Catholic Journal

If You Want Your Dream To Be…

If you want your dream to be, build it slow and surely. Small beginnings, greater ends, heartfelt work grows purely.

If you want to live life free, take your time, go slowly. Do few things but do them well, simple joys are holy.

Day by day, stone by stone, build your secret slowly. Day by day, you’ll grow too, you’ll know heaven’s glory.

If you want your dream to be, build it slow and surely. Small beginnings, greater ends, heartfelt work grows purely. If you want to live life free, take your time go slowly.

This song was written by Donovan for the movie, “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” based on the life of St. Francis of Assisi. I can think of no better example of one who was dedicated to the living out the parable of the mustard seed in his own life.

St. Francis knew extreme wealth and extreme poverty. He knew how a dream, a vision, an idea had to begin somewhere small. With proper nourishing and cultivation, that vision could grow into something huge.  Moreover, St. Francis really walked by faith. He allowed God to guide his life’s journey.

On this Father’s Day, what are your dreams?

For some of us, our dreams never become reality because we fail to plant the seed. We can’t see how our simple plan could ever work. Perhaps it is because we don’t have faith.  We don’t believe that we have what it takes to join a sports team for example. For others of us, we allow others to squash our vision. instead of trusting in ourselves or in God, we let people dictate how we should live our lives. When my father was a young man, he tried out for the Detroit Tigers. But my grandmother said to him, “Why waste your time playing baseball, work in the factory instead.” My dad could have been the next Bill Freehan, but he did what his mom told him and worked at GM for almost 40 years. However, there are some of us who defy gravity, trust our instincts and leap. People like Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, Madame Marie Curie awesome examples of people who shut out naysayers and took a chance.

We are here to acknowledge that our dreams can become reality. Jesus showed us the way. Moreover, he told us to trust. The mustard seed doesn’t become a large bush overnight. It takes time. It needs nurturing. It needs TLC to grow.

The same is true with our dreams and visions. it is also true with people. Each of us has potential. Each of us is a work in progress. We need to first have a vision of what we want to be and then we need to work toward that goal. Instead of becoming frustrated by a seeming lack of progress, we should be gentle with ourselves and allow events to progress at their own pace.

A man may become a parent overnight, but it takes a lifetime to grow into fatherhood. On this day when we honor fathers, let us remember that our dads were and are filled with hopes and dreams for we their children. They wanted what was best for us, even though they may have made mistakes along the way. And if your father was not the man you wanted him to be, pray that one day his eyes will be opened by the light of faith.

If you want your dream to be build it slow and surely, small beginnings greater ends, heartfelt work grows purely. Do few things but do them well, simple joys are holy. Day by day, you’ll grow too, you’ll know heaven’s glory.

Msgr John Kasza

REVEREND MONSIGNOR JOHN KASZA was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1993. He holds a B.A. in History from Wayne State University, Detroit and an Master of Divinity from Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He earned his doctorate in Sacramental Theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant’Anselmo in Rome in 1999. Msgr. Kasza has served as an assistant professor of sacramental theology, liturgy and homiletics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary and has also taught at the Liturgical Institute at St. Mary of the Lake University in Mundelein, Illinois. He most recently served as Secretary to both Adam Cardinal Maida and Archbishop Allen Vigneron and was Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Detroit. In July of 2009, Msgr. Kasza became the Academic Dean at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan. Monsignor is currently pastor of St.Therese of Lisieux parish in Shelby Township, Michigan and has authored several articles. His book, Understanding Sacramental Healing: Anointing and Viaticum, is available through Amazon.