I cannot convince you of anything - But God can - And he will - When you listen in the silence…I promise you this - You will not be disappointed!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading taken from the Book of Genesis, the story of Abraham continues….Abraham complains to God, telling him he has no children…Remember, Abraham is an old man (75 years old)….God sits him down and “sets him straight”…......“Fear not, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great”…....And as the story goes Abraham has a son…..But God was not finished telling Abraham about his future…..“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so, he added, shall your descendants be”…....Why is this important to highlight - God can do anything!…We think of God on human terms - God can do the impossible and if you look at history - God has accomplished the impossible time and time again…We as humans tend to “put God in a box”…..I say that because we should pray BIG….When we think of God - THINK BIG…..Why do we not do this?……The great Dominican theologian Fr Reginad Garrigou Lagrange OP (1964) tells us why……”We rely too much on our own strength when our helplessness is obvious and because we do not depend enough on the heart of Jesus, on his love for us”……In these daily reflections I have stated time and time again…God can do MUCH more with your life then you can….We simply do not believe it….Well - Its true!…Don’t believe me?…..Ask Abraham who at 75 years old had no children and God tells him he will be a father to a nation - And it happened!…Don’t believe me?……Tell that to 17 year old Joan of Arc who led the French Army against the English and France was victorious….Don’t believe me?…..Ask a 33 year old carpenter from a remote village in the Middle East 2000 years ago who started a new religious movement only to be brutally murdered….Remember that “guy”?…....God can do the impossible and he does the impossible to this very day

“Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit”

Of all my childhood friends, I was the last the get married…I always wanted to get married and be a father but it did not seem like that was the plan God had for me….And just when I came to terms that maybe getting married was not going to happen - I met my wife….And I got married at 43 years old…And in ten years had five children…..God’s ways are not our ways and God works on HIS timeline…..There is an old saying…”Man plans and God laughs”…..While its important to have plans, we should not hold on to our plans too tightly…God may have another plan for your life - A better one - And if we are not open to the Holy Spirit, we will miss out…..The great Italian missionary saint Frances Xavier Cabrini wanted to go to China to bring the faith…But the Pope had other plans for her - He sent her to America….And in obedience, she did what the Pope asked of her and abandoned her plans of going to China…And in America Frances Xavier Cabrini established 67 schools, orphanages, hospitals and social service agencies throughout the United States….God’s plan was BETTER then her plan…Maybe that is the case with us too?…..We must give God the “stirring wheel” of our life…..God knows us better than we know ourselves…We have to learn to trust him….When we give up control - Which by the way is a ridiculous concept because we do not have control of anything, we just convince ourselves we do - When we give up control and give control of our life to God - The outcome will not only surprise you but in many cases will shake the foundations of the world around you…This is what the saints do…They live radically…So this is what we must do too….I promise you this - If you take me at my word - You will not be disappointed!

“By their fruits you will know them”

Today we are reminded again that God can do anything…God works with and through everyday people…..Many of the great saints were just “regular people”…What made them extraordinary?…They dared to live radically for Christ….And their “bet” paid off…Ask your self - Why can’t that not be YOU?…What are YOU afraid of?…..We must be willing to put our hand into the hand of God and NEVER turn back!….God can do so much more with your life then you can do with it!…..I can list countless examples of this - But that will not convince you…But I will tell you who will - Jesus himself…Sit before the Blessed Sacrament in silence - Make a weekly habit of it...And watch what happens…I cannot convince you of anything - But God can - And he will - When you listen in the silence…I promise you this - You will not be disappointed!