During my recovery from colon cancer surgery, I have kept myself occupied with a lot more prayer and study. I am grateful for God’s grace in continuing to call me into a deeper relationship with Him. My slowness in responding through the years makes the call seem ever more urgent at this point in time.
Reading and praying with Sacred Scripture is such a tremendous blessing. It still astounds me how a passage I have heard or read many times suddenly comes to life in a new way. The circumstances of life and the movement of the Holy Spirit coincide for profound insights and serious promptings to action.
I am reading three different books at the same time, and the overlap has been amazing. The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Glories of Divine Grace, and Preparation for Death gel together nicely. The writings of St. Alphonsos Liguori have impacted my life for many years. My personal favorite, and most life-changing for me, is Preparation for Death. I have it read it multiple times over the last 30 years. I am especially excited about it now, because a couple of individuals at the parish have organized a summer book study on it after hearing me speak about it. God’s grace is going to overflow upon our community in a powerful way as we delve into the spiritual wisdom of St. Alphonsus Liguori.
Bottom line–let’s be diligent in our prayer, study, and action. Be battle ready!
May 18–Blizzard Warning in Wyoming and severe weather throughout the central part of the country. I wonder what the weather is like in Cancun today. I had the blessing to be there last December, and it was beautiful. It would be worth the trip to just go back to the two churches I had the pleasure of visiting.
During my recovery from cancer surgery over the last eight weeks, I have spent a great deal of time engaged in spiritual reading. What a blessing that has been. In addition to my own reading, I have also started my second trip through “The Bible in a Year” with Fr. Mike Schmitz. It was a tremendous blessing the first time I did it. I am already walking away with new insights the second time around. Being forced to slow down does have some benefits.
People sometimes ask me what I am reading. In the last three weeks I have completed these selections.
Why these selections? I read Soulwinning many years ago. One statistic still stays etched in my mind from all those years ago. The Moody Bible Institute shared a statistic that only about 5% of Christians will ever lead another soul to Christ. Although this book is written from a Protestant perspective, the reason I chose to read it again was because of the missionary zeal contained within the pages. There are doctrinal difficulties in the text, but I was not reading it for doctrine and dogma. I was trying to capture the zeal and fervor.
Trustful Surrender is something I wanted to study because of current life circumstances. I thought I was in a particular place in life to more fully understand surrendering to Divine Providence.
Radiating Christ–that’s the goal.
Contemplative Enigmas–Silence and solitude are much needed in life but can seem quite elusive in our harried world. This book raised my awareness of being present to God at all times.
The Wounded Healer–I thought the title described me.
Spiritual Combat Revisited–I wanted to raise the bar on being vigilant in avoiding sin and growing in virtue.
Sacred Fire–It describes in an amazing way the two different parts of our life. I am definitely in the second part of life of trying to give my life away. How do I build others up? This process also includes preparing to give my death away. This was a unique perspective on preparing for a good and holy death.
What am I reading now?
Yes, I struggle to just read one book from cover to cover. I tackle multiple titles at once. The Sacred Heart of Jesus books and The Glories of Divine Grace are intricately connected in so many ways. I want to be sure I celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus well during the month of June and always.
Spiritual Masters reminds me that we have a treasure chest of wisdom from those who have gone before us. I don’t have to figure it all out on my own.
The book by Curtis Martin is an easier read than the others. I use that for simple reminders about the basics of faith. I typically read that when I am tired just before going to sleep.
The last two books are from the writings of St. Alphonsus Liguori. I have been blessed immensely by his teachings. I have read Preparation for Death multiple times. Simple words of wisdom are scattered all throughout the text:
“Those who pray will be saved; those who pray not will be condemned.”
“If anyone believes in eternity and chooses not to become a saint should be confined to a madhouse.”
My dear friends, I encourage you to read, study, and pray with Sacred Scripture. Do spiritual reading. Keep your mind immersed in God’s Word and the teachings of the Church. Mediocrity is not an option when it comes to our journey of faith. We are called to be great saints!
In presentations that I have given through the years I have jokingly mentioned that I am apparently a slow learner. Well, it has now dawned upon me that it is possible that it is not a joke. Maybe I really am a slow learner.
