holymartyrsparish-merrillville-in

If You Do Not Like the Weather

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:08:03 GMT

Recognizing God

We sure have experienced big weather swings this year, haven’t we? One moment it is sunny and summer-like, and the next moment it is cold and there are snow flurries, and then the next moment brings severe weather with threats of damaging wind, hail and possible tornadoes. All of this can be quite unsettling at times.

I believe El Niño happens when the ocean water in the central Pacific becomes warmer than normal, causing warmer winters in the northern USA. Similarly, La Niña happens when the ocean water in the Pacific becomes cooler than normal, causing colder winters. El Niño creates weaker winds and La Niña stronger winds, as I understand it. Beyond this limited understanding, weather does seem to be a mystery at times.

In any case, I do believe the warming of our planet is making weather more unsettled and less predictable to everyday people like you and me. It is probably fascinating for meteorologists though.

This reminds me of the old saying: “If you do not like the weather, wait an hour and it will change.”

This uncertainty is different from the uncertainty of situations in life that cause us to walk by faith.

The one constant in our lives is the clear fact that we are absolutely loved by God, and that never changes, despite whatever earthly conditions we may face.

Trusting in Jesus and surrendering ourselves to the protection of His Sacred Heart enables us to face the headwinds in life while knowing we are not alone and can be grounded in the protection of His loving heart.

What better place can we find ourselves in whatever life throws at us!

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Soil On a Sidewalk

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:49:05 GMT

Recognizing God

My wife and I live in a tri-level house in Dyer, Indiana. About 15 years ago, we decided to replace the bland, cement sidewalk leading from our driveway toward the front door entrance of the house with brick pavers. Then, we planted flowerbeds on either side of the pavers to enhance the warmth we hoped to reflect when one walks into our home.

One side effect from planting flowers on either side of the pavers (even with the edging placed against the soil) is that, when it rains hard and flowers are not present to absorb the rain (in the springtime for example,) soil from the flowerbeds gets washed over the edging and onto the brick pavers. This leaves an unsightly, dirty appearance with the consequence of enabling the dirt to be tracked into the house.

When this misplaced soil is present on the pavers, we need to either hose down the bricks or sweep the soil away after it dries. This can be a tedious process when it rains frequently, especially if it is a downpour, as what has happened in the last two weeks. After the brick pathway has been cleaned, it looks as good as new.

When I thought about it, I was reminded how we can be adversely affected by the noise and anxieties that can impact one’s spiritual life. We may be travelling along a good pathway in faith and our journey to God, only to find the craziness in life detracts us from seeing the good path we are on. We may then only see the bad things in life happening, versus the beauty God presents on the road on which we travel. Seeing the ugliness and not the beauty can be unsettling and spiritually fatiguing.

When this happens, let’s remember to wash away what is distracting to us with the graces we receive in the Sacraments and in prayer, thereby enabling us to see that we are not alone. Let us see that God is always there to help us on our journey to our heavenly home.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

The Gift of Our Hands

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:50:21 GMT

Recognizing God

In 1970, I was a freshman at Niles College, the college seminary for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

I remember only a few things from the classes I took back then, but one thought shared by my Theology 101 professor has always stuck with me some 56 years later. The priest teaching that class said that he was always fascinated by the gift God gives us in one’s hands.

This professor found it particularly fascinating that, when a person cups his hand and looks at the inner palm, he can see the image of the letter “M”. As that priest prayed about that observation and wondered if it could have a deeper meaning, he thought the letter “M” found on each inner hand could relate to two Latin words: “Momenti Mori”, meaning: “remember you will die” (definitely a sobering thought.)

This was only this prayerful priest’s personal reflection, as nothing can be found in Church Teaching in this regard (to my understanding.) I have found it helpful to consider it though, in keeping me focused on the fact that this earthly life will end one day, and to recall that we are on a journey to a much better place meeting our loving Lord in heaven. In this regard, it is not a sobering thought, but an uplifting one that gives each of us hope.

This Holy Week, let’s use the gift of our hands to pray to Jesus and thank Him for loving us so much so as to undergo the cruelest of deaths on the Cross, so we can reunite with Him in heaven at the end of our earthly journey.

Let’s use the gift of our hands to place palms on the road Jesus traveled on Palm Sunday as He entered Jerusalem. Let’s use the gift of our hands to help serve each other as Jesus taught us in washing His Apostles feet on Holy Thursday.

Let us be humbled and filled with a sense of awe as Jesus outstretched His hands when being nailed on the Cross out of love on Good Friday.

Let us fold our hands in grateful appreciation of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.

Let us be filled with such love and gratefulness, and a sense of wonder and awe at Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday, opening the gates of paradise for us in conquering death. And then let us fold our hands in grateful prayer for being so deeply loved.

Hands are a wonderful gift from God, aren’t they?

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Dirty Car

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:16:06 GMT

Recognizing God

My car really needed a car wash this week. After the storms of a week ago or so, there was a very visible coating of film on the car. It looked pretty bad. Also, when I parked the car in a tight parking space, the dirt and grime easily stained my clothes when I accidentally rubbed against it (and probably also stained the clothes of others if they had to squeeze around it.)

After I took the car through the car wash, it looked good as new. I said to myself, “I probably should not let it get that dirty again and I need to have it washed sooner and on a regular basis.”

As I thought about it though, I said to myself, “Tom you are a silly goose. If you are planning to do a more regular cleaning of the car, what should that tell you spiritually? Cars only last a limited number of years. One’s soul lasts an eternity.”

All of this made me think about that fact that more frequent use of the confessional will keep me good as new, and it will also keep my bad habits from negatively affecting others as I touch them with my life.

It’s a lot to think about in washing a car!

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

An Unexpected Death

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:03:43 GMT

Recognizing God

You might recall that on Tuesday, March 10th, we had a severe series of thunderstorms that went through our area. These were the storms that spun several tornadoes and caused deaths in Lake Village.

I was among several parishioners from Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish that were attending a spiritual program at St. John Evangelist Church on the evening when the storms arrived.

Everyone present at that program was slightly on edge while looking at weather updates during the session. The leaders of the program dismissed those in attendance a bit early, wanting to be cautious as the bands of the storms were passing. To my knowledge all arrived home safely.

As I was traveling back from St. John to my home in Dyer, I received a phone call from my wife who was in tears with her voice breaking up. She let me know that one of our closest friends, Pat Downes, had a medical emergency while driving home through the storm, causing him to hit a telephone pole. He was killed in the crash. We were in shock. We still are.

This was a wonderful man who was so generous in helping others with his time, talent, and treasure, as well as aiding the Sisters of St. Francis as he worked in their healthcare ministry. He will be sorely missed. The sadness of those who knew him is palpable.

As I thought about our friend’s untimely death, as well as those who died elsewhere due to the storms in our locale and across the country, I was once again reminded how fragile life can be. We do not know when our life’s journey will end. For some without much notice, for others in time after fighting a prolonged illness or injury.

I think our friend Pat in his ever-selfless devotion to others would tell us today, if he could, to be prepared for the hour we do not know, when we will be called to meet our loving Lord in heaven.

May God grant you eternal rest, Pat. Thank you for showing those who knew you what it means to have a life well lived in loving God and others.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Patience

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 20:37:00 GMT

Recognizing God

The word patience means the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. In our Catholic Faith, we view patience as the virtue that allows us to endure difficulties, delays, suffering and the faults of others while trusting in God. It reflects the way God lovingly deals with humanity.

When I left the seminary, I was in love with a woman who broke up with me shortly after I left. Notwithstanding that disappointment, I felt God was still calling me to married life, yet I could not seem to find that special someone whom I was meant to marry.

When I finally met Marilyn, for me it was love at first site. For Marilyn, she needed time to be sure, and so we dated for several years before she said yes to my marriage proposal.

I had a choice when waiting. I could wait and be patient with the woman I fell in love with, or I could move on and try to find someone else. I hung on and, as a result, I have been blessed with the love of my life and a wonderful marriage.

In thinking about this last week, I thought how much more it must be with God. God never grows impatient with us. He is always calling us to a deeper, more loving relationship with Him.

We may not always find that this journey leaves us the feeling or confidence that we are making our intended progress in this regard, but God asks us to persevere. Like in marriage or a special friendship (but ever so much more,) when we do, the reward exceeds our wildest imagination. The way to do this is to surrender our journey to God and leave the rest in His loving hands.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Bernadette the Musical

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:33:18 GMT

Recognizing God

On March 1, my daughter treated me with tickets to see the musical, Bernadette. The performance took place at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago.

For me, it was an amazing spiritual experience, and one of the best musicals I have seen in my lifetime.

The musical is the heartwarming story of young Bernadette Soubirous, a lively, 14-year-old girl in 1850s France whom the Blessed Mother appeared to. We have better come to know this apparition as taking place specifically in Lourdes, France. Lourdes in now a place where millions have already gone to visit, and people continue to go there on pilgrimages while seeking spiritual and physical healing, with many being healed by drinking or bathing in the water found by the grotto where the Blessed Mother appeared.

The musical focuses on how Bernadette, the poorest and least-educated girl in town, bravely faced her skeptics with character, candor, honesty, and a good sense of humor.

I was moved to tears as the play portrayed this young child’s bravery while facing cruel criticism and severe brow beating by civil and church leaders, as well as by her own family. They demanded she recant what she saw, yet she never wavered from the mission given to her by the Blessed Mother, which was to have a chapel placed at the place of the apparitions and to have people pray there.

I asked myself if I would have such faith in facing such opposition. I am not sure I would.

St. Bernadette inspires me to do better. We have much to learn from God’s holy ones.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Forgotten Cell Phone

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 19:19:22 GMT

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Last Friday, when I arrived at our North Campus church to recite my usual morning prayers, I realized that, once again, I forgot to bring my cell phone with me to the church. There are various prayers that I say each morning stored on it. The most important prayers that are stored on my phone are the Liturgy of the Hours. These are prayers that priests and deacons are required to recite in the morning and evening each day.

I checked the various rooms within the North Campus church to see if I could find an extra copy of the Liturgy of Hours, but, to my dismay, there were none there.

I recited other prayers that I found on the back cover of the missalette booklet that was in the pew, and then I prayed the Rosary. I felt sad though, as I get much comfort and a sense of peace when I say my prayers, especially those that are on my phone.

All the while, Jesus was present right in front of me in the tabernacle.

I heard Jesus whisper in my heart: “Tom, just be with Me. Being with Me is as important (more important) than the prayers that you recite that lead you to Me.”

I then heard God remind me that, when I am with my wife, I find comfort in just being in her presence. He was telling me that the comfort is found in simple presence, a presence that is not made more meaningful by reading her some Hallmark card that may help express my love for her. It is not a text that I send her to read as I sit next to her that brings closeness. The comfort and love between me and my wife is simply found in the gift of “being” with each other. Jesus then said, in His whispers in my heart, “the same is true with Me.”

I found myself saying, “Tom, you are a silly old man. It is being with God and talking to and listening to Him in the silence of your heart that will bring the most meaning to your deepening relationship with Him.”

I find silent prayer a bit challenging versus reciting a written prayer. I will try harder, though, to simply “be” with God more each day. How about you? I think it may be what makes the most difference.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Pope Leo's Message for Lent

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:18:09 GMT

Recognizing God

I really like Pope Leo’s message on Lent entitled, “Listening and Fasting”. His eloquent words leave us with a lot to think about.

As noted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), this papal message asks Catholics to come together as a community to listen to the word of God and to the vulnerable. The Pope invites the faithful to engage in a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor:

“Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgment, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves”.

Instead, the Pope says:

“Let us strive to measure words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media, and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.

Lent is a time to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life.

Let us strive to make our communities places where the cry of those who suffer finds welcome, and listening opens paths toward liberation, making us ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization of love”.

Well said, Pope Leo! God bless you for your words of guidance. May God gives us this grace.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Winter Doldrums

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:16:29 GMT

Recognizing God

I have been involved in a number of conversations recently where either the person I was talking to or I myself said, “I am tired of winter, the cold, the snow, and the salt on the roads making cars look dirty and then rubbing off on one’s clothes. I am tired of the dark nights and frigid mornings.” The conversation usually ended with one person saying, “Looking forward to spring!”

I went to the internet and listed the topic, “finding God in the winter doldrums”, and I was moved by what was noted:

God is present in stillness, not just in bloom. As winter strips things down, with no blossoms and shorter days, Scripture reminds us to “Be still and know I am God.” When energy is low and enthusiasm thin, God often shifts from fireworks to whispers. We are invited to rest in the gift of God’s presence and listen to His whispers in our hearts.
Dormancy in winter is not death. Even though it looks like nothing is alive in the plant world in winter, everything essential is happening underground. Roots deepen and strength is stored up. In our spiritual lives, it can be in one’s doldrums that we find hidden growth. Our faith matures as we are drawn to a deeper understanding of what matters in life in whatever environment we find ourselves “trusting in God.” Trusting in God creates peace and draws us to a closer relationship with our loving Creator.
God will meet us where motivation runs thin. Winter doldrums can sometimes bring fatigue, loneliness, and sadness. God doesn’t wait for us to “snap out of it.” He awaits our invitation to help us. A simple, humble, winter prayer can be, “Lord I’m here. That’s all I have today.”
Look for small warmth in winter, not big answers. In winter, consolation comes often in modest forms like a cup of soup, a kind word, a warm blanket. Spiritually, we can also watch for God’s help in such times: a line in Scripture that lingers, a loving memory that steadies you, the special graces received in the Holy Eucharist.

Maybe winter doldrums are not doldrums at all. Maybe they are God’s gift that forces us to slow down and know we are not alone, and to remember that we are always loved.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Malfunctioning Heat

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:06:09 GMT

Recognizing God

I have the privilege of providing a Communion service to the prisoners at Westville State Prison twice a month.

When the deacons of the Gary Diocese visit this prison, we are assigned to different prison sections that have letters or numbers associated with our identity. The section I go to is called GSC.

When I was at GSC last Thursday, they were experiencing a major heating issue in that area. The steam heat system was malfunctioning, and, as a result, the prison cell sleeping and common areas were receiving minimal heat from the vents. The fact that the outdoor temperature was only around two degrees with the wind chill made the cold feel much worse. There is only so much space in a prison, so the remedy for the cold was to simply endure it and try to fix the malfunctioning steam heat, as there were no other warm locations within the prison with extra capacity that would allow the prisoners from the GSC area to be moved.

As the men arrived at the “Chapel” room in which the service was held, they looked cold. The room air was probably around 40 degrees. I learned the sleeping areas were even much colder, causing significant discomfort.

Yet...the men who arrived at the service seemed to be in good spirits. They were happy to be praying and moving about, despite the discomfort that they were feeling.

When the time came to receive Holy Communion, they were smiling. I was moved by their example.

I thought that, despite the cold air, nothing could take away the warmth they experienced in receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.

Food for thought: despite all the discomfort we experience in life with war, discrimination, crime, and politicians who do not treat people with dignity and respect…there is one place we can always go to find comfort and peace. Go to Jesus.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

No Coincidence

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:04:21 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Sunday, I was taking Holy Communion to a parishioner who has significant mobility issues. This gentleman is known to fall at times.

He usually leaves his front door open for me to enter his home before I arrive on Sunday mornings. When I arrived at his house that day, the front door was locked, which concerned me. I wondered if he had fallen and could not get up.

I knocked on the door a few times, and I could hear the TV playing, but I did not hear him. My knock was unanswered, and the front door was not left opened. I tried several times to turn the doorknob, but it would not turn. I looked into the front room window of the home and could not see him.

I started to get alarmed, so I pounded very loudly on the door. I could hear the gentleman’s faint voice, but I did not know what he was saying, nor could I hear him shuffling toward the door to open it.

I turned the doorknob once more and found that, this time, it was unlocked. I entered the home and searched for the man, only to find that he had fallen in his bedroom and could not get up. I carefully helped him up. He was okay, but dizzy. He told me that he was alarmed as someone had been knocking loudly at his front door. When I told him it was me, he simply responded by saying that he had been feeling well that morning.

Some might say that he opened the door when I was looking in the window, and he did not notice me, and then shuffled to his room and fell. This could be. I wonder, though, whether God knew he was in a tough spot on the floor and somehow enabled the door to unlock when I pounded on it loudly.

All I know is that Jesus loves this man and enabled him to get help. For me, it was a humbling “God moment”. Jesus helped me find him. How much God must love each of us, especially those who are His most vulnerable!

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Being Forgotten

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:51:07 GMT

Recognizing God

Our parish office received a phone call this week that saddened me.

A relative of a parishioner called to voice concern that his brother had not received weekly Holy Communion, even though the parish promised to bring it to him.

The homebound parishioner is a person whom I take Holy Communion to weekly. I do not believe that there has been a week that we missed his visit in more than a year. Even when I am on vacation, we arrange for someone else to handle this important task so that the parishioner does not miss out on receiving the Eucharist.

I told the parish office that this particular homebound parishioner is sometimes confused and may not remember the visit.

I made my weekly visit to the homebound parishioner once again last Sunday, and I told him to let his brother know that the weekly visits are occurring and not to worry that we had forgotten them. This is when the homebound parishioner showed his confusion again in stating, “Have you been visiting me weekly?”

I smiled to myself, embracing the humility of the moment and thought, “Tom you need to try harder to make a better impact on people going forward if they do not even remember you!”

All of this made me think about our loving Jesus. He helps us every day in so many ways. Do we fail to see His presence? Do we fail to thank Him daily for His help? Do we sadden His heart in not recognizing His love for each of us?

What we may do weekly does not hold the smallest resemblance of what God does for us all the time.

This has given me a lot to think about. How about you?

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Living a Life with Love

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 23:02:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week I had the humble privilege of presiding at both a wake and committal service for a retired Hammond school teacher who had spent his entire working life teaching both grammar school and middle school students.

As noted in his obituary, he was known for his patience, dedication and heart. He took time with every student, making each one feel seen and important. Known as the person everyone could turn to, he was the go-to guy for fixing problems, offering guidance, or simply listening when someone needed to talk. An inspiration to many, he touched countless lives through his kindness, wisdom, and steady presence. His name was Adolph Sabik.

I was touched by the humble yet significant way this man loved.

In our world, which sometimes offers misguided admiration only to athletes, musicians, movie stars and politicians, people like Adolph show us what is important in life: how we treat each other, how we help each other. It is all about relationships and seeing the good in all people. God does not expect us to do great things in life, but to do normal everyday activities with great elegance: loving God and loving each other.

May God grant you eternal rest, Adolph. Thank you for showing us what makes a life one well lived.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Putting Away the Nativity Scene

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 20:58:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My wife does an amazing job at decorating our house for Christmas. She does particularly well in placing Nativity scenes in various sections of our home to remind us and any visitors that Jesus is the reason for the season.

My job is to decorate the outside of the house with lights and two Nativity scenes, one in the front of the house and one in our backyard. Each scene includes the illuminated figures of Baby Jesus, Blessed Mary, and Saint Joseph. I am particularly fond of the scene we place on our backyard deck. We can see it from the master bedroom in our home, and it is the last thing we see before going to sleep each night, as we keep our bedroom shades a little higher during Christmas season to be able to see it.

When removing and storing these outdoor Nativity scenes each year, I feel sad and look forward to the following Advent season when they can be displayed once again.

As I thought about it this year, I found myself thinking, “You silly old man. These beautiful representations of the Nativity are just symbols pointing you to God. Do not be sad. You have their real presence in your life when you pray to Jesus, the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. All three are ever present to help you when you turn to them in intercessory prayer.”

With that, my sadness left and I felt a sense of peace!

May we always remember that Jesus, the saints, and our guardian angels are always with us.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Prayer Intentions for 2026

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 21:34:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Each day, I recite a Rosary for all kinds of prayer intentions, such as family, friends, conversion and forgiveness of sinners, deceased friends and relatives, world peace, an end to crime and war, and protection of loved ones from violence. I pray for these kinds of things and for many more. I surrender my concerns to God and the Sacred Heart of Jesus and invite Him in to help.
I was curious to find that EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) recently published an article on Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for 2026.
Good additions for us to add to whatever we may pray for next year include:
January – For Prayer with the Word of God to nourish our lives and be a source of hope in our communities.
February – For prayer for children with incurable diseases and their families.
March: For disarmament and peace.
April – For priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the support and the accompaniment they need, and that communities will support them with understanding and prayer.
May – That everyone might have food.
June – For the value of sports as an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations promoting values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.
July – For respect for human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.
August – For evangelization in the city.
September - For care of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.
October - For the mental health ministry and to overcome the stigma and discrimination of people with mental illnesses.
November - For the proper use of wealth to be put to the service of the common good and solidarity of those who have less.
December – For single parent families that they may find support and accompaniment in the Church and help and strength in the faith during difficult times.

Best wishes for a blessed New Year to all!

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Birth of Jesus 2025

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Dear friends,
Nothing I can share with you this week can compare to the Gospel reading on Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:1-14):
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So, all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there, the time came to have her child, and she gave birth to her first-born son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of God shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For today in the city of David, a savior has been born for you, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly, there was a multitude of the heavenly hosts with the angel, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Merry Christmas Everyone!
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Ear Muffs

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:01:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last weekend, we endured the coldest weather of the year so far, with temperatures being below zero on Sunday morning. It was bitterly cold.
Like most people, I dressed in layers that day, and I wore earmuffs to protect my ears from frostbite or developing an ear infection.
As I thought about it, I said to myself, “Earmuffs are a wonderful invention in safeguarding one’s ears, and they are really convenient to use”.
A side effect of using earmuffs is that much of the noise found in everyday life is noticeably reduced.
I then asked myself what might we do to “muffle” the constant noise found in misguided politics and the misguided voices in life that contradict Jesus’ teaching.
We can reduce these unhelpful noises by the graces we receive in the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist. No greater protection is available.
Just as if wearing earmuffs, I can also close my ears to a thought that is wrong or unhelpful by saying a prayer such as, “Dear Jesus, I reject that thought and immerse myself in the protection of your Sacred Heart.”
Doing so will help us and warm our hearts.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Eulogy

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 21:30:00 GMT

Recognizing God

A dear friend of my family died on Thanksgiving Day after a prolonged battle with cancer that caused his health to deteriorate slowly over the last two years. He was bedridden for the past ten months.
With the usual offerings of sympathy being given to his family at the wake and funeral (we were present for both events,) I was struck by what most people said. Although our friend had a laudable career and was remembered for his volunteerism in coaching and being involved in community organizations, what almost everyone commented on was his love and dedication to his family and support and affection for his friends.
Our friend had a deep spirituality, and he asked for and received the Holy Eucharist almost daily, laying in the hospital bed at his home.
We were also moved by the love his wife and children showed him as they watched his health slowly deteriorate, taking on the roles of direct caregivers, sometimes under trying circumstances. All of this reminded me of what Jesus calls each of us to do daily, to love God and to love each other.
People at the funeral talked about relationships, compassion, and love. Accomplishments took a back seat; in fact, they were not even mentioned at all, to my knowledge. When a person dies, he or she is often remembered for who they were in life, more so than what they may have been achieved. What is noted is how a life was lived.
May we always remember that it is our relationship with God and each that matters in life. Everything else seems to fade in the wind.
May God grant you eternal rest, dear friend.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Weather Forecasters

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:56:00 GMT

Recognizing God

It always amazes me how weather forecasters can predict winter storms like the one we had last weekend. These learned professionals alert us to the day and time of the arrival of the storm, tell us how windy it will get, and then astonish us in predicting, with great accuracy, the number of inches of snow we may receive. The forecasters are worth their weight in gold in helping us prepare for what will come.
We prepare by adding windshield washing fluid to our cars, filling our snow blowers with gas, buying groceries ahead of time, planning for limited travel, as well as reaching out to help those who may not have the capability to weather the storm.
If we apply so much energy to weather events that last only a short time, shouldn’t we reflect on making similar preparations for facing our loving Lord at the end of our lifetime? Such preparations are made for one’s eternity, not just for the short span of a day or two as with adverse weather.
Let’s make such preparation a priority this Advent. Let’s head to the confessional. Let’s make a planned effort to thank God each day at a special time for all He does for us.
Let’s reach out to help someone in need.
Doing so will make our Advent one well-lived. May God give each of us this grace.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Dove and Fog

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:35:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Friday, it was very foggy early in the morning.
As I was saying my Rosary at the North Campus and looking out the church windows, I could barely see the farm field to the south. The school buildings to the west were enveloped in a misty cloud, making their features obscure. Viewing this scene, the landscape seemed very serene and peaceful. Remarkably, it also seemed quieter than usual. I heard no sounds from the usual traffic on 73 ^rd Avenue.
Looking through the southwest windows, I was surprised to see the leaf-barren bush near the farthest south window untouched by the fog. As I looked more closely, I saw what appeared to be a pigeon or dove alone on one of the bush’s top branches, looking back toward me in the church. I smiled thinking about what I was seeing.
It made me think of the Holy Spirit. Despite the chaos and hustle and bustle present in the world today (depicted by the fog,) the Holy Spirt is always present (as seen by the dove) pointing us to God.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for giving us that clear vision when our journey in life becomes cloudy.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

The Lone Buck

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 21:00:00 GMT

Recognizing God

On both last Wednesday and Thursday mornings, when I was praying my Rosary in the church at the North Campus, I noticed one large buck (male deer) slowly walking, traveling alone by the east side windows. I thought that maybe it was the rut season, the breeding season for deer. I looked up the mating season for deer on the internet and found it lasts through mid-November.
I frequently see does outside the church windows early in the morning, grazing on the grass or the corn south of the church building. It is interesting to me that the female deer travel in herds while the bucks do not.
As I thought about this, I began to think about our Catholic faith. The word “Catholic” comes from the Greek word “katholikos” meaning “universal”, “whole”, or “according to the whole”. Catholics strongly believe in community. Our Catholic teaching states that we are created in the image of God, and God is the communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, we are also meant for relationships, not for isolation.
Jesus gathered disciples, lived with them, taught them, and sent them out in pairs. This shows that Christianity is a shared journey, not a private one.
As we can think about this, we are more like the female deer and not the bucks. We are called into and through community to help each other on our journey in faith. May God give each of us the grace to reach out and help each other while we journey together.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Wet Haircut

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 22:13:00 GMT

Recognizing God

I went to my barber to get a haircut last Thursday. As I am getting older, I only need to have a trim every five weeks or so.
The gentleman who does my hair always starts shampooing it before cutting it.
For some odd reason, as my hair was being rinsed that day, the barber mistakenly allowed the hose to hit the backside of my neck and drench my outer shirt and undershirt, all the way from the neckline to waistline.
The barber was quite embarrassed and apologized profusely. I simply replied that it was not a big deal, and I said I would be driving home afterwards and that I would change my clothes before leaving for my next commitment.
Sometimes mistakes in life happen. We have the prerogative of getting upset at such times or simply letting it go, taking it in stride.
In today’s crazy world, I think we should make a conscious effort to go with the flow if an innocent accident occurs. Doing so sure makes life easier for all involved.
I think that is what Jesus would do.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Broken Sunglasses

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 23:40:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My car, like most others, has a small compartment in the ceiling, just inside the edge of the front window, where you can store sunglasses.
Last Sunday, as I was leaving Church, I removed the sunglasses from that compartment and put them on, but thought something was wrong with my vision. So much light was entering the sunglasses that I became worried that I was having some sudden weird eye ailment. I felt my glasses to make sure the lenses were present and thought I felt the presence of the lens on each side.
I later discovered that the right lens was missing. This was the reason the eyeglasses did not seem to be blocking out the sunlight. It had nothing to do with the vision in my eye.
As I thought about it, I was reminded what our beloved Father Pat Kalich (eternal rest grant upon him oh Lord) would say in a number of his daily homilies around this time of the year. He would say to look around the congregation at Mass and to know that some of us may not be here next year at this time. God might call us to heaven. He would ask us if we were prepared.
Like using sunglasses with a missing lens, we can become comfortable in life feeling that everything will continue to work as we have planned, even though we know we are not doing our best. Maybe even doing sinful things thinking we can correct them at some point later in the confessional. The thing is that we may find that we do not have that later time. We may run out of time to fix that which needs to be corrected. We need to always make sure that we are prepared for the time we will meet Jesus. We must protect our future by taking care of the present and not be complacent (repairing damaged sunglasses so to speak). There may not be a “later”.
A lot to think about when wearing broken sunglasses.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Lost Cell Phone

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:59:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Thursday, I was rushing to attend Father Pat Kalich’s wake at St. Mary’s Church in Crown Point. Immediately afterward, I needed to head to the south campus of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church to open the facility for the Holy Hour.
Everything worked out the way I had planned. As I sat in the chapel at the South Campus, awaiting the beginning of the Holy Hour, I reached into my pocket for my cellphone. I store different prayers on that phone, which I recite each day. Much to my disappointment, the cellphone was not in the pockets. I walked out to my car to see if I had dropped it, only to discover that it was not there.
I returned to chapel anxious and worried. I began to wonder… What if I had lost it? Where could I have lost it? What should I do if I lost it? Various contact information is kept on that phone. Prayers are stored on it. My schedule is on it. My worrying went on… What if someone in my family needs me? What if there is an emergency and I cannot be contacted?
So many questions – so much worry.
I then remembered the story of Martha and Mary, wherein Jesus responds to Martha’s request to have her sister help serve, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. Mary has chosen the better part...”
Here I was sitting in front of the tabernacle in a real tizzy, forgetting that I was facing Our Loving Lord in that chapel. I made myself calm by stating, “I surrender this to You, Jesus. Please help me to realize worrying about a silly phone when in Adoration is missing the better part.” When I did this, I suddenly felt at peace. I thanked God for helping me refocus on what is important, which is not cellphones or commitments. What is important is one’s relationship with God and each other.
I found my phone at home and said to myself, “You silly, old man”.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Color of Leaves

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 20:57:00 GMT

Recognizing God

The Diocese of Gary held its annual retreat for deacons and their wives during the weekend of October 17th and 19th. It was a wonderful retreat, very inspirational.
As we were driving to the Lindenwood Retreat Center in Donaldson Indiana, we saw the leaves on the trees along US 30 changing colors. Some were bright red, some were yellow and orange, and others were still green. Some leaves were simply a fading, dying shade of brown.
This made me think of what color of leaf I may be (figuratively speaking) at the end of my life. Will my soul reflect a brilliant, bright color, one that reflects God’s presence in my life? Will I appear green, showing that I did little to embrace the teachings of Jesus in the way I lived – simply existing, but not being changed by Jesus’ nurturing presence in life? Will I be a dried-up, brown color, symbolizing unconfessed sin and a failure to keep the Commandments and adhere to Church teaching?
I hope to show bright colors. How about you?

