DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Sunday, April 14, 2013


 
I will praise you Lord for you have rescued me.”

Indeed Christ has rescued us all through his eternal sacrifice and Divine Mercy pouring out over us all. As the Spring comes upon us so has the Resurrection and glorification of us all. Yes, Christ has also glorified us as his children. How wonderful and beautiful is that? He is always with us regardless of what we say and do. In our darkest moments he is there guiding us through them. I was reminded of this today as I witnessed the most spectacular sunrise; the breaking forth of the dawn. The world was quiet. The sky was overcast. There were no cars on the road this morning except for mine. Whatever I had to do today, no matter how busy I was going to be, I had this amazing moment that made me realize how much I loved my children, my family, and my vocation. Yes Lord, I am a sinner and I am not perfect, yet you lave me so much that you gave me this perfect beginning to another glorious day. I couldn't help but compare it to the day of the resurrection. Was it the same? Just like this? A deafening silence blanketing the world; hinting that something wonderful was going to happen?

We are promised an faith experience much like this every day if we only recognize God's Creation and our place within it. Keeping God central in our lives is important to our real happiness and joy. There is always a threat that this realization will be clouded by the demands and structure of society. Within society, there is attempt to put everything in its place and to label particular things. We are asked to carry about our duties while ignoring God; putting particular expectations above and beyond our spiritual health. We are desensitized to the fact that there are people suffering and hurting all around us. The individual person is forgotten in favor of the bigger picture. We can become adrift in generalities while the eyes of a child are forgotten. Far across the world, an international crisis is looming in North Korea that may have implications for us all. Yet, we must all remember that there is also a small ten year old North Korean boy abandoned by his parents in the capital city. He is all alone, unable to walk because he is starving and has nowhere to go. He wears an old army jacket as he struggles to keep warm. He is dying, if not already dead, while the North Korean Army loads up rice into trucks nearby. Meanwhile, people walk by him as if he doesn't exist. We must acknowledge he exists just as there are so many other children around the world suffering from the same fate.



We are encouraged to achieve a higher awareness of the beauty of the world and the imperfections that it offers. We are not perfect thus the world is not perfect. In that case we must do what we can to influence and change the lives of the individual person for the greater glory of God and his kingdom here on this earth. It is a commission that was given to us by Jesus Christ. Jesus reminds us that the sick and suffering are blessed indeed. He feels their pain and longs to end it through the intercession of us. For when we intercede on his behalf, we too are healed. That is why it feels good when we do good. So, if it feels good to do acts of charity and the work of Christ, why don't we do it all the time? We can. If we only keep God central in our lives. Every action and every deed becomes an exemplification of him.

The vision set forth in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 5:11-14) offers us a vision of unity and glorification of Christ through the Eucharist. When we celebrate mass, we are sharers in that wonderful moment. We are all invited to partake in that singular moment that unifies us all throughout eternity. We are then capable of taking that moment and permitting it to affect our entire week before we gather again to consume that spiritual food which enjoins ourselves to our Savior. What we celebrate here unifies us with everyone around the world: those behind prison walls and those who have built walls around themselves through tragedy, pain, suffering, and crisis.

No one is truly lost. Everyone faces their own struggles, sins, and obstacles to the greater glory. We are commissioned to evangelize the faith and rescue those who may have lost their way with compassion and love. Regardless of where we are we have an ability to make a difference. Saving one person, giving one person hope and love, showing one person the way to truth and love cancels a multitude of sins. We learn this through the Letter of James. When we save someone we are truly saving ourselves in the process.

Deacon Tom

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