And then you will “see”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke about the importance of sight…What is it that makes us see?….How can two people look at the same thing and see something completely different?…….Jesus tells his friends that what they “see”, many people will never “see” - How can that be? - Let’s explore this idea but first what did Jesus say about this subject in the Gospel……”Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it”……..Hmmmmmmm!…….....The Truth is written on every human heart…Its up to us to either “see” by and through that Truth or bury it under “stuff”…….This is how we see…..Each of us is capable of “seeing” what Christ shows us ….It simply is up to us - To remove “the stuff” that blocks our vision……When we “see” through the “lens of God” and live our life through that “lens”, we avoid many of the “potholes” of life…..Our society today equates living a good life with money, raw intelligence and status - The reality is, while those material things can make us comfortable, they will not make us fulfilled - There are plenty of miserable rich people - Trust me - I work with tons of them….All the attributes that the world grounds its very existence upon and values can still lead a person into a “pothole” due to a lack of vision….Just because a person is smart, does not mean they will “see” properly, which in turn will guide their life choices…..Looking through the lens of God guides all our decisions and choices, leading one to a happy and complete life…....Who we marry, what we do with our time, how we spend our money…..All these choices make for a good life and they happen only because we “see” properly…....This is why forming our children in our shared Catholic faith is the most important thing we as parents can do for them…….A child could be gifted beyond all telling, but if they do not “see” the world through the “lens of God”, even if they are off the charts intelligent, there is a strong likelihood they will make many “dead-end decisions”….Think about it - What we value usually forms the kind of person we become…..This all comes down to what we “see”…And what we “see” determines who we are and eventually where we end up.

“For although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”

I come from a simple people…Most of the people in my family did not go to college…I am the son of a barber, who was the son of an immigrant from Southern Italy, who worked in a factory……While many of the people in my family did not have great amounts of wealth nor did they have a profound education to boast about…What they did have served them well…They had faith - They had common sense - They built strong family bonds - They lived within their means….And because of all that - They thrived!……I like to called what I have seen in my family - “The art of living”….In America today, we have no idea how to live any more….We have lost the “art” of how to live well…..Again, I have seen people in my own family, who had a fraction of what many “worldly people” I work with have, yet, the members of my family had an infinitely better life…..The Reciniello’s had strong and lasting marriages…They were filled with authentic joy….And they died with dignity surrounded by loved ones…How can this be?…How can a person live a life with “next to nothing” have all those wonderful things that every person dreams about? - Yet - Many “gifted people” miss out on?….It all comes down to what we “see”……And what we "see" drives how we live and what we value…..A clean heart allows us to “see”…..Its really that simple…..So how can we create a clean heart within our self?….Again - Its easy….......We live a Sacramental life….Jesus gave us all everything we need to do this….First we are baptized…And then as adults we continue to “reconnect with God” by frequent Sacramental Confessions and feeding on the Body and Blood of Christ at Mass…....This is how we create a “clean heart” within our self - And this is how we “see”…..There is no “magic dust” or fancy formula to it…..….”The art of living” is not something we can buy - Its a lifestyle learned at the foot of the cross….I have seen this “art” lived out right before my eyes...…”Wipe away the dust” from your eyes…..So you can “see”

“Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants”

Today at Mass we are reminded as Catholics just how fortunate we are…..We have Christ fully present in the Blessed Sacrament….Jesus tells us in the Gospel today…..”Blessed are the eyes that "see" what you see”…..I am going to let the reader of this reflection in on a little secret…Until you KNOW deep within your soul that Jesus is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament, your faith life will not drive your everyday life….Reading the Bible and praying daily is a good thing....…Its another thing to KNOW that Jesus is fully present in a consecrated host by a Catholic Priest…And when we “feed” on Christ's flesh at Mass, when we are in the state of grace after a Sacramental Confession - This is how we not only will “see” the world differently but we are empowered through grace to live differently…I am telling you the secret here to the “art of living”!….So how do we acquire eyes to “see” Christ in a consecrated host?…..A good question!……Here is my advice….......As we say in New Jersey - My "2 cents"........Sit before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar of a Catholic Church - Search one out - You can find one if you try….…You do not have to be a practicing Catholic to do this…In fact, you do not even have to believe in God to do this…....The first thing you are going to notice when you walk into a Church with the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar is - There is a tangible peace felt in the air….....That is your first “sign” that you are in the right place….....Next thing you do - Say these words before the Blessed Sacrament and then say nothing else….”God - If you are really here and truly present in this piece of “bread” show me because I do not see you”….....Say that and nothing more…And then just sit in silence and listen to your heart for a few minutes…If you do that consistently….You will get your answer…And then you will “see”……………JMJ

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