ENLIGHTENED IN ATONEMENT TO REJOICE IN THE LORD..............

Sincerely atoning for our sins and seeking to  be reconciled with God and one another for the serious breach  against our relationships with the Divine, as well as the rest of Humankind, we have caused by  either sins of commission or omission , the Lenten Season provides us with the ample opportunity to be enlightened and purified, thus ready and enabled by God's Grace to resume our  rightful responsiveness as Disciples of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus The Christ. Atonement, turning away from  sin and radically changing our hearts, by melting the selfishness and replanting the selflessness of unconditional love and compassion in our consideration and outreach to others, will provide us with the enlightenment to truly rejoice in the Paschal Mystery of the Lord Jesus.  As we near the most sacred days of the year giving life to the Passion, Death, and Resurrection, of our Redeemer Jesus The Christ, how bright is the light of Atonement shining on your journey of Lenten self sacrifice and reconciliation ?..............fr.tdp

CARRYING OUT THE PRACTICE OF LENT AS A TIME OF ENLIGHTENMENT PURIFICATION..............

Crossing over the halfway point of Lent 2014, as the Elect for Christian Initiation at Easter  are undergoing the rites of the Scrutinies, all Catholic-Christians are summed to the Purification and Enlightenment that purges us from sin and  continues the radical change in our hearts, so that we can repent  and  return to focusing on and following the way of the Lord Jesus and Discipleship we share with the  Divine  for our Salvation.  Taking our relationships with God The Father, Jesus Our Savior, and their Sanctifying Holy Spirit, is the vital connection  we need to effectively experience a renewal of Faith and Fidelity to Gospel Values with purified hearts and enlightened minds, dedicated to God's  Greater Glory and the Common  Good of Humankind.  On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, with three weeks  to the Solemnity of Easter Sunday how is the personal and communal renunciation of sin  and renewed faithfulness to answering God's Call impacting our lives as we seek to be enfolded anew, in the Redemption of the Paschal Mystery ?..............Father Troy David

IS AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION REPORT AND NEWS CONFERENCES ENOUGH TO CLEAR GOVERNOR CHRISTIE ?..............

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been declared unaware of the George Washington Bridge imbroglio perpetrated by members of his staff and state appointees, according to the findings of an internal investigation the Governor's Office commissioned and cost New Jersey taxpayers $1 million.  Whether an internal investigation carried out by a law firm that has direct ties to the Christie Administration which exonerates him, prevails while a New Jersey Legislature probe and a Federal U.S. Attorney investigation of the Bridge scandal continues, is yet to be determined.  Governor Christie responded to the internal report by holding a news conference Friday afternoon, in which he came across as the old Christie, bold, strident, and in your face with reporters, and his appearance on Saturday at the Republican Jewish Coalition gathering in Las Vegas Nevada at the invitation of lucrative GOP donor Sheldon Adelman, in the so called, 'Adelman Primary', where he was in attendance along with prospective 2016 Republican presidential candidates, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush,- sends the message Christie is moving forward with a possible bid for President.  The credibility and validity of the Dunn and Gibson law firm's Washington Bridge Report may have given Governor Christie temporary reprieve and the chance to redirect his actions and focuses, but it is highly unlikely in and of itself, to vindicate him..............fr.tdp

EXPERIENCING THE CLOSENESS OF GOD'S KINGDOM HERE AND NOW..............

Seeking to experience inclusion in the Eternal Kingdom of God Almighty is the paramount goal of Catholic-Christians.  Seeking God's Kingdom requires us as Disciples of God's Son Jesus The Christ to take a serious and committed journey of Faith.  A Faith journey of ongoing Conversion in the Lord and Repentance from our sins.  It is a continuous life long seeking and striving to reach; and it is our Lenten journey in every Springtime of the Church,  As  Lent 2014 reaches the halfway point, how transformative is your seeking to draw ever closer to being included in God's Kingdom of Eternal Life producing lasting fruit ?   Remember as we proceed through the second half of this Lent that praying, fasting, and giving alms, are indispensable components of the Journey of Faith we are set out upon..............fr.tdp

