Jesus is Not Far from Us
Posted by Deacon Allen | Emotions/Feelings, Everyday Life, Prayer | 3 CommentsRecently, I’ve been struggling at work. To be honest, this has been going on for several months.
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presence | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker
On the Inside; On the Outside
Fast-ing for Lent
Posted by Deacon Allen | Emotions/Feelings, Everyday Life, Hodgepodge | No CommentsIt is hard to believe that we are in the fourth week of Lent – already. The days seem to be running faster than normal. Perhaps it’s time that we start fast-ing for Lent. Read More
The Beauty of a Winter Morning
Posted by Deacon Allen | Emotions/Feelings, Everyday Life | 4 CommentsIt is Sunday morning, and the night before has brought forth a frosty-white blanket on the ground; remnants left behind from an early morning freezing rain that tapped upon our windows at 4:11am. I awoke to something that sounded like a sharp object tapping relentlessly on the bedroom window. It was at that very moment when my day started. Read More
I love modern technology! Maybe this is because I have spent the bulk of my career surrounded by its bleeding edge innovations, but I am constantly in awe of the immense impact it’s had in our lives. However, it has been said that technology has exceeded our humanity. Well, I don’t know about that, but technology is super cool – especially if you know how to use it. Read More
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.
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.
How can this be? Those four short words make up one of the most famous questions in all of Scripture – and it’s also a question that I find myself thinking a lot about this Advent.
Once upon a time there was a little boy named Johnny. Johnny was always coming home late from playing outside.
One day his mom and dad had enough of it. They said, “Listen, Johnny! You never come home in time for supper. Your supper is always getting cold. We always have to warm it up for you, and this has got to stop. The next time you come home late, we’ll give you bread and water. That’s all. No butter, no peanut butter, no jelly; just plain bread and water.”
Well, the very next day Johnny came home late for supper again. He walked into the house and sat down at the supper table. His mom and dad, who had plates with meat and potatoes and vegetables in front of them, didn’t say a thing. They quietly gave Johnny a plate with some bread and a glass of water.
Johnny was crushed. He never thought his mom and dad would do such a thing. How could they? But he was wrong.
Johnny’s father waited for the lesson to sink in. Then, silently, he took his own plate full of meat and potatoes and vegetables, and put it in front of Johnny. Then he took Johnny’s plate and put it in front of himself.
Johnny is now a man. And not long ago someone asked him, “Do you know what God is like?” Johnny said, “I’ve known it all my life. I’ve known it ever since that night when my father switched plates.”
Each of us is called to love and serve God with all of our being and direct our whole lives to God, which includes our actions and choices. As a result, we should view the rest of Jesus’ teachings as helping us to love and come closer to God. We are to show God’s unceasing love for all people, which then enables us to see more fully God’s presence in the world.
If we can love God with our whole being – heart, soul, mind, and strength – everything else in our lives will flow forth from there.
I am always telling my wife Stephanie how much I love her. I tell her that my love for her burns with a fiery passion, that she completes me and makes me a better person, and that she fills me with joy and happiness every single day. And I often tell her that my love for her is so deep that she truly doesn’t know how much that I love her.
When I read today’s reading from St. Paul (Ephesians 3:14-21), I immediately thought not only of how much I love my wife, but also how much God loves us. And the similarities are quite amazing.
- Our relationships are rooted and grounded in love. We were made in the image and likeness of God. We were made out of love to love. God created us out of love and wants us to love others the way he loves us – unconditionally. That’s the same type of love that each of us longs for in any relationship.
- We can never fully comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of that love. God’s love for us simply surpasses all knowledge. Just like when I tell Stephanie that she doesn’t know how much I love her, we cannot grasp how much God loves us – despite all our flaws. I often think that if I love my wife as much as I do, how much more does God love me? I cannot imagine and it simply blows my mind.
- We are filled with all the fullness of God. In other words, God completes us. Every longing is satisfied when we place ourselves in His divine presence. We are filled with joy and happiness and our hearts burn with a passion when we spend time with our God who loves us so much and desires to be with us (and is with us) every minute of every day. When we spend time with God in prayer, we become whole, complete, and one with our heavenly Father. That is a fullness that can never be emptied.
It’s no coincidence that God compares the love he has for us as the love that a bridegroom has for his bride: filled to the brim and forever overflowing, abundant with joy and happiness, growing deeper with each passing day, and always rooted and grounded in unconditional love.
We live in a crazy-busy world. We struggle to find time to do the things that are required of us, yet alone do things that we would like to do. Sometimes, life simply gets in the way of living. We find ourselves so preoccupied with duties and tasks that we often forget to take time for personal prayer. And when we do take time for prayer, we tend to jump right in and quickly jump right out again. We never seem to actually prepare ourselves for prayer: to find the right place, the right presence, and perhaps even the right material. We may not always find the right words to say, but saying The Lord’s Prayer is always a great place to start. As Jesus said, “This is how you are to pray: Read More
