We can not have it “both ways”….Our God is a not a God of “half measures”

Today at Holy Mass we heard in the first reading from the Book of Sirach that “wisdom breathes life into her children”…The question we must ask ourselves is - What is wisdom?…Wisdom is very different then analytical intelligence….A person could be highly intelligent and still lack wisdom…Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit …..How does one obtain wisdom?…..Since it is a gift of the Holy Spirit, one must make room for the Holy Spirit in their life…A cup of water cannot be filled with milk if it is filled to the brim with water…The water must be poured out, to make room for the milk…So it is in the Spiritual life…We must “make room” for God in our life…That means dying to ourself….When we do this….The Holy Spirit enters or soul….And with it comes wisdom.

“Those who love your law have great peace, and for them there is no stumbling block”

There is a Christian misconception that we can have “our cake and eat it too” …What do I mean by that?…We can do whatever we want and still have a relationship with God…..In essence, we “take God along for the ride” in our life…We call to Him when we “need something”…Meanwhile, we pursue our own agenda and yet still “think” by doing this we will have a relationship with God……I hate to burst your bubble, but it does not work that way…..This morning while doing my spiritual reading I read something by a Carmelite nun (Sister Ruth Burrows), this is what she said…..”We cannot have our own life and God’s life at the same time”……Sister Ruth went on….”Faith is the movement whereby we accept God’s nearness and his nearness must always mean death of our ego”……If we want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and possess the seven gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to us (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord), we have to “die to our self”…..We want to have it both ways….Have our own agenda and still have God…Does not work that way!……Jesus was very clear on the matter….”For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”…….Jesus is not looking for “believers”, he is looks for followers….Being a Catholic is not about “knowing” who Jesus was…Its about striving to live as Jesus taught us to live - And in order to do that, we need grace…..You can not “muscle” your way into being like Jesus…Our human nature is broken and will never permit that to happen without divine grace......And in order to receive this grace, we must “make room” for it within our soul…That means we must “die to our self”……When I think of a person dying to themselves…I think of my wife…She is a highly intelligent woman….If she wished, she could be making huge amounts of money in the corporate world…Instead, my wife had five children in ten years…..She dedicates her life to me and our family - Her actions speak for themselves…This is what I mean by “dying" to your self…My wife Sabryna “put one cup down” only to “pick up another cup”…..We cannot have it “both ways”…..If we want God in our life, we must actively work on dying to ourself daily…This is not only a process but a constant struggle…This is why we need the help of Sacramental grace, daily prayer and weekly fasting….As we all know, even the just man “falls seven times each day”…We can not “muscle” our way to living in a selfless way…We need the help of divine grace

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me”

Today at Mass we hear about one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit….Wisdom is not something you can read about and then somehow grasp…..Its a gift….In order to allow for God to give us this gift, we must work daily on emptying our self……Those who have successful marriages know that true love is about being selfless…Love gives, it does not take….The same goes with God…If we want God in our life, we must strive to be selfless….…So God can “full us” with his very life…….God is not interested in “half of you”…God wants all of you!….That means we must strive to die to ourself daily……”Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast”………..We can not have it “both ways”….Our God is a not a God of “half measures”

‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead”….…….Jesus knew who he was - Do you?

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark Jesus say something that absolutely confounds those who live secular lives……..….”If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all”……As we all know, powerful men and women in this world “talk a good game” about “service” but when push comes to shove are they willing to be last in their desire to serve others?…….Our pride and ego get in the way…..If we take a minute to think about who Jesus Christ truly was - He was God - And how he walked among men - How he allowed men to brutally murder him…Scripture tells us…”He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth”…The entire time he was God!…..Jesus put others first…….This is what we must do too….Particularly Catholic men…..We must lead from the front starting with our families - By our example - Dad goes last!…….In order to live like this, we must learn through prayer and God’s grace who we truly are - We are children of God, heirs and sons of a King…..Because if we do not know who we are to our core, we will listen to the “whispers of the world” and put down our cross - Our ego will “get in the way”….The first reading from Mass today tells us something we do not want to hear……..”My son, when you come to serve the LORD, stand in justice and fear, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, incline your ear and receive the word of understanding, undisturbed in time of adversity. Wait on God, with patience, cling to him”…..Easier said than done!……This is why we must rely on Sacramental grace, daily prayer and weekly fasting……Jesus stood down the powers of hell and “did not open his mouth”…Because he knew who he was…Do you know who you are?

“May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.”

If we have been given gifts in this world…Whether those gifts have to do with a good education, financial stability, a family, etc…How do we use them?…Do we put our gifts at the service of others?……Scripture is very clear about how we are to use what is given to us…..This is why the most gifted, must be the servant of others…..Have you ever asked yourself why a small amount of people in the world have all the money and power?…Well, God did not ordain it to be that way….People are not all equal when it comes to talent…This is reality…However, those who have been given much, much will be expected of them……The most gifted were intended by God to lead and serve others - To “look out for them”……I know a man who has seven children…This man is a retired anesthesiologist and six of his children were very successful…One of his sons is even a priest…However, he has one son who is a drug addict and has gone to jail…..Should the brothers and sisters who seemed to have inherited all the “gifts” forget about their troubled brother?…This is what the world does right before our eyes each day…We seem to forget that everything we have is a gift…And everything we have can be taken away in one hot New York minute!…Don’t believe me?…Tell that to all the millionaires that died on September 11th when the Trade Centers were attacked in New York City….No one ever became poor by sharing…..This is why I asked the question…Do you know who your are? - Sadly most people in the world do not…We chase after an image of who and what we are supposed to be…And in doing so we lose sight of who we truly are…..In order to become people for others, we must become confident in our own identity…We must not strive to build “our” kingdom here on earth……In doing so, if we “take up our cross” and follow the Carpenter from Nazareth…Becoming who we were born to be - A person for others - The world will not value us the way we may want it too ….”Carrying the Cross” does not get you on the cover of popular magazines!.....…When this happens - And it will…When you are undervalued by the world…Think about Jesus Christ when he was crowned with thrones…”He did not open is mouth”…He accepted his role as the suffering servant……“My kingdom is not of this world”…..Jesus told his Pontius Pilate - How about us?…Where is your Kingdom?….The answer to those questions stems from another question…Do you know who you truly are?