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Gap in Traffic

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 21:12:00 GMT

Recognizing God

In my old age, I am sometimes amazed that certain little things bother me. However, they shouldn’t bother me, and the fact that they do is a weakness in my character.
For example, for some reason that does not make sense to me, I find myself annoyed when the car in front of me at a traffic light stops two to four car lengths behind the car ahead of it instead of moving immediately behind it. I find myself asking, “Why don’t you move up?” while, at the same time, realizing it really does not make that much of a difference.
I am sure that the car in front of me is trying to avoid the car fumes ahead of it, or maybe hoping a rock or other projectile does not fly toward it when traffic begins to move.
In such situations, I ask myself if God is trying to teach me something through this experience. In reflecting on this, I hear God saying to me, “Do not forget to let Me lead you in your journey to Me. Leave space for Me to show you the way and protect you. Do not let life’s business squeeze Me out of the moments in your life”.
After receiving God’s message in this regard, I hope that I no longer get annoyed by such traffic issues, and instead smile, knowing that God is leading the way.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Corn Stalks

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 00:31:00 GMT

Recognizing God

One morning last week, I was in the church at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs North Campus saying my morning prayers.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the corn stalks in the field just south of the church. They were moving dramatically in one direction and then another. Being curious, I went to the window and saw a small herd of deer eating the corn on those stalks. To get at the prized kernels, they would bite on an ear of corn and then rapidly shake the stalk until the corn fell to the ground to be easily eaten.
I marveled at their perseverance in obtaining their food that day. Yet they needed that nourishment to survive, and they seemed grateful for its abundance.
As I sat back in my pew, I thought about the essential nourishment we need on our earthly journeys, which is found in the Holy Eucharist. More important than the food our bodies may need is this gift of God Himself, which enables us to survive and do well, despite the negative and evil forces in the world that tend to distract us on our journey to Heaven.
This Blessed Nourishment does not take the amount of effort those deer exhibited in order to be consumed. All we need to do is attend Mass and be in a state of grace to receive it.
We should seek this nourishment that God gives us daily as often as possible! We need it for our survival!

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

God Bless Our Sisters

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:25:00 GMT

Recognizing God

On Friday, September 25, 2025, I had the privilege of attending the Funeral Mass of Sister M. Dolores Anne Novak, OSF, in Mishawaka, Indiana.
I had worked with Sister when we were both stationed at what was then called St. Margaret Hospital in Hammond.
Sister was a nurse by education, and a very hard worker. She had an ever-present smile that would brighten the room. We had known each other for more than 40 years. Her only weakness was that she would laugh at my corny jokes when others did not, simply responding, “Oh Mr. Gryzbek, Mr. Gryzbek.”
As I listened to the presiding priest’s homily and his kind thoughts about Sister Dolores Anne, I was grateful for her many years of faithful service in Jesus’ healing ministry.
I found myself thanking God for all Sisters (no matter what religious order to which they belong) for all the work they do for so many, always with humility and the noble desire not to receive recognition.
We are blessed in our Catholic faith to have so many wonderful religious sisters. They always have been and continue to be a blessing to the Church and each of us. They are visible examples of God’s love for us by brightening our lives in having known them.
Eternal rest grant unto Sister Dolores Anne, O Lord. Let the perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
Thank you, Lord, for bringing so many of these wonderful women into our lives.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Harmful A.I. Relationships

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:17:00 GMT

Recognizing God

In the September 15, 2025, edition of the magazine, New Yorker, I read an article entitled, “Bot Meets Girl” (written by Patricia Marx,) which I found distressing. The article stated that a growing number of adults are looking for digital love. It was noted that a recent report by Brigham Young University’s Wheatley Institute found that 19% of adults in the United States have chatted with an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) romantic partner.
Those who do so believe that they can form a deep emotional bond with a chatbot (the AI “partner”.) According to this study, 80% of these individuals stated that they could imagine marrying one of these bots, and 75% felt that relationships with A.I. companions could fully replace human couplings.
I thought in response, “WHAT?!?! Who would think such a thing?” I found myself feeling bad for the loneliness that must be present in the lives of certain people.
Pope Francis stated in different settings, “Let us pray that the use of the new technologies will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person and will help us face the crises of our times…A.I. should assist the human person in fulfilling his or her vocation…human dignity must never be violated for the sake of efficiency (meaning efficiency or convenience are never valid reasons to diminish or compromise what it means to be human)…A.I. must be ordered to the human person (meaning technology must serve human beings, never the other way around)...the very use of the word ‘intelligence’ in connection to A.I. can prove misleading…A.I. should not be seen as an artificial form of human intelligence, but as a product of it”.
May we govern ourselves accordingly and reach out to those burdened by loneliness to let them know that they are valued and loved. May God give each of us this grace.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Bees: Should I Feel Guilty or Not?

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:02:00 GMT

Recognizing God

When my wife and I moved into our Dyer home some 44 years ago, we planted bushes along our driveaway. They were modest in size when planted, but they grew to be very large bushes over these many years.
This year, however, the bushes must have reached their intended lifespan, as holes within the evergreens appeared. One hole consumed almost half the bush. The plants, which at one time were magnificent in appearance, began to look like they were dying. Ultimately, we decided to have them removed.
We have a friend who is a landscaper, so we asked if he could do this for us at a modest price, as the task seemed to be too large for us to accomplish at our age. In my naivety, I originally thought I could do the removal myself, but I settled on getting help after realizing that the plants were deeply embedded within the soil.
A crew of four men came, and it took them two hours to remove the bushes. One of the bushes had an unknown beehive deep within it that extended from underneath the surface of the soil into the middle of the plant. Much to the landscaper’s surprise, the angry bees attacked the man trying to remove that plant. He ended up being stung by a bee.
I felt bad for him, and I sprayed the remnants of the plant with Raid, killing many bees while doing so. Over the next few days, more bees kept surfacing from the ground. Due to the proximity of the bees to where we park our cars and walk, I also sprayed those bees until almost all of them were gone. I then felt guilty about ending the lives of so many of God’s creatures.
I looked up the topic of killing bees on the internet in relationship to the Catholic Church, and I found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2415-2418) that it declares all animals to be part of God’s creation and so they should be treated with kindness. They exist for the good of humanity and part of God’s plan. It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. There was no specific reference to bees though.
Pope Francis teaches us in encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’ On Care for Our Common Home, that each creature has its own purpose. None is superfluous. Once again, even though bees are not specifically mentioned, we know bees are especially important in their role in pollination and the balance of nature.
I then found an article that said, notwithstanding such teachings, it may be necessary to kill such creatures if they pose a real danger in threatening a home or people.
Still, I felt guilty about ending their lives. I found myself thanking God for the guilty feeling, as this feeling reminded me that we need to think about God’s plan for life.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

A Pool Ladder and Jesus

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 19:58:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week, we closed our above ground pool for the season. This is a tedious task. It includes having to balance the chemicals in the water one last time, lowering the water level, attaching an inflated circular float above the remaining pool water (the float helps keep ice from damaging the vinyl wall of the pool in the winter by taking pressure off the sides of the pool,) removing the filter hoses and winterizing the filter, and blowing water out of the underground hose at the bottom of the pool through the drainage cap. It takes about 2-3 hours to do all of this. The last step is to pull the winter pool cover over the float and then secure the cover.
When I entered the pool to help lift the cover over the float, I stayed in the water almost until the very end of the process. I had asked my wife to pull out the pool ladder, since I planned to get out by pulling myself up on the edge of the pool and then dropping to the ground below.
Much to my embarrassment, I did not have enough strength in my old man’s body to lift myself up and over the pool’s edge. We ended up placing the ladder back into the pool so I could use it to get out. I smiled at myself as I thought about it, and I’ll bet my wife did as well, although she did not show it. It would have been a cold winter for me if I stayed in the pool to say the least.
As I thought about this, I was reminded that Jesus is the bridge for us in life, lifting us out of wherever we may not want to be. He is always looking to help us when we need His strength.
I have a picture in my office at home that represents Jesus’ work in this regard. It is one of my favorites and I look at it often. I have included it in this blog entry. Hope you like it as much as I do.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

A Clean Lawn

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 21:38:00 GMT

Recognizing God

With the recent rain and cooler weather, I have noticed how refreshed the lawns, flowers, and vegetation have become, with deep, green-colored grass and flourishing flowers of many colors. God’s beauty in nature.
Several times, I have observed home and business owners outside, picking up trash that has blown onto their grass or into their flowerbeds. It is clear that they do not want the beauty of their landscape to be tainted by that which must be removed.
This reminded me how beautiful our souls are in the eyes of God, nourished by the graces we receive in the Sacraments and through prayer, yet the winds of earthly passions and our shortcomings can obscure such beauty when we sin.
Jesus is always there to remove such blight when we turn to Him in the confessional. No matter the season or the challenge, our loving Lord is waiting for us to turn to Him to remove that blight and then to showcase, once again, God’s intended beauty.
If we pay attention to what may blow into our yards, shouldn’t we also address that which keeps us from becoming what God expects of us? Neither the effort needed to remove discarded paper or other items blown into our lawns, nor the time taken to redress our shortcomings in the confessional take much effort.
But the result of partaking in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is stunning, particularly for each of our souls. When we do so, we move closer to God and we reflect His beauty and love in a world so much in need of that grace.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Shedd Aquarium

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 20:16:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Sunday, we were invited to join my granddaughter for a birthday celebration at the Shedd Aquarium. It was a wonderful day, and the aquarium was full of people.
Walking through the Shedd Aquarium, one is struck by the dazzling beauty of God’s underwater world. The colors of the coral reefs, the grace of the Beluga whales and dolphins, the size of the sharks, the wonder of touching stingrays and feeding them, and the forms of countless fish and other types of life all reflect God’s countless expressions of His care for us.
No two fish are exactly alike, just as no two people are alike, yet God delights in both.
The ocean can seem endless, stretching beyond sight. In the same way, God’s love for us is without boundary. Standing in front of the massive aquarium tanks and watching schools of fish move together in harmony, we see a glimpse of the order and beauty God intended for creation – and for our lives when lived in His Love.
I thought about how mesmerized many of those who were present at the Shedd that day must have been. I hoped that their amazement at God’s love in creation led them to reflect on God and all we are given in the delight of His creation.
That is where the true wonder and awe exist, when we see God’s gifts to us.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Vacation

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 16:59:00 GMT

Recognizing God

During the first two weeks of August, my wife, daughter, and I went on an Alaskan cruise. It was a trip that we had talked about for many years. We booked the trip almost a year in advance. It seemed like it would never get here! Then, in what seemed like a few moments, it came, and just as quickly, it was gone. How fast time flies by!
It was wonderful seeing the beauty of God’s creation in nature. We saw whales, moose, bears, foxes, coyotes, hawks, eagles, ravens, ducks, geese, and salmon, all while not minimizing the beauty of cloud-covered hills, snow-touched mountains, glaciers, ocean, rivers and streams. We met new friends, exchanging addresses and phone numbers.
There was so much to take in, in such a short time, like taking a drink from a firehose.
After we returned and had the chance to rest for a while, we have felt a sense of peace in reflecting, once again, on how loving God is to share in His beauty in nature and with all those we meet.
Yet, as I thought about it, we can see God’s presence where we live as well with the trees, flowers, clouds in the sky, changing seasons and the gift of seeing Jesus in disguise in each person we meet.
I find myself thinking: Look Tom, you can also see God here and there, not just on vacation. Do not be blind to the gift that is always in front of you.
We are being loved to heaven in ways that we sometimes forget to see. How blessed we are!

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Radishes

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:14:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Sometime in the middle of May, my wife and I planted radish seeds in our vegetable garden. Aside from watering the developing sprouts and weeding once in a while, we did not give these small plants much thought.
Then, recently, we noticed the radishes surfacing out of the ground on their own, almost shouting, “I am ready! Come pick me!” The sun had ripened them for the harvest.
Isn’t that similar to the way we grow in our faith? We are being nourished by the warmth of God’s graces, rising from our slumber to praise Him in our lives. May we continue to make progress in our journey with Him and toward our eternal destination of heaven.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

God's Gift in a Hand

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:04:00 GMT

Recognizing God

I was waiting to do a prayer service recently and the time for it to start was delayed, due to a number of participants arriving late.
As I sat and waited patiently for the service to begin, I started to look at each of my hands.
What an amazing gift God has given to us in a hand! It grasps objects, greets others in the warmth of a handshake, can perform so many tasks without our giving it a thought, and it can be used in prayer.
When atheists say that they do not believe in God, I would ask them to think about how amazing our hands are. Functioning in so many intricate ways without our giving them much thought.
Our bodies are an amazing work of Our Beloved Creator. We are not the result of a cosmic accident developing from some big bang theory.
The intricacies we find in God’s creation should bring all of us to a sense of wonder and awe.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Scratched Watch

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 19:49:00 GMT

Recognizing God

When my family went fishing in Wisconsin in June, I purchased an inexpensive Timex waterproof watch, as my other watch was lost during a visit at Westville State Prison.
The new Timex watch is nice in appearance, keeps accurate time, and I especially appreciate the fact it did not cost much.
When doing some chores around the house recently, I accidentally rubbed the face of the watch against a doorframe and scratched it.
I asked myself whether or not I should get a new one that would look better or keep the existing one.
I decided to keep and use the scratched watch. I like the scratch.
It reminds me to use the time in life wisely and not let the bumps and bruises of daily life detract from what God wants us to do: follow His will.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Round the Clock Restaurant

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 18:55:00 GMT

Recognizing God

The Round the Clock Restaurant, located on US 30 in Schererville recently had a fire and now is closed awaiting restoration repairs.
This was a wonderful place to get an inexpensive meal. Their breakfasts, lemon rice soup, and homemade pies were especially tasty, and a favorite for many customers.
I had noticed that the normally full parking lot was empty at various times of the day, and then I found out about the fire and subsequent closing.
I felt sad for the owners, who had poured their lives into the success of that location. I wish I could have known them better to offer my best wishes.
We all see people face sad, unexpected developments in their lives.
Unlike my Round the Clock experience, I encourage each of us to reach out to those hurting, showing them concern and giving one’s best wishes. Let us be God’s loving hands in a time of need.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Dancing Deer

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:34:00 GMT

Recognizing God

For several years now, I stop by Holy Martyrs Church in the morning to recite my morning prayers and then leave in time to make it to Mass at Our Lady of Consolation Church at 8:00am. It is a special time for me each day.
Sometimes when I am praying, I can see deer through the windows on the east side of the church building. Seeing them makes my day.
Last Monday, something special happened. Three deer were on the west side of the church building. As I gently approached to watch them from the inside church windows, they did not see me and continued what appeared to be playful activity.
Then suddenly, each of the three deer approached the outside windows, one standing at each window, and they stood very still while simply looking in. When they left the window, I could see them leaping and dancing playfully, as if filled with sudden joy.
This reminded me of the passage in the Old Testament where David danced with all of his might before the Ark of the Covenant, as it was entering the City of David. This was a powerful moment in the Old Testament, highlighting joyful worship, humility, and God’s presence among His people. As I watched the deer, I thought that, somehow, they sensed God’s presence in the Church and reacted with unbridled joy after looking in the windows.
Maybe we should each show such joy recognizing God’s presence in our lives.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Knee High by the Fourth of July

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:40:00 GMT

Recognizing God

“Knee high by the Fourth of July” is an old American farming proverb that refers to the expected height of corn by July 4 ^th . Traditionally, it means if the corn is about knee-high by Independence Day, the crop is on track for a good harvest in the fall.
As I look out the back (south) windows at Holy Martyrs Church, the corn in the field is doing very well and has passed that knee-high goal for this time of the year.
I am amazed, though, how the growing corn looks so green, whereas the surrounding grass is turning lighter shades of brown, due to the summer heat (just like the grass by my home). Only the flowers and plants at home that are watered regularly are faring okay.
I wondered how the corn by the church could be doing so well with no watering or irrigation being done in the area. In God’s hands, all things are possible.
All of this reminds me about the troubles we see in the world today. What seemed like bright horizons and prosperous growth among and between peoples seems to have taken a downturn, due to global geopolitical issues.
Like the corn by Holy Martyrs though, I am still optimistic about the future. You see, I know that Jesus is present. I know that He is nourishing and helping us with the heavenly graces we receive in the Sacraments. Through that help, we will be okay, because in God’s hands everything is possible.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Revolving Door

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 20:13:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Sunday, I received an unexpected phone call from an old friend and work associate. I had not talked to this person in more than eight years. I was saddened to hear that he was recovering from a stroke, although he talked very coherently, without any slurring, and he demonstrated good memory.
It was a very nice conversation, as he shared what was happening with his medical challenges. Despite it being a bad stroke, he can now walk and move all limbs of his body well. The only physical shortcoming that remains is a loss of peripheral vision.
In sharing about his medical challenges and how therapy has remarkably helped bring him back to a high level of functioning, he did share a remaining challenge in using revolving doors to enter or exit a building. His timing is off, making use of such doors difficult.
His occupational therapist is working on this issue with him. The therapist believes, with further therapy, he will be able to master this skill again eventually. The therapist directs him to focus on the center of the door, and then to enter quickly after the last door segment passes.
This reminded me of how quickly the days and seasons of our lives pass. Like a revolving door, it seems June went by in a flash and now we are in July. Time passes so quickly. Before we know it, all our time will pass.
This reminds us that we need to focus on what centers us in life, our loving Jesus. When we do so, we can handle the revolving seasons and passing of time, knowing that our loving Lord is there to help us.
I never thought a door could teach me anything.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Heat Wave

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:50:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last weekend and early this week, Northwest Indiana suffered under the weight of an unforgiving heat wave. Temperatures were in the high 90s with the heat index topping 100.
Needless to say, the heat was oppressive, causing discomfort, fatigue and distress.
In today’s geo-political reality, we can also experience oppression, leading to a sense of being weighed down in body, mind or spirit. Hearing about or experiencing crime, seeing the continuing wars, witnessing the unjust treatment of the vulnerable and needy, seeing increased poverty, and learning of the abuse of human rights in so many parts of the world can be too much to comprehend.
With hot weather, we turn to the cooling effect of water, air conditioning, or the movement of air with fans to help soften the draining effects of heat.
In life, we turn to God. We find relief in prayer while surrendering the unknown to the guiding hands of our loving Lord.
No matter the cause of one’s oppression, natural or manmade, God is awaiting an invitation to help us. When we surrender that which is hard to bear, there is comfort realizing our battles are not ours alone. Jesus is present, and where He leads, we follow.
Like the gentle breeze that comforts one on a hot day, the Holy Spirt is also there helping us.
After we surrender that which oppresses us to God, we need to take a breath and find comfort in that beautiful Psalm, “Be still and know that I am God.” We will be helped. We can count on it. Thank you, dear God, for being with us.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Fishing Lure

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:57:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My family returned from Hayward Wisconsin last Saturday, after having spent a week fishing on a large body of water called Chippewa Flowage.
Back around the 1920’s, Wisconsin government officials placed a dam on a large river in the area, which caused the connection of numerous small lakes and streams. This created about 200 miles of shoreline within Chippewa (with each body of water connecting to others in an amazing manner.)
To catch fish, we were equipped with nightcrawler worms, fishing lures of all sizes, and leeches. We hoped to catch pan fish and, if lucky, maybe something much larger. The lake is known for many different kinds of fish: Bluegills, perch, crappie, bass, northern, walleye, and muskie. We caught dozens of bluegills and other small fish.
We practiced catch and release, as we did not want to end the life of anything we caught.
It was interesting to me that, of the nine people on the trip, only my daughter decided to fish with a very small fishing lure called a jig. This type of lure has a tiny hook.
Much to our delight, using this smallest of lures, our daughter caught a very large northern fish, probably approaching two feet in length. She was so excited, as were the rest of us.
This made me reflect on the fact that even the smallest of our gifts can bring large results in God’s hands. Whether it be a smile, a call to a friend, helping someone pick up something that was dropped, or similar gestures of caring, those on the receiving end can find their spirits lifted.
God does not expect us necessarily to do great things in life, but do the small things well, being His working hands in a world so in need of His love. May we act accordingly and brighten someone’s day.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

The Gift of Silence

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:08:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My wife and I have been married for 46 years. We know each other well.
We are at the stage of our lives where simply being with each other without conversation or tasks to be handled is a blessing. We enjoy this time together, with my wife in one chair, myself in another. We enjoy simply being present to each other, perhaps one of us reading a book, and the other surfing the internet. Once in a while, we will look up and smile at the other.
It is a blessing to have this relationship.
If such an experience can build further, deeper, love and appreciation for us as humans, the same can be true for our relationship with God.
Perhaps saying, “Lord, You know what I ask for in my prayers, and You know of my desire to grow closer to You. In the next few moments, let me just be with You, without anything to ask or say or reflect upon…I just want to simply be together.”
When we do this, we can imagine Jesus looking down and smiling at us, and we imagine smiling back at Him.
It is the best blessing to have this relationship.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Seeing the Invisible

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:49:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Some things can be invisible to us, unfortunately.
I live in Dyer, Indiana, about one block east of the Stateline.
As I travel daily to either Holy Martyrs Church or Our Lady of Consolation for Mass, I am amazed to find new discoveries when I look closely at the sides of the road.
I say things to myself like, “I never saw that house located between those two businesses before,” or, “I didn’t notice the beautiful landscaping this household or another planted this spring,” or, “When did that business open or close?”
We can all be so busy and buried in our thoughts at times that we fail to see that which is right in front of us. I guess we live in a world of sensory overload.
In the Divine Office Morning Prayers that priests and deacons and others pray each morning was an intercession that made me think about how we can overlook what is important in our lives: “Open our eyes today to recognize our brothers and sisters, and our hearts to love them.”
Dear God, help us to see the people that You place in front of us and to love and help those in need. Please help us to see You in disguise in all we meet. Amen.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Stats To Be Thankful For

Tue, 27 May 2025 22:37:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Monday, we celebrated Memorial Day. While being interviewed, Army veteran Ed Martinez was asked what Memorial Day meant to him, to which he replied, “What greater gift can one man or woman make to keep the United States free and to maintain our way of life than in sacrificing their life for us.”
We thank God for their love of country and are humbled and grateful for their service and that sacrifice.
We are so busy in our lives that, sometimes, we forget how lucky we are to live in the United States. We forget to thank God for this gift and the gift of those who gave everything to enable us to enjoy life in this country.
Recently, Sister Cheryl Dazy O.S.F. shared with me data that reminded me, once again, to thank God for where we live and the lives we enjoy. The data notes that there are 8.1 billion people in the world.
The author noted that it is hard to fathom that number of people, and to imagine what they have and do not have, so he extrapolated the information into various statistics, making his summary easier to comprehend. He notes:
11% of the world population live in Europe, 5% in North America, 9% in South America, 15% in Africa and 60% in Asia.
49% live in the countryside and 51% live in cities. 75% have cell phones, the remainder do not. 30% have internet access and 70% do not have the ability to go online.
7% have had the opportunity to attend college while 93% have not. 83% can read and 17% are illiterate. 26% live less than 14 years. 66% die between the ages of 15-64. 8% live over 65 years.
33% are Christian, 22% are Muslims, 14% are Hindus, 7% are Buddhists, 12% are other religions. 12% have no religious beliefs.
If a person owns their own home, eats full meals and drinks clean water, has a mobile phone and can surf the internet, and has the ability to go to college, that person is in a miniscule, privileged lot (less than 7% in this category in the world).
Please cherish the life that you have been given and thank God for where you live. Please be ever grateful for God’s graces in this regard, and the sacrifice of so many that has made this life possible.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Dust Storm

Tue, 20 May 2025 21:23:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Almost one week ago, many of us were amazed to experience a dust storm in the evening hours. The wind blew the arid soil from the Midwest into the air, resulting in an eerie brown color in the atmosphere, appearing like fog in the sky.
Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter. On earth, it generally consists of particles from various sources, such as soil lifted by the wind.
Dust storms arise when a strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. These storms can reduce visibility, disrupt transportation, and pose a health risk.
How analogous this can be to our spiritual lives! When counter-cultural beliefs surface (especially those in conflict with our Catholic beliefs) and seem to gather support and momentum as they blow across the thought process on many people, things can become confusing and blurred. We ask ourselves: “Is this right or wrong? Who is giving us the truth? Who is not? What is one to believe?”
We need to protect our spiritual health today from such “blowing winds” by turning to the guidance of our Catholic Church. These Teachings have been given to us by Jesus and through the work of the Holy Spirit.
We can secure our positions in turbulent times by what we have been taught in this regard, always remembering that, when we do so, we are grounded in and protected by our loving Lord.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Chocolate Cake

Wed, 14 May 2025 17:09:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My wife and I enjoy chocolate cake, especially with chocolate icing.
Recently, we purchased chocolate brownies with chocolate icing from Jewel. They were moist and the icing was delicious.
As I was trying to find a suitable gift for my wife for Mother’s Day, I came up with what turned out to be a crazy idea. I googled “The Best Chocolate Cake in the United States” and was referred to a bakery in Florida that the movie stars brag about. In a moment of insanity, I ordered a cake as her Mother’s Day gift, which came packaged and frozen. It was definitely crazy, as the cost of packaging and shipping via UPS ended up being almost as much as the cake itself.
When we tried the cake on Mother’s Day, it was so rich that we did not really enjoy it. In fact, we each said that we actually prefer the brownies from Jewel.
As I thought about it, I did see a spiritual message in this though.
Sometimes, we can be tempted to say that we plan to have special time with our loving Lord on vacation, or on a retreat, or watching a spiritual movie, or reading a spiritual book. While this can happen, but we are waiting for that opportunity, we may miss the special moments God gives us in day-to-day life. He is always present and waiting to spend time with us.
Let’s enjoy the little blessings in life that God gives us each day.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Clouds

Wed, 07 May 2025 17:49:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Saturday, I was flying home from a meeting out west. I sat by the window seat and looked out on a blanket of clouds underneath the plane that stretched without interruption in every direction. It was beautiful. It was God inspiring, leaving me with a desire to praise God for His beauty seen in nature. It reminded me that I am very small and insignificant in relationship to the world and God’s creation.
But, then I was reminded of the lyrics of a Christian song by Laruen Daigle, “You say”. If you have never listened to it, you may want to do so. The lyrics point out that in God’s eyes we are so much more than what we see:
I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I am not enough, Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up. Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low, Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know. You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing, You say I am strong when I think am weak. And You say I am held when I am falling short, And when I don’t belong, oh You say I am Yours. And I believe, oh, I believe. What You say of me I believe. The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me. In You I find my worth in You, I find my identity.
May we all come to know how much we are loved by God. We are not insignificant. We are each cherished more than we can ever imagine.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Birdbrain

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:31:00 GMT

Recognizing God

The definition of the term “bird brain” means a foolish or scatterbrained person. I assume this slang term originated when someone thought a bird had a small brain and had an inferior level of intelligence in comparison to other animals. Humans use this term inappropriately to degrade the intelligence of other people.
Last Monday, when I was saying my morning prayers at Holy Martyrs Church sometime around 6:30am, a red robin kept trying to get into the Church through a window on the east side of the building. The bird was literally flying into the window multiple times, then stopping, pecking at the window glass, and then repeating the process time after time. This activity continued for at least ten minutes. I felt sorry for the robin, so I eventually went over to the inside of the window, tapped on the glass and scared it away. A few minutes later in returned and, once again, continued running into the window and tapping on the glass with its beak for another five minutes or so before finally flying away.
I thought this type of behavior was probably what caused someone to develop the slang term “birdbrain”. I would have thought the bird would learn more quickly that there was no way to get into the Church and then stop flying into the window, realizing it was only hurting itself.
As I thought about it, though, I admired the bird. It was trying to get into the church and nothing was going to stop it. Its passion and unwavering desire left me with a sense of awe at its determination. I thought maybe it realized that Jesus was present within the tabernacle in the church and was drawn to be closer to God in that opportunity.
I realized that we all need to be more like that bird, as we are drawn to be with our loving Lord. Let’s be with Him as often as we can.
In the book, In Sinu Jesu, a Benedictine Monk documents his encounters with Jesus as He speaks to him in the silence of his heart. On page 54 of this book, Jesus speaks to the monk in his meditation saying, “…it grieves Me that …I am left alone for days on end in the tabernacle. I would draw souls to My open Heart (if they visited). I would have them experience what it is to abide in the radiance of My Eucharistic Face. I would give Myself in intimacy to souls drawn to me”.
Maybe birds are much smarter than we ever thought.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Learning to Ride a Bike

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 16:45:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week, my son sent me a video of his seven-year-old daughter learning how and then succeeding in riding her two-wheeled bike for the first time.
As he recorded the video, my daughter-in-law was running very close next to my granddaughter, gently giving her encouraging words and then proudly complimenting her on her success. I could see her loving support as I watched the video.
As this protective mom ran next to her daughter, she made sure she kept her safety helmet on, and despite the increased speed my granddaughter began to take as she built her confidence in her newly-learned skill, her mom did not let her move out of her reach, running almost in a full sprint to keep her safe.
Isn’t that what Jesus does for us in trying to keep us safe in life? He is present beside us on this journey, keeping us close, helping and encouraging us on the way. How blessed we are to be so loved.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

What More Can Be Said?

