Do the “heavy lifting” now…..And leave the rest to God - He will get us to where we need to be!

Today the Universal Church brings our attention to all the holy souls in Purgatory…..Yes - Purgatory is real - It exists - Do we think about it?…..Why does Purgatory exist?….Because NOTHING imperfect stands before God……If the soul dies free from mortal sin, but still has attachments to sin, which by the way just about every person does….We spend some “time” in the “hot house”…..Is this a punishment? - Just the opposite - Its a mercy…..There is no such thing as “cheap grace” - So get it out of your head!……American Christianity deludes itself….As a good priest once told me - “Joe - You don’t just float into heaven”….And here is the thing - What we “think” does not change reality…The goal of every life should be to strive each and everyday to sanctify itself - The one goal that matters…The Catholic Church gives us all the tools to do this in the here and now…..And as we all know, this is a process…So the question is - Are we actively engaging in that process?…….God loves us and if we cooperate with him…He will transform us…But we have to cooperate with him…Why? - Because human nature is fallen…Just by saying with our mouth that - “I believe in Jesus” - Does not sanctify our self…This is why Jesus formed a Church - He did not write a book!…Did you know that the Bible came along 400 years after Christ?…And guess who wrote it? - The Catholic Church!…It’s time to stop believing the lies…Its time to stop deluding ourself…And it’s also time to get serious!…….Here is the bottom line - Time runs out!…When we take our last breath - The whistle blows!….So make the time count while we are still here on earth and have breath in our body…The Church reminds us today to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory….They cannot help themself at this point and they need our prayers - So pray for them today

“Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul”

Years ago I remember talking to a Franciscan priest I know…He told me how he came into the Church and eventually what lead him to become a priest…You may or may not believe it….Fr Roche was a thug in California before he was a baptized Catholic…He told me he fought a lot on the street…Well, one day he beat up a man so bad that he was thrown in jail…Fr Roche at this time was a deeply trouble person…And from his jail cell, he cried out to Christ and in that moment, he felt the Lord’s presence in his life for the first time….Once he got out of jail, he requested to entire the Catholic Church, which he did…But his desire to grow close to the Lord continued…And that desire lead him to become a priest…Why is this story important today on All Souls Day?…Fr Roche was clearly transformed….He went from “one place” to another “place”…..He responded to God's grace and allowed God to work in his life…..This is an extreme story and not everyone has to go to jail to “wake up”…But in many cases, this is the story of us all…How God finds us exactly where we are…We acknowledge him and from that point, little by little, he transform us…That my friends is the process of sanctification…..God has GREAT plans for us all….We just have to cooperate with him….And God is patient - And God’s love for us is beyond all telling…With that said….He won’t just “throw you into the deep end of the pool” - Like your crazy uncle from New Jersey at a 4th of July party!…God works with us….And in the process we take step after step…And with each step, we grow closer to him…..This should be the one and only goal in life - To grow as close as possible to God…And when we embrace this goal…Our joy and peace grows and grows with each day - Never forget that!…Jesus reminds us of this in Scripture….”Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”….And when we die and if we still fall a little short…God in his goodness helps us….That help is found in Purgatory…So don’t be afraid…God loves us and will never abandon us…We are all “a work in progress” - So let us help one another - Let us fully cooperate with God…And today, let us pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

“Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage.”

Today at Holy Mass, the first reading is from the Book of Wisdom and it says it all!….”The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect”…….Embrace the one and only goal in life that is worth having - Giving God permission to sanctify you!….And if and when we fall short - Even at the moment of death - Fear not - God never forgets his own!…..He will “clean us up” before our “big day” - Which by the way lasts for all eternity…….. “Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself”……Do the “heavy lifting” now…..And leave the rest to God - He will get us to where we need to be!……………..JMJ

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