I would rather die for an idea that will live then live for an idea that will die!….There is one Truth - And guess what? - I do not determine it

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of Matthew the words of Jesus telling us that there will come a day when the good will be separated from the bad….”Jesus said to the disciples: The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth”….There is a lot to ponder here…But for the purposes of this reflection, let’s think about what we call “good”……What is it and more importantly who defines it?…….Years ago a movie came out about New York City called the Gangs of New York starring Daniel Day-Lewis…In the film, the director tried to illustrate how real power operated in the founding of one of America’s great cities - From those who operated in the underground gangs to the banks of Wall Street - Power was wielded!…People benefited and others suffered - That is how power works in real time…There was one scene in that film when I saw it in the theaters that I remember vividly….All these men, who did HORRIBLE things - Both to people and in their quest for power - On Thanksgiving were siting at their table with their family and they said a prayer…..As if God did not “see” what they were doing….Now no one is perfect - I get it….But do we think that God is blind?….More importantly - And getting back to the focus of this reflection - Who defines what is good?….Do we define it?…Or does God?……Is what is "good" just good for me and screw the other guy?.....The late and in my view great Pope Benedict XVI wrote about what he called the dictatorship of relativism…What is that?…It means that there is no objective truth…Society defines “truth” or better put another way…Society defines what is “good” as opposed to being guided by an objective universal good that can not change, which governs all justly….We today are living in this dictatorship of relativism…..”The good” is subject to the whims of the masses…..You have a ’truth” and I have a “truth”…..And that my friends is the root of ALL our problems…Notice the words of Pontius Pilate when he knew with certainty that Jesus was innocent - What did he say?…….. "What is truth?”….Our world today says the same thing to this very day and until we ALL come up with the same answer to that question - Expect chaos…God is Truth and God is also love…All people of good-will who seek the truth with an open heart will end up in the same place.

“Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son”

Do we separate Christ from his Church?….Do we somehow think we know better?…..Jesus Christ founded a Church and he is the head of the Church to this very day…A Catholic CAN NOT separate Jesus (the head) from the Church (the body)…This is IMPOSSIBLE - Yet we do it…….My wife and I have been married for almost 12 years…In that time my wife gave birth to five children….We also lost three children due to miscarriages….My wife had five C-Sections and when our fifth child was born, the hospital treated us like we were some kinds of “morons” - Making us sign all kinds of legal documents removing all responsibility from the hospital if something went wrong during the birth of my little Maria….And for the record - NOTHING went wrong…..Why do I bring this up?….Because our Church tells us that the use contraception is sin….And the measure of our faith is NOT when things are easily…The measure of our faith is when the world gets turned upside down and we must chose which path to walk upon…..As a practicing Catholic for over three decades now I have learned many things both about myself and about the world……..But one of the greatest things I have learned is this…..God’s way is FAR better than MY way!…I trust God infinitely more then I trust myself…..How did I come to this conclusion? - Clearly that is a grace but more practically - I tried it “my way” until the age of twenty-two and guess what? - My way does not work!……We must learn to trust God, who LOVES us more than we can ever know….God also sees what we do not……And if we trust him, he will guide us to himself.....As the famous Psalm 23 tells us….”Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. You set a table before me in front of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life I will dwell in the house of the LORD for endless days”…..There is only one Truth - And guess what? - I do not define it

"Do you understand all these things?…..They answered, "Yes.”….And he replied, Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old"

Today we hear in the Gospel at Mass the words of Jesus telling us that there will come a day when the good will be separated from the bad…..When that days comes - Do we actually think we will decide what is good and what is bad? - Do we think God will “consult” us and ask for our “expert opinion”?……There is a phrase very common in America - “Its only business”…..I hate that phrase - I always did…….Tell that to the person who is cheated…..Tell that to the person who has nothing….Tell that to the person who has to watch his children suffer……Catholics are called to live in the world but we are also called to not be of the world…We are called to be a light to others - To point by our life’s example to the one and only LIGHT, which is Christ himself….If that means we suffer - So be it…If that means our life is hard - So be it…I would rather die for an idea that will live then live for an idea that will die!….There is one Truth - And guess what? - I do not determine it

“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him”…..In the meantime - Seek out a “thin place” - In fact turn your home into one

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading from the Book of Exodus we hear that every time Moses spoke with God his face became radiant…..”As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the LORD”……I have found that people who are very close to God and I have met a few, when we see them, their eyes have a light in them - Literally, their eyes have a “shine” to them……For example, google a clip of Fulton Sheen, who was a very holy American priest who had a television show for years in the 1950s and 60s….When he spoke, literally, his eyes had this glow to them….When I see that in the person, I listen up…But I digress, back to Moses and the first reading…..Because his face became radiant as a result of his conversations with God, he covered his face when he walked among his people…Another sign of a holy person - All holy people are humble like Our Lord and Our Lady were humble…But I digress again………..”Then the children of Israel would see that the skin of Moses' face was radiant; so he would again put the veil over his face until he went in to converse with the LORD”……This idea of a “veil” is used in Catholic teaching to illustrate the barrier between heaven and earth….”A veil” is between us and God - No matter how close you get to Our Lord - As long as we walk this earth - That “veil” stands between us and God…..So we “see” - But only partially…We “hear” - But only partially…..Now for my point - The closer we get to God, the “thinner” that veil gets…..And the “thinner” that veil gets - The more joy and peace we will have here on earth……Our world gets it wrong! - BY FAR, the happiest people are those closest to God - Why?…..Because God is PURE LOVE and to be in his presence brings with it deep joy and peace - That its why the eyes of holy people “shine” the way they do…And that is why Moses’ face became radiant when he stood in the presence of God.

“I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.”

