SACHEART DADS GROUP STARTS FIVE WEEK DISCUSSION ON POPE FRANCIS' "GOSPEL OF JOY"..............

UNDERSTANDING THE RESURRECTION IN LIGHT OF DISCIPLES PAST AND PRESENT..............

HOW THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHANGES US AND THE WHOLE WORLD..............

THE OCTAVE DAY OF EASTER 2014 AND THE HISTORIC TWO POPES CANONIZATION..............

CLOSELY FOLLOWING THE COVERAGE LEADING UP TO TOMORROW'S PAPAL SAINTS CANONIZATION CEREMONIES..............

EASTER FRIDAY AND HOW THE RESURRECTION INCREASES OUR CALL TO HOLINESS..............

SOLEMNITY OF EASTER WEEK AND POURING INTO MY CUA D.MIN. STUDIES..............

Week 4 of my postgraduate studies with the Catholic University of America, in these weeks online, are streaming forward quickly now through May 31st, and then there will be  two weeks of residential study at CUA, in Washington, DC; followed by five more  weeks online, through August 20.  In this first year of the Doctor in Ministry (D.Min degree) course of study in Pastoral Care, the three classes my fellow students and I are enrolled in are in the Theology and Religious Studies Department are -  Caring Conversations; The  New Evangelization; and Spirituality in the Workplace.  I am very pleased for having this productive opportunity to further my education as a priest in such a meaningful way that will expand my capability to more effectively minister to those with Special Needs and the spread of Disability Ministry in the Church..............Father Troy David

EASTER WEDNESDAY AND THE PASCHAL LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM POPE FRANCIS AND BLESSEDS JOHN XXIII AND JOHN PAUL II..............

On this Solemnity of Easter Wednesday as we approach in about ninety hours from now, the Canonization as Saints of Blesseds Pope John XXIII; and Pope John Paul II; we as the Paschal People of God, Faith and Life Lessons to embracing the New and Risen Life of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The emerging Pontificate of our present Holy Father Pope Francis, who will preside at the Canonizations of his two predecessors, also illumines us and all peoples as to the power of the Resurrection in our lives.  +Angelo  Roncalli, who became Pope John XXIII, October 28, 1958-June 3, 1963; who  called and opened the Second Vatican Council, was a man, priest, bishop, of great Faith, enlightened Vision, and deep Humility. + Karol Wojtyla, known as Pope John Paul II, October 16, 1978-April 2, 2005; who proclaimed the work of the New Evangelization, was a man, actor, priest,  and bishop, whose extensive world travels as Pope made him a spiritual and pastoral leader for others in the Church.  His Holiness Pope Francis is teaching us daily what humble and faithful dedication to our Catholic-Christian Faith and Discipleship means for us and others, as we simply but profoundly witness to the Risen Christ. as he himself is powerfully exemplifying.  May these contributions of Living Faith by these three Supreme Pontiffs inspire us to do even more to fulfill God's Call this Easter and always going forward..............fr.tdp

THE EASTER SIGNIFANCE OF DANCING WITH THE STARS AND THE BOSTON MARATHON..............

What significance does Season 18 of the television show, 'Dancing With The Stars', and the 2014 Boston Marathon ran yesterday, share with Easter and the Paschal Mystery have in common ?  The answer  is : New Life.  The New Life of Christ's Resurrection is reflected in New Life exemplified by Bostonians and those participated in yesterday's annual Patriot's Day Run, after last year's wanton bombing of the  Marathon that killed three persons and wounded/maimed more than two hundred others...New Life. "Boston Strong".  That New Life is also being emulated the past six weeks by  Amy Purdy, Olympian / Paralympian of Team USA.  Despite the loss of her feet, wearing a prostehic on both feet, with intensive practice and skill, she is succeding weekly through the competition and will go into Week 7 of the 10 week competition, with a legitimate shot at the finals and  the championship.  Go Amy ! Keep Going Forward !!..............fr.tdp

EASTER MONDAY AND THE EFFECTS OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS ON GOD'S PEOPLE................