Major events in life tend to get our attention. It seems like one or two major catastrophic events would suffice for learning purposes. That has not been the case in my life. At this point, there have been three cancer diagnoses over the course of 40 years, open heart surgery, two heart ablations, and five cardioversions just to name a few of the lessons listed on the syllabus. I don’t recall signing up for this particular degree.
My first cancer diagnosis was on July 17, 1986. Yes, it will soon be forty years since that devastating diagnosis. Getting that news as a young adult in the prime of life was quite the shock. Just a few short years earlier I was playing both basketball and baseball at the collegiate level. Now, suddenly, I needed help to just get out of bed. A total of 52 days were spent in the hospital over a four month period.
Northeast Missouri State University at the University of Missouri St. Louis (Early 1980’s)I had the opportunity to wear number 30 for both sports in my senior year.
Being diagnosed a second time 15 years later hit quite differently. By that time, I was married and we had two young children. The lessons were looked at through a very different lens at this point in time. The first diagnosis was all about me. Look at what I am losing. The second diagnosis was all about what my family loses if I don’t survive this. My kids will grow up without a dad being present. Hmmm. Was I maturing? Was I moving from selfishness to selflessness? (The jury is still out.)
Two years after that diagnosis came the need for a mitral valve repair. Open heart surgery was a new arena for me. I always felt cancer was giving me time to prepare. Death would not happen suddenly. As the cardiothoracic surgeon explained the procedure in great detail for repairing or replacing the mitral valve, I knew the possibility of something going wrong could result in never waking up. That was a new lesson on the syllabus of life.
After surgery, the heart surgeon said, “That will fix it for a while.” I got about eleven years out of it. Unfortunately, in the last ten years I have had two heart ablations and five cardioversions in an attempt to keep my heart in rhythm. The chemotherapy drugs from my treatments in 1986 damaged my heart.
I have learned more about the medical industrial complex than I ever cared to know. Learning the medical jargon and understanding the procedures and processes help put the mind at ease from the fear of the unknown. However, wouldn’t it have been awesome to not have needed to learn these things? (Just wondering.)
Finally, we arrive in 2026. How do you celebrate Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras? I celebrated by fasting, doing the prep for a colonoscopy, and actually having the colonoscopy on Fat Tuesday. Good times!
A blood test had revealed that I was anemic. An endoscopic procedure and colonoscopy were utilized to try to find the source of internal bleeding. The colonoscopy revealed a large, cancerous tumor in the ascending colon. That was not the news I expected to hear as soon as I woke up from the colonoscopy. The gastroenterologist said we needed the pathology report to confirm it, but he was certain I had colon cancer. A few days later the pathology report confirmed that finding.
Diagnosis was on February 17. Surgery was on March 17. Did you think my celebration on Fat Tuesday was phenomenal? Look at the party I planned on St. Patrick’s Day. Colon cancer surgery! Do I know how to live or what?
Anyway, at this point, I am nearly two months out from surgery. Recovery has seemed slow, but I am not as young as I used to be. Bouncing back takes on a different perspective now versus forty years ago.
Prognosis looks good. No other organs appear to be impacted. All the lymph nodes that were removed during surgery tested negative as well. We are simply doing vigilant surveillance at this point. The first year is always crucial.
My dear family, friends, followers, and parishioners at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton:
The challenges of life can seem immense. I know that from first-hand experience. I intend to share more thoughts and reflections as time moves on about what I have experienced and what I have learned in the process. Having forty years of hindsight now gives me a very unique lens with which to evaluate and assess the pilgrimage of life. Suffering is a difficult journey, but the graces that come with it are truly profound. I realize that I could have never learned some of these difficult and complex lessons from a textbook. I had to be more united to the Cross of Christ to grasp the teachings.
As for now, I simply want to thank you for your kindness, care, and compassion. Your intercessory prayers on my behalf are truly appreciated.
I look forward to being with the parishioners at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton again very soon as I start easing back into some ministerial responsibilities. If all goes as planned, I am scheduled to be the deacon and homilist at the 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, June 13, and the 8:00 am Mass on Sunday, June 14. I thought that would be a good way to celebrate being nearly three months out from surgery at that point.
