Speakin' with the Deacon! - March 31, 2020

I was blessed tonight to have a conversation about spirituality and religion with Jeff Proctor, my college roommate and long-time friend. We planned a 15-minute talk, but it was just too good to cut short. The video is a bit glitchy, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  Oh, and the Scripture quote near the end is from Sirach, not Proverbs.  Mea culpa!

The Preachin' Deacons: Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A, March 29, 2020

Since your response was positive, Deacons Joe, Michael, Mark, and I got together again via Zoom to bring you 3-minute homilies and 10 minutes of Scripture sharing.  Enjoy the video!

Readings: Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45

March 27, 2020 Ramblings

Good News of the Day: It’s been a few days since my last post, so I thought it high time to reconnect. That’s why today’s Ramblings are all about connections. I saw an article this morning about how our mandatory isolation is leading to a religious/spiritual renewal. While I do not doubt that this renewal is in part the result of parents falling to their knees praying for schools to reopen soon, I see something deeper going on here. I think we’re reconnecting with God in very real and lasting ways.

While God remains a mystery, he has revealed himself to us in many ways. Our God isn’t a divine clockmaker who set the world in motion just to leave us to our own devices until time runs out. God is present and active in every moment of our lives—winding us up, greasing the gears, fine-tuning the mechanisms. How do I know? Because I believe the teachings of Scripture and the prophets, I trust my parents, my forbears, my friends, and teachers who believed, and, most of all, because I’ve experienced God’s presence in my life countless times. I’ve been warmed by the comfort of God’s loving embrace in the darkest moments of my life; I’ve been moved by God’s awesome inspiration to tackle challenges I never thought possible; but most importantly, I’ve been filled with God’s blessed assurance “not only that life is worth living but also that it is made to be worth living” (Charles Hefling).

How do we get there? We connect—with God and with each other, starting with God. God is like the electricity that runs through the wires in our walls. He’s always there; we just need to plug in. In many cases, plugging in is simply a matter of paying attention to how God is moving in our lives. We need to ask ourselves, “Where is God in all of this?” Why start with God? Because without God, we are nothing; we wouldn’t exist. God is our life’s breathe, the Spirit that animates us. Without God, we would not be. Without God, we could not love. Everything we are and everything we do begins and ends with God.

You know, the Desert Fathers of ancient times left the hustle and bustle of the big city to reconnect with God. They needed a do-over, a reset, to get their spiritual and material lives in order. After some time of solitude, after they reconnected with God, they became powerful Spiritual Directors whose writings help people reconnect with God to this day. Perhaps our time of social isolation is an opportunity to reconnect with God, to find God’s movements in our lives, and to gain the strength, comfort, and joy we need to make life worth living.

Quote of the Day: “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

The Preachin' Deacons! March 22, 2020

Today was supposed to be Deacon Preaching Sunday at Immaculate Conception Church, Annandale. Since the virus that shall not be named prevented us from preaching at Mass today, the four deacons of my parish got together via Zoom to share 3-minute homilies and 10 minutes of good, old-fashioned Scripture sharing.  Here's the video!

Much peace,

Deacon Mike

March 20, 2020 Ramblings

Good News of the Day: One of the most heartwarming outcomes of our social distancing is an increase in people sharing their talents to help others. God gave us all talents to use for the benefit of others. These talents, among other things, make our individual contribution to the building of the God's Kingdom unique and irreplaceable. They give our lives meaning. We just have to commit ourselves to using our talents for that divine purpose.

Most obviously in these times, we note the efforts of our health care and emergency response workers and military, who put their own health and safety on the line to protect ours. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 3:15). I also want to acknowledge all of the people who are finding ways to help out wherever they can—shopping or making meals for the home-bound; helping people with their taxes; and supporting small businesses to keep them afloat through the many restrictions they face. Last, but not least, are the countless people who have shared their talents with us online. I’ve already mentioned Pro-Activity’s #HuntForHealth, and my Church’s video recordings of Mass every day, but there are so many more: My friend Laura reads to her Pre-K class over the internet; YoYo Ma plays the cello for us on Facebook; my daughters shared their artistic endeavors (harp and photography, respectively). The list is endless and growing every day.

I love seeing these posts. For as much as I have expressed concerns about social media, it is proving to be a gift in this time of physical isolation (there’s a future post coming on that). Remember, God did not send the virus-that-shall-not-be-named. It would be contrary to his nature to do so. But God does offer us the opportunity, in every moment of our lives, to bring a greater good out of evil. Maybe we can make a concentrated effort to use our God-given talents for the benefit of others a permanent side-effect of the pandemic. God has placed the opportunity before us. The choice is ours.

A Slice of Heaven: They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Well, the other day in the middle of the morning, I was starving. It was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so I couldn’t decide what to eat. I opened the fridge, and my eyes immediately set upon a jar of apple butter—one of God’s many gifts to the world. I grabbed it and turned to place it on the counter when what to my wondering eyes did appear, a loaf of Irish Soda Bread waiting for a schmear. Friends: I discovered a slice of heaven. I’m thinking that my next birthday cake should be Irish Soda Bread with apple butter filling.

Much peace,

Deacon Mike

Happy Solemnity of Saint Joseph!

Saint of the Day: Saint Joseph, of course! For those who know me, I am a man of many words. I read a lot; I write a lot; and I talk a lot. So in this way in particular, Saint Joseph is a mystery to me—he never says a single word in any of the Gospels. How could the husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus not make a single utterance in the entire recorded life of Jesus? I don’t know, but I do know that Saint Joseph’s silence is powerful, nonetheless. When I was in diaconate formation, we were told that sometimes silence is the best response. They called it a “Ministry of Presence.” Words fail, especially in the most challenging times, but just being there for people can speak volumes. And boy was Saint Joseph there for Jesus. We know from Scripture that Saint Joseph raised Jesus, protected him from harm, and taught him religious observance and the craft of carpentry. Hmm, Saint Joseph sounds like a great father! His actions and his presence in Jesus’ life spoke louder than words. So for all you fathers/husbands out there who feel like you can’t get a word in edgewise, be present to your families in the model of Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph: Pray for us!

Good News of the Day: The priests at my Parish, Immaculate Conception in Annandale, NJ, are video recording Mass each day. You can find the Mass on the parish's webpage (https://www.iccannandale.org/) and Facebook page. God bless our Priests!

More Good News: Pope Francis has called us to worldwide solidarity in prayer today at 9:00 pm Rome time (4:00 pm US Eastern time). Please join the Holy Father (and my Bishop, and me, and a gazillion others) in praying the rosary to invoke the mercy of God to end this pandemic.

Quote of the Day: [crickets . . .]  –Saint Joseph