Easter Monday  being the second day of the Glorious 50 Days of the Paschal Season shines the Light of the Risen Christ upon in splendor and joy.  As we  embrace the fullness of the Paschal Mystery given to all Believers in the Resurrection of Jesus The Christ, during the Easter Season may we wisely accept the  grace of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts and Fruits that define our Salvation.  The primary effect the Resurrection of Jesus provides us, is the ability to be Ambasssadors for Christ to others.  How have you begun to achieve this yesterday and today, and in what ways will you do so, between now and Pentecost Sunday ?  Do not merely put the Joyful Glory away, or hide it under a bushel basket of mortal clutter, but let it shine out brighter and brighter and grow in the Light of the Lord thats builds you and me a  place in God's Everlasting Kingdom.  Alleluia ! Alleluia !!..............fr.tdp

EASTER SUNDAY 2014 A.D. - THE GLORIOUS RESURRECTION OF JESUS THE CHRIST ALLELUIA !!!..............

Dying for the sins of Humankind Jesus The Christ is the perfect Lamb of Sacrifice.  Rising from the dead Jesus is supreme Victor conquering sin and mortality as the Redeemer of Humankind.  Easter Sunday the Day of the Resurrection of Jesus, Son of God and Savior of the World, has come and Christ Is Risen ! He Is Truly Risen  !!!  On this day the first of days in Salvation History, Jesus The Christ fulfilled the Paschal Mystery and opened God's Kingdom to all persons who Believe and Follow the way of Discipleship to Eternal Life.  As the Glorious Light of New Life in the Risen Christ shines forever brighter on this 1st Day of the Paschal Season may our hope in sharing in the Resurrection grow stronger during the 50 Days of the Easter Season 2014. Alleluia !!!..............Fr. Troy David

FIVE YEARS AND 159,000 BLOG POSTS VISITS - APRIL 19TH 2009 - 2014..............

This Holy Saturday / Easter Vigil / Nightwatch of the Resurrection, April 19, 2014; has triple meaning in my Life, Faith, and Catholic-Christian Ministry.  First, as it is for all Disciples of Jesus the Lord of  Salvation, the beginning of the third day of the Sacred Easter Triduum.  Second, it is the 28th anniversary of the day my St. Patrick's Seminary classmates were ordained Transitional Deacons.  Third, it was 5 Years ago today, that I began this blog, "Insights Into Life  And  Faith By Father Troy David Powers".  I give  Praise and Glory to God for these blessings and opportunities to serve and to help lead the People of God in the Ministry of the Catholic Church and particularly in ordination to the Priesthood of our Risen Redeemer Jesus Christ.  Acclaiming Alleluia For the New and Risen Life Jesus shares with us..............Rev. Fr. Troy David Powers

HOLY SATURDAY A TIME OF SOLEMN ANTICIPATION IN JESUS' PROMISE...............

Holy Saturday, the day bridging the Passion and Death of Good Friday and the Glorification and Resurrection, of the Redeemer of Humankind, is a quiet day that results in a highly celebratory night.  Other than rehearsals for the Rites of Christian Initiation and sacramental Confessions, the only Liturgy celebrated today on Holy Saturday, is the Easter Vigil Service tonight after dark.  It is a day of preparation for the Great Feast of Easter.  Our Eucharistic celebrations of the pinnacle of the Paschal Mystery Easter Mass on the Solemnity of Easter, and preparations for whatever Easter Meal we will share tomorrow, are key focuses today.  May the quiet serenity of the Sacred Triduum's day between the days be abundantly, gracefully yours..............fr.tdp

GOOD FRIDAY - DAY OF SORROW...DAY OF JOY..............

On this second day of The Easter Triduum, as we continue the one, great, Liturgy of the Paschal Mystery of the Lord Jesus, we reverence the Wood of the Cross that Christ bore in enduring His Passion and Death for the Forgiveness of our sins.  The sorrow and separation caused by the divisiveness of Sin between the Divine and Humankind, could only be bridged and reconciled by a perfect sacrifice of atonement.  God's Saving Son Jesus, was Anointed by the Heavenly Father  to be offered up as the Suffering Servant Whose Sacrificial Death and Glorious Resurrection makes perfect Atonement and garners our Redemption.  Thus, what first seems  to be a day of Sorrow, Good Friday is actually a day of Joy.  A day of Joy for having our sins  forgiven; and a day of Joy for the selfless, accepting, willingness of Jesus as God's Son to be laden down, with a heavy Cross for us and all Believers who acknowledge and follow Him as our Lord, God, and Redeemer..............fr.tdp

POPE FRANCIS' HOLY THURSDAY HOMILY ON THE INSTITUTION OF THE PRIESTHOOD..............

