If we say we “seek what is above” as many do…Let your "Yes be Yes and your No be No"….And let the chips fall where they may

Today at Holy Mass we hear St John tell us in his Gospel that a prominent leader of the people came to see Jesus at night to ask him questions…Why would such a man come to Jesus at night?…Is it because he heard the Truth in what Christ was saying but would not “put down the things of this world” for that Truth?….Is it because he liked his “comfortable life” more than the Truth?..….”There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God”…….What is most important to us is never what we say - Its the choices we make and how we live…This is what “speaks” to the world…..Catholics can not compartmentalize their life….We are to be “in the world but not of it”…..And our friend Nicodemus in the Gospel today seems to want to have it both ways…He acknowledges Jesus but does so in secret….He does not want to “pay the price” for his belief in God’s Truth…..The reality is this - There will always be a price to be paid if we follow God and his Truth…And we must be willing to pay it…..Going along to get along is not the path to eternal life

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”

I have heard it said - “Christianity in America is a mile wide and an inch deep”….Its very easy to say we believe in Jesus Christ, but what if your beliefs resulted in the lose of your comfort…Would you still profess publicly your belief in God?….What is your position on same sex marriage?….Do you support abortion?……Just to name two touch points of contention in our society today....Would if these two unchangeable Catholic teachings resulted in you losing everything - How would you react?…….In many countries in the world today, being a Christian may mean the loss of your life……The question we must ask ourselves is…What is most important to you?…Before you answer…..Think long and hard……..When Christ returns - And make no mistake - He will one day return…The power structures of the world will flip…So much of what God values, the world could care less about…Well - When Jesus returns, where will we “stand” on the values of God?…..This past weekend I went to sit before the Blessed Sacrament in the early morning hours before my children woke up….During my time there, a poor middle aged Spanish woman came into the chapel….She looked like someone mainstream America would hire to clean their home…The woman greeted me with a big smile, placed a veil over your head and prayed with such devotion in front of the Blessed Sacrament…..This woman in the world is to most people “completely invisible”…But to God, not only is she seen but deeply valued…..So the question is - Do we view the world as God does?…Do we value what God values?….And does our life’s witness demonstrate those values?……We can not have it both ways and when we chose God there will usually be a cost…..Are we wiling to pay it?…..When love demands of us…Do we “turn away”?…Do we embrace the cost? - Come what may!

“Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.”

Today St John reminds us that if we profess to follow Christ with our lips, we must do so in the light and not like Nicodemus who came to Jesus at night, so no one would know…..Jesus tells us in Scripture…”Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father”…..This does not necessarily imply what we say…”Talk is cheap”…..How we live gives the answer….One day, could even be today, Jesus will return….On that day there will be no “faking it”….If we say we “seek what is above” as many do…Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No….And let the chips fall where they may