What would you like to own more than anything else in the entire world? Would it be a sports car, a yacht, a beautiful mansion? What are these things worth to you? Jesus is telling us that following him and seeking the kingdom is worth even more than the thing we want most. As we learn more about the kingdom, the desire to attain it grows in us. We want to be in a place of perfect love and perfect peace, where there is no war or disease, no hatred or violence, no discrimination because of the color of our skin or the origin of our family, where people are respected and treated with dignity, and where all of us can live as sisters and brothers in Christ. What we need is what Solomon asked for: an understanding heart, so that we don’t judge others, but we love and serve one another and do what is right. And that’s not always an easy thing to do! Read More
On the Inside; On the Outside
Thought of the Day…
You are writing a gospel,
A chapter each day,
By deeds that you do,
By words that you say.
People read what you write,
Whether faithless or true,
Say, what is the gospel according to you?
Father, teach me that, as your child, worry has no place in my life. I know that it helps nothing. I know that worry overcomes no difficulty.
Often in the past, Lord, I have come to you with heavy heart and burdened life, and you have answered my prayers and graciously lifted the burden from me. Yet, I still refuse to leave my burdens with you. Always I gather them up, those heavy bundles of fears and anxieties, and shoulder them again.
Help me dear Lord to overcome these useless thoughts and lift from me once again all anxieties and apprehensions. Help me to live just one day at a time with a confident trust in your tender mercy and love. May my heart know your promise that I rest only as I rest in you. I thank you for your love for me and for your help.
Amen.
“God is present, no matter how often humanity may forget God. Christianity has the living and modern spiritual energy, ready to confront the negations of a materialistic world.” ~Pope John XXIII
The Gift
If one cannot grow, one cannot learn
the meaning of life; the gift of return.
If one cannot fly like a bird of a feather,
feelings held captive and held in forever.
If one cannot reach for a star in the sky,
dreams are left shattered and the future will die.
If one cannot say what rests on the mind,
the two doors of speech will be closed to the blind.
If one cannot feel for the strength in the air,
nearness is coldness, darkness, and fear.
For if one cannot love, one cannot live,
and grow in the Spirit and possess what you give.
(I wrote this poem on February 2, 1984.)
During the last few days of June, I went on a private, silent retreat. A retreat is a requirement for deacons so that they take time each year to break away and spend some private time with the Lord. This year, I went to the Franciscan Spirituality Center outside of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I stayed in a hermitage located on a forested ridge. It was four spiritually-fulfilling days of silence, prayer, reading, contemplation, meditation, and peace. I also reflected on the many gifts that God has graciously given me. And I couldn’t help but to praise and thank God for all of these wonderful gifts. But the important thing for all of us to remember is that we must use these gifts that we have been given.
In today’s Gospel from Matthew (MT 10:7-15), Jesus tells us, “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Sometimes, it’s easy to look at our gifts and the successes that come from them and brag and say that I was the one who was solely responsible for making that happen. After all, I was the one that did all of the work; therefore, I should take the credit. I’ve learned over the years that it takes a lot of time, effort, and spiritual awareness to know that everything is a gift freely given to us from God. Let me say that again: EVERYTHING is a gift freely given to us by God – every breath we take, our brains, our talents, our skills, our personalities, and on and on. All of it is a gift! Read More
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me.
~Erma Bombeck
Stress-Control Strategies for Coping in a Crisis
Posted by Deacon Allen | Emotions/Feelings | One CommentI was reading through my healthcare provider’s newsletter not too long ago when I came across an article from Arleen Fitzgerald, L.I.C.S.W., on how to cope in a crisis. There was some really good information in there that I wanted to share as well as add some additional input on the subject of finding some key strategies to help us cope when dealing with sorrow, anxiety, and anger in trying times. Read More
In today’s Gospel (Matthew 6:7-15), Jesus teaches us how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer beautifully reflects God’s wishes when Jesus says, “When praying, do not babble.” In other words, quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality in your prayer life. That’s why I love the Lord’s Prayer because it sums up what we need from God (and what He wants from us) so succinctly. But today, I want to focus on one short phrase of this prayer: “Thy will be done.” So what does this really mean? Read More
Today is the feast day of St. Barnabas. He is the patron saint of Cyprus, Antioch, and against hailstorms. He is also invoked as a peacemaker. But who was St. Barnabas and what can we learn from him? Read More
