"May it be done to me according to your word” - That is how we "get in the game"

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke the story about Mary’s YES……”Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her”…….Clearly this was big…Mary’s YES shook the foundations of the world…But what about our YES?……Mary was perfect and we are not - I get it - However, that does not mean God can not do great things in and through us…..The world is not convinced that God can do more with your life’s choices then you can……I sometimes step back and wonder when I see so many talented people I know…..Gifted in so many ways…If only those people and those gifts were directed towards God and his Kingdom….What the world fails to see is, everything we build from a secular prospective dies with us…Whether its the building of a business, the accumulation of great wealth, the acquisition of an education…All these things die with us….But what if we used those things to build the Kingdom of God?…….This is the legacy that lasts - The only one that lasts….This is what Our Lady did and to this very day, the world still speaks of her…..We must learn to “play the long game”…To stop playing “checkers” and start playing “chess”…..Build your life upon a foundation that lasts and employ the gifts given to you for the greater glory of God…If only we saw the world through this lens - And stopped chasing “shadows and dust”

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

How will people remember you?….Or…..A better question may be - Who will remember you in say fifty to hundred years?……If we read history or literature, we will find that the only thing that lasts the test of time are saints and works of art and literature…Everything else is forgotten - EVERYTHING…This is a factual statement and its a stark reality we should all consider when making our life’s choices…What are you working for?…What are you building?…..Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor was a brilliant man who became the Cardinal of New York City….That alone is some achievement if you ask me….But how will he be remembered? - Say in one hundred years?……Secular people, as smart as some of them are evaluate achievements in the short term sadly…..God however does not…...The measure of one’s life is the “lasting fruit” that we bear in our life…..Back to why I bring up Cardinal O'Connor……Over time, even Cardinals of the Church are forgotten……For a short time they were powerful men in the Church and in the world……Managing multi-million dollar budgets…..Speaking in front of tens of thousands…Writing books etc, etc etc - The list goes on…But ultimately, they too are forgotten…..But not Cardinal O'Connor…Why?…Because Cardinal O'Connor was “playing chess”…..Cardinal O'Connor “played the long game”…….Probably through an inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in and through his deep prayer life - Cardinal O'Connor founded the Sisters of Life, which is a religious order of woman who promote the culture of life in the United States and throughout the world….Since the founding of this religious order in 1991, when eight women gave their life to this work of God - The order has grown exponentially….They have helped countless families, women and children....And this work will continue - Take that to the bank!…….....This all happened because a very gifted man - Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor understood “what lasts and what does not last” - That is the measure of true intelligence if you ask me…..This will be Cardinal O'Connor’s legacy in my view - His founding of the Sisters of Life…..A legacy that will live on and continue to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God and as a result, the great name of Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor will live on….How about you?…What will be your legacy?….Are we chasing “shadows and dust”?…………Scripture is very clear - So take a moment and pay attention! - “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.”……..Employ all your gifts towards the building of the Kingdom of God - “Play the long game”……Its the “smart play”

“O Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!”

Today at Mass we hear about “Mary’s YES”…....How about ours?……If only we were convinced that God can do more with our life then we can…..Sadly the world is not convinced - But I am here to tell you - I am!!!!!……....God is real and the measure of a life well spent is the fruit that is bore throughout the course of that life and even produced well beyond it…....Our actions speak and so do the outcomes of those actions….........Commit fully to God!…..Trust that he will use you to do great things!……Still not convinced?….Even after reading the lives of countless saints over the course of 2000 years - Men and woman, who like Our Lady gave their unconditional YES and to this day their work and name lives on for centuries in some cases…..All we as Catholics have to do is “follow the blue print”….....If we do, God’s Holy Spirit will animate our life and we will in turn “bear fruit” that will last…..Still not convinced? - Its time to "put down the cup and reach for the gallon"! - But before we can “play the long game” - We must be "in the game" - So get in "the game"!……”May it be done to me according to your word” - That is how we "get in the game"………JMJ

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