As my wife and I were growing our family, I would tell her we need to create and seek out what I call “Islands of Goodness”…..Places in this world, where God is present….The Irish have another name for these “Islands of Goodness”….They would say - “This is a thin place” - What do our Irish friends mean by “a thin place”…..What that means is, a place where the veil between heaven and earth is “thin”…..I have been to such places in my life and I seek them out to this very day for me and my family…..Allow me to illustrate this idea for you……When I was single I would “vacation” in Kolkata India right before Christmas….Someone reading this may say, “You vacationed in a slum?!?” - YES - Allow me to explain.....As we all know, Kolkata India is known to be a very poor and chaotic city in this world…But Kolkata if you were serving with Mother Teresa’s sisters was what my Irish friends would call - “A thin place” - A place where God was close….And when you are in such a place - You feel God’s presence in a very real and tangible way!……I would “vacation” there and serve the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters and the people I worked with at the bank in New York City could not understand…But what they did not understand was, when I was in that “thin place”, I received something that no other “vacation spot” in the world could give to me - I felt very tangibly the presence of God - He was close….Also, its important to note that the people I encountered in Kolkata, both the nuns and the volunteers from all over the world were very “special people”…Its very refreshing to be around authentically good people….I work in a cut throat business and not everyone is lets just say “nice”…But when I was around the people in Kolkata, these people brought me hope and they too made my time there not only refreshing (believe that or not) but added to Kolkata being a “thin place”……As Catholic parents, its our job to create what the Church calls the Domestic Church in our home….Our home should become a “thin place” - A sanctuary from the world…How do we do that?….The only way to do that is to rely on God’s grace…Once again - Daily Prayer, Weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Weekly Fasting, Monthly Confession and Frequent Reception of the Eucharist at Mass…..We ALL have to come to grips with the fact that we ALL are flawed - That is why we must rely on God to help us create a “thin place” in our home - Where the veil between heaven and earth is thin….This is within our grasp…But only if we rely on God’s grace…Such a place - A “thin place” - Can not be self manufactured

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field”

Today we hear at Mass how Moses’ face became radiant when he prayed in front of the Lord….Prayer has a way of changing us, this is why we must spend time with the Lord….Its a life changing practice to sit before our Lord who is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament…For those who are not Catholic reading this, such a practice is called Adoration…..A friend of mine who is a Carmelite Priest told me something I will share with you - Adoration is like radiation…..Just like when you sit on the beach and the sun radiates its heat upon your face - Just like if someone has cancer - They go through chemo-therapy and receive “radiation” to shrink the cancer in their body…The same thing happens when we sit before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament - God “radiates” his love upon us and as a result we slowly change…….…..As we all know, our world is far from perfect and if we are being fair and honest, we would have to admit, we too are all flawed…That is why we need grace…Its only through God’s grace that we can experience a “thin place” - A place where the veil between heaven and earth is thin…..When you find such a place - Trust me - You know it….Now just think - If experiencing a “thin place” on earth is wonderful, think how great heaven will be, when the veil between us and God is removed?!!?.......…“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him”…..In the meantime - Seek out a “thin place” - In fact turn your home into one

The closer we grow to God, the more we can be used by God - That is how it works!…….Our greatness rests in our sanctification - Make it your priority - Its time to “get serious” and dare to be great…Our times call for it - That is why you were created

Today at Holy Mass we hear about Moses once again in the Book of Exodus….Moses was a man of prayer…That is how he became the man we read about today…How about us?….Do will pray?…And I am not talking about saying a few words right before you go to bed requesting “this or that”…I am talking about praying - Meditating on the word of God and allowing God to speak to your heart in silence - That is the kind of praying I am talking about….That kind of praying molds a person - It changes them!….But if you are really serious - And I hope that you are…Add fasting into the “mix”….Fasting sharpens our prayer…It is another “tool” in the tool box for Catholics to utilize….And fasting is not just for Lent or Advent….Today in the first reading we hear that Moses fasted for his people and as a result of his fasting, he was able to hear what God told him……And because of that we have the Ten Commandments to this day…..”So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights, without eating any food or drinking any water, and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments”…...There are many things Our Lord said in Scripture that can easily be forgotten…One of them is how Jesus placed importance on prayer and fasting….Do you have an obstacle in your life that seems impossible to overcome?…..Fasting and Prayer is the answer!…..In order for us to receive grace, we first must make ourselves open to it…..When we become vulnerable, God’s grace sustains us in tangible ways….And when we experience how God “provides” for us when we “go without” - Our faith will grow…..And as our faith grows, so will our Trust in the words of Jesus and the Truths contained in the one Church he founded….That is how we learn to “step out of the boat”….Fast and Pray

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life”

Every Wednesday and Friday, my wife and I fast…There was a time when I would read about or see with my own two eyes members of the clergy not doing what they were supposed to do - When this would happen I would literally get unhinged - I am Italian from New Jersey - Sadly, that is how we “roll” by nature - But I digress - Back to my story….I would rant and rail against them……So many on social media still do this, in fact, some make a living out of it with huge social media audiences…..But back to my story…..After a while I realized that my "ranting and railing" only made me crazy and accomplished nothing….Sometimes God allows you to “bang your head against the wall” for a time to wake you up…Seeing I was getting “crazy” over the actions of people I had not control over…I began to try a new approach…I now fast for the Universal Church every Wednesday…And as a result, miraculously, I was given peace…Even when I see a priest or bishop say something that frankly they should know not to say or not do something they should be doing - The fasting brought me peace - A tangible grace from God….I am also sure by me fasting on Wednesday, God can take my small sacrifice and use it to renew the Universal Church….Fasting is another one of the ancient practices that I believe Catholics today negligent to utilize…..Everything we need is right at our finger tips…Its simply a matter of reaching into the “tool box” and using what Jesus gave to us….Its all about what I call “First Principles”…Don’t over complicate your Catholic faith - Keep it simple and stick to First Principals…Fasting is an ancient practice used but the saints and the saints show us the way forward!

“Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord…….I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world”

Today in the first reading from Mass, we hear how Moses fasted for his people….If it worked for Moses, why would it not work for us?…..This particular point in history calls for all Catholics to “get serious”….God placed us all in this moment in history because he has something for us to do…But if we are to get that “something” done…We need to prepare and allow God to shape us…To sanctify us…This requires effort on our part…God can do GREAT things in and through us if we allow him to mold our life….Fasting is another “tool” we can use to open our soul up to life transforming grace….Like an athlete who trains his body…Catholics must “train” as well.....Living a Sacramental life…..Daily Prayer…And Weekly Fasting……The closer we grow to God, the more we can be used by God - That is how it works!…….Our greatness rests in our sanctification - Make it your priority - Its time to “get serious” and dare to be great…Our times call for it - That is why you were created

