Carry on - Full steam ahead!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first readings from the Book of James how trials we experience in life can be useful…..Suffering is apart of every human life and only the Catholic faith gives meaning to suffering…Something the secular world has no answer for.....……”Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”…….The process of sanctification is a long one…God knows the person we were born to be….And while daily prayer, weekly fasting and living Sacramentally moves us in the direction of God - So does the daily trials we experience…..Nothing is wasted with God - He is constantly forming us…We either can accept our daily trials or reject them and become bitter…..When we choose to accept the trials of life, they serve as a means of “chipping away” at our “rough edges”….And each of us has “rough edges”…..”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit”……Clearly no one wants to suffer but when suffering comes your way - The question becomes - How do you react?…..If we view hardships as something that God allowed to happen and that there is a reason for it - Even if at the time we do not understand what that reason is - Then we will not be crushed - In fact, we will open ourselves up to growth…..Many times God permits hardships to transform us…..Because in many ways we do not even understand our very self - We do not see ourselves as God sees us…And because God loves us like a Father, he wants us to become the people we were born to be - A Holy People - And that takes time - It also requires us to make changes, which we may not be willing to make without God’s help - And those changes are made many times due to hardships we endure……With God nothing is wasted - We must learn to trust!…..We must give God our unconditional YES - And he will use our consent in ways we will not always understand……..”I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus”……Crooked roads will be made straight - The mountains will be leveled - Take each day as it comes and know your sanctification is found in your acceptance of life as it is - Both in the good and the bad experiences alike - Nothing is wasted or will be wasted!

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.”

Sometimes the worst thing that happens to a person, turns out to bear the most fruit for their spiritual growth in time……When we read the lives of the saints and even look closely at the lives of those we know around us…We can see how a tragedy experienced in one’s life can become a source of transformation…..God sees past all the tragedies that accord in history due to human sin and weakness and if we give God a chance, there is nothing that cannot be used for the Greater Glory of God - Even the worst of events!……..A priest one time told a story about a Shepherd he knew in the Middle East….One of his sheep kept running away and nothing he could do or say would stop this sheep from going astray…The Shepherd feared for this sheep because there were many wolves who would maim or kill this sheep when it ran away…The sheep was not fully aware of this danger - But the Shepherd was!…..So one day the Shepherd took this sheep into his hands and snapped his leg in two!…The sheep cried and cried…..But after the sheep was wounded, the Shepherd bandaged the leg of this sheep and for three months carried the sheep upon his shoulders, caring for it until the leg healed…Once the broken leg of the sheep was healed, the sheep understood that the Shepherd loved him because of the care he gave to him when he was wounded….And when that sheep could walk, it never went astray again….He learned to trust the Shepherd and listen to his voice…This story resonated deeply with me when I first heard it….How human beings do what they want and disregard God’s commandments…And many times its not until we “feel the burn” of the consequences of our poor choices that we come to our senses…..Mankind must come to realize that God sees “the big picture” in a way we do not…We need to listen to his voice - We need to trust in God’s ways - We need to understand that God not only loves us but uses everything we live through to sanctify us - Even the trials and the hardships - To prepare us to one day stand before him as we were intended to be - To be a Holy People - Sanctified by Divine grace……”I will sprinkle clean water over you to make you clean; from all your impurities and from all your idols I will cleanse you.  I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them”

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I hold to your promise.”

St James reminds us today at Mass that the “testing of your faith produces perseverance”…We are each “a work in progress”…….What many people forget, or do not believe outright is - Nothing impure enters into heaven…..And God who wants each of us in heaven knows we all have a “long way to go” before we are ready to stand before him….The process of sanctification happens not only in this life but if we do not fully complete what God intended for us through our given vocation - We spend time in Purgatory…This is a perennial Catholic teaching!…..So the way I look at it - “Do your time now”! - Fully cooperate with God and make it a priority to strive to become holy….This involves daily prayer, living sacrificially and also living Sacramentally - But it also involves living through the many trials and hardships of this world, which also form us if we allow them too……As the old saying goes….”I am the potter and you are the clay” - This is how we must view our life in the hands of God…He sees everything - He knows everything - And He loves us!…..Trust him and if we do - God will get us to where we need to be - But not without our cooperation - So cooperate!……”I will lead the blind on a way they do not know; by paths they do not know I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. These are my promises: I made them, I will not forsake them”………Carry on - Full steam ahead!……….JMJ

Choose life and be “that light”!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from Sirach that mankind is given a choice - Life or Death - That without our cooperation with God’s grace - Without our firm YES to God…..We shall not be saved….”If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him”….American Christianity and that includes many Catholics believe that getting into heaven is a given….You can live anyway you want, as long as you are what is considered a “good guy” by the standards of the world - If you do that - You get into heaven…That means you are free to disregard God’s laws for the sake of your own desires and still “walk right into the pearl gates”……Today the readings at Mass say otherwise and the Church has never taught such a twisted idea of salvation……What is at the root of mankind’s rebellion?….There are many reasons but one of the driving reasons is - Many believe God’s commands take from us as opposed to give…People believe that somehow they will be “missing out” if they follow God, the Natural Law and his Holy will…..That is a lie told to us by the devil and far too many believe it!…..God only gives, he never takes and God’s commandments keep us safe - Safe from who? - The answer - Safe from our very self!……The peace and joy that comes with living in a state of grace as a Catholic far outweighs anything the world can give us…If we abandon God’s will for the “things of the world”, even if those “things” seem “harmless”, because we turned from God, our choice and whatever comes with that choice materially speaking will become tainted and “something” will seem to be missing - That “something” is the presence of God….We can not get around this reality…..Each of us was made for God - On each of our human cells, written in our DNA is God….And when we turn from him - Something in us breaks…..No material thing can replace this innate desire…..This is why the best choice to be made is the “God Choice”…..And when we make that choice - Our life not only has order to it but peace and joy rest deep without our hearts….”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”…….We cannot have both - “The world” and God at the same time - Many tell themselves this lie!…..To think we can is not to think as an adult with a mature faith….Life boils down to choices - Choose well!