Celebrating his second Holy Thursday, the first day of the Easter Triduum 2014 A.D., His Holiness preached at the Chrism Mass, consecrating the Holy Oils as the Bishop of Rome today, of the sacrificial and at times unpleasant, responsibilities of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, but also affirmed the joy and fulfillment it brings when the priests ordained by the Church are focused on caring for the People of God.  The Mass of the Lord's Supper he presided at this evening, was again not celebrated in a Roman basilica, but this year  in a Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Persons and the Elderly, at which he washed the feet of both women and men..............Father Troy David

WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK IN SEARCH OF THE OF RISING ABOVE THE SELFISHNESS OF SIN..............

During the past year Espionage has been much in the news given the activities and disclosures emitting from Eric Snowden, et al.  This Catholic-Christian Wednesday of Holy Week is traditionally called. 'Spy Wednesday', as the Gospel proclaimed today, Matthew 26:14-25; shares how Judas Iscariot spied on and agreed to betray the Lord Jesus.  Spying, as such is not limited to the  scale it is shown to have occurred by Judas or Snowden.  How often do we or other persons spy on the lives of other people daily by the prying, gossip, or inordinate concern,  about who they are ?, what they do ?, where they go ?, who they spend their time with ?, ecetera.  To some degree we  all do.  Having spent the past twenty five months surrounded by a sea of citizens, I have become more aware how prevalent it is.  It has caused me to question why any of us chooses to spend our time letting our curiosity  grow so out of proportion, so as impose our untoward focus on others.  It doesn't help us, benefit them, or do other than betray God's Will for us and all Humankind.  By  spying on other persons this way we become more like Judas than we become  more like Jesus.  As we seek the goodness Catholic-Christianity can bring us and our adherence to Jesus provides us.  Building up relationships with others, not denigrating or prying into them, will prevent us  from becoming another Judas Iscariot and betraying the purpose and meaning of our Discipleship in Christ..............fr.tdp

ENCOUNTERING THE JUST ONE WITH GOD'S GRACE..............

The immemorial Son of God; the prophesied  Suffering Servant for all  Humans; the Just One of Creation; is Jesus The Christ the Lord of Salvation whom we honor and adore as our Redeemer for accepting and carrying out His Heavenly Father's Will in the Paschal Mystery by embracing Passion, Death, and Resurrection, for us and for all sinners.  As Catholic-Christians we have observed the Forty Days of Lent in order to be reconciled with God and returned to Holiness in the Discipleship of Jesus we need and seek.  Jesus, The truly Anointed One by God the Father, is the Just One of Salvation who imparts God's Grace upon us if we are willing to encounter Him sacrificially and sacramentally.  As we make the sacrifices necessary for our sins and celebrate and affirm the sacraments that strengthen  and sustain us with the goodness of a vibrant relationship with the totality of God in Christ, may the Blessings of the Just One be yours and mine this Holy Week and Easter Triduum..............fr.tdp

MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK AND THE CROSS THAT LEADS TO LIGHT AND SALVATION..............

Jesus, the  Co-Eternal Son of our Heavenly Father carried the wood of a heavy Cross as an integral component of the Mission of Redemption and Reconciliation He accomplished through the Paschal Mystery.  Our sins and the sins of all Humankind increase the heaviness of the Cross of Christ that led to His ignominious Crucifixion and Death.  As we accept accountability for our faults and failings and carry our share of the wood of the tree Jesus bore, let us do so with confidence and hope that the sacrifice and self-giving we share for God's Greater Glory and the Common Good of others in addition to ourselves will afford us the Light and Salvation that is the ultimate experience we will ever attain..............fr.tdp

PALM SUNDAY 2014 AND MATTHEW'S PROCLAMATION OF THE PASSION..............