We need grace in order to persevere…The Tortoise always beats the Hare…Play the long game…And use the “tools” given to us to “win the race”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Book of Exodus how the Jewish people once again forget all the hard lessons taught to them by God….Moses went away for a short period of time and the people abandoned God - And life circled out of control - Again!…..”Our fathers made a calf in Horeb and adored a molten image; They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bullock”….I want to give you a historic prospective for a moment…The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 430 years - Think about that! - That is longer than the United States has even existed!….And after all that suffering, God sends them Moses, who literally parts the sea so they could escape death…And look how quickly they forgot…..Sound familiar!?!……This is the story of mankind and it repeats itself over and over and over again…..Any objective student of history can read this narrative for himself….Empires come and empires go….But God remains the same….So what can we learn from this tale?….All of us were created by God and when we break away from God as a result of a conscience choice…Something within us breaks too…..That is reality - Don’t believe me? - Take a good look around……So how do we remain vigilant?……By going to Mass and receiving the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace….By participating in Monthly Confessions with a priest…By praying the Rosary Daily…By carving out time weekly to sit before the Blessed Sacrament in silence to hear the voice of God in our hearts….Human beings who are cut off from God’s grace “stray”…The world, the flesh and the devil “distract” them….And before they know it - They are “at a place” they never thought possible - Trust me, I know this from experience!….This is why in her wisdom, the Catholic Church requests we go to Mass weekly….Our connection to the Blessed Sacrament is our source of life - Literally!….Don’t believe me - How is the world doing “on its own”?…..All people, that includes me in the front of the line are born with a tendency to sin - That is why Jesus gave us a Church and the Sacraments….Without the sanctifying grace of the Sacraments, you are easy prey for the world, the flesh and the devil…Don’t believe me - How is the world currently doing without God?

“They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt, Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea”

For seven years, every Saturday I prayed the Rosary with Mother Teresa’s sisters before the Blessed Sacrament during our Holy Hour before we worked with the material poor of New York City….One of the graces the Superior who was leading the Rosary always prayed for was perseverance….You would think, why would committed nuns pray for perseverance?….Why? - Because they are very wise, that is why….We are all human and each of us is subject to sin…No one should EVER take that reality for granted….There is an old saying - “By the grace of God go I”….If you think for a second you can not “fall away” from God - Think again - This is why we MUST adhere to “the vine” always and in everything we do…How do we do that?…Through daily prayer, in and through a Sacramental life and also through weekly fasting….The world, the flesh and the devil are VERY real…..Recently I have made it a practice to read two pages of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to my children before we pray the family Rosary in our living room each night…This is what I read to my children just last night - No lie…..”Actual grace is a supernatural help of God which enlightens our mind and strengthens our will to do good and avoid evil”………”Actual grace is necessary for all who have attained the use of reason, because without it we cannot long resist the power of temptation or perform other actions which merit a reward in heaven”…..Let’s break that down "New Jersey Style" - "Left on our own - We are toast!"…The world, the flesh and the devil will eat us alive!…..Don’t think so?…Think you’re so smart?…Think you’re so strong?…..Think again!…..We see this reality lived out today in plain sight and we also heard the story of the Jewish people today at Mass who suffered for 430 years, who were rescued by God’s hand and STILL after all those years of suffering forgot about God as soon as Moses went away for a short period of time…..What should all this tell us?….I can not speak for you, but as for me….I know full well that I am a sinner…I know full well what I am capable of as a man…..That is why I adhere to the vine of Christ!…That is why I live a Sacramental life…That is why I fast weekly…That is why I pray daily

“The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures”

The history of man repeats itself over and over again…Its a story of Exodus and Return…..Exodus and Return……..Exodus and Return from and to God……With each empire that falls, a new one makes the same mistake….All of us are God’s children and if we chose to break from God’s laws and His holy will…..Society collapses….To deny this reality is to deny reality itself…..We were made by God to live for God….Mother Teresa taught her sisters what I am trying to communicate in this reflection in and through a short analogy…Allow me to share what Mother Teresa said…..“The wire is you and me; the current is God,” she said. “We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us, and produce the light of the world—Jesus”…But to think for second that YOU are the source of that “power” and do not need to go to the “fountain of grace” which is found in daily prayer and the Sacraments - Is a HUGE mistake…Don’t believe me?…..Ask Moses….Look to history…..There are many chapters to life - Life is a marathon, not sprint…If we want to “finish the race”…We need grace in order to persevere…The Tortoise always beats the Hare…Play the long game…And use the “tools” given to us to “win the race”

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”….When these words come from a witness, only than will they be heard - And not before - Be that witness!

Today at Holy Mass he hear the words of Christ told to us from St Luke……….."And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened…….What keeps us from asking?…….Do we doubt that there is a God who cares for us?…..Do we resist changing? - And if so why?…………At the root of the problem - People think God “takes” from us as opposed to giving to us….We believe somehow, if we follow the will of God, we will be “missing out” in this life…..Nothing could be further from the truth but words will NEVER convince people of what I just wrote…This is why our world needs Catholic witnesses…Have you ever seen such a person?…Now I am not talking about a perfect person because there is no such thing - But a person or a family that authentically lives what the Church teaches - Have you ever seen such a sight for yourself?…..Maybe that was the family you came from….Your neighbors growing up…This is what our world needs to see today because our people have “lost sight” of their identity…..We no longer know who we are anymore and we drift from “thing to thing”…..For people with eyes to see, this is a disturbing sight to behold but sadly “ranting” about it will not solve the problem…..WE must be transformed first!……..WE must make it our number one priority to become “that witness” to a weary and wounded world…All our frustration at what we see must be channeled into living a Sacramental life, fasting weekly for the Church and the world and developing a solid daily prayer life….In doing this, we WILL be transformed and we WILL be that witness…And then the world around us will second guess choices made…They will feel a sense that “something is off”….”Something” has been lost and MUST be found again….Then and only then will our impact as practicing Catholics be felt….And when that happens - Our people will begin once again to feel the need deep within their bones to ”Knock” and guess what will happen next? - “The door will be opened to YOU”

“You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead”

“Accompaniment” - This word gets thrown around in Catholic circles a lot these days - But what does it truly mean? - How do we do it properly?….To “accompany” someone as they walk closer to God means we (the person who is doing the accompanying”) has “something” the person walking beside them does not…Let me stop right there - Is this what is happening?…..Holiness can not be self manufactured, which means giving an authentic Catholic witness means we have to strive each day to empty ourself and allow the Holy Spirit to enter into our very life - Is that what we are doing?…..The Holy Spirit enters us through the Sacraments, fasting and daily prayer - Is this what we are doing?…..Then our friendship with others will bear fruit in time….Because your witness, if it is consistent will permit the Holy Spirit to “work” on those around you….We can not give what we do not have - Let me write that again - We can not give what we do not have!…..Posting Catholic memes on social media is not going to “cut the mustard”….The world needs to see for itself Christ in YOU!…And that only happens if we allow God to transform us….I am going to share with you a secret - The witness of an authentic holy person is attractive…How do I know this? - Because I have encountered people like this and this is what inspired me to “chase after” such a life….When we have that “something” - Then and only then can we “accompany” others….Today Jesus tells his friends - “Knock and the door will be opened to you” - Ask yourself this question - Why did the first disciples believe Jesus when he said that? - I will tell you why - Because they SAW with their own two eyes “something different” about Jesus…..What about you? - Are you striving everyday for “that something”?….Our world needs witnesses, not another lecture

“Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."