PRESIDENT OBAMA MEETS WITH POPE FRANCIS IN THE VATICAN

After attending meetings with other G-7 Nations in the Netherlands, President flew to Rome where he has his first face to face meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis, at the Vatican.  The President and the Pontiff met for 50 minutes and spoke about imminent International concerns and Economic Justice, an issue of priority concern for both the Pope and the President. according to statements issued by both the White House and the Holy See. The topic of Religious is believed to also have been discussed.  Beyond any exchange over the Pope and the Catholic Church's consternation with the Contraception Mandate in the Affordable Care Act Law, mutually held concerns over Income Inequality, Nuclear Weapons, Human Trafficking,  Immigration Reform, and Conscientious Objection, were matters they discussed.  In an exchange of gifts Pope Francis presented President Obama with a copy of his Apostolic Exhortation, "The Joy Of The Gospel"; and President Obama presented Pope Francis with a box made from wood from one of the United States oldest churches, and in the Wood Box are Seeds planted from the White House Garden..............fr.tdp

HOW HOLY ARE WE AS GOD'S CHILDREN AND EVERYDAY CHRISTIANS ?..............

Answering the Call to Holiness being the core practice as the People of God Vatican II teaches the Church to fulfill, Lent is an excellent time to take inventory of just how holy we are as God's Children in proactively responding to the Holiness we are called to incorporate into the fabric of our Discipleship.  Jesus The Christ accepted suffering, dying, rising, ascending. as Holy and Perfect He is as the Second Person of the Eternal  Divine Trinity; all the more reason we as Believers and Followers have the mandate to make ourselves Holy in Living our Faith through Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving, during Lent; and in our ongoing actions of Selflessness, Generosity, and Spirituality, as Catholic-Christians everyday throughout the year.  What is the state of your personal Holiness as we sojourn through the Lenten desert of self denial and redirection in answering the Call to Holiness ?  Repentance and Conversion will assist our ability to attain it, but Action is necessary to achieve the Holiness God and the Church desires for us.  If you have not already, spring into action in wholistically answering the Call to Holiness today..............fr.tdp

THE ORDINATION OF AUXILIARY BISHOP-ELECT COTTA ON THIS ANNUNCIATION SOLEMNITY..............

On this day the Universal Church commemorates the Fiat of the Blessed Virgin Mary in responding Angel's appearance to her with the Annunciation of the Lord - her unconditional Yes, in becoming God's co-worker in the fulfillment of the Paschal Mystery of Salvation will be exemplified today in the Diocese of Sacramento at the 2 p.m. Ordination of our new Auxiliary Bishop.  Reverend Monsignor Myron Cotta. Vicar General of the Diocese of Fresno, 26.5 years a Priest of Jesus Christ in his native San Joaquin Valley of California, will proclaim another Yes, to the Lord and the People of God and be ordained by Sacramento Bishop +Jaime Soto, with  principal co-consecrators, Bishop Joseph Madera, who ordained +Cotta to the Priesthood in 1987; and the current Bishop of Fresno + Armando Ochoa.   Attending and concelebrating Bishop Elect Cotta's Ordination with my brother priests from Sacramento and Fresno, and the other bishops present in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, in downtown Sacramento; I will blog again tonight on today's Episcopal Ordination.  As we the People of God respond to the Annunciation of the Lord, in what ways are we following the example of our Blessed Mother Mary, in saying Yes to God's Call to Salvation by Faithfully Witnessing and actively ministering in the Name of the Lord ?  Happy Annunciation Solemnity Day..............Father Troy David

DISCIPLES OF JESUS WHO EMBRACE THE NEW EVANGELIZATION..............

Catholic-Christian Evangelization is the spreading and sharing of the Good News of the Life, Ministry, Suffering, Death,and Triumphant Resurrection in God's Eternal Kingdom of Life and Love.  Evangelization has been at the heart of the Mission oF Catholic-Christianity for the more than thousand years since the Paschal Mystery of Christ and His Founding of the Church. Much of the uniqueness of the New Evangelization is the critical need we have to re-Evangelize the already Baptized and otherwise sacramentalized members of the Church who are under catechized, only occasional attendees, or fallen away, and or detached, from the practice of our Catholic-Christian Faith and Discipleship.  I will be blogging much more on the necessity of the New Evangelization as Lent and the approaching Easter Season proceeds.  Have you, are you, will you, embrace the "New Evangelization", and the "Gospel Of Joy" ?..............fr.tdp

THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT - JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AT THE WELL..............