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom”

God’s way works - Yet our world today not only does not believe it - But rejects this reality outright…..Let’s look at one aspect of how God’s way works…….Currently the family unit in America is deep fractured…More then half of American marriages end in divorce, which has deeply impacted our society leaving wounded people and children with life long “issues” to resolve……What is at the root of all these divorces? - Well, there are many reasons but one of the driving reasons is God is no longer the center of many American marriage….Vast numbers of people in America do not live their marriages Sacramentally….Some do not even get marriages in Churches…The reality is to have a good marriage, no matter who you are, takes work - But it also takes God grace - That is why marriage is a Sacrament…God understands the difficulties of raising a family - That is why he gives us his grace in the marriage covenant....But our society has rejected this grace…..This is a driving reason why so many marriages end in divorce….Let’s look at some numbers…….Currently 50% of all American marriages end in divorce…If a couple simply goes to Church on Sunday - That number gets cut in half to 25%……And if couples do not use contraception and utilize natural family planning, the divorce rate for those couples is only 3%….This is reality not religious dogma - The numbers do not lie!…Yet society chooses to ignore reality……Without God’s grace in marriage selfish behavior is soon to follow and selfishness is the killer of love…True love gives, it never takes and God helps us to love in a sacrificial way…When a married couple love sacrificially, their marriage thrives!…This is why God must be the center of every marriage…..To ignore reality has consequences.

“Be good to your servant, that I may live and keep your words. Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law”

Today at Mass we are told boldly that we have to cooperate with God if we want to enter into eternal life - Some may rationalize this message away……..or……Flat out ignore it!………But reality is reality……God is not some kind of “ogre” - God gives us his law to not only keep us safe but to allow us to thrive here on earth…..And nothing the world can give us can surpass the peace that God can give us when we live in a state of grace and follow his commandments……Again, the world is not convinced!……This is why Catholics must give a witness to the world….An unbelieving world must “see” what it means to live as an authentic Catholic…..To be open to life in marriages - To be generous - To be kind - To be friendly to all…..Why is this so important? - Because again - “Seeing is believing”…..The secular world does not believe that God’s ways works - This is why we must show them!……Our world today has radically rejected God - American society is reeling - It has become unmoored! - Basic common sense has become lost in a sea of confusion and chaos……What will change this trend?…..The answer - Witnesses!…Catholics must be those witnesses to serve as a reminder that God is real - That God’s way works - That God’a way brings joy and peace…..As many Americans believe - We are not going to “vote our way out” of the current environment we live it…..We cannot legislate morality as some believe we can…Only the witness of a holy people - A people “set apart” will change the minds of a society that has taken the wrong path and has “doubled-down” on that choice……..Only saints change the world…..It’s time Catholics “step up” and start showing the world that we believe what we say we believe….Words will not accomplish this task…….“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”……..History is clear - The witness of Catholicism radically lived out has changed the world time and time again - When nothing else works - When words fail and ideologies fall short - God rises up saints…….”A light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it” - Ever think God is calling you to be that “light”? - Guess what? - He is…..Choose life and be “that light”!………………JMJ

If you can not feed hundred people - Then just feed one

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark that Jesus was a man of compassion…He has “eyes to see” human suffering…The question is - Do we?…….”Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat”….Its very easy to get desensitized to the sufferings of those around us…..So many in our society are “invisible”…They have “fallen through the cracks” of acceptable society and live on the margins….Its very easy to blame them for bad choices made and then disregard them as almost sub-human……Jesus today shows us he understood deeply what it meant to be human and that suffering is apart of the human condition…..While we can no solve the problems of the world, we can “do our part” to bring comfort and assistance to others when we can…As Mother Teresa once said…”If you can not feed one hundred people, feed one”……But before we do, we need to have “eyes to see”…..How do we acquire this kind of sight?……If we can see Jesus in the consecrated host, we will be able to see Jesus in our neighbor, most especially our neighbor in need…..We are given “this kind of sight” only by and through Sacramental grace…..Grace elevates human nature and without it we focus inward upon ourself as opposed to outward towards others…..St John tells us in his Gospel……”If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother”…….Many in our world today do not have “this kind of sight” - They are “blind” to the plight of others….How can this be?…..If we expect God to welcome us into heaven - As many do! - We then must do our part!…..What we do to the least of us, we do to God himself”….This is on the “final exam” and the “measure we measure out to others will be measured back to us”…..Those who have ears - Let them hear

“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God’

There are many people in our world who have not had an authentic encounter with God - Now that does not mean God does not love them, maybe it simply means some people are not looking in the right places…..One way we can have a very real encounter with God is when we serve the poor…….Mother Teresa would say the entire Gospel can be taught on five fingers and in five words: “You - Did - It - To - Me”……….Mother Teresa would also teach her sisters that when we help the poor, we are literally helping Christ himself…….That Jesus is found literally in the poor…..I tell the readers of this reflection this reality because even if you are searching for God and have not found him yet - If you serve the poor with a sincere and open heart, “a bridge” to God opens up, even if you did not intend that “bridge” to be built…..For many years I have served the poor with the Missionaries of Charity all over the world (Haiti; India; New York; San Francisco; Montreal) ….I have seen with my own two eyes secular people, people who were not Catholic, even people who were living objective amoral lives who have sincerely immersed themselves in serving the poor and in doing so make huge strides in “awakening” to the reality of a God that loves them…..Serving others opens our heart - The gift of self to another human being “makes one feel good” for a reason - The reason is, we were born to “give ourself away”, its in our human DNA…..As St Francis rightfully said…”It is in giving that we receive”

“He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied.”

