The world does not revolve around us - We are simply a small part of a big and beautiful picture - Play Your Part - Know Your Part - That means knowing when to “take a back seat”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading St Paul in a letter to Timothy, advising him on how to approach his Catholic faith...........….”Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain”….Jesus was one man who formed one Church - How did we get to the mess we are in today? - The Christian world is so divided - HOW? - Even within the walls of the Catholic Church……To me this is a mystery….The faith taught for 2000 years is SO CLEAR - Yet - We “hear what our itchy ears” want to hear……As many know, I co-host a Catholic radio show and being that I am a part of the Catholic media in America, I am well aware of the many voices who comment and teach the faith across the internet and beyond - How can they vary so radically like they do?…..Again, this is a mystery to me………The Catholic Church does not belong to us - It belongs to Christ - We are merely members…..Jesus gave us a Pope….And because Jesus gave us a Pope….We are obliged to listen to him……Let me stop here - Because I just lost people…And that is the point of this reflection….By the way….Many of those people I just “lost” who are reading this reflection are “devout Catholics”………..Once again - This is such a mystery to me - Jesus was one man - He founded one Church……And we can not save ourself.

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

They say the longest distance ever traveled for man is the distance from his head to his heart…..The collective “WE” is so convinced that “WE” know better!!!!….And because of that - "WE" REFUSE to bend our knee to God………..Obedience is a “bad word”…....Even inside the walls of the Catholic Church……How foolish!…………While the Catholic Church is a human institution, it also has a divine element to it….Which means God works in and through it directly……A very wise nun once told me…..”Everything comes from the hand of God”…....And because of that, everything has a purpose…...The collective “WE” only sees a small piece of what God is doing…..That goes for the events of our life but also what comes from Rome and what is taught eternally by the Catholic Church itself….How many statements made by Popes throughout the centuries - Statements made, which were thought to be foolish when spoken, only in time to be validated?…I could fill hundreds of books with such statements….It comes down to trust….Do we trust God?…While the Pope is a man, subject to all the things men are subject too - There is also a special grace given to the Pope - A grace given by Jesus himself………”And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……..We must learn to trust the Pope because if we do not, we cease to be Catholic - Point Blank!……Once again - I just lost people reading this reflection - A big mistake indeed.

“Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God…..Accompanying him were the Twelve”

Today we hear at Mass, St Paul instructs his friend Timothy…He reminds him to stay true to the one Catholic Apostolic faith…What does “apostolic” mean? - The unbroken line of authority from the apostles……This is the faith that will not only save our soul but the souls of many….We are just a “small part” of a very big picture - Like a mosaic…..Our world has forgotten this….St Paul in his wisdom reminds his friend Timothy…He also reminds us today…..”For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it……But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses”…….The world does not revolve around us - We are simply a small part of a big and beautiful picture - Play Your Part - Know Your Part - That means knowing when to “take a back seat”…………JMJ