"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise." But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.”

Today St Mark tells us in this Gospel at Mass that in order to follow Jesus we must become people for others…This means putting aside many of the “things” we like and want to do…It may even mean giving up on some of our “dreams”…..In order to live in this manner we must acquire a rock solid understanding of our identity as children of God, heirs to a God’s Kingdom - Because if we are not grounded in this fundamental idea - We will put down the Cross and look to “get mine” in the here and now….If you have been blessed to have been given many gifts - We are called to share - Period Full Stop!.....To give of our self - To become a people for others......In doing so, we will inherit eternal life…….Don’t believe me? - ”‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours. He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead”…….Jesus knew who he was - Do you?

Miracles happen everyday, even in New York City!….”The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark about Jesus once again gives sight to a blind man…This theme of “being blind” and then recovering sight keeps coming up….This is not a coincidence…”When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida, people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him”…..What we “see” depends upon many things….Especially when it comes to God and our Catholic faith…What we do not “see” depends more times then not on one thing…..Our pride - It gets in the way of “our sight”…..In order to see as God sees we must bend our will and open our heart…..Human beings are capable of convincing themselves of almost anything…It takes humility to “see”

“Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly”

Once a person has children, their world view more times then not changes…As a father of five, when I look at people suffering, particularly on the streets of New York, I often think to myself, that person is someones child…I also think to myself…Imagine if that homeless drug addict was my child…How that would absolutely kill me!….My prospective has changed since my wife and I had children…So it is when we "clear away" the bondage of our sins with a Sacramental Confession…Far too many Baptized Catholics have not gone to confession in years…..Far too many Baptized Catholics are carrying around a burden, due to their sins, that only a Sacramental Confession can wipe away…Believe it or not, the weight of our sins effects our world view…It effects what we “hear”…It effects what we “see”……And because of that - Our choices are effected and people are impacted by the choices we make….What do we “see” when we attend Mass?…What do we see when the priest at Mass holds up the Consecrated Host?…..Many will tell you they just “see” mere bread…..Others will “see” the same “bread” and tell you they “see” something entirely different!…Jesus throughout Scripture communicates to us the idea of how one can be blind and then recover their sight…Once again, this is not a coincidence……One day we will all stand before God…And God will put before our eyes everything that we have done, both good and bad….And maybe for the first time in our life, at that moment, we will see clearly - Like we never have before….In the here and now, the more we work on purifying our hearts, the more we will see….The closer we get to God, the more our horizons will open, how we view our neighbor will change, how we view the poor will change, what we see at Mass will change….St John, known as the beloved apostle was a mystic and in his Gospel this is what he had to say about the importance of having clear sight……”What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life—for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ”…Sounds to me St John “saw” something that most people do not “see”…..Would you agree?.....Interestingly enough, people for centuries have “seen” what St John is talking about too…..Many of those people willing gave their life for what was “visible” to them…I have been “around the block” in my life and I got some “news” for you…People do not give up “the good things of this world” never mind be willing to die for a lie! - Human nature just does not operate like that…Have you ever thought, even just for one second that maybe its the world that is “blind”?

“May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call”

Once again in the Gospel today at Mass, Jesus gives a man his sight back…The man was blind and when he stood in the presence of Christ, his sight returned……This same miracle happens everyday, believe it or not….It happens when a Catholic Priest says these words after we make a good and open hearted confession…”I absolve you of your sins - In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - Go in peace - Your sins are forgiven”….When I hear those words and after I make my Act of Contrition…My only response is to say “Thank you”….And interestingly enough, when I walk out of the confessional in the back of the Church and onto the streets of Manhattan I can “see” clearly again!…Miracles happen everyday, even in New York City!….”The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised”

All good things start small…..In the mean time God is patient…He knows what we are capable of - Both the good and the bad…God always finishes what he starts - But we need to cooperate with him

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel according to St Mark Jesus warns his friends……”Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod”….But the disciples did not understand what Jesus was warning them about…They thought he was talking about food (bread).....…“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?………What Jesus was trying to warn his friend about was sin…..He used an analogy to try to communicate what he was trying to teach them…..”The leaven of Herod”…As we all know Herod was a bad man…Also leaven is used to make bread, its placed in dough to make it rise before it is put into the oven and turned into the bread we all eat…But the disciple’s minds were elsewhere…They were thinking about worldly things - “Bread to eat”……There are a few things to reflect upon here…...First, Jesus was patient with these hand picked men…These were the first bishops of the Catholic Church…They had a huge task ahead of them and still, they did not “get it”…....But Jesus did not give up on them, nor does he give up on us…Second, these twelve men were “good guys”, yet Jesus knew full well what is in the heart of every man…How sin can start off small, like “leaven” in the dough of bread only to rise and overshadowed everything that is good and pure….And lastly, while Jesus was with his twelve friends trying to teach them, their minds were still not completely on God but on the things of the earth - “Bread to eat”……After this exchange between Jesus and the disciples in the gospel today…Jesus says this to his friends…..“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?”……In this statement Jesus is telling us that our ability to “see” and “hear” depends upon how open our heart is…A “hard heart” will never allow us to “see” and “hear” what is essential for us to know in order to become the people we were all born to be

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him and we will come to him”

