"I double dog dare you"

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St Luke tells the people that no sign will be given to them…That everything they need to know has been told to them….They either believe it or they do not….."This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation”….Life comes down to choices - We all make them….And those choice govern how we live…..To be a Catholic is a choice….To live your life through the lens of Catholic teaching is a choice…….And here is the deal - We can NOT be “of the world” and be Catholic at the same time….What does that mean?…To be Catholic - I mean to live your faith out in real time - means you are different….You are not like “the crowd”…And this is the problem - Far too many Catholics cannot be distinguished from the crowd…We teach our children, by our example to be like everyone else…..Was Jesus like everyone else?…..Was Joseph and Mary like everyone else?….Were the first 12 disciples who gave up everything to follow Christ - Were they like everyone else?…..Jesus tells us today in the Gospel - I have told you how to live….Its all very clear and written down….I have also given you a Church, which gives you the “tools” to acquire the needed grace to live out the words in the Gospel….We either take Jesus up on “his offer” or we do not - Its really that simple…..In the Gospel today at Mass, once again, Jesus is very clear…..”At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here”………Life is about choices - Following Christ is choice…..Make the choice!

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

What prevents us from following Christ?….What prevents us from living our Catholic faith?….Many believe they will somehow be “missing out” on all the “good things” of this life…Nothing can be farther from the truth!……Jesus very clearly tells us…..”I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly”……That is in the here and now by the way….We sadly do not believe that!……But seeing is believing….If we were to seek out authentic Catholic communities…Where the faith is lived out as taught by the Church from the beginning - You will see with your own two eyes the joy and peace of that community…Are these people perfect? - Of course not - No one is…But when you see for yourself such people - Compare them to those who have embraced all the “trappings of the world” - Then you tell me who “figured it out” and who did not….Then you tell me who is “rich”…..Then you tell me which is the right path to take in life…..When we “see” with our own two eyes - The “choice” to be made should be obvious…God exists - God loves us - God has shown us how we should live and he has given us a Church, which gives us all the “tools” to make it happen….Its simply then up to us!………….I made the choice long ago…I want to surround myself with positive people…When I am at work - That is not “my time” - I have to be there to support my family…But when I am on “my time” - I want to make it count….To give a concrete example of what I am writing about…This past summer my family and I traveled to Ohio for a family vacation / retreat at the Apostolate for Family Consecration….Families from all over America traveled to Bloomingdale’s Ohio just outside of Pittsburg to gather for a week…To enjoy each others company…To relax….And to strengthen their faith as Catholics together…When I saw with my own two eyes the families….The children….The positive outlook of these people…Frankly, I could not believe such people even existed in our culture today, never mind 1000 of them in one place….Such an experience shows a person in tangible terms, that following the gospel works! - That it bears "good fruit"….That one can live their Catholic faith in the world - And thrive!…We all need reminders of this and that is why immersing yourself in strong authentic Catholic Communities is vital…..Seeing is believing…..Its very easy to “settle” in this world…To be like “the crowd”…..Don’t do it!….There is something so much better out there….Do some research - Seek out: The Good, The True & The Beautiful…Expose your children to these places and these people…..The best adult decision of my life was made at 22 years old, when I decided to take my Catholic faith seriously…From that decision - All other good decisions where made - including marrying my wife……Maybe its time to trying something new? - What do you have to lose? - Maybe better put - Think about what you can gain - Living your Catholic faith out in real time is all about winning in every way!…..Summon up the courage to win!

“Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm”

Today Jesus in the Gospel at Mass, we are told point blank: Those who are looking for “a sign”? - Not going to happen!…….Why is that?….Because Jesus himself is the sign - The “sign” came 2000 years ago….Its time to “open our eyes” and seek it out - For real!……Now lets be honest - If you want to “point fingers” at ‘lukewarm” mediocre Catholicism - There are plenty of places to look at….The devil wants you to focus your attention there - And keep it there…..But I will tell you this - If you do your research - Explore the many options - You will find Catholic Communities that may surprise you - Full of good people - “Normal people” - Just like you!….People full of joy and hope…Don’t you want that for yourself? - Don’t you want that for your children and your family?….Maybe that is “the sign” you have been looking for your entire life?…..Dare to be different - The “pearl of great price” is not found by going along with the crowd - Dare to walk the road less traveled and dare to enter into eternal life - "I double dog dare you" ……………JMJ

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