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 21:21:00 GMT

Recognizing God

As I am preparing this reflection, it is Palm Sunday. Like last year, I find myself wanting to write an article about something so very deep and profound; a topic with such a powerful meaning…this is the topic of Jesus’ immense love for us. So, for the first time in the last five years since I started writing these weekly blogs, I am reposting the one I wrote in 2024:
Jesus, our loving Lord, faced unbelievable rejection and disrespect in His life, despite only loving, helping and serving others. He suffered the cruelest and most horrific of deaths to save us from our sins, all out of that love for us. He taught us how to live so we can be with God for all eternity.
What more could He have done?
I am left with a deep sense of wonder and awe that we each are loved so much.
Thank you, dear Jesus, for that love. May we show our gratitude by loving You (along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit) with our whole heart, mind and soul, and may we love our neighbors as ourselves. May God gives us this grace.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Sputtering Engine

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 20:00:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Monday through Wednesday, I attended the annual mandatory continuing education training for volunteer Chaplains who minister at Westville State Prison.
I was accompanied by one of my fellow Deacons, who volunteered to drive us to and from the prison for the Monday and Tuesday sessions.
As we were driving home on Tuesday afternoon, the truck we were in began to develop a sputtering and shaking motion, which prevented the car from exceeding 40-45 mph.
We were both tired from the training and worried while wondering if we would make without having the vehicle breakdown. My friend thought that the engine issue might get resolved by topping his gas tank with high-octane fuel. Thankfully, this did the trick. We both thought that there might have been some moisture in the gas line.
This experience reminded me that, when we face unexpected “sputters and stalls” in life, we should fuel ourselves up with special graces received in the Sacraments to help get past whatever may be slowing us down.
We are so fortunate to have this special help available in the form of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus’ loving gift to each of us. Nothing can help us more.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Frankie Valli Concert

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My daughter purchased tickets for a Frankie Valli concert on 3/28/25 as a birthday gift to my wife and I. If you like music from the 60s, you would have loved the concert.
Frankie entertained everyone for about 90 minutes straight. Both my wife and I were struck by how strong his voice was, especially for being 90 years old. It was astounding to witness his performance as he had the energy to sing without stopping for 90 minutes.
I kept thinking about how this senior entertainer did not need to put on a concert in his old age. He could have simply said he was too old to do so. Surely, I realize that he was not doing it for the money. He was doing it simply to bring joy to the 2200 who attended the concert.
This reminded me of Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. We are asked by God to use His gifts to us (with whatever skillset we have received) to help each other out of love of God.
In reflecting on this passage, I feel that I should never say I am getting too old to help others. I should simply try my best with what energy I may have and leave the rest to God.
This is a good lesson to keep in mind.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Spiritual Alarm Clocks

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 18:08:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My wife and I are blessed to have two Collies as pets. The dogs are very loving, and they bring us much happiness.
Except…
The dogs have an internal alarm clock that goes off between 4:30am and 5:30 am. They begin to whine to let us know it is time for them to get up and do what dogs do when they go outside. If we do not pay attention to them, we know that there will be surprises on our floor that we will need to take care of when we wake up later.
Many of us have internal alarm clocks. We become used to waking up at a certain time for work (whether at home or outside of the home,) or to get children up and ready for school, or to do whatever is needed on any day.
As I woke up one Saturday to let the dogs out, I reflected on the fact that it is wise to also think about and pay attention to one’s spiritual alarm clock.
We can do this by waking up and immediately thanking God for the upcoming day. We can do this by seeking God’s help with what needs to be done, and by always remembering that, if we are inattentive to that internal clock, we may face messes in our lives that will need to be cleaned up later in the confessional.
Setting our spiritual time clock should be as routine as letting a dog out first thing each morning. We should be thanking God for His gifts, asking His forgiveness for our sins, and seeking His help. This is the best way to start each day.
May God gives us the grace to understand this reality and act accordingly.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Holy Hour at the Cathedral

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 17:28:00 GMT

Recognizing God

On the first Friday of each month in 2025, Holy Angels Cathedral in Gary hosts a day-long Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 7:00am to 7:00pm. All are invited to attend. There is also an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation throughout the day during these events.
Many who attend usually spend an hour or so praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It is a wonderful opportunity to spend time in prayer.
Throughout the time of the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the priests have incense flowing near the Monstrance that contains the Blessed Sacrament.
On March 7th, as Father Michael Surufka O.F.M. (Pastor of the Cathedral of Holy Angels) was placing fresh incense in censer (which is the vessel made for burning incense,) I witnessed something very special. It appeared that the incense was all flowing directly toward the Blessed Sacrament and nowhere else. I was captivated by that sight.
It is interesting to me that the placement of the new incense occurred immediately after I had just completed my Confession, right after I told Jesus that I was sorry for my sins.
As I prayed and observed this marvelous sight, the practical part of me decided that the incense must only be moving in that direction due to the way air was flowing in the Cathedral at that moment. But then the spiritual part of me said to myself, “No, silly, what you are seeing is so much more.” I was being reminded by our loving Lord in a very special way that He is present in front of me in the Holy Eucharist. I told myself that I must never forget that fact.
After all, Jesus never forgets any of us.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Ash Wednesday

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 16:57:00 GMT

Recognizing God

On Ash Wednesday last week, I had the privilege of assisting at the Aquinas School Mass at 11:00am.
It was a beautiful Liturgy. It found it to be moving, and Father Ted’s homily was very well done (as usual.)
When I was distributing the ashes to the students, one little girl (I assume she was kindergarten-age, as she looked very young and was very short) came up for ashes. However, she was so small in height that I had to kneel down to give her the ashes. I thought that this would also keep her comfortable in her reception of the ashes.
She seemed a bit apprehensive, and her eyes were as big as saucers as I placed the ashes on her forehead. After receiving the ashes, she smiled. It was a smile that warmed my heart and made my day.
It reminded me of the hymn called Hosea, which we sang at many Masses on Ash Wednesday. In that hymn are the words, “Come back to me with all your heart, don’t let fear keep us apart…long have I waited for your coming home to me living deeply our new life.” Without realizing it, I believe the girl’s smile reflected her unconscious thought that something special had just happened.
Those of us who are older can learn from this little girl.
In Lent, let’s remember that God is “calling us home to live deeply our new life with Him.” Then, let us smile knowing how much we are loved.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Stuck Behind a Slow Driver

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 15:45:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Monday morning, I was traveling east on US-30 from Dyer to Merrillville.
I became frustrated while driving my car in the left travel lane as the car in front of me was barely going the speed limit, maybe even a little under the speed limit. Usually, such cars stay in the slower right lane.
I typically travel 5-10mph over the speed limit (although I know that I shouldn’t,) and I was biting my tongue, wishing the slower drivers would stay in that right lane. As too often is the case in my life, I was hurrying to get somewhere and the time of my planned arrival really wouldn’t be hurt if I reached that destination 5 or 10 minutes later than I had wanted to.
I told myself that I was being silly in becoming frustrated. I wondered if the driver might with dealing with something that was bothering them, or maybe they were just lost in thought. Maybe the driver was looking for a destination to the left of the road and had to travel slower to find it. Maybe the driver was just doing what was supposed to be done in keeping within the speed limit. I then asked myself what I should learn from my impatient behavior.
I think that, when we follow God’s Commandments, others may be impatient with us. They might suggest such things as “you are too Catholic” or “God will not mind if you do something that you know you shouldn’t if it is just one time.” We should follow the Commandments and not give into peer pressure or the temptation to “fudge a bit” on what they require of ourselves.
I think that God may also be asking us to slow down in our busy lives and “take time to smell the roses” and remember that He is always present and wants us to see that presence in each other and in our lives.
Maybe God is answering our prayers for our safety and He is protecting us from ourselves. Maybe God is simply loving us so much that He wants to keep us safe.
There is a lot to think about while following a slow driver. By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Death and Paying Taxes

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 23:10:00 GMT

Recognizing God

After the Constitution of the United States was established and had the appearance of permanency, Benjamin Franklin once famously said that nothing can be certain in life except paying taxes and death.
My wife does an excellent job at managing our family finances. She takes care of balancing the checkbook, paying bills, preparing everything for the filing of our annual tax return, and keeping me informed about where everything stands. I am blessed by her work in this regard.
Before we were married, I had that task to do for myself. I never balanced the checkbook, and I would always just round up what I paid in bills, feeling comfortable that I would never bounce a check and knowing that I had a hidden treasure for use on a rainy day.
Such sloppy attention to detail did cause issues when trying to tie everything together at tax filing time. This method of bookkeeping also provided no way of making sure the bank did not make any mistakes on their end.
I mention this as we are preparing to do our taxes this week. I am grateful to know that everything is in order for that filing.
All of this made me reflect on the effort that is put into such preparation, and having the peace of mind in knowing everything is correct and in order.
I found myself thinking that, if we each do such preparation work annually for taxes, then we should do the same thing for our final accounting with our loving Lord that will occur at the end of our lives. Do we take account of our shortcomings and say a daily Act of Contrition, or do we say we will just do that the next time we go to the confessional? Do we take advantage of the special graces and forgiveness we obtain in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
As Benjamin Franklin said so eloquently, death is certain in life. Are we prepared? Failing to prepare, like failing to pay taxes, has consequences that we should avoid at all costs.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Herd of Deer

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Tuesday evening, I left Holy Martyrs Church around 6:00pm. It was frigid outside, and I had parked adjacent to the front doors, since I was only at the Church a short time, quickly running in and out to pick up some prayer aides.
As I exited the Church, there standing at the northeast corner of the building was a small herd of five deer. The deer stood motionless, probably hoping that I did not see them some 20 feet away.
Ever so slowly, I walked to my car and then equally slowly drove away.
Four of the five deer did not move an inch. The fifth one quickly ran off as my car drove away. I admired the fact the four stayed as if they were guarding the church.
Amidst the cold uncertainty in politics and relationships that seem to confront the Church and the world today, we need to be like the four deer that stayed in place. We need to be steadfast in supporting Jesus’ teachings while showing compassion to each other and not flinching, thereby making the world a kinder place at this time when it is so desperately needed.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

It Is the Relationships That Matter

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:46:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week, my wife and I took a trip down the west coast of Florida from, Tampa to Key West and back. We were on a small cruise ship that housed about 100 passengers.
My wife and I are in our early 70’s. The average age of the passengers on the ship was probably somewhere in the 80’s. We felt young in the company of so many good people.
The food on board was delicious, and the views from the ship were beautiful. We saw dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and manta rays.
If you were to ask me what I treasured most in this time away, I would say that it was having this special time with my wife.
I would also add that I treasured being with so many kind seniors. Among the passengers were those with significant mobilization issues, and one woman who suffered from what appeared to be a Tourette’s syndrome (often making uncontrolled vocalizations even though very capable of speaking well and holding interesting conversations).
Everyone on the ship embraced those with medical challenges and were so very kind to each other. I found myself thinking that is what God calls us to do… to love our neighbors as ourselves. May we each be like those wonderful people.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Recharge One's Batteries

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 22:12:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Father Gerry Schweitzer gave a talk on prayer to a number of the Gary Diocese Deacons on January 25 ^th of this year.
He talked about prayer, and reading Scriptures prayerfully, and the absolute need for each of us to take time each day in silence (even if only for a few minutes) simply to be with God, inviting Him into our lives and seeking His holy wisdom in how to live, especially with the decisions we make. Doing so, we can recharge that which may have been depleted within ourselves.
Father Gerry reminded those present that Jesus would go by Himself to pray to His Heavenly Father often, gaining strength and comfort from those times in prayer.
If Jesus did this and He is our best role model, shouldn’t we do the same?

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

We May Never Know the Day...

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 18:52:00 GMT

Recognizing God

The wife of one of our Gary Diocese Deacons passed away suddenly and unexpectedly this past Saturday morning. The woman had a very deep spirituality, and her sudden passing was a shock to those of us who knew her.
Many of us will not know the day that we will be called to meet our loving Lord in heaven.
The question that came to my mind after hearing and thinking about death is this: “How prepared am I?” Perhaps each of us should ask ourselves the same question… “How prepared are we?”
May God give each of us the grace to always be ready and, with the time we have, let us do our best to follow Jesus’ teachings, to love God, and to love each other.
May God grant the dear woman who died eternal rest. She will be missed.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

What a Week!

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 17:32:00 GMT

Recognizing God

So many things happened this week. During this week, we recall the passing of the original Supreme Court ruling that first legalized abortion in all 50 of the United States, with Catholics once again focusing in a special way on the sanctity of life, from moment of conception to moment of natural death. Just last year, 625,978 abortions were performed, which computes to 1,715 a day; more than 100 each and every hour. What a horrific tragedy!
During this the week, we honor the life Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He helped our nation address and change many racially discriminatory practices that affected people of color. He taught us that we are all equal and that we were created in the image and likeness of God. He demanded that everyone be treated equally, and with dignity and respect. The focus of this mission continues to demand further work, even today.
This is the week of the inauguration of a new President, causing different parties to fail often in finding common ground in their conflicting views, and failing to discuss national issues in an honorable and respectful way. We must remember our responsibility to look out for the common good of everyone in our nation.
This is a week where we experienced frigid, life-threatening temperatures, reminding us to pray for the homeless and those who are suffering from little heat or lack of food, and to help where we can.
This is a week where the fires in California continue to haunt those directly affected, as well as to move the conscience of all United States citizens to help and pray for their recovery.
There are so many polarizing issues we face this week.
This past Monday evening, the NCAA crowned a new national football champion, with many turning to such entertainment as a welcome respite amidst so many things that tend to cause discouragement. Depending on what team that you were rooting for, it was either an exciting victory or a disappointing loss.
The only true and lasting respite in life is Jesus. Life's issues remind us of the absolute need to invite God in to help and guide our actions, and to love as Jesus loves, helping each other wherever we can. May we each embrace this understanding that God gives us.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Jesus Is Always Present

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 17:05:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Many of the Gary Diocese Deacons visit the inmates at a number of the prisons located within the Diocese.
One of the obvious realities of prison life is that you have little control of anything that occurs. You are told when to eat, when to sleep, when to exercise, when to shower, whether you can go to a religious service, whether you can qualify for a wide range of education opportunities to help you once you are released from the prison and hope to start a new lease on life.
The loss of the freedom to make decisions is a grind on the inmates. I often tell them that the one thing that the prison administration cannot take away from them is their relationship with Jesus and the understanding that He is always present, awaiting an invitation to enter into their struggle.
I thought about all of this in context of the horrific fires occurring in California. So many people are sitting, completely helpless, and wondering what will happen next, or how to recover from the situation. This can feel like an imprisonment in fear, pain, feeling lost, and isolated.
Notwithstanding these legitimate emotions, the one thing a disaster can never do is eliminate the love that Jesus has for each of them and the desire to be brought into their suffering and to help with their healing.
I also thought about how similar such emotions can be for those facing illnesses that linger or have questionable outcomes. There is definitely a loss of control in not knowing where the illness or injury may lead.
May God give us the grace to always turn to Him in whatever downside we are challenged with in life. May we always ask for His help, strength and ability to move when such movement in itself can seem beyond one’s capability. As said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Labels

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 20:18:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week, when I was presiding at a prayer service at Westville State Prison, we were discussing how unfair it is that different groups of people are labeled (put down) because of issues that they have faced or struggled with in life.
Prisoners are looked down upon for the mistakes they made, and many of them have a hard time finding employment upon release from prison. They are sometimes considered as “lepers” who cannot be trusted. Many people who meet them assume they are one step away from returning to jail for another crime.
Alcoholics and those with chemical dependency issues are branded for their “disease” and viewed as being one step away from a relapse.
Even people with other medical diseases are sometimes judged for not taking better care of themselves.
As we begin the 2025 New Year, let’s remember that we are all God’s beloved children, even despite our shortcomings. Let us look for Jesus in disguise in the face of everyone we meet, and then let us treat them with the love and compassion that Jesus does.
We are all broken in one way or another, and we are all in need of healing. May God open our eyes to those in need without judgement. May God give each of us this grace.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Resolutions

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 21:43:00 GMT

Recognizing God: Resolutions

About this time every year, many of us think about making New Year’s resolutions. As I was thinking about what to share, I was drawn, once again, to what Pope Francis suggested would be good New Year’s resolutions in a reflection that he wrote in 2021. The words shared by the Pope still are very meaningful today, so elegant and profound in their simplicity that they could be used every year.
The last one is one that I added.
• Finish your meals. • Don't gossip • Make time for others. • Choose the more humble purchase. • Meet the poor “in the flesh”. • Stop judging others. • Befriend those who disagree. • Make commitments, such as marriage. • Make it a habit “to ask the Lord”. • Be happy. • Be grateful knowing that you are a beloved child of God.

Wishing you God’s peace and happiness in 2025. My best wishes for a Blessed New Year.
Deacon Tom

The Birth of Jesus

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:35:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Driving Through the Fog

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 22:46:00 GMT

Recognizing God

It was very foggy in Northwest Indiana last Sunday morning. The fog was so dense in places that one could only see a few hundred feet ahead while driving.
I was glad the roadway had markings to show the lanes; otherwise, it would have been easy to cross into approaching traffic by accident.
This experience reminded me of the road we are all traveling to meet Jesus, face to face, at the end of our lives.
How fortunate we are to have guideposts on this journey, keeping us from crossing into danger. We have Jesus’ teachings, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, excellent priests and bishops, and Church teachings to help prevent us from running into trouble.
The way ahead can be uncertain at times. Let’s pay attention to the resources God has given us, so we can travel safely to our final reward.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Leaping Fawns

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 17:21:00 GMT

Recognizing God

I was struck by the words in the First Reading last Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent, wherein it is stated, “...for God is leading in joy...” (Baruch 5: 1-9). Even more uplifting are the words in the First Reading this coming Sunday, which will be the Third Sunday of Advent, wherein it is stated, “Shout for joy...be glad and exult with all your heart...the Lord your God is in your midst” (Zephaniah 3:14-18a).
I do not believe we show unbridled joy very often. I believe that the fears and the anxieties of the world tend to make us overly cautious, forgetting the fact that God is still in our midst, despite what is going on in the world.
Last Friday, as I was saying my morning prayers at Holy Martyrs Church, I saw seven deer through the west windows, and they were eating in the field just south of the Church.
Two baby fawns were playing while others were feeding on the remnants of the harvest taken from the field.
The fawns were leaping in joy and kicking out their legs, running in circles. I imagine they were so happy to appreciate the good weather, the food at their disposal, and the lives that they are living. We need to be more like those fawns, leaping for joy that God so loves us that He sent His only begotten Son to be born in Bethlehem to save us.
What joy we should have in knowing how wonderfully we are loved.
Reflecting on this reality should move one to leap for joy!
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Frost

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 21:26:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Monday, I was driving to Holy Martyrs Church early in the morning to say my morning prayers.
It was still dark outside, and frost could easily be seen on the roads, streetlights, sidewalks and lawns.
I was reminded that, despite it being the holy season leading to Christmas Day, many people might be suffering from loneliness and sadness at this time of the year, due to the death of a loved one or illnesses that others may be facing. For those suffering, their feeling frozen in time due to that suffering might make the holidays hard to face.
Let us help those who are so affected. Let us say a prayer each day for the lonely, for those in pain, and for those who have lost a loved one (especially if this is the first Christmas without that person.)
Let us pray that God’s healing touch, which is beyond comprehension, may bring peace to anyone who is suffering, and then let us reach out to that person to help bridge this sad time in any way that might be helpful. May God give each of us the grace to do this.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Meteorologists

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 19:05:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Thursday, I was driving home from a morning prayer service at Westville State Prison.
The night beforehand, we had been warned about a snowstorm that would be approaching Northwest Indiana. I was concerned about how that weather forecast would affect my travels to and from the prison. I take backroads to the prison on Route 2 to bypass the heavy expressway traffic and to enjoy the natural scenery.
Much to my delight, I did not experience any adverse weather conditions while driving out to Westville around 6:20am. I began to think about how hard it must be for the meteorologists to predict the timing of suspected bad weather, or for that matter, predict whether storms would even occur.
Upon leaving Westville around 9:20am, the weather turned bad quickly, first rain, then wind, then heavy snow. Notwithstanding my earlier thought about forecasting weather, I then found myself thinking about how blessed we are to have such learned meteorologists who are capable of helping us prepare for that which may happen.
In these weeks before Christmas, the Scripture readings touch on the end of time and the signs that warn us to be prepared, whether it be the end of our lifetime or the end of the world.
We are blessed to have very good priests like Father Ted and Father Steven helping us prepare for the moment we will meet God face to face. They are a blessing to us, and for that, we should all be most grateful. During this Thanksgiving weekend, let us thank God for their gift to us.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Fighter Jets Flying Overhead

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 16:49:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Sunday, around 11:30am, a series of fighter jets flew over Northwest Indiana in synchronized groupings.
It was a bit unsettling to watch, as they were flying relatively low in the sky. Both my wife and I wondered if something was happening somewhere. We looked on the internet and found no answers.
It was strange, to say the least.
At times of uncertainty in life, it is comforting to turn to God and ask for His protection for both the things we know about, as well as the many things we do not.
Having Our Loving Lord always a prayer away is a blessing.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Becoming More Energy Efficient

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:04:00 GMT

Green Junction

God made mankind stewards of the earth, and so it is our responsibility to ensure that its resources are preserved, and protected, and that every part of it is kept clean and free from pollution and waste.
Energy efficiency is an important part of reducing carbon emissions and slowing climate change. The International Energy Agency (IEA) created a report in 2023 on energy efficiency “in recognition of its important role in enhancing energy security and affordability, and in accelerating clean energy transitions.” According to the report, shifts toward cleaner and more efficient sources of energy are complex and mostly moving in the right direction, even in the midst of growing electricity demands. Here are some points from the IEA’s 2023 report. 1) Policies for energy efficiency continue to grow, and the US and European Union have made “exceptional gains.” 2) Since 2020, there have been tremendous increases in electric vehicles and heat pumps around the globe. 3) The world is expected to be near the peak of fossil fuels use. 4) Hotter and colder temperatures, consequences of climate change, are creating a higher demand for energy. Other recent reports similarly highlight the rising demand for electricity and the concern that this may slow reductions in fossil fuel. More electricity is required for electric vehicles (half of all new cars sold in China are electric), air conditioners (the number of air conditioners sold in India doubled in the past year), industry transitions to renewable fuels and data centers, which use huge amounts of electricity. Areas around the country are confronted with unprecedented demands for electricity by data companies that are, in many cases, stalling the closing of polluting, coal-fired power plants. Analysts warn that the rapid rise in data centers will undermine the transition to clean energies. The consulting firm and technology service provider, ICF, projects a 9% rise in electricity consumption in the US between now and 2028, mostly attributed to energy requirements of data centers. One consequence will be higher utility bills, estimated to increase by 20%. From Pope Francis: “At this time in history, which risks becoming rich in technology and poor in humanity, our reflections must begin with the human heart.”
By Dr. Julie Peller

Blowing Leaves

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:14:00 GMT

Recognizing God

It seems just like yesterday the leaves on the trees were green. Then, they started to change colors. Now they are falling down, and the trees are going bare.
This is the annual circle of life, so to speak, in nature.
I am fascinated by the efforts of everyone who spends hours raking, blowing, and removing the leaves to keep their lawns looking green and “leaf free”. We all do this as an annual chore, despite the fact that horticulturists advise us to let the leaves remain on the ground, as they are apparently good fertilizer for one’s lawn.
As we are approaching the season of Advent, we should prepare for going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas, removing the sin that darkens our souls. Unlike the leaves, sin does not fertilize anything. It only leads to decay.
Let us make a plan to visit the confessional before Christmas Day, as part of our Advent preparation.
I would imagine that, if we knew this would be our last Christmas before being called home to meet Jesus, we would do this. For some of us, it may be just that.
This is food for thought.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Asthma Inhaler

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 19:15:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Ever since I was in grade school, I have battled with allergies, particularly to dust, mold, and weeds.
In my forties, those allergies evolved into minor asthma issues. Luckily, I have had only one small asthma attack, during which it became difficult to breathe. Usually, I only develop slight wheezing, which simply requires two puffs from my Albuterol inhaler to remedy. I do take a couple of medicines that keep everything in check, and am able to do normal activities, including jogging, working in the yard, and swimming without experiencing issues.
Notwithstanding that reasonably good bill of health, my physician has suggested that I always keep my inhaler with me, just in case some irritant in the air causes an issue. I always keep that inhaler in my front pocket.
I also keep my rosary in a leather rosary pouch in a different front pocket. When I bring the Holy Eucharist to the sick or homebound, I place that pyx containing the Holy Eucharist in my rosary pouch as well.
Last week, I accidentally placed my inhaler in the same pocket that had the rosary pouch in it. I was surprised to find the inhaler had moved its way into the rosary pouch before I removed it.
I thought to myself that the inhaler gives me a breath of fresh air when needed, and the rosary gives me fresh strength through prayer, a renewed ability to better handle life's challenges, its ups and downs.
What is good for the soul is also good for the body. I am grateful for the many gifts that God gives us to stay well in body and soul.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Removing the Overgrowth

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 21:56:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Each year, my wife and I plant a vegetable garden in our backyard. It is about 8 feet by 16 feet in size. We religiously weed, water, and fertilize it through summer, and then, starting around September, we let it continue on its own, without giving it much attention. At some point each October, we then remove the remaining vegetation and weeds, and we leave the soil barren until the next planting, which usually gets scheduled to be completed in May of the following year. This last Saturday, I was removing that overgrowth. Much to my pleasant surprise, I found a handful of small pumpkins, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes still growing beneath what appeared to be an island of weeds. This made me think about our spiritual lives. We give special attention to our spiritual wellbeing at certain times of the year, and then we may be tempted to coast while waiting for the next special Church Season, like Christmas or Lent, at which time we plan to start purposely removing those things in our lives that can keep us from being closer to God. When we remove that overgrowth, we find priceless treasure. We discover an even closer relationship with our loving Lord. May we all focus on this important part of our faith journey.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

But for the Grace of God

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 19:02:00 GMT

Recognizing God

I try to stop by Holy Martyrs Church each weekday to say my morning prayers, whenever possible, first thing in the morning. I do this before I head to Our Lady of Consolation Church for the 8:00am Mass.
It is usually dark outside when I arrive, and as the sun begins to rise, I leave. Oftentimes, just before I am about to leave, I can see deer in the field to the south of the Church, presumably arriving from the forest to eat whatever they can find in the field.
I always enjoy watching the deer as I am finishing my prayers.
Today, I thought how hard it must be for the deer lately, considering the growing subdivisions surrounding them and with the noise and traffic in the area. I thought about the fact that it is by the grace of God they have found a way to adapt and survive in such a busy area, year after year.
Sometimes, I wonder how we survive with all the challenges found in daily life, especially the random violence. I am absolutely convinced that it is by the grace of our loving God watching over us and helping us as we ask in our prayers.
In my Diaconate training, I learned about a teaching from a German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He taught that the world is imbued in God’s grace. It is everywhere. We need to recognize that grace and embrace in all of God’s creation.
I see that grace in the ability the deer possess to survive in unusual environments.
May we all recognize that grace in our lives.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Do Better Than Me

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 20:35:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week, I went to a drive-up window of one of the large, national drug store chains. I have asthma, and I needed to get the prescription for my inhaler renewed.
As I was waiting for my turn in the drive-up lane, I was in a very good mood. It was sunny outside. I had finished my homily for Sunday, and things were going well overall.
When it was my turn to pull up to the pickup window, I gave my name and birthdate, and I informed the pharmacy technician that I was there to pick up a prescription.
A very nice gentleman behind the window found the prescription and took my money, and then it seemed I was forgotten, as no one returned to the window for about 10 minutes. Suffering from the sin of impatience, I simply drove away.
I returned several days later, and when I asked for the inhaler, I was told that there was no physician order in their system. I explained how I was sure that there was, in fact, a prescription for my inhaler in their system, and I also explained how I had paid for it already three days earlier and had not even received my change yet. I then voiced my frustration with the situation that had happened, and how my impatience caused me to drive away without my prescription or my change. The staff stated, “Sorry, but there is no record of any of that.” I then bit my tongue and simply walked away.
About an hour later, I received a call that they found the filled prescription, and they also had my change from what I paid several days earlier. Trying to keep my cool, I simply said that I was embarrassed when I stopped in the store earlier. It was embarrassing when the clerk said she had no filled order, nor any proof that I had paid for the order. I made sure that the person talking to me knew of the embarrassment I suffered as I was made to feel like I was trying to get a drug without payment or a prescription.
The clerk apologized for everything that had happened. I then said, in a calm tone, that I appreciated the follow-up call, and I added that l would never return to their store again. I told them to cancel my prescription, and I said that would get it filled elsewhere. I told them to take the money that I had given them and buy everyone lunch or a snack, and then remember to try not to embarrass other older men in any similar situations in the future.
When I calmed down later, I kept hearing a voice inside saying, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Please do better than me in situations such as these. I will try to do so next time. It is what God expects of each of us.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Human Vessels

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 17:27:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Saturday, my wife and I shared a nice dinner with two old friends.
As something that is not uncommon with people of our age, we began the evening together updating each other on who is suffering from what new illnesses: Removal of a cancer lesion, radiation treatments for a different cancer, stomach ailments, urology-type issues, and the normal aches and pains we all face.
As we are all getting older, whether you are in your 70’s like me or another age, we face ailments.
These human vessels we call our bodies have a life expectancy only known by God. Sooner or later, they will meet the end of their intended time.
As I thought about it though, the ailments, aches and pains can be gifts in a way. They remind us our time on earth is limited. We need to be good stewards of that time, loving God and each other.
We are each on a path to meet Jesus where eye has not seen, nor ear has heard, nor mind has imagined what God has in store for those who love Him.
What a blessing life is. Thank you, dear God, for loving us so much.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Protecting Our Groundwater Supply

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:00:00 GMT

Green Junction

Roughly half of people in the United States and worldwide depend on groundwater. Agriculture practices rely heavily on groundwater for watering crops and raising animals. Unlike surface water, it is difficult to determine when groundwater is overdrawn or polluted. As a result of increasing populations and limited water management, groundwater has been removed faster than it is replenished. This leads to water supply shortages. Major threats to the quality of groundwater include leaking septic tanks and fuel tanks, and chemicals from leaching landfills, pesticides and fertilizers.
The overdrawing of groundwater is a serious problem around the country and around the world. In the United States, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (a group of non-government experts who make recommendations) is working with communities on ways to protect groundwater. The council is currently recommending the following:
1. An inventory of groundwater sources (aquifers) in the country 2. An increase in the capacity to monitor groundwater levels and water quality 3. Greater emphasis on groundwater stewardship by federal agencies 4. Legislation to encourage communities to plan sustainable use of groundwater on a local level
Arizona is facing severe water shortages. Last year, the governor renounced the use of groundwater for future growth in the city of Phoenix, since the current level of groundwater withdrawal is not sustainable. An advisor for the governor admits that the state lacks basic information on groundwater supplies, due to the lack of monitoring and management. Currently, about 80% of the State of Arizona lacks groundwater regulations. As a result, certain agricultural operations have over-pumped groundwater that has drained neighboring community water wells.
It is more difficult to preserve a resource that is hidden below ground. Since the earth’s groundwater makes up 99% of its liquid fresh water, these resources need protection.
“We are thankful for the gift of living water. Let us be guided to use it wisely, learn from its humility, consume it sparingly, and protect its purity, so that, with St. Francis, we may truly enjoy water.” (by Cathal Duddy) By: Dr. Julie Peller