One thing I know about myself…I am a sinner…I say that because I never underestimate what I am capable of doing…..This is one of the driving reasons why I stay close to our Lord and the Sacraments of the Catholic Church…This was one of the things that Jesus was trying to teach his friends today in the Gospel…These twelve men were “good guys”…But being a “good guy” does not mean such a person is not capable of doing bad things…Why?….Because in the heart of every man and woman is “the leaven” of sin…Jesus was warning his friends about this…To be vigilant…..“Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod”………..Something I learned many years ago…Its easier to avoid temptation then to resist it……If you know you have a certain weakness, do not put yourself in a situation where that weakness can get the best of you….As a married man, I am very careful as to what I look at…In Catholic circles this is called having “custody of your eyes”…....What do I mean by that?…If I see an advertisement of an attractive woman dressed provocatively…I do not give the advertisement a second look…If I am walking to my job and see a woman who is not dressed inappropriately and is very attractive on the streets of New York, I avert my eyes from her…Why?…Because the “seeds of sin” start small…This is why Jesus used the analogy of “leaven” to teach his friends about how sin starts off in ones life…Leaven is placed in the dough of bread to make rise…The bread starts off small and because of the leaven placed in it, it grows! …Sin works the same way in our life…It begins with “a look”…It begins with “a conversation”…And from there it grows…..Never underestimate your capacity to sin…I can speak for myself - I never do…Because I know who I am…..Jesus Christ came for sinners…Knowing that we are in need of sanctifying grace and a driving desire to be freed from our sins should motivate us to always cling to Christ and his Church…I cannot speak for you…But this motivates me

“The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD, over vast waters. The voice of the LORD is mighty”

In the Gospel today we see just how patient Jesus is with his friends…Time and time again the twelve disciple do not understand what Jesus is trying to teach them….And each time they reveal just how little they understand but Jesus never gives up on them…And his patience pays off…..Because as we know, these twelve men did great things - They eventually “figured it out”……Our journey back to God is about “figuring things out”…And this takes time….Just as Jesus uses the example of leaven in bread to teach his friends about how sin works…Leaven in bread can also be used in a different kind of analogy to communicate and teach the faith…Our Catholic faith was passed on to us when we were baptized as children…That faith is in many ways is like leaven in bread…It starts small and if we cooperate with God, the “leaven of faith” within each of us will grow…..All good things start small…..In the mean time God is patient…He knows what we are capable of - Both the good and the bad…God always finishes what he starts - But we need to cooperate with him

The Sacraments of the Catholic Church, which is the “medicine” for humanities “sin problem” have helped billions upon billions of people for 2000 years…Still don’t believe me?…Still want to address your “sin problem” without God’s medicine?…..Good luck!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Book of Genesis about how the two offsprings of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel have a dispute….Both give an offering to God…God approves of Abel’s offering but disapproves of Cains….This made Cain very angry and as a result God addresses Cain….”So the LORD said to Cain: “Why are you so resentful and crestfallen. If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master”….This is an interesting statement, one we need to explore deeply…What it shows very clearly to us is, all human beings have a propensity to sin….In Catholic terms, we call this concupiscence….While our original sin was wipe away when we were baptized, we still have a “pull” to sin…This is apart of human nature…This is very important to acknowledge…But this is the part that many do not acknowledge…God gave us the “tools” to overcome this “pull towards sin”….These tools are the Sacraments of the Catholic Church…..Notice what God says to Cain……..”sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master”…..We can “master” the sin that “lurks at our door” through living a Sacramental life…..We can also overcome sin by fasting and daily prayer…..Ask yourself…How does a priest live a celibate life?…I can hear it now - Priests don’t live celibate lives….Such a claim is sad and mistaken…Many priests keep their vows of celibacy, just as many married men remain faithful to their wives…To overcome sin, that “lurks at our door”, we need God’s grace…Many people of good will try to do this with the best of intentions and fail…Why?…Because concupiscence is apart of the human condition…This is why God established a Church…This is why Jesus is called the “Divine Physician”…And this is why the Catholic Church is the only place on earth were we can get the “medicine” to help our condition…That “medicine” is the Sacraments

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me”

In Scripture there is a story were a man is possessed by a demon and the disciples try unsuccessfully to drive the demon out…When the disciples bring the man with the demon to Jesus this is what he said…..”This kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting”……What Jesus is teaching us here is….Some “problems” are bigger then we are…Just as some sinful tendencies are bigger then we are…We need grace to overcome these “issues”…And in some cases, we need to fast and pray too, which also brings grace and self discipline into our life…..Years ago a well known Protestant Pastor in America wrote a New York Times best selling book entitled: The Purpose Driven Life…I read this book and as a Catholic to be very honest with you, there was nothing in that book that the Catholic Church has not taught for centuries…The “missing piece” that Rick Warren did not communicate is: OK Rick - You note all these virtues in your book - How are we to live them out? - That part was left out…And I am going to give you the answer to the part Rick Warren left out…We need Sacramental grace, daily prayer and fasting…To say or think you will live out all the virtues that Rick Warren notes in his book without the aide of God’s grace is as impossible as a man flapping his arms and flying to the moon…..Yet, mankind rejects the “helping hand” of God…Mankind rejects the Sacramental gifts given to him by the one Church that Jesus Christ founded…This my friends is a BIG mistake…Why?…Because the sinful condition that plagues all men and women is BIGGER than you are!…Allow me to illustrate another example…..When a person is an alcoholic, they basically cannot control themselves when it comes to drinking…..The problem is bigger then they are….A Catholic Priest (I bet you did not know this) developed the Twelve Step Program to help alcoholics…..Let’s look at the first few steps of this very successful treatment for alcohol abuse…The first step - Admitted you are powerless over alcohol……Let’s look at the second step - Come to believe that a “Higher Power” greater than ourselves could restore the person to sanity…..And lastly the third step - Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of that Higher Power as we understood Him……..What is demonstrated in these first three steps is - The alcoholic has a problem he can not control…The problem is bigger than himself….So what does this program call him to do?…First, admit you have a problem and that you are powerless against it…Then, the person surrenders that problem to a Higher Power for assistance….For those who question this model…It has been infinitely successful all over the world in helping people with alcoholism…..This model can be applied to all of us too…How? - Allow me to explain…...Because we all have been born with concupiscence.....And if you think for a minute you are going to conquer your “sin problem” without God’s grace…I got a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn!….God who is our loving Father knows this…This is why he gave us the “medicine” for our sin problem…That medicine is the Sacraments of the Catholic Church

“Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?”

