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
sin | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 2
On the Inside; On the Outside
The following song was written years ago when I was reflecting on what Jesus had gone through in order to save us. Despite the fact that we were not actually present when all this occurred, we continue to persecute and kill by our words and actions. I pray that these words allow us to become one with the suffering Christ and to make the changes needed in our lives to live according to his word. Let us carry our cross in order to bring resurrection into the lives of others. Read More
What was He Thinking?
(Based on John 8:51-59)
“Whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
Spoken to the Jews by the man from Nazareth.
The crowd, they thought, “This man is possessed!”
What was he thinking?
Was he greater than Abraham or the prophets of old?
This statement he made was really quite bold.
“We’ll never taste death.” Of this we were told:
What was he thinking? Read More
When I was younger, every time I heard the phrase “harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7-14) I always visualized a human heart turning into a rock. Even to this day, this image still pops into my mind. And I was never quite sure why – until now. Read More
When tenor Luciano Pavarotti was a boy, his father, a baker, introduced him to the wonders of song. He urged him to work very hard to develop his voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in Pavarotti’s hometown of Modena, Italy, took him as a pupil. He also enrolled in a teachers’ college. On graduating, Pavarotti asked his father, “Shall I be a teacher or a singer?” “Luciano”, his father replied, “if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.”
Life is full of choices. Every day we are invited to choose. We choose what we are going to eat, what we are going to wear, how we are going to act, what we are going to do, and where we are going to go. Read More