Today at Mass we hear Jesus telling his friends as he tells us - “All we have to do is ask and God will respond”…..From the mouth of Jesus Christ, people were attentive to those words - They believed him….How about from our mouth?….Are we believable?……Does our life reflect the life of Christ?…..Jesus was an effective teacher because he “walked the walk”….The saints too were effective - Why? - Because they learned from Jesus and they also “walked the walk”……How about us?….If we want to help others - If we want to “change” what we see around us - We must become that “change” first - And that only happens when allow sanctifying grace to enter our life…”For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”……How people respond to this claim has everything to do with who says it…….What does your life’s witness “preach” to the world? - We will be remembered not for what we say - But by what we do….."And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”….When these words come from a witness, only than will they be heard - And not before - Be that witness!

Still don’t believe me?….Than “buckle up and fasten your seatbelts” - “The road” is going to get real rough!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading Moses gives his people instructions that he heard from God and believe it or not, the people respond…..”When Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all answered with one voice, We will do everything that the LORD has told us”….Shocking - They “figured it out”!…When the people of God are united, life is so much better and EVERYONE thrives…Division is something that does not come from God…..Are we aware and do we ever think about the reality that if we are fortunate enough to enter the Kingdom of God…All the people will be of one mind and one heart….Is this something that interests you?…Why do I say that?…If we do not start “thinking” as God thinks and living as God wants us to live NOW, what makes us think we would be happy in heaven?…..Think about that…In the Lord’s prayer Jesus said these words…”On earth as it is in heaven”…..That means we ALL share in the mind and heart of God - That begins now!……God who is a good father gives his children instructions not to punish them, but to help them thrive…..But the choice is ours…..It’s all about One Team & One Dream…And God is the coach of “that team” - I will ask the question again - Are you interested in “that team”?…..If not, what makes you think you will even want to be in heaven then?

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls”

What is it that makes some people think that God is some kind of ogre? - Who tells us things to punish us - To make our life miserable?……That mindset more times than not stems from wounds….God is a father and many times if people have been betrayed by their own parents, especially their biological father, they have a difficult time having faith in God the father…..Time does not heal all wounds - If we do not address certain hurts, they only get worse in time…..Have you ever come across a person that perennially does the wrong thing and is deeply impacted by their actions in a negative way only to repeat the same behavior over and over again?…..This is what I am talking about when I say, not all wounds heal with time - They fester and because they do, the people who suffer from these wounds “act out” more times than not in ways that impact their own life in a negative way - And the cycle continues over and over again!…..Jesus is known by many names, one of those names is “The Divine Physician”…Story after story are told to us in the Scripture about Jesus healing people who no one else could heal…The same thing can happen and does happen to this day - Christ heals!…..Life will not improve unless you equip yourself to succeed…That means addressing what needs to be addressed…Doubling down and tripling down on bad decisions are simply symptoms of old wounds that have not been healed….Don’t you think its time to bring those wounds to the “The Divine Physician”?……..There is a story in scripture that to this very day baffles me….A man who was suffering is brought to Jesus…This man was terrorizing the people of a town and when Jesus heals this man, the people instead of celebrating, they ask Jesus to leave the town!….What kind of crazy behavior is that?!!?…..I will tell you what that is all about - These are people with wounds that have not been healed and when “issues” have not been addressed, people behave in illogical and irrational ways, many times not even acting in their own interests - Sound familiar?…..God is our father but if you think your father in heaven is the “bad guy” and what is good has been inverted into what you believe is bad…How are you going to thrive? - The answer to that is - You are not

“Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and, rising early the next day, he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel”

Today in the first reading from Mass we hear that after Moses instructed the people, they all were in agreement - Hallelujah!!!…..How did they get to this point?…..If we are familiar with Scripture, we know that the people of Israel went through a lot in the Old Testament....To put it bluntly, they suffered and as a result of their suffering they got to a point where they were “open” to the words of God - As people in religious circles often say - The Israelites became "teachable”…..More times than not, that is the story of the human race….Exodus and Return - Exodus and Return - Exodus and Return......But why does it have to take suffering to believe that God is not an ogre?…..I can not answer that question for you. All I can tell you is God surely is not an ogre and the instruction he gives to us through Sacred Scripture and through his Church will only help us thrive here on earth…..Still don’t believe me?….Than “buckle up and fasten your seatbelts” - “The road” is going to get real rough!

“For it is in giving that we receive - And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life”……How are you called to give yourself away?…………”Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of Matthew how the 12 apostles argue with each other about who will be the “greatest”….Jesus sets them straight but in doing so he also tells us something as well…..”You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”………This idea goes against everything we are taught from our childhood as Americans….We are bred to WIN!…Jesus is telling us in order to WIN we must serve and that means we may not WIN in the secular sense of how the world defines winning…….Are you OK with that because that is “the ask” as they say around the corporate conference room table in New York City……There are messages in the Gospel that really measure our worth as Catholics…This is one of them…..To serve as opposed to rule over people is a revolutionary concept…The world does not celebrate service - Again - Are you ok with that!…..Before Jesus addresses his friends who are arguing, he says something else we should pay particular attention to as well……”You do not know what you are asking - Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”…………To serve ALWAYS requires a person to sacrifice and to sacrifice ALWAYS requires some form of personal suffering….We must accept this reality because it is reality…This is one of those statements that separates the "sheep from the goats"…..Why?…….Because “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”…And this is our task as well…..Jesus asks us today point blank!….”Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”….The answer to that question is - We must

“I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord”

