”Everything that glitters is not gold”…..Dare to be “different”….."My yoke is easy, and my burden is light"

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles how Peter and the remaining disciples had to chose a replacement for Judas, who we all know betrayed Christ……“You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place. Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles”…Lets look closer at the words of St Peter…..”Judas turned away to go to his own place”……There is a common misconception, which is believed about Judas……Judas's betrayal of Christ was grounded not in his hatred for Jesus, he simply lost faith in the method in which Christ was to bring forth the Kingdom of God upon the earth…Remember, Israel was under the thumb of Rome…Many were looking for a political messiah (Sound familiar?)…And then this "humble guy" comes along..... This carpenter from a small town, who tells people to “love their enemies” - What are you crazy!?!…Judas simply lost faith in the model Jesus was proposing, therefore he sold him out…How about us? - Do we “buy in” to the model of Christ?…Are we “all in”?……Notice again the words St Peter uses…..”Judas turned away to go to his own place”….Judas in essence “did his own thing”…..He thought that “his way” was better than God’s way…Are people today any different?……The point I want to drive home here is this…We can not follow Christ on “our own terms”…This is a grave misconception of far too many……Heaven is God’s house and we enter it on his terms….American Christianity, including many Catholics, have mistakenly embraced this idea that we all just “float into heaven”…..We follow Jesus on “our terms” and that Christ “will understand” in the end…..Yes - Jesus surely does understand - The holes in his hands and feet prove it!…..Christianity without the cross is not Christianity….There is no such thing as “cheap grace”

“He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor - To seat them with princes, with the princes of his own people”

Do we trust in the words of Christ?…I mean really trust them?….Our life’s choices give the world the answer to those questions…This is why people do not “buy in” to the gospel message…The world must “see” the gospel lived out…In our work place…In our families…And in the public square…But in order to do that…There is a cost….A sacrifice is required…In all our “calculations” we are not convinced!…It comes down to this - We either do not believe the words of Christ and his Church to be true…..or…..We think that “our way” will produce better results……For those of us who have “been around” for some time like I have…Just look at the people we work with…Who live in our neighborhood….etc….People who “think” they are “getting over”…Are they really “getting over”?….As time goes on, bad choices always produce bad outcomes…We need to start playing the long game…..In the Gospel today from Mass Jesus tells his friends something we must all take to heart….“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete”…….Jesus came to give us life and give it abundantly, in the here and now! - Do you believe that?…..While to some, living life as a practicing Catholic may not “look so good” - Remember - Looks can be very deceiving!…..Peace and Joy: these are things each and every single person in the entire world are looking for - Period Full Stop…Jesus promises us this and he gave us a Church, where through the Sacraments we can have both at no cost….We simply have to have the courage to embrace what is staring us right in the face!…Stop allowing the world to dictate its terms to you!…..Jesus tells us himself…"My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" …We must have the courage to embrace such a life…..Do not settle for what the world is “selling”….Empty promises and fleeting moments!……Build your life upon the rock of Truth…......….”Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined”…….We need to pray for courage and faith…We either believe the words of Christ or we do not….And if we have doubts, read about the lives of the saints, people like you and me…Who “took a step”…then another step…then another step…Only to find out that everything Jesus said was true….Are we brave enough to take that first step?…Only you can answer that question and no one can take the step for you!

“You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain”

Today we hear at Mass that Judas “went his own way”….This should serve as a reminder to us….Jesus tells us very clearly…I am the WAY…That implies we have to do things his WAY!……Ultimately we have to learn to trust God and not men….The world is “selling” all kinds of “things” to us…We either “buy in” or we do not….Are we willing to be “different”…Are we willing to take the “road less traveled”?……I can only speak for myself…Choosing to embrace my Catholic faith as a 22 year old man was the best single decision of my life…That is how I met my wife…That is why I have my five children…Being Catholic is not something we just do on Sunday for one hour…Our entire life should be lived through the lens of our faith…Why don’t we live like that?…Let’s be honest - We do not think it’s “practical”….or…We flat out don’t think it's possible….or…We simply don’t believe it!…….Jesus tells us…..“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete”…I am telling you this now too, from my own experience….......”Everything that glitters is not gold”…..Dare to be “different”….."My yoke is easy, and my burden is light"