As the sacred and solemn days of Holy Week and the great events in Salvation History that occurred during these seminally significant days opens for the Year of Our Lord 2014 - on this Palm Sunday the  triumphal entrance and greeting of Jesus in Jerusalem with Hosannas, are a paradoxical opening act to what happened as these days unfolded, as Jesus was arrested, accused of blasphemy, tried, condemned, and crucified, as the sinless suffering servant for the Redemption of our sins and saving of our souls.  On this First Day of Holy Week we hear in the Liturgy of the Word, one of Isaiah's Suffering Servant Songs, just as we will hear the others in the days ahead; and the Passion Narrative of Matthew is also proclaimed today.  Isaiah's description of a Suffering Servant who will become  the sacrifice of atonement and forgiveness for all - manifested in Jesus Christ; and the Passion of Christ as given to us  by Matthew portrays Jesus and his actions as Messianic, underscoring His Anointing as God's Son to be the One chosen to be the Savior for  all Humankind.  May our mutual journeys through this Holy Week find us accepting our share in the sacrificial selflessness of Jesus The Christ, so as to be  truly worthy of the triumph and the glory Jesus attains for us through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection..............Father Troy David

MANIFESTING THE PRESENCE OF THE GREAT ONE WHO IS SERVANT OF ALL..............

As we finish five  weeks of Lenten Repentance from our sins  and Conversion of our hearts to greater do the Lord's Will for our Good and the Good of the Church and all the World, how  does the way  we have changed during Lent show itself in our lives ?  Are we more loving, caring, and attentive, to the needs are Catholic-Christians.of the poor, the downtrodden, the sorrowful, the suffering, the marginalized, and the disabled ?  If not, why ?  As the authentic observance of self sacrifice during these 40 Days can only have made us more  sensitive and self-giving as Disciples of the Lord Jesus, Who came into the World to serve and not to be served, setting an example for all who are Catholic-Christians.  Pope Francis is also setting just such an example of Holiness and Service, cherishing and exhibiting most as Supreme Pontiff his role as the Servant of the Servants of God; The People of God - Catholics and non Catholics, Christians and UnBelievers, Persons of other Religions and  Spiritualities, Atheists, Homosexuals,...Everyone.  In these final days of Lent and with Holy Week, the  Easter Triduum, and the Pasch, upon us starting tomorrow, to which of these  persons have you reached out  to or served as Jesus The  Christ and the Holy  Father Francis want us to do ?  Now is the time to continue building those relationships and constructing the way of Jesus between ourselves and others, as we honor and carry out our share in the Mission and Ministry of Salvation  Jesus suffered, died, and rose, to attain for Humankind..............fr.tdp

POPE FRANCIS SPEAKS OUT ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE..............

His Holiness Pope Francis spoke out unequivocally today making a personal  apology for the sexual abuse committed by priests and acknowledging the Church must be, "even stronger" in dealing with the perpetrators.  Pope Francis' statement follows his appointment last month of a Commission to oversee and  respond to increasing the Catholic Church's addressing of the problem, with members that include international advocates for abused victims and Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who has honestly and effectively with the child sexual abuse crisis he inherited in the Archdiocese of Boston Massachusetts, ground zero in the American sexual abuse scandal in the United States..............fr.tdp

CHRISM MASS OF THE OILS DAY IN THE SACRAMENTO DIOCESE..............

Today is the annual Chrism Mass in the Diocese of Sacramento, which includes a morning to afternoon priests conference led by newly ordained Auxiliary Bishop Myron Cotta at St.  Joseph's Church in Clarksburg; and a Social and Dinner followed by the Mass of the Oils; where Bishop Jaime Soto will preside joined by his Auxiliary  and Bishops Emeritus, along  with priest concelebrants, and in the presence  of the  college of deacons, consecrated religious, and the assembled laity.  In addition to the consecrating of the Sacred Chrism Oil, Oil of the Catechumens, and the Oil of the Sick, at this Eucharistic Liturgy, the diocesan and religious priests present will renew our Commitment to presbyteral ministry.  I will be in attendance with my brother priests and the People of God gathered in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento..............Fr. Troy David

CONNECTING OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH WITH NEW LIFE IN JESUS..............

