Jesus is not “selling” anything - He told it like it is…..And now so will I……The goal of every human life should be heaven….No matter what is accomplished here on earth, if we do not enter into heaven….We fail…..Those are the terms people can understand…We fail - So don’t fail

Today at Holy Mass he hear in the Gospel of St John something that goes against just about everything we are taught as Americans from the time we are born until the time we die…."Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal”…Clearly in order to provided for ones family, hard work and money is required…..This is not the issue at hand when breaking down the words of Christ today in the Gospel….Its not about “meeting our needs” through the use of financial gain…Its about placing status and material wealth above all else, creating an idol, which is more important then God and neighbor….Life is so short, even if you are blessed to live 100 years…..And while we must provide for our families needs, forgetting that sooner or later we will leave this earth can and will usually lead one to “misplace our priorities”….Far too many assume that getting into heaven is a guarantee…We assume “The Pearly Gates” open based upon human standards…The “I’m a good guy standard”…..That is not how it works!……..The goal of every human life should be heaven….No matter what is accomplished here on earth, if we do not enter into heaven….We fail…..Those are the terms people can understand…We fail - So don’t fail

”Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you”

Have you ever found yourself viewing money as almost having no meaning what so ever?…..An interesting question but lets explore it for the purposes of this reflection……When I would go to India the exchange rate was usually 1 US dollar to around 53 Indian rupees. Coming from a working class background in America for the first time in my life I saw up close just how wealthy I was compared to a large percentage of the world’s population. When I went to India, money had just about no meaning, I could do just about anything….This mindset can twist a person…And far too many in the world have been twisted by the allure of status and wealth, which is fleeting…..Viktor Frankl wrote a famous book about his time in a Nazi concentration camp…The book is entitled “Man’s Search For Meaning”…And if you have not read this book, you should go out and do so…Viktor Frankl was a very successful and educated man who found himself in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany…While in the camp one day he encountered a famous scientist, who like him came from the societies upper class and now was in prison…The scientist just arrived in the camp and told Frankl that he was hiding his research in a compartment sown into his coat…Viktor Frankl was in the camp for some time at this point and this is what he said to this man who was hoarding his most valuable possession - His scientific research, which brought him tremendous wealth……”In this place - those papers mean nothing”……That statement made by Frankl after reading his book have always stuck with me…”In this place - those papers mean nothing!!!”…….There will come a time when money and status mean nothing….For one, when we are on our death bed…There comes a time in every human life where no matter what medical science tries to do - they can do no more and we die…This reality impacts the very rich and the very poor alike…Also, when we stand before God…When that time comes…Our money and social status will mean nothing…..Its very important, in my view, to keep this reality in prospective as we live our day to day life because coming from America and living a privileged life, one can very easily lose focus…..Being a father of five children, I must work hard…Taking care of a family is expensive, especially living in the New York City Metropolitan Area…But ultimately, money will not provide the most essential ’things” for my family….Because without faith in God…Without imparting the faith to my children…Without demonstrating that faith to my children by the way my wife and I live our life…Ultimately, they will be led astray and destroy themselves as so many do…..Once again, I will put it in terms that the world will understand…..The goal of every human life should be heaven….No matter what is accomplished here on earth, if we do not enter into heaven….We fail…..Those are the terms people can understand…We fail - So don’t fail

“One does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God”

Today we are reminded by Jesus in the Gospel that there is a place for work and material needs but nothing is more important than “the Bread of Life”, which Jesus gives to us…..There are many Christians in the world and many say they believe in the words contained in the Bible…That is a noble pursuit…And if that is your belief - I want to bring “front and center” a few of the words contained in Scripture that Jesus said to his people when many of them abandoned him…..”Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Then many of his disciples 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?”……..But there are some of you who do not believe. Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied 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.”…….Jesus is not “selling” anything - He told it like it is…..And now so will I……The goal of every human life should be heaven….No matter what is accomplished here on earth, if we do not enter into heaven….We fail…..Those are the terms people can understand…We fail - So don’t fail