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prayer | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 15

prayer | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 15

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 30 2015
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In the Good Old Summertime

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inthegoodoldsummertimeAh, summertime. A time of rest, relaxation, and recreation; a time of sunshine, warm breezes, high humidity and mosquito’s. Summer is a great time to remove oneself from the ordinary routines of life and rediscover that one actually has a life. As students in school, we called this summer vacation. As adults, we call this a much-needed break from reality. 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 16 2015
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I Am Tired!

Posted by | Emotions/Feelings | No Comments

2015070995114515Last week, I was with a group of teens from our parish on a mission trip in Detroit, Michigan. There we lived in community and helped the people of Detroit with various acts of service and charity. What a fulfilling way to put our faith into action and truly experience Christ in those we served. What a blessing it was for our teens to have such an awesome experience.

But during that one full week of hard labor – of long days and short nights, I have to admit that I was really tired. My body ached, my muscles were sore, and my head throbbed from the heat and exertion. And suddenly I recalled an old proverb that I came across long ago: One can go a long way after one is tired. And that became my mantra for the week. Read More

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

Jan 22 2015
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Our “Throwaway Culture”

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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

Jan 01 2015
Love1

Prayer for a New Year

Posted by | Prayer | No Comments

Dear God,
On this day I ask You to grant this request.
May I know who I am and what I am,
Every moment of every day.
May I be a catalyst for light and love,
And bring inspiration to those whose eyes I meet.
May I have the strength to stand tall in the face of conflict,
And the courage to speak my voice, even when I’m scared.
May I have the humility to follow my heart,
And the passion to live my soul’s desires.
May I seek to know the highest truth
And dismiss the gravitational pull of my lower self.
May I embrace and love the totality of myself,
My darkness as well as my light.
May I be brave enough to hear my heart,
To let it soften so that I may gracefully
Choose faith over fear.
Today is my day to surrender anything that stands
Between the sacredness of my humanity and my divinity.
May I be drenched in my Holiness
And engulfed by Your love.
May all else melt away.
And so it is.

Composed by Debbie Ford

Dec 11 2014
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Fear Not, I Will Help You

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20130621_194225It’s been three weeks since my father passed away – and life hasn’t been the same. I’ve been riding an emotional roller coaster without a safety harness, and the journey has been very bumpy, to say the least.

Honestly, I am an emotional wreck! At one moment, I appear to be fine; but then suddenly, I am not. I cry quite frequently, and it often strikes without warning. It is very difficult to explain, and I cannot even tell you how, when, or why it happens. I can’t even define what triggers these emotional outbursts. It just happens at will.

And my mind is constantly moving in multiple directions at warp speed. I find it very difficult to sleep; and when sleep comes, it is a very light sleep at that. I worry. I’m trying to be there for my mother to help as much as I can. There are phone calls to make, financial decisions to be made, and on and on. There is just so much to do!

To be completely honest, I am filled with fear. I’m afraid of how my mother is taking all of this. I’m afraid of not being able to help her when she needs me the most. I’m afraid of letting her down in her time of sorrow and need. And, I’m afraid of living the rest of my life without my father near me. Read More

Nov 27 2014
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Thanksgiving Prayer

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Giving Thanks

thanksgiving dec

I give you thanks, Lord,
for my perfect arms
when so many have suffered mutilation.

For my perfect eyes
when so many cannot see.

For my voice that sings
when so many are reduced to silence.

For my hands that work
when so many beg.

O wondrous Lord,
to have a home, to return to it,
when there are so many brothers and sisters
who have nowhere to go.

To smile, to dream, to love,
when so many cry,
and so many hate each other.

Above all,
to have little to ask you for
and so much to thank you for.

~Catholic Relief Services (Nicaragua)

 

Photo credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/suckamc/4014605524/”>Martin Cathrae</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>