Too Much

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:57:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week, my wife and I traveled to the East Coast with several friends of ours. We set out to see the beautiful colors of the leaves as they changed for autumn. We also made plans to see sites we heard about but never visited, places like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Even though the leaves presented almost the same colors as those on our trees in the Midwest, with only minimal changes in color, seeing the landscapes and the coast along the Atlantic Ocean was breathtaking and wonderful.
When we visited Nantucket, we took a guided tour around the island. We were amazed at the size of the houses! There were so many mansions, and I thought about how fortunate it is that the owners are to see the ocean from their doorsteps.
Sometimes, we were startled to hear the guide report that this house or that house cost over $10,000,000. I guess it truly is all about location, location, location.
One particular house caused us all to shake our heads. It was the most expensive house on the island at a cost of $40 million. What really shocked us was to hear that it is only occupied two weeks each year, during the summer. Can you imagine having a house like that and it is just your summer home? It is too much for most of us to fathom.
We each noted that the value of this house and the minimal way it was enjoyed seemed far too extreme. We all discussed how we felt that money could be used to help the poor. My wife then noted that maybe the owner also gives that much money to charity each year. I admired that thought and hoped it was true, but somehow didn’t think so. However, I wondered who am I to judge? We quickly came to the conclusion that we are blessed with our modest home in Dyer, and we would not want to live such a lifestyle anyway.
There is a great blessing in living in moderation. May God give each of us the ability to see that.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Warning Signs

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 20:25:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Earlier this month, I had the oil changed in my car. I had driven about 6,000 miles since the last oil change.
I also wanted the air pressure in my tires to be checked, as I had recently accidentally collided with a curb in a parking lot and was hoping the air pressure of the tire involved was not negatively affected. It turned out that the tire that hit the curb was impacted, in fact. It was measured to be sitting about 10 psi lower than the other tires. I was grateful to have air added and thus all the tires equalized with the same amount of air.
About a week later, I rechecked the air pressure of the tire in question and was happy to learn that it was holding the pressure well, however, I became aware that a different tire had lost air and was terribly low in pressure. Coincidentally, as I was checking the pressure of all the tires, the panic light on my dashboard activated, indicating the different tire in question needed air. I drove back to the place that changed my oil to find that there was a nail in the tire that had just been measured with low pressure. I had that tire repaired, and everything seems to be going well since.
It is a gift to receive warning signs in life, be it cars or appliances or one’s health. We take those alerts seriously and do not take them lightly.
When it comes to our souls, do we receive warning signals? A nudge to go to Confession? An inkling to attend a Church program? An unsettledness gnawing at us to become more involved in some activity helping the Church or each other?
Let’s take these signals as gifts from God asking us to come closer to Him by saying “yes” to these quiet requests.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Watering Begonias

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:49:00 GMT

Recognizing God

The last few years, my wife and I planted Begonia flowers in our front yard alongside the sidewalk that extends from our driveway to the front entrance of our house.
If these plants are watered and fertilized at appropriate intervals, they grow into bushes some 3 feet high and 4 feet in width. We have been blessed with such growth this year, and we have enjoyed seeing God’s beauty through these plantings.
Usually, we water the flowers every few days throughout the summer season. Then, we back off on watering around early September, realizing the life cycle of the flowers will be coming to an end by mid-fall.
Last week, the weathermen on Channel 5 and Channel 7 both encouraged homeowners to water outside plants, due to the high temperatures and dry weather conditions we have been experiencing. So we have been doing that in hopes that the flowers will continue do well for a while.
This reminded me how this nourishing of flowers points to the same thing we need to do in our spiritual lives.
We know that we are basically good people, and we are blessed to encounter God in our lives. We may be doing okay or even very good on our faith journey, and so we may be tempted on occasion to ease up a bit in our prayer life or our actions in helping others.
Yet, as with flowers, if we do not continue to nourish our souls with the special graces received in the Sacraments, we may find ourselves struggling while weathering the storms in our lives. We are made stronger and we grow more beautifully in our relationship with Jesus through the graces received in the Holy Eucharist, as well as the graces received in the confessional. Let us never ease up on this special help given to us.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Time In Between

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 16:43:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Monday, after I had finished my morning prayers at Holy Martyrs Church, I was driving to Our Lady of Consolation for the 8:00am Mass. I had turned off the radio in my car, and I was thinking of God’s presence in our lives within the silence of that drive.
During that silence, I became distracted by the sound of the “road”, as my car drove over periodic breaks in the smooth asphalt.
I heard: “click, click”, then silence, “click, click”, then silence, and so on for a good portion of that drive.
As I thought about the sound, I was reminded, once again, that our time on earth is short. “Click - Click” and a month goes by, “click- click” and another year goes by, as we move towards our ultimate destination, meeting Jesus at the end of our life journey.
“Click-click”. At some point, the space between our birth and death will end, and no more “clicks” will be left.
Perhaps God is telling us in the noise from the road to use the time we have wisely, before in a simple “click - click” it is all gone.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Simple Elegance

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 17:03:00 GMT

Recognizing God

I was given the honor of presiding at a Funeral Service last week. It was a small gathering of an elderly woman’s close relatives. She had passed away in her nineties. I asked her family if they could tell me a little bit about their grandmother, and their response was simple, yet profound. I was told that she liked to pray, and walk, and read books. Her life was simple in its elegance, yet profound in how her faith seemed to touch her surviving relatives. I shared in response that their grandmother was an excellent teacher, pointing them to what is important in life. She taught them that the most important thing is one’s personal relationship with Jesus, and his or her ability to see God in their surroundings. This woman was able to see Him in her walks in nature, and she found Him in the stories that she read about life. When it comes down to it and we are on our deathbeds, hopefully, our lives will show others a simplicity that points to loving God and each other by the things that we have done. May God let each of us receive this grace.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Unless We Become Like Children

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 20:02:00 GMT

Recognizing God

The weekend before last, my wife and I were in Tampa, Florida. On Sunday, we attended Sacred Heart, which is a beautiful church in downtown Tampa.
After the priest’s homily and before the presentation of the gifts, a little two-year-old girl broke free from her mom and ran toward the altar, giggling all the way. Her mom caught her before she reached the altar steps and gently returned her to their pew.
Aside from smiling while seeing the excitement of the child and being delighted by her giggling (which made many smile,) I thought we could all learn something from her simple action.
We all should feel such happiness when we approach the altar to receive the Holy Eucharist. It is there that we find Jesus waiting to nourish and be with us in such a wonderful way.
Matthew's Scripture reading (MT 18: 3-4) quotes Jesus saying, “,...unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven..”.
May we all learn from the child at the church to be excited at Jesus’ presence, and to be happy to know how much we are loved by God.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Morning Sun

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:21:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Monday, I was driving to Church to say my morning prayers and then attend Mass. It was around 6:15am and the sun was just beginning to rise. There were so many different colors of blue in the sky that day and the sun’s golden rays of light shown though the clouds with amazing color and beauty. I thought to myself, how can someone look at that sky and not praise God for the gifts He gives us? So many people were rushing here and there in their cars, honking, scurrying to get somewhere quickly. I wondered how many of them would take the time to see God’s presence in the beautiful sky and His gift to us in the colors shown above. The sky reminded me of a hymn I recently came across, written by Kathleen Lundquists. It is entitled “Creator of the Skies Above” (you may want to google and listen to it). Several of its verses touch on my reflection today: “Creator of the skies above, The wisdom of Your plan decreed That Sun should give us light by day, And moon should rule the hours of night. The darkness is dispelled at last, The world’s great beauty is revealed; Our strength of soul is now renewed To spur us on to kindly deeds Returning day calls us to prayer And bids us sing Your praise anew...” Thank you, dear God, for Your blessings in nature and opening our eyes to see You in Your creation!
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Olympic Advertisement

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 19:08:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My wife and I have enjoyed watching the Olympic Games on TV over the last two weeks.
We also enjoyed the Dick’s Sporting Goods ads, which highlighted the small moments in a person’s life that can one day reap big rewards. These ads often showed children.
In one such commercial, a young girl (maybe 4 years old) was shown as smiling with tears in her eyes as she learned she had made a sports team. Her parents handed her a phone, and then a coach told her, “We want you on our team”. The little almost cried in disbelief and said, “You want me on your team? Mommy, I made the team!”
This was a tearjerker (at least for me).
It made me think that is how it is with Jesus and on our journey in faith. Jesus is always calling us to Himself and wanting us to join Him, not only in heaven, but also in our time on earth.
As Pope Francis mentioned to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on 4/21/24, “This is what the Lord wants to tell us with the image of the Good Shepherd: Not only that He is the Guide, the Head of the Flock, but, above all, that He thinks of each of us as the love of His life... For Christ I am important, irreplaceable, worth the infinite price of His life...”.
When you think about that, I bet it can bring a tear to your eye. It does that for me.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Learning from a Squirrel

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:35:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Late last week, I was mesmerized while watching a squirrel run from one tree to another.
The squirrel darted forward toward its desired location (another tree,) paused, stood up, changed course and ran into another direction, paused, scratched the ground, then repeated this chaotic behavior several more times, before turning back to its previous direction and eventually finding its way to the tree it originally wanted to reach and climb.
It seemed like so much energy was wasted. There were almost meaningless distractions delaying the final arrival to the intended destination.
I found myself thinking that this squirrel’s behavior is like many of us (including me) at times. We know that our final destination is heaven, but as we journey, we become distracted here and there by things that may not really be important. We can find ourselves at times moving closer in our relationship with God, but then stop as we get preoccupied with challenges or obstacles in life, seemingly wasting energy and losing our focus on what is important, loving God and each other.
Yet, there remains God, patiently and lovingly waiting for us, despite the chaotic steps we take in our journey towards Him.
May we each keep focused on where we are headed. Unlike a squirrel, may we not be distracted by life’s trappings on the way.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Kindness

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 17:11:00 GMT

Recognizing God

I have been saddened a lot lately by the way many treat others, and by the words and actions that are shown to others in expressing opinions or in reacting to another's opinion.
It seems that productive, wholesome discussion has been replaced by the expression, “You support my way or you can take to the highway.”
We see this in politics (no matter what party you may support,) in encounters on the roadway (with road rage,) and in no longer being able to disagree agreeably.
I am not saying we should give in to the temptation to go with the flow and support many of today’s cultural norms that conflict with Jesus’ teachings. We need to embrace Jesus’ teachings and the teachings of the Catholic Church. We are called to evangelize and to have our way of doing things reflect Gospel values always. He leads, and we follow.
What I am saying is we need to see Jesus in disguise in each person we meet.
We especially need to reject vitriolic words and action. Vitriolic means full of violent hate and anger. This needs to be replaced with compassion and love.
St. Peter teaches us: “All of you, be of one mind; sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil, insult for insult, but on the contrary, a blessing.” I Peter 3: 8-10.
We need to pray for the conversion of those who do not reflect Gospel values in what they say and do. We also need to show that “they will know that we are Christians by our love, by our love”.
May God gives each of us this grace.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Following A Slow Driver

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 21:26:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week, I found myself following a very slow car that was traveling in the left lane. I was on my way to make a Communion call and wanted to arrive at my destination at the expected time.
I kept thinking to myself, why is this person traveling 30mph in a 45mph zone? Why isn’t he moving over to the right lane where slower traffic usually travels?
I was frustrated, but then asked myself why I was getting so impatient. At most, my journey would probably only take 8-10 minutes longer at the slower pace.
I then asked myself if God was trying to teach me something in this experience.
I heard God whisper in my ear to remember to slow down in life, and take time to listen to the voice of God amidst the hustle and bustle of daily living. To take time to reflect on what is important in life. To take time to see God’s beauty in the world, versus only seeing the chaos. To take time to thank God for His gifts that so often go unrecognized. To take time to realize the time we have is precious and needs to be used wisely, knowing our life journey leads us to meeting Jesus at the end of our time. To take time to ask God what He may be asking of us and how we can be helpful to Him.
Take the time that is now available, but one day will be gone.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Abundance of Rain

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 19:42:00 GMT

Recognizing God

I am writing this reflection on Monday of last week.
You might recall that, last Saturday and Sunday, the Northwest Indiana Region received an abundance of much-needed rain, with additional storms being predicted for later that Monday. It is amazing how much the grass and plant life perked up after being nourished by the rain that was so sorely needed.
Even the above-ground swimming pool in my back yard was overflowing with water and needed to be drained a couple of inches.
All of this reminded of Psalm 23:5: “You set a table before me...you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows”.
You see, Jesus is constantly nourishing us with the saving graces that we need and receive in the Holy Eucharist. We are fortified and strengthened by these divine gifts, which enable us thereby to flourish and grow in our love of God and each other. We are also enabled to face and survive life’s challenges.
Jesus will never be outdone in His generosity to help us in this growth. Like thirsty plants that face difficult heat in the summer, we can thrive in the deserts of our life through Jesus, Who will never be outdone in His generosity and love.
For this, we need to be humble and eternally grateful. “Our cup overflows”.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

A Dirty Windshield

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:51:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Sunday morning, I was finishing my rosary in the Holy Martyrs’ parking lot before the 8:30am Mass.
It was a beautiful morning, with temperatures hovering around 78 degrees, and the sky was partly cloudy. I was thinking to myself how nice the fields looked behind the church, as well as the forest area just to the east of it.
As I was thanking God for the weather and nice morning, I suddenly realized that the side windows of my car and my windshield were speckled with the remnants of old rain drops. The windows were dirty, and I had not even noticed it prior to this.
I then thought how much nicer everything would look if the car had been washed. I decided to get my car washed on the following Monday.
Isn’t that like sin on our souls? We commit mistakes through sinful habits and then seem to forget about it. We do not remember as often as we should what needs to be washed away. We still think we are seeing life and where we are going clearly, yet we know that when we reflect on it, things could be much better if we were to seek forgiveness of those sins.
When we seek forgiveness for our sins, we see God’s presence and beauty most clearly, and our view is not obstructed by that which can dim that vision. This serves as a reminder to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly. God’s mercy awaits us.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Waiting for a Train to Pass

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 19:59:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Thursday, I was driving east on 213th street from Calumet Avenue in Dyer and heading toward Indianapolis Boulevard. I was traveling to eventually arrive at 4:00pm Mass at Our Lady of Consolation Church. At the east end of 213th Street is a very busy railroad crossing, where I am often stopped by long trains.
Such was the case last Saturday. There I was tapping, my fingers on my arm rest in the car, getting nervous with that train moving so slowly, and wondering if I would be late for Mass. I was not late in the end.
I found myself thinking that this delay was a waste of time. I was sitting idle while watching car after car go by in what seemed to be an endless progression of various types of railroad cars. I then asked myself why I was getting so aggravated. I began to wonder what God could be teaching me as I waited.
I thought the passing railroad cars could represent the passing of days, weeks, months and years of our lives. They could represent time spent waiting to get to our final destination, meeting Jesus in heaven at the end of our lives.
I thought the time sitting in my car could reflect how often I might be idle in my life, simply watching time go by; time spent doing nothing meaningful. This idle time might be spent watching TV, or maybe going through motions that have no real value.
I thought that sitting idle at a train track could remind me to change and try to do more meaningful things in life, like praising God and praying more often, to seek God’s help to do what He expects us to do.
Perhaps I need to resolve each day to make an effort to do something meaningful by perhaps going to Mass more than just on Sunday. Maybe I should resolve to reach out to say “hello” to someone who is lonely. Maybe I should simply say a prayer for an unknown person that God knows needs the prayer the most.
Maybe we should all ask God what He might be teaching us in the moments in our lives that seem meaningless.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Fishers of Men

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 21:27:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Jesus said in Mark’s Gospel, “Come and I will make you fishers of men.” Becoming a fisher of men meant that Jesus was going to use His disciples to grow the kingdom of God.
We are all Jesus’ disciples, and we are all called to grow the Kingdom of God. This is called “evangelization”, and it can be as easy as asking a fallen-away Catholic to come with you to a Mass.
Last Monday, I had the privilege to visit one section of Westville State Prison, called GSC. This section is composed of nine separate dormitories, housing around 40 prisoners each.
Several of us from the Diocese of Gary walked with the prison Chaplain into five of these dormitories, asking the inmates if anyone would like to attend the weekly Catholic Church Service, which is scheduled on Thursdays at 7:15am. By prison procedure, we would have needed at least five men to sign up to warrant the extra work for the prison guards to have the service.
I am so very humbled to report that around 20 men signed up! I was a little apprehensive about visiting the men in their personal living space, wondering how we might be received. That anxious thought was quickly gone as everyone, despite differences in their personal faith tradition, welcomed us warmly and were glad we came.
The lesson here is that you should not be worried about how you might be treated if you ask someone who has not been to Church in a while to come with you to Mass. You might find that, like me, you too are welcomed, and then you might feel humbled to be doing God’s work. May God be with you!
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Seeing God in Helping an Injured Gosling

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 15:28:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last week, my wife and I, our daughter, and several friends went to northern Wisconsin for a week of fishing, kayaking, boating and seeing God’s beauty in nature. Each day of the week, three families of geese with their babies (called goslings) would walk in front of our cabin to feed on the grass. The baby goslings were adorable and fun to watch.
On Wednesday, we noticed one of the goslings was no longer with her family and was laying on her back, flailing to get back on her feet. My nature-loving daughter gently approached the frightened gosling with a towel and sat her upright, with hopes that she could walk away. The gosling did walk for a short distance, and so everyone thought that she might be okay.
We noticed, though, that this gosling appeared either sick or injured, and was struggling to walk or move much more than the few feet she initially moved. Again, my daughter picked her up and put her in some bushes near sea grass, so she would be comfortable and not get attacked by any forest animals, nor hurt by someone possibly stepping on this little creature when it became dark. My daughter kept the gosling nestled in a towel for comfort and gave her water to drink and grass to eat.
The gosling eventually passed away due to injury or illness. My daughter then placed it lovingly in heavy vegetation on the shoreline where it could rest in peace.
I found myself amazed at the gentleness and love my daughter showed this little creature. I, on the other hand, did not show this compassion and was expressing concern that the poor little animal might have a disease (like bird flu) and that we needed to be careful in case it was contagious. My daughter would have none of that, and she simply showed love for God’s vulnerable creature.
Isn’t that what Jesus does for each of us? He never abandons us in our weaknesses. Whether we or a loved might be suffering from an illness or injury, suffering from anxiety while watching the craziness found in the world today, grieving the death of a loved one, or similar challenges, Jesus is lovingly and gently present to comfort us for what we may be going through. Jesus does not walk away. We are loved so much more than we can ever imagine.
Thank you, Jesus, for loving each of us so much.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Lessons From the Birds

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 18:25:00 GMT

Recognizing God

One of my favorite things to do each morning is to pray the Rosary while looking outside the window and observing God’s beauty in nature.
Today, as I was watching the birds, they moved the dirt with their feet and picked at the ground with their beaks. I suspect they were looking for worms from the previous night’s rain. Then, I saw a parallel that exists when comparing the birds to our human lives. Like the birds, our day-to-day trials and movement enable us to scratch out a living, nourishing our survival.
Unlike the birds though, we have been given the Bread of Life, found in the Holy Eucharist. This nourishment brings understanding and meaning to our daily struggles, and it brings us closer to God. It also helps us know that we are not alone, and that we are loved more than we can ever imagine. It helps us to always remember that this time on earth is a mere passing, leading us to a heavenly reward. The Bible tells us that eye has not seen, and ear has not heard what God has in store for those who love Him.
For this blessing, we sing alleluia! Thank you so much God!
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Anyway

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 17:22:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My wife does an excellent job each year planting flowers in the front and back of our home. We enjoy seeing God’s beauty in nature evidenced in the wonderful colors and sweet fragrances present in the different plants.
In a very small way, such plantings help balance the ugliness that can be found in today’s world at times.
This year, the geraniums planted in the front of the house have come under attack by a neighborhood squirrel. It appears the squirrel is digging out the geraniums and then placing nuts in their place. That has never happened to us before.
Knowing how hard my wife worked in planting the flowers, I told her that I was sorry for the destruction caused by the squirrel. My wife simply smiled and said that the squirrel was doing what she was made to do. We will be okay. It is not a big thing.
This reminded me how we are also called to be forgiving when people interrupt our best laid plans or selfishly tear down what we may have worked hard to build...often with our best of motives to bring sunshine into the lives of others.
We should always remember in such situations that God knows our honorable intentions and that is all that counts. This reminded me of the prayer attributed to St. Mother Teresa, entitled Anyway:
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be Kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Doing the Right Thing, Each and Every Time

Wed, 29 May 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Recognizing God

One of my home responsibilities in the late-spring is to open our above-ground pool for the summer.
By the time the pool cover is removed and has been washed and stored, new sand is placed in the sand filter, filter hoses are reconnected, chemicals are placed in the pool, and the filter is turned on, about four hours will have passed. It is a lot of tedious work.
In particular, I do not like reconnecting the filter hose and pipes to the filter. More often than not, some connection is not done correctly and causes a leak. Sometimes it leaks a lot. Such was the case this year. In addition to the incorrect connection, I ended up pulling something in my shoulder when I tried to tighten one of the leaky filter pipes using a heavy plumber’s wrench. I am hoping that it is just a strain and not a small rotor cuff tear, but I have had shoulder pain and discomfort since Tuesday. Also, to my frustration and embarrassment, I overtightened the leaking connection and then was no longer able loosen it and reattach it correctly.
Luckily, St. John Pool came to my rescue when I asked them if they could fix the pipe connection and leak. I was so happy to find out that the reason for the jammed connection was that the threads were not aligned evenly when I tightened it. Fortunately, I did not “strip” them, and so the careful hands of the St. John Pool expert were able to simply realign the connection once again, and then reattach it with no further leaks occurring.
I worked my entire career for the Franciscan Alliance Healthcare system. We would often be reminded of the need to do the highest quality work possible for the patients we are privileged to serve. In this regard, we told ourselves to treat every patient like he or she was a family member. We used a simple phrase, “Do the right thing, the right way, in the right place, each time, every time, and on time.”
I did not do that when connecting the filter pipe to the filter, and then I tried to force the connection, which caused me to hurt my shoulder in a hurry to fix the situation.
I think that phrase would be a good guide in one’s spiritual life in loving God and following Jesus' teachings. We must always remember that we sometimes make mistakes, and we should know that our loving Jesus is there to forgive and heal us when we do.
It is just amazing what one can think about when opening the pool for the summer.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Clean Water; Green Junction

Tue, 28 May 2024 21:31:00 GMT

A Column by: Dr. Julie Peller

In the book of Genesis, God made us stewards of the earth. In this article, we can learn more about how we can fulfill this responsibility that God gave us. The summer Olympics will be held this year in Paris, France, and the Seine River will be the site for the triathlon, paratriathlon and marathon swimming events. For the past one hundred years, swimming has been prohibited in this river due to poor water quality, namely high bacteria levels. However, the government recently made an investment of 1.5 billion dollars for a major sewage treatment system upgrade to make the river swimmable by 2025. Across the globe, intermittent releases of untreated wastewater are due to aging sewage treatment plants and increasing populations/more wastewater. This creates sewage-contaminated receiving waters (rivers, lakes, etc.). Overflows are usually triggered by heavy rains that increase the volume of water beyond the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant. Improvements in sewage treatment plants involve upgraded infrastructure that separates stormwater or increases the water volume capacity of the treatment plant. In Paris, the new Austerlitz basin was designed and built to prevent sewage from overflowing into the Seine River. It has the capacity to collect 20 Olympic-size swimming pools’ worth of excess rain and wastewater during heavy precipitation, and to limit the risk of the city sewage being released into the river. The latest reports from water quality testing of the Seine River by the Surfrider Foundation show bacteria above the level considered safe for swimmers. Government officials indicate that the new basin structure is not yet fully operational. The river water will undergo testing throughout the summer, with expectations for safe swimming when the Olympics begin in late July. For Parisians, the ability to swim in the river after 100 years of polluted water is outright thrilling. Approximately 34 billion gallons of wastewater is treated every day in the US. For decades, cities around the US have been struggling with aged sewage treatment infrastructure, leading to compromised water quality. The current federal administration is helping finance much needed upgrades. The announcement this past February read, “The Infrastructure Law invests a total of over $50 billion to upgrade America’s water infrastructure, the largest investment in clean water in American history.” These investments are critical to protect fresh waters and ensure they are swimmable and fishable. What lifestyle changes can you make to ensure that everyone has access to clean water?

Fences

Tue, 21 May 2024 20:26:00 GMT

Recognizing God

My wife and I had wooden fence installed by a local fence company about 8 years ago. It is the second fence the company placed around our backyard in the 44 years that we have lived in Dyer. The fence protects little ones from wandering into the backyard, where we have a swimming pool. It also keeps our dogs from running away. Fences can be good things.
In time, fences tend to bow with age, causing the picket sections to become unfastened. Such was the case for our fence. The fence company does do repairs, although their ability to squeeze in such repairs can be limited, due to major fence installations they do elsewhere or delays because of bad weather.
We had to wait almost seven weeks to have the bowed section replaced and the loose boards reattached. We were about to give up and do the repairs ourselves, when, at last, the company came unannounced late last week and fixed everything. This unexpected surprise brought a huge smile to my face. It took the fence company just two hours to fix everything, when it would have taken my wife and me at least four hours, due to our modest carpentry skills. I found myself saying, “Thank you, dear God, for helping us. What a nice surprise!”
As I thought about it, I was grateful that we had this luxury. I then realized that there are different forms of “fences” that can be placed in life. There are fences that are designed not to protect, but to differentiate, and sometimes even discriminate. There are fences that keep others away due, to their race, sex, ethnicity, age or religion. There are fences that lock people out, based on their personality traits, and there are fences that show prejudice in the way others can be treated. Jesus calls us to unity through our faith. That unity calls us to love our neighbors, and it is meant to eliminate the sins of racism and prejudice.
My God, give us the grace to not place such fences in our lives. Amen.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Blue Shoe, Blue Shoe, How Are You?

Tue, 14 May 2024 21:11:00 GMT

Recognizing God

Last Friday, my wife, Marilyn, and I had the privilege of attending the Mass to celebrate Bishop McClory’s 25 ^th Anniversary of his priesthood at Holy Angels Cathedral in Gary. It was a beautiful liturgy, and the Bishop’s homily and his reflection on the momentous occasion was heartfelt and moving.
Knowing that we would have the chance to extend a personal greeting to the Bishop after Mass, both Marilyn and I wanted to look nice for the reception that was to be held afterwards. I wore a nice pair of black dress pants with a white shirt and dinner jacket. Marilyn looked particularly nice, wearing a blue pantsuit with a beautiful blouse and matching jacket, and her favorite pair of blue shoes.
As we were waiting in the reception line to greet the Bishop after Mass, Marilyn said she felt a bit embarrassed. She said she had not worn her favorite blue shoes in quite a while, and she found out during Mass that something was sticking out of one of the shoes. As she looked down, to her dismay, she saw the side of the shoe was torn and hanging. Then, upon further observation, she realized that the opposite shoe also seemed to be falling apart.
As any good husband would say in such a situation, I simply said, “You look beautiful. Don’t worry about the shoes. I doubt anyone will notice”.
I found myself reflecting on that conversation afterwards. I bet if Jesus was physically present there and talked to Marilyn (and understanding her embarrassment,) He would say with gentle kindness, “I love you just as you are. You are my beloved child. Just continue to be the good person that I know you are. Don’t worry about life’s trappings”.
I think Jesus says the same thing to each of us, “I love you just as you are with whatever shortcomings or imperfections are attached to your life. All I ask is that you love Me in return.”
How wonderful it is to be so loved.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Fixing A Burned Out Dryer Light

Wed, 08 May 2024 18:33:00 GMT

Recognizing God

I was placing a load of washed laundry in the dryer last Friday when, to my disappointment, I found the dryer light bulb had burned out. I told my wife I would replace the lightbulb the following Saturday morning.
Replacing this lightbulb was not as easy a task as I had remembered. I had to work in very tight quarters, unscrewing a covered plastic plate, and then, finally, switching the bulbs. The most difficult part was accessing the location of the bulb mechanism within the dryer drum. I had to lie on my back and reach into the drum space to get everything done. Maybe it was my old age and lack of flexibility, or maybe it was simply the location of the bulb, but it took longer for me to get the job done than I had thought it would.
When you open a dryer without a functioning light, you'll find that it is dark inside, and it is surprisingly difficult to see the clothing. In fact, I found myself thinking that light was a gift that I had never appreciated. Sometimes the gifts we receive in life are like that. This made me think about the nonchalance we may show Jesus at times. Jesus, who is, the Light of the World often goes unnoticed in our daily lives. Light helps us see things. Light guides us as we travel or move or work. As noted in a recent article printed online by the Loyola Press (author unknown), “...light has many functions that parallel with the ways Jesus helps us. Light helps us see things. Jesus gives us the truth about God and life, our origin, and our destiny. Light guides us as we travel. Jesus guides us safely through life to our heavenly home. Light promotes growth and life. Jesus brings us everlasting life. Light warms and comforts. Jesus welcomes us and calms us. Life prevents crime. Jesus is goodness itself. Light dispels darkness, which stands for evil. Jesus pierces the darkness of sin and death and conquers them. All the darkness in the world cannot put out one candle flame. Jesus cannot be overcome by evil”.
I did not know that the simple replacing of a burned-out dryer lightbulb would remind me about how much we are loved by Jesus, and how much His light illuminates our paths.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Recycling Plastics; Green Junction

Wed, 01 May 2024 19:21:00 GMT

A Column by: Dr. Julie Peller

The recycling of many common glass, paper, and metal products keeps these materials in circulation. This significantly reduces mining of earth’s resources, manufacturing, and the associated damaging pollutants. There are some materials that CANNOT be recycled: light bulbs, mirrors, window glass, drinking glasses, used paper plates, tissues paper, candy and gum wrappers, waxed paper products, paper towels, aerosol cans, scrap metal, shredded paper, and Christmas lights.