Today in the first reading from the Book of Genesis, God brings to our attention how we all have a tendency to sin…However, God who is our Father and does not leave us as orphans…He tells us point blank… “Sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master”….If we cooperate with God’s grace we can overcome the “demon that lurks at our door”…But get this through your head right now….Mankind’s “sin problem” is bigger then him / her…Don’t believe me?…Ask an alcoholic if he or she can control themselves if they have just one single drink….Their problem is bigger then they are…So what do they do…First they admit their problem…Second they turn over their will to God for assistance…And guess that?…That Twelve Step Program has helped millions of alcoholics around the world…Do you know something else?…The Sacraments of the Catholic Church, which is the “medicine” for humanities “sin problem” have helped billions upon billions of people for 2000 years…Still don’t believe me?…Still want to address your “sin problem” without God’s medicine?…..Good luck!

”Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel from St Luke Jesus teaching the crowd…His message when read by the secular world does not exactly sound like a lifestyle one would want to embrace…..But this is the measure and mark of true Christian…Don’t be deceived……“Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man…….Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way”….The message of Jesus Christ has always and always will be a message that is rejected by the secular world…..Why?…..Because it puts value in people over “things”….It embraces sacrifice…It requires obedience and humility…..It recognizes authority….All these attributes of a true follower of Christ are the exact opposite of the mind set of a secular person…….To be Catholic in our world today means we do not go along to get along…It means we are to stand out, be different and in doing so we will be salt and light….Salt was used by the ancient world to preserve food and in living our faith out in the public square a follower of Jesus Christ acts as salt does for food….Preserving what is good…..We are also to be light….A light guides one to where they need to go….A light stands among the crowd in the front not the back…..For a light that is “hidden” is of no use……If we reflect upon all the “Blessed” statements made by Jesus today in the Gospel…One may say to themself - This "Christian thing" does not sound like a good deal…..While the road is narrow that leads to life and “the cross” is always laid upon our shoulder - The peace of Christ and a deep and lasting joy accompany us along “the road”…..Remember the words of Jesus himself……”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid”……So there you go! - This “deal” may not be as bad as the world says it is

“Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven”

A friend of mine who is a priest from New Jersey once said and I will never forget it….”Beware of celebrity Priests”…….My friend said that because those in the world who embrace celebrity more times then not also embrace the world….The message of Jesus Christ has never been “popular” with worldly people…..And if we read the gospel day in and day out…Jesus is not shy about challenging the status quo……Popular opinion usually has a way to distance itself from unpopular ideas and requests which require sacrifice……So what does this mean for us?….As Catholics we are to know the Truth….Live the Truth…Speak the Truth…And suffer for the Truth…….We have an audience of one - God and God alone!…We are to proclaim the gospel with our very lives…..In season and out of season……One may say - How can we do that?…..Well, if we rely upon our own strengthen we can not…We must rely on grace, which comes from the Sacraments, daily prayer and weekly fasting…..When we “make room” in our life for this grace…We can do all things because we do them with and through Jesus Christ himself…….Getting back to my friends statement - ”Beware of celebrity Priests”…….More times then not….Holy priests and nuns live a very quiet life….They tend to their parishes, serve the poor, preach the Truth, whether to one person who attends Mass or to 1000 people in the pews - No matter…Their message is the same if the President of the United States walks in the door of the Church or the cleaning lady walks in……Many years ago it was Christmas and I was helping the Missionaries of Charity put together a Christmas party for the people who lived in the Elliott-Chelsea Housing Project in Lower Manhattan….Believe it or not when I got to the convent that day, Hugh Jackman the famous Hollywood star was there with his wife…After we all were done with our work…The Superior of the convent pulled Hugh and is wife aside and was talking to them…..After they left, I said to the Superior…”Do you know who they are?” - That man is very famous”……The Sister knew that and I could tell, she could care less!…To her Hugh Jackman and his wife were no different than the poor people who lived in the housing projects we were serving that day……The “message” was the same for Hugh Jackman and the poor alike…...........................”Prepare the way of the Lord - Repent and Believe in the Gospel”

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit”

Today Jesus in St Luke’s Gospel tells us what we are to expect from the world when we follow the Gospel….He also tells us that we are to rejoice!….How and why would we rejoice when the “cross is heavy and road is long”?…..I will tell you why - Because “your reward will be great in heaven!” - That is why….Jesus was not “selling” anything…He told it like it is…He spoke clearly and boldly…And so must we…….Don’t be afraid of not “being invited to the barbecue” because you are a Catholic….Our Lord always takes care of his own!……And when we adhere “to the vine” we will bear fruit for the Kingdom of God - Come hell or high water…..That is a promise!….In the meantime……”Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows”

”I will go before you and level the mountains; Bronze doors I will shatter, iron bars I will snap……I will lead the blind on a way they do not know; by paths they do not know I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. These are my promises: I made them, I will not forsake them”

Today at Holy Mass we hear again in the the first reading from the book of Genesis…..Adam and Eve had to “face the music”…They screwed up and the Paradise that God created for them was lost…But God’s love and mercy was not lost…While they had to “pay a price” for what they did…And what was that price?……..”To the woman he said: "I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall be your master. " To the man he said: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, "Cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return." …….Some many read this and think God is very harsh - Let us never forget - Mercy is always tempered with Justice…..We should never take the mercy, which God makes available to us for granted….And when we experience the justice of God due to our sins, God uses that time to form us…Nothing is wasted!….We can lose sight of that reality as it is happening in real time…..The driving purpose of every human life is to be purified and return to the original state in which we were created……This is why when a child is born, he / she is baptized and their original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve is washed away….However, then the journey begins!…And as we all know…Life has many ups and downs…We learn as we go.......All the while the “seeds of our baptism” are germinating…..Grace builds upon grace….And more times then not…Its the “wrong turns” in life that “wake us up” to the “narrow way” that lead to life eternal

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!”

