deacon's corner

You cannot stand on a one- or two-legged stool

There are two questions that no doubt you have heard before: “Have you been saved?” and “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?”

The central tenet or core belief that underlies these two questions is a firm belief that there is being and existence beyond this mortal life that involves eternal life with God. Most importantly and fundamentally within each question is the eschatological premise that salvation can be and is achieved by merely saying yes at some point in one’s life and that faith alone (sola fides) is all that is required to enjoy eternal happiness and bliss with God.

More »

How will you be judged?

The word ‘Parousia’ is a transliteration of the Greek παρουσία and in classical Greek it means or implies a presence or an arrival. Saint Paul often used it to indicate his own presence or impending arrival somewhere, such as Corinth or Philippi. In the early church, Christians believed that the end time, coupled with God’s final judgment, was imminent, and that they would know it by the second coming of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Early Christians called this event the Parousia or the day of the Lord.

More »

What’s on your mind?

Have a conversation with a stranger or an acquaintance, anyone at all, and take notice of how often some tantalizingly small portion lingers, refusing to release your mind to other thoughts. It is like a song that you cannot forget, the melody endlessly repeating, filling your every thought to the point approaching insanity. Now consider that perhaps, just perhaps, that persistent unrelenting voice you are hearing is the voice of God and that maybe, just maybe, He is trying to tell you something. While those thoughts that rattle around in that space that lies between your ears may be nothing more than conversational flotsam; many times they are meant as reminders or post-it notes that nag you into awareness of deeper, more pressing issues demanding your attention.

More »

we can toss traditional morality

In her towering masterpiece, Atlas Shrugged, portending a world very much akin to the one we find ourselves living, Ayn Rand begins by introducing Eddie Willers, an everyman who senses ominous doom and acute dread with neither the answers as to why nor the ability to change the way things are or the way they are becoming. It is that sense of the unknowable and the indiscernible that makes Eddie and us uncomfortable. “Eddie Willers walked on, wondering why he always felt it at this time of day, this sense of dread without reason.“

More »

for three days in hell?

Too often, as Catholics, we take our faith for granted, never questioning what we believe, and never attempting to gain greater understanding of what it is that we profess. It is as if, at some point in our lives, we have placed ourselves on autopilot, expecting God to steer the course while we sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. When asked to attend to the simplest of tasks or read the briefest of instructions, we continue to dwell within ourselves and take a pass on discovering the deeper meaning that lies before us.

More »

and that will be enough

Do you believe in Jesus Christ? If so – and I sincerely trust that you do – what is it that you believe? These are not mere rhetorical inquiries nor are they intended to disparage or dismiss; rather they are posed to provoke, to call forth serious consideration of exactly who Jesus is and what he calls us to believe. Simple acceptance is insufficient, for Jesus demands that we not only believe in him but that we live in him and that through our living we bring testimony and glory to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
More »

Before Abraham came to be, I AM.

We often hear of Jesus that he is the ‘Son of Man’ and the ‘Son of God’ but how often those phrases are heard without truly understanding their meaning. In fact, the phrases are most often understood to mean quite the opposite of their true construct. The ‘Son of Man’ was generally thought to be a “heavenly savior figure whose enthronement represents the establishment of God’s kingdom. ‘Son of Man was not used for Jesus’ humanity in contrast to the expression ‘Son of God’. For a first-century Jewish audience the phrase ‘Son of God’ was used in reference to such human figures as the king (Ps 2:7; Isa 9:6), Israel as God’s people (Ex 4:22; Hos 11:1), or of persons who were particularly wise or righteous (Wis 2:13, 16). Angels may also be referred to as ‘sons of God’ (Ps 89:7; Dan 3:25) [Pheme Perkins, Reading the New Testament].

More »

Your life depends upon it.

As the story is told, the ancient Greek scholar Archimedes, upon stepping into a bath and noticing that the water level rose, suddenly had such an epiphany that he jumped out of the bath and went running naked through the streets shouting “Eureka!”. What he had realized was that the volume of water displaced must be equal to the volume of the part of his body he had submerged and that he had discovered a solution to a previously intractable problem: how to measure the volume of irregularly shaped objects with precision.

More »

shines brighter than the sun

There is a certain ecstasy that emanates from within and shines forth with a radiance so bright it overwhelms every sensation, a joy that cannot be contained nor suppressed, and a beauty that surprises all who are witness to a soul filled to overflowing with Almighty God. Perhaps it is for no other reason than such experiences are truly rare but I believe it is because we steadfastly refuse to open ourselves to observing those breath-taking moments should they flash before our eyes. We seldom place ourselves on the pathway that leads to such moments and even if we do so we find our eyes closed or are facing in the wrong direction.

More »

Have you left God outside your door?

If you are to truly desire an intimate relationship with God you must first empty yourself of everything but God. You might be inclined to dismiss this as either impossible or impracticable, but consider for a moment all that we know of God. And all that we know of God is this: God is love – pure unending, unquenchable, undeniable, unconditional all-encompassing love. What are you holding onto that could be of or is of greater value or more importance than a God who is all love?

More »