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Jesus | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 5

Jesus | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 5

On the Inside; On the Outside


 
May 21 2020
Love1

We Are All in This Together

Posted by | Emotions/Feelings, Everyday Life | No Comments

Where is the one who brought up out of the sea, the shepherd of his flock? Where is the one who placed in their midst his holy spirit, who guided Moses by the hand, with his glorious arm? 

Where is the one who divided the waters before them— winning for himself an everlasting renown— who guided them through the depths, like horses in open country?

As cattle going down into the valley, they did not stumble. The spirit of the Lord guided them. Thus, you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name. ~Isaiah 63: 11b-14

 

Since the very beginning of this pandemic, there has been one phrase that we continue to hear: “We are all in this together.” It reminds us that you are I are not the only ones facing the challenges and struggles of COVID-19. Like it or not, we are all in the same boat.

As part of my day-job, I get to speak with people from across the globe every single day. This past week, I spoke with individuals from Japan, China, Sweden, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Every call begins with the topic of self-isolation, how we are surviving in this current environment, and if our families are safe. I see on a daily basis how we really are ‘all in this together.’ This is truly a global experience.

I have been thinking about this and how we can make a direct connection with our own Catholic faith. Catholic means universal. The Mass and the other sacraments are celebrated exactly the same throughout the world, bringing all Catholics together in a spirit of unity.

When I have attended Mass in other countries; even though I may not have fully understood the languages, I was fully aware of what was taking place. No matter where we may be, our Catholic faith is universal, centered around Jesus Christ and our belief in Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist.

But being Catholic is also about having an ongoing personal encounter with Christ so that we may be a witness of God’s love in the world. This means that we are called to live like Jesus and to work for peace and justice for one another by living out the Gospel.

We are part of this universal Church together, believing that God is not only present in the Eucharist, but is also present within us. This means that whatever we are going through, whatever comes our way, whatever obstacles we encounter, we are never left alone. God is always with us. Now I’ll admit, it’s not always easy to recognize Jesus when our eyes are cast down, when life is difficult, or when we find ourselves in our own personal pit of despair. But that is when we must fall back on our faith, trusting and believing that Jesus is the only one who can lift us out of our pit. We just need to be able to lift up our eyes and our hearts to see that Jesus is right there and to feel his presence.

My sisters and brothers, as Catholic-Christians “we are all in this together.” We always have been, and we always will be. May the spirit of the Lord guide us always and let us remember that Jesus is with us; Jesus is here – and we are never left alone.

Apr 11 2020
Love1

New Life is Right Around the Corner

Posted by | Emotions/Feelings | 4 Comments

Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit appears on the vine,
Though the yield of the olive fails and the terraces produce no nourishment,though the flocks disappear from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord and exult in my saving God.

God, my Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet swift as those of deer and enables me to tread upon the heights.

These short verses from Habakkuk (3:17-19) is a small portion of one of my favorite scripture passages. For me, it’s always a reminder that even in the face of fear and uncertainty, there is always an opportunity to express faith and trust in God’s awesome majesty and power. However, during this particular Holy Week, this has been a bit more challenging.

All of us are battling the dominant forces and effects of this COVID-19 outbreak. So much so that we cannot help ourselves from being overcome with fear. We have fears after being introduced to new terms such as “global pandemic, social distancing and self-isolation.” We have fears of becoming prisoners in our own homes – quarantined from those we love and our communities of faith. We have fears of losing our livelihood, our ability to socialize, our freedom to do what we want, when we want, and where we want. We have fears of losing our jobs, returning to our jobs, providing for our families and getting back to some sense of normalcy. And we are fearful of this powerful disease that is taking more and more lives ever single day. We can’t help but ask the question: when will this all end?

 I’ve been reflecting a lot this week on how the disciples were feeling after Jesus had died and how similar it is to our current situation. Think about it. Jesus had been unjustly convicted, crucified and buried. His friends feared for their lives. They feared that they would be the next ones to die. They feared the uncertainties ahead of them: what to do, where to go, and how to move on. They isolated themselves to avoid any contact with others out of fear of what could happen. They were fearful that life outside of their community of believers would never feel the same again. They had to be asking that same question: when will this all end?

But despite all of their fears, they still held onto their faith. They still believed in Jesus and trusted that his death was not the end – but just the beginning. They were finally starting to understand that they needed to first experience death in order to experience resurrection – to experience new life in Christ; a life that knows no end.