There are two types on martyrs: Red and White…A red martyr is someone who literally gives their very life in service to God, which means they are physically killed…This form of martyrdom is very rare in America…However, all Catholics are called to what is referred to as white martyrdom…Which means you “pour out your life” in service for others, beginning with your family…..This again is a revolutionary concept and is the complete opposite way most Americans view their life….The world tells us - “Get yours”…The Gospel tells us…”Give yourself away”…….This is a choice we all must make and the choice we make has consequences - You can not have it both ways……….While I do not serve with Mother Teresa’s sisters as I did when I was a single man, I still am in contact with them….Recently I was talking to one of the sisters I have known for many years…Sister knows my wife and children and when we were speaking on the phone she asked about my kids…I told her they were all getting big and doing well…I also told her my house is a bit crazy…I have five children under the age of 11 years old….Sister began to laugh on the phone and said something I think most people would not understand…She said….”The children will get you to heaven Joe”….What did she mean?….By me and my wife “pouring ourselves out” in caring for our many children, we in turn “die to our self” and as St Francis famously put it…”It is in dying to ourself that we are born into eternal life”…..St Francis also famously said…"Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally!”……Our world today looks at children in a completely different manner…Children are viewed as an obstacle to the life adults really want to live….They want to travel…Have fancy cars…Have a fancy house…..etc…So what do we do in America? - We don’t have children…We are not open to life…We use contraception…All those things prevent us from “pouring ourselves out”…..Again, each and every Catholic is called to martyrdom - Yes, you heard that right!…But that martyrdom most probably will be white…..That means we are to “pour our life COMPLETELY out” for others……Is this your goal?….Is this what you strive to do everyday?

“For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh”

Today at Mass once again Jesus tells the world about a revolutionary way to live……..To live to serve and not to live to rule…..Jesus knows full well this goes against everything the world values…..This is why he says to his friends….”Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”…..To really follow the Lord requires grace….As a father of five children one of the things you observe is, children are all born selfish…One of the first words out of a babies mouth is the word - “Mine”….It takes a life time to “unlearn” what comes so natural to all of us - The word “MINE!”……This is why we need God’s grace….I have found in my own life and I have also observed this in friends and family who are close to me as they have gotten older…..God slowing “opens our hand”…..This takes time, to completely “pour out your life” for others….This is very hard…And God knows this…So slowing and gently Jesus “opens up our hand” one finger at a time……Jesus gave the world an example…He died for sinners and poured out every ounce of blood he had in doing so…We are clearly not God….But our task is the same…We are all called to “pour out our life” for others beginning with our family…This is why my friend who is a Missionary of Charity nun said to me….”Joe, your children will get you and your wife to heaven”………….”For it is in giving that we receive - And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life”……How are you called to give yourself away?…………”Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”

God takes the humble and exults them…God can do anything!!! - If only we trusted him

Today at Holy Mass the Universal Catholic Church honors St Charbel Makhluf…..There is an old saying….The saints we rely upon find us….And for me St Charbel’s life speaks to me…He is one of my “go to saints”….In St Patrick’s Cathedral (New York) in a remote corner behind the altar there is a relic of St Charbel…Whenever I am in that Cathedral, I always pay a visit to the relic and ask for Charbel’s intercession…So what made Charnel special?…He grew up poor in a remote village in Lebanon…He lived a life of hard work and penance…He prayed…Commentators said that he only ate one meal a day and when he prayed tears would well up in his eyes…..And when he died miracles began to happen for decades in Lebanon and around the world due to his intercession…How can the world know of such a man who lived an “invisible life” in some far corner of Lebanon?……Because saints change the world - And God finds them - And because God finds them - We find them!…God will “find” you too if you give him permission!…But back to Charbel……One of the things about Charbel’s life that grabbed my attention was an old foreign film I saw about him….In the film, he was in the confessional and a woman he knew from his youth before he became a priest came into the confessional….She had lived a bad life….After she confessed her sins, Charbel said to her….”I give you no penance for your sins - I will do your penance for you”…..This statement really moved me - It came from his heart - Charbel loved his people….And because he was given a great gift of faith - Something others did not have - He used his gift, putting it at the service of others……Today in the Gospel Jesus addresses his friends who had a herculean task ahead of them - To bring the Gospel to the far corners of the world…..These men too were given a great gift and with all things given - Much is expected.....…”Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it”……..Like the first twelve, St Charbel was given a great gift and if you are reading this and God has given you the gift of faith the question that needs to be asked today is - What are you doing with it?

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom”

This morning since it was the Feast Day of St Charbel, I read a commentary about his life by a Lebanese professor (Fr El Khoury)….In the commentary, he spoke about the people Jesus chose to bring the Gospel to the world…This is what Fr El Khoury wrote…..”Jesus chose not saints but sinners to join him and accompany him for three years, living the life of disciples, suffering weariness, failure, pain, doubt and betrayal. Transforming them to become worthy of their task demanded a great deal of time and attention…….The group chosen by Jesus doesn’t appear in any way blessed with leadership skills required to proclaim the Good News to others. Among them are a tax collector, a skeptic, a traitor, and a thief, one who is stubborn, one who is jealous, another rebellious and a persecutor of Christians, one “unnaturally born”, as Paul always considered himself……And little by little, these men understood who Jesus was and what their vocation was. There is an enormous difference between Simon Peter the disciple and Peter the shepherd, between Matthew the tax collector and Matthew the Evangelist, between doubting Thomas and Thomas the believer, between Saul the persecutor and Paul the preacher…..It was the work of love that transformed them…Little by little, the disciples became mirrors reflecting the light of Christ”…….How does this apply to us?…. Do we UNDERSTAND, that within our soul there is something so GREAT and so POWERFUL?!?…It was given to us at our Baptism…It is the “mustard seed” of faith - The Holy Spirit itself!…And if we allow it to grow, like the first twelve disciples and like St Charbel, God will use us….This however requires are full attention….If only we understood who we could become!…But in the meantime, if you do understand and many Catholics in the world do - What are you doing with your gift of faith?…Are we like Charbel, who at out of love for his old friend who just confessed her sins, he did penance for her…….Jesus tells us in Scripture about the mustard seed……”The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches”….You are that seed - Allow it to grow!

