Rousing Rambling

  Reflection on “The Joy of Being a Deacon” by John P. Flanagan Several years ago, while presenting at another parish’s Lenten retreat, I finished my talk on holiness by asking the retreatants the question, “At the end of your life, how do you hope to be remembered by others?” I shared with the retreatants that I hope to be remembered as a man of joy.  I confessed that I know that I have a long way to go to achieve that goal, but that I continue to try to live a life of joy by attempting to love others as God loves them.  Small group discussions followed.  As each table reported back to the full group, people reported wanting to be remembered for charity, love, compassion, faithfulness, generosity, and so many other positive attributes.  I thought the sharing was going extremely well, until a woman stood up and emphatically declared, “there were a lot of good answers at our table, but I don’t think any of them matter.  I don’t care ...

Sometimes when I pray, I look for great signs that God has heard my prayer.   Honestly, sometimes what I am really looking for are signs that God is going to hear my prayer in the way that I want to have it heard.   Rather than placing my trust in God, and remembering that, “ all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,” (Romans 8:28)   I am guilty of needing just something, anything that can assure me that I have been heard.   When I seek out God’s presence, I sometimes seek Him in the great and majestic.   I expect that His voice will be loud and powerful, because He is great and powerful.   But the reality is that God speaks to us in so many calm and gentle ways.   I have experienced the presence of God in the gentle touch of another.   I’ve heard God’s voice in the laughter of a baby.   I’ve felt God’s love and presence in the last breath of family members.   I’ve known of God’s lov...