We will only find ourself when we come to the realization that we must give ourself away

Today at Holy Mass we read in St Luke’s Gospel a description of Jesus, which I believe breaks many of the cultural molds of who we perceive this man to be - Some tree hugging “hippie”…Jesus clearly in this passage lays out what we refer to in Corporate America as the “Org-Chart”…I am God - You are not….I am Creator - You are creature….I set the agenda - You follow it……….”Jesus said to the Apostles: "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”……….The human mind has a way to “gloss over” ideas that make it uncomfortable…..This is a recipe in life for disaster!…….God is love - YES - This can not be debated…But if we think for a minute that “we make the rules”….That we somehow do not have something very specific to do….That we are not obliged to listen to God’s commands laid out for us - For our own good by the way…....We are not living in reality - Nor is our faith that of a mature Catholic……Juxtapose this idea with what Jesus tells us very clearly in the book of John…..”I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father”…..And this is very true - But Jesus is also God - Which means he is in charge - I am not……Heaven is God’s house and if I want to have a “seat at his table” - I need to do things his way…..What I just wrote may put some people off - Some of them are Baptized Catholics by the way…....But what I just said is straight up true!…..Don’t let your pride get in the way of your entrance into eternal life….God has things for us to do - So do them….God gives us commands - Because they will help us live a good life - So do them….And God makes the rules - And that is ok - Why?…..Because humility is truth and God loves us!…I know who I am - A sinner in need of mercy…..And I know God loves me - He wants what is best for me - So whatever he needs me to do - I will do it…For the Greater Glory of God - Why? - Because I love him!

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him”

One of the most powerful statements in all of Scripture was when Jesus was facing his death - Remember - Jesus was fully human - He knew full well what he was going to endure…But he went a head with it anyway….“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.”….To a certain degree, all followers of Christ must have a similar mentality…..We are not to be of the world - Just in the world - Right!…That means we must live sacrificially…Heaven is our true home, not New Jersey (in my case)!…And if we live through this lens - We will live and be different then most of society….This is reality people if we are to call ourselves Christian…Don’t believe the lie and don’t believe the hype!…..The witness of a sacrificial life is powerful - Remember that!…….In the mornings in Kolkata, Mass began at 6:00am…My apartment was located in a Muslim district of the city…My “alarm clock” went off at around 5:00am at the call to prayer for the Muslims to go to their Mosque……As I walked to Mass in the dark streets, going one way, the Muslim faithful would be sharing the same path - Going to pray…..When I arrived at the convent of the Missionaries of Charity on AJC Bose Road, heading to the main chapel, the sisters were up and washing cloths…They have been up for some time by now.....Mother Teresa's sisters wash all their cloths by hand, whether in India or in New York City….The nuns live in a common room…They have two sets of cloths - One to wash - One to wear…When Mother Teresa’s sisters join the order…They only go home to their families, once every ten years - Did you hear that!…Once every ten years…They basically give up everything!……From a western mentality, particularly coming from an American mindset - That lifestyle seems impossible!….But from their sacrifice, comes great “fruit”….The Missionaries of Charity model their obedience and humility after Our Lady…Living in the shadows - Living a hidden life - And serving the least of us….Again - This is why God is so fully present in their ministry…..We are told today in the Gospel at Mass, that we too have something to do…That we are “God’s servants”….Do we look at the world in this manner?….That we are here to simply serve…And how do we do that best?…By serving one and another - By serving the least….This mindset is made very clear to us by and through grace….By prayer and Sacramental living…This is the path to heaven my friends…This is how we “find” who we truly are…We all have something to do - Now go do it!

“When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves”

Jesus today in St Luke’s Gospel refers to us as servants…..Do we view our life through this lens?…That we are here on this earth to serve…And that we serve God by serving others…..Mother Teresa would tell her sisters….”Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self”……Is this the “kind of love” we think about when we use the term - “love”?…..Our world today has forgotten its identity…..We are a people unmoored…….Because we have abandoned the “creature - creator” mentality……Human beings can not “self-create” life - We are given life and our life has a purpose…..Do we know our purpose?……..We will only find ourself when we come to the realization that we must give ourself away……………..JMJ

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