Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Forty-One Years

On this, the occasion of my forty-first birthday, I thank God for the years that he has blessed me with. I thank him for the awesome gift of his only begotten Son. I thank him for the gift of his Church and the Scriptures that I love so much. I thank him for his Kingdom that is present around us at all times. I thank him for the gift of his divine and life-giving Love. I thank him for my wife, who is my companion and helpmate in this journey. The one who by the Holy Spirit’s power, found the key and unlocked my heart. I thank him for the gift of our five children, who continue to form me into the person I am today and hope to become tomorrow. I thank him for the gift of family and the many learning challenges that comes from it. I thank him for the gift of my mother, who has shown me by example, love, compassion, and hard work all my days. I thank him for the gift of brothers, who have always been present when needed most. I thank him for the gift of in-laws, who have welcomed me into their family with love and kindness. I thank him for the gift of friends, who he put into my path to guide me to where I am today. I thank him for the many priests and deacons, who by their guidance, prayers, and support, have been an active part of my vocation as a deacon serving the Church. 

These all tie together and connect to form a foundation of relationships. This truly is life at its most basic, us in relationship with God and one another. We know from the Bible that we cannot live in this world alone, we must have relationships to survive and grow as human beings, to become the people that God desires us to be. As we are told in Genesis, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (2:18) Yes, this does refer to the creation of Eve, but from it flows the complete picture that man is not in this by himself. Just as the Trinity is a communion of Persons, man himself must be in communion with others to be a person. God made persons not individuals. 

Looking back, I can see the wisdom of God at work when he made us not to be alone. It is those around us that lead us from the low pits that we find ourselves in at times. It is also by those relationships that God leads us to the high points in our lives. From those mountain tops we can survey the valleys and learn from our falls and failures. Hopefully taking note, those does and don’ts of life. If I have found or discovered nothing else in these forty-one years, it is that from these moments in time, that we become the people whom we are in the present. Therefore, those guiding and climbing the journey with us are our true blessing from God in this world. No matter if its wife, priest, or friend. This is why it is so important for us to discern and pray if our current relationships are fruitful. Then if they are not, we must pull them up by the root and cast them out. It can become a difficult process at times, but one that must be done. I have had to do some pruning and weeding at times on my path in life and am a much better person for it. It is interesting looking back, that some of the weeds that I used to grow around, also helped me to “flower” as I grew up. That is the great mystery that God’s plan has for us. We never know through whom the potter might be working his clay. Remember how St. Matthew had to leave his tax-collectors hut when Jesus called him. (Matt 9:9)

Also, I see God’s humor present in my life. Anyone who knew me before meeting Joanne my wife, knew a much different person. One who did not like kids. Who would run away when they made to much noise around the house. Basically, my world was all about the individual, all I saw was self.  God knew full well, that man needed to be broken and molded into a new man, therefore with a big smile upon his face, he has given me five children of my own. Though his grace and the love of Joanne, my heart been transformed and made anew. Yes, there are difficult times that I still lose my patience and temper, but that selfish man, the one with the cold and hard heart is no longer present. Indeed, as the kids sing, “Our God is a Mighty God.”

As I move forward with hopefully another forty-one years, all I can do is to pray that God will keep me and bless me, and let his face shine upon me, and have mercy on me. (Numbers 6:24-26) Then again, this is the one thing that I can count on, God will never depart from me, he will always be there. I just have to able to say in the end, as does St. Paul, “For I am already being poured out as a drank-offering; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

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