Please continue to pray for me as I continue to pray for all of you.
I was invited to attend a “grief writing workshop” yesterday evening. While I have had some training in pastoral counseling and have had a significant amount of experience in hospital ministry, I had never had specific training in regard to writing and grief. Oh sure, I had heard things like, “Keep a journal.” That does not exactly give you a lot to go on if you are unfamiliar with writing or with processing grief. Thus, I thought this training would enhance my ministry to others who are grieving. I was not disappointed.
The other attendees at the workshop were all experiencing grief from recent losses. I was at the workshop to learn how to be a better minister to others and was not really processing my own grief. However, the writing exercises required that I have a person in mind as I write. Although it has been over a year since mom died, I chose to focus on her. As I wrote, I began to revisit some of the memories from our last trip together just a little over a year before she died. Today, I went through some of those photos again. In four days it will be mom’s birthday. She would be celebrating 93 years. I am grateful for the photos from our last trip.
I want to express my gratitude today to Pennie Hunt, the leader of our workshop. (www.penniehunt.com/) You walked us through an amazing process in a very brief amount of time. Your compassion and pastoral sensitivity toward those whose grief was fresh and deep was inspiring. May God bless you abundantly for your ministry of healing.
I attended a meeting yesterday to plan the liturgical season of Lent. The Christmas decorations have not all been removed from the church yet, but the work of planning should never stand still. As the Church entered into Ordinary Time this week after celebrating the Feast of The Baptism of the Lord on Monday, we know it is only a matter of seven weeks before the arrival of Ash Wednesday on March 1. Enjoy Ordinary Time while it lasts.
The term “Ordinary Time” has the potential to lead us into believing that these weeks of worship are less important than the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. After all, these weeks are just “ordinary.” While we witness some changes in the church environment and adornment from season to season, we must recognize that each time we gather as a community of believers we are nurtured by the proclamation of God’s Sacred Word and nourished by the Lord’s Body and Blood as described so eloquently in John’s Gospel chapter six. There is nothing ordinary about that awesome and beautiful privilege.
The rest of my January calendar is full. Diaconate formation, the annual clergy gathering known as the January Institute, pro-life events, and the beginning of Catholic Schools Week are all on the horizon. The month of February gives me a little reprieve before heading full blast into Lent on March 1.
On March 2, I have the honor of speaking at an Eagle Scout Recognition Banquet. This will be a first for me, but it fits well with one of the hats that I wear in my role as Director of Pastoral Ministries. In that role I serve as the Chaplain to Scouting in our diocese.
I will once again be part of the women’s retreat at St. Joseph’s Parish in Cheyenne on March 18. This is our third annual gathering. I will be sharing speaking responsibilities this year with Rose Guerrero from Pueblo, Colorado. It should be a magnificent day of retreat.
On March 22, I will preach at the closing Mass of a parish mission at the Cathedral of St. Mary. There will be a different homilist each night from March 20 through March 22. I hope to see my local readers (Cheyenne) there.
I will be preaching at the weekend Masses and giving a three night parish mission for the first time in Wheatland, Wyoming from March 25 through March 29. I am looking forward to being with the parishioners of St. Patrick during those days. Please note, I will also preach at Mary, Queen of Heaven Mission in Chugwater on Sunday, March 26, at 11:00 A.M.
For the second straight year I will be preaching at the weekend Masses and giving a three night parish mission at our Lady of Fatima Parish in Casper, Wyoming from April 1, through April 5. The mission last year was a wonderful experience and I am extremely grateful to be invited back again this year.
After that I will attend the Chrism Mass, another weekend of diaconate formation, and then we move into Holy Week. I am convince that it is going to be a powerful Lenten journey.
I hope to catch my breath briefly near the end of April before heading to Thayne, Wyoming for another new endeavor. I will be leading the Western Wyoming Men’s Retreat from May 5–May 7. It should be beautiful spending some time in that part of the state with the dawning of spring.
If you find yourself experiencing a bit of sluggishness or feelings of malaise during these cold and overcast days of winter, take time to be with God in a very intentional way. You do not need to wait for the season of Lent to arrive to jumpstart your spiritual battery. We may be in Ordinary Time, but God’s love is always extraordinary!