Today we hear at Mass how Jesus himself feed those in need……Do we somehow think we are not “called” to do the same?……Being Catholic is not simply an academic pursuit - While there is so much to learn about the Catholic faith from books  - This is only a one dimensional aspect of what it means to be Catholic…We must put our faith into action!……Its one thing to “know something” and its another thing altogether to “do something”………But before we “do something”, we must acquire “eyes to see”….This begins by living a Sacramental life - Frequent Confession and Frequent reception of the Eucharist….We can not self manufacture “eyes to see” those who live on the margins of our society……Jesus today in St Marks’s Gospel shows us that he had “eyes to see” the suffering of mankind and he did something about it…..We are also told in the Gospel that Jesus was willing to “leave the ninety-nine to help the one who was lost”……How about us?…..Its very comfortable to stay with the “ninety-nine” who “have their life in order”…..And for those who have ventured out to the margins - We know that to “go out” to help the “one” who is lost can be very uncomfortable, it can even be outright dangerous - So hear is the question - Are you still willing to do it?…….Catholics all across the world “tick boxes” - What do I mean by that?……We go to Mass - We say our prayers - We have our personal devotions - And all these things are good…But do we “see” our neighbor in need? - And if we do - What are we doing about it?…….Catholic action “speaks” to the unbelieving world in a way that words never can……..So - If you can not feed hundred people - Then just feed one………………JMJ

Maybe its time to “get out of your own way” - So you can follow “The Way”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus cures a deaf man…..”And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!") And immediately the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly”….Clearing to “see” and “hear” is a gift……But how many today do not “see” and do not “hear”?…..How many “hear” the Gospel Truth and what they “hear” goes in one ear and out the other?…….Even within our Church!…..Think about it - Everything is written down!…..And yet for some - There is confusion - They do not “hear”……How is this so?……In order to hear God, our heart must be made pure…..What we “hear” and “see” depends completely upon the condition of our hearts…….So how do we purify our hearts? - The answer - Frequent Sacramental Confession……This allows us to see and hear the world as it truly is….But how many Catholics make this practice apart of their life?……If we are not going to Confession, we are not benefiting from the reception of the Blessed Sacrament as we should be…However, when we receive the Eucharist in the state of grace at Mass due to the utilization of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the “flood gates” of grace are open…..You would think this would be understood by all - Right?!? - You would think every Catholic would follow this “blue-print”…..But sadly this is not the case - Something is “getting in the way” of us “hearing”…….St John tells us in his Gospel….”My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”……We can not follow Jesus unless we hear him……..In the silence sitting before the Blessed Sacrament, if we are living Sacramentally (frequent Confession and frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament), we will most certainly hear God’s voice and when we do, its then up to us to follow him!

“Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son”

Our Lady tells us when Jesus performed his first miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana - She told us…“Do whatever he tells you”…….Again, in the Catholic Church, everything is written down - So how are we so confused…..Just - “Do whatever he tells us” - Right!?!…Yet somehow we don’t and somehow the words on the page become “blurred”…..This is because of our will - We have not fully bent our knee to God…This is also because of our heart - It is not as pure as it should be……If we “work” on those two realities - Bending our will until it breaks and purifying our hearts - We will surely do as Our Lady tells us - To listen to her son…..All this is dependent upon grace!……Without grace we are lost!…..Jesus tells us - “Without me you can do nothing”…I repeat this statement in my many reflections often because I do not believe people believe it….We are far too dependent upon our self…..We must “put down” self dependence and rely on God - Trusting in is grace…..It’s his grace that allows us to “see” and “hear”….We can not “read” our way to God’s grace - In order to receive it, we must become empty of “self” making “room” for God’s grace……That is how we will “see” and that is how we will “hear”……And once we get to that point - The “following Jesus part” is not far off

"If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, Quickly would I humble their enemies; against their foes I would turn my hand."

Jesus in the Gospel today read to us at Mass performed a physical healing……Many will “hear” this passage read to them and not really “hear” it - What is God telling us in St Mark’s Gospel today? - Maybe he is saying - We too are “deaf” to the words and actions of the Gospel!…..Because if the words do not penetrate our hearts - We simply will not act upon them…..Mother Teresa would always say….”I take Jesus at his word”….Why do you think that was the case? - Clearly we “heard” all the same things as Mother Teresa did - Yet she executed on the words of Christ and most of us do not, at least to the degree we should - What did Mother Teresa have that we do not?……In a word - Grace!…How did Mother Teresa get that grace? - Through daily prayer, fasting and through frequent reception of the Sacraments…Its really that simple - Why do we make it complicated!?! - Why do we make excuses?……Jesus is “The Way” and if we believe that - As we say we do - We must “hear” his voice…Do you “hear” his voice?….Or is that your voice? - Maybe its time to “get out of your own way” - So you can follow “The Way”……………JMJ

“Without me - You can do nothing!”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear about how King Solomon, who was the son and heir of King David fell from grace…He allowed the pagan religions of his many wives to influence him and as a result, his Kingdom was lost…..”When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods, and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God, as the heart of his father David had been”…This “story” reoccurs through the Old Testament - The story of Exodus and Return - How the Jewish people fall on bad times - They find God - The Times get better - They forget God - And then every thing falls apart……..This is also the story of America and for that matter - The story of mankind……Mankind was made for God and when we consciously turn from God, something within us “breaks”….We become “blind”…..When we live outside of God’s grace, our fallen human nature gets the best of us - And everything falls apart…….Since the time of Christ, with all the human innovation that has taken place, mankind has not learned this great lesson - That we are dependent upon God and without him, we are lost and our human weakness will get the best of us……This is why Catholics must graft their life Sacramentally to Christ…Jesus gave us a Church and the Sacraments for a reason - Because we need them……In addition, Catholics must persevere in daily prayer and weekly fasting…..Whether we “feel” like praying or not - It should not matter! - We need to stay connected to the vine……Remember these words in Scripture………….”The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”…..Don’t “think” for a minute we can “slack off” - Its in those moments of weakness that the devil strikes!

