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
trust | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 8
On the Inside; On the Outside
Over the years, I’ve met several people who have decided to temporarily leave their everyday lives in order to travel. They would travel to Europe, moving from town to town with no plans, no set destinations, no reservations and no particular schedule. They often needed to rely on the kindness of strangers for food and shelter. Read More
With yesterday being the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I’ve been thinking a lot about Mary. Every year, I’m blown away by Mary’s faith when she said “yes” to God. Especially as a young teenager, I can only imagine what her faith was like. Read More
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
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 decided to give my life over to the care of Christ it seemed as though I was riding a tandem bike with Christ pedaling on the back seat. I kept steering the bike as best as I could. It was a hard and rocky road. So I kept pleading for Christ to pedal harder to help me make it through the dangerous areas. There were treacherous corners, steep mountains, large rocks and deep holes on the road I was traveling. Because of the complexity of the path I kept crashing the bike and running off the road. I kept getting injured and I often lost hope that I could follow such a difficult path. After several serious mishaps, my Savior asked, ‘Might I steer for a while?’ Reluctantly, I agreed and climbed on the back of the bike and began pedaling as best as I could. I watched in wonder as to the new way that Christ maneuvered the bicycle through the obstacles on the path. He was able to navigate through every danger ahead. If I ever felt frightened He would lean back and touch me with comforting assurance. When I needed rest, He would stop pedaling to give me living water and the bread of life. He guided me to places and people who helped me gain knowledge, healing, acceptance and joy. Now I understand, the power of the tandem bike is to let Christ do the steering and when I think that maybe I can’t do it anymore, Christ always smiles at me and reminds me to keep pedaling.” ~Author unknown
Today, I want you to reflect on this question: do you trust in Jesus for all your needs, in every area of your life, and for anything you may encounter? If we trust in the Lord He will be there to help with decisions, temptations, illness, social situations, and whatever else we may encounter. We will find renewed trust, hope, love, and a deeper relationship with Him. In good times, in tough times, or in a year of drought, we can be like the tree by the waters that does not fear or worry; whose leaves are always green and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:5-10)
As we continue on our Lenten journey, let us realize that it’s all about trusting God even when we can’t see what’s ahead for us. It’s about letting go of the handlebars of our lives and allowing God to take the lead. When we place our complete trust and confidence in the Lord, we will be blessed. That’s HIS promise! That’s OUR challenge!
Photo Credit: http://kathyschiffer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/The-Annunciation-John-Collier.jpg
Our Gospel today was “the Annunciation”, the same Gospel we used for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Very often, you will see Annunciation in a painting or stained glass window, and it’s depicted with one striking detail: Mary, holding in her hands or reading an open book. One artist has said this is to show Mary reading Isaiah, learning that a virgin would give birth to the savior. Another artist said that it shows her devotion to The Word – the Word that she would one day bring into the world as Jesus Christ.
However you interpret this, it remains a compelling way of thinking of Mary, especially as we near Christmas, and as we think more deeply about The Word Made Flesh. And as we reflect on today’s Gospel, I want to focus on one word in particular that recurs in this passage. It’s a word Luke uses again and again in the story of the Nativity, three times alone in just this short passage. That word is: “Behold.” In literal terms, it means: “to see,” or “observe.” But in scriptural terms, it goes much deeper. Read More
It’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
A few years back, I experienced one of the many “God moments” in my life as I was on my way to work. The day before, I was hearing some nasty rumors of major job layoffs coming at my office location. It sounded like it was going to be a bad one. So naturally, I began to worry. At the time, I was the “new guy” in the group, so my thinking was that I would surely be the first one to go. My sleep was restless that night, and from about 3 am on, I was wide awake thinking about this potential job loss.
The next day on my way to work, I was saying my morning prayers in the car, and I asked God to calm my mind. I prayed that I was able to trust in the Lord at all times and not to worry about things out of my control. Deep down I knew that God would take care of me and guide me – as He always does. But it sure would be nice to have a sign, just to be certain.
Due to traffic issues, I took a slightly different route than usual. There, I passed a church that had a sign out front that read, “Don’t Worry – It May Not Happen.” It was like getting hit in the head with a 2 x 4. God was giving me a sign. And I couldn’t help but to praise and thank Him for allowing me to see the light! (And no, I wasn’t let go from my job!)
Are you looking for a sign from God? Then pray that you remain open to seeing God in the every day moments of your life – and you too will see the light!
Have you ever accidentally missed a big moment? It feels terrible! You got distracted right before your child scored a goal. You missed the winning touchdown because your cellphone rang. You were driving to the hospital to witness the birth of a grandchild, and the baby arrived before you did. Maybe you missed the two Popes being canonized this morning because you overslept. It’s a terrible feeling, and this is exactly how Thomas feels in today’s Gospel (John 20:19-31). Read More
