Updates to the Blog for 2024

 

Dear Subscribers –

Beginning with the first Sunday of 2024, my blog, entitled “A Catholic Deacon’s Perspective,” will now look into the areas of Commentaries, Scripture and Theology.  Similar to the last three years in which Gospels and Readings from the New American Bible were used to offer a perspective on what their messages might mean to you personally, these blogs will offer an additional aspect in which you as the reader can comment on 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 you 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

Dear Subscribers

Please accept my apologies for not receiving the last two blogs of 2023 from “A Catholic Deacon’s Perspective” for the 33^rd Week in Ordinary Time and Jesus Christ, King of the Universe in a timely manner.  We have taken measures to rectify the system problems and hope future blogs will be uninterrupted and received on time.  Any prayer you want to insure that would be greatly appreciated.

Kingship or Kinship?

Father Greg Boyle, SJ, founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, rehab and re-entry program in the world, wrote a reflection in “Naked, and You Clothed Me: Homilies & Reflections for Cycle A” in which he refutes the title of Christ the King for a title he believes is more in keeping with what the feast day celebrates:

“What’s in Your Bag of Gifts”?

There was a time early in our marriage with four young children that I was out of work for nearly three years save a few odd jobs here and there, receiving unemployment income, welfare and miscellaneous gifts from friends to survive.  It was one of those gifts that changed my wife’s and my life due to the way in which it was given.

Procrastination! A Disastrous Decision!

Be honest!  We have at times in our life waited too long to take action on something that needed to be done and suffered a consequence for it.

For me it came early in my life.  I had decided to do something else with the thought I would still have enough time to get home to join other altar boys picked up by Father Michael Dempsey from my parish to see the Harlem Globetrotters play.  I missed them by just minutes and had to wait another 40 plus years before going to see the “show,” as it was called.

God Calls All He Created to Humbly Practice What They Preach About His Teachings!

Though the Gospel and first reading from the 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time specifically address how badly the priesthood from the Old and New Testaments treated the chosen people of God, it also intentionally mentions how all of us are called to be models of the faith in which we believe.  This is especially true of us baptized into the Catholic faith as priest, prophet and king who promise to follow the ways of Christ. 

By Serving Others Through God’s Love We Are Saved

 

Since the onslaught of Covid-19 pandemic, we have become frightened, confused, impatient and sometimes angry with life or with whatever is or is not happening. Civility, kindness and a genuine effort to be helpful seems at times to have taken a hiatus waiting for the Coronavirus to come to an end.  What makes it even more difficult for us baptized Catholics is that we are called to rise above this because of our promise to love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength and all that God has created as Jesus loves us according to our Gospel from St. Matthew today.

Two Kingdoms, One God

 

It never ceases to amaze me to what lengths people will go to make a point.  St. Matthew’s Gospel today provides us with an example I believe verifies this belief.

According to biblical and historical scholars, the two Jewish sects of Pharisees and Herodians during Jesus’ times hated one another.  The Pharisees resented the demand of any tax payment to a foreign king because they believed that God was their only king.  The Herodians were supporters of Herod the Great, King of Galilee, who received his power from the Romans and, therefore, supported the collection of taxes to benefit their cause.  And yet, both were willing to put their differences aside to form an “unholy” alliance that rid them of Jesus, because they hated Him more.

Invitation to Choose Holiness

 

Having a free will can be difficult at times.  You get to choose, but the outcome may not be what you imagined.  Saint Matthew’s Gospel today presents us with a parable from Jesus to the Jewish chief priests and elders of His time, as have the last two prior Sundays, inviting them to seriously consider His message of becoming holy according to God’s ways rather than their own interpretation of what they believe God meant.  In there lies the problem.

God’s Vineyard Was Created For His Chosen People! We Are Called To Emulate It By Following In His Ways!

During formation as a deacon we were taught to balance our commitments by not taking on more than we can handle.  A handy hint we were given was to use one calendar to balance church and personal matters to avoid duplications and/or overbookings.  It works most of the time except for unexpected items such as injuries, illnesses and deaths which need immediate attention.