We too must fall back on our faith during this period between death and resurrection, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We must believe that whatever comes our way, whatever we encounter, whatever fears overtake us, whatever uncertainties confront us – we are never left alone. We trust that our God and Savior is always with us, especially during the difficult times in our lives. We believe that Jesus is suffering right along with us, holding our hand and guiding us through the darkness. It’s our faith that will bring us that much needed comfort and hope.

On this Holy Saturday, let us rejoice in the Lord and give praise to our saving God. May we, just like the disciples, find the strength to ride out these dark days and patiently wait for the stone to be cast aside – for new life is right around the corner.

Dec 11 2019
Love0

Reaching New Heights

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In July of 2005, our family vacationed out west, and the highlight of the trip was going to Zion National Park in Utah.

All of us love hiking, so I was super-excited that our three sons and I were going to venture on an adventurous hike. (Stephanie had surgery a few weeks before our trip and didn’t want to risk going on this particular hike.) We decided to do the ‘Angel’s Landing’ trail which was advertised as ‘5 miles of strenuous and steep paths with high elevation and exposure to long drop-offs.’

So off we went, climbing higher, and higher, and higher. We finally reached a flat cliff and decided to take a break. The view was spectacular. As we caught our breath, one of my boys (who will remain nameless) suddenly said to me, “Dad, I think I’m afraid of heights.” I couldn’t believe that he waited until that point to tell me this important piece of information. I pointed to the visible end of the trail stating that we were almost there. I asked his brothers if they wanted to continue on; but after seeing how high we still had to climb and the extremely narrow ledge we had to ascend to get there, they all wanted to go back.

I was really hoping to continue; but I was also very fearful for their safety. So, we headed back down the mountain. To this day, I still wonder how it would have felt to have continued our journey to the top of that summit.

The reading from Isaiah (Isaiah 2:1-5) talks about our spiritual journey as an ascent up the Lord’s mountain. And that is what Advent is all about. It’s a time for us to step back from life as we know it or life as we live it, and re-look at the direction of our spirituality. Are we walking toward the Lord, or walking away? Are we trying to deepen our relationship with God, or are we burying ourselves in the black hole of busyness? Are we taking steps to improve our prayer life by following the light of Christ, or are we falling into the darkness of temptation and deceit? Are we in such a hurry to reach the destination of Christ’s coming at Christmas that we’re not being patient enough to enjoy the journey?

It’s only the second week of Advent. There is plenty of time left for us to focus on the Lord’s coming. And it all starts with a desire to journey forward and not let fear get the best of us – and to prepare the what lies ahead so that we are able to tackle the obstacles that we face on a daily basis. If we can improve our relationship with Jesus, our ascent up the Lord’s mountain – although challenging – will be achievable.

During this busy season, let us begin tonight by stepping back from the busyness and walking toward our God who loves us so deeply. Jesus is coming, but He is also here right now. Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Jul 25 2019
Love1

Keep on the Sunny Side

Posted by | Everyday Life, Family | No Comments

My grandmother was one of the most positive persons that I ever met. And although she was taken from this life far too early, she still has an important impact on me today.

The thing about grandma was that she always seemed to keep on the sunny side of life. Whatever difficulty or hurdle that crossed her path, she took it all in stride. When she couldn’t find answers to her problems, she never despaired. Whatever challenges were presented to her, she never appeared to be put into a corner and always found a way out. She was always so positive in a world that is often so negative. That is something that I truly admire about her, and it is something that I find very difficult to emulate.

But I believe that she had a great understanding of today’s reading from St. Paul (2 Corinthians 4:7-15). She knew that no matter what we are going through, we are not alone. Jesus is always within us, beside us, and in those around us. God works through others for us just as God works through us for others. We are earthen vessels molded in the hands of the Father, shaping us like a potter molds his clay. God’s hand is always guiding us away from our despair and towards new life in Him. Whatever hardships come our way or when we are challenged by our afflictions, let us remember that we have the power to overcome them with God by our side. May we always keep on the sunny side of life, living in the moment, and praising God for the gift of His constant presence. The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad indeed.

Jul 17 2019
Love0

Removing the Veil

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A veil is an article of clothing that is intended to cover some part of the head or face. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies and is prominent in many forms of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Veiling continues to play a role today especially in wedding customs where it’s used to hide the face of the bride so that the groom would not see her face until after the ceremony. Then the new groom would lift the veil hiding the bride’s face and kiss her.