I am grateful that I had numerous opportunities to see my mom during the summer of 2015. This picture was taken in July of 2015 just a few months before her death on October 30, 2015. I had no idea that when I visited her again in September it would be the last time I would see her.
In October of 2014 mom and I made a trip to Irondale, Alabama to visit the EWTN studios with a stop at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama. She handled the trip very well for being ninety years of age at the time. We had beautiful weather and a memorable trip.
Irene Dobelmann on Halloween
One of the staff members at the nursing home took this picture of mom just days before her death. I remember being concerned when I received the picture as I noticed the continued swelling and redness in her ankle. The antibiotics did not win the battle against the infection and mom died on October 30. Her funeral took place on November 2, 2015–All Souls Day.
I generally made five to six trips each year back to Missouri since moving to Wyoming in 2009. Some years there were even more. Since leaving the funeral on November 2, 2015 and returning to Wyoming I have only been back to Missouri once to attend a wedding and preside over a graveside service. I do not miss doing the nearly 900 mile trip on a regular basis. I have seen the state of Nebraska along Interstate 80 frequently enough to hold me over for this lifetime. However, I am thankful I made regular visits back to see mom during all those years. I cherish those memories.
Life is ever changing. God’s love is constant. Embrace that love and generously share it with others.
Recent days have been filled with plenty of activity. I took the photograph above nearly four months ago in Chimayo, New Mexico. It seems like ages have passed since I enjoyed the peace and tranquility offered by this beautiful space. It is certainly a blessing to have the opportunity to step away from the hectic pace of life every now and then to regain perspective and focus. I realize that not everyone gets those type of chances. I do not take for granted how fortunate I am.
The fullness of my calendar has kept me away from blogging on a frequent basis lately. I strive to be consistent in posting several times a week, but I also want to be writing things worth reading and not simply slapping something together to say that I posted something. I hope my faithful readers will understand occasional lapses in time.
Thursday, September 8, was the beginning of the National Football League 2016 season. I almost turned it off after the National Anthem was completed, but I wanted to see how Peyton Manning’s replacement would do. I was in a conflicted state of mind. Quite frankly, millionaires protesting the injustice of this country is difficult to watch. It does not seem very genuine to protest in such a manner. Unfortunately, almost everything seems to be tainted by political correctness, protests, or simply rude, crude, and unethical behavior. Our country is not perfect, but I don’t need to see a football player making millions of dollars refusing to stand for the singing of the National Anthem. I never buy any football clothing or other items connected with the NFL. I have never purchased tickets to attend a game. It seems that I now must make the last cut and stop watching it on television as well.
Friday, September 9, was a day set aside by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) as a Day of Prayer for Peace. The violence prevalent in our own country and around the world has impacted all of us to one degree or another. It is my hope that we pray for peace on a continual basis and strive to bring God’s love into our own communities as best we are able.
Saturday, September 10, was set aside asAbortion Day of Remembrance. The political fighting over this topic greatly diminishes our ability to reasonably address the moral aspect of this injustice. This is not simply a political issue. It is a moral issue. Those who seek a “seamless garment” approach to life issues from conception through natural death must understand why the abortion issue is front and center of the conversation. Until we get this issue right, it will be difficult to address poverty, homelessness, the death penalty, health care, care for the elderly, the infirm, and those incapacitated mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If our society is okay with killing the helpless unborn individual, and we see in the political discourse a tendency toward celebrating the legality of being able to do this, we will never have the courage to address other life issues.
Sunday, September 11, was Patriot Day. The horror of 9/11 remains etched in the minds of all those old enough to remember. Pray for the family members who still mourn.
Sunday was also Grandparents’ Day. Anyone fortunate enough to have grandparents in their lives who love them is blessed indeed. Offer a prayer of gratitude for your grandparents whether they are living or deceased.
This past weekend was also the first meeting of the next group of men seeking to become permanent deacons in the Diocese of Cheyenne. My appointment to the Formation Board by the bishop means that I will be playing a key role in the formation processes of this group. The five year journey began this weekend with the first step. Please pray for all those discerning a call to the priesthood, diaconate, or religious life. May they clearly hear God’s call in their lives.