Recognizing and bringing to realization our Reconciliation with other people and our relationship with Jesus the Christ is adroitly addressed on thus Third Sunday of Lent by the John's Gospel Proclamation of Jesus Meeting the Samaritan Woman at the Well.  Jews and Samaritans in what was the first century of Christianity, had no dealings with one another to the  intensity of each despising the other.  Thus this woman of Samaria, who was five times married, was astounded that Jesus, a Jewish man asked her for a drink of water, conversed with her, did not condemn her, but assured her He would become Living Water for her and all Believers in Him.  Jesus responded and interacted with the Samaritan Woman in the Gospel, with the Mercy and Love of God.  The flowing openness of the merciful and loving Jesus shows to her melts the closed heart and opens her mind to receiving and accepting the quenching of her thirst to be freed from her captivity and isolation from a wholistically fulfilling. life.  In turn, she be an evangelist for the good works Jesus did for her, which testified to Who He Truly Is and converting the hearts and minds of others towards embracing Jesus The Christ.  In Lenten Repentance and Conversion, which of our sins do we need to quench out by by drinking of the Living Waters Jesus offers us to share ?  How  positively are we proceeding in finding the cleansing of God's Mercy and Love, as we interact with Jesus at the Well of our own Human Thirst for a Right and Just Relationship with the Divine and other Humans ?   Take a lead from the Samaritan Woman today and this week and accept them Living Waters Jesus is offering us to drink by acknowledging our need to renounce our sinfulness and faithfully follow our Lord and Savior Jesus The Christ..............Fr.  Troy David

GOD DOES NOT ABANDON US WHEN WE ARE TRUE TO THE GOSPEL..............

The Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus The Christ teaches us Crosses of suffering and sacrifice are a reality of the human condition.  We can either strive to rise above and overcome them or be conquered by them.  God's Plan for the Salvation of Humankind is that we persevere in Grace and Good Works in bearing the crosses pressed down on us and not giving up or giving in to allowing those personal crosses to vanquish us.  Like the millions of persons with Disabilities and Special Needs in the World I too, have contended with that personal cross all my life, both with Faith in God, and the Body of Christ -the Church, the Co-Eternal Son Of God founded on Earth, I have constantly persevered to do that as a Priest of Jesus Christ for what is now 27 Years.  That includes the heaviest cross of my life - the past 2 years and the indignity of being diverted into a retirement community without being a retired person and having my priestly ministry minimized.  But my belief in God's Call and my dedication to my Vocation as a Priest assures me as indeed it must others with Special Needs, that although other individuals and institutions may distance or divert themselves from us, the worldly powers that be. cannot and will not cause God to abandon us, for if we remain true to the Values and Teachings of the Gospel, God Who is Perfect Love will remain true and ever by our sides.  Whatever crosses we are laden down with as Disciples of Jesus The Christ, will not defeat us if we remain constantly courageous in our convictions to answering God's Call and carrying out our share of the Gospel Values we are initiated to bear Faithful Witness to daily.  I will continue to do that and urge you to discover the ways you too can rise above your crosses and with Fidelity to God's Call remain True to the Gospel in your own journeys of Life and Faith..............fr.tdp

FAITHFUL WITNESSES OF THE ACTS OF THE JESUS THE CHRIST..............

The actions of Jesus during the three years of His Public Ministry just prior to the experience of Passion, Death, and Resurrection, 2,000 Years ago - were steeped in teaching and forming the Twelve Apostles and His very first Followers and in healing the Sick, reaching out to the Poor, the Outcast, the Marginalized, and the Disabled, with compassion and caring.  He preached the Commandments anchoring them in the two Great Commandments of Love; and proclaiming the Beatitides; as what we have come to know and experience as pearls of Christian Wisdom.  Jesus Christ is an advocate of welcoming and incorporating Sinners as well as the Righteous into the Community of Believers who are God's People, with Forgiveness and Redemption, for everyone who is reconciled and united with Him.  Therefore, as Disciples of Jesus The  Christ now in 2014 of the Year of Our Lord, striving and succeeding in accomplishing the same Divine Truth ?  How is the Catholic-Christian Church He founded eradicating all vestiges of Discrimination, Prejudice, and Exclusion, while being the bearers of Inclusion and Empowerment of all who sincerely seek the opportunity and unity that Jesus came to accomplish ?  How are each one of us in the Church from Pope, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Religious, Laity, or the Least likely of  Persons, contributing to the holy example and vision that God's Co-Eternal Son, the Lord of Life, and the Savior of the World, - Jesus The Christ of All Creation exemplifies and expects of us ?..............fr.tdp

THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPEAN UNION ANNOUNCE INCREASED SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA OVER UKRAINIAN ANNEXATION..............