Many times when a person “strays” from God and then repents…I have noticed that a period of time often takes place where God sanctifies that person….Almost like a “dessert experience”…Speaking personally, this happened to me and I have seen it in people who are close to me….From the age of twenty-two to Forty-two before I met my wife…....I was alone….In that time God formed me - And that time was not without its sufferings…I have also seen this happen with two of my children’s Godfathers……Looking back at those twenty long years, like Adam and Eve, “a price had to be payed”…My life was far from God as a young man…I was not formed in my Catholic faith because I never listened to those who tried to help me…..But also like Adam and Eve, God did not give up on me…I used the time!…..And when the “time was right - and I was "ready”…At the age of forty-two, God brought me my wife…Life is about being sanctified - To look at it in any other way, through any other “lens” is to “miss the big picture”…Allow me to make an analogy to help illustrate my point……If you ever have seen at a sword, you will notice how sharp it is and how the iron shines bright…What you do not see is iron, the material the sword is made of is taken deep from within the earth….And when raw iron is mined from the ground, it has to be formed - All the impurities must be taken from it…This requires the raw iron to be placed into a furnace and softened…Then the blacksmith uses a hammer shaping the boiling hot iron on an anvil to mold and shape it…When the iron is formed into the shape of a sword, it then has to be polished by using steel wool….That is how a a sword is made…And that is what happens to all of us!…..When we stray - And all of us have and all of us do….It takes one Sacramental Confession to return to a state of grace - Just one!…This is God’s mercy - Given free of charge….However, then comes God’s justice….Rome was not built in a day and as a result, the “sanctification process" begins…New habits need to be formed, old habits need to be broken, virtues need to be practiced, etc…And all this takes time and the process is not “pretty”….Like the story of Adam and Eve…They “messed up” and after God “called them out”…They “came clean” with God…But that was not the end of the story…God needed to form them so they would not go down the wrong road again and stay on the "narrow road" that leads to life!…And that was not an easy time for them nor is it easy for us….The important thing to remember is, when we are in the “purifying fires of God”….God is closer to us then ever before - Nothing is wasted - Not even our sins and the effects of our sins….All of human life boils down to our sanctification - Returning to the state in which we began

“You turn man back to dust, saying, "Return, O children of men. "For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night”

Today at Holy Mass God tells Adam and Eve that while you “screwed up” and I am glad you told me what you did - There are consequences to face….This sadly applies to us as well…However, there is a purpose for those times when we “feel the consequences” of bad decisions……Adam and Eve were given a second chance and so are we…..However, we are all still "a work in progress"…God is the "potter and we are the clay"..….And sometimes “clay” does not want to be molded and when that happens, it needs to be “heated in the furnace”, to soften it, making it easy once again to mold….During these times in our life…Do not lose faith - God is a master craftsman and we are all the work of his hands…..”I will go before you and level the mountains; Bronze doors I will shatter, iron bars I will snap……I will lead the blind on a way they do not know; by paths they do not know I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. These are my promises: I made them, I will not forsake them”

For there are many who “hear” but do not “listen”…There are many who “see” but have no “sight”….“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)……And immediately the man’s ears were opened”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark about a man who was deaf and begged Jesus to help him….”He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And immediately the man’s ears were opened”….In his public ministry Jesus performed many healing miracles….But there is also something deeper here…This particular man could not hear…How many people today, even within the Catholic Church “do not hear” what the Church teaches….Sure they “hear it” or can read it for themselves but what they “hear” does not register……How can this be addressed?…..In order to “hear” the Truth in its fullness we must work at purifying our heart…And to do that takes supernatural grace….Supernatural grace you say??? - What is that? - Supernatural grace comes from the Sacraments, which were given to the world by Christ himself….When we go regularly (once a month) to a Sacramental Confession and then receive the Eucharist in the state of grace - We are empowered with supernatural grace, which enables us to “see” and “hear”…..Without this grace, our own individual biases, agendas and ideologies “get in the way”!

“He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak”

I remember years ago in my twenties I went to confession with an old Italian priest in Hoboken New Jersey….At the time I was not living a chaste life according to the precepts of the Catholic Church for those who are not married…This priest in the confessional was trying to address my sins against chastity and he was trying to show me where I “went wrong”…He was doing this in a very gentle and patient way I will add…I can remember to this day how I was actually arguing with him in the confessional…Looking back at this, I can “see” how clearly I was dead wrong!…This is just one example of how we are all in need of grace in order to “see” and “hear” - And how sin “gets in the way” of us “hearing” the Gospel Truth…..I heard a nun, who is also a medical doctor once say that when we do not live in the state of grace, its like we have cataracts in your eyes, which prohibits us from seeing clearly…Another priest described it this way….When your car windshield is dirty, you cannot see properly through it and your lack of clear vision can cause you to get into an accident on the highway….Even venial sins, which add up in time can make for a “dirty” windshield on your car…Its not until we “clean” the windshield, will see see all the “potholes” in the road as we drive…..Mistakenly, people equate navigating the many choices of life with age, experience and raw intelligence….Being highly educated has nothing to do with “seeing” and “hearing” to Truth that Jesus Christ proclaimed…There are many highly educated people both inside and outside the Church that are “blind” and “deaf”….The ONLY thing that allows us to “hear” and “see” Jesus clearly is a pure heart - And the only way to purify our heart is through Sacramental grace

“Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son”

Jesus today in the Gospel from mass, cures a deaf man, giving him back his ability to hear….To a degree, we all are that deaf man because each of us are sinners and sin “clouds” our ability to hear and see properly…Its not until we make a visit to the “Divine Physician” who will then prescribe for us “the medicine” we need….Frequent Sacramental Confessions and reception of the Eucharist in the state of grace is “the medicine”….…St Matthew in his gospel put it best….......”The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them”…..…For there are many who “hear” but do not “listen”…There are many who “see” but have no “sight”….“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)……And immediately the man’s ears were opened”