Most plastics can’t be recycled either. Many people wrongly assume that most common plastics are recyclable and recycled. Most plastics that we use in a typical day aren’t recyclable, and have become a horrific pollution burden on the earth and its inhabitants. The triangle symbol on numerous plastic items suggests they are recyclable; however, it is just an identification number. Plastics designated 1 and 2 (PET and HDPE) are mostly recyclable in their original forms, while most of the others are not acceptable for recycling. Plastic water bottles made of PET are recyclable/downcycled. (Keep in mind: some plastic water bottles are made of non-recyclable plastic and all these bottles release thousands of micro and nanoplastics that are detrimental to human health.) PET plastics can be converted to other plastic materials, such as reusable plastic bags and even plastic clothes (polyester), but then these plastics are mostly no longer recyclable. HDPE plastic milk jugs can be recycled/downcycled into composite lumber or outdoor furniture, which are then no longer recyclable. Overall, you can be sure you are recycling plastic correctly if you put number 1 and 2 plastics – free of debris – in your recycling bin. Contact your local recycling provider to find out if other plastics are acceptable.

An important note from local recycling companies is that recyclables should not be put in plastic bags, as they get caught in the materials sorting equipment. Nearly 18,000 collection sites in the US accept just plastic bags and other film plastics, but these are not accepted in the curbside collections; less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled. Unfortunately, a recent study by ABC News that tracked the movement of plastic bags from a number of these special collection sites showed evidence that half of the plastic bags ended up in landfills or incinerators –not at a recycling center.

The sustainable way forward is to reduce material purchases, invest in materials that are long-lasting/reusable and avoid materials that cannot be part of the circular economy (the non-recyclables). If we all adopt these practices, we will create a cleaner world for the future.

Ducks Swimming on my Pool Cover

Wed, 01 May 2024 19:19:00 GMT

Recognizing God Blog

In our backyard, my wife and I have an above ground pool. We cover that pool in the Fall, Winter and Spring to protect the pool liner from harsh weather. When it rains the pool cover accumulates water. It is necessary to pump the water off the pool cover occasionally, to prevent the cover from tearing.
Last week after it rained there was approximately 4-5 inches on the cover. I had not pumped that water off yet from the last few rains and was planning to do so. Before I could get to it, our two dogs noticed a male and female duck swimming on top of the cover. This caused them to bark and they attempted to chase the ducks away.
When I saw this, I ran outside and intentionally tried to scare the ducks, causing them to fly away. I thought, what if they ruined the cover on the pool or what if laid eggs in the back yard, or what if they were caught by one of the dogs when landing or taking off. After I did this, I began to think about what this might teach me about our faith.
We are called to love God with our whole heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Sometimes we find people entering our lives unexpectantly that need a friendly ear, a smile, or some sign of compassion and recognition. Many times we respond with the loves God asks each of us to show each other.
Sometimes we might wonder though what it might mean if we reach out. We might worry that we get stuck in a long conversation that we do not have time to handle. We may have a concern that we could be drawn into a drama that might place us in an uncomfortable position. Or maybe we worry that we will be asked to help by giving our time, talent and treasure (which God asks each of us to show in our lives in furtherance of His mission on earth, using us as His working hands).
Will we show the love God asks us to show or do we shoo that person away, justifying that dismissal with selfish thoughts that we have more important or pressing things to do?
A lot to think about when we chase ducks out of the backyards of our lives.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Dirty Cars

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:15:00 GMT

Recognizing God Blog

Last Saturday, my wife and I, went to a birthday party in Naperville, Illinois, celebrating my great nephew’s second birthday.
Before we left, I went to get my wife a Starbucks coffee and noticed that the outside of my car was looking dirty due to the recent rains. I decided to get it washed before we left so it would look nice when we parked it.
When we arrived, we had to park about ½ block away from my niece’s house where the party was being held and no one noticed the car let alone whether it was clean or dirty.
This made me think about blemishes we place on our souls when we sin. Although most people will not notice our sinful choices and may think that we are probably in great shape spiritually, God notices them. When we go to confession we become free of sin. God notices our efforts in this regard and blesses us with His special graces to stay in good shape going forward.
If we work hard to keep things such as cars clean, shouldn’t we do the same thing for our souls?
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Church Teaching on Our Responsibility to Care for the Environment: Part III

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:30:00 GMT

The last two weeks articles were published in the bulletin explaining the duty to care for the environment as taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and through an article written by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

This week we will provide a very brief introduction to an Encyclical letter written by Pope Francis in 2015 on the need to Care for our Common Home entitled, Laudato Si, as well as an apostolic exhortation, entitled, Laudate Deum, written by Pope Francis in 2023 addressed to all people of good will on the climate crisis.

In Laudato Si’, the Pope outlines:

1. The current state of our common home.

2. The Gospel message as seen through creation.

3. The human cause of the ecological crisis.

4. The topic of ecology and the common good.

5. Pope Francis’ call to action for each of us.

It is an excellent encyclical and can be purchased in many bookstores, through Amazon, or downloaded for free online with a simple internet search. You are encouraged to read it and embrace the Pope’s call to action.

In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis addresses environmental concerns in the world in respect to human life and dignity and looks at what has happened since 2015 and what still needs to be. This is another excellent document for all to read.

Over the last 3 weeks, we have provided a spiritual understanding about why we need to care for the environment. Going forward, we have invited parishioner, Dr. Julie Peller (Professor of Chemistry at Valparaiso University), to provide a weekly blog for us on the Holy Martyrs’ website as well as a monthly bulletin article addressing continued environmental challenges and reflections on our responsibilities for addressing them.

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Solar Eclipse

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 19:18:00 GMT

Recognizing God Blog

by Deacon Tom Gyrzbek

Solar Eclipse Like many of you, my wife, daughter and I traveled to central Indiana on Monday, April 8 to see to total solar eclipse of the sun.
We went to Lebanon, Indiana and waited at the fairgrounds with many other families for the eclipse to begin around 2:00pm and end shortly after 3:00pm. Those waiting played in the grass and laughed and had picnic lunches and simply enjoyed being with each other. It was a warm environment of happiness and joy to say the least. The excitement of the crowds was palpable. The time that I spent with my family talking and awaiting the approaching phenomena was memorable and well worth the three hour drive to get there. It was a great day!
When the sun was totally eclipsed, I found myself shouting and clapping, not planning such an outburst of joy, yet simply acknowledging God's beauty in nature and realizing once again how much we are loved by God to have been given such beauty.
It reminded me of St. Francis of Asissi’s famous song, The Canticle of the Sun:
“The heavens are telling the glory of God And all creation is shouting for joy Come dance in the forest and play in the field And sing, sing to the glory of God!”
Reflect on a time when you have seen God in nature, and thank Him for His beautiful creation.

Church Teaching on our Responsibility to Care for the Environment Part II

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 17:27:00 GMT

Church Teaching on Our Responsibility to Care for the Environment: Part II

In last week’s bulletin an article I introduced the need to care for the environment from a Catholic Church Teaching perspective. This week’s column is the second part of that article.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a document entitled, “Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching.” This document that can be read here and is worth reading in its entirety. In this regard several sections speak of the need to be good stewards of God’s resources:

• Catholic Church teaching is to protect life and find effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. Conflicts do exist in the world today on the use of resources and/or their lack of availability for everyone.

• People have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good (common good being understood to be the sum total of social conditions which allow people, as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully). The common good concerns the life of all. It calls for prudence from each.

• Each person has a fundamental right to life and those things required for human decency. These rights are duties and responsibilities to one another, our families and the larger society. We each have this duty (and in the context of this article for the duty to protect the environment).

• We are one human family and are our brother’s and sisters’ keepers.

• We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for Earth is not just an Earth Day slogan. We are called to protect the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

New Life in Christ

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 13:52:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. My granddaughter, Jane, is seven years old. She is at that stage in her young life where she is losing her baby teeth.
Last Saturday she came to visit with her younger sister, mom, and dad (who is our son). Usually, I spend a lot of time during such visits acting silly and trying to make the two granddaughters laugh. My wife and I love their giggles, joyful smiles and laughter.
Well, last Saturday, Jane turned the tables on me and excitedly wanted to show me how loose her front tooth was. Every time she wiggled it, I had a bout of “heebbie-jeebies,” made faces showing her how uncomfortable wiggling it made me, and told her, “No, no, don’t do that in front of your grandpa.” She laughed so hard, she was having trouble getting enough air in her lungs to breathe, which made her laugh even more.
Two days later our son texted a picture of Jane with the tooth in question now missing, after falling out at school. She had the biggest smile on her face causing us to smile as well. This new life of shedding an old tooth and welcoming a new one reminded me of our life in Christ. When we are baptized we discard that old life we had known and are welcomed into new life with Jesus, who is our source of love.
As Pope Francis put it so beautifully once: “... Jesus Christ loves each one of you...never turn away from that source of love, for it is the condition for being happy and full of joy always and in spite of everything. This is the new life that sprang up in us on the day of Baptism and we have the responsibility to share it with everyone so that it can grow in each person and bear fruit.”
I am reminded of the saying , “Jesus loves you and so do I.” Now, that is something to smile about!
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Church Teaching on Our Responsibility to Care for the Environment Part 1

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 19:20:00 GMT

Church Teaching on Our Responsibility to Care for the Environment: Part I Introduction:

Unprecedented threats of climate change and environmental degradation exist in the world today. Aside from the frequent reports one hears about this topic from a science perspective in the news and in published articles. The Catholic Church has addressed this topic from a spiritual standpoint in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, articles written by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, encyclicals written by Pope Francis and a number of other venues.
Due to the importance of this issue in today’s world, over the next three weeks, we will address Catholic Church teaching in this regard and then follow-up with monthly bulletin articles as well as weekly blogs on the Holy Martyrs website. These future blogs and articles are called Green Junction, short segments written by Dr. Julie Peller, addressing many different environmental topics.
Catechism of the Catholic Church : • In God’s plan, man and woman have the vocation to subdue the earth as stewards of God. This sovereignty is not to be arbitrary and destructive domination (373).
• Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within limits that are honorable (1809).
• Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present and future humanity. Use of mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the creator is not absolute. It is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come. It requires a religious respect for the integrity of Creation (2415).
We are stewards of God’s resources and cannot abuse them simply because we have an ability to do so. God asks us to conserve our use of His gifts for everyone and for generations to come.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Nighttime Rain

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 20:05:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
Easter Sunday night it rained quite a bit and large puddles could be found in the streets and on the grass on Easter Monday.
After I came home from Mass that Monday, I commented to my wife, Marilyn, that it really must have rained hard the night before to still have such an accumulation of visible water on the ground. Marilyn replied somewhat surprised that I hadn’t heard the heavy rain and thunder the night before. I answered I did not hear any of it and must have been so tired that I slept through all of it. This made me reflect on whether we also might sleep though the times Jesus sends His graces upon us in life. We may be immune to His presence due to the storms we face in life causing fatigue as we face personal, local and global challenges.
How is it that we survive such challenges? We survive because we are never alone. God is constantly present to us, helping us on the way.
Thank you, dear God, for being so good to us. Please forgive us when we fail to see, acknowledge, and show our humble gratefulness for always being present and helping us.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

What More Can Be Said?

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:48:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

As I am writing this Rumination reflection it is Monday of Holy Week.

I find myself not wanting to write an article about something which may have a deeper meaning other than writing about how much Jesus loves us.

Jesus, our loving Lord, faced unbelievable rejection and disrespect in His life despite only helping and serving others. He suffered the cruelest and most horrific of deaths to save us from our sins out of love for us. He taught us how to live so we can be with God for all eternity.

What more could He have done!

I am left with a deep sense of wonder and awe that we each are loved so much.

Thank you, dear Jesus, for that love. May we show our gratitude by loving you (and God the Father and the Holy spirit) with our whole heart, mind and soul and loving our neighbors as ourselves. May God gives us this grace.

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

What Is, Was, and Will Probably Be Again

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 11:40:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Our outside patio furniture is about 12 years ago. The set is made out of cast iron and has two end chairs that are “rockers.” One of the rockers broke, allowing someone who would sit in it to rock entirely backwards and possibly fall. This could hurt someone so we decided to replace it. My wife keeps excellent purchase records for us and found that we could order the exact chair that was damaged from American Sales, which we did. It arrived last Saturday.
The chair required some minor assembly that we did together which was very helpful as it was somewhat clumsy in size and needed two people to complete the task: one to hold the different parts while the other person screwed the nuts and bolts together.
What was most important was to use locking washers to keep the nuts and bolts fastened tightly together and to prevent these “fasteners” from becoming loose and possibly causing the chair to collapse. These fasteners attached the seat to the base of the chair.
Much to our frustration, one of the two locking washers that help lock the fasteners in place fell to the ground and we could not find it. I suggested we would be ok with just using the one locking washer, but my wife cautioned that we would not want a loved one or friend to fall if the chair collapsed someday due to the lack of that washer.
I scoured my jars of nuts and bolts in our garage and could not find the size of washer that was needed and really did not want to make a special trip to a hardware store to buy one silly locking washer.
My wife more wisely looked at the broken chair and suggested we reuse a locking washer from that chair, which we did and then our project was completed. As I thought about it, the washer was in use in the past, is now in use once again and might be used in the future should this scenario ever repeat itself.
With our faith, what we learned from Jesus in the past through His teachings, is still true today and will be tomorrow. We have a richness in our faith that never changes and gives us a wonderful strength. That strength keeps us from falling into sinful habits and keeps us safe. Interesting to me is the fact that both Jesus and St. Joseph were carpenters, and we still learn from their skilled craft the deeper meaning of what is important in life today.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Blowing in the Wind

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:57:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
Back around the beginning of December, we had our garage door open, and I was sweeping the leaves and dust that had gathered in my garage from the Fall winds. It was a little concerning to me as I was sweeping, a bird or bat (some flying creature) entered the garage and was flying in a circle above the rafters. I store small Christmas decorations on boards below those rafters and could not identify what was flying there and then it disappeared. I assumed it had flown away.
A couple of weeks ago I was once again sweeping the garage floor and heard a loud vibration coming from behind the peg board that was on the inside of one of the garage walls. I shook my head and said to myself, “I bet whatever flew in a couple of months earlier must have made a nest between the garage wall and peg board". I was too tired to look closely so I waited a week until it warmed a bit outside and then asked my wife to help me remove the peg board and flush out whatever was there.
I gave my wife a broom to protect herself in case it was an angry bird and went to work unscrewing the peg board. It was tedious work. I never remembered so many screws being placed into the board to secure it to the wall.
After a few rows of screws were removed I was able to carefully bend the peg board a bit to see what scary flying creature was there. Much to my surprise the only thing I found were spider webs. I was confused as to what the sound may be.
A few weeks later my wife heard the sound and we found out that there was as small hole on the outside of the garage wall that would (depending on the direction of the outside wind) allow winds from the outside to flow in and create the vibration within the peg board. Fixing the hole eliminated the vibration and the noise we had heard.
This made me think how sometimes we hear someone say something about our faith or Church teaching that seems different from what we heard before, maybe a little odd, yet convincing. I suggest we not give in to the temptation to immediately believe what was heard. Please instead examine official Church teaching on the subject in the Catechism of the Catholic Church or searching on the internet for official documents on the topic published either by the Pope or the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In doing so we will know for sure the true Church teaching and will not be simply listening to something blowing in the wind.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Weekly Pill Organizer

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 18:33:00 GMT

Ruminations Post

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
A couple of years ago my wife gave me a stocking stuffer for Christmas that included a weekly pill organizer with compartments for both morning and evening medications.
I have several medical conditions requiring the taking of pills each day either in the morning and evening (or both) for blood pressure, asthma, macular degeneration, glucose levels and vitamins. For many years I simply left the medications in their bottles, opening and closing the required bottle twice a day, each day of the week.
Sometimes I would forget if I took one or another medication due to having several bottles placed in a row on a shelf near the sink in my bathroom. Using a pill organizing box eliminates that confusion and helps ensure the right medication is taken when required.
Each week I refill the pill organizer for use in the following week. It always amazes me how quickly the week passes, and the pill organizer must be refilled again.
As I was thinking about this weekly refilling requirement it reminded me how quickly time passes in life. Before we know it, our days will be gone, and we will meet Jesus in heaven. The time is now to be prepared for that meeting. To get our lives in order and seek forgiveness for our sins. Lent gives us one such possibility with the upcoming Reconciliation Service being offered at our Parish. Why not take advantage of this opportunity before our time is gone? If we are careful with addressing the well-being of our bodies by taking prescribed medications each day, shouldn’t we be equally careful to take care of our souls?
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Medieval Times

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 02:31:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
Last Saturday, my son took my wife, daughter, his family and me to the 1:00pm show at Medieval Times in Schaumburg, Illinois.
If you have not heard of Medieval Times before, it is a theatrical spectacle set in the medieval times of Knight and Ladies featuring the Knights and their horses and their games of jousting and skill. The entertainment is coupled with a delicious, utensil-free dinner consisting of chicken, corn on the cob, potato wedge, soup, and bread.
The food was very tasty. The horses were magnificent to behold. The acting of the “knights” and their games of jousting were enjoyable to watch. It was a wonderful afternoon and a time enjoyed by all.
Before the arena opened for us to enter, my son purchased a multi-colored wand of blinking lights for his 4-year-old daughter. On one end was a unicorn and on the other end a small clear, plastic ball with lights changing colors throughout the wand. It was similar to such gadgets that can be purchased at carnivals, parades, and circuses, if that helps to visualize it better.
What amazed me was how gently my granddaughter held that wand of changing lights. She liked the food and was entertained by the medieval acting and events, but especially caressed and valued the light and looked at it more than the theatre occurring around her.
I found a lesson in all of this for me. You see God gives us many wonderful things to enjoy in life to show his love. We have tasty food to eat. We see God’s beauty in his creation including animals. We enjoy the creative gifts of entertainment made possible through the gifted talents God gives to others.
Yet the one gift to be treasured over all others, is Jesus, the Light and Life of the world. Children are gifted teachers!
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Bird Seed

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 01:54:00 GMT

Ruminations Blod

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
My wife likes to leave bird seed out for birds to eat and enjoy throughout the year especially during the winter when feeding sources are not readily available. The birds particularly like the seeds that are formed in shape of a bell and are attached to a pole by a string.
It is amazing how they hang on to that source of nourishment with up to 4 birds at a time delicately balancing themselves on the “bird bell,” eating as it swings in the air. At the same time other birds are on the ground to pick up the seeds that are dropped from the feeding frenzy occurring above them. The “bird bell” usually lasts 2-3 days before it is entirely eaten. Then the birds wait patiently for my wife’s next gift of food for them.
Earthly nourishment is like that, whether food for birds or animals or food that humans eat, the satisfaction of a good meal only lasts for a short time until we or some animal start to think about what will be eaten next.
The only nourishment that has an everlasting impact on us is the nourishment we receive from the Holy Eucharist. The graces we receive from this Blessed Sacrament provide both an immediate and everlasting impact on our souls. Through these special graces we are strengthened in body and soul to become more of what God wants us to be. We also are drawn into a closer relationship with Jesus.
How blessed we are to be fed with this life-saving food! By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

What Can the Super Bowl Teach Us About Our Spirituality?

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 19:25:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
Last Sunday my wife, Marilyn, and I watched the Superbowl game. Our daughter and a couple of close friends also joined us for the celebration. Marilyn had wonderful snacks and sandwiches for all of us to eat and enjoy. Our guests also brought various Hors d’oeuvres as well as other goodies. Needless to say, we ate very well.
In our household that evening, everyone was hoping that the Kansas City Chiefs would win (which they did). At the same time, we were sad for the San Francisco 49ers who played so very well and also deserved to win.
It is a shame in such contests when both teams play so very well, that there must be losers and winners but that is what “sports” are all about.
That bit of sadness for the 49ers losing made me think of our loving God. Isn’t it wonderful to know in our life journey to God, there do not have to be losers. We can all be winners.
Unlike a football game where a mishap here or error there can lead to a lost game. With God, who loves us knows so very much and understands that we have human weaknesses, we can always win. God knows that we are tempted by the devil and sin. He forgives our sinful mistakes through the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. You see Jesus wants us all to be with Him for all eternity in heaven. We can all be winners in the game of life. All we need to do is turn to our loving Jesus.
Thank you, dear God, for loving each of us so much. By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Thought Provoking Dreams

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:07:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
Last Sunday, I had a restless dream that I remembered when I woke up and has made me think a lot about it since then. The dream was about being in a remote country on some sort of retreat or pilgrimage. In the dream, I felt a wonderful sense of calm and joy at the place where I was with fellow retreatants. We were in a monastery like setting etched into the side of a mountain with a beautiful chapel and view of beautiful mountains and valleys below.
The group that was visiting this location with me was scheduled to leave to go and visit another Church location. I told them I wanted to stay where I was and would find my way back to them at some point. The priest leading the tour kind of winced at my naivete in thinking I would be able to do this and left very concerned that I did not stay with the group.
After they left and as I was about to tell the monks living there that I would accept their invitation to stay for an additional day or more, I quickly came to my senses in my dream and asked myself if I had made a good decision.
Questions quickly entered my mind about how I would travel back to the group being in such a remote area. There were no buses on this road and no taxies. The monks only had one car and that was often used for charitable ministry in the area that I was at. I started to panic, wondering what would happen if I missed my plane. I woke up in a very anxious state of mind.
After I had woke up, I said to myself that one’s intentions might be honorable but going off one’s own without needed guidance might lead to chaos; an inability to get home.
I then thought isn’t that true about one’s journey to God? We all try our best to follow the path given to us by Jesus. If we think we can sidestep the guidance we are given by Jesus, Church or our priests, we may find ourselves lost or worse not on the path on which leads us to God.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Mustard Seed

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:26:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last Saturday the Funeral Mass was held for one of my closest friends, John, who had been in deteriorating health for the last three years. John died in December and was cremated. It took several weeks for the family to work out the arrangements for a time when everyone could come and attend the Mass.
After the Mass, John’s remains were buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, Illinois. Then those present went to a funeral luncheon at a restaurant located a short distance from the cemetery.
I was asked to give a eulogy at the restaurant. It was difficult to keep my emotions in check, but I was able to share lighthearted stories about John’s life as well as more sobering recollections of the health issues that slowly caused his health to fade and eventually die.
We were friends since high school, went to seminary together and then college together when we decided to leave the seminary at the same time (both believing God was calling us to a different direction in or lives). I told funny stories and serious stories meant to give a rounded picture of John’s life. I was grateful that God helped me get through it only pausing once to fight back my tears.
I concluded with the God inspired thought that John, like most of us, never did what the world would call “great things”. His legacy is that he did small things with great elegance, touching other lives with this action or that kind word or that expression of concern when someone was facing a challenging situation. John was planting small mustard seeds in the lives of others that helped others to flourish over time (as a mustard seed does as it grows to become the biggest of plants). The lesson for us to learn in all of this is to help others in the smallest of opportunities as you never know what impact such small offerings of kindness can have on others.
Let’s all be good planters of mustard seeds. Doing so we will have had a life well lived. We would be following Jesus’ teaching to love each other and will have made the world a better place through our efforts.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Dead Battery

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 23:27:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last Sunday, my wife, Marilyn and I returned from a short trip out East. When we went to the parking garage at O’Hare Airport upon arriving back in Chicago, we were disappointed to find our car would not start. We are not mechanics and were confused that no noise would occur when turning the ignition yet the car lights and inside lights were as bright as ever. Some of the warning lights on the dashboard were also flashing at the same time, in a random order, leading me to believe we might be experiencing an electrical problem. My wife said it might be the battery. I thought it could be but did not understand how this was the cause when the exterior and interior car lights were operating as brightly as ever. It was getting to be late in the afternoon, so I suggested we walk into the airport and rent a car, stating I would come back the next day to either have the car towed home or have it repaired locally. Once again, my wife suggested it might be the battery, so we went back into the airport to ask if the parking garage staff could jump start a dead battery. They could and did and we were on our way in less than 15 minutes, saving us car rental and /or towing costs. Thank you, dear God, and thank you, Marilyn. As I thought about it, I felt that this is similar to one’s prayer life at times. We pray to God for an answer to some challenge and then wait for the answer we expect. At the same time, we may sense a “whispering” in our heart to do something else than what we prayed for and what we thought was the answer to our challenge. Then we find out what God whispered was a better answer than what we imagined. I guess sometimes a dead battery can teach us a lot about prayer
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

How Can Some People Believe that God Does Not Exist

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 21:36:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last Sunday, when I went to start my car, I wondered if it would start with it being 10 degrees below zero outside. I was so happy it started without an issue.
I then remembered other cars that I had owned in the past that would never start once it dropped below zero. At times, I had the car towed or had to find someone that might be able to let me jump start it off their battery (if that would even work). At other times I had to find someone who might be able to help me push the car into their heated garage (if it was nearby) to slowly warm the car to the point that it would start.
I found myself thanking God for the Holy Wisdom that He has gifted us with such things like cars that can start below zero, houses that keep us so warm, and having so many other luxuries that at one time did not exist.
I found myself thinking mankind did not create modern technologies on its own. We were given gifts from our loving Creator that enabled us to evolve and prosper. I am saddened that many people fail to thank God for mankind’s advancements.
And for the few who think that there is no such thing as God, well it makes me shudder at to imagine someone living their life without as much hope, peace and joy that Christians have. Shudder like when walking outside when it is 10 degrees below zero.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

We Should Prepare Our Souls the Way We Prepare for Bad Weather

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 20:15:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep, considered thought about something. As I am preparing this article it is Monday morning. The big news today is the first major snowstorm predicted to arrive in our area later on Monday and throughout Tuesday. In addition, the weather forecasters are warning everyone an even larger storm that may develop for the weekend of January 13-14. As I was exercising on my treadmill and watching the news on Monday, it seemed every news reporter and weather person were talking about so many inches of snow in one location here and fewer inches in another; ice and rain here and maybe no ice there; and potentially hazardous driving conditions everywhere. Those watching TV were warned to fill windshield wiper fluid and gas tanks in cars, keep extra blankets and emergency essentials in one’s car should a person get stranded somewhere. We were warned about the need to be careful in shoveling the snow to prevent a fall or muscle injury or worse, a heart attack. All good pieces of newsworthy advice. As I thought about it though, it occurred to me that the same approach should be taken to protect our precious souls as we are travel on our life journey. We need to prepare for the events in life that might test our faith or cause us to succumb to the devil's temptations. We do this preparation through frequent prayer and the reception of the special graces we receive in the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. We do this preparation by inviting God to help guide us through the storms that surface in our life journeys. It is through this type of preparation we know we will survive. In fact, we will thrive. We must always remember, “He leads I follow.” May God give us this grace.
By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

It is not the Christmas Decorations

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 20:13:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
On New Year’s Day, I took down the outside Christmas decorations at my home. I felt a noticeable sadness when I removed and placed in storage the outside nativity manger, Baby Jesus, Blessed Mother and St. Joseph statues.
I was surprised by my emotional reaction noting that these “decorations” have been up since Thanksgiving.
My sadness centered on not being able to see them lit when I drive home at night or not seeing them when looking outside the windows of my home. I often said to myself during Advent and the Christmas season that the Nativity Scene is what Christmas is all about; Jesus loving us so much that He humbled Himself to become one of us out of love, to save us.
As I thought about it though, I said to myself, “Don’t be sad.” These religious decorations (as wonderful as they may be) are merely directional, pointing us to Jesus.
The real presence of our loving Lord is in the Holy Eucharist. A presence available to us 24 hours a day, each and every day of the year, to nourish us in body and soul and help us in our lives. My sadness was then replaced with a sense of wonder and awe about who we could be that our loving Lord would love us so much that He gives Himself to us in the Eucharist.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Simplicity of Christmas Lights

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:16:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Many houses in my neighborhood decorate the outside of their homes with Christmas lights. The size and types of light have changed over the years as technology has advanced.
My wife, Marilyn, and I have decorated the outside of our home since we moved into the house some 43 years ago. We line the outside of the house and our garage with multicolored C7 lights and have used the same types of lights since we first started doing this.
Our neighbors have long since used brighter lights making ours look a little dim in comparison. I suggested to Marilyn that maybe we should change them (although I did not really like that thought since I am an old sentimental man and like to use the same thing over and over again, reflecting on all the memories we have made with the lights shining upon us).
Marilyn noted the focal point of our decorations is the nativity set we place in the front yard. Its simplicity reflects the true meaning of Christmas and that is what is important, not the lights. So, I did not change the outside lights. As I thought about it, Mary and Joseph embraced this simplicity when there was no room for them in the Inn in Bethlehem. There is beauty and something profound in its simplicity when we reflect upon it. By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Bare Trees

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 18:53:00 GMT

Rumination Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. It was not too long ago that we would look and see the beautiful colors of the fall leaves on the trees. Now when we look at those same trees, they are barren. Much has changed within a short period of time. Yet there is something also beautiful in looking at the symmetry and strength of those bare branches reaching up to the sky. Each season has its own blessed offering. As we contemplate God’s many blessings to us this Advent season, it is a good time to remember, everything we have is a gift from God. We may have fared well in life in various forms be it with family, friends, work or other achievements. Yet we must remember all of this was only made possible by God’s generosity and love of us. Like leaves that adorn trees in the springtime, summer and fall, then fall in winter, the physical things that we value in life will be gone when we meet Jesus in heaven. When we meet our loving Lord, we will be judged on how we lived and helped others live. These will be the treasures valued in heaven. We will be judged on how we grew in life and in love of God and each other. Like branches on a barren tree, did we reach up to God in our lives by following Jesus? By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Malfunctioning Christmas Lights

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 19:48:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Every year I decorate the outside of our home and garage with Christmas lights. This year, I did this several weeks ago when the weather was warmer. We do not turn on the lights until after Thanksgiving though.
It is always such a mystery to me that after I untangle the lights, test them to see if the bulbs still work, replace the burned-out bulbs, hang the lights on the edge of the roof, and finally turn the lights on, to find a few of the lights no longer are working. I ask myself each year how this can be since the lights were working when I tested them. This year one of the light timers that turn on the lights also did not work when I turned the lights on despite working when tested on installation.
This experience can be frustrating but did not seem to bother me this year as I realize all of this is part of the process of achieving the desired result of having a festive Christmas setting. How many times do each of us try to untangle the messiness and busyness of daily routines. We know when we streamline things and concentrate on what’s important, we find peace. More importantly we find time to cherish more what is important, our relationships with each other and with our loving God.
My prayer for all of us this Advent season is that we do find this simplicity as we await the celebration of the birth of our loving Jesus on Christmas Day. In doing this, we will find the peace we all look for during this holy season of Advent. In addition we may also find that we can be a light to others who may be struggling with the pressure of doing so many things that they miss the true meaning of Christmas.
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Thanksgiving

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 05:36:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. I am writing this reflection several days before Thanksgiving Day. I am reminded of what my mom and dad taught me when I was a child, “Tommy, also say please and thank you” in life. It is an early lesson that I have tried to follow. I particularly remember to say please when asking God for anything in prayer and adding “Your will be done”. I thank God for prayers answered as well as for the gifts and opportunities given. On Thanksgiving Day, we have so much to thank God for: our freedom, living in the United States, our faith, our families and friends, our Parish and Pastor, and the list could go on and on. Let’s make our first prayer on Thanksgiving Day one acknowledging all that God has done and continues to do for us. We have been blessed in so many ways. May we never forget and always be humbled by how much we are loved by God. Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a Happy Thanksgiving! By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

One in a Million Chance

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:29:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last Sunday I was taking my morning shower when I dropped a bottle of “body wash” in my bathtub. Much to my unpleasant surprise, the plastic bottle fell bottom first onto the floor of the bathtub and then squirted body wash (too quickly to dodge) directly into my left eye. Boy did it burn and cause my eye to become immediately irritated, turning bright red. I quickly doused my eye with water and over the next few hours my eye recovered back to normal. “I bet that I could not make that happen again in a million tries,” I said to my wife afterward. That made me think about how sometimes in life we believe the remote possibility of something happening will not occur as the law of averages are on our side. For example, I will not use my seatbelt in the car as the chances of me having an accident in the few blocks traveling to the store is small. Or I will not bring an umbrella as more likely than not I will not be caught in the rain. Or the chances of lightning striking as I am running to my car from a building are so remote that I can risk it to get there in a thunderstorm. Yet these remotes things do occur. We should not be tempted to take such chances with our faith. We should not be tempted to say I can put off going to confession (when we think we should) until later, as no one can be sure there will be a later time to do so. With All Souls Day just two weeks ago, let’s prioritize our needs to always put God first. Let us strive to not put off until tomorrow something God calls us to today, as that tomorrow may not come. By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Oh, Praise Him!