President Barack Obama following up on the Executive Order he issued Monday placing targeted Sanctions against 11 officials in President Putin's Government and inner circle in Russia, in result of the invading and annexing of the Ukraine to the Crimea, announced further Sanctions against Russia leveled at more persons and one key Russian Bank that facilitate support for Putin's actions violating the autonomy and independence of the Ukraine as a sovereign nation since 1991.  Today's further economic Sanctions by the United States joined with greater such restrictions being placed on Russia, while proceeding with diplomatic efforts in defense of the Ukraine will be the major focus of the newly revised G-7 Meeting in Europe next week, that Russia has been excluded from in the aftermath of the past three weeks.  Also today the Russian Government imposed their own brand of Sanctions on Americans, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker John Boehner, Senator John McCain, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, and White House Advisors Dan PFeifer, and Ben Rhodes..............fr.tdp

ST. JOSEPH'S HOLY EXAMPLE OF ATTENTION AND RESPONSE TO GOD'S WILL..............

The Universal Call to Holiness is at the core of what Vatican II, the most recent and twenty first Ecumenical Council in the Catholic Church's History, primarily directs and forms us as Disciples of Jesus Christ to follow.  St. Joseph of Nazareth, the Universal Patron of the Church, whom we commemorate on this Solemnity, exemplifies for us the reality and quality of Holiness we must embrace as Catholic-Christians.  The fidelity to answering our Call to Holiness St. Joseph lived by as the Husband of Mary and the Foster Father of Jesus in the Holy Family, can no more be discounted or dismissed than the teachings of reform and renewal promulgated by the Second Vatican Council and our interpersonal and mutual response can be to the Universal Call to Holiness.  Listening to God in Prayer; Discerning God's Will by the formation of our Conscience; and Taking Action to increase the Sanctity of our individual and community-wide practices of being attentive to Self Revealing Love of the Lord, and in responding to what we are being welcomed to do by God, as St. Joseph did unconditionally; are the guiding lights we must incorporate in daily living the Call to Holiness.  May we adhere to to the holy example and faithfulness St. Joseph lived as we strive to become increasingly proactive persons of Holiness as the People of God..............fr.tdp

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN SIGNS TREATY WITH CRIMEAN LEADERS ANNEXING THE UKRAINE..............

Following Sunday's vote in the Crimea, on taking away the independence of the Ukraine as a sovereign country since the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet  Union in the 1990's and placing it again within Russia; which passed by a favorable vote by Crimeans of 95.5%, and strongly opposed and declared illegal by Ukrainians, the United States, European Union, the United Nations Security Council, minus Russia, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization member nations - was responded to today by Russian President Putin's signing of a Treaty of Annexation, with Crimean officials.  Delivering a lengthy speech asserting Russia's right to fold the Ukraine back into Crimea and the Russian Federation, as a part of Russia - Putin maintains it has always been a part of Crimea / Russia historically.  The USA and the EU yesterday imposed a first level of sanctions on Russian leaders and have vowed to increase the degree of these sanctions against Russia and President Putin should he and his Government not desist from proceeding with the suppression and occupation of a free and independent Ukraine.  American Vice President has flown to Eastern Europe overnight to confer with the Leaders of other countries in the vicinity, including Poland, Estonia,and Latvia, among other Baltic countries..............fr.tdp

SURPASSING 150,000 BLOG PAGE VIEWS..............

Insights Into Life And Faith By Father Troy David Powers on Google Blogger crossed over the 150,000 page views in all time history tonight, two months before its 5th Anniversary on April 19th. Thank You to all of you who are my blog readers around the World.  I am hopeful to continue blogging about an expanding plethora of topics integral to the Life, Faith, and wholistic Human Experience..............fr.tdp

AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON RUSSIA OVER THE UKRAINE..............