What makes us Catholic-Christians ?  Belief in God ? Baptism in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ? In addition to Baptism, the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist ? Regularity in Prayer, Worship, and Ministry, in an ongoing relationship with  Jesus The Christ ? Sharing in the service and leadership necessary for living the life of a Disciple ?  I think we can agree all of  these are vital facets of truly being a Catholic-Christian.  But it is also essential that we honor our Commitment to these definitions of Catholic-Christian Discipleship.  Lip service  or lukewarm practice of any and all of the attributes of Catholic-Christianity as I have described them is not enough.  True Faith in Action for those who are  devoted to believing and following Jesus The Christ and building up God's Kingdom, are  deeply rooted in living Gospel Values, carrying out the Beatitudes, and anchored in fulfilling the  Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, that are at the central core of being a Catholic-Christian Disciple.  With the highest holy days of the  entire year coming next week with the celebration of the Paschal Mystery and the Easter Triduum, may we rededicate ourselves to real reasons for being a Catholic-Christian and seeking Salvation, treating the  definition of what makes us a Disciple of Jesus not magic, but mystery.  Reaching beyond superficial claims of being a Believer in God and Follower of Christ, by wholeheartedly practicing what we profess, every day, every Sunday, not just on a few holydays and special occasions but throughout the year and throughout our lives.  How fully are you  connected to your  Faith and Discipleship in our Heavenly Father, Saving Redeemer, and  Sanctifying Spirit, of Life  and Love  ?..............fr.tdp

THE WORLD'S MOST PERFECT PRAYER - THE OUR FATHER..............

As we come to the culminating days of Lent that lead us to the Paschal Mystery and the Salvation Events of the Easter Triduum, the Sacred Heart East Sacramento Elect for Christian Initiation, were further steeped tonight in the Lord's Prayer in a detailed presentation by Msgr. Walton.  The Our Father, as Catholics commonly refer to this prayer because it begins with the words, "Our Father", has been referred to as, "The World's Most Perfect Prayer", for what it contains and the acknowledgements it makes.  1.) It gives Adoration to God...2.) It expresses Contrition for our Sins...3.) It proclaims Thanksgiving  to the Heavenly Father...4.) It asks Supplication for the needs of Ourselves and Others...the first letters of these actions spelling out, ACTS, as in the Acts of the Apostles, in the New Testament.  All Disciples of Catholic-Christian Faith can benefit from the fine points of praying the Our Father and putting into daily  practice the Acts of Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication, that make the Lord's Prayer our most perfect and precise prayer..............fr.tdp

A FRIENDLY, FRATERNAL AND FAMILY, VISIT FROM FATHER BILL KINANE AND THREE OF HIS NIECES..............

Now in the twenty sixth month of  being made to subsist in a personal purgatory of geriatrics without being one, under appreciated and warehoused to the extent that my persistence to proceed in priestly led me to prayerfully discern a proactive way forward by resuming my postgraduate education and studies for a Doctor  of Ministry degree  in Pastoral Care, which started last week; it is a wonderful opportunity when I am able to visit and interact with my brother priests.  During these two years plus in the daily twilight zone of a senior citizens center detached from the regularity as a 57 year old priest from residing in a rectory and being engaged in parish life it is a true joy when colleagues who continue  to truly care  about me as a fellow priest and as a person, reach out to visit me in affirmation of our fraternity and friendship.  A dozen of them have maintained that quality of contact, three of them coming to see me in recent weeks.  The latest being on Monday being Reverend Father Bill Kinane, who from September 26, 1988 - May 14, 1992, I served with he as Pastor and me as Associate Pastor at St. John the Baptist Parish in Folsom.  Monday Bill telephoned to tell me he wanted to come and see me with a niece visiting him from Ireland.  They arrived an hour later with another of his nieces who has lived in New York for twenty five years and one of his grand nieces.  His niece Alice now lives in Urlingford, County Kilkenny; the hometown of Msgr. Edward Kavanagh's family and the locality where my  seminary classmate Fr. Oliver Maher is the Parish Priest. It was a delightful conversation with the four  Kinane family members and the chance to meet Alice who owns 'Away With Flowers', in Urlingford  with whom I had only spoken to by phone during the past year,.  I am grateful to Bill Kinane  for thinking enough of me to include me in his nieces visit to Sacramento.  It affirms I am not forgotten or unappreciated by persons and priests like him who continue to honor the fraternity of priests..............fr.tdp

HEARING JESUS AND LISTENING TO OTHERS..............