“To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away”

Today the Universal Church brings to our attention St Charbel, a holy man who lived a hidden life in a remote corner of the world…And God found this man and now the world knows who he is….Do you somehow think God can not find YOU!?!….If you think that you can not be found by God, I ask you today to say a small prayer in your own words to St Charbel and ask him for his intercession to help you…As I said above in my reflection today…Whenever I find myself in St Patricks’s Cathedral, I go to a hidden corner of the Church where St Charbel’s relic is kept and I say a prayer asking for his intercession…It seems very appropriate that Charbel’s relic is placed in a far corner of the Cathedral in New York City, like Charbel himself who lived a hidden life in a remote corner of Lebanon….God takes the humble and exults them…God can do anything!!! - If only we trusted him

There are no secrets! - Just obstacles to grace - So remove them!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading how Moses lead the Jewish people out of Egypt where they were slaves and while they were in the desert, they began to complain…“Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!”….How quick we are to forget…..How easy it is to lose hope……This is why we NEED to live a Sacramental life…..This is why we must develop a daily prayer life….This is why we must fast weekly….Why?…..”Because the flesh is willing but the spirit is weak”….Does not matter who you are - That is reality!……….Complementing the first reading, we hear in the Gospel Jesus telling us a similar story…How people give up…….“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear”…..Why did some of the "seeds" bear fruit and others did not?….Because the people who bear fruit rely on GRACE….This is what MOST people in the world do not think about, never mind desire and rely upon…Everything we do as Catholics is the result of grace!…But in order to obtain grace, we must make ourselves available to it…..Without grace we become just like the Israelites in the desert - Complaining - Or worse - We give up……Jesus established a Church not to “collect money” on Sundays - He established a Church so we can receive the “Bread of Life”…So we can reconcile our sins to God…..The man who grounds his life in these practices and trusts in sanctify grace will as the Gospel tells us today….”Produce fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold………Whoever has ears ought to hear”

“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever”

At the height of her fame, Mother Teresa was asked by a reporter, “What is your secret?”…Her answer - “I pray”…..Its really that simple…..If we avail ourself to the grace of the Sacraments….Pray daily and fast weekly…We too will - ”Produce fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold”…This should not be a secret to anyone….So what are the obstacles for us to live such a life?…..In a word - PRIDE….As we say in New Jersey - “We need to get over it!”……One of the great things about working in Manhattan is, there are so many Churches, which makes going to daily Mass and monthly confession very accessible…For a while I would go to confession at St Patricks before the noon Mass and you would not believe how long the confession line was!….Seeing this always gave me hope for the world….Just think how many people would find peace if only they went to a Sacramental Confession!?!…….This is how the “flood gates of grace” are open….This is how the grace of the Blessed Sacrament penetrates our soul…..And for Catholics who have not been to a Sacramental Confession since they were seven years old…This is why they say…”I am bored at Mass”….”I don’t get anything out of the Mass”……In order to “get something out of the Mass” - We need to prepare our soul to receive Jesus - We do that by removing all the barriers between us and God and that ONLY happens through a Sacramental Confession…Some are reading this right now and saying….”WHATEVER”…..To that person I say…..Who are the people you know who are “producing fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold”? - And who is not? - Who are the “complainers” and who are the doers?……EVERYTHING comes down to GRACE and you can not give what you do not have….As Jesus ended the Gospel today - I will end my little "rant" as well with the same words - ”Whoever has ears ought to hear”

“Man ate the bread of angels, food he sent them in abundance. He stirred up the east wind in the heavens, and by his power brought on the south wind”

Today in the first reading, as well as in the Gospel from Mass we hear about people “losing steam” on their journey back to God….What was the “missing link”?…In a word - GRACE….Far too many people in this world do not believe that grace is real, never mind rely upon it to live as God called us too…I am telling you a secret - So pay attention - And “file this one away!”…..YOU can access the same amount of grace as all the saints did - Everything we need is at our fingertips and it is FREE!…..With that being said, without grace, you will “lose steam” and what happened to the Israelites in the desert will happen to you….You will give up…......Or.......You will grow lukewarm and we all know what Jesus said about those who are "lukewarm"....Don’t let that happen!…..If you think right now I am “making all this up”………This is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines grace….”Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God's call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God's interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification.”…..The Catechism goes on…..”Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church”……If you were to ask me…..“What is your secret? - I would say - “There is no secret - I pray”…..Everything is reliant upon grace - And you can have it too - There are no secrets! - Just obstacles to grace - So remove them!

“Whom are you looking for?”……Who will be the “next Mary Magdalene”…Your guess is as good as mine - But she is out there - Count on it!

Today at Holy Mass the Universal Church honors Mary Magdalene…We all know who Mary Magdalene is….Scripture tells us that Jesus freed her of seven demons…That translates in today’s language that Mary was as “bad as bad can be” and somehow Christ changed her…And once she changed…Mary never looked back - She had the heart of a warrior and when everyone else abandoned Jesus - Mary risked her own life and planted herself at the foot of the cross…..For more than three decades now I have actively practiced my Catholic faith and over the course of that time I have met a lot of interesting people from all over the world….With that being said…Give me 12 “rough and tumble sinners” who have radically changed any day of the week!…People like that will walk through fire!…Why is that? - Because they know what it means to suffer and when they see others suffering, they truly care and want to do something about it……Something that is not noted in my estimations enough by theologians and Biblical scholars is the fact that the first person that Jesus appeared too after he resurrected from the dead was Mary Magdalene……Jesus did not appear to St John or the rest first…But he appeared to a person whom the world “wrote off” and in a sense “rose from the dead” herself…..That should tell you something - It tells me something……Jesus came for sinners and when the lost finally “figure things out” - Get out of their way! - These are “my people” - These are the people I want to be in a “fox hole” with……Give me 12 people like that and I will convert the world!

“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come”

I was recently talking to my wife about my oldest daughter’s Godfather…Michael is a modern day Job from the Old Testament….Everything was taken from him and as a result he was Baptized a Catholic…..Persevered in his Catholic faith…And everything and more was returned to him - No joke!….Michael had issues with drugs and alcohol, which led him in his thirties after a car accident that left him in a hospital bed for two months to get Baptized…..Following his recovery, he continued his crazy life only to get divorced and lose his one and only son who was only seven years old….Michael then got serious!…He dug deep into his Catholic faith…Committed his life to the poor…Developed a prayer life…And in time, met another woman and recently adopted a baby boy who was abandoned by a drug addicted mother…..I have had many “adventures” with Michael in Kolkata on numerous trips over to India…..Give me a guy like that to stand beside me any day of the week!…..I’ll walk into and through the fires of hell with Michael…People like this amaze me…They are reminders, as was the example of Mary Magdalene, what an authentic encounter with Christ can do…..So what about us?…..Have we truly met this Carpenter from Nazareth?…..One cannot be passive after encountering the Living God - Its frankly impossible!…..If we only knew our potential - And I am going to be honest, I see such potential in others - That is no lie…If only they saw it too….My job is to bring that potential before their eyes…And for the other practicing Catholics reading this reflection today - That is your job too!….”If we are who we were born to be - We would set the world on fire!”

