Reality stares us in the face - Not choosing to look at it does not change it

Today at Mass we hear again a reading from the Book of Maccabees…Its a powerful commentary…It tells a story about a persecuted people who resist the wishes of an evil King……And the story focuses on one family who suffer greatly under the rule of this King…..A mother in the story watches her six sons get killed before her eyes and then speaks to her last living son, who is being tempted to “given in” to the wishes of this King and put aside his religion….This is what the mother had to say to her last living son….."I do not know how you came into existence in my womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed. Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each man's beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he, in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law”………Our life does not belong to us…….Life was given to us and as this mother put it so well - that gift in many ways is a mystery….And when our life ends, we either believe that God will give us eternal life with him forever or we do not believe that…If we choose to not believe, we still are left with the mystery of how life began and even the greatest of minds in human history can not explain it fully……God gave us life and he expects something from us - each of us…He gave us life for a reason……Have we gotten distracted?……Notice the words of the mother in this story once again…….”in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law”……..The Book of Maccabees was written well before the birth of Jesus Christ but the message is the same as the message in the Gospel…….“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”….Do we believe we can “have our cake and eat it too”?…..That we stroll into heaven on “our terms”?………Jesus “gets it”, he has the holes in his hands to prove it…..”Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it” - That is the ticket in "the door".

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

Years ago, I used to go to confession with a very holy Polish priest who served in my parish for a period of time….He said something to me that I thought was rather interesting…He said he believed that living the vocation as a Catholic man and woman in marriage is harder then the vocation of being a priest…I could tell when he said this to me, he meant it too…..Do we understand what is asked of us when we take our vows as Catholics when we get married?…..We are called to completely die to ourself…Marriage is not a 50 / 50 proposition - As if we are in a business…….Its the “vehicle” to bring life into this world and to give of our self until there is nothing left….Do we understand what love really is?….That love never takes but gives……And for those who are living this vocation, this is not an easy thing to do - This is why we need Sacramental grace…Our world today disagrees with me - Yet - As a result of this “disagreement”….Family life and marriages are falling apart in record numbers across America…..Is it because we have a false idea about what to expect in married life?……Have we bought the lie told to us on television and by Hollywood?…..In order to “die to our self” as we read in the pages of scripture today, we need God’s grace…Why? - Because to “give yourself away” frankly is not natural to the human condition…This is “missed” by our society but what is not missed is the outcome of ignoring this reality….Everything God asks of us is possible…But here is the “catch”…We can not do what God asks of us without his grace…..That is reality and again outcomes prove it to be reality……..”For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”…….A strong Catholic marriage embodies this statement….And when we give ourself away, we receive deep and lasting joy - A joy the world can never give or understand - This results in a happy marriage that lasts.....But this "kind of marriage" will not look like the "idea of marriage" told to us by Hollywood....“Don’t believe the hype” - The real deal is far better - Love is found in the total gift of self....And that is "no-hype".

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

We are reminded today at Mass about how life is a gift…But with that gift comes responsibility……To ignore reality does not change it…..Outcomes can be ignored but ignoring them does not change the outcomes….The secret to a good life is the exact opposite of what our culture is “selling”….We are all called to give ourself away….Each and everyone of us….This is the one and only path to heaven but it is also the way to live a happy and fulfilled life here on earth…As we say in New Jersey - “Don’t believe the hype” - And stoping buying the lie the culture keeps telling…..Reality stares us in the face - Not choosing to look at it does not change it…………..JMJ

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