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls”

Every Catholic should establish a daily prayer routine…While most of us are working and have families and cannot pray like monks do, we still can establish a robust prayer life - If we make it a priority…..This is very important!…..Get up early - Gather your family together at the end of the day to pray the Rosary together - Pray before meals - Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet as you drive to work - Go to Mass and or Confession on your lunch hour…These are just some ways to “stay connected to the vine” and also a very concrete way to establish a routine……The world, the flesh and the devil are always working against us! - Believe it!…..It’s important to “see” and “know” the enemy for who and what it is!……Only if we stay vigilant will we save our soul!…..The mistake - We take down our guard - We become complacent - We trust in our own “gifts” and “think” we can resist temptations relying solely on our own strengthen - This is the mistake! - This was the mistake of King Solomon in the first reading today at Mass as well - And this is why King Solomon fell - And guess what? - If you do as he did - You will fall too!…….The devil prowls the earth like a lion looking to devour souls….The devil knows all our weakness and we all have them! - The devil is smarter than we are and never sleeps!…So be vigilant!…Stay “grafted to the vine” and remember the words of Christ - “Without me - You can do nothing!”

“Blessed are they who observe what is right, who do always what is just. Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people; visit us with your saving help”

Today at Mass we hear a familiar story - We hear about the rise and fall of the Jewish people…”Rinse - Wash - Repeat”…The same old story again and again - The story of Exodus and Return…..Today in America a similar story is taking place….We have forgotten God - While we give God praise with our words - Our laws violate the Natural Law and the teachings of the Catholic Church…For example - Usury is used as a means of “doing business” - Same Sex marriage has become “normalized” - And abortion is considered a “human right”….How we have fallen! - Do you think God does not see these things? - Do you think these actions and many more like them do not have very real consequences?……Scholars tell us that politics is down stream from culture and that culture is down stream of religion…….So the question we must then ask - Is America really a “Nation Under God” as we once claimed it to be?…..The story of King Solomon is repeating itself again - In real time - Right before our very eyes!………But God is merciful - He was merciful to King Solomon and he will be merciful to America - A “remnant” will remain!………”So the LORD said to Solomon: "Since this is what you want, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I enjoined on you, I will deprive you of the kingdom and give it to your servant. I will not do this during your lifetime, however, for the sake of your father David; it is your son whom I will deprive. Nor will I take away the whole kingdom. I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David and of Jerusalem, which I have chosen”……….To borrow the words of John the Baptist ……. “Repent - The Kingdom of God is at hand”

God will never abandon his people but that does not mean that suffering will not take place as a result of bad choices - But it is through suffering that mankind “learns”….He learns lessons “the hard way”…As it was for King Solomon and as it will be for America…..Why is this reality?…….Because as Jesus told us………..“Without me - You can do nothing!”………….JMJ

Our world today “thirsts” for a witness

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading about the Queen of Sheba…….She heard about King Solomon….And she wanted to “check out” what she heard for herself……”The queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon's fame, came to test him with subtle questions”….As Catholics we should pay attention to this reading from Mass - Why? - Because people believe what they see!…..If we want the world to believe us - If we believe that the answer to the problems of humanity is Jesus Christ crucified…If we believe that living Sacramentally is the “cure” to mankind’s broken nature…If we believe all that and more! - Then we have to demonstrate it with our very lives!…..The Queen of Sheba heard about all the good things King Solomon was doing and when she saw them for her self - She became convinced…..Again - This is the only way to convince anyone of anything - We must show them……."The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is true," she told the king. "Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes, I have discovered that they were not telling me the half. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard”………So the question for us today is - How do we live such a convincing witness as Catholics?…….Everything we do comes from our interior life…..Within each of us are “deep caverns” which we are not even aware of….The deeper our interior life of prayer becomes, the more we discover those “caverns” within us and in turn God will draw us closer to himself…..As our interior life deepens through daily prayer, weekly fasting and Sacramental living - Our lives will bear fruit…The “fruit” while happen naturally, almost as an organic outpouring from our interior life…In a sense, we won’t even have to “think” about it - It will just flow naturally….This is how we give a convincing example of our Catholic faith to the world around us….And this is the only way the world will believe what we say to be true.

“Commit to the LORD your way; trust in him, and he will act. He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication”

The Gospel lived radically speaks to the world…..This is the Catholicism that convicts souls….And this is where those in the Church who prescribe to what is called the “Spirit of Vatican II” get it wrong…..The Catholic faith should not try to conform to the world - It needs to witness to the world - Offering an an attractive alternative…..The witness of a holy life attracts others because it mirrors the life of Jesus Christ….This is what the Catholic Church must do and trying to be “like everyone else” will never accomplish that goal……Living and working in New York City provides a person with access to many types of people…..Each day I walk a mile from the bus stop to my office building….The neighborhood I walk through each day is a decadent section of New York City commonly referred to as “Hells Kitchen”…..And one day as I was walking to work, I saw a Catholic Priest walking down the same sidewalk as I was wearing a traditional black cassock…..Obviously he stood out!……When I saw him I called out to him and gave him a “thumbs up”…..He smiled and kept walking…….This priest was giving a radical witness to the world just by walking down the street wearing the garb of a priest….If he was wearing secular cloths, I would never have recognized him…..And I am sure others noticed him just as I did…By wearing his cassock, this priest was a visible sign of Christ to a broken and wounded world….Now some may say wearing a cassock is outdated - Some say it “repels” people as opposed to “inviting them in”…..I vehemently disagree!…..When our Catholic faith is radically lived - When Sacrificial living is radically embraced - The world notices - In fact, even the “hardest of hearts” are almost mesmerized by the sight of an authentic Catholic witness…This is why Jesus told his disciples…..”I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth”……Our world will only believe what we are “selling” as Catholics if they see our faith lived out…..Live radically and you will “bear fruit” that will last…..The era of the “lukewarm” is over!

