What about us?….Do we know “the way”?…..Deep down - I think we do!….“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St John….Thomas and Jesus are having an interesting discussion…I think its a common conversation people today have with God…..Let’s reflect upon it…… "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places……….Where I am going you know the way……..Thomas said to him, Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?…….Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”….We tell ourself we do not know what God wants of us…But is that entirely true?…..Here we have St Thomas, a man who saw the miracles with his own two eyes and he is telling Jesus to his face…”How can we know the way”……If we carve out silent time each and every day…....We will hear the voice of God very clearly within our heart…Once we hear it…The next step is to act upon what we hear…..Jesus knows the human condition all too well….This is why he gave us a Church, which in turn gives us the Sacraments……The reason why we disregard the Church is because we have not experienced the efficacy of what a Sacramental life can for you, your family and the world around you….Jesus tells Thomas…..”I am the way”…..We going about things incorrectly….We think we can “go our own way” and take Jesus along with us and when times get tough, call upon him…Actually its just the opposite…We are to follow Jesus - He does not follow us…..When we pray the Rosary and meditate on Thursday on the Luminous Mysteries focusing in on the Transfiguration (The Fourth Mystery) - Listen to the words from Scripture…..”After six days Jesus TOOK Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light”…Notice, the words….”Jesus TOOK Peter, James and John”…..It does not say…”Peter, James and John TOOK Jesus”…….We get it wrong….But have faith… "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places……….Where I am going you know the way……Follow him!

The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; this day I have begotten you."

Our Catholic faith teaches us that there are seven gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord….I want to focus in on knowledge for purposes of this reflection…..When we live in a state of grace…What is that?….We confess our sins Sacramentally and receive the Blessed Sacrament worthily….We are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit….I want to give you an example of this is real time….Years ago in my twenties when I rediscovered my Catholic faith…I was a lector in a local parish where I would attend Mass…After Mass, after the consecration, sadly the chalice, which is the cup that the Priest consecrates wine into the Blood of Jesus was not cleaned properly…I was behind the altar and saw that the Blood of Jesus was still in the chalice just siting there…Something inside of me told me that was not correct….Now I was not and am not a formally educated as a theologian…But something told me that was not correct…And I was right…It was not…So I consumed the remaining Blood of Christ in the chalice, which was left unattended…..This is an example of the Holy Spirit working within me…I just knew that what I saw was wrong…And I was right…Why?…Because the Holy Spirit directed me…And if you live in the state of grace…The Holy Spirit will direct you too!…You will be given the seven gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord…Far too many people “think” they can “self-manufacture” these gifts…..That can not and will NEVER happen…..Grace is REAL…..Jesus is fully aware of our limitations as human beings…This is why he created a Church and this is why he gave us the Sacraments….“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 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”………In order to live the life we were all called to live as Catholics - We ALL need divine assistance!….That divine assistance comes in the form of grace…..”Self Help Books” and psychoanalysis will NEVER elevate our human nature…But the grace found in the Sacraments surely will…..Jesus tells us today - “Where I am going you know the way”……Follow him!

"Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession”

Today we hear at Mass how Thomas tells Jesus he does not know the way…Really Thomas!?! - Jesus had to set him straight!…..If we make time to sit in silence each day…We will hear the voice of God within our heart…That voice will direct us to where we have to go….Then its up to us….Jesus did not leave us orphans…He gave us everything we need to live the life he called us to live….To not utilize the “tools” given to us is simple not a wise approach to living life…Because when you get right down to it, we are only human, subject to weakness…..But with God’s grace…We can do all things in Christ who strengthens us!…..Its for us to realize this reality….So let’s circle back to our friend Thomas in the Gospel today…He eventually “got it”….And when he did, he became the fearless apostle to India and is remembered to this very day as a saint…..What about us?….Do we know the way?…..Deep down - I think we do!….“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”