All roads lead to God in the end…Even “dead ends”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading the creation narrative in the Book of Genesis continues….."It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him”….And from the man’s rib God created that partner for him and called her “woman”….”For out of 'her man' this one has been taken”……And to this very day this partnership continues and will always continue…..Marriage is between one man and one woman…Any other variation of this union, which was defined by God himself is a misnomer…..”That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh”……There are many reasons as to why society prescribes to defining marriage as something it is not and can never be…..At the root of all the “variations of marriage” we see today, even in non Sacramental marriages between a man and a woman, under it all are wounds…..And sadly, our society does not take those wounds to the “Divine Physician”, instead humanity falsely believes they can “create” as God created…And whenever mankind convinces himself into believing this lie - In the end, humanity hits “a wall” and we are greatly disappointed when we hit this "wall"……Many times God works in our life when we come to the end of our self….This means when we wholeheartedly pursue a behavior or an ideology that is “not of God” and after time we realize that it does not and can not satisfy what we intended it to satisfy…Its at that point that God meets us right where we are as we are…And its at that moment that we must make a decision - To continue down a “rabbit hole” that has no end, or reverse course and start something new.

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls”

Recently I experienced a shoulder injury and my doctor prescribed that I go to physical therapy…The therapist said something very interesting and it applies to the Spiritual life as well…”Listen to your body”…..Each of us are “hard wired” for God…..And when we “go off the rails”….Our soul tells us so……The same goes for those who enter marriage…….When we get married in the Catholic Church we take vows….We are called to be faithful….Fruitful…And our marriage is to be forever….God made marriage a Sacrament and because of that the covenant between a man and a woman is sacred……Does our society view marriage as something sacred? - A story for another day…..Marriage is also a vocation and through this covenant God works to sanctify both the husband and the wife…And that is a process…..Recently I spoke to a friend of mine who is a nun and she asked me about my children…I told her they are well and she then said something that most people would probably not fully understand…She said - “Joe - The children will get you to heaven”…....What does that mean?…It means that by taking care of our children, we will learn to forget ourself and its in that process of “giving ourself away” that we find God….This is what the vocation of marriage is all about…Today our society tries to “play God”…We try to redefine what can not be changed…And in doing that we “build a wall” between ourself and God’s grace……A priest once told me something I will never forget…The grace of God is always pouring down upon us - We however many times choose to put up an umbrella”…..In order for the grace of God to reach us, we must put down the “umbrella”…..We do that by living a Sacramental life…A life, which we were ALL born to live…We do that by living out our marriage vows…..And in turn, we are filled with God’s grace….Why do we need that grace?…Because we are ALL flawed in one way or another….That is where the “Divine Physician” comes in…God showers us with life giving grace….Everything is reliant upon that grace…This is why no one can or should boast.

“Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored”

Today at Mass God tells us he created marriage and because of that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman…Its this union that brings life into the world…We can not alter what God has created and to think so only ends in a dead end…..The interesting thing about that “dead end” is when we stray from God and “think” we can redefine what can not be redefined…In time, God clearly communicates to us where we went wrong….Why?…..Because God is a patient and loving father and when we reach that “wall”, its then for us to make a decision…..God works through all things….And God is merciful….Sometimes it takes human beings time to “figure out” that God’s way is the only way….Recently I read a book about St Genevieve……St Genevieve lived in what is now Paris when the Roman empire fell…And as with the life of all saints, St Genevieve was very brave…She confronted Attila the Hun…In the story someone questioned how St Genevieve will be able to change the heart of a man like Attila the Hun……And a very wise person said something in the story that I will never forget….”God will speak to Attila the Hun in a language he understands”…Wise words in deed…All roads lead to God in the end…Even “dead ends”

”Do what he tells you”…..When we listen to her….We get a small taste of paradise here on earth….. And the best is yet to come

Today at Holy Mass, in the first reading we hear the creation narrative from the Book of Genesis….”The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being”…….God made us and gave us everything we need…However he warned us about something that to this day effects each and every one of us….."You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die”….Why did God do this?…Is there something about the “apple tree”?…….What God was telling us here is that he determines what is good and evil - We do not…This very clear statement made by God (our creator) blows a hole in the statement we hear today by so many….”This is my truth?”……..There is only one truth and God determines it - That is what this narrative read to us at Mass today is all about……We only fool ourselves when we “think’ we determine the Truth…Why is that?….Because we die - Our life here on earth is very short….We do not and cannot change reality - We can try to fool ourselves and others in thinking we can…But in the end, as they saying in New Jersey goes…”It is what it is”…..God is the author of life and he is also the author of the Truth…..Mankind from the time of Adam and Eve to the present day has tried to alter what can not be altered….And the outcome is always the same…..Sorrow, strife and death…..God came to give us life and give it to us in abundance in the here and now!…He created Adam and Eve and gave them everything they needed…He also told them in order to “keep what you have” and maintain this beautiful garden I created for you - Listen to me……The same message is echoed today by God and sadly the same refusal is also still embraced by far too many……”This is my truth”……..Jesus said very clearly the very opposite message…He said - ”I am the Way…The Truth…And the Life…Jesus did not say I am the custom……Our Lady did not say too much recorded in the pages of Scripture but one of the things she did say could be one of the most important messages we ever hear in our life time….”Do what he tells you”

“Your word, O Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth”