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:04:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.
Last Monday I was walking around the inside of Holy Martyrs Church saying a Rosary very early in the morning just as the sun was beginning to rise. As I looked out the east windows there were two small bushes with the brightest of red leaves. As I looked out the west windows there was one huge tree whose leaves were the brightest of orange colors. As I looked up in the western sky there was a full moon so very bright still in the early dawn sky. As I looked at the landscape around the church there were many little birds, flying and dancing, chirping with what appeared to be much happiness and glee. And I saw God’s beauty...and I felt God’s presence and thought about how small I am in relation to the earth and the universe. Yet despite my “smallness,” I know that God uniquely loved me into existence. I was filled with wonder and awe, came home after Mass and played the hymn, “All Creatures of our God and King:” All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing, Oh, praise Him...Alleluia. Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam, Oh, praise Him...Oh praise Him... Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Thou rushing wind that art so strong, Ye clouds that sail in heaven along, Oh, praise Him...Alleluia. Thou rising moon in praise rejoice, Ye lights of evening find a voice, Oh, praise Him; Oh, praise Him...Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Let all things their Creator bless, and worship Him in humbleness, Praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit three in one; Oh, praise Him; Oh, praise Him... Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Dear God, we thank you for your love of us and for your many gifts. We praise and glorify you. Alleluia. By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Moth

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 12:49:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, Rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last weekend the Gary Diocese Decaons and their wives attended the annual Deacon Retreat at Lindendwood Retreat Center in Donaldson, Indiana. It was a very nice retreat and spiritually helpful. As we were sitting in the meeting room at the retreat center listening to various presentations, I was able to look forward from my seat and see through the window outside to the adjacent lake and forest which were glistening under the fall sun. The colors on the changing leaves on the trees were the brightest of reds and yellows and oranges. It was very beautiful. However, on the bottom of the big window was a large black bug that seemed to distract me from the wonderful scene of nature that could be viewed beyond it. The bug eventually caught my curiosity, so I walked to the window and saw a huge black moth resting on the outside of the window pane. I thought at first what an unfortunate distraction. But then I thought about what this moth might be teaching me. It was positioned to see God’s beauty in nature despite the distractions that were happening on the inside of the room with people talking and moving about and me tapping on the window trying to get it to move. None of that mattered to the bug. It simply breathed in God’s presence in nature so to speak and did not leave until after sunset. I then thought to myself, “Do I breathe in God’s presence in nature in all of its splendor? Or do I get distracted with the movement of things in life and fail to see the gifts God is constantly showering us with in his created beauty?” Maybe I should be more like a moth!
By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Clean Away the Mildew

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 18:28:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

Clean Away the Mildew The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last week my daughter and I went on a Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. It was a wonderful week led by a Franciscan Friar that enhanced our spirituality and brought us closer not only to St. Francis but more importantly to Jesus as well. When I was in Assisi my allergies really acted up. We were staying in an old medieval type building which served as our place to sleep, eat and we listened to presentations on St. Francis. My nose became congested, and I had periodic sneezes and coughs, which for me means an allergic reaction to something in the environment. As I was trying to identify the source of my reactions I looked out of the window to my bedroom and noticed the roof tiles and outside walls of the building were caked with dark mildew and mold. I became convinced that I found the source of my problem. My thoughts about this source seemed accurate as I noticed the symptoms would diminish greatly when out of my room or when walking in Assisi. All of this made me think about one’s journey in faith. Should we ask ourselves at times if there is something present in our spiritual environment that needs to be remedied to allow us to grow in faith and better breathe in the Spirit of our loving God. If so, removing such irritants, will help us flourish in our relationship with God.

When is Enough, Enough?

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:11:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last week I took my car for an oil change. My wife and I were taught oil should be changed every 5,000 miles or so and this is what we have done throughout the majority of our adult lives (as long as we had money in our budget to do so). When I was waiting for the oil change to be completed, one of the employees was resetting the computer on the car that shows how long before the next oil change should occur. Much to my surprise that employee came to me and said you still have 40% of your oil use to go before the expected change. I simply replied that I want to change it to keep the car in good maintenance condition, as it has passed its 5,000-mile mark since the last change. I want to do more than the minimum in hopes that I can maximize the return on my investment in the car. This experience made me think about the many times in my life that I did the minimum required in my faith life. I went to Mass once a week on Sunday. I went to confession twice a year. I said Prayers when I thought about it. Thanks to Jesus’ call and the Holy Spirt nudging me I now know that the minimum is not what God expects of us. I thank God for my continual conversion and correcting my past bad habits in this regard. We should pray at least twice a day and make that practice an intentional action at a certain time each day and not just an afterthought. We should go to confession more than twice a year. If possible, we should try to go to Mass more than once a week. I know that is not possible for everyone but maybe for many. When it comes to one’s faith life, there is no such thing as “enough” when it comes to our relationship with our loving Lord. By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

No Room For Error

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 14:06:00 GMT

Ruminations Blog

The noun, Rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last weekend, my wife, two sisters and their husbands, and I went on a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One siste r lives in Pittsburgh and we seldom get to see her, so this trip was made to have that special time together before we get any older and perhaps not have the ability to do such things due to the development of illness or other infirmity that comes with old age. The weather in Gatlinburg was in the 80s and the scenery with the hills and Smokie Mountains breathtaking. We rented a home for Saturday and Friday on the Gatlinburg hillside where the magnificent view was always in front of us. It was breathtaking. The only challenge was the very small road that we had to drive in switchback fashion up and down the hillside leading to the home as well as the homes of other vacationers and residents. If a driver was to misjudge the distance from one’s car to the edge of the road, that person would either be found in a deep six-foot ditch (which we saw one person stuck in upon our arrival) or fall thousands of feet down the hill where the chance of survival would be minimal. My wife and I said, “there is no room for error” in our driving. We also said this is not the place to teach a teenager to drive nor a road to travel when it is dark or after one has had several drinks. We found the travel up and down the hillside from our rental to Church or to eat or to go sightseeing unsettling. It reminds me of the journey we all are on with our lives. We know the true road we must travel to reach our heavenly destination. We know we need to keep our eyes on this pathway and not veer off by sinful distractions that lead us away from our loving Lord. If we lose sight of our destination, we may not be able to recover before the time we meet our loving Lord at the end of our lives. So, my advice to all of us is to please keep your eye on the road and travel safely. May God give each of us this grace. By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Weeping Tree

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 22:39:00 GMT

Ruminations: Weeping Tree

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. My wife and I recently asked our neighbor if we could trim his evergreen tree which is located adjacent to the driveway to our garage, and between our two houses. The evergreen tree is about 40 feet tall, and its bottom branches spread so far in every direction that they blocked our visibility to the adjacent sidewalk as we would back out of our driveway into the street. This is a busy sidewalk where children ride their bikes and tricycles and neighbors walk their dogs. With the evergreen blocking our view of the sidewalk, we would need to drive very slowly out of our driveway to prevent a possible collision with someone on the sidewalk. We were very blessed with the neighbor absolutely agreeing to let us trim the tree. In fact, our neighbor stood beside us as we cut the lower branches suggesting we could even cut higher (which we did do). A few days after that tree was pruned, I noticed the tree “weeping” sap at each location where we removed a branch. I was curious why trees “weep” sap and found the experts state they “weep” to help prevent infection at the spot where the branch was located; sealing the opening with sap enabling the tree to heal. As I thought about this, I reflection on how this is somewhat analogous to what happens when we go to the confessional. As we confess our sins, we remove those shortcomings from our lives, enabling us to see better how to act and reform our lives. Yet being human, we still need to fight the temptation to fall into the same sinful bad habit. How do we protect ourselves from making missteps going forward? We do it through prayer and the reception of the special graces we receive in the Sacraments, most importantly the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. These graces strengthen us where we are weak. Amazing how nature help us see the help that God has given us in our lives. By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Generosity of Spirit

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 04:42:00 GMT

Ruminations: Generosity of Spirit

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. Last Monday, my wife and I attended the wake of a friend of ours who died. It was the sixth wake we attended together in the last two weeks. So much sadness yet so much gratefulness about how each deceased person had touched the lives of those privileged to know her or him. I was touched at the generosity of spirit showed at those wakes. Though the family members and friends of those that had died were sad and grieving, at several wakes, a family member or friend would reach out and ask how we are doing and, in many cases, state if there was ever something that the grieving person could do for us, not to hesitate to ask. We were there to provide comfort yet were being asked if there was some way, we could be given assistance. Pretty humbling. It reminded me of the term, “generosity of spirit.” I looked up that term on the internet and found it is a spiritual concept that speaks of the type of relationship between a giver and a receiver. One author stated, “It is the embodiment of who we are, and it synthesizes the “fruit of the spirit” listed by Paul for the Galatians – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Generosity of spirit allows space for differences to exist, and empathy to arise. It works to find the commonalities that bind us, despite the differences that separate us.” May God give each of us the grace to show generosity of spirit. Imagine what a better world we would have if everyone did that. By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

The Only Constant in Life

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 17:53:00 GMT

Rumination Blog Post

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. I was thinking a bit about the wild swings in weather that we have experienced locally and nationally this year. We seem to go from monsoon rains to extreme dry spells; from temperatures in the 70s to the mid 90s and above with the heat index. All of this in a matter of days (even in the desert regions in our country). More hurricanes and more tornados. Less days of stable predictable weather. All of these swings in environmental issues help me remember once again the only constant in our lives amidst such instability is our loving Jesus. He is always there loving us, drawing us closer to Him, reminding us how we are to live and that our time on earth is short. Jesus points us to heaven where chaos, anxiety and suffering does not exist, only happiness for all eternity, praising and glorifying God. Eye has not seen; ear has not heard what God has in store for those who love Him. Love Him by keeping his commandments in loving God and each other.

We Are Not a Cosmic Accident

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 15:47:00 GMT

Last Sunday was a beautiful sunny day with few clouds in the air and temperatures hovering in the mid-70s.

Toward evening, I went to get a couple of hamburgers for dinner at McDonalds.

As I was traveling home, I had perfect timing to see the sun set. The soft yellows and fading reds were breathtaking.

I kept thinking such beauty does not happen by itself. The few scientists, who believe life on earth began from some big bang starting the creation of one cell that somehow evolved over millions of years to life as we all know it in all of its forms, are grossly mistaken. We are not the result of a cosmic accident but of the love of God.

Beauty comes from beauty. Our exquisite life is the handiwork of our loving God. The beauty we see reflects God’s beauty. The world is imbued with God’s grace because all creation has been touched by God’s creative hand. We are the beneficiaries of such magnificence.

As such, we must respect life in all of its forms, particularly human life from moment of conception to moment of natural death.

May God gives us this grace.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Be Still and Know That I am God

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:48:00 GMT

Last Tuesday my wife, daughter, and a dear friend went to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. It was a night game, and the Cubs were playing the White Sox. We all were looking forward to the game.

My daughter works at the Shedd Aquarium, and we picked her up after work and traveled to Wrigley Field.

The traffic was horrific. Leaving the Shedd shortly before 5:30 p.m., I thought we would be able to make it to the Cubs ballpark by 6:30 p.m. Boy was I wrong. We arrived at about 7:15 p.m.

As I sat very frustrated in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I told everyone if the car that I really erred in my timing and should have had us leave earlier. I wanted to get to the ballpark early and enjoy a relaxing hot dog and liquid refreshment before the game started. My wife tried to comfort me in my growing frustration by gently replying not to worry about when we would arrive, noting we cannot do anything about it so try not to let it bother me. It bothered me though.

As I thought about it the following day though, two thoughts came to my mind. First Matthew’ s Gospel, “...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body ...look at the birds in the air; they do not sow or reap or store away...yet your Father feeds them...Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (MT 6:25-34).

The second thought is from Psalm 46, “Be still and know I am God”. As I asked God to help us get to and from the game safely, I lost sight that I had surrendered the trip to the protection of God. I lost the moment of simply enjoying the warm conversations that were present in the car as we fought traffic. I let my desire to control everything negatively impact my journey. Hope you do better than I did in such situations. I will try to do better next time. Remember: “Be still and know that I am God”.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered though about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Looking Down the Street

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 17:01:00 GMT

Our house in Dyer is in the middle of a “T” intersection with one street running parallel to our house and the other street perpendicular running directly into our driveway. Our front door faces west. As I sat on my front porch one day last week awaiting my wife’s return from running errands, the sun was beginning to set. As I saw the beauty of that sunset, I no longer saw the houses that were present on either side of the street that runs toward my home. I saw the sun setting and trees in the distance and felt like I was in the country and not on a somewhat busy city street. I only saw God’s beauty and thanked God for that wonderful sunset. I then thought about the fact that the remaining years of my life are becoming shorter. I was moved by the thought of indescribable beauty that awaits us in meeting our loving Lord in heaven and was not disturbed or afraid, just touched at what lies ahead. “Eye has not seen ear has not heard what God has in store for those who love Him”. Thank you, dear God, for the gift of that sunset and seeing you in nature.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Are Your Sensors Working?

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 17:37:00 GMT

Last week I was driving and running errands the sensor light on my car activated advising me that my front passenger tire was low on air. Coincidentally, I needed my oil changed, so asked that service vendor if the tire looked okay. It seemed like he was just in a hurry to get to the next car and told me that was probably was just low on air because of the changes in outside temperature. The service man simply added air to the tire.

Over the following week, my tire slowly lost air and once again, the sensor noted the tire needed attention.

This time I went to a tire store and they found a screw that was imbedded in the tire and repaired it. It is fine now.

This reminded me that I need to make sure my "spiritual" sensors need to be working correctly. If someone feels uneasy about something in his or her spiritual life, then that development should not go unaddressed. Talk to Father and ask his advice. Do not leave it to your "feeling" that this will just pass. Chances are a word of guidance can keep a small issue from becoming worse.

We need to go to the correct sources to answer issues that develop in our spiritual lives. If we ask someone who may not have the time or skill set to understand what we may be going through, then the issue can fester and become worse.

If we would make sure that our car is working correctly, how much more should we do that for our soul?

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Getting New Glasses

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 17:07:00 GMT

Last Friday I had my annual Optometrist appointment to check my eyes and the effectiveness of my eyeglasses. I haven't had to adjust the prescription for the glasses in a number of years, and it seemed to me that I am seeing just fine. Not so in the opinion of the Optometrist however. My new prescription will adjust the distance and bifocal parameters of the glasses to improve my vision close up and far away. My eyes may appear to be okay, but my vision will improve with the adjustment.

Isn't that like one's faith? Most Catholics are very good people and practice their faith well. That being said, making small adjustments in our spirituality can strengthen that faith and help us travel where we need to go.

How do we do that? By improving one's prayer life, seeking help in the confessional, and by reading Scripture. We can seek answers to questions that we may have about our faith in the Catholic Catechism. We can also do this by attending Mass often and receiving the special nourishment Jesus provides in His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, and by listening to the guidance given by our priests and religious leaders on what we need to do.

The noun, rumination means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Do Good Anyway

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:36:00 GMT

Last Saturday I decided to surprise my wife and daughter to an ice cream cone coated in chocolate. Shortly after I arrived at the local Dairy Bell, an old acquaintance of mine sped up to me at the window on his bike and looked at the sign as I did. It was closed. My friend said, "Too bad, Tom, I was looking forward to that ice cream treat." I said to my friend, "Me too". He smiled at me and then sped away on his bike.

I failed in that encounter though. You see, his wife died just 4 months ago and I felt torn about whether I should say to him, "How are you holding up? How are you doing?" However, as he smiled, a little voice in me said you will just make him sad doing so, so don't. A bigger voice said, "you are missing an opportunity to help someone." I simply said have a good day.

I have felt bad since, and said a prayer for my friend and asked God's forgiveness for not reaching out to connect deeper with my friend as I believe the Holy Spirit was asking me to do.

This reminds me of part of a prayer that Saint Maria Teresa used to say often: “...If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway...the good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow, do good anyway... give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough, give your best anyway best anyway...for you see in the end, it is between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway.”

I will try to do better next time.

I encourage you to do better than me.

DO GOOD ANYWAY.

The noun, rumination, mean a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryz bek

Virtue of Patience

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 16:03:00 GMT

I am embarrassed to admit that I am an impatient person. I was thinking about that character flaw this last week as I was driving here and there. When doing so, I often become impatient when the car in front of me is in the passing lane and going slow, especially when traveling quite a bit under the speed limit. For example, traveling 30mph in the passing lane on US 30 where the speed limit is 45mph or more. I say to myself, "why? Oh Come on!" as I need to get somewhere on time and did not calculate slow traffic with my estimated time of arrival.

Wikipedia defines patience as, “the ability to endure difficult circumstance and may involve perseverance in the face of delay.” Yep, I seem to resemble the opposite of that virtue at times.

I asked myself how I might improve in developing that virtue and two thoughts came to mind. First, I should imagine that the person who is causing me to become impatient is Jesus. If it was Jesus, I know I would show more tolerance. In fact, I would be awestruck and happy to be going slower so I could spend more time with God.

Second, I always remember that Jesus is patient with me. He does not want me to speed through life without taking time to develop my relationship with Him. If Jesus is slowing me down to develop that relationship, couldn't I use the times that I am becoming impatient with others as a "hard stop?" I would ask myself how wonderful it is that Jesus shows patience with me and reminding me it is my time to do that for others. Pay it forward so to speak. May God gives us this grace.

The noun, Rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By D eacon Tom Gryzbek

What We Can Learn from Plants & Vegetables

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 14:41:00 GMT

You might recall that in an earlier reflection I mentioned the fact that my family planted a vegetable garden in May. That garden has done very well with huge vegetable plants expanding in every direction. We have harvested broccoli on a number of occasions as well as zucchini and cucumbers. Currently the sunflower stalks are about 10 feet high and growing higher each day. The tomatoes look like bushes with small tomatoes beginning to grow bigger and bigger.

As I was reflecting on the weather in relation to these plants, I thought about the lesson it could teach me.

You see, it has been an interesting weather experience since May. First, we had lots of rain, then no rain and lots of hot sun, and then lots of rain again.

Enduring all of it were these remarkable plants. Despite the uncertainty of that weather and threat of possible insect infestations and grazing from rabbits and other wildlife, the plants did what they were called by God to do. Grow and flourish.

Despite all we humans face in the uncertainty in today’s complicated world, we should do what God asks us to do. Grow. Grow in faith.

We should not let worries cause us to lose faith. Simply trust in Jesus.

Like with a vegetable garden, we will face good times and very hard times. Through it all we are called to grow in faith loving God and each other.

May God give each of us this grace!

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Seeing Clearly

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:57:00 GMT

On June 27 and 28, we had very bad air days in Northwest Indiana due to the forest fires in Canada. I have asthma and the smoke in the air made me feel congested and uncomfortable, especially last Tuesday, where my fascination with the arrival of the smoke eventually evolved to a concern for its impact on those respiratory illnesses, including myself.

The good news is the smoke did begin to clear late Wednesday and we returned to a somewhat normal air quality. As I thought about the fact that the health experts strongly recommended everyone (especially the elderly and those with health issues) avoid prolonged time outside when the smoke was present, I felt this dilemma was like one’s faith journey in life. We sometimes can be in a “fog.” We can see in the distance the reality of one’s meaning in life and what will happen when we die, yet we become so focused on the current challenges in front of us that we fail to remember the big picture. We may close ourselves off from the graces that we receive in the sacraments and hunker down simply hoping to make it on our own another day, week, month or year. We do not pay attention to the advice our good priests give us to seek God’s help in the sacraments and prayer to enable us to see better what we need to do and what we should avoid doing that may negatively impact our spiritual health. If we listen to the advice of physicians on how to protect our medical health shouldn’t we listen even closer to the advice of our spiritual leaders on how to protect our spiritual health? May we embrace God’s grace to clearly see what we need to do.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Prayers Do Work

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:15:00 GMT

My wife, daughter and I attended a very special wedding of the daughter of a dear friend of mine who has been very seriously ill for the last 2 ½ years.

Our friend John has suffered from two bouts of recurring cancer, a heart attack, serious circulation issues in both legs (leading to an amputation of one leg from knee down and an amputation of toes on the other foot), kidney stones and numerous infections.

Over the last two years, John’s family and friends were praying very hard that he would live to see his daughter get married. His daughter had a long engagement of over two years and the hopes of John attending seemed to fade with the occurrence of each illness. In fact, there were serious doubts at times whether he might even be alive on the date of the wedding let alone attend.

All the prayers worked though. John was declared cancer free just 2 weeks before the wedding. Yet John’s strength was so spent that we worried if he would have enough energy to attend the wedding. Last Saturday the wedding was held. The bride looked beautiful and the groom very handsome indeed. For many the most emotional moment was seeing John pushed in his wheelchair holding his daughter’s hand as she walked down the aisle to be married. My wife and I fought back tears. All we could say to each other, and others was, “thank you dear God!’.

For these last many months, we asked our loving Lord to give John the ability to be there. What seemed unlikely ended up possible.

All things are possible through Jesus who loves us.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Catching Two Fish at a Time; Not Letting Go

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:57:00 GMT

Last week, I went with my wife, children, and grandchildren to Northern Wisconsin on a fishing trip. We had a very nice time together sharing the same summer cottage on a large lake called Chippewa Flowage near Hayward, Wisconsin. Each day seemed to be more enjoyable than the next. God blessed us with good weather, good fishing, and good company.

On the last day of the vacation, as we were fishing on a portion of the lake, the fishing was not as good. We were hoping to find a spot that might result in a fishing frenzy (catching a large amount of fish in a short period of time).

My wife and children are actually better fishermen than me. I simply like to cast the fishing line with a bobber attached and hope something bites the hook, while taking in God’s beautiful nature sitting on the pontoon boat we rented.

On that last day, my bobber quickly disappeared under the water and did not resurface. This usually means the line is caught in the sea weeds. But on this day, the line was moving, meaning I caught a fish, maybe a large fish. Much to my surprise I caught a pretty large northern, about 14 inches in length. As I excitedly reeled it in, I was shocked to find the line had also caught a large bluegill fish at the same time and the two were sort of tied together side by side by the fishing line.

As I untied the bluegill, the northern fell to the floor of the boat. I was able to release both fish to the lake without an injury to either and, have a “fish” story that will last me for many years to come.

As I thought about this, I thought about how Jesus holds us in His protective arms when life’s ups and downs tend to place us in unexpected circumstances. But the wonderful thing about our loving Lord is that He does not let go when we need and turn to Him. He keeps us under His protection. What a blessing! Needless to say, it makes my fishing story seam meaningless in comparison.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Weeds

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 14:08:00 GMT

I recently weeded the vegetable garden at our home on a Friday. It looked good when I finished with just the vegetable plants growing and no longer competing with the weeds for sunlight and water.

Much to my chagrin, three days later I went to water the garden again and I found about the same amount of weeds present. It seems like a gardener’s work is never done.

I was particularly annoyed to find new weeds that had vines growing that were encircling the stalks of our tomato plants. It seemed like these weeds were trying to choke away the good life of those plants. I was pleased to remove those. I could almost hear the tomato plants telling me, “Thank you for saving me”.

All of this reminded me of the devil’s constant efforts to move us away from God. The devil never rests. Even after we go to the confessional and feel relieved to know we are sin free, within hours or days we feel ourselves pulled back into the same bad habits or temptations.

Like vegetables in a garden, we must remain diligent to not succumb to the devil’s traps and sin. We must untangle the vines pulling us away from our loving God. We cannot just do this once in a while. We must be vigilant at all times.

How do we fight this battle, you might ask? I recommend the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist. The graces that we receive in this sacrament make us strong and strengthen our ability to fight temptations. I recommend seeking the help of our Blessed Mother, perhaps by saying a simple prayer like, “Blessed Mother I ask you in the name or your son, Jesus, please keep the devil away from me. I recommend the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel asking for his protection. I especially recommend simply saying to oneself, “no, I reject this temptation and move myself to the protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Parking Lot

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 17:00:00 GMT

If you drive into the Holy Martyrs’ Church parking lot and look to the east, you will see on the far east side two parking lot lights.

At the cement bases of these parking lights you will notice green plants growing through the asphalt and cement that are growing taller each week. In the midst of this cement jungle, we find life!

As we journey through life, we may feel like we are metaphorically in many “parking lots.” We go here or there. Time flies by and we wait for our number to be called to meet Jesus at the end of our lives.

Sometimes, the time we spend waiting in these “parking lots” can seem very lonely and very barren (like a parking lot).

We then may wonder why we feel so alone. We may wonder if anyone cares or notices the pain we can each feel at times.

If that thought comes to you, please always remember that you are never alone. Our loving God is never absent. He is there to bring His light to our darkness and nourish us with His graces. In Him, we find life!

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Moments

Tue, 30 May 2023 14:25:00 GMT

Last week, my wife and I attended the wake and funeral of a long time friend of ours. This person had a very special sense of humor and often was the, “life of the party”.

Our friend suffered many years from a wide variety of illnesses and over a period of 8+ years eventually all of these maladies took the ultimate toll on his body, and he died.

At the wake service and funeral luncheon, everyone told the stories of good memories and times of laughter. These were stories where our friend brought sunshine and happiness to many.

Few talked about the struggles our friend had with health and the suffering he experienced (the suffering also endured by his loved ones and friends who did not want our friend to face such misery).

We remembered the good times mostly.

In thinking about this, I believe that this is what it will be like when we meet Jesus in Heaven.

As long as we confess our mishaps or sins in the confessional and can also hopefully receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick at the end of our lives, Jesus will greet us with open arms. He died to save us from our sins. He will smile, embrace us, and recognize the good we did in our lives. He will also note the mistakes we made and then welcome us home, saying, “well done good and faithful servant.”

There is such hope for all of us as we all will face this eventual reality. We are so blessed to have such a loving God who is awaiting our meeting with Him in Heaven to review the stories that formed the moments of our lives.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Dust on My Washed Car

Mon, 22 May 2023 16:49:00 GMT

Last week, I parked my car under the branches of a tree and when I went to drive away, the birds gifted the car with various white droppings. It was not pleasant to look at. You have to love those birds!

So, I drove my car through a local car wash and it came out bright and shining.

At this car wash, one of the last solutions sprayed on the car is a liquid car wax. It helps keep the car protected from the sun and elements (probably birds as well).

It surprised me the day after it was washed, my car was already coated again with a very light layer of dust. The air probably was dirty and maybe it was remnants of the fires that have been occurring in Canada and passing through the clouds in the upper atmosphere of our local area.

As I thought about this, it made me think about our constant struggle to keep clean from sin. We go to confession and through the priest’s absolution of sins forgiven, one’s soul is blemish free. Then the world, one’s reaction to life, has a way to cause us to be less charitable and more attracted to earthly pursuits instead of heavenly pursuits and before we know it, we find ourselves not quite in the same state of grace as after having our sins forgiven through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

How do we protect ourselves from such impacts of the world? It is through frequent reception of the graces received in the Holy Eucharist and going to Confession more than once or twice a year. These graces protect us from the temptation of committing sins and keeps us shining in the presence of our loving Lord.

The word, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Looking Outside of a Window

Mon, 15 May 2023 15:24:00 GMT

My wife and I live in a modest tri-level home about one block east of the Indiana/Illinois Stateline in Dyer. As we look out the window in our bedroom, we see our backyard. In the middle of the backyard is a large evergreen tree that we planted 35 years ago when our daughter was born. When we planted the tree, it was only one foot tall and now is well over 35 feet in height. The tree is beginning to age and starting to brown at the top. We fear it may have reached its intended life expectancy and wonder if we will have it more than another year or two.

As I looked out at the tree last Monday, I felt a warmth knowing all that little tree had seen in its lifetime. My son and daughter growing from infancy to adults out on their own. It has seen birthday parties, family barbecues and celebrations, and fun times swimming in our above ground swimming pool. It has witnessed the movement of our children grow from preschool to grade school to college and beyond.

The appearance of grandchildren, started that circle of life all over again.

That tree has seen the changing of my hair and its color from rich brown to light gray with much thinning, and it has seen our beloved pets from the time we brought them home to the time that they left us at the end of their lives.

So much has been seen and so much is treasured.

My wife and I will not have another 35 years to watch another little tree grow to such an age of maturity as we travel through our more senior years.

