Gentlemen, it is with great sadness that I write this update to this posting. A great friend and mentor to the Covenant Keepers, Tom Balboa has passed from this world. Though we only met with Tom on a few occasions, as a group, each meeting had a significant impact on our faithwalk as brothers. Ernie of course had a deeper relationship with Tom as he had mentored to Ernie for several years. I thought it would be appropriate to revisit a previous posting from our last group visit with Tom Balboa. This event took place in September of 2006, and since that time Tom's health had been diminishing. We'll all miss him dearly, as Tom often said "we are all pilgrims, travelers, and strangers". Fare well dear Tom, may you be with your dear wife again, praising our Lord.
Peace be with you,
Ed
What a blessing it was to spend with, Catholic evangelist, Tom Balboa last night. The St. Patrick Covenant Keepers paid a visit to Tom'sHeadquarters for the Catholic Society of Evangelists in Grand Terrace,CA.
Ten men from the group enjoyed chicken, pizza and Tom delivering a talk that would rival any lecturer on the speaking circuit today. He spoke and entertained questions from us without the use of note cards, a script or a teleprompter. It just came from the heart.
Tom has been ailing from a nagging cough that has slowed him down physically, has increased his spiritual work and prayer life. He used his malady to remind us that in order to increase spiritually, we must decrease in some other area of our life.
We must die to ourselves in order to live our lives for the Father. When we deny ourselves in fasting we depend more on God and less on our own devices. In doing so we can then unite our will to that of the Father and receive all He wants for us.
He also reminded us that this place we now dwell is not home. Our home is with the Lord in heaven. This is just the passage way to the next life, where we want to go. We should not try to make ourselves too comfortable here or we might not want to move on when the Lord calls for us. Worse yet, we might not seek the Kingdom of God if life here is too easy.
All our discomforts, ailments, sufferings and losses are in Gods plan for us and we should be thankful for those as much as we are the pleasant things in life.
"No pain, no gain" is what Tom said. Another way to put it is, the joys in life are much sweeter when you live through a little suffering.
Well there is much more than I could write in this posting about our visit with Tom Balboa, but I hope you got a feel for what I received from his discussion. I know everyone in attendance came away with something special for themselves.
I hope we can invite Tom to speak to our parish soon so that all may avail themselves to the wisdom and spirit-filled discourse of a humble ordinary man living his life forChrist.
Goodnight my brothers. Peace and Love to all
Brother Ed
Tom's website can be found at the following link, it's well worth the visit. http://www.catholic-soe.org/message.html
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