This past Friday, our daughter, Susan Rinaldi, was honored by Porto Charities in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, with their Catalyst Award for her work in Special Education.  Susan has served as Director of Expanded services at Bishop O’Connell High School for the past 10 years. 

Porto Charities’ mission is to build a culture of belonging for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by increasing their educational, employment and community engagement opportunities in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington.   

In receiving her award, Susan brought our daughter Emily who was born with Down syndrome on to the stage, acknowledging that it was Emily’s birth and presence in our family that inspired her to go into special education.  It also happened to be Emily’s 40^th birthday, and the audience of 480 spontaneously sang Happy Birthday.

It was such a joyous occasion. Our other three children, their spouses and a number of our grandchildren were in attendance, along with neighbors and friends.    

“The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving to all he has made.” (Psalm 145:13)

“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Luke 24:13-35)

The resurrected Jesus meets two disciples on the road to Emmaus, but they don’t recognize him.  After hearing that they were talking about his death but did not yet understand his resurrection, he reviews all that was said about him in the Old Testament.  As they approached the village, they asked him to stay with them.  At dinner, as he took the bread, blessed it, and gave it to them, they recognized him.  He then vanished from their sight. They observed, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They immediately returned to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples that Jesus had appeared to them.

One of the deacons from our parish observed this past Sunday that even though we may not recognize Jesus presence, he can speak to us, guide us, and open the meaning of scripture to us.

Last week I attended the funeral of Bud Rose, a dear friend and colleague who was the last of three founders of Christians in Commerce, now called WorkLight.  I can recall several occasions at Board meetings when we would be embroiled in a challenging discussion.  After a lengthy debate, Bud would ask a question or offer an observation that would lead us to an “ah ha” moment and solution.

I believe that Bud was responding to Jesus’ unannounced presence and guidance in those situations.  Sometimes our hearts “burned within us” as he spoke realizing that he was reflecting God’s will for the decision before us. 

Jesus’ unannounced presence is available to all of us at all times.  He speaks to us in our thoughts.  We can ask him, “Lord, what do you want me to do now?  Do you want me to speak or be silent?  Do you want me to act or refrain? 

Jesus says, “Behold, I am with you always.” (Mt. 28:20)

Do you ask Jesus what he wants you to do in challenging circumstances?

“I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you.”  (John 15:15)

What an amazing promise Jesus offers to his disciples and to us.  He has made known to the disciples the wisdom of God.  Through the disciples and their gospels, he offers us this same wisdom and friendship.  If we seek his wisdom and try to live by it, he offers us friendship. 

Please read A Friendship That Transcends by Yours Truly at www.billdalgetty.com, which shares how this friendship is possible. 

Numerous passages from scripture are illustrated by personal stories encountering God’s presence:

• Praying with an employee planning to have an abortion
• Experiencing God’s voice after a child is born with Down syndrome
• Declining a career advancing promotion for family considerations
• Praying with people who are dying
• Seeking God’s will in business decisions 
• And many more. 

As one of the endorsers said, “This book will inspire you with wisdom, hope and spiritual insights.”

Read more at www.billdalgetty.com,

After the burial of my father, I was riding with my mother and brother out of the cemetery back to town, and I started to have this overwhelming sense of joy.  It was in the middle of January, on an overcast, cold day.  The snow drifts along the road were covered with soot from the windswept plowed fields of northern Iowa.  It was a bleak dreary day. 

Yet, here I was, inexplicably experiencing this heightened sense of joy.  I said to my mother and brother, “I know this sounds odd, but I have this great feeling of joy.”  They both looked at me as if I were crazy and said nothing.  We drove on, but the moment of joy in me remained.  The next morning while I was praying, the following words came into my mind,“The reason for your joy yesterday was because your father is with me in heaven.”  As I shared these words with my mother the tears streamed down her face as she rejoiced in knowing that her husband of 50 years was with the Lord. 

On Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ after his tortuous and cruel death, a turning point in human history.  The Creator of all that exists completed the loving and humbling act of becoming one of us, and then willingly sacrificed his life so that we might live forever.  I have no doubt that my father, and now my mother and brother are alive with the Lord Jesus in a way that we will never fully comprehend until we complete a similar journey.   

We may remember the words of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after Jesus appeared to them following his resurrection.  “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)  Although not initially recognizing him, they said that their hearts burned within them as he spoke.  My heart burned within me as I experienced that sense of joy and heard those words, “Your father is with me in heaven.”

Praise God for his plan of redemption!  Praise Jesus for his humility, love and sacrifice! 

Have you experienced the presence of God or his words that burned within your heart?