Is there anything worth more then peace of mind?….Where is your Kingdom? - Is it here or is it in heaven?….Jesus in the Gospel today said it best.......…“Does this shock you?”

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of John that some of the people were having a difficult time accepting what Jesus was saying and teaching….Sounds familiar?……”Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you?”…The Truth is not for sale and the Truth does not change….Jesus was always crystal clear…Everyone knew exactly where he stood at all times….And this is how we must be as Catholics…Clarity is essential…We are not here to appease anyone and if the Truth is not stated clearly, how will people know it……The Gospel of St John goes on: “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God”…And as we see in this exchange, it was our first Pope, Peter who stood up and addresses those who had doubts - That is a primary function of the Pope - To teach the Truth, in season and out of season - To be crystal clear!…..What St Peter said in the Gospel today is so true - “To whom shall we go?”……Jesus is the only “exit door off the island” to eternal life…To construct alternative methods through self-rationalizations is simply a delusion…..Ultimately, its ok to have doubts - We ALL have them - This is why God gave us the Holy Spirit…This is why Jesus gave us the Sacraments….If we utilize these gifts, our minds will be enlightened with the Truth and all our doubts will disappear

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.”

Where is your Kingdom? - Is it here or is it in heaven?…This is the driving question we must ask ourself because we can not have it both ways - Don’t deceive your self…Jesus in Scripture tells us once again very clearly where he stands on this question when he stood before Pontius Pilate….“My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here”……How we answer this question will drive everything we do in this life - EVERYTHING……The answer we give to this question is not determined by our words, its proclaimed by how we live our life…The choices we make…What we do with our time…What we do with our money…..How we treat people......How we utilize our God given gifts……When I first got married my wife and I were asked to teach a portion of the Pre-Cana classes at my parish for young couples who were about to get married in the Catholic Church…When I stood before these young men and women, the first thing I asked them was this….”What is the goal of your marriage?”………All of us have goals - Right?…We have them in our professional life…We have them for our children…We have them for retirement…So I would think the question I presented to these couples should make perfect sense - Right?….”What is the goal of your marriage?”……..The answer I was looking for is this……My primary goal as a husband is to get my wife and children to heaven…..And……My primary goal as a wife is to get my husband and children to heaven…….That is the answer - The only answer - The only thing that is important

“How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me?…..The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD”

Today in the Gospel from John that we heard at Mass, we hear how the people of Jesus day struggled with his teaching….No different from the people of today…However, St Peter, our first Pope steps up and addresses the doubts of the crowd….“Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God”…..Let us pray for faith and trust in the goodness of God, who loves us and only wants what is best for us….All the questions and doubts will be addressed - If only we prayed…If only we lived a Sacramental life…If only we turned to Our Lady….God will not leave us orphans!!!…..But we first have to help ourself…We must take the first step…Then all the questions we have will be addressed and the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding will rest upon you……Is there anything worth more then peace of mind?….Where is your Kingdom? - Is it here or is it in heaven?….Jesus in the Gospel today said it best…....“Does this shock you?”