People believe what they see - Period Full Stop…One of the things that “sold me” on why I believe that everything the Catholic faith teaches is true is what I saw with my own two eyes in religious orders that “adhere to the vine”….Trust me when I tell you this and if you like, go witness it for your self…Those who “adhere to the vine”, meaning those who follow the teachings of the Church…Not “leaving things out” because they do not comport with their lifestyle simply thrive!….This is factual and this is reality…If you do not believe me…I invite you to see for your self….Individuals, families and consecrated religious who live Sacramental lives and follow all the teachings of the Catholic Church “bear fruit” - Period Full Stop!……Again, if you don’t believe me…Go look at the many religious orders thriving in New York City today: The Sisters of Life; The Missionaries of Charity; The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to name three I am very familiar with…....These orders all have one thing in common…They “adhere to the vine”…And as a result, they get many young men and woman who join them year after year…..People are not interested in “watered down” Catholicism…I can speak for myself…I am not…..There is something about an authentic witness of the Catholic faith…One that does not comprise but embrace something which challenges a person, calling them to something greater them themselves!…….This is the faith of Jesus Christ and when the world witnesses such a faith, it stops traffic!……Before you will believe what I am telling you, you must see this kind of faith lived out…This kind of faith brings with it deep joy and peace……And this is available for all of us - Right now!…And here is the good news…Its free!……”The lie” which was presented to Adam and Eve by the devil is the same lie presented to mankind today....…”If you eat of the tree of knowledge - You will be like God”….How do we know this is a lie?…Because we all die - God "makes the rules" and “holds all the cards”……See for yourself how those who embrace the fullness of their Catholic faith “bear fruit”…..Seeing is believing…And what I am telling you is not - “My truth” - Its “The Truth”

“All creatures look to you to give them food in due time. When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things”

We heard today how God created man…God gave us everything we need to thrive and only gave us one condition by which we must live.….God determines the Truth - We do not…..With that said, God gives us free will…..Why did he do that?…Because love can not be forced upon someone - Love must be freely chosen…..Therefore we all must make a choice…..If you are hesitant to believe that the Catholic Church and everything it teaches is true…That somehow the teachings of the Church are “not applicable for you” or “outdated”…Look for yourself and see Catholics who authentically live out their faith in real time…Obviously, these people are not perfect, no one is…But I will tell you this…There is a joy found in those who embrace the fullness of their Catholic faith that is very real…And that joy cannot be denied when you see it….Stop pointing to all the “bad examples” found within our Church and stop making excuses…….From the beginning there was a bad example (ie Judas) and “bad people” sadly will always exist until Jesus returns….In the meantime, when you see for yourself what authentic Catholicism is all about…Then make up your mind - Stop listening to "the lie"…..The Garden of Eden was created for us to thrive in………..”Paradise was lost” with the bite of an apple…..That all changed with one YES from a peasant girl named Mary and that same young girl tells us all something we should take to heart…”Do what he tells you”…..When we listen to her….We get a small taste of paradise here on earth…. And the best is yet to come

”I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice”…..A little bit of understanding goes a long way…And when that fails…Pray and Fast

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus addresses empty actions of worship…He calls out the Pharisees and beats them at their own game….The Pharisees say they prescribe to all of the traditions of the Jewish people and Jesus points out areas in those same traditions in which they fall short too…Yet they point fingers and are critical of others…So much here to take note of…First…Do we know why we do what we do as Catholics?…Do we perform our religious rituals without thinking about why we do them?….Everything we do as Catholics should point to Christ…If we fast, its to grow closer to God, its not a “personal contest of our strengthen and discipline”…If we pray daily, do we consider the words we say and or do we say the words just to get them over with?…..Second reflection to consider from the Gospel today….The Pharisees were good Jews and that should be something to be proud of…However, like everything one else, they were not perfect…They were sinners…Knowing that, they should have had mercy on others when they failed or fell from grace, just as they sometimes do……..And so must we…..Why?…..Because no one is perfect…That does not mean we condone “bad behavior”…But what it does mean is we do not condemn others who fail because we too fail….Everything we do as Catholics should point our lives towards God and when we see others “not measure up”…What do we do to help them?…Do we pray for them at the very least?…Do we offer a good example to them?…Do we fast for the Church?…..Each and every day we should look at our own actions and examine our thoughts….We can not control other people, but we can control ourself…..And a good example goes a long way…So does prayer and fasting - In fact, daily prayer and fasting helps us to be that “example”

“You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet.”

My wife and I before we were married were heavily involved in many different Catholic organizations around New York City. Many of the people who also attended these organizations took their faith very seriously….After my wife and I started to have children (we now have five under ten years old) we would sometimes try to attend events or a Mass within those circles in which we attended before we were married….Kids being kids - They sometimes do not behave…Sadly when that happened, we were not always given a “compassionate look” or an understanding word when our children did not behave say at Mass…While I understand that at Mass there should always be a spirit of reverence…It takes time for children to grasp that fact and parents are simply doing their best…..When those “looks” came our way…I have always thought of the words of Jesus himself…”Let the children come to me”…And I also thought to myself how Jesus is smiling down from heaven at the sight of my children attending a solemn Mass even as they made noise…This experience taught me something as well - To be understanding when other people “bother me” or talk during Mass…We all must be patient with each other, even when we “step on each others toes” now and then….This past Sunday I was in the Adoration Chapel near my home….And a young father came in with his two children…The kids were running around and making noise…The Dad kept apologizing to me..,.Clearly the children made it harder for me to pray…However, I told the dad not to worry and tried my best to make him feel comfortable….The whole time I thought to myself, how happy Jesus is for these kids to be here with him!……..While its important to do things the right way….We must always remember we are all human and because of that “stuff happens”…And when it does - “Offer it up”…God uses all things to make us holy - Even the noise at Mass we have to endure…..In fact, when we hear noise at Mass or we see someone unknowingly not “doing what they should be doing” at Mass…Instead of being critical, pray for that person and fast for the Church…..Praying and Fasting go along way and are much more effective when it comes to renewing our Catholic traditions and practices then unkind words and ‘dirty looks”

“Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; And favor me with your law”

Today in the gospel at Mass, Jesus addresses the importance of knowing why we do what we do as Catholics…But he also teaches us that even the best of us fail and are flawed…Knowing that reality - And it is reality - Its better and more efficacious to bring some mercy and understanding to the situation when others fail - And when we do that, we too grow in the process……Jesus tells us in Scripture……..”The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you” - The very thought of that statement scares the daylights out of me! - Because I fail at this virtue more times then I want to admit and because of that, I bring this sin to the Confessional equally as often - Allowing God to pour down his healing grace upon me…..The great Abraham Lincoln once said….”I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice”…..A little bit of understanding goes a long way…And when that fails…Pray and Fast

“So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice”………And so it is to this very day…..What are we looking for?