President Obama and other European and World Leaders imposed initial Sanctions against Russia this morning following yesterday's vote in the Crimea to break with the Ukraine and be joined again to Russia, following Russian President Vladimir Putin's order to occupy Kiev / the Ukraine two weeks ago at the conclusion of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.  Freezing passports, visas, financial transactions, and product merchandise have been put in effect immediately against eleven persons in Putin's inner circle, who, "undermined the sovereignty of an indeppendent nation".  Further blogging about this in coming days..............fr.tdp

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT - BEING TRANSFIGURED IN JESUS THE CHRIST..............

Entering the 2nd Week of Lent on this Sunday, we hear Matthew's version of the Transfiguration of Jesus proclaimed.  The Transfiguration Event occurring on a high mountaintop in the presence of Apostles Peter, James, and John, displays a foretaste of the Glorification Jesus receives in the fulfillment of the Paschal Mystery of His Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.  It also is a further attestation of the Divine Sonship of Jesus The Christ by the Heavenly Father.  As Jesus was transfigured in the presence of some His key Followers prior to his Crucifixion and Death, to assure them and all who Believe in Him to trust in God's Will for us and our Salvation; how are we as Catholic-Christians transfiguring ourselves for and in Christ Jesus this Lent ?  A dozen days into this journey of Repentance and Conversion how productively are you transfiguring yourselves away from the selfishness of Sin and back to being centered in the God of Creation Who sets us free and redeems  us ?  The Transfiguration of Jesus previews for us what our Humanness will look like in Eternity.  Seeking to embrace future glory in and with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, make the remaining days of Lent a shared Retreat of shedding the obstructions to Holiness and Fidelity, in order to fully become God's Easter People of fully Living Faith..............Fr.  Troy David

REPAIRING RELATIONSHIPS AND THE POWER OF LOVE..............

Lent being the Springtime of the Church when through Repentance and Conversion, we blossom and grow a renewal in our relationship with God and others requires our willingness to repair whatever breach exists and open ourselves up to repairing and resuming a Christ-like response and interaction with one another.  As hard as we may try, all of us sometimes fall short of honoring and maintaining our relationships with both the Divine and our fellow Humans.  Thus Lent gives us a concentrated annual opportunity to correct our faults and close the divisions that exist between, committing ourselves renewed to building up our spiritual and interpersonal relationships in self-giving ways that help us contribute to constructing the Coming of God's Kingdom in Eternal Life.  As we end the 1st Week of Lent 2014, how is your commitment to removing and repairing the breaches in your relationships happening ?  Are you putting your Faith in Action by seeking to reconcile yourself with God and Others ?  Now is the time to concretize your Contrition and active Outreach, allowing the Power of Love to lead you forward in repairing and realizing authentic and flowing Relationships..............fr.tdp

LENT RECONCILES US TO SEEK GOD'S KINGDOM FIRST..............

If we are to truly reform, renew, and reconcile, our Discipleship with Jesus The Christ this Lent we must clear the clutter and cast off the obstacles of self-centeredness that have accumulated as a wedge in our relationships with God and others and free up that place in our lives to reach out and make seeking and building the Kingdom of God, our first and foremost consideration as members of the Body of Christ.  Unless we are faithfully and fluently concerned not only with the temporalities on Earth, but with the Eternal Truth of God's Kingdom, how can the lives we lead in the present be complete and fulfilling in leading us forward to an infinite share in the Kingdom of God ?  Lent gives us a springtime to blossom a renewal to righteously seeking and putting the coming of God's front and center by food works of Faith, Fellowship, Charity, and Generosity.  Are you making Kingdom consciousness and action a priority of your Lenten observance ?..............fr.tdp

THANKS BE TO GOD FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF POPE FRANCIS' PONTIFICATE..............

