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God | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 16

God | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 16

On the Inside; On the Outside


 
Aug 06 2015
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In the Silence of the Stillness

Posted by | Everyday Life | 6 Comments
Sabbath Place Hermitage

Sabbath Place Hermitage

This past weekend, I went away on retreat to a place called Christ in the Wilderness (http://citwretreat.com) outside of Stockton, Illinois. I typically try to go away for at least four days, but with the way my calendar was this year, I could only manage a weekend. I didn’t set my spiritual expectations too high due to the short two-day retreat. (It usually takes two-days just to wind down from the stresses of life before I can solely focus on my relationship with God.) But this time, it was different.

Being completely isolated in a secluded wilderness hermitage immediately placed me in God’s presence. I was surrounded by nature, birds, animals, and God’s love for me, and an immediate peacefulness enveloped me. Read More

Jul 23 2015
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Do I Trust God?

Posted by | Prayer | One Comment

Having spent three days this week with our parish teens at Youth Ministry talking about vocations, you can imagine that this topic is still fresh on my mind. The very fact that each one of us is called to a vocation is a powerful thought; but to be able to discern your vocation and live it out is an entirely different story. Read More

Jul 02 2015
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Naked I Stand

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

Recently, when praying the Liturgy of the Hours, I read a verse from the Book of Job that suddenly reminded me of something that I was taught in one of my classes during diaconate formation. The verse was:

Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall go back again.

HumanSilhouetteI remember the teacher telling us that when we die, we will stand naked before the Lord – bearing everything about us. We come into this world with nothing, and we leave this world with nothing. It doesn’t matter how much or how little we possessed while on this earth. It is all about what we’ve done with our time here. Everything we do remains a part of us. It is like our skin is an invisible tattoo displaying everything we’ve done during our earthly lives.

Therefore, when we stand before the Lord naked, are we to be ashamed? Will we stand before our Savior with our hands covering our body parts, embarrassed for who we are?

Perhaps today is the day when we truly look at ourselves and see who we really are. Perhaps today is the day when we decide to begin anew. We need to live our lives in the way that God desired – not to walk around thinking that we’re better than others; but to live a life of humility, love, and service. We are to live a life where we love everyone, serve those in need, and do whatever is necessary in order to make a difference in the lives of others. Maybe then we can stand naked before our God, fully transparent, unafraid, and comfortable in our own skin.

Jun 04 2015
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Busy is as Busy Does

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

We all are busy people. There is always something going on, somewhere to go or something to do. Between work, school, family commitments, sports, hobbies, leisure, etc., we barely have time to breathe. Our calendars fill up more quickly than a rain barrel in a thunderstorm. Let’s face it: we are insanely busy! And yet today, Jesus tells us that there are two additional things that we have to find time to do:

  1. Love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
  2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Read More

May 21 2015
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Jesus is Praying for Us

Posted by | Emotions/Feelings | No Comments

Did you know that each one of us is mentioned in the Gospel reading for today? (John 17:20-26) We are! Jesus is talking about us – in fact, he is praying for us. First, Jesus prays for his disciples, the ones he will be sending out into the world. But then, Jesus shifts his prayer to include others. He says: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…”

So what is the Lord praying for? What does he want for us? What is his will for us? Jesus asks “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us…” Read More

May 07 2015
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Spring is in the Air

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

Ah, Spring! That glorious season when the sun warms, temperatures steadily increase, trees begin to come alive again, birds sing their happy songs, the grass begins to regain it’s color, and a menagerie of ground vegetation emerges and blossoms from the shadows of winter. Ah, Spring! How lovely it is to have you back with us. But along with all of these joyful experiences of this season, a frightful and disturbing life form develops… Read More

Mar 05 2015
Love1

Riding My Bike with the Lord

Posted by | Everyday Life | One Comment

Tandem bicycle“When I decided to give my life over to the care of Christ it seemed as though I was riding a tandem bike with Christ pedaling on the back seat. I kept steering the bike as best as I could. It was a hard and rocky road. So I kept pleading for Christ to pedal harder to help me make it through the dangerous areas. There were treacherous corners, steep mountains, large rocks and deep holes on the road I was traveling. Because of the complexity of the path I kept crashing the bike and running off the road. I kept getting injured and I often lost hope that I could follow such a difficult path. After several serious mishaps, my Savior asked, ‘Might I steer for a while?’ Reluctantly, I agreed and climbed on the back of the bike and began pedaling as best as I could. I watched in wonder as to the new way that Christ maneuvered the bicycle through the obstacles on the path. He was able to navigate through every danger ahead. If I ever felt frightened He would lean back and touch me with comforting assurance. When I needed rest, He would stop pedaling to give me living water and the bread of life. He guided me to places and people who helped me gain knowledge, healing, acceptance and joy. Now I understand, the power of the tandem bike is to let Christ do the steering and when I think that maybe I can’t do it anymore, Christ always smiles at me and reminds me to keep pedaling.” ~Author unknown

Today, I want you to reflect on this question: do you trust in Jesus for all your needs, in every area of your life, and for anything you may encounter? If we trust in the Lord He will be there to help with decisions, temptations, illness, social situations, and whatever else we may encounter. We will find renewed trust, hope, love, and a deeper relationship with Him. In good times, in tough times, or in a year of drought, we can be like the tree by the waters that does not fear or worry; whose leaves are always green and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:5-10)

As we continue on our Lenten journey, let us realize that it’s all about trusting God even when we can’t see what’s ahead for us. It’s about letting go of the handlebars of our lives and allowing God to take the lead. When we place our complete trust and confidence in the Lord, we will be blessed. That’s HIS promise! That’s OUR challenge!

Feb 18 2015
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We Need a Lenten “Unselfie”

Posted by | Everyday Life | 7 Comments

DeaconAllen selfieAh, the “selfie.” We just can’t seem to get enough of ourselves. So much so, that we need to constantly take pictures of ourselves in order to show everyone where we are, what we’re doing, and even what we’re wearing. We always seem to find new ways to make things all about us! The Urban Dictionary defines “selfie” in the following ways…

  • A picture taken of yourself that is uploaded to a social networking website.
  • The taking of a picture of yourself and posting it online because you have extremely low self-esteem and you need people to comment to tell you how good you look. In reality you just look desperate for attention. And no matter how attractive you might be, you still look pathetic.

And speaking of pathetic, reality TV star Kim Kardashian is slated to put out a selfie book in April fittingly titled “Selfish,” of 352 of the best photos taken by, well, her. I think that “Selfish” is the perfect book title and the perfect theme for our Lenten reflection. Read More