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St Mark…Great crowds were coming to Jesus…These people were physically ill and were looking for a cure…And Jesus cared for them…..In reading this passage this morning I thought to myself…How things changed quickly! - In short order these same people were screaming “Crucify him” when Jesus entered Jerusalem……Upon reflecting on this historic reality, I thought to my self…What is it do we “want” from Christ?…Is it a short term fix?…Jesus came to give us life…He came to show us a different way to live…..He came to forgive our sins……..Is the world today interested in that?…Or - Does the world still want a “short term fix”……The parable about the seeds tell us everything we need to know about how we are to follow the Lord and lead a Catholic life…..Jesus was willing to suffer and die for the Truth…He spoke the Truth in good times and in bad……He was obedient until death….This is the faith we must aspire to cultivate

“This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”

I guess the questions for us to consideration today are: What are we looking for? - and - Do we want to be healed?…Jesus asked these questions of people during his ministry…..First - Do we want to be healed?…..All of us have attachments to sin and to “break these chains” requires grace and effort on our part….Secondly - What are we looking for?….At the root of this question one has to consider the goals of our life…Are we building a Kingdom here on earth or are we simply pilgrims “passing through”….The goal of our life should be heaven and in order to reach our goal we must participate in our own sanctification…This again requires God’s grace and our effort…….St Thomas More is the patron saint of lawyers, statesmen and politicians…..Thomas was a rich and powerful man…Thomas was also a faithful Catholic…..When King Henry VIII of England wanted to divorce his wife and marry another woman, he mandated that all his people publicly acknowledge what he was doing was lawful……Thomas More refused and Thomas had a lot to lose…And as a result of his public stance, all of Thomas More’s wealth and land was taken from him and his family….And in the end Thomas was murdered by the state…..His final words before he was killed were….”I die the king's faithful servant, but God's first”…..To acquire a faith like that one must be grounded in Sacramental grace, daily prayer and fasting…To be able to “let go” of wealth and power for the sake of the Kingdom of God requires supernatural grace, which believe it or not is available to all of us in the Sacraments of the Catholic Church……Again, it comes down to the questions: What are we looking for? - and - Do you want to be healed?….Catholics for centuries have renounced the world for the sake of the Kingdom of God….And so must we - This is our witness…We are to walk among the people of the world but not be “of the world”….This is our purpose and in doing so we follow the example of the Carpenter from Nazareth

“Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people”

The Gospel today from Mass made me think as well as question the depth of my own faith…….What am I looking for?….We all must answer this question for ourselves…Jesus was a man of compassion and he cured those who were physically sick…But a medical doctor can do that….The Catholic Church helps the poor all over the world to this day…But the Catholic Church is not an NGO staffed with social workers, that is not the fundamental purpose of the Church….Jesus came to preach the Truth and to forgive sins…The Catholic Church today does the same…..Come hell or high water - In season and out of season…….When Jesus addressed Pontius Pilate before he was sentenced to death, this was the exchange between the two: “So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice”………And so it is to this very day…..What are we looking for?

Jesus Christ rose from the dead….It does not get any more “impossible then that”….And a man who rose from the dead can do all things…So can we if we learn to trust him

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke how Jesus friends went fishing…They did not catch anything and they worked hard all night…Jesus, who was not a fisherman asks them to do something that a man in the fishing profession would not do….Remember Jesus was a carpenter by trade not a fisherman…Peter could have given Jesus a lecture as to why what he was asking of him “did not make sense”…But that is not what he did…."Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”…….Peter out of obedience did what was asked of him…Even as it did not seem practical or make any sense at the time…And as a result, he caught more fish then he ever thought possible….This parable stands out for me personally and I reflect on it often…Living life as a practicing Catholic in the world today in many ways and to many people “will not make sense”…However, we must trust in the one who asks us to live “differently”…Jesus promised Peter that he would catch fish if he “did it his way”….Jesus asks the same from us…And the outcome of our obedience to God and his Church will result in the same outcome as it did for St Peter

“Come after me and I will make you fishers of men”

The day I was married I remember thinking how can my wife I be fully open to life and “make it” in this world…We were not rich people…How can we have a big family?…..Both of us were committed Catholics and fully intended to not use contraception in our marriage and never have…How will we do it I thought right before the Mass that joined us as husband and wife…Well, eleven and a half years later and five children later…Here we are….God provided!….I have learned to trust God more then I trust myself - That may sound crazy to some but that is how I feel….Modern man likes to “calculate” everything - While we must be prudent in this world…We also must learn to trust our Lord, who loves us and will never abandon us…Doing things “God’s way” when it comes to not using contraception will not make sense to the world today…I remember at my job when I was about to have my fifth child…My boss was like…”Joe - You are crazy”…..But in the end, it all worked out….When we do things “God’s way” - God not only provides but God forms us in the process, molding us into the people he created us to be - And that is a process, which does not happen over night…Jesus asked Peter today in the Gospel…"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch”…....We must do the same in this life…Even if what is asked of us does not always “make sense”…God knows what is best….And if we are obedient to him…The results will far exceed our expectations

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective”

Today in the Gospel from Mass Peter trusts Jesus blindly and he was not disappointed. We too must learn to trust God’s will for us in real time…As Catholics in the world we are asked in a sense to do many things that to some many seem “impossible"…But I have learned in my walk with the Lord over the years that our God is the God of the impossible…Jesus Christ rose from the dead….It does not get any more “impossible then that”….And a man who rose from the dead can do all things…So can we if we learn to trust him