I recently spoke with a brother Deacon who just met the widow of Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, who was one of many people killed (laying his life down to save others, while he was on duty), in a mass shooting in Boulder in March of 2021.  This took me back to when I was honored to have been one of a small number of police officers accompanying her and her lovely family throughout the days following Eric’s death.  The very first meeting with her and a Denver PD colleague was one that is tattooed in my heart. Upon introductions, SHE asked if we could start in prayer, and I of course, we obliged.  After 20 minutes or so in subsequent conversation through the liturgy planning, she stopped, looked at her watch and stated, “may we please stop here, its time to pray the Angelus.”   In her grief, in her sorrow of a tragic death, this beautiful child of God kept the only ONE, our Good Lord tattooed into her heart and front and center ~ she "discerned what is of value."

The second reading this Sunday gives us St. Paul’s vision; one that includes the Parousia of Jesus, a perspective of hope to which he lives and evangelizes. St. Paul introduces his new converts into this same worldview of living hope and longing for the second coming of Jesus. As we know, our present diaconal life must be lived within this perspective, to open and share the future in hope and longing, so that we see our task now to be prepared for that final day, so that when He comes, He may find us ready and awaiting with eager expectation. We want Him to find us with our hearts turned towards Him in love and devotion, serving but Him alone. We want to share this through all the trials in our lives, and we all have them.

Leah Anne Talley is an example of living in a state of watching and preparation, living for Him with all her heart, an undivided heart, serving but Christ alone, and detaching from all other lords, and from all the false glitter and lights of this world. So does our good Lord want us always to live.

He began the good work in all of us, let us continue to share this Good News to all the human race, in all our ministries & encounters, filled with hope and longing, full of divine love, living the faith, so as to teach others to value the things that really matter up to the very "day of Christ!"

Receive+Believe+Teach+Practice
Be Bold - Be Men of Prayer - Pray for our Brothers    
 See you in the Eucharist!