I spent the day on Saturday with about 800 teens from across the Midwest as we celebrated World Youth Day Chicago – A Midwest Celebration. It was an amazing day filled with energy, faith, and prayer. I was so blessed to have been able to be the emcee and give a workshop to such wonderful, faith-filled teens. The young church is certainly a powerful force! Read More
Deacon Allen | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 36
On the Inside; On the Outside
“When you are through changing, you are through.” ~Bruce Barton
All of us will experience change at multiple points in our lives. Often times, those changes are not welcomed. But I am a firm believer that change needs to occur, whether we want it to – or not. Change is necessary for us to experience new things, new ventures, new opportunities, new outlooks, new growth and new visions. If we continue to live our lives within our daily routines, we almost certainly will lose our perspective on where we are and not push ourselves to blossom and grow. Read More
Today is the feast of St. Benedict. He was born in 480 within a wealthy family in the Roman town of Norcia, east of Rome. He eventually responded to a call to lead establishing communities where followers could “seek God” and confront the contemporary pagan culture. It was here where he constructed a rule of life and organization for these communities. The Rule of St. Benedict was written for those serious about seeking God and being formed in His image. Read More
Today is the first day of summer. It’s a time when the season changes from the birth and rejuvenation of the spring season into the sultry and dry days of summer. It’s also a time of change for our mind, body, and soul. Our thinking shifts to a “getting away from it all” attitude. We look forward to vacation time with family, and a chance to refresh ourselves by stepping away from the ordinary. We relish in the fact that we can remove ourselves from our daily grind and look at life in a whole new way. Read More
Have you ever seen that TV show called “Golden Boy?” (Well apparently, not many have. It has been cancelled for next year.) The show features a young rookie homicide cop who is filled with anger issues against his father, mother, co-workers, and many others. His wise, veteran partner has to deal with him and all of his anger. So he gives him these words of wisdom: Read More
In case you haven’t heard the news, I have found employment again! (Thanks be to God!) Thank you for all of your prayers and support during my job search. It is truly appreciated!
After reflecting on today’s Gospel (Mark 10:46-52) about the blind man, Bartimaeus, I couldn’t help but to think how much I have in common with him. (Honestly, I think we all do!) For me, it was going through the loss of my job. Read More
If you were to stand on a busy sidewalk, pick an empty spot in the sky, and stare at it for a full minute, what do you think would happen? Most likely, most people would walk past without glancing up and virtually no one would stop to stare with you. Read More
What does Jesus really ask of us as one of his followers? Are there certain requirements that we need to have? Are there a number of hoops that we need to jump through? Actually, God’s requirement is simple: love God and love each other. This sounds simple, but are we really doing this? Read More
Another sleepless night. Another night of tossing and turning, anticipating and waiting, hoping and praying. It is the eve of the “big day” when my future course of action may be determined. And then again, maybe not. Read More
Am I glad to see Friday! This has been one of those weeks; you know, the type of week where you were tested and tried, poked and pried, basted and fried. It was one of those weeks when your patience is put to the test, day after day. And, I’m sad to say, I did not handle that patience piece very well at all!
My activities surrounding my job search were quite active this week. There was also a lot of activity surrounding some family health challenges. And don’t even get me started on the lack of sunshine this week! The skies were constantly dark and cloudy, it was cold and raining – and my patience was running thin! Read More