When we prayerfully take the time to hear and respond to the voice of Jesus, then we are truly able to listen to other persons with authenticity and effectiveness.  Being truly concerned for what another person is saying to us with attentiveness and without being distracted,  disinterested, or determined only to get through with it, are the attributes of being a friend, family member, or fellow believer.  Sincerely listening to the person needing to share with us, or honestly communicating whether a better time when you can be  available to do so, is the Christ like manner to react when we cannot listen and respond rightly at the  very moment we are called upon to be good and necessary listeners.  Think of those times when  you need to be heard and listened to well by someone you know and trust.  Are you not frustrated if the person you are speaking to is tuned out or only going through the motions of listening to you ?  Is it preferable that they are honest and tell you it is not a good time then to put up a pretense ?  And if  you and I are soundly grounded in listening to Jesus and availing in prayer  and reflection of being listened  to by Him as a best friend, then we will  be aware of when and where is the best time to be listened to by others and to be a truly helpful and welcome listener ourselves.  God is calling us right to increase our willingness to listen through the words of Sacred Scripture and in the generosity of our Prayers.  Are  you open and ready to Listen to Jesus the Lord and to the person in your circle right now needing to be listened to by you.  Be open, be kind, be ready, to hear  with the ears of a Disciple of Christ..............fr.tdp

THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT AND WHAT THE RAISING OF LAZARUS MEANS FOR US..............

Jesus wept  at the death of his dear friend Lazarus.  But Jesus did more than weep.  He exercised His Divine power as the Son of God to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Making the restored life of Lazarus a forerunner of His own Resurrection and a sign to His Disciples of the promise of New and Eternal Life we bear as Christ's Followers.  Although Lazarus' rising on earth was then only temporary and he  died humanly once more at a given point in time;  he like we, are assured by Jesus' action of raising His friend from death  and by suffering, dying, and rising, to New and  Everlasting Life in the Paschal Mystery - attains for us the Promise and Hope of sharing in the Resurrection for Eternity.  As  you hear the Gospel of John 11:3-7; 17; 20-27; 33b-45; proclaimed and preached on this 5th Sunday of Lent, give praise and glory to  God, that when our lives arrive at death it  will not be the end, but the beginning of a glorious transition to New Life Forever in God's Eternal Kingdom of Love..............Father Troy David

OVERCOMING THE HURDLES TO SEEING AND BEING WHO JESUS WANTS US TO BE..............

The consequences of disobedience and sin being fallen human nature, there are in every person's life no matter how good and virtuous we are -  hurdles to be overcome and shortcomings to be addressed.  They may be lapses in morality, or the occurrences of diseases and disabilities, we fall susceptible to, or limitations and obstacles imposed upon us  by others with their own agendas of obstruction.  I learned in my youth the necessity not to let those obstacles and  obstructions stop me from being  the best and most hardworking person I can be, despite the disability I have endured from birth by rising above it and anything standing in the way of accomplishing the goal of  fully being me. The same  is true  of moist disabled or diseased  persons seeking not to be  held captive by the circumstances they are confronted by.  Our best friend and greatest advocate in overcoming the hurdles in our lives is the Lord Jesus, the Divine Teacher and Healer, Who calls and enables us to  be all we can be as citizens  of  the World and  Disciples of Faith. I have had  to revisit that reality anew in the past few years as  a result of my transplant and amputation, and the indifference, insensitivity, and even ignorance,  I have had  to contend with on the part of some who have a disconnect with the disabled and those  with special needs. I have come to realize if that is true for me as a Priest of Jesus Christ,  how many more persons in the disability community are being treated  in like manner, maybe even more so.  No  human being or institution should be  allowed  to obstruct or stop us from being the  persons wants us and sacrificed Himself for us to be as Catholic-Christians.   Just as I have prayerfully discerned and decided to act in a proactive to rise above the hurdles currently placed in my life and  ministry; so too, do I strongly encourage you not to give up or give in, whatever your conditions, but to find a positive response to  act upon and that facilitates your ability to move forward instead of being stalled or set aside.  In the  United States that includes the  assurance and advocacy such  as the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) the National Catholic Partnership for Disability (N.C.P.D.) and the U.S. International Council on Disabilities (U.S.I.C.D.) among an increasing number of organizations and ministries serving and  advocating for those of us with Disabilities and Special Needs.  My current action to further and strengthen my priestly ministry is to resume my postgraduate education so as to better serve and lead others in Disability Ministry.  Whatever your passion, exercise the rights of your human dignity and rise above your obstructions and decide to do what Jesus The Lord is inviting you to embrace and experience as you move forward in Living Faith and Fidelity..............fr.tdp

THIRTY PEOPLE CONFIRMED DEAD IN WASHINGTON STATE EARTHQUAKE..............