Finally, I stepped outside during one of the breaks this weekend at the diaconate formation gathering. Another sacrament was getting ready to take place on campus as the wedding party arrived in style. Let us pray for all married couples that they will have the fortitude to live out their marital vows with great love and fidelity.
As we celebrate Labor Day today, I am also taking some time to reflect upon my mom and dad’s wedding anniversary. It would be 74 years today. My dad died more than 22 years ago. My mom has been gone now just a little over ten months. This is the first time in years when I have not heard the question on September 5, from my mom, “Do you know what today is?” It is hard to believe that she marked the day without dad for more than twenty years.
Dad was in good health when they celebrated their 50th anniversary. We had no idea that just a year and five months later he would no longer be with us. The photographs have faded with time; my brothers have aged significantly since then; time marches on. (It’s my blog. I can’t help it if I need to point out the aging of my brothers while I stay young and dapper.)
Today is a day of gratitude. On this Labor Day I am thankful that I am healthy enough, strong enough, and fortunate enough to have a job that I enjoy and that provides for my family. Let us take a moment today to pray for all of those who are unemployed or underemployed. Let us pray for all those working in awful conditions. Let us pray for those trapped in human trafficking and forced into labor, especially those coerced into sexual slavery. Let us not take for granted the blessings we have received. May we utilize our resources to help those less fortunate than ourselves!
I am grateful for the precious gift of family–starting with my mom and dad. As I looked at the photo above I was quietly reflecting that just six years prior to that celebration I was fighting for my life going through chemotherapy treatments. Over a four month period my mom and dad sat at the hospital with me for 52 says. I know that wasn’t how they planned to spend their retirement.
I don’t know whether Margaret and I will make it to 50 years or not–only because we were older when we got married. We will take it a day at a time and see what happens. As for today, I simply remember my mom and dad and say, “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!”
I saw a comment this morning on social media which stated, “Last Friday in July. Slow down summer.” The days do seem to pass quickly as we get older. Psalm 90 verse 10 says that “our life span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong, and most of these are emptiness and pain.” That doesn’t sound very hopeful, but it states a reality that we should not ignore.
In my younger years I heard many sermons about the four last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell. While these were not delivered with the exuberance of the preacher portrayed in the movie Pollyannathey still sent an undeniable message. There will come a time when I render an account of my life before Almighty God. That is not to be taken lightly.
The political conventions are both over. Praise God for the opportunity to grow in the virtue of patience and long-suffering over these last two weeks. I realize that the nomination of a woman for president is an historical moment in our country. As I watched the camera focus in on a lady with tears running down her face, I knew this was a moment with great emotional attachments. There was a part of me that wanted to cry as well, but for a very different reason. Over the course of four days I watched repeatedly the boisterous applause and fanatical affirmation of the culture of death.
Abortion has touched the lives of many women (and men) over these last 43 years since Roe versus Wade legalized abortion in our country. My heart breaks for the pain and anguish that many women have experienced in their lives. Unfortunately, our culture has created a narrative around abortion that just does not expose the whole truth. The post-abortion grief and suffering is real. The pro-death politicians never seem to consider that part of the equation when promoting and celebrating the legalization of infanticide.
My dear friends, if you have been touched by the scourge of abortion in your life, please know that forgiveness and healing can be found in Jesus Christ. If you are struggling with grief or any other emotional distress following an abortion please seek help. There are people prepared to walk with you toward healing and hope.
I never imagined that I would live in a society where a whole convention center filled with people would jump up and down in glee each time the words rolled off someone;s lips regarding a “woman’s right to choose.” Think about it. People are emphatically celebrating the right to kill the most helpless among us. Let that soak in for a moment.
The various methodologies used in procuring an abortion all have serious repercussions. If the procedure is successful the baby always dies. Depending upon which procedure is used the baby is either ripped apart by suction, burned by chemicals, or worse.
Let me try to put this perspective. People in that convention center were clamoring in ecstasy about a woman’s right to kill her unborn child in the ways I just described. These same people would revolt and shout profanities to the moon and back if we considered utilizing any type of similar procedure on an animal. They would denounce the cruelty being inflicted upon the animal. It is truly a bizarre world in which we live.