“Your word, O Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth”

Today at Mass we heard about how the Queen of Sheba heard what King Solomon was doing and when she saw it for herself - She was convinced…..As Catholics, we talk a “good game” but does the world “see” what we claim to be true?….Is the world convinced that the Catholic Church possesses the fullness of Truth?…….This kind of “convincing” only results from our cooperation with God…..It is the Holy Spirit that “convicts” souls - We by ourselves cannot convince people of anything!….Until we “die to ourself” and “make room” for the Holy Spirit to enter our life, we will be like “everyone else” - Conforming to the status quo - “Going along to get along”……Catholics must become “all things to all people”…..We must be and live differently in a world that rejects us - Easier said then done!…..The saints show us that such a life is possible and that radically subjecting ourself to God is how the world is transformed…..Mere words and “ticking boxes” as Catholics will never “get the job done”….Catholics were born to “stand out” not “go along” - God can do more with your life then you can….Do you believe that? - If you do - Prove it by “living it”!….Seeing is believing………The world is not interested in another sermon…….Our world today “thirsts” for a witness……………..JMJ

“You worry about you!”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how the Pharisees and some scribes find fault with Jesus…..Jesus addresses them……”This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts”…….God weighs the human heart…Its not necessarily what you do that matters, but how much love you put into what you do…The  Pharisees and scribes “on paper” did everything right - But their hearts were far from God….This is something we as Catholics must be very aware of….We too came be just like the Pharisees and scribes and not even realize it - The devil is very clever - Never forget that….Catholics many times “tick off boxes” - We pray the Rosary - We go to Sunday Mass - We even go to Confession regularly - We pray our Divine Mercy Chaplet every day too - The list goes on and on……But even doing all those things - Our heart is not in what we doing……And when life does not go the way we want it too - We complain - At least I do…..As married Catholics, we can be involved in numerous activities in the Church, but lose focus of our primary duty - Which is to our family....As a priest - We can get “caught up” in administrative tasks and forget the sick and poor of our parish - Or neglect our prayer life……Once again - God sees the human heart - God is not “impressed” with the “big things” we may think he is impressed with - My wife has a phrase for this “Corporate Catholic” - When we behave as corporate people act towards one another - Looking for opportunities to “climb the ladder” - Looking to get noticed - Looking to acquire titles…Once again - God is not impressed……”He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.  Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood”……Its not what we “do” that counts - Its about how much love we put into what we do….This is how we “impress” God

“Blessed they who dwell in your house! Continually they praise you. O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed”

Next to Jesus, the greatest of all the saints was Our Lady and St Joseph - Many Catholic scholars would agree with that statement….And just think - St Joseph does not have one recorded word in Bible - And Our Lady always was in the background….Yet - Catholic tradition tells us they were the closest to God - The greatest of the saints…That should tell us something…..To live what is commonly referred to in Catholic circles as “a hidden life” is the surest path to God…..That was the path of Our Lady and St Joseph…It means to “get out of the way” and let Jesus lead the way….To “get lost entirely” in God so God “overshadows” us as he did with Our Lady……It means not attracting attention and when attention is directed towards us, we direct it back to God…..Is this how we live? - Is this what we strive to do?……Over the years I have been married, I have watched my wife and marvel at her - I marvel at what she does for our family each and every day…..She does so much and she does it quietly, without any fanfare…..I can say this with honestly, I love my wife more now then the day we were married because of how she has sacrificed herself for me and our five children…And just as I have witnessed this - I am sure our children have as well, which in time will “bear fruit that will last”…..This is an example of a hidden life…..The journey to God is not like “climbing the ladder” of a Fortune 500 Company - So don’t look to be a “Corporate Catholic”….Thinking to yourself: How much can I do? - What can I achieve? - Does “what I do” come with “a title”?……….God sees us “as we truly are” - When no one is looking……In addition to the witness of my wife, I have also seen the example of a “hidden life” when I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters in Manhattan every Saturday for seven years before I was married…The Missionaries of Charity work in the background quietly like Our Lady…They are prayerful and are not interested in gaining any attention for all the good they do…..Again - This is the surest path to God - This is how we grow in sanctity….It should not be about “us” when we do “good things” and if it is, frankly what we do is of little use to God……To acquire this mindset is to understand who we are at or core - Humility is Truth - We are simply children of God and no more - All the gifts given to us were given to serve God and to serve our neighbor…And one day we will die…..Our worth is found in God alone and God alone can restore our life, giving it back to us after our physical death when we see him face to face upon our judgement - This is our hope!…..In the meantime - No need to be “glorified” for all the “good we do” here on earth……Now - That does not mean we should not look to do “great things” - And if God calls us to do “great things” - We must do them for the Glory of God and if attention is directed towards you because of what you do - Direct it back to God and keep working!