But unlike that beautiful evergreen tree that has been with us for the last 35 years, we are humbled and find happiness and peace in reflecting how much Jesus has done for us in this timeframe. He is always there walking beside and helping us through the ups and downs of years that seem to have passed more quickly than possible. But unlike the evergreen, Jesus (the tree of life) will remain there with us on our earthly journey until that glorious day and moment of heavenly bliss when we meet Him. How blessed we are!

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Annual Planting

Mon, 08 May 2023 16:17:00 GMT

Last Friday was a beautiful, warm spring day. My wife and I took advantage of the warm temperatures to plant our annual vegetable garden.

We closed our garden last year by covering it with hay hoping that might replenish minerals in the soil with the hay slowly decomposing over the wintertime.

Unfortunately, the hay did not decompose much (note to self: do something different next fall) and we first had to scrape off the hay on top of the garden and then weed the garden. It seems the hay has weeds within it that started to grow in a number of places.

After the soil was ready, we planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, and acorn squash. Since we have little grandchildren, we also planted a row of sun flowers hoping the large flowers might impress them with their height. Another impressive fact is that the heads of immature sunflowers can change direction and track the daily change of the position of the sun in the sky. We thought that the grandkids might find that fact amazing. Their grandparents find it amazing!

This annual planting reminded me of the condition of a person’s soul. In life, we understandably tend to protect ourselves from outside forces that can either scare us or distract us from what is important. As we hunker down, we can hope we are safer but can also close ourselves off from what will help us. We develop weeds so to speak that cloud our outlook. We forget that God is present. When we remember to remove these weeds or distractions through the nurturing graces that we receive in the confessional and the Holy Eucharist, we find new life and ways of approaching life. We grow.

The result is we become more focused on the guiding light that is always present in our lives, our loving God. We then follow his light like a young sunflower and we are made better by the experience. That’s something to think about when planting a garden…

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Simple Joys

Mon, 01 May 2023 17:24:00 GMT

My youngest granddaughter is 3 years old.

My son sent my wife and me a picture of her Saturday graduating from a local swim class. She is seen smiling ear to ear over this recognition and being so honored. Her smile is so large and genuine that you cannot help but smile back when looking at it.

Simple joys.

They are all around us in life and on a spiritual journey. They are gifts from God that need to be embraced when realizing how much God loves us to give us these moments despite what we may be facing or having to endure.

A good friend of my wife and mine is dying of cancer. As I took Holy Communion to him last Monday and was about to pray with him, he asked if he could share something with me. Of course, I answered, “sure”. He then started laughing almost uncontrollably telling me how much he enjoyed my pathetic attempts to play horse with a friend on his basketball court in front of his house last Saturday. Often missing the basket. It delighted his funny bone to recall my many awkward attempts to look like I could still play basketball at the age of 71.

My friend has a few weeks to live (at most a couple of months). Yet he embraced joy despite what he was suffering and the fact that he has a short time to live.

He also later embraced receiving our Lord in sacrament of the Eucharist.
All gifts from God remind us of His love for us.

Do we embrace these small gifts when we receive them?

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

God is Present in All Things

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:53:00 GMT

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending and representing the Gary Diocese at the National Association of Diaconate Directors meeting in Florida with Father Leo Gajardo.

Father Leo does an excellent work job working with Deacon candidates who are preparing to be ordained Deacons in the Diocese of Gary.

My role is to work with Deacons post ordination in their continuing formation.

On Wednesday, we had a wonderful opening Mass presided by Bishop Gregory Parkes from the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The Bishop’s homily was uplifting and the music inspiring. It was an excellent start to the meeting. Everyone who attended seemed to be uplifted by this liturgical service.

As we walked back from the church to the hotel where the meeting was being held, some 100 men walked together laughing, conversing, and simply enjoying each other's presence.

As I looked at a palm tree on the way to the hotel, I noticed a little gecko looking at me. His head moved as I walked by seemingly interested in me and where I was going. He even seemed to smile as I walked by.

I then thought, “how wonderful is our loving God?” He is present not only in beautiful Church experiences like moving Masses, not only present in those we meet, but also present in the small loving things He shares with us each day. Small things like a smiling gecko that can often go unnoticed.

We are so blessed in the gifts God gives us!

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Raindrops on a Windshield Can Be a Prayerful Experience

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 13:58:00 GMT

Last Sunday, I arrived for the 11:30 a.m. Mass early and sat in my car saying my daily rosary. When I finished, I placed the rosary over the rearview mirror in front of me as this is the place where I keep it and then began to recite the other prayers that I say every morning.

You might recall that last Saturday was a beautiful spring day with sunshine and temperatures in the high 70s. You might also recall that Sunday was damp and much colder with intermittent showers.

As I was saying my prayers, I looked straight ahead and slowly the windshield became covered with raindrops obscuring the view of the church bell tower, church, and school. I could see vague silhouettes of these structures but basically the only thing that looked clear was the cross from my rosary that hung on the rearview mirror in front of me.

I then smiled.

Isn’t this like life, I said to myself. As we look forward on our life journeys, the way we are headed can look obscure at time with such things as random crimes and shootings, the war in Ukraine, threatened global conflicts elsewhere, the worries about the economy, perhaps worry about one’s health or the health of loved ones, or maybe the uncertainty of what may happen in the next presidential election.

I have had friends and loved ones ask me what is happening in our world. Why are so many things happening now that cause us to worry?

But, the answer to such confusion, such uncertainty, and the inability to see clearly what lies ahead, is our loving Jesus.

He brings clarity to what is and hope for what can be. Embrace Jesus. Pray to Him. He will bring light to our darkness and clear that which is obscured.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Thank You

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 14:24:00 GMT

As Father Ted expressed so well on Easter, we have a lot to be thankful for with all of the work that went into preparing for the Holy Week and Easter Liturgies. Like you, I am deeply appreciative of the quality of services in which we had the privilege to attend and participate.

What we did not have the opportunity to do was to also thank Father for his tireless efforts in coordinating and leading these liturgies. We are lucky to have such a sincere and dedicated Pastor who cares so much for us. Thank you, Father, for your excellent work and for being our Pastor. Your many efforts do not go unnoticed and are deeply appreciated.

As I thought about thanking Father and all those that helped, I thought about these words we use: “thank you.”

My mom and dad taught me in early childhood the need to use these words frequently in life. By not saying thank you, we fail in acknowledging the goodness of the other person in a willing interaction. We may be unintentionally taking that person for granted. We may lose an opportunity that may not present itself again to show our affection for the person who receives this greeting. Some such opportunities can be lost forever.

If we say thank you in our human interactions, how much more should we be doing it with our interactions with God? Thank you, dear Heavenly Father, for creating us and loving us. Thank you, dear Jesus, for dying on the Cross to save us out of that same love for us. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for guiding us in our lives and helping us to grow closer to God. Thank you, Blessed Mother, for all you do to help us and bring us closer to you, your Son, our heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit.

Let’s thank God each and every day for His love for us and for all that he does to help us.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

A Place for Everything, and Everything In Its Place

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 17:04:00 GMT

Last Saturday evening as I was getting ready to go to sleep, I sat on the edge of my bed, took off my eyeglasses, placed them on the bed’s edge, and went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. This is a daily ritual for me that works without a problem except I usually keep the eyeglasses with me and take them off to wash my face at the bathroom sink.

But I did not do that last Saturday.

As I returned to my bedroom and was about to shut off the light, I once again sat at the edge of my bed right on my glasses. I do not remember ever doing that before in my 71 years of life. Usually, I keep the eyeglasses with me and take them off by the bathroom sink. Why did I not do it this time? Who knows. As for those glasses, well they did not survive well under the weight of my growing body. The frame was twisted in one direction and then slightly in an another. The nose piece looked like it was an earring. It was another senior moment.

I then remembered what my mom and dad told me often growing up. They would say, “Tommy, there is a place for everything and everything in its place,” meaning the best way to stay well organized is to keep things in their correct positions (or place).

Isn’t the same thing true about our faith? If we do not keep things in their correct place in terms of our knowledge about what Jesus teaches us, we can become skewed and twisted in our understandings. The result is we may not see what is meant to be seen but only see what we limit ourselves to think about versus what God wants us to know.

As we approach the Holy Week Triduum and the Easter, let’s reflect on what we find in the Gospel readings and listen closely to what Father shares with us in his homilies. Let’s be left with that deep sense of wonder and awe about how much we are loved by Jesus who suffered so much for each of us to save us from our sins, and prepare a path for us to share eternal happiness with Him in heaven.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Only God Fills Our Ultimate Longings

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:59:00 GMT

Last Saturday my wife treated me to a late lunch/early dinner as were both running throughout the day attending to various obligations and had not made time to have lunch or breakfast. We went to a restaurant that had a buffet.

The food was surprisingly good for a buffet. The prime rib and turkey carving stations had meat selections that were delicious. They also had excellent salad and potato and vegetable offerings. We topped off our meal with apple pie.

We ate around 4:00 p.m. and I was more than full.

By the time it was 8:00 p.m. however, I was hungry again. I asked my wife if she would like me to run to a local sandwich place to get something to eat. She was not hungry. I went to a nearby Jimmy John’s for a sandwich.

As I thought about this I was reminded once again that the only thing that can really fulfill our longings in life is Jesus. Whatever temporary benefits we get from a good meal, an entertaining show or TV offering, the positive benefits of such things wane quickly with the passing of time.

I think the ebb and flow of such things is a blessing. It reminded me that only God can only fill our ultimate longings. His gifts are everlasting. Everything else passes with time.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered though about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

God's Patience

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 16:37:00 GMT

Do you find yourself becoming impatient with the ebbs and flows of everyday life?

Does it frustrate you when you are waiting to order food in a drive through line and the car in front of you takes a long time placing an order? Do you find yourself asking why there are so many movie previews in a movie theatre prior to the movie that you came to see begins? Are you aggravated by how long it takes a slow train to cross the tracks before your car moves down the road? Does it exasperate you when you sit in a restaurant that everyone seems to have the order taken except you even though you arrived before others? Does traffic gridlock on an expressway seem to be never ending at times?

Do you get aggravated when you have to explain your thoughts time and again on the same issue to someone who does not seem to be listening to you?

The definition of patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

I do not know about you but I struggle at times with having patience.

As I thought about it though, I was left with a sense of wonder and awe at how patient our loving Jesus is with each of us. Despite dying on the cross to show His love for us and to save us, it seems at times we can be impatient with God in seeking answers to our prayerful intentions and in surrendering to God’s will despite what we may want. Yet there is Jesus always gently waiting for us to embrace His way and to remember that way is the only way and the goal of our life journey.

The next time we become impatient, let’s offer that suffering to Jesus in thanksgiving for all He has done and continues to do for us, and then let’s thank Jesus for His patience with us.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

God's Time

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 15:09:00 GMT

Last week my wife and I visited some dear friends in Arizona.

I had a chance to hike into the nearby hills one day. I was so humbled and grateful to see God's beauty once again in nature. There were flowers blooming, tall cactus plants, rolling meadows, and mountain sheep. Everything was wonderful. l learned that it takes a cactus plant 5 years to grow 2 inches. I learned once the main plant stump is somewhat tall, it takes an additional 70 years to grow an arm. All that time to produce an amazing plant.

This reminded me once again that God's time is not our time. God slowly works in cultivating our faith to deeper and deeper levels resulting in our relationship with God growing deeper and more awe-inspiring.

The plants in nature are nurtured by rain and moisture even in places where such nourishment is limited due to dry arid climates.

How much luckier are we in receiving our nourishment from God than plants though? We can obtain it at any time in prayer. We receive it in abundance through reception of the Sacraments.

In doing so, we slowly become what God wants us to be. He is the potter, we are the clay; the handiwork of His loving hands.

Thank you dear God for loving us so much.

The noun rumination means a deep considered thought about something

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Not Only What You Do, But How You Do It

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 15:22:00 GMT

I was deeply moved by a story that an inmate at Westville State Prison shared with me last Thursday.

This inmate found that his bunkmate was in severe medical distress. He called the guards to take him to the prison medical unit as the bunkmate was vomiting deep red blood with great force or as we may call it, “projectile vomiting.”

The inmate was amazed that his bunkmate’s friends in this prison unit had abandoned him due to their discomfort seeing the blood and hearing the terrible noise of the vomiting. The inmate who was helping has often been the victim of his bunkmate’s jokes and ridicule.

Despite that past abuse, my inmate friend held the bunkmate in his arms, trying to comfort him as he was not only sick but very scared at what was happening to him.

I know the inmate who was assisting. This man is freighted by many things including germs and illness and his anxieties often get the best of him. Yet in this very unsettling situation, his response was to hold the sick man and not just call for help or abandon him like his inmate’s friends had.

Last Sunday was the feast of the Transfiguration. We learn from that Scripture that we are called to ascend to Jesus to be nourished by His help and graces and then descend back to the world with the graces we receive to help others. We learn to share our transformation through the love of God as well as our help, especially to those most in need of God’s healing. We are called not to just do the minimal but to be God’s loving hands. Like the inmate did.

I hope I can be as loving as the inmate in my life. May God give each of us that grace.

The noun, rumination means a deep considered though about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Through the Eyes of Children

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 17:57:00 GMT

Last Sunday, my son treated our family to a Bulls game at the United Center. Everyone had a wonderful time and the Bulls even won, making the gathering even more enjoyable.

This particular Bulls game was at 2:30 p.m. and was advertised as a family game, meaning there were many children of all ages present. This included my two grandchildren who are the ages of three and five. It was their first Bulls game and first time being in such a large athletic arena full of noise, lights, and attractions during breaks in the game. We had a wonderful time.

What caught my fancy though, despite all the flashing lights, music, dancers, and the game, was what seemed to cause the most joy for the two grandchildren.

The three-year-old loved just giggling and wanting to play silly games with grandma or grandpa, or their aunt, or mom and dad. The five-year-old did as well, although she did seem to enjoy the theatrics of what was happening a bit more.

These two little ladies enjoyed God's gifts in the imagery and sounds present, yet saw the value of merely being and interacting with those they loved more.

We can learn a lot about what is important from them. God does so want us to enjoy His gifts to us found in nature and the wonders developed in our modern age. Despite that enjoyment, we must always remember what is most important is our relationship with God and each other, particularly seeing Jesus in disguise in those we are with. Everything else is just the cherry on top of the cake.

This Lent, let us focus on those we encounter. Let's spend less time with video games, T.V. shows, or things that may take away from just being with each other. When we are on our death beds, we will not be saying, "I wish I had spent more time gaming, shopping, or watching T.V." We will say, "I wish I spent more time with those I loved."

The noun rumination means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Clock

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 15:38:00 GMT

Last week I stopped by a work establishment to say hello to a couple of people. I went to see these friends in their breakroom.

After my short visit as I was leaving, I commented to my friends that the clock on the wall in the room had stopped and offered to help them change the battery in it if that would be helpful.

Much to my surprise they said almost in unison, “we do not pay attention to that time.”

That response caught me off guard a bit. It reminded we that as we are in the season of Lent, time is important. We do want to pay attention to the time and season we are in. We want to intentionally make a prayerful effort to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice to save us. It was a sacrifice based on how much he loves each of us; a sacrifice that should leave us with a sense of wonder and awe.

Take time to become better people by showing your love of God in what you say and do.

This is a time to thank God for being so good to us.

May God gives us that grace.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

God is Always Present

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:27:00 GMT

You might recall in the Rumination article that I wrote for the weekend of January 22 ^nd , that I recently came back from retirement to work once again for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration who own the Franciscan Health Hospitals in Northwest Indiana. I am working for 90 days until a couple of people return from a leave of absence.

A few people have asked me how it is going. I respond to such questions stating that things are going well due to the help of all who are assisting me in getting reoriented with the things that I used to do.

I have been asked if I miss retirement. I respond that I miss spending time with my wife and family. I also miss assisting at daily Mass as a deacon and spending time in silent prayer before Mass. Last week, though, I had the special privilege of witnessing a staff member at one of the hospitals assist a mother who was grieving the unexpected death of her son.

The staff member prayed with the mother, cried with the mother, held the mother’s hand, and helped the mother find a momentary bit of peace amidst agonizing grief. I saw Jesus in disguise in the employee and felt God working through that employee to help the mother and those involved. It was a holy moment. It was a growth moment for all present, teaching us how to humbly be the working hands of our loving Jesus.

I once again was reminded to look for Jesus’ presence in our lives. He is always present. When we see him, we are left with the grace of wonder and awe. I was. I am humbled and thankful for this experience.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Retreat

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:19:00 GMT

Last weekend, Holy Martyrs and Our Lady of Consolation parishes hosted a retreat for interested parishioners. It was a moving wonderful experience enabling those present to deepen their relationship with our loving God. A number of stories were told by various presenters helping those attending to remember that we are all on a common journey working to grow closer to God, learning to love God more, and through that love show it by loving each other.

Melissa Novak did a terrific job organizing the retreat with good talks, providing time for

reflection and prayer, and creating a warm environment that helped foster sharing and building a sense of community. Whether one has the time or opportunity to participate in such offerings or simply takes time each day to reflect on God and His loving presence in one’s life, it would be good

for all of us to develop such an approach to life. Retreat from what distracts us from God. No other time could be so well spent.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Listening

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 18:09:00 GMT

Last Saturday, the Gary Diocese Deacons had the opportunity to listen to a wonderful talk on “Making Spiritual Visits to Patients”.

One of the main messages we were taught was to simply be present to the patient, whether in a hospital or nursing home. We were told of the wisdom of listening and reacting to what the patient wants to share, and not coming into the visit with our own preconceived agenda about what we would like to discuss.

We are there for the patient and not for ourselves.

We were asked to follow Jesus’ example in the discussion He had with the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ death. Jesus did not lead the discussion but simply asked what they were discussing. He added “what things” in response to the disciples’ question, “do you not know or hear about the things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth?”

I think listening is a skill we all need to develop better throughout our lives. Listening helps us understand another person better and helps one find many things that those present have in common. It also helps find a middle ground in times of conflict. If people developed better listening skills, there would not be as much anger and wounded egos in the world.

After all, we are all on the same journey to meet God in heaven. Listening helps us help ourselves and each other with where we are and where we need to be.

May God gives us this grace.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Snowflakes

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 16:15:00 GMT

You might recall last Sunday there were light snowflakes falling during the morning hours. Even though we may have been rushing here or there in the morning, taking a moment to see the beauty in God’s creation of snow was a gift that may have been missed.

It reminded me that we live in world full of so many distractions that we often forget God is constantly showering with His graces amidst the turbulence that is often encountered in our daily lives. We need only to pause and seek God’s help and then thank him for His love for us in helping us get through that which we face.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

I am Only the Steward of the Gifts Given

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:12:00 GMT

I have been retired from the Franciscan Health System in Northwest Indiana for almost three years. I worked there for 46 years.

Last week, the Sisters asked if I might be willing to help them for several months as they are facing an unexpected staffing shortage in an area where I have some expertise, yet I am retired.

I replied that I need to ask my wife if she would mind if I helped for the 3 months until the staffing issues are resolved.

Both my wife and I came to the same conclusion almost immediately. We were given a wonderful opportunity to work for the Sisters throughout our careers and owe all we have to them (and God). We could not say no.

I also felt whatever good I might have done at work was the result of gifts God gave me. I do not own them. It is my “right” to say yes or no. I am simply a steward using these abilities for Jesus’ ministry. We need to listen to God’s call, He leads, I follow.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

God's Beauty is Everywhere

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 15:29:00 GMT

My wife and I were in Mississippi last week. It was a place we always wanted to visit and we stayed in a hotel room that faced the Gulf.

The beauty of the sunrises and sunsets was breathtaking. The people we met were warm and kind.

I was reminded once again how wonderful God is in His gifts to us in nature and in the people He puts in our paths. I was reminded how much God loves us to share His creations with us.

As I thought about it I also reflected that such creative beauty is always present wherever we may be.

Thank you dear God for loving so much.

"The noun, Rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Faith, Hope, and Charity

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 17:05:00 GMT

When we pray the Rosary, it is common for the person presiding to state at the beginning of the rosary right after reciting the Apostles Creed (and before praying the first three Holy Marys), “for faith, hope and charity”.

I thought it might be helpful to reflect on what these three theological virtues mean and why they are important to understand.

Our Catholic Catechism teaches the theological virtues are the foundation of Christian moral activity … they are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as His children and of meriting eternal life (Catechism 1813).

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all he has revealed to us (Catechism 1814) …the disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it (Catechism 1816).

Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit (Catechism 1817)…it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment…buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to happiness that flows from charity (Catechism 1818).

Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves for love of God (Catechism 1822)…charity is superior to all the virtues (Catechism 1826)…the practice of all three virtues is animated by charity, which binds everything together in perfect harmony…charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love (Catechism 1827)...the practice of the moral life animated by charity gives the Christian the spiritual freedom of the children of God. He no longer stands before God as a slave, in service of fear…but as a son responding to the love of Him who “first loved us” (Catechism 1828).

Remembering these three theological virtues when reciting the first three Hail Marys in a rosary gives profound testimony to our faith in and love of God.

The noun, Rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Resolutions

Tue, 27 Dec 2022 15:42:00 GMT

Every year around this time many of us think about making New Year’s Resolutions.

“A New Year’s resolution is a tradition in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve one’s life.” Wikipedia.

I always say that I will lose weight and try to exercise more (to lose weight) or learn to pray better (especially silent prayer where I can fail by starting to think about something else aside from concentrating totally on God or worse, fall asleep when closing my eyes as I enter into God’s presence).

Even though I tend to fail at such resolutions, I still make them and try each year to do better.

That made me think of whether our Church leaders have given guidance on making “Catholic” New Year’s Resolutions (those type of resolutions geared to improving one’s spiritual life.) Much to my surprise when I googled “Catholic New Year’s Resolutions,” I found many such offerings. Perhaps you might want to do that and will find that reading worthwhile.

Such resolutions can include things like reading the Bible regularly, getting to know the saints, signing up for a Holy Hour, reading a spiritual book, committing to daily silent prayer, completing a daily examination of conscience and saying an Act of Contrition, fasting, reciting a daily Rosary, going to Mass more than once a week, going to Confession and so on. I found over 30 such worthy ideas on the internet.

Then I found what Pope Francis suggested in January 2021 that we do for that year. These suggestions are so simple yet elegant and profound in their simplicity that they could be used every year. I would like to list them here for your thoughtful consideration for 2023:

· Don’t gossip

· Finish your meals

· Make time for others

· Choose the more humble purchase

· Meet the poor “in the flesh”

· Stop judging others

· Befriend those who disagree

· Make commitments, such as marriage

· Make it a habit “to ask the Lord”

· Be happy

Wishing you God’s peace and happiness in 2023 and my best wishes for a Blessed New Year’s.

-Deacon Tom

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

Granddaughter's Recital

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 18:31:00 GMT

Last Wednesday, my wife and I were invited to a Christmas recital at our granddaughter’s grade school. My wife promised to take a sick friend to a doctor’s appointment that day, so I went to the recital alone.

My granddaughter lives and goes to kindergarten in Wheaton, so it takes about an hour to get to her school.

After I left my house in Dyer and as I was on the expressway on the way to the school, I suddenly felt a sense of panic. I could not find my phone in my coat pocket. This concerned me a lot as I promised to meet my son at his home and then travel from there together to the recital. I told my son if the traffic was bad, and I did not get to his home by 9:30 a.m., to leave without me, and to send me the address to the school on my phone.

It happened to be raining that morning and traffic was very slow. As I reached for my phone to call my son, I could not find my phone.

How would I tell him that I think I would be late? How could I find the school address as it was in a text on my phone? How could I tell my wife where I was if my son was to call her as I had no way to contact her? She would be worried if he called her. His experience at the recital would be tainted worrying about why I did not show up thinking I might have had an accident. I wasn’t even sure if there were still pay phones somewhere that I could find to make a call.

As it happened, I searched around and did find the phone slipped into my coat lining and I was able to call and get to the concert on time.

As I thought about all of this, I found myself reflecting on how lucky we are to have cell phones today to help relieve anxiety in today’s world that help us stay in contact with loved ones.

I also thought about how much this relates to our faith journey. What is it that gives us peace and a sense of security on a journey in life? How do we stay on course when life throws us a curve? It is using prayer and inviting Jesus in to help us when we think we might be lost on the way. Nothing else can help us in the same profound way.

The noun, rumination, means a deep, considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Charity

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 18:42:00 GMT

Friends of ours have befriended a family in Haiti who is living in an unsafe area and is suffering from the terrifying gang violence that you may have heard about in the news lately. Random murders and horrifying rapes are a common experience in the area where the Haitian family lives.

The Haitian family has a small child and are worried about her safety as well as their own. They feel they must move. Our friends feel compelled to try to help somehow.

They are trying to send the family a modest sum of money to help with their expenses to relocate to another area in Haiti or in the Dominican Republic that is safer.

As they were thinking about this, they told me that they prayed to Jesus asking Him if this is something they should do, and they wondered if the money would reach the family and be used for its intended purpose.

The resounding answer that that was received was, “help this family”.

So, our friends decided to send the money despite the uncertainty about its delivery. They put their trust in Jesus, and surrendered to His sacred heart the uncertainty that goes with such decisions to try to help.

Reflecting on this, I think (in a world full of so much uncertainty) the best course of action in life always is prayer and surrender to the Sacred heart of Jesus. He leads, we follow. May God give us this grace.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered through about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Untangle One's Lights

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 19:18:00 GMT

It is the time of the year when Christmas lights are going up everywhere. One of the challenges for homeowners and businesses is untangling lights that had been previously used. Sometimes it is hard to understand how the lights can become so tangled when they were so carefully wound together at the end of the last Christmas season.

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of what I found a couple of Christmas seasons ago about the origin of the use of Christmas lights. To my pleasant surprise, I found that Christmas lights were often used to symbolize Jesus, who is the Light of the World, and to help us remember the Star of Bethlehem that appeared above Nativity scene the night Jesus was born.

Reflecting on this, we are reminded to follow Jesus’ light.

Yet life’s challenges, busyness, twists and turns can make our ability to see Jesus as the true meaning of Christmas a difficult thing to keep in focus.

It is as if we get tangled up with so much activity that our vision becomes clouded or darkened, and we fail to remember that we are loved by God and called to follow Jesus. We fail to make simple time with our loving Lord to express our thanksgiving for being so loved.

So what is the remedy to help us keep the right approach to Christmas?

I recommend that we each make a commitment to receive the Sacrament of Penance before Christmas. We will receive God’s healing & special graces that help us to never forget Jesus is the reason for the season. He is the only One that can light our path and is our gift of peace.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Become Like Children

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 20:57:00 GMT

Many of the houses in my neighborhood are decorated on the outside with Christmas lights or inflatable Christmas decorations or Nativity scenes.

A few doors north of our home in Dyer lives a neighbor who goes all out with decorations. This family has every inch of its front lawn full of various Christmas items. The highlight is a laser and music show that draws people from many cities and towns to come and see it. In fact, the home is so well done, many park blocks away and walk to see the sound and light show.

Last year, I remembered watching a family walking across the sidewalk in front of our home on the way to the home with the laser and music show. As they passed by our front yard, a little 2–3 year-old shouted out from her stroller with excitement, “Look mommy, I see baby Jesus,” pointing to the Nativity scene in our front yard. The mom and dad stopped and watched their child smile and look at the Nativity scene, not interested as much in the light and sound show a few houses away.

I’ve thought about that little child a lot since then. Jesus teaches us we need to change and become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven. This little child seemed to understand what is important in Christmas, Jesus. We can learn a lot from children. May God gives us the grace to see and make Jesus the priority in the hustle and bustle of this holiday season.

The noun, Rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Season of Advent

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 15:43:00 GMT

The Advent season begins on November 27th and ends on December 24th this year.

I thought that you might like to know what the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says about Advent:

“The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of our Lord’s birth on Christmas. From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus’ promise to come back. But the scripture readings during Advent tell us not to waste our time with predictions. Advent is not about speculation. Our Advent readings call us to be alert and ready, not weighed down and distracted by the cares of this world (Lk 21: 34-36). Like Lent, the liturgical color for Advent is purple since both are seasons of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas…”

Wishing you a holy Advent season!

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

The Gift of Turbulence

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 17:36:00 GMT

A dear friend of my wife and mine is Sister Jane Marie (a Franciscan Sister we came to know and love through her Franciscan Health ministry).

Sister received a national award from the National Catholic Bioethics Center last Saturday for her leadership in Catholic Ethics. The award was given at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington DC, and I was humbled to have been given the privilege of being invited to that award ceremony.

Sister deserved the recognition for her unwavering leadership in healthcare and support of Catholic Church teaching, especially in the area of Medical Ethics. I have learned a lot about Jesus and spirituality from Sister and she was one of the people that helped nurture my calling to the diaconate.

As I was flying to Washington DC on Saturday, our plane ran into some turbulence from the remnants of Hurricane Nicole, which is still having a minor impact on the east coast.

I do not like air turbulence, I feel very vulnerable when I encounter it. I pray pretty hard for it to be over when encountering it on a plane.

As I thought about it though, it is the turbulence that we experience in life that reminds us of our need for and dependence on God. In understanding such experiences from this perspective, turbulence can be a blessing.

We know our journey in life is full of some bumps and bruises. Isn’t it in those experiences we are reminded that our current lives are not in themselves our ultimate reality or destination? Our life journeys are the steppingstones to meeting our loving Lord in heaven. I find that thought comforting. I also find comforting the knowledge that Jesus is always there when we encounter turbulence (whether on a plane or through the twists and turns of daily existence), awaiting our request to invite Him in to help us. We are so blessed indeed!

Thank you, dear Jesus, for being so good to us.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

The Meaning of the Word "Conversion"

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:19:00 GMT

One of the things I pray for in my daily prayers is the conversion of this person or that person, the conversion of sinners, and my conversion as a sinner.

For example, I pray daily for the conversion of Russian President Vladimir Putin (that the war in Ukraine end and compassionate treatment of all peoples), North Korea President Kim Jong-un (that he cease the pursuit of nuclear conflict), and China President Xi Jinping (that he does not start a war with Taiwan).

I pray for people I know in troubled marriages and for their conversion of heart.

I pray for the conversion of those who do not respect life and take it without a second thought in our cities and towns, and especially for those who believe in abortion.

I pray for my conversion to love, know, and follow Jesus better. I pray for the conversion of those who do not know or follow Jesus’ teachings.

