“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” (Luke 1:15) These were the words of the angel Gabriel to Zachariah about the son that was to be born by his wife Elizabeth, whom we know as John the Baptist.  

What is significant about this is that God had not been speaking through prophesy to the people of Israel, nor pouring out his Holy Spirit for several centuries before Christ.  The Book of Joel, the last prophetic work in the Old Testament, was composed around 400 B.C., and foretold the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all people at some future date.    

Gabriel is telling Zachariah that he and Elizabeth will have a son in their “old age” and that the son would immediately be filled with the Holy Spirit at his conception.  With the power of the Holy Spirit, John would prepare the people of Israel for the coming of God’s son, Jesus.

As we begin this season of Advent and Christmas, we should reflect on how privileged we are to be able to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism at an early age, just like John.  This is the same Holy Spirit that gave him the power to speak and bring the people of Israel to repentance, the same Holy Spirit that enabled Peter to bring three thousand people to repentance on the day of Pentecost, and the same Holy Spirit that enabled the apostles, Paul, and the early Christians to spread the faith against unbelievable odds and persecution.

If you are not currently experiencing the Holy Spirit in this way, invite Jesus to come and live in you, and ask him to release the power of the Holy Spirit that is in you through your baptism.  As Gabriel said to Mary, “nothing is impossible for God.”  (Luke 1:37)

Many years ago, I was invited by a priest to ask Jesus to take my sins, accept his forgiveness, and renew the Holy Spirit’s presence in me.  Jesus did, and my life was forever changed. 

As Jesus said to the disciples just before his ascension, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)  

Do you experience the Holy Spirit like John the Baptist, the apostles, and many Christians today?

Ask Jesus to fan into a flame the Holy Spirit that is in you through your baptism.

The Bible encourages us to be thankful to God at all times.  St. Paul encourages us to, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” (1Thessalonians 5:16) 

After Nehemiah led an effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem following their destruction by the Babylonians, he arranged for an elaborate dedication ceremony “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with music of cymbals, harps and lyres.”  He said, “I assigned two large choirs to give thanks.  One was “to proceed to the top of the wall on the right…and the second choir proceeded in the opposite direction.” (Nehemiah 12:27 – 47)

In a couple of days we will observe a national holiday for the purpose of thanking God for the many blessings he has conferred upon our nation.  This follows a precedent established by some of the earliest Christian settlors to the shores of this continent. 

Why is thanksgiving important to us individually and collectively as a people?

First, it helps us to acknowledge that we are not in complete control, but in fact dependent upon someone other than ourselves for some of the positive things that happen to us in our lives.  Both God and others contribute to many of our blessings.  Even abilities and talents that we may attribute to ourselves are given to us by God, and we should acknowledge their true origins.

Second, it is God’s will for us to acknowledge him and to be thankful for his provision, for as Paul says, giving thanks “is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16)   

Third, by acknowledging God and others with thanksgiving for our needs, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds.” (Philippians 4:6)

Being thankful gets us out of ourselves, brings joy and peace to our hearts, and helps align our lives with God’s will.  I continually thank God for the life he has given me, for my wife of sixty years, our children, their spouses, and their children.  This Thanksgiving we are blessed that most of us will be together to share our many blessings from God and each other’s company.     

May we pause from our busyness this week to thank the creator of all that exists for his love and provision. 

On the first day of the week following Jesus’ crucifixion,Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb where Jesus had been laid.  She sees that Jesus’ body is not in the tomb and she is distraught.  She encounters Jesus, but does not recognize him, thinking he is the gardener.  Though she does not recognize him by sight, she does by the way he says her name. “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’” (John 20:16) It was a sound familiar to her and exclusive to their relationship.

When I was a young boy, my mother called me, “Billy.”  When I heard her call me, I didn’t have to see her to know that it was her.  My father used to call me “Son.”  Again, I didn’t have to see him when he addressed me to know that it was him.  There was a special relationship and familiarity there.  The same is true with my wife, members of my family and close friends.