One year ago today the Catholic Church and the World were introduced to the 266th Successor of Saint Peter, Cardinal Archbishop +Jorge Bergoglio, of Buenos Aires, Argentina; who became Pope Francis.  As Pope Francis he is very effectively awakening and renewing the Institutional Church to its true and proper purposes and challenging all Catholic-Christians whether they be Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Religious, Ministers, or Laity, to reject and  remove the Corruption, Cover-ups, and Careerism, that diverts and disrupts Gospel Values and Faithful Witness of Discipleship.  Pope Francis has also communicated and exemplified with humility and a generous spirit the Compassion, Mercy, Acceptance, Outreach and Inclusion, of All Peoples, that we as Christian Disciples are to practice without prejudice or discrimination.   To be bridge builders of renewing, reforming, and realizing relationships with the Poor, the Sick, the Disabled, the Marginalized, to those of other Religions, those who are Homoosexual, to Non Believers and to Atheists, as we acknowledge and affirm the Dignity of the Human Person.  Pope Francis is also being the strongest possible unconditional proponent and advocate for Social and Economic Justice for all Peoples.  Recalling Catholic-Christians that the Teachings of Jesus reigns above and beyond other philosophical, political, economic, models in determining the responses and practices we carry out.  Pope Francis is a true gift of the Holy Spirit whose election and ministry as Supreme Pontiff is bringing renewed Hope, Inspiration, and the restoration of what is mutually and universally Right and Just, to both the Faithful and to the Fallen Away.  The "Francis Effect", as the First Year of his Pontificate has been described, has been and will continue to be fruitful because of the personal connection people feel with him as the Vicar Of Christ , who sets aside pomp and privilege, living and reaching out with simplicity and directness daily; practicing what he preaches and professes by his own lifestyle and continuous communication of Living Faith.  My perseverance as a disabled priest is being bolstered and further inspired by the example Pope Francis is setting for I fervently believe if he were aware of my current status, he would see me restored to regular priestly ministry in a parish assignment as being disabled is not a disqualification.  A few weeks ago Pope Francis pronounced that "health does not determine the value of a person".  Yet that has not been my reality the past two years.  Gratified the Holy Father cherishes those with Special Needs like myself  and proclaims we remain valuable persons not undesirable commodities.  The Dignity of  All Humankind and the Continuing Conversion and Fidelity of the People of God who Profess Discipleship in Jesus The Christ, is at the core of the Servant Leadership of the Church and the World Pope Francis is providing us.  Thank God for +Francis 1st Year as Holy Father.  May Lord continue to Bless him, Protect him, Preserve him, with a length of years that will fully Reform, Renew, and Rectify, the Catholic Church, eradicating sinful selfishness and restoring the righteousness of dignity and justice in all its works.  Long Live Pope Francis !  Happy 1st Anniversary !!..............Fr. Troy David

TWO YEARS OF BEING SIDELINED IN A SEA OF SENIORS FOR WHAT AND FOR WHY ?..............

Two  years ago today I discovered myself sidelined from the parish priestly ministry which I have committed myself carrying out since my Ordination to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ as a native born, local grown, vocation of the Diocese of Sacramento.  I was thrust from my parish appointment as Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda / Elverta / Robla / in Sacramento; and insensitively and prematurely, at 55 years old thrust into a senior citizens retirement residence where the other residents are decades older than me and where my priestly ministry  has been minimized.  Why I am here and remain in these surroundings without the opportunity to carry out the regular weekly ministry as a priest of presiding and preaching at Mass in an assigned setting and taking full part in parish life if not as Pastor or Parochial Vicar, then as a Priest In Residence, is frustrating and perplexing.  Especially given the capabilities I retain and the verification of my doctors that I am fit for such parish ministry and that there is no reason for me to be residing and warehoused in a sea of seniors.  Yet, here I am two years and counting striving to persevere in the priestly ministry I remain committed to serving.  The frustration of being dealt with in this manner is a great disappointment as never in my life as a disabled person have from birth, have I before treated by the local Church so indifferently and as though I am disqualified rather than disabled.  The unofficial, piecemeal, priestly ministry I have been allowed to do during this time is insufficient to my abilities and opportunities to effectively minister, just  as I have for more than two and a half decades in twelve diocesan parishes.  In prayerful discernment and with the affirmation and encouragement of a growing circle of friends and former parishioners, I have been seriously considering other options to further and strengthen my ability to productively, proactively, proceed in actualizing the fullest service possible as a disabled but still enabled Catholic Priest, fruitfully functioning outside this unnecessary personal purgatory.  In coming weeks, months, and years.  I will embrace opportunities focused particularly on Ministry to the Disabled in the light of the New Evangelization and with the inspiration of the National Catholic Partnership for Disability and the affirmation of Pope Francis' proclamations of Inclusion for all, especially those of us who are Disabled Persons, seeking the full accessibility and opportunity to participate in the Church in the fulfillment of our Baptism and Vocations as Catholic Christian Disciples and Servant Leaders of God's People.  Pray For the Sacramento Diocese, our National and Universal Roman Catholic Church, that the Inclusion and Empowerment of those of us who are Disabled  and have Special Needs may be equally, fairly, justly, welcomed and brought to fulfillment..............Reverend Father Troy David Powers