“I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked”

Today at Mass in the Gospel Jesus “calls out” the Pharisees and scribes - These were the perfect people who found fault with everyone else as opposed to addressing their own faults - Do we do this?…..I say that because I do sometimes and I confess this often Sacramentally….I somethings find my myself saying the phrase - “Those People” followed by a litany of faults “Those People” do - And when I do this verbally, the Holy Spirit usually convicts me on the spot……….Its so easy to forget that we are all sinners and that all “the good” we do and all the virtues we have are due to God’s grace - Everything is grace!…..It’s not our place to call out “Those People” - As I tell my children when they fight with and blame each other - I tell them: “You worry about you!”…….Worrying about my own sanctity is a “full time job” - And before I start “pointing the finger” at others for their many faults - Maybe I need to do some self reflection - How about you?…….Jesus tells us very clearly…..”For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?”….Wrong is wrong - “I get it” - But as I tell my children often….”You worry about you” - And God will address your neighbor’s faults in his time and in his way - In the mean time - “You worry about you!”………….JMJ

We cannot heal the world - But Jesus can - He has and still does

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how great crowds were following Jesus…Word had spread that he was a healer and people wanted to either see these miracles for themselves or experience a healing……”Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed”……….We as Catholics have heard about the miracles performed by Christ our entire lives…Its so easy to dismiss them as something at happened only when Jesus walked the earth 2000 years ago….But do we realize that miracles happen everyday?……In the Sacramental of Reconciliation, miracles happen!…..People are freed of the many “issues” that weigh them down….Sin not only blinds us, it can not be “erased with time”….Time does not heal wounds - It only allows them to fester…..And far too many people in our world today at walking around “in chains”....…Their past “owns them” - They cannot “shake free” of it…This is why Christ came to us…..As we hear at every Mass - Jesus came “To take away the sins of the world”…..And only Jesus can do this……So why do we not let him?…One sincere Sacramental Confession can change your life!……And sadly the world ignores this reality…..And because of this - Our world suffers……Do we as Catholics take full advantage of what Jesus gave to us through his Church?…….The saints (Padre Pio; Fulton Sheen & Pope John Paul II) recommend we go to a Sacramental Confession once every month - Why would we not listen to people who clearly show us that such a practice “bears fruit” in the life of a soul…This is why the Church raises up saints - To show us the way to Christ himself……This is why Catholics today must live in and amongst the world - To show people the way…..Our joy and peace will speak to harden hearts - And this joy and peace can only be obtained Sacramental……Take advantage of your inheritance, which is the Catholic Church….Use the “tools” given to you…And in the process, your heart will be transformed and your witness will influence many….The witness of a holy life is contagious.

“Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people”

When I walk into a Catholic Church there are certain things that tell me immediately that the people of that parish “get it”…For one - The tabernacle is right behind the altar for all to see as soon as you walk into the front door of the Church…..Secondly - The Parish has established set times for Eucharistic Adoration……And lastly, confessions are made available more than just for one hour on Saturday, some times I have even seen confessions before every Mass!……These “signs” to me tell me that such a Church is alive!……..You would think that what I just noted would be a given, something every Catholic Church would be doing……But sadly, that is not the case….We need to get back to “First Principals”…….Stop with all the “power point presentations”….Stop with all the “programs”…..Stop with all the “diocesan initiatives”…..”First Principals” were used by Jesus to build the Church and “First Principals” will renew it!…..Pray the Rosary everyday and pray it with your family…Go to a Sacramental Confession once a month…Go to Mass with your family every Sunday and receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace….There is it - “First Principals”…When we do this as Catholics we let God do the “heavy lifting”….And graces flow!….What a gift it is to be Catholic - But we have to utilize “the gifts” given to us - God helps those who help themselves - Are we cooperating with God?……Jesus reminded us of this reality yesterday at Mass - Have you forgotten?……..Jesus said to his disciples: "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”……..Time to get back to “basics” - No need to “recreate the wheel” - Everything we need can be found in “First Principals”

“I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever.”

Today at Mass we hear how the sick wanted to be physically healed by Jesus 2000 years ago……..Can you blame them?….How about the sick of today?….So many people, even people who seem to “have it all together” are deeply burdened by past sins - They are the “walking wounded” of our world today - They can not “shake out of it”…..This is why Jesus came into the world - He came for YOU……The devil uses all kinds of tactics to convince us that our sins are greater then God’s mercy….He convinces us that the Catholic Church is somehow “out of touch” with humanity….That Sacramental living is “optional” and gives no benefit, so it can be discarded…In many ways - the devil has succeeded…..So the question then is - What are you going to do about it!?!…….People believe what they see - So what do they see when they encounter you?……When we ground our life as Catholics in “First Principals” and allow grace to animate our soul - We will “stand out”….We will serve as a “light to the world” - This is our mission and such a witness can not be self manufactured…..We need to live by and through Sacramental grace - This is the “secret ingredient”…..Utilize the “tools” given to you by the Church……..And then you will begin to “shine” - The Light will not be your own - It will be Jesus shining through you - And that light will lead the way for others……We cannot heal the world - But Jesus can - He has and still does…….JMJ

Its up to us - To be that “light”

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus say in the Gospel of St Matthew that…."You are the salt of the earth”……Which is a huge compliment - Right?!?………In Jesus’ day salt was used as something to preserve food due to the fact they did not have refrigeration…Salt was an essential commodity………But Jesus did not end there - He followed up his statement with this…..”But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”…How does “salt lose its taste”? - How does a Catholic loses his / her impact on the world?…….By living outside the state of grace……….Jesus founded a Church…Remember, Jesus did not write a book - The Bible came roughly four hundred years after Christ - But Jesus founded a Church - To give us the Sacraments, which are “the medicine” for a fallen world…..So again, how do we stay in the state of grace? - By not sinning morally - By going to frequent Sacramental Confessions - By receiving the Blessed Sacrament each Sunday at Mass…..And when we do this……We will become a “light to the world” and a “city set on a hill”……We must comes to understand that our “light” does not belong to us - It comes from the Holy Spirit…..Our job is to make room for the Holy Spirit, by “clearing away” all the “stuff” in our life that “gets in the way”…….When a Catholic does this and lives Sacramentally, he / she makes room for the Holy Spirit….That is how we are “salt and light”…..Nothing we do are self manufacture this state of being…..…However, it is through our cooperation with Christ and his Church that we “shine” in a dark world….St Paul in the second reading today brings this point home…Remember, Paul was a highly educated man - He was greatly gifted! - Yet, in this passage he takes no credit for what he does…Why? - Because Paul knows that only God can pierce the hearts of men….Mere words will never make that happen, even if the words are well said and well intentioned…….”When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom. but on the power of God”……….God continues to use the most unlikely of people to bring his message to the world…….The more we empty ourself, the more room we make for the Holy Spirit…….This is how we reach the unreachable…….”Through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - Believe it and be not afraid!