“You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy. My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me”

Today the Universal Church puts a spot light on Mary Magdalene, a great sinner who was transformed into a great saint….The life of Mary Magdalene should give us all hope…The hope that we too can change…..This why we should NEVER write people off….If you read about the lives of the saints, there are many figures like Mary Magdalene who shocked the world after they encountered Christ….What keeps you from being one of those people?….That is what we all have to ponder today…..Why do we settle for mediocrity?…….Two thousand years later, the name of Mary Magdalene is still remembered….Buildings are named after her…..Statues of her stand in town squares all around the world……When Jesus appeared to Mary after he rose from the dead, he said these words……"Woman, why are you weeping? - Whom are you looking for?”….To this very day Jesus says these same words to a troubled and wounded world - “Whom are you looking for?”……Who will be the “next Mary Magdalene”…Your guess is as good as mine - But she is out there - Count on it!

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”……No one in heaven ever sang this song….. “I did it my way”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew about how the Pharisees taunt Jesus…They are so convinced of their righteousness….Jesus sees through their words and addresses them….”Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet”…..One may ask - ”What was it about Jonah the prophet that the pharisees, who were scholars of the law should have taken note of?…….Jonah was given an impossible task by God - To convert the city of Nineveh, which the Bible tells us was highly corrupt and depraved….Think about that task - Going into one of the most corrupt cities in the world and at God’s request, thinking you can “change the minds of the people” - And that is exactly what happened!…At the words of Jonah, the people of Nineveh converted back to God….So when the Pharisees tested Jesus and asked for a sign - Jesus was not having it - He did not play their game….He told them, “Look - You say you understand the Scriptures - All you have to do is read it for yourself! - There are plenty of “signs”, which should convince you that I am the guy!”…..But as we all know, the Pharisee were not having it - Why? - Because Jesus did not “fit the mold” that they thought in their pride how God would act and save his people….Are we any different?…..Do we ask God for a sign to convince us that he is real?……Do we “mold” God in an image of our own liking?……If one is objective and simply reads the early Church Fathers…..Sacred Scripture…..Read the miracle accounts of the Catholic saints over the course of the last 2000 years…..Any objective person will conclude or at the minimum begin to question their personal biases about the Catholic Church could very well be wrong……So why do we not do this?…..The answer - We are not interested in changing - Just as the Pharisees were not interested in changing……..Being a follower of Christ means we have an open heart and an open mind, allowing the Holy Spirit to direct and mold our life…Each and every day we must be converted….The minute we think we have “gone far enough” is the minute we begin to slide backwards

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”

How do we “test” God’s love for us? - Are convinced that God loves us?……Our world today does not trust God - They think that the ideas put forth by the one Church that Jesus founded are outdated - They are not "practical”……Nothing could be further from the Truth…..Maybe the problem is, our world has “bought into the lie” that frankly has led to the downfall of so many, right in front of our eyes and still, our world continues to “buy in” to that lie! - The “whisper” of the serpent…..What is it that will convince us?……Each person is different but ultimately we need to allow Christ to speak to us - This is why sitting before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar in silence is vital…..You do not have to be Catholic to do this - You do not have to be in the state of grace to do this….All you have to be is a person who is searching and there are many people of good will who are indeed searching…..In that time of simply siting in silence before the Blessed Sacrament, God will speak a language to you that only you can and will understand…I have seen this first hand with my own two eyes…..Mother Teresa’s sisters ran an AIDS hospice for over 25 years in Lower Manhattan…The men in that hospice had acquired AIDS through every means one can imagine - To be blunt - They were far from “choir boys”…While many of them were not Catholic and did not receive the Blessed Sacrament at daily mass - Each of the men were asked to sit in front of the Exposed Eucharist everyday for one hour in silence and do you know what happened?…Many of them, not all, but more than a few converted and became Catholic requesting to be Baptized….This did not happen because of the nuns “preaching” to them but simply by the men witnessing and experiencing love in action - And by sitting in silence before the Blessed Sacrament…..Our world today, like the Pharisees in our Gospel story does not want to hear it! - Maybe because they have to allow themselves to “hear it” from the mouth of God himself…..We hear God’s ever small voice in silence and when we sit before him in the Blessed Sacrament and allow him to radiate not only his love upon us, but speak to us in a way that only he can - Things start to happen!

“At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here"

Today at Mass Jesus addresses those who try to test him - “Prove to us you are God!?!”…..Jesus was not having it…..All the proof we need is at our finger tips - All we have to do is read it……So what is stopping us? - The answer - We do not want to change…..We do not want to admit we were wrong….We do not want to say these words, “Bless me Father for I have sinned”……Enough!!!!…Its time to “get passed” these foolish ideas and our stubborn pride…..Listen - God is not going to force you to do anything - Just as he will not force you into the doors of heaven…We have to make the choice - So don’t be foolish!…If you are looking for a “sign” - All you have to do is do some reading….If you want to hear the voice of God - All you have to do is sit before the Blessed Sacrament in silence…..But if you do not want to change - Not even God himself can help you…..“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”……No one in heaven ever sang this song….. “I did it my way”

”There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her”

Today at Holy Mass we hear the story in the Gospel of Martha and Mary…Two sisters, each very different in the way they serve the Lord…For the purposes of this reflection, I do not want to focus on the difference of the two but instead ponder the words of Christ who addresses them at the end of the reading……”There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her”…….So here is the question(s) today…What is your one thing?……What is your goal in life?……And what are you doing actively to reach it?…….If we were honest and asked these question to most Catholic Americans, I think we would get a wide range of answers……I can only speak for me…..My goal is to get to heaven and bring as many people as possible with me, first and foremost my wife and children…..That is my ONE and ONLY goal…..Everything else supports that one goal……Interestingly enough, I recently saw a personalized license plate at a Catholic event for families and the license plate read…”One Goal”……That family got it right!……While its important to work hard in this life, get a good education, support your family, etc…….All those things are important and good…However, never losing focus on the “one goal” is the MOST important thing a husband and father can do for his family…Is this your “one goal”?……Do you take for granted that “everyone goes to heaven” no matter what?……If this is not your one goal, I invite you to ponder what I write today……And if you take for granted that “everyone goes to heaven” on “their terms”…I also invite you to do some reading and “think again”……Even if you live 100 years…Even if you achieve all sorts of accomplishments over the course of those 100 years….Life is short and eternity is forever…There is One Goal!….And the words of Christ today are a reminder…..”There is need of only one thing”

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance”