Sometimes it feels like you and I are walking around with veils covering our faces. We go through the motions of life not clearly seeing due to the many temptations of our modern culture like power, wealth, success, adulation, etc. – everything in relation to “me.” When we wear this veil, we become disoriented, disillusioned and lost, and we cannot see where we are heading.

St. Paul tells us that a veil lies over our hearts, but when we turn to the Lord, that veil is removed. It reminds me of that beautiful image we often see of St. Anthony of Padua holding the infant Jesus in his arms. When our veils are removed, we can experience the power of Jesus in our lives. When we gaze upon the face of Christ, we will find joy, happiness, comfort, peace, love, and the true light that shines out of darkness.

It’s time to remove the veil that hides us from seeing Jesus. Let us put aside the darkness that the world draws us into and allow the joy that comes from living with Christ permeate our lives for all to see. Let the unveiling begin!

May 16 2019
Love0

Repping Jesus

Posted by | Discipleship | No Comments

If you follow the contemporary rap music scene, you may recall hearing the word “represent” quite frequently. For example, “You gotta represent” means that one should be publicly candid about one’s social status or geographical origin; to acknowledge and even be an example of one’s roots. A different form of represent is often called “repping.” This means representing, glorifying or praising. For example, a sports fan who wears his team’s colors is “repping” his team – or he is uplifting, praising, glorifying, and representing them all at the same time.

There are so many groups, platforms and causes that we can represent in our lives. There are so many different things that we are “repping” for – the things that drive us to be more passionate, active and involved. But are we also remembering to represent our faith?

In John’s gospel (John 13:16-20), we are told that whoever receives Jesus receives that one who sent him; and whoever receives the one Jesus sends also receives Jesus. This means that if we are “representing” Jesus to others, we are not only sharing Jesus but we are also receiving the gift of Jesus ourselves. And I cannot think of a better gift than that.

Today, let us bring to prayer these questions: are we representing Jesus in our day-to-day lives? Can others see that we are Catholic Christians by the way we live? Do we show the world that we sons and daughters of the Lord by the actions we take? When we are “repping” Jesus, we are representing, uplifting, praising, and glorifying Christ to others – for it is in giving when we truly receive.

Jan 23 2019
Love0

A Life of Joy

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When I was in junior high, my mother asked me one day to clean my room. I decided to go all-biblical on her because we had just talked about today’s gospel in religion class. I said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” (Kids – do not try this at home!) I honestly didn’t know how quick her reflexes were or how strong she was until that very moment when her hand quickly smacked across my face. That was not a joyful experience.

Something that was a joyful experience happened a few years later. I bought my parent’s a wall calendar – and their reaction was truly priceless. It was called “Nuns Having Fun,” and it was filled with a variety of images of fully-habited nuns doing fun things. There were nuns in bumper cars, nuns on roller coasters, nuns having snowball fights, nuns skeet shooting, and on and on. My favorite was a group of nuns running in the ocean, arms up in the air with the biggest smiles on their faces! It was a really goofy calendar, but it brought up a great point: the Christian life isn’t a life of suffering, but it’s a life of joy!

And we can see this in our Gospel today. A lot of things are going on. It is Jesus’ first public miracle and it really kicks off his public ministry. It also shows us the deep relationship that Jesus had with his Mother. And the transformation of water into wine reminds us of the Eucharistic imagery that we experience during the Mass. But one detail that is overlooked is that Jesus was doing all this at a wedding feast! This is no small thing. Jesus lived a life of joy – and he actually went to parties! (OK, so he went with his mom, but still!) It shows us that Jesus wasn’t a stranger to the good and fun things in life. It’s important for us to remember that the good things in our lives are gifts from God.

There are two distinct parts in our gospel that I want to point out: one, Before Christ; and another, After Christ. The first scene that St. John describes is one of emptiness, and the second, on the contrary, is marked by abundance. And what brings about the difference between these two time periods is key: it’s the intervention of Jesus.

The marriage feast had come to a complete stop because they ran out of wine. Wine is a symbol of celebration and happiness. No wine meant that they had no joy. There were experiencing emptiness!

Mary noticed this, so she turned to Jesus for help. Though he initially hesitated, Mary trusted that Jesus would make everything right and instructed the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” The rest, as they say, is history. Jesus changed water into wine and saved the hosts from disgrace.