I wondered what the Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions about the topic of conversion and I found the following which I thought would be good for us to think about:

“Jesus calls to conversion…The Human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give man a new heart…God gives us the strength to begin anew…Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by admission of faults to one’s brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one’s cross each day…”

May we pray daily for our conversion and that of the world.

–By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Encountering Fog on the Way to Church

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:03:00 GMT

Last Monday was Halloween. When I was driving to Church that day to say my morning prayers, there was an eerie fog present everywhere. It was one those days when you could not easily see anything aside from the road in front of you, and maybe a few feet on either side of the road. The stores, houses, and structures that were normally very visible were merely shadows within the enveloping mist. To be safe, one’s attention had to be focused looking straight ahead.

I thought that this is a lot like our faith journey. We know that we are on a road that leads to meeting our Lord and the end of our lives. We know this journey is full of distractions that can tend to take our attention away from what is important and ultimately lies ahead for each of us. Like traveling on a foggy road, we must keep our concentration on the destination that lies ahead, keep our focus on our loving the Lord, and know in doing so we will be safe and our reward in heaven will be great.

May God gives us this grace.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. –By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Installing Christmas Lights in October

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:27:00 GMT

Last week the weather was beautiful, wasn’t it?

I took advantage of the warm temperatures last weekend to install the outside Christmas lights on our home. I usually do this chore after Thanksgiving when it is very cold outside, always wishing I had done it sooner. I had never done this in October before, but was grateful to be doing it without having to wear gloves and a winter coat. Not withstanding this fact, please know we do not turn the lights on until after Thanksgiving.

As I did this, I also thought that this is an excellent time of the year to take advantage of going to Confession before the holidays. Confession is more than an item on the Christmas Holiday to-do list that we rush to complete. Doing it now can be a special Thanksgiving gesture to our loving God showing we want to begin to be prepared for the upcoming holidays spiritually.

I invite you to consider going to confession sooner rather than later. The special graces that we receive in this Sacrament will invigorate and strengthen us for the journey ahead. It also shows God that doing so is not a Christmas “duty” and reflects the fact that we give this special sacrament the special time it deserves.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Building an Over the Toilet Bathroom Storage Cabinet

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 16:56:00 GMT

My wife recently purchased an over the toilet space saving cabinet to store bathroom items. When the box containing was opened, it was full of a large number of parts, boards, screws, and various hardware items. It looked like it would be complicated to put together and the instructions would be hard to follow.

I decided to surprise my wife and put the unit together last Sunday when she was away running errands. What I thought might take 1-2 hours to complete ended up taking about 6 hours and my wife’s help the next day.

The directions were so complicated, yet I did succeed in constructing the unit but to my embarrassment and frustration, the final product did not look like the picture on the box in which it came.

The top part of the cabinet was supposed to have two glass doors and below it an open shelf. My finished product had the two glass doors in the middle and the open shelf on top. This made the entire unit top heavy and incapable of having the doors work correctly.

When my wife came home, I confessed that my loving effort of three hours failed and asked for her help to redo what was done incorrectly by me. We decided to wait until Monday to redo it as I was out of patience from the entire experience.

The next day we did move various parts around and were able to have a very nice cabinet unit placed over the toilet with every piece in its right place. It took 3 hours to fix what I had done the previous day.

I was so grateful to have my wife’s extra eyes, skill, and guidance to finish the project.

This led me to think how good it is to have the Catechism of the Catholic Church to find the answer to the questions we may have about our faith. Instead of winging one’s understanding about complicated spiritual matters we might not understand about our faith (like I did in part when I did not understand what I was doing in building a cabinet), we can find the guidance and answer in the Catechism. We are also blessed in having Father Ted help guide us in the matters that are hard to understand.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

The Gift of Silence

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 17:28:00 GMT

Every morning Monday through Friday, I try to start my day praying in silence at Holy Martyrs Church.

I find being silent and trying to clear my mind of distractions is a hard thing to do. My mind wanders here and there. If I close my eyes, I fight passing into sleep. I know being silent with the Lord can be a most meaningful prayer experience, yet it is a challenge.

I recently saw a comment on a blog that stated: “Silence can be God’s gift to us. Rest in God encouraged by the devotional verse, ‘Be still and know I am God’ (Psalm 46:10).”

In a book I have been reading, In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart, which is a series of written passages of Jesus talking to a monk in his silence of his heart, the monk writes Jesus saying:

“…It is in silence that I speak to souls. Those who flee silence will not hear My voice. Encourage silence and practice it yourself with a renewed dedication, for it is silence that the Holy Spirit descends, and it is in silence that He works in souls, bringing them to holiness of life, and to the perfection that I desire for each one…a prayer made with sleepiness and distraction is no less pleasing to Me than one made in alertness. Your subjective dispositions do not impede the action of My grace in your soul. Learn then to trust in Me to do the things that you cannot do yourself, and allow Me to work in you secretly…”

I like this reflection and find comfort in the psalm, “Be still and know that I am God”.

May God give us the grace to learn to pray better in silence and to listen to His response in our hearts.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

What's Important

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 16:22:00 GMT

My great niece celebrated her third birthday last weekend. Her loving parents hosted a wonderful gathering for those attending, children and adults alike.

There was a balloonist making balloon creations for the children as well as making giant bubbles to the delight of the young and old.

There were gifts, a piñata, and an amazing spread of delicious food.

I was impressed with my great niece though. She was bewildered by all of the people and activities and giggled in delight to the entertainment.

What seemed most important to her was being hugged by those she knew and watching the activities from the arms of her mom or dad.

Isn’t that what we are called to do in life? To love God and each other? That is where we find meaning. That is what my great niece showed me.

Everything else is simply the cherry on top of the cake.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

God's Magnificence

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 15:31:00 GMT

My wife, daughter, and I just returned from a short five-day trip to Oregon. We wanted to see Mount St. Helens, the ocean, the waterfalls, beautiful cliffs and trees, and the amazing sunrises and sunsets found in these backgrounds. We were touched by how beautiful God’s nature is.

As I am writing this reflection, I am seeing the sun rise. As I am looking through the window at my home, I am seeing the beautiful trees and fall flowers.

I am moved by how God’s creative hand is always in front of us. We do not need to travel here or there to see it. It is everywhere and a sign of how much we are loved by God.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Fall

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 16:53:00 GMT

While riding through Indiana over the weekend, I noticed the leaves beginning to change colors as we are in the fall season.

I was curious where the term “fall” as the name of these season came from.

Looking at the internet I learned that the name “fall” comes from the 1500s. The name is thought to originate from the fall of the leaves, in reference to the time of the year trees shed their leaves.

Also interesting is the fact that a similar term for fall is the word “autumn,” which dates back to the early 1300s and an even older term is “harvest,” the period when ripened crops are harvested.

So, such terms have been around for quite some time.

I then wondered if our church leaders have refenced the term “fall” from a spiritual viewpoint.

Remarkably and coincidentally, I found an article published on 9/19/22, wherein the Catholic Bishops state that: “The beauty of the season in many parts of the country is a great time to open yourself more to God and to join Pope Francis in praying for God’s creation. Our gratitude for plentiful harvests and the beauty of colorful leaves, early sunsets, and cooler air invites us to make some interior space to listen more carefully to creation, to each other, and to God.”

May God give us the grace to follow the Bishops’ suggestion.

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

Happy Fall everyone!

-By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Foggy Day

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 20:37:00 GMT

The noun, rumination means a dep considered though about something.

Sometime within the last week or so, I was at Holy Martyrs Church early in the morning saying my morning prayers. It was one of those days when it was very foggy outside and you could barely see a quarter of mile or so. As I sat in the pew, I was fascinated by the fact that you could not see outside every window in the church except one on the right (West side).

Outside that one window that was not affected by the fog is a beautiful tree. It was beautifully surrounded by the fog yet not obstructed by it.

I said to myself “Isn’t that like the Tree of Life. Isn’t that like Jesus?”

Life has a way of making everything seem cloudy at times. Things seem to be happening that we would not have imagined 10 years ago. There is a war in Ukraine, growing random violence, a more brutal impact of climate change than was predicted, diseases surfacing that were not present a few years ago. What we saw as a clear path is now less clear.

Despite all of this, there is always one clear way through Whom we will be ok, our Way, Truth and Life; our loving Jesus. He makes straight our path into the unknown. He makes all we face less obscure. Turning to Jesus’ Scared Heart we find the path that leads us to peace.

Thank you, dear Jesus!

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Ruminations; Becoming Aware of God's Little Details

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:21:00 GMT

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

As I am in my senior years, I am often amazed at those things in front of us that we never quite see.

For example, when riding to daily Mass, I force myself to find something on either side of the road that I might not have seen before due to not focusing on what is present. It might be a cloud in the sky, the sunrise or sunset, a new fence, beautiful landscape, new restaurant or business, simple things like that.

What I see anew is often beautiful in its presentation and I thank God for letting me see His beauty in the world around me.

God is present everywhere, always knocking at our heart and human senses to see that presence, showing us how much He loves us through His gifts that are always there before us.

Let’s make it a priority each day to see God’s presence anew and then thank Him for always being so good to us.

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Ruminations; Being Spiritually Wise

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 17:28:00 GMT

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

The word, wise, means having or showing good sense or judgement.

Last Friday, I decided to place the solar cover on top of our above ground pool. The weather was predicted to rain last weekend and to also be cold. The solar cover helps to keep the pool water from getting too cold and also protects the water from things that might blow in the sky during inclement weather, sometimes landing on top of the pool. Placing a pool cover on the pool under such conditions makes one “pool wise.”

When my children were growing up, I often talked to them about the value of being “street wise;” always aware of one’s surroundings and avoiding places where one can be the victim of a criminal encounter.

Every year, in the fall and spring, homeowners or renters are asked to be “house wise,” changing the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to makes sure such warning systems work and do not fail due to depleted batteries.

All of these calls to wisdom made me also think of our need to also be “spiritually wise.” To take the necessary steps to help grow in and to protect our faith from elements in the world that can cause it harm. We do this by recharging our batteries with the special graces we receive from God in the reception of the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. We also stay spiritually wise through prayer, reading the Bible and finding the answers we might have about our faith in the Catechism of the Catholic Faith. Let’s make being spiritually wise a constant goal in our lives.

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

In All Things, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 15:57:00 GMT

“I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!” (Luke 13:22-30)

For many years, I facilitated a support group for people who had been away from the Church and wanted to find a path back to their faith.

With every new group, inevitably someone would explain how they just didn’t feel God in their lives. I would use the example of married couples. What would happen, I asked, if when a man and a woman met, only one of them put effort into building their relationship? Do you think that couple would ever marry successfully?

Or even better, what would happen within a marriage when one spouse works to grow the relationship, but the other does nothing?

When reading this week’s Gospel from Luke, I thought of those long discussions our group would have on this subject.

What work have you put into building a relationship with God? How have you continued to nurture your spiritual life, or did your religious education stop when you received your confirmation years ago? When was the last time you asked God into your life?

I can’t think of anything scarier than dying, coming face-to-face with the Lord, and having God say to me, “I don’t know where you are from. I don’t know who you are!” Yikes!

Through the Pascal Mystery, salvation is won for all, not just Catholics, but we have to do our part. We have to put in the effort to build, grow and nurture our relationship with God.

Jesus is rather straight-forward in warning us. “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter, but will not be strong enough.”

The gate is narrow; it’s not wide-open with an assurance of an easy passage. We can’t sit back with arms crossed and moan that we can’t feel God in our lives if we make no attempt to invite God in, to marvel in God’s wondrous deeds, to allow God to see who we are, as we continue to learn more about who God is.

It’s called building a relationship. At times it will be hard (think of Jesus on that road to Calvary), but imagine the joy of being one of those going through that narrow gate into God’s embrace!

By Debbie Bosak

What we all have in Common with Mary

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 20:10:00 GMT

In All Things

What could we possibly have in common with Mary, the Mother of God? On August 15, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumpti on of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorating her being raised, body and soul, into heaven. Over the centuries, we have revered Mary (and that deep respect and honor is certainly merited) to a point where many of us forget that she is (was) a flesh and blood human, just like us. Mary knew what it was like to feel joy, share in laughter, love with abandon. She got sick with the best of us; she mourned the deaths of family and friends. Mary suffered uncertainty, doubt, fear and anxiety. She lost her beloved husband, Joseph, and then watched as her only son, Jesus, was tortured and then put to an ignoble death on a cross. When Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 12:49-53), Elizabeth notes that God had “disposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places,” speaking, of course, of Mary. Mary wasn’t a queen or an empress living a perfect life in a palace, surrounded by servants, riches and opulent luxury. Mary might not have lived in dire poverty, but, like most of us, she wasn’t deemed as rich in material belongings. Her husband worked hard as a carpenter; Mary worked just as hard beside him tending their home and raising Jesus. Mary was rich in all the things that mattered Mary’s unshakable faith made her remarkable, and her heart was filled to overflowing with love – of God, family and others. Even though life handed her some very human rough times, her faith in God never wavered. Mary was a simple girl from an insignificant part of the world, at a rather unimportant point in history, when God chose to be the mother of His son. Of course, God raised her body and soul to greater glory in heaven. On this celebration of Mary’s assumption into heaven, let’s continue to revere Mary in her glory, but let’s also honor her in her humanity. As awesome as the Mother of God is, we shouldn’t forget that she’s also one of us. Mary serves as an example to us all that with God, all things are possible. Her trust in the Lord never wavered; we can only try our hardest to do the same.
By Debbie Bosak

Ruminations; Life Can Be Fragile

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 20:04:00 GMT

The noun, rum ination, means a deep considered thought about something.

Last Saturday, my wife felt that she was suffering form some sort of indigestion. What first was discomfort morphed into pain, a visit to the ER, a diagnosis of an appendicitis, and then emergency surgery on Sunday to remove the appendix. Thanks be to God the surgery was successful and my wife is feeling much better and now going through the normal healing phase of recovery.

That experience made me think that life really can be described as fragile. At one moment all seems to be going well then something occurs with one’s physical, financial, or emotional health and one’s world gets turned upside down. Time then seems to freeze wondering what may happen next and worrying about how things will work out.

Such experiences are good reminders that we are on a journey to God. Day to day activities as important and necessary as they may be only point us to the ultimate reality in life: this is not the destination, but a waystation in time leading us to the glorious time we will meet Jesus in heaven.

We need to keep our guard up and live good lives. None of us know when we will be called to meet our loving Lord. We need to be constantly prepared. May God give us this grace.

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Ruminations; Learning from others Examples

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 19:20:00 GMT

We Can Learn a Lot from One’s Good Example

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

An old friend of mine (who was also a work associate) died last week and his funeral service was Sunday. He was a man of deep faith and a holocaust survivor. I admired him and was saddened by his passing.

His daughter gave a wonderful eulogy talk about his love of God, terrible experience in the concentration camps in World War II, his ability to work through all of that, his amazing work ethic, and the inspiration he was to so many who had the privilege to know him.

As I thought about what the daughter had said I was struck by the priorities he made in his life: faith in God, love of family, fraternity in treating everyone with dignity and respect, and fortitude through facing so many challenges yet not being negatively defined and impacted by the worst of times he faced in early life.

His daughter spoke of the lessons he taught so many in always turning to God for help, the need to treasure family time and to use it to talk about values and what is important in life, the need to work hard giving one’s best, and the need to see goodness in people.

We can learn a lot from such people. I know I do.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Rumination; Distortion

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 14:50:00 GMT

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

The word, distortion, means the act of twisting or altering something out of its true, natural, or original state.

Last Sunday our two grandchildren, ages 3 and 4, came over to swim in our above ground pool. With their little water wings and under the careful watch of their parents, aunt, and grandparents these two little ones laughed with glee at the simplest things such as jumping in the water or splashing.

On the side of the pool, we have three windsocks, one shaped like a fish and two like eagles. These colorful decorations blow in the wind and help keep ducks from using the pool as their new home. The movement of the windsocks frightens them so that they do not land.

My older granddaughter asked why the windsocks were present and we explained to keep ducks out of the water. My granddaughter then asked with innocent concern what do we do when we catch the duck in the windsock. We smiled at her innocent imagination and explained that we do not catch them. We just keep them from landing. With that answer she smiled as if to say, “Good…I am glad that they do not get hurt.”

As I thought about this, I thought how we all need to follow my granddaughter’s approach to life when we have questions about our faith. We should not be tempted to unintentionally distort the truth in guessing answers with statements that might seem reasonable. We should ask those who know the answer.

We should turn to the Catechism of the Catholic Church to find the answer.

May God gives us this grace.

by Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Ruminations; This is Your Life

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 20:10:00 GMT

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

Last Saturday my wife, Marilyn, and I attended a surprise 75 ^th birthday party for a friend of ours.

Our friend’s wife put together a skit which she called, “This is Your Life.” For those of you who are older you might remember that this was a TV series many years ago (1950’s) where someone’s life was shared through the eyes of others, reflecting on what that person accomplished or did.

For our friend, Pat, there were 7 different speakers that talked about things from childhood, high school, college, early married life and finally the events shaping Pat’s golden years.

What was most striking is none of the speakers really talked about the trips the person had taken, the prestigious positions on boards or organizations that the person had held, or the wealth the person may have.

What everyone talked about was the Pat’s kind heart, devotion to his Catholic faith, charitable way of treating others, and how knowing that him made others better people.

What I reflected on while listening to the various segments is that what you have is not important, but who you are.

Today would be a good day for each of us to reflect on who we are, what we do and how our efforts support Jesus’ ministry on earth.

By Deacon Tom Gryzbyk

In All Things

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 19:59:00 GMT

“Take care to guard against all greed . . .”

Over the years, I’ve heard some people wonder how the weekly Gospels apply to our daily lives. Well, this one hits the bullseye, and provides much food for thought and self-reflection

According to Luke’s Gospel this weekend (12:13-21), someone asks Jesus to tell the man’s brother to share his inheritance with him. Jesus answers that he is not the arbitrator in the matter, but uses the request as an opportunity to teach an important life lesson.

“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

That’s a hard one to embrace because we love our possessions, don’t we?

In fact, very many today define themselves by how much “stuff” they have accumulated.

Jesus offers the parable of the rich man who has an abundant harvest, so much so that it would overflow his current barns. What to do? His solution? He will tear down those barns and build even bigger ones to store his stuff. Problem solved! Then he will be able to eat, drink and be merry. In other words, his possessions will make him happy.

He will be deemed successful. If it’s true happiness he seeks, he is doomed to failure. So often we hear people mutter that they have “outgrown my house.” What does that really mean? They physically still fit into the house. What doesn’t fit is the continuing pile of possessions, and if they are to gather more, they need a bigger house.

Who really “needs” a 10,000 square foot house? That isn’t a home, it’s a monument to one’s own vanity.

Jesus tells us that God says to the rich man, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?”

We leave this world with exactly what we had when we entered it – absolutely nothing. Each and every one of us, regardless of our imagined rank in society.

So, what can we consider and meditate upon this week?

How do you determine your own worth? Is it based on how much money you have sitting in the bank, or the size of your house? The cost of your car? Your success in business? How much power you hold over others? Is this how you judge the worth of others around you?

Your own answers might be hard to admit, so then consider this. What would Jesus say matters to God?

If we’re looking for an answer that will address the reality of our daily lives, it’s right there in the Gospel.

By Debbie Bosak

In All Things

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 17:51:00 GMT

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Do you ever wonder if God gets tired of listening to us? I know that I would certainly get tired of listening to my same old prayers over and over again.

When I was six or so, my neighbor down the street got a brand-new bike. That bike was the most glorious thing I had ever set my eyes upon. Large fat tires, gleaming handle bars, shiny red paint, a front basket to carry important things, and a bell to warn others who might get in the way. But I think what was most impressive to me was its size. It was the biggest honking bike I had ever seen.

I wanted one, never mind that my neighbor was a six-foot teenager.

And so, my campaign with my father began. I asked; I dragged him down the street to see for himself. I left pictures I had cut out of a catalogue and strategically placed them around the house (e.g., in his coat pocket, on his chair at the dinner table, etc.). When I became desperate, I would whine. I was without ceasing!

My father listened patiently. I can't believe I didn't become annoying at times, but he listened patiently. Of course, he knew that I could never handle a big bike like that at my age, but he listened and determined what I needed. My birthday in June was coming up in a month, and when I woke up that morning, I found a shiny new red bike waiting on the front sidewalk, and it was just my size. (Yes, it had a horn and a basket!)

If I had just mentioned it once in passing, my father might have dismissed it as a passing fancy. Instead, through my persistence, he heard, he listened and he determined how to fulfill the "want," giving me what was best.

God our Father is like that. The worst thing we can do is pray once, and then whine to ourselves and others that God doesn't hear our prayers, so why bother? God wants to hear from us. God wants to know what we want; God then determines our needs. God wants us to pray without ceasing.

God might not always answer our prayers the way we want, but God always answers and gives us exactly what we need in the moment.

Never stop praying!

By Debbie B osak

Ruminations; Perseverance

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 20:32:00 GMT

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something.

Last Sunday, my wife and I went with our daughter to a golf driving range. Our daughter, Mary, had never hit golf balls before and was curious how she would do trying the sport. We purchased two buckets of practice balls to hit.

We showed our daughter how to hold the golf club, what posture to try to maintain, and similar basic information. Mary did as well as would be expected in hitting a few good balls now and then and not doing as well hitting others.

It began to rain when we were there, and I suggested maybe we might call it a day. Mary had about a basket of balls left to hit and suggested we wait for 15 minutes or so to when the weather forecast indicated it would stop raining. The rain stopped as was forecasted. By the time Mary was done, she was hitting the ball about 125 yards in a reasonably straight manner about 33% of the time, which is pretty good for a beginner.

This reminded me of faith journeys. We need to put in time learning about God and growing closer to Him to grow in faith. We should not get discouraged that doing so takes time and effort. We should not get discouraged when storms or challenges in life seem to distract us from making progress.

Putting in the work and seeking Jesus’ help will pay dividends in our relationship with God over time. The reward in doing this will give us benefits exceeding our wildest hopes and expectations.

Nothing is worth more than that effort.

In All Things

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 16:28:00 GMT

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things." (Luke 10: 38-42)

By Debbie Bosak
I have to be honest with you. Whenever I hear this week's Gospel from Luke (10:38-42), I find that I'm one of the few who has empathy for Martha. Let's set the scene. Sisters Martha and Mary, along with their brother Lazarus, were dear friends of Jesus. On this particular day, Jesus, along with his twelve apostles, stopped by for a visit. Phones hadn't been invented; the Internet and emails were unheard of. Shoot, there wasn't even a Pony Express. So obviously, these thirteen hungry, thirsty, tired men just showed up unannounced. What would you do if a group that large just suddenly showed up on your doorstep with an expectation of hospitality? My first thoughts would be what I am going to feed them? Do we have enough wine for them to drink? Is the house presentable for company? Where the heck is my sister? (Actually, my sister would be at the head of the line to step out and lend a hand when needed.) Martha found Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to him speak, and she was miffed. "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?" For years I've tried to make peace with this Gospel, because I agreed with Martha. Years ago, there was a family friend who was often at our gatherings. However, when it was time to do the clean- up, she would walk around looking busy, when in actuality, she never lifted a finger to help. It grew majorly irritating over time. Somehow, though, I suspected that I wasn't supposed to side with Martha because Jesus answered her frustration: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. . . . Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." Of course, sitting at the feet of Jesus is the better part of anything. Who wouldn't want to sit at the feet of our Lord? But I still understand where Martha was coming from, especially since none of those strapping young fisherman were indicating any willingness to pitch in and help. Can there possibly be a compromise in my thinking? Here's what I finally came to understand from this Gospel. Worship and hospitality; the two go hand-in-hand. We need to be both Martha and Mary. We sit at the feet of Jesus when we celebrate the Eucharist, when we pray, when we live good lives. But that's not all our Lord expects of us. He also is watching to see if we extend ourselves to others. Do we live with hospitality in our hearts? Our worship should always lead us to a life of service. Worship and service. By embracing both, I believe our Lord Jesus smiles knowing that we finally "get it."

Get too close to the fire and you will get burned

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 17:04:00 GMT

Don't get too close to the fire or you

will get burned

The noun, rumination, means a deep considered thought about something. You may have seen in the news, there have been several incidents this summer where a tourist came too close a buffalo in Yellowstone National Park and was gored. Not heeding the warnings and regulations at the park, the tourist would get within six feet or so from the buffalo to take a picture causing the buffalo to become irritated and react. The rule is never to get closer than 25 yards or 75 feet from a buffalo. As I thought about this, I saw a similarity to our spiritual lives. The devil is very clever and is always enticing people to do something that can cause one to sin or tempting someone to see how far one can stretch what they are doing just stopping short of sinning. The crazy thing about coming close to doing something we know is wrong is sometimes the momentum is such we cannot stop. For example, we tease someone until she or he explodes or gets hurt and then an argument ensues. Or we think we can handle one more alcoholic beverage and then find ourselves impaired. Or we see a member of the opposite sex as an object of fantasy versus a person with dignity with so much more worth than what that person may look like. Or we stop saying daily prayers one or two days due to being tired and then develop the habit of praying much less often, perhaps only on Sunday. We need to avoid temptations before they get out of control. Remembering the adage, “get too close to the fire and you will get burned”. May God give us this grace.

In All Things

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 21:37:00 GMT

Come, have breakfast!"

"Come have breakfast" are not quite the words you would expect coming out of the mouth of the Savior of the world. Yet again, they're exactly appropriate. How can one not smile when reading that phrase from this week's Gospel from John (21:1-19). Not only that, but it's Jesus himself doing the cooking! Sometimes Catholics don't put enough thought, enough effort, into the importance of hospitality, and that's exactly what Jesus was about in so many ways. Think about your own life. You run into an old friend at the grocery store one morning: "Let's stop for a cup of coffee and catch up." A neighbor calls out over the fence on a warm summer evening: "We're cooking out, come join us!" A nearly grown grandson stops by unexpectedly one morning: "Come, have breakfast!" We bring food to comfort grieving friends. We share pints of ice cream with a sister crying about a breakup. We make casseroles and baked goods for church potlucks. Gathering over a meal is a part of the tapestry of our lives. Sharing at table is a way to connect, grow closer. It's a way to enter into the lives of others. Over a meal, that which is so familiar, so ordinary, becomes a sacred moment in time, the stuff of which priceless memories are made. We become part of a divine presence by ourselves being a presence to others. Jesus knew this. Our Lord wants us to find him in the routines, the patterns, of our lives. I don't think he wants us to countdown the days pining for what will be in the life to come, as awesome as that might be. He first wants us to look around and find heaven in what we have right before our very eyes. Shouldn't we be looking into the eyes of others and there find Christ? Jesus said it well to Peter and the disciples that chilly morning on the beach with the tantalizing smell of sizzling fish filling the air. "If you love me, feed my lambs." God wants us to not only gather once a week for the breaking of the bread at Mass, but to also see the many opportunities for Eucharist in the ordinary of our lives. We need only to be part of the community, but also strive to build it. God wants us to joyfully gather at table in so many ways. The opportunities are right there for the taking. "Come, have breakfast!"

In All Things

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 21:30:00 GMT

"As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road . . ." (Luke 19:28-40)

By Debbie Bosak
Palm Sunday. What started as Jesus entering Jerusalem in glory to the cheers of the adoring crowds ended in such tragedy. How could things go "south" so quickly? With the benefit of hindsight, we know that Jesus entered the city to face what was to come on Calvary. We focus on our Lord, along with the great pain and suffering he was about to face. Even worse, he seemed to know what was to come. The physical pain our Jesus suffered was horrific. I have to believe that the emotional pain was just as bad. Betrayal. Cowardice. Hypocrisy. Scripture tells us that as he rode the colt into the city, the road was lined with people spreading their cloaks on the road and waving palm branches. Palms at that time signified victory, triumph, and ironically, peace. Where were all these adoring people when the soldiers came to take Jesus away? Did any of them stand up bravely to testify on behalf of Jesus at his trial? Their cries of joy rang out on Palm Sunday, but where were their cries of outrage on Good Friday? I often wonder if the outcome would have been different if all these folks came together to say no, this is not going to happen to this man. Would the world be different today? Silence can sometimes be just as injurious, just as painful, as physical violence. Silence can kill. That, I think, is one of the things we might ponder this coming Good Friday. Sure, it's easy to be filled with sorrow for something that happened to Jesus centuries ago. We can tell ourselves that because it's in the past, there's nothing more to be done. But how often in our lives have we stayed silent instead of speaking up when we see an injustice? How many times have we looked the other way when we see a homeless person without so much as a smile? Do we have a care for the person begging for food? Do we offer support for the child or young person being bullied? Do we reach out to those grieving in silence? How often have we stood in solidarity for others in need? I believe that by making an effort to be there for others, we are indeed standing as Jesus for others, even all these years later.

"I am the resurrection and the life. . ."

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 17:00:00 GMT

Phone Alert

By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

May 1, 2022

The noun rumination means a deeply considered thought about something.

Last week, my cell phone notified me that I was out of storage space and that I needed to erase things that might have been stored on my phone.

I never had to do that before, and found pictures and videos that my children and grandchildren have sent me going back to 2018.

As I began to erase old recordings and messages, I faced the question of what to keep and what to let go. It may sound easy, but as I get older, I find I become more sentimental of past memories, many that bring smiles and a gratefulness about what I have experienced in my life.

This made me think about how grateful I am for God's movement in my life, and the many people and events that have helped my faith to grow, be it the bishops, priests and religious sisters who I know or have known, or be it my wife, family members, friends or co-workers whose faith has been a motivational element moving me closer to Jesus.

This movement is not a coincidence or unexplainable set of random variables that life gives us. It is God gently, constantly and intentionally calling us to become what we are destined and expected to be - his loving children.

Thank you, dear Jesus, for being ever present along with the Father and Holy Spirit in moving us to you. Your involvement in our lives is the reality we need to reflect upon and cherish, so much more even than the photographs that define the times of our lives.

Deacon Tom

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If You Do Not Like the Weather

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Bernadette the Musical

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Pope Leo's Message for Lent

Recognizing God

“Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgment, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves”.

“Let us strive to measure words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media, and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.

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Malfunctioning Heat

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No Coincidence

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Being Forgotten

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Living a Life with Love

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Eulogy

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Weather Forecasters

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Dove and Fog

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The Lone Buck

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Broken Sunglasses

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God Bless Our Sisters

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A Clean Lawn

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Shedd Aquarium

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Vacation

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Radishes

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Scratched Watch

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