Nearing the two week mark following the hillside collapse and mudslide in Washington State USA, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner has confirmed 30 persons  dead and announced another 13 persons are still missing  and unaccounted for.  The March 22nd disaster just above the north fork of  the Stillinguamish River came crashing down and overflowing the riverbanks onto Highway 530 and the outskirts of the town of Oso, Washington.  The  mudslide engulfed  three dozen or more homes, burying residents under mud and debris.  Among the latest  resulting deaths being reported are a 67 year old woman and a  13 year old boy, whose bodies were discovered in recent days.  May our heartfelt prayers and sympathies be with the family members who have lost loved ones, as we pray for those killed and for those still missing.  God Bless and Be  with the townspeople of Oso, Washington in this time of grief..............fr.tdp

AS SACHEART R.C.I.A. STUDIES MARK'S GOSPEL THE DADS GROUP CONTINUES READING AND REPLYING TO THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES..............

The march of the Lenten Season toward the Paschal Mystery and  Christian Initiation of Easter 2014 moves ever closer to culmination, as do the ministries of the R.C.I.A. and the Dads Group at Sacred Heart Parish in East Sacramento, I am a participant with.  The Elect for Initiation have been  reading the Gospel of Mark the last two weeks.  The Dads Group  is continuing their way through the Acts of  the Apostle and a book by the late Scripture scholar Raymond Brown,  S.S., they share weekly responses and insights from our study.  An exhilarating formational  and insightful experience of Catholic-Christianity it  continues to be for the Catechumens,  Candidates, and Young Dads, taking part as we move  forward..............fr.tdp

A PRAYERFULLY DISCERNED PROACTIVE PUSH FORWARD IN FURTHERING MY PRIESTLY MINISTRY..............

After  waiting on the  sidelines of a senior citizens residence for more than two years, at only age 57, with persons twenty to forty five years older and without an assignment to priestly  ministry or a parish placement, thus doing only minimal, piecemeal, pastoral  ministry as a result; after much prayerful  discernment and the counsel of several persons who truly care about me and the continuation of my active ministry as a Priest of Jesus Christ, I have made a proactive decision to further the effectiveness of my ministry as a  priest.  I have decided to resume my postgraduate education and have enrolled at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to study for a Doctorate in Ministry degree.  The D.Min studies are both online and residential.  It began online this  Monday March 31st, continuing through May; will includes two weeks  of class instruction on the CUA campus in June; and then continues online through August.  That will be the schedule of study for the spring  and summer of  2014, 2015,  and 2016.  That will be followed by two additional semesters completing and defending a dissertation and a pastoral project to be implemented.  I made an orientation to the campus last week and am all the more impressed and excited to be starting this newest meaningful life and ministry experience.  My D.Min studies are in Pastoral Care with a concentration on the New Evangelization.  My particular degree focus will be on Disability Ministry.  As  a life long disabled person and a priest with special needs, my desire and empathy for strengthening positive participation and inclusion of Persons With Disabilities and Special Needs is the ongoing goal of entering  and completing this postgraduate education endeavor.  I thank everyone for their prayers, affirmation, and support, now as you have been through the years.  More updates on my CUA D.Min endeavors son and often..............Father Troy David Powers

7.1 MILLION ENROLLEES IN THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AT FIRST DEADLINE..............

Following the passage and enactment of the Obama Administration's Affordable Care Act national  healthcare plan,  the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) studies projected 7 million Americans would sign-up for the ACA, by the end of the first enrollment period March 31, 2014.  Despite the continuing political controversy swirling around the law, and the disasterous rollout of the sign-up website which caused the CBO to lower its projection to 6 million initial enrolles, when the March 31st deadline arrived this week, the number of Americans now enrolled is 7.1 million persons.  With the snafus of late 2013 with accessing the application process online all but arrested and a full court press by the White House in recent weeks to sign up new enrollees, theinitial goal was met.  The CBO is now projecting that by 2017, 24 million Americans will be enrolled  in the Affordable Care Act.  As the national healthcare law and  the politics associated with it continue to go forward, Insights Into Life And Faith, willblog and  report on pertinent developments..............fr.tdp