I was in 6th grade and about to take a big science test. But this test was not with just any teacher. It was with Sister Bernadette – the holy terror of my Catholic Elementary School. There was just something about her that gave me the creeps. I was a fairly average student back then, holding my own in all of my class subjects. But when it came to science, it just didn’t make sense to me. I couldn’t tell you the difference between a proton, a neutron, or a Klingon. I was terrified of this test! My Mom and Dad were always proud of my efforts to get good grades and I didn’t want to let them down. So just before the test, I wrote several of the answers on the top of my desk in barely legible pencil. I sat nervously as Sister started to hand out the tests. I didn’t want to get caught, but I didn’t want to fail either. Read More
love | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 12
On the Inside; On the Outside
On Wednesday, I whipped up a batch of homemade Sweet Corn and Crab Soup for dinner. There’s nothing like a good pot of soup on a cold, winter evening. So I went grocery shopping last weekend to make sure that I had all of the needed ingredients to prepare the feast. I’m always amazed at the number of ingredients needed to make a pot of homemade soup. And it can be anything from meat, fish, various vegetables, and usually several spices. Then you have to do all of the necessary chopping and mixing. So the question to ask: is it soup yet? Well, not quite. You need to have the soup simmer for a period of time. Once these steps have been completed, you can finally partake in your creation (and hopefully it turned out well). Read More
I was doing some research this week on the Internet, when I stumbled across something that I had never seen before… Read More
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m getting really tired of those prescription drug commercials on TV. Now I don’t watch a lot of TV, but it seems like when I do, there are more and more of these drug companies advertising their particular drug. And it’s not that I’m bothered by the dancing elderly people, or the guy playing with his grand-daughter and her dog, or the frisky couple sitting in two separate bath tubs overlooking a lake; what gets me is the never-ending warning labels within those commercials. Here is an example of one I recently saw: Read More
May this story give you hope and the ability to realize all of the blessings that God has given. May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with love, happiness, and gratefulness. Read More
Is God really in our midst or not? Is God really here among us right now? Sometimes, we ask these questions in moments of great distress when we have suffered some terrible tragedy or we have fallen away from God in some way. We wonder, is God really with us? Read More
I am so stressed! I am stressed out beyond belief! In fact, if stress burned calories, I’d be a supermodel. I am being bombarded from so many different directions that it’s beginning to take a toll on me mentally and physically. I am in the midst of moving my mother out of her home into a smaller place; my daily job has been insanely busy and hectic; the band that I play in has been working every single weekend; my responsibilities at church have been steadily increasing; and family and household obligations are thrown into the mix as well. It just doesn’t seem to stop. I am running nonstop. I am so stressed! Read More
Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. At the age of 14, on Christmas Eve in 1886, Thérèse had a conversion that transformed her life. From then on, her powerful energy and sensitive spirit were turned toward love, instead of keeping herself happy. At age 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux to give her whole life to God. She took the religious name Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. We know her better as “The Little Flower.” Living a life of humility, simplicity, and prayer, she was gifted with great intimacy with God. Through sickness and dark nights of doubt and fear, she remained faithful to God, rooted in His merciful love. After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Her last words were the story of her life: “My God, I love You!” Read More
Back when our three sons were younger, we used to go camping on our family vacations. And I can recall that some of the best trips we ever had were when we camped in the mountains. There’s something about the fresh mountain air and the fabulous views that really make you feel awake and alive.
I remember one summer night when we were sitting around the campfire. I was lying on the ground looking up at the night sky. I had never seen so many stars in my entire life. As far as the eye could see, I saw what appeared to be millions upon millions of stars twinkling brightly. As I was gazing upward, I found myself opening my eyes as wide as possible so that I could see as much of the sky at once. I just didn’t want to miss any part of that magnificent light show. Even after a long day and mile-upon-mile of hiking trails, sleep was the last thing on my mind.
“Stay awake!” Jesus says. “For you don’t know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24: 42-51)We need to be attentive and constantly alert so that we can see God in the world. This can’t be just a casual observance, but something that needs to be integrated into our very being. It can be so easy to be lulled to sleep by the familiar, the comfortable, and the mundane. It can be so easy to fall into auto-pilot mode and do what we always do; to walk around like zombies following our daily rituals and patterns, completely missing what’s right in front of our face. But today and every day, we are called to be alert and to find those things that challenge us and make us feel alive in our faith. For when we are not awake, we are not fully alive.
Let us always make a conscious effort to see the light of God that is right in front of us, all around us, and within us. And let us strive to keep our eyes wide open so that we can witness the immeasurable love that God has for each one of us. Believe me – that in itself is worth staying awake for.
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
