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cost | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker

cost | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker

On the Inside; On the Outside


 
Feb 15 2018
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Take Up Our Cross

Posted by | Discipleship | No Comments

What did Jesus mean when He said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  (Luke 9:22-25) What does this look like in our lives?

I don’t think Jesus was referring to our daily toils and trials. To take up our cross and to follow Jesus starts with literally taking up our cross. We can’t take it up for someone else nor can anyone take it up for us. The point is, it is “your cross” to pick up and not mine, and neither is mine for you to take up, so first we must take up our cross, and only then can we follow Jesus. Our cross is not dealing with chronic health problems, dealing with disobedient children, experiencing a relationship issue, or having one of the worst jobs on the planet. I don’t believe we can say, “That’s the cross I have to carry,” if we’re referring to things that cause us problems in life. Jesus wasn’t carrying His cross of being mistreated and beaten by the Roman guards or falsely accused and arrested. His cross meant only one thing for Him; death, but His death would bring eternal life for us, so His cross wasn’t about Himself, but about others.

The only way to God is through the cross … and to follow Him means to take it up. The words, to take it up, are a challenge to us. We often think of the perks of faith and not of the costs. But following Christ is not a passive endeavor. We have to be active in our faith, and being active in our faith will, quite frankly, cost us. This means that if we want to follow Christ, then we must be prepared to nail ourselves up there.

But in order to do that, we need to strip away all those things we cloak ourselves with. We need to strip away selfish desires, rip off arrogance and pride, and scrape off stubbornness. It means making God’s will our will, not creating our own path, but following in the footsteps of Jesus.

Our Lord chose the cross as the means of our salvation precisely because of the great cost it meant for Him and for us, so that in recognizing that cost, we can appreciate the immense joy and peace we find in His victory. So be not afraid. Let’s take up our cross and follow Jesus. It is definitely worth it!

Sep 17 2017
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Forgiveness is a Tough Job

Posted by | Emotions/Feelings | One Comment

Just the other day I was flipping through TV channels and came across a show about a guy who picks up road kill for a living. I thought, “Why in the world would anyone want to watch this?” And then, of course, I couldn’t turn it off! That show was called “Dirty Jobs,” and Mike Rowe was the man who became famous for trying some of the dirtiest jobs on the planet. He has waded through sewers, castrated horses, farmed worm poop, and sorted through medical waste, just to name a few. He goes out and learns about the jobs that none of us would ever want to do, and gets coached by the people who do these jobs every day for a living. It’s not just for entertainment, because Mike goes deeper in order to pay respect to the men and women who roll up their sleeves and do these challenging jobs every day. Read More

Sep 04 2016
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The Cost of Discipleship

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So who wants to be a disciple of Jesus? He certainly doesn’t pull any punches about what it takes (Luke 14:25-33). First, hate your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even life itself. Second, carry your own cross and follow him. And third, give up all your possessions.

It’s that simple and it’s that difficult. Jesus’ words don’t just sound black and white. They are black and white. It is all or nothing. We’re either in or we’re out. Those three things, the cost of discipleship, shaped Jesus’ life and ministry and they are to shape ours as well. Let me break these down one by one. Read More

Jul 10 2014
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Giving Without Cost

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heritageDuring 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