This is the kind of relationship Jesus wants to have with us – one that is so close, so familiar, and so intimate, we don’t need to see him to know he is there.  At every moment he stands at the door of our heart waiting to be invited in, ready to embrace us and to offer his friendship, ready to listen to our deepest concerns and offer his wisdom — ready to say our name. “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.”  He says, “I know mine and mine know me.” (John 10:3, 4, 14)

It is easy for me to let the noise and many distractions in my life drown out the gentle whisper of Jesus.  It requires a deliberate choice on my part to stop and listen for his presence. 

How close is your relationship with Jesus?  Do you hear his gentle whisper in your thoughts?  Do you recognize him when he calls your name or seeks to offer guidance to your path?

A few years ago, my son, Steve, son-in-law, Greg, and I were boating down the Atlantic Intercostal Waterway.  On the second day we ran into gale force winds on Chesapeake Bay on our way to Norfolk, Virginia.  The winds were coming out of the northeast generating waves of five to six feet or more.  The Coast Guard had posted two flags which meant that the winds were blowing at 39 to 54 mph.  Because we were heading south and the winds were coming at our stern, it was more difficult to control the steerage of the boat. 

We of course put on our life jackets.  I asked Steve to go down in the cabin for additional ballast, and Greg to stay on the flying bridge with me to monitor our location on the GPS.  The skies were heavily overcast and visibility to shore and the markers designating the channel were marginal.  There weren’t any safe inlets along this portion of the Bay to go for cover, and it would have been too dangerous to turn toward shore with the winds and waves then hitting us broadside.

Never having experienced these conditions before, I found myself learning how to control the boat as we proceeded.  The key was not pulling back on the throttle as the boat accelerated down the front side of a wave to avoid the boat turning sideways and capsizing.  This almost happened to us early on.  It took us over four hours to reach Norfolk, which was not that far.  I was never so happy to see the outlines of an aircraft carrier through the haze at the Norfolk Naval Base. 

Because I was so concentrated on maintaining control of the boat over the entire period, I never even remembered to pray for God’s protection.  Yet we had during all of this, Jesus’ final words and promise to his disciples, “And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:20) This promise echoes the birth narrative, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmauel,” meaning “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23) 

What a blessing for those who believe in Jesus, God’s Son, and Messiah, that he, his presence, and protection, are always with us, even when we are preoccupied and not thinking about him.  Thank you, Lord Jesus! 

[The picture includes Steve, son-in-law Ralph who joined us on the return trip, yours truly, and Greg.]

“An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:43) The Gospel of Luke reports that after Jesus submitted to the Father’s will to accept the cup of his passion, God sent him an angel to strengthen him to endure all that he would be facing.  

Our human suffering, however severe, may never equal Jesus’ “agony in the garden.”  Yet, how often have we seen people endure incredible suffering from a terminal illness or the loss of a loved one with determined faith, while still maintaining an unusual peace and joy that can only come from God?   

Sometimes God uses one of his special angelic messengers to bring strength and consolation.  Sometimes he uses family or friends to perform this role.  

This brings to mind an experience I had when I was 15 years old following surgery to correct a defective sternum bone that I was born with.  The lower part of my sternum was bent inward that had the effect of crowding the heart and lungs as I started growing in my teen years.  This apparently caused an enlarged heart, severely impacting my future health and long term survival. 

We were living in Mason City, Iowa, about 120 miles north of Des Moines.  A thoracic surgeon in Des Moines had developed a corrective repair that involved splitting the sternum from the rib cage, inserting a bone strut from one side of the rib cage to the other and laying the sternum back down and wiring everything back together. 

This was considered experimental surgery in the mid-1950s, when they were not quite as good at pain management as they are today.  As a result, I was in a lot of pain from the surgery and discomfort with all of the tubes continuously pumping fluids from my chest cavity.  I remember telling my parents, to their consternation, that I would not have done this if I knew it was going to be so bad. 

