And if you find “it”…Keep stepping forward!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke Jesus’ friends ask him to increase their faith….His answer to them is rather interesting….”The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.”…First off - The question is - Do you believe that?……How just a little bit of faith can move mountains - That seems to be impossible - Right?!?…….Grace builds upon grace…Like anything else in life…..As we progress and develop a mature Catholic faith, we grow…That growth begins with the first YES - The first step - The first act of faith…..We need to “take a chance” - Or maybe better put - To give God a chance - To work in our life….When you read the lives of the saints you see how this idea of how a small amount of faith can be utilized and then how it grows…..Why not us? - Ask yourself that honestly…..Once we see with our own eyes how God works through our consent….We are not as reluctant to trust him…..But this all begins with our first YES

“O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar”

How do we know God is real?…People say this all the time….Let’s be honest - Before we can trust God, we have to understand he is real…….God can not simply be a "word" for you to trust him - Right?.....…This also goes for the Catholic Church - We must come to understand that the authority of God rests within the Catholic Church before we have faith in the human institution, which is the Church we see with our eyes....…How does this happen? - Like anything else in life - We must take a step….What could that step look like?….....Going to Eucharistic Adoration…....Going on a retreat or going to Confession with a Priest after many years of being away from the Sacraments….......These are steps - And in taking these steps - One can have an authentic encounter with God - Where God becomes very real, no longer simply a word….....Then the journey begins - But everyones “encounter” is different………I remember when I came home from college…My life was a mess….A complete mess….Some people progress in college - I regressed…......One Saturday, feeling completely lost, I entered the parish I grew up in….No one was in the Church and I sat in front of the tabernacle…At the time I had no real idea that Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist…....I “knew” this from a text book…....But I really did not "know" it....…What made me sit in front of the tabernacle I do not know......…But I did…As I sat there….....A deep sadness came over me - And I wept - Maybe like I never did or will again in my life….......Once I got that out - I went to Confession…....My first “real adult” confession…..Today the disciples of Jesus asked him…."Increase our faith”…..Well - I guess that Saturday afternoon - I had that same request…………”Increase my faith”……..And guess what? - Jesus did……….This was the beginning of a long journey….....A “mustard seed” was planted within me - And here I am today some 30 years later!……Each of us will have “this moment” - Believe it!.....…I can not tell you how that moment will come to you - But I can assure you - It will….....How do I know this? - Because God loves us.......And when it does happen to you - Remember this - Seize the moment!…God works in mysterious ways - He comes to us and speaks to us in a “language” only we can understand…But then it is up to us….We need to respond - To “take a step”…And then another step.......And then another step……Grace will build upon grace…..And as it does - Who you truly are will slowly appear….The best is yet to come - Keep stepping forward - Always forward!

“Shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life”

Jesus in the Gospel today at Mass instructs his friends…He tells them - It takes just a little bit of faith for something very big to grow within them….How true this is….One Yes…One step…All good things start small…But they do not start until we ourselves start them….A “good life” does not magically happen…We must work at it and this requires grace….And we do not magically grow closer to God - This too must be worked at daily……Everyone wants to be happy - EVERYONE - But before we can be happy, we must understand how to achieve it…Many times that involves making mistakes - And that is ok - As long as we learn from them……..A request is made to Jesus today in the Gospel….That request is “Increase our faith”….Maybe you have that same request?…If you do…Take a chance - Take a step…You may be shocked at what you find….And if you find “it”……..Keep stepping forward!……………….JMJ

https://www.holywaterbooks.com/catholic-men-will-save-america.html