Author Archives: donalddeanchambers

Spoken Word from Living Water Community Holy Land Pilgrimage 2023.(Inspired by the significance of the Jerusalem Cross and walking in the footsteps of Jesus)

I went to the Holy Land to pray, But I couldn’t pray. Distractions, disturbances, and devastations imprisoned me.  I went to the Church of the Annunciation to pray, But I couldn’t pray. Distracted by Marian inculturation, national mosaics from 42 countries. I went to the Church of the Nativity to pray, But I couldn’t pray.Continue reading “I Couldn’t Pray”

What’s on my mind?  I am preoccupied with children’s unexpressed emotional pain due to their parents’ irresponsible decisions and dysfunctional home environments.  Children are frequently kicked around like a football by competing parents driven by selfish desires. Parents seem to believe that children serve the purpose of satisfying their emotional needs.  So, they either fightContinue reading “Suffer Little Children”

Third Sunday of Lent Gospel Narrative of the Samaritan Women Living Water – A Gift of the Holy Spirit In my homily, I used the metaphor of an open water channel connecting the source of the Living Water to those who thirst for it and are tired of inadequate cistern water. Jesus Christ is theContinue reading “Living Water – A Gift of the Holy Spirit”

My driveway,My garage,My back porch,My walkway,Stained with interlocking layers of black muck and dirt,Going unnoticed over time,Thinking it’s the norm.In preparation for a function, my telescopic eyes perk up from the submarine of ignorance,Noticing that the surface colour is muck and dirt, not the original.Inviting a friend with a weapon of mass destruction – theContinue reading “Lent and the Powerwash Machine”

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5: 13). In the Mediterranean world of Jesus, salt is an essential ingredient to provide fuel for their earthenware ovens. Camel or donkey dung is collected, mixed with salt, molded in patties, and placed in the sun to dry.  A slab ofContinue reading “Discipleship and Sacrifice”

Two teachers gifted me with the terms “helicopter parents” and “lawnmower parents” based on their years in the profession. “Helicopter parents” always hover over or scrutinize every move of their children, imprisoning them with their eyes, and not allowing them to venture into unchartered territories on their own.   “Lawnmower parents” utilize their energy and resourcesContinue reading “Helicopter and Lawnmower Parents”

A ten-year-old boy stands unassumingly on stage in front of the “Britain’s Got Talent” judges. First, he’s asked common questions such as his name and age.  Then, the bombshell response to the question, “Are you confident about winning the competition?”  With honesty written all over the boy’s face, he says, “No!” The audience erupts withContinue reading “Honesty”

In the sacristy before Mass, I briefly conversed with two altar servers, a ten-year-old male and a fifteen-year-old female. With piercing eyes looking up at me, the ten year says, “You are old.” Rebutting, the fifteen-year-old says, “No!  That’s not true. Father looks young.” This back-and-forth conversation persisted until it was time to leave forContinue reading “Perspectives, Data and Intuition”