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life | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 4

life | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 4

On the Inside; On the Outside


 
Aug 16 2015
Love1

Is There Life Within You?

Posted by | Everyday Life | 2 Comments

A friend of mine called last week. She asked, “How are you?” It’s a common question, one we ask and are asked every day. You and I both know the standard answers and I gave them. I said, “Fine. I’m doing well. Things are really busy right now. I’m good.” She laughed and said, “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

I suspect I’m not the only one who’s had this type of conversation. Most of us have these kinds of conversations several times each day. We offer the usual answers. We might be fine and busy, getting our work done, meeting deadlines, fulfilling obligations, volunteering our time, and loving and caring for our families, but there is a huge difference between living life and having life within us. Read More

Jun 28 2015
Love0

We’ve Sprung a Leak!

Posted by | Everyday Life | One Comment

bucket-holeDo you ever feel like the bucket of your life has a hole in it that leaks faster than you can fill it? No matter what you do, how hard you work, where you go, what you try, you just can’t fill it up. Work, play, friends, and family all leave you feeling empty, restless, and searching. You can’t seem to get enough. The outflow is greater than the inflow. You are left drained of life: tired and weak, frustrated and hopeless, angry and resentful, sorrowful and grieving, fearful that you will never have the life you want. If you know what that is like, perhaps you can relate to the hemorrhaging woman in today’s gospel  (Mark 5:21-43). Read More

Jun 25 2015
Love0

Building a Life on the Rock

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

What kind of foundation are we building on? In today’s gospel (Matthew 7:21-29), Jesus wasn’t talking about building an actual house, but about building a life – a life that is meaningful – a life worth living. We could certainly apply this teaching to marriages and families too.

When we’re building a life, we want it to be a life that we can look back on at the end of it without any regrets. When we’re building a family, we want that family to be stable, strong, and full of joy and love. If we want to build a life or a household that will last, that will stand, that will make a difference; we first need to understand what Jesus means when he talks about storms. Read More

Jan 22 2015
Love0

Our “Throwaway Culture”

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

We live in a throwaway society. We are trained to be wasteful consumers based on the messages we hear on a daily basis. From advertisements for new skinny jeans, to exotic perfume, to shoes that we really don’t need or even have room for, we are all persuaded to buy new and throwaway the old. For this reason, it’s important to challenge this throwaway mentality of always wanting more with appreciating and valuing what we truly have.

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The more than 56 million lives lost to abortion since that 1973 decision reflect with heartbreaking magnitude what Pope Francis meant when he talked about a “throwaway culture.” Read More

Jul 15 2014
Love0

The Gift

Posted by | Emotions/Feelings | No Comments

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.)

Mar 06 2014
Love0

So Long, Old Self!

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

man_silhouette_clip_art_9510As we begin this season of Lent, today’s Gospel (Luke 9:22-25) is a difficult message to hear and an even tougher one to carry out. We are told that we each need to carry our own cross and follow Jesus, and be prepared to do so every day. We are also told that we must renounce “self” in order for us to live. Now this goes against our every desire to want to advance ourselves in the eyes of others as well as to focus our attention on our own needs and wants. Read More

Jan 31 2014
Love0

Can Spring Be Far Off?

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

robinThis morning, I was standing in our kitchen, waiting for my tea to steep. Gazing outside the window at the cold and snowy landscape, I noticed a robin in our neighbor’s tree. How strange, I thought, to see a robin at the end of January. We usually don’t see these birds here until the weather warms up, like around early March. But there she was, just sitting in the tree and enjoying the winter morning. Read More

Jul 17 2013
Love0

It’s Almost Time!!!

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

“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

Feb 14 2013
Love0

Choose Life

Posted by | Everyday Life | No Comments

If you have been following my blog, you have noticed that I lost my job three weeks ago today. Along with that, there have been additional health concerns that have developed within my family. Needless to say, it’s been a rough few weeks.

In today’s reading from Deuteronomy, Moses lays it out clearly for the people of Israel:

“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life then, that you and your descendants may live…” Read More