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life”

Many Catholics in their life have heard great homilies at Mass…..Many priests are extremely gifted and can deliver a great message….But after hearing such a message the question becomes - Were you changed by it?…..Words while they resonate for a short period of time within the human heart are just simply words….However, witnessing the Holy Spirit work through a person is something of a different matter…..Such a witness “stops the world in its tracks”……It leaves the hardest of hearts speechless……Sacrificial love lived out, which is empowered by Sacramental living is the witness Catholics need to project to the world……For example - A Catholic man and a woman, united in the bond of marriage, who are open to life raising many children……A priest living humbly and speaking boldly the eternal truths of the Catholic faith from the pulpit……We Catholics must “stand in the breach” of our fallen world and that will not happen if we do not live sacramentally and are not a people of deep prayer………Before I was married, every Advent I would travel to India to serve the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters…..When I would go, people would literally hand me money…I would not even ask for it…They would just give it to me…..And I would give this money to the Missionaries of Charity in India…..Why do you think that happened?- People just handing my thousands of dollars - People do not just give people money in this world - Right?!?……The answer is - The service God was working through me resonated deeply within the human heart to those around me…It clearly was not me!!! - No one has EVER given me money…But what God was doing through me “spoke” to the world around me….This is a small example of how we as Catholics must strive to be “salt and light” in the world….We must live our Catholics faith radically and sacrificially - Giving of ourself until it hurts - That is what real love is - Love must “cost us”…And when we do this - The world will take note!….Our life will challenge the status quo….Our life’s example will cause people to question choices made…Our joy and peace will radiate into the darkest of places and into closed hearts…..This is how we “change the world”…Mere words will never accomplish this kind of lasting transformation……However, before Catholics “change the world” - We must be changed from the inside out ourself………..Our lives should make no sense to the secular world - When the secular sees your life - They should say to themselves - ‘How does this person do what they do?”….And when they say that and if they direct that statement to you - Your response as a Catholic should be…..”It is not I but Christ who lives in me”!

“His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear. Lavishly he gives to the poor; His justice shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory.”

Today at Mass Jesus tells us we as Catholics must we a “sign” to an unbelieving world…That means we cannot be like the world - Right?!?…….We must be and live differently - Right?!?……….Is that what is happening?…….”Going along to get along” is not going to “cut it” - That is how - ”Salt loses its taste, no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot”…….If we are to be “the light of the world, we need to get serious!….And then as Cardinal John Henry Newman put it so eloquently…..” Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus. Stay with us, and then we shall begin to shine as you shine; so to shine as to be a light to others; the light, Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best, by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching: not by words, but by our example”…….One solitary “light” is more powerful than all the darkness oil the world - We have within ourselves the “power” to be “that light”……..Its up to us - To be that “light”…………JMJ

Pride always comes before the fall

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading how Solomon, who was the son of the great King David now sits on the throne…David is dead and Solomon is a young man with a big job to do….He realizes he needs help to rule over his people, so he goes to a holy place (Gibeon) to pray…And the Lord appears to him and asks him what he is looking for….Solomon says he wants….”an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”….The readings goes on………”The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this – not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right – I do as you requested.  I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.”……..Notice, with understand came riches for Solomon……This reading echos the very words of Christ….”Seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides”……Are we putting the cart before the horse?…..For those who pray the Rosary daily as Our Lady asked of us at Fatima…In the Fifth Joyful Mystery - The Finding of Jesus in the Temple - We meditate on how Jesus put God above all things - Even his family - And in doing so - All things were given to him…..…”After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers”……..This should be a great lesson for us to take note of…..The First Commandment tells us - Love the Lord your God above all things - And then and only then can we love our neighbor as our self……Do we put God first?...Idols come in all shapes and sizes - Even “good things” can turn into an idol that we place before God….The devil is shrewd…So be vigilant and seek first the Kingdom of God and all things will be given to you!

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me”

In Catholic teaching we are told that there are seven gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord….How does one obtain these gifts? - By living in the state of grace….How does one live in the state of grace? - By going to frequent Sacramental Confession (at least once a month) and receiving the Blessed Sacrament at least once a week (Sunday)…..By doing this “all things” will be given to us! - Including the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which in turn will assist us on our earthly journey to heaven…..These gifts can not be self manufactured as many Christians incorrectly believe…One can be highly intelligent, analytically speaking, and still not possess these seven gifts…..And why goes God in his infinite wisdom provide a practicing catholic with seven gifts?…….Because we need them!…..The road to heaven is long and hard…..Discerning the many choices that stand before us in this world today is difficult - How many people fail? - How many people choose wrongly and “get lost”? - How many people fall never to “get up” again?……Our Lord himself tells us…..“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”……How hard it is to persevere in our given vocations - To stay “on the road” - To pray daily and fast weekly - To stay focused…..In order to do all these things - We need grace! - We also need the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit…Because again, Jesus reminds us - “Without me, you can do nothing!

