ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN PROVIDE US WITH A LIFE OF FULFILLMENT IF WE FOLLOW HIS WAYS OF LOVE AND REPENTANCE!

One of my favorite children’s movies is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It’s about a candy maker who issues five gold tickets in various chocolate bars he sells so a child can become a partner in his business and help them produce new ideas to grow their business. What makes it interesting is how the five children who found golden tickets react to all the choices with which they are presented at the plant and how they make their decisions.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: VOLUNTEERING TO HELP THOSE IN NEED CONFIRMS OUR TRUST OF FAITH IN GOD

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.

Eighth Promise of the Sacred Heart: “Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection.”

The eighth promise of the Sacred Heart devotion is indeed a wondrous one: "fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection." This promise draws us into the reality that a soul enflamed with the love of Jesus' Sacred Heart is led toward sanctification, becoming more like Him and reflecting His perfect image. It is not about instant, seemingly magical perfection, but rather a dynamic process of spiritual growth fueled by fervent love.

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: CREATED BY GOD’s LOVE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE, WE ARE TO FIND THE REASON FOR OUR CREATION AND USE IT TO BRING THE GOSPEL MESASGE TO ALL

At my previous assignment, the principal of that parish school invited me 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.

Seventh Promise of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: “Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.”

“I KNOW YOUR DEEDS; I KNOW YOU ARE NEITHER HOT NOR COLD. HOW I WISH YOU WERE ONE OR THE OTHER – HOT OR COLD!”

Revelation 3:15

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 19-1/2 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. Since completing the three-year cycles of A, B and C, I have been expanding the blog to look into the areas of Commentaries, Scripture and Theology. I will continue to use 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 so, 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