But of course, the point isn’t just the wine. The wine is a “sign.” As we look at our own lives, we can’t help but notice that the wine always runs out. Whatever the gains, life always brings losses. We grow up and we grow old. We have children (sometime in pairs). Children grow up and lose their innocence. Parents see their kids leave home (and sometimes come back again). We find jobs; and sometimes we lose jobs. We work and work and work until one day, we find ourselves facing retirement. Our body parts eventually lose the battle against gravity and we lose hair where we want it and gain it where we don’t. Aches and pains become more frequent, so we moan in despair. And no one gets out of here alive. Add all the technology you want, but our human resources eventually come to an end. That’s the bad news.

The good news – the great news: the resources of God never run out! New energy springs out of weariness, new opportunities emerge from failure, and new hope arises in the ashes of doubt and despair.

Jesus asks the servers to fill the six empty stone jars with water. (Interesting fact: six is a symbol of chaos, imperfection and evil.) When they drew out some of the water, they discovered that it was the best wine! The party could continue! There is abundance, order and celebration – all because of the intervention of Jesus.

The question for us is how do we keep our water jars filled?

We first must continually invite Jesus into our lives. We need to pray daily and believe that God is always right by our side guiding us every step of the way.

If we trust Jesus, our wine – or our happiness – will never run dry because when we realize that God is our first love, the wedding feast never ends.

And that superior quality of wine that he transformed is the quality of life that we will find in and with Jesus. We no longer feel abandoned because we are espoused to a God who gets involved in our lives by entering into it constantly so that he can share in our little and big joys.

And this brings me back to my original point: that the good things of life are gifts from God. God gives us so many good things and so many causes for joy for a reason – to draw us back to him. They give us little hints about what true communion with God will be like. Jesus didn’t just change water into wine to keep the party going, but to draw us into the mystery of God’s power and love. And what greater love does our bridegroom have for us then his ultimate sacrifice on the cross. As we approach this altar today to receive Jesus, let us thank God for our earthly joys, and to remember that when we entrust our lives to Jesus and do whatever he tells us, we will discover an abundant life that is overflowing with love, happiness and immeasurable joy!

Dec 27 2018
Love0

Eyewitness for Christ

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Back in college, I spent some time as a reporter for The Daily Herald newspaper. I covered village board meetings, park district meetings and the like. But every now and then I was given the opportunity to cover breaking news. And I remember from my journalism classes that in these situations, interviewing an eyewitness was extremely important because they had personally seen something happen and could give a first-hand description of it. That would help make the story more believable.

Today on the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, I am reminded of my reporter days. What I really love of John’s writing style is his ability to place the reader directly into the story – as if we were right there with John. He writes from an eyewitness point of view. He does this so that we can identify with what is happening and help us to believe what has taken place.

That is essentially the role of an apostle, and that is what we are called to do each and every day. We need to be Jesus’ eyewitnesses to the world. We must help others see that Christ is in their lives, to know that the Lord is always with them, and that Jesus will never leave our side no matter what we do.

Each of us is called to be a disciple, and that’s not always an easy thing to do. But when we become an eyewitness for Christ and bring the Good News of Jesus to others, we will find a joy like we’ve never experienced before.

Nov 15 2018
Love0

St. Albert the Great

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Albertus Magnus, or St. Albert the Great, was born in Germany in 1206. He was fascinated by the relationship between faith and science so he studied astronomy and biology and loved logic and math. Therefore, he is the patron saint of medical technicians and scientists.

His family could afford the best education for Albert. But when he graduated, he joined the Dominican order over his family’s objections. (Ironically, the Dominican’s relied on begging and charitable donations to survive.) Albert was made a bishop of Regensburg, Germany in 1260 and was an advisor to the pope, but resigned after less than three years asking to return to teaching.

As a teacher, one of his most famous students was Thomas Aquinas, who was later canonized a saint. Albert helped prepare Thomas to write his books on theology which are still studied today.

Albert also helped Thomas to understand that God had given him the gift of intelligence that he could use to help others know and love the Catholic faith, and for Thomas to believe in his own talents.

The Gospel (Luke 17:20-25) reminds us that the kingdom of God is within our reach. We just have to decide if we want to receive it or not. However, it does not come by watching. We need to make a move. Therefore, we are called to use our gifts and talents to help bring the kingdom to others by living the gospel. We must help others discover that the love of Jesus can change their life; and that our world is in desperate need of Jesus right now!

Today, the Church honors Albert as both a saint and a great teacher. May we realize our calling to be great teachers of our faith as well – bringing the kingdom to others by the way we live our lives.