Years ago, my old pastor asked my wife and I to speak to all the young engaged couples who were about to get married in my parish…I would always begin my presentation to them with this, addressing the men specifically….”What is the goal of your marriage?”……….As Americans, we all make goals - Right?….So I would think since getting married is arguably one of the most important decisions of one's life, you would have a goal……So I would ask - ”What is the goal of your marriage?”….And to be honest, I never got the answer I was looking for, so I would tell them what that goal should be…………..”Your job as a husband is to get your wife and children to heaven - Nothing is even a close second!”…….And your job as a wife is to get your husband and children to heaven - Nothing is even a close second”…….And the couples, many of them who were in their twenties would stare at me, like I was crazy……But if that is not their goal, and I am going to be very blunt and honest right now - Who is the one who is really crazy!?!……Sadly, Catholics along with just about everyone else in America takes for granted that getting into heaven is a "given"…........I hate to burst your bubble, but Jesus himself did not say that…….We focus on non-sense and lose sight of the most important thing from which everything comes - Our relationship with God……If we get the “God part” of our life right, everything else will fall into place…….But people do not see it that way and then they wonder why “things fall apart”….One of the driving factors that make for a successful life and marriage for that matter is putting God first - Families that do that last and thrive….Statistics back up what I just wrote, so “don’t shoot the messenger”…….So as Jesus tells Mary today in the Gospel - ”There is need of only one thing” and if we get that “one thing right”, all the other “things” will fall into place…….That is why I asked the young couples about to get married - ”What is the goal of your marriage?”……..People need to be honest with themselves….If you study trends and look to people who have had successful lives, there are many factors that contribute to that reality….Putting God first is on top of that list….And as Jesus tells us today at Mass…..”Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her”

“Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him”

Today at Mass we hear the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary…We all know the story…But how do we apply what we heard today to our own life?….What is the most important thing to YOU?…..Do you “get lost” in the “weeds” of life only to forget that our soul is the ONLY thing that is immortal? - It ends up in one of two places……Americans like to make goals and that is a good thing…So today I propose you make another goal…How will I get myself and my family to heaven?…..The best way to set a goal is to write it down - That is what they taught me in Business School….Write down a goal for this year and establish three steps to make it happen….And then get to work!…..A husband and a father MUST set the tone for his home….He is the “rudder for the ship”…..If we as husbands and fathers, who MUST protect and provide for our families do not focus on the MOST important thing, which is to get our family to heaven - Frankly, the devil wins once again! - Don’t let that happen!……Set a goal and work to achieve it and as we are told today by Jesus himself….”There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her”

God is real and so is the hope he gave to the world - Got hope? - Its better than "bread”!

Today at Holy Mass St Matthew notes something written by the Prophet Isaiah…This was written about the coming Messiah, many centuries before the birth of Christ …And if you step back objectively and think about how these words came to be reality - To the letter! - Its almost frightening…Again - This was written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ……”Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope”…Everyone in the world is looking for hope - Let’s be honest…There is a big difference between comfort and hope….A person could live a very comfortable life but still have no hope…..Only Christ can give hope to the world - Why is that?…Because we all die - The “party” ends and without Christ - It REALLY ends!…..I will be very honest with you…I say this as an imperfect man and not as a boast but one who strives to live God’s will through the Sacraments everyday……I am not afraid to die - That is a grace….The only reason why I CANNOT die is because I have a wife and children….I live for them - They need me………Only by and through the grace of living a Sacramental life can one have this kind of hope and say such a thing and mean it - KNOWING that God is real…KNOWING that Christ has prepared a place for us in his Kingdom….And when one has been given “this kind of hope”….One is truly free….No amount of money can give a person this kind of hope…….This is what we as Catholic MUST give to the world…Not “fancy words”…We must witness hope to a wounded world that is grasping at life that slips ever so slowly from their hands with each passing year…..”Words” are easily ignored - Hope witnessed in real time however is another matter altogether

“Who split the Red Sea in twain, for his mercy endures forever; And led Israel through its midst, for his mercy endures forever; But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea, for his mercy endures forever”

How does one give another hope? - By the witness of your life…..I have witnessed people live in this matter and frankly when I saw it, it blew my mind!……Catholics who fearlessly walk and serve in the most difficult of situations….And are perfectly content to be there…..Have a joy that is not seen anywhere else…This is a sign of hope for the world - Why?…Because it defies all logic and human reason……On my first trip to Haiti I stayed with Mother Teresa’s sisters in Port-au-Prince…The city is a war zone - Hell on earth!…..Gangs run everything and people live in fear and poverty like a person in America has never seen…The sisters told us that when people are murdered and their bodies are left in the streets, no one picks them up, not even their families for fear that they will be killed too…The Missionaries of Charity pick the bodies up…..Among this completely crazy place, Mother Teresa’s sisters live and work….On this trip, the sisters drove me to one of their homes in Port-au-Prince (they have two)…In that home they care for at risk old people and the mentally handicapped…I remember when the truck pulled up to the compound…The sister who was superior, a small Filipino nun, greets me at the gate of the command with the biggest smile I ever saw….She says to me straight faced and point blank, “Welcome to Haiti”!……Thinking about her statement almost made me laugh out loud…”Welcome to Haiti?!? - Is this lady CRAZY! - This place is hell on earth!…And this woman living and working there is smiling like she is welcoming me to the Plaza Hotel in New York City!….I will never forget that welcome from that nun - Why?…Because she was a witness of hope - Her authentic joy was tangible and it defies human reason and logic…Why is that?…Because God is real…Because our hope rests in God alone….Jesus tells us right from his own mouth….”The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid”….I have seen “this kind of peace” with my own eyes and it made me “thirst” to acquire it for myself…..Guess what? - You can acquire it too!

“Who smote the Egyptians in their first-born, for his mercy endures forever; And brought out Israel from their midst, for his mercy endures forever; With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, for his mercy endures forever”

Today in the Gospel from St Matthew we hear the words of the Prophet Isaiah….Words spoken about hope…..Hope is a powerful thing…If a person has hope, they can endure anything…….Hope is a grace - And when you get right down to it - Everything is a grace….In order to receive the grace of hope, we must open ourselves up to it….A closed heart cannot receive “this kind of hope”…..Ask yourself this for a second…All of Jesus's first disciples were murdered accept for St John and he was tortured and left to die on an abandoned island….All these men saw with their own eyes what happened to Jesus and they willing followed him to their own deaths anyway….Ask yourself this objectively - Would a grown man do that for a lie?……God is real and so is the hope he gave to the world - Got hope? - Its better than "bread”