On the fourth day, Father John from our parish in Mason City visited me.  We had become close friends during the course of his weekly instructions for me to join the Catholic Church a couple of years earlier.  To make this visit, he had to drive two hours after Sunday morning masses from Mason City to Des Moines, and then two hours back in time to say a Sunday evening mass. 

He talked with me, encouraged me and prayed with me.  He was like the visitation of an angel lifting my spirits.   I didn’t complain any more to my parents about the surgery, and spent the rest of the summer recuperating.  I have always remembered how his visit turned things around for me, along with the sacrifice it took for him to make it happen.   

Like Father John, may we be inspired to serve as angels to others in their time of need. 

“An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Luke 22:43) The Gospel of Luke reports that after Jesus submitted to the Father’s will to accept the cup of his passion, God sent him an angel to strengthen him to endure all that he would be facing.  

Our human suffering, however severe, may never equal Jesus’ “agony in the garden.”  Yet, how often have we seen people endure incredible suffering from a terminal illness or the loss of a loved one with determined faith, while still maintaining an unusual peace and joy that can only come from God?   

Sometimes God uses one of his special angelic messengers to bring strength and consolation.  Sometimes he uses family or friends to perform this role.  

This brings to mind an experience I had when I was 15 years old following surgery to correct a defective sternum bone that I was born with.  The lower part of my sternum was bent inward that had the effect of crowding the heart and lungs as I started growing in my teen years.  This apparently caused an enlarged heart, severely impacting my future health and long term survival. 

We were living in Mason City, Iowa, about 120 miles north of Des Moines.  A thoracic surgeon in Des Moines had developed a corrective repair that involved splitting the sternum from the rib cage, inserting a bone strut from one side of the rib cage to the other and laying the sternum back down and wiring everything back together. 

This was considered experimental surgery in the mid-1950s, when they were not quite as good at pain management as they are today.  As a result, I was in a lot of pain from the surgery and discomfort with all of the tubes continuously pumping fluids from my chest cavity.  I remember telling my parents, to their consternation, that I would not have done this if I knew it was going to be so bad. 

On the fourth day, Father John from our parish in Mason City visited me.  We had become close friends during the course of his weekly instructions for me to join the Catholic Church a couple of years earlier.  To make this visit, he had to drive two hours after Sunday morning masses from Mason City to Des Moines, and then two hours back in time to say a Sunday evening mass. 

He talked with me, encouraged me and prayed with me.  He was like the visitation of an angel lifting my spirits.   I didn’t complain any more to my parents about the surgery, and spent the rest of the summer recuperating.  I have always remembered how his visit turned things around for me, along with the sacrifice it took for him to make it happen.   

Like Father John, may we be inspired to serve as angels to others in their time of need. 

“You Fool! This very night, your life will be demanded from you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20) 

This is what God said to the person in the Parable of the Rich Fool who built bigger barns for his abundant crops, thinking he could relax, “take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” It was part of Jesus’ message to “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance in his possessions.” He went on to warn, “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15, 21) 

I am reminded of a conversation I had many years ago with a good friend and spiritual mentor. We were talking about tithing, and I asked since a portion of our income was taken in taxes that we never get to control, should I tithe based on my net or gross income?  He responded by asking a different question, “Did I want to experience God’s presence and blessings in a net or gross manner?”  We decided that we wanted to experience all that God had for us in in his most gross presence and blessings.    

We have learned that you cannot outgive God.  There have been times in the past when we wondered whether we could respond to a certain request, only to have an unexpected insurance refund show up in the mail following our response. 

After this parable, Jesus goes on to encourage us not to worry about our circumstances. He says, “But seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:31)

How do you respond to Jesus’s admonition and encouragement?  

“People were bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.”  When Jesus saw what the disciples were doing, he chastised them and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them…” (Luke 18:15, 16)

The disciples thought that they were protecting Jesus from people bringing their children to him. Jesus didn’t think he was being bothered.  He said, “Do not hinder them.” 