The days of summer do seem to be passing quickly. With each passing day we are also a step closer to coming face to face with Almighty God. We have been blessed with the gift of time and with the gift of grace. What are we doing with these gifts? Are we using our time here on earth to be a faithful witness to Jesus Christ?
When my time on this earth is through and I stand before the King of Kings to render an account of my life, what will it look like from the perspective of God’s eyes? I sometimes imagine Jesus looking at me and asking a single question, “How did you love?” I realize that there are many times I fail to respond to God’s grace and love effectively and deeply. I miss opportunities to do good. For these moments I will need to seek God’s abundant mercy.
While I am physically and mentally able to be involved in the preaching, teaching, and healing ministry of Jesus Christ I will do my best to walk humbly with my God. I will continue to be a voice for the marginalized members of society. This begins with the unborn who have no voice of their own.
The shortness of time on this earth, when compared to the length of eternity, should prompt all of us to pause and meditate on this reality. It does not need to cripple us with immense fear when we reflect on the four last things. However, it should compel us to be more intentional about the use of our time. How frequently do we pray? How fervently do we pray? What are the priorities upon which we focus in our day-to-day lives? Are we genuinely loving the people around us?
The hope in all of this is simple. We are pilgrims on a journey. Our eternal home is with God. It doesn’t get any better than that.
I had the opportunity to visit Fort Laramie, Wyoming yesterday and tour the premises. It was 98 degrees and very little breeze (as noted by the flag hanging straight down). The extreme cold and wind during the winter would be no picnic either. I can only imagine the hardships endured by the people many years ago when they lacked the modern conveniences we now enjoy.
About ten miles away from Fort Laramie I also had the pleasure of visiting the Oregon Trail Ruts as well as Register Cliff. Reading the historical sketches describing life at Fort Laramie and along the Oregon Trail was a humbling endeavor. The United States of America has certainly had its trying times all throughout our history. Progress for one segment of the population (the army) was not viewed as progress at all by another segment (Native American). Divisions continue to exist in modern times along racial and ethnic lines, religious affiliations, liberals and conservatives, rich and poor.
As I watch the political campaigns unfold it becomes more and more evident that our divisions will continue to grow into the future. It isn’t just a matter of liberal and conservative ideologies being in opposition to one another. If an end goal was in mind that could be shared by both political parties we could hope for some unity in a path leading to that goal. Unfortunately, the only common goal that seems to be present as a political platform in either major political party is a lust for power. That leaves the rest of us with very little to build upon as a foundation for peace and prosperity.
Our leaders at the national level repeatedly reveal the cause of our country’s demise. There is a lack of integrity. I looked up the word integrity and found the following definitions from www.dictionary.com:
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. 2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished. 3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.
If we look at the frequent “flip-flops” of political stances by major players on both sides of the aisle we can easily see that polling data surpasses integrity time and time again.
Someone asked me recently if I was opposed to having a woman for President. Absolutely not. However, I am opposed to the one currently making history as the first woman nominee for the position. An inability to tell the truth and then callously asking, “What difference does it make?” gives me grave concerns about our future as a country.
I believe enough evidence has been garnered during Mrs. Clinton’s career to demonstrate that she is not a very truthful person. In the modern age of showing video clips from the archives directly contradicting current statements that a person has made can make it difficult to hide from the truth even when most of the major media outlets assist in covering up these scandalous contradictions. The truth makes a big difference if we ever hope to be on solid footing as crucial decisions are made.
Sadly, our lack of integrity here at home diminishes our influence throughout the world. This has resulted in added chaos and horrendous violence which we see depicted almost every evening on the nightly newscast. The perception of Mrs. Clinton selling government favors for donations to the Clinton Foundation makes it difficult to have moral authority in the fight against terrorism or any other negotiations as well.
Finally, the question of truth becomes part of the story when Catholic politicians repeatedly ignore the tenets of the faith. Who defines “a good, practicing Catholic?” If the media defines it we are in for some bad press. If the politician defines it we are in for some interesting interpretations of Sacred Scripture and the magisterial teachings of the Church as articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
My heart aches for the future of our country. We cannot continue to turn away from God and expect no consequences as a result. May each of us be molded by Eternal Truth!