THE SACRED MYSTERY OF PRAYER IN LIFE AND FAITH..............

The first essential linchpin of a productive observance of Lent is the  commitment Catholic-Christians make to Prayer.  Prayer is the lifting of our hearts and minds to God.  Communicating our Praise, Petitions, Contrition, Supplications, and Thanksgiving, for the Blessings and Particular Needs of Life, Faith, Family, Health, Economic Stability, our Life Vocations, World Peace, and Social Justice, among the intentions and intercessions for which we pray...

HE R.C.I.A. RITE OF SENDING AND ELECTION..............

The First Sunday of Lent opens the period of Purification and Enlightenment for the Catechumens and Candidates for Christian Initiation this Easter, with their Sending to the Bishop for the Rite of  Election.  Last night the Sacred Heart Parish R.C.I.A. gathered in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento, with the other parishes of the greater Sacramento County area, for the Rite of Election with Bishop Jaime Soto presiding.  By my count, there were 199 Catechumens and 176 Candidates present at the evening celebration, the last of 3-4 celebrations of the Rite of Election held on Saturday and Sunday...to be continued...........

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT - THE DESERT OF SELF SACRIFICE THAT LEADS TO THE DESSERT OF GOD'S KINGDOM..............

The Gospel Proclamation on this 1st Sunday of Lent, Matthew 4:1-11; speaks of how Jesus journeyed into the Desert for Fasting and Prayer, following His Baptism in the River Jordan and before beginning His Public Ministry.  Jesus made this desert journey at the Holy Spirit, where he contended with the Temptations of Satan,  just as we the Disciples of Jesus The Christ and members of the Church He founded, are sojourners in the desert of Repentance, working to avoiding the Temptation to sin,  as we strive to answer God's Call to Continuing Conversion.  Our  observance of Lent allows us to closely examine our Baptism and the commitment to Life in Christ it signifies.  Lent provides us with a yearly season to see and set our hearts and minds away from the resistance to our relationship with the Holy Trinity and the People of God by the selfishly wrong choices we have made.  Through our own self sacrifice and by praying more for others as well as ourselves that we do God's Will; fasting from food, drink, or activity, in order to redirect our ability to focus on God and the needs and suffering of others; and to generously respond to those less fortunate than ourselves by our self giving donations to feed, cloth, house, of some of those in real need of these basic staples of human life.  By faithfully journeying through the sacrificial, repentant, desert of Lent - opens to us the opportunity to share in the ultimate, possible, dessert - an everlasting sharing in the Life of God's Kingdom of Love.  As you join yourself with Jesus and other Catholic-Christians during Lent 2014, what sacrifices and acts of self giving are you willing to make, as you Repent for your sins and Change the interior disposition of your hearts ? Let this First Sunday and Week of Lent actualize the commitment to sacrifice and self giving you make..............Father Troy David

THE 2014 PARALYMPICS OPENING IN SOCHI OVERSHADOWED BY CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE UKRAINE..............

The International Paralympic Committee, which provides Olympic styled competitions for Disabled Athletes, have gotten underway in Sochi, for the duration of March 7th-16th. 550 Athletes from 45 Nations, will be competing for 72 Paralympic Medals in 5 Sports.  The 5 Sports the Paralypians will vie in are : Alpine Skiing; Biathlon; Cross Country Skiing; Ice Sledge Hockey; and Wheelchair Curling.  The NBC Television Networks and its affiliated cable networks will be providing coverage of the Paralympic Games.  More to Come in the days ahead as these Disabled but Enabled, competitive International Athletes take part and medal in the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi Russia.  I will be watching and hope you will too..............Father Troy David

A SEASON FOR MELTING OUR STEELY HEARTS..............