There is a lesson to us in these words. God does not want us to be an obstacle to our children being brought to him or finding him. Just as we are responsible for nurturing the physical wellbeing of our children, so too, are we responsible for nurturing their spiritual wellbeing.    

There are many ways that this can happen. We can introduce them early on to the idea that there is a loving God who created us and all that exists. He humbled himself to become one of us in the person of Jesus. He gave his life for us to save us from our sins and eternal death. Then he sent his Holy Spirit to empower us and give us wisdom and strength to cope in a hostile world.

It is a long-term process that takes perseverance in guidance as well as the example of our own lives – perhaps the most difficult aspect of parenting.  I had a good friend who was a good and righteous man who was active in prison ministry and a ministry to the workplace. I always remember a story he shared that had so much influence on his life. He said that when he was a young boy and would come downstairs in the morning he would find his father on his knees praying in their living room. He said it had a huge impact on him throughout his life, something he always remembered.

Lest we think that the spiritual component of our children’s lives is not as important as their physical and intellectual nurturing, Jesus has even stronger words for us when he says, “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” (Luke 17:2-4)

As our children move from childhood through the teen years and into adulthood, there are many minefields facing their journey, particularly in today’s culture. It is important as parents that we instruct them when we have the opportunity, correct them when there is wrongdoing, and provide loving guidance and prayer as the need and opportunity arise.

Are you a hindrance or a support in your children meeting Jesus?

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”  (Psalm 100: 4-5)

This past Saturday, my daughter and I, along with a priest friend, were on our way to the Holy Land in Israel.  When we arrived in Toronto, Canada on the first of a two leg flight to Tel Aviv, Israel, we learned of the war.  Our priest friend, who was leading the pilgrimage, immediately contacted the travel agency that was facilitating the tour.  After calls to Jerusalem, the decision was made to cancel our flights to Israel and return to the United States.  We got home late Saturday night.

I was hoping to share with you some reflections of visiting the many places of Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection, but I will not be able to do so now.  But I offer up a prayer of thanksgiving that we are safe and home instead of being in Israel during this terrible time.

While I am thankful to the Lord that we are safe, I am saddened and deeply troubled by all of the death and utter disregard for human life that is being inflicted on so many innocent civilians in Israel. 

May we join in a prayer to God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ to protect the people of Israel and the people who are still on pilgrimages from further harm. 

I thank all of you who have been faithful readers of this blog for several years.  I pray for God’s grace to continue to offer reflections of his word. 

God bless you. 

Bill Dalgetty     

“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” (Acts 2:40)

These were words Peter spoke to the people who were present when God poured out his Holy Spirit on the apostles and the early Jewish followers of Jesus described in the Book of Acts.  This has long been regarded as the start of the Church.  The Book of Acts tells us that those looking on heard a sound like the blowing of a violent wind and saw about 120 of Jesus’ disciples praying in languages not their own, praising and worshiping God.  They asked Peter what this all meant. 

Peter responded that Jesus, who had performed many miraculous signs, had been executed by the authorities, was raised from the dead by God, and was the long awaited Messiah foretold by the prophets.  Peter said that Jesus was now pouring out his Holy Spirit as he had promised on all that believed in him.  Peter urged all that were listening to save themselves from their corrupt generation.  

Though Peter’s words were directed at the people in front of him, they are in fact timeless, applicable to generations beyond his own, including our present generation.  The loss of respect for life in our current day, the confusion over truth, the erosion of integrity, the diminishing state of sexual morality, and the abandonment of principles of natural law, including a movement to encourage children to reject their sexual nature given them by God, all point to corruption in our present generation.   

So what should we do?  Interestingly, the people of Peter’s generation asked the same question.  He told them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  He went on to say that this “promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39) 

That’s us! We are far in distance and time, but Peter’s words are meant for us just as they were to the people of his day.  Repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to enrich and empower our lives. 

Then, we can be a leaven to our present generation by bringing the presence of Christ in us through the power of the Holy Spirit to the people and circumstances of our lives.    

What steps can you take to protect yourself from this corrupt generation?