The Deacon Dave & Layperson Lisa Show

Cardinal Sarah talks about how images are drugs that we can no longer do without because they are everywhere.  It makes me think of how often we are more present to the screens around us than God’s Presence or the people that God puts along our path to encounter.  We are assaulted by images everywhere we go.  At restaurants there are sporting events on the screens around us, we go to the gym and t...

Our society is overloaded with images.  Cardinal Sarah talks about our how eyelids remain incessantly open and are forced to look at a dictatorship of images that detest silence.  What works for me is to close my eyes so that I can more clearly hear and see God.  Sometimes during Mass, when I am feeling distracted, I will close my eyes during the homily so that I can just focus on the teaching tha...

Cardinal Sarah is speaking specifically to the point that we have lost our awareness of the seriousness of sin and much of this has to do with the inundation of what we talked about in the last episode. Our eyes no longer can find restful areas of darkness. In fact, we have become so use to the light that darkness, that quiet time with God, can feel uncomfortable! I was driving home the other day,...

In this segment, Cardinal Sarah is talking about the onslaught to purity of heart through our sight. I immediately think of Time Square in New York City, where is it just flashing lights and signs everywhere.  We were recently in Madrid Spain over the summer and in the busy downtown district it was exactly the same! So much noise through our eyes! There is a subversive vibe to everything we watch...

Layperson Lisa calls me Docile Deacon Dave Delights Deos. It truly does delight God when we spend time in silence just listening to Him and letting Him fill us with His Wisdom and Knowledge. Cardinal Sarah mentions that God is the Potter and we are the clay and that he can mold us if we do not put up obstacles or refusals. We can even create obstacles and refusals even in the midst of trying to en...

Jesus frequently withdrew from the crowd and went away by himself to pray and be with Father God. He would go into the desert without food or water and many times alone. Have you ever had to be alone, hungry, and thirsty? I have and it was not fun. The thirst and hunger pain consumed my thoughts, and I could not concentrate on anything else. But eventually there came a point where those thoughts w...

Have you ever played the game Jenga? This game is a tower of stacked blocks where each player takes turns removing blocks from the middle of the tower without allowing the tower to topple over. It calls for thought, patience and understanding the foundation. Players are not allowed to remove blocks from the top of the tower only from the middle. So, each player works to pull blocks without the tow...

Cardinal Sarah reflects on the powerful prayer of our Pope Emeritus Benedict 16th. He refers to the term adoration - deep love and respect and worship. For me, adoration is a very important part of my faith where I spend time with God just giving Him thanks and praise. But I am often reminded that in these same moments, He is gazing on me, spending time with me in this very intentional way. I was...

In this section, Cardinal Sarah continues to talk about those whose sole mission is to pray as pillars of the church. In this context, those who pray are supporting the work of the church and its mission through their constant intercession with God. This made me think of the many ways we are all called to be pillars in different aspects of our life. As a son, father, deacon, business owner, I am c...

Those called to the contemplative life, often live behind the scenes.  Contemplative nuns are silently praying for the world throughout each day, but most of the world does not even know of their vocation.  Who are the people in our lives, that work behind the scenes?  Let's give thanks and praise to God for them and the love they have for the Body of Christ through their humble acts of love....

I may be aging myself when I say that I have been fouled by a door-to-door salesman. No, they do not do that anymore, but they did when I was less experienced. These nifty salesmen would talk all about how great their product was, how it would change your life. They got you full line and sinker. You would agree to purchase the product, sign on the dotted line. The salesman would leave your house a...

A balance of silence and speech is necessary. Too much talking can lead to ineffective listening. Often when we talk too much, we fail to effectively listen and not just hear words, but understand the meaning of the conversation. Have you ever spoken to someone, and they look at you and say, Excuse me what did you just say? Or they say, sure, and they did not comprehend a word you said. As a worki...