Just as Pope Francis denied being a Superman, "man of steel", on Ash Wednesday, so too, we must deny ourselves during Lent, so as to break the erroneousness of our steel and hardened hearts, that shut out the Divine and other persons as we become absorbed in ourselves and the stubbornness and willfulness that results from it.  Steely Hearts only grow harder and more removed from God's Will and selfless interactions with persons other than ourselves or those who are willfully self centered themselves.  The Divine Intention is to cast Mercy and Compassion upon us to melt our steely hearts.  But as Repentant People of God, we must have, "humble and contrite hearts", that are open and engaging with God and others, if we are to live the Catholic-Christian Faith.  On this Friday After Ash Wednesday, what initial progress have you made in organizing the undergoing of your personal and communal Lenten journey of Repentance ?  The lessening leading to the elimination of the steelyness  your own heart is the primary barometer of how transformative this Lent can and will be for you and me and all who adhere to the Living and True God of the Universe..............Father Troy David

POPE FRANCIS' OPENING MESSAGE FOR LENT 2014..............

Opening his first full Lenten Season as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis reminded the repentant and the entire World on Ash Wednesday yesterday, of the importance of remaining humble and selfless servants of God - citing portrayals of himself in recent months.  Pope Francis who has been featured by some as a superhero and a rockstar, for the truly positive response and connectedness with an incredibly large band of humankind; Catholics, Christians, other Religious Believers, Atheists, and the Alienated and Detached, - clearly stated in comments he made in an interview with an Italian newspaper expressed his displeasure with the mythmaking surrounding him, finding it, "offensive".  Pope Francis said,
he is not, "a sort of Superman", but that the Pope is, "a man who laughs, cries, sleeps calmly, has friends like everyone else, in short - is a normal person".  In his Ash Wednesday Homily at Mass in Saint Sabina Basilica on Aventine Hill in Rome, Pope Francis proclaimed the need for Catholic-Christians to embrace the traditional actions of Lent : Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving, in order to, "wake up...and help us see the need that God can give us the strength to change our lives and surroundings".  Stating, "Lent comes providentially to reawaken from our lethargy", Pope Francis urged us to avoid the worldly seduction of defining success by possessions instead of the interiority of our hearts.  "What matters is not appearances and the value of life does not depend on the approval of others or of success, but on what we have inside".   Replenishing what is inside of us in Faith, Hope, and Love, signified and actualized by our Lenten practices of self denial will cleanse and change our hearts..............Father Troy David

LENT OUR FORTY DAYS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF REPENTANCE AND SELF SACRIFICE..............

Today, Catholic-Christians Worldwide start an excursion of 40 Days of acknowledging and eradicating the presence of sin and selfishness in our lives during the Season of Lent.  As Disciples of the Suffering Servant Who is the Savior of Humankind, we falter and fail on our own due to our fallen human nature and its inclination to cause us to stray from what is right and just in our relationships with The Divine God and with other Humans.  Thus Lent, calls and allows us to discover and undergo what St, Paul scripturally proclaims in 2 Corinthians to be the, "Acceptable Time", to Repent of our Sins, and through acts of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving, rend our hearts of self absorption and insensitivity, and re-establish our relationships of caring and sharing especially with generosity and outreach to the poor and less fortunate.  Ash Wednesday opens the door and refocuses our opportunity to, "Turn Away From Sin And Be Faithful To The Gospel", some of the words used as ashes are imposed on our foreheads today, signifying that we are penitents setting out on the journey of Repentance and Conversion anew.  How will this Acceptable Time of Lent impact and change your relationships with God and Others ?..............Father Troy David

MARDI GRAS THE THRESHOLD TO THE FORTY DAYS OF LENT..............

HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ASKS PRAYERS FOR THE UKRAINE AS UKRANIAN ARCHBISHOP WARNS OF THE DANGER FACING HIS COUNTRY..............

THE EIGHTH AND LAST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME 2014 PART ONE..............

RUSSIAN LEGISLATORS GIVE PRESIDENT PUTIN APPROVAL TO FORCEFULLY PUSH THE UKRAINE..............