“Lord, teach me your statutes. In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches”

King Solomon in the first reading from Mass reminds us that God must come first….Nothing is more important than our relationship with God - Nothing!……When we put God first, everything else finds its proper place….A life built upon the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit will obtain all things….Is this model for living emphasized in our schools? - To our children? - All the “high achieving” children in America striving for “success” - Do we teach our children that without the Holy Spirit and the gifts that come with it, there is a good chance that any “success” we achieve can be so easily lost!…….Jesus reminds us each and every day in the Gospels read to us at Mass……………..“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined”……..Are we convinced that without God we can do nothing? - I believe the poor and the humble of the world are convinced - But what about those who are truly gifted? - Those with great intellects - Those who have been born into prominent families - Like King Solomon - Those who have been given or earned great wealth?……..Do all these people believe - “Without God, you can do nothing”……..The devil plays the “long game” and is very aware of human nature - Many times the devil gives us “the rope we hang ourselves with”…..This is why we need “eyes to see” - This is why we need to always stay in the state of grace - This is why we need the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit…….Those who have ears let them hear!……Pride always comes before the fall…..JMJ

Take whatever the world “throws at you” and rejoice - “For your reward will be great in heaven”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how King Herod was beginning to hear about Jesus…..His fame was spreading……”King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets. ”But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up”……John the Baptist and Jesus Christ both spoke the Truth….And they spoke it clearly and boldly…Notice how even though John the Baptist was killed, the Truth was still spoken - It could not be silenced…This reality is something that the powerful of the world can not accept to this very day…The Natural Law and Gospel Truths are written on the human heart….No matter what a person does in trying to silence or eliminate the Truth - It cannot be done! - Even if you “eliminate” that person - Another person takes their place…..This is why the Catholic Church has endured for 2000 years and will be the last institution left standing on the face of the earth - Bank on that!…Because the fullness of the Truth is contained in the Catholic Church and the Truth always remains when everything else fades away and turns to dust - And that is reality! - Human beings do not get to define reality - We can deny it all we want but when we do, there are consequences……”Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!”……Catholics today, no matter what we are up against must always remember that the victory has already been won - Jesus Christ defeated death and Jesus Christ is the Truth!…Anyone who objectively searches for the Truth always ends up in the same place - With Jesus in the Catholic Church.....”Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance”

Time and patience obtains all things……Far too many people argue with people, both on social media and in day to day life about the Truth - And the Truth is objective - There is no such thing as “my truth” or “your truth” - That is pure nonsense - There is just “THE TRUTH”…..There are many reasons why people argue incessantly….Pride - People want to be prove they are right……..Validation - People yearn to be validated by their peers and even by those who oppose them……Hatred - People hold in their hearts hatred for groups of people and want to humiliate them - These are just a few reasons why people are always arguing!……Ultimately, these motives must be removed from the hearts of Catholics…..The Truth can stand on its own - Its like a lion, just let it loose, it will defend itself…If a person will not accept the Truth…If they claim 2+2 = 8….There is nothing a Catholic can do to change their mind……At that point, all we can do is pray, fast and give a consistent witness with our life…..Words will never convince a person who has “dug in” to relativistic ideologies - Catholics will never argue anyone into the doors of the Church - So stop trying…..However - If we live what we say we believe - The secular world will “think twice”…..At this point in America and across Western Civilization, the best argument to be made for the Catholic Church is found in the lives of the saints…..That means if on a personal level, you want to impact the world, maybe its time to stop “posting” on social media and start getting serious about living radically our Catholic faith….The witness of sacrificial love “speaks” to the hardest of hearts….This is what our world needs right now…..Talk is cheap!…..Catholics need to get serious…..Why?……Because only saints change the world - Strive to be one or die trying!

“God’s way is unerring, the promise of the LORD is fire-tried; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him”

Today at Mass St Mark tells us how Herod, while he denied the Truth spoken by both Jesus and John the Baptist, he was perplexed by them….Scripture even tells us that Herod liked to listen to these men, even though he outright rejected what they spoke about…..This reality should give us a clue into the human heart….This reality should also encourage us today……To never be afraid to live and speak the Truth………However………While we can count on the Truth “winning” in the end - In the mean time - There is always a “price to pay” - The world always “takes its pound of flesh” from those who side with the Truth….It all “boils down” to this question - Are you willing to pay the price?…..Each Catholic must ask themself this question and answer it one way or another! - Time to face facts! - “The Cross” stares us in the face!…..And Jesus understood this reality very well - So much so he warned us about it - “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”…….There is no “getting around” this reality - So what is it going to be? - What is your choice - Yes or No?……Our choices define who we are as people and as Catholics…..Before you answer, keep this in mind - Our time on this earth is so short when it is compared to eternity, which awaits us all….So I say to you today who read this reflection - Choose life! - Pay the price!……Take whatever the world “throws at you” and rejoice - “For your reward will be great in heaven”…….JMJ

“Do not be afraid - And put out into the deep - From now on you will be catching men”

Today at Holy Mass he hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus sends out his apostles - With nothing but the clothes on their back!…..….”Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic”…….Many people will hear this passage from St Mark today at Masses around the world and either gloss over it or think to themselves that such a “journey” is completely impossible!…..Do we believe in Divine Providence? - If not, we should think twice!……..God provides - Always! - He may not give us what we want all the time, but he always gives us what we need….We must learn to trust him!…..When we are attached to “things” our attention is not focused upon God - While we need things in the world, practically speaking, we as Catholics should aspire to live as simply as possible……Heaven is our true home and the man who wants the least while he is on this earth is the man who is the richest!

“The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel”

I have been married for 12 years…In that time period my wife and I have had five children…We also lost three children to miscarriages….We have never used contraception in our marriage and as a Catholic couple are open to life…..My wife and I are not rich people but during the entire time of our marriage we have never wanted for anything - The Lord has always provided for us in every way….As a husband and father of five young children, I have come to find my peace in the Catholic concept of Divine Providence…What I mean by that statement is - I trust in God’s providence more then I trust in my self……Much more!….God has proven to me that he will provide for my family, therefore I trust him implicitly…..I tell my wife all the time - If we do “our part” and live out our marriage vows and stay in the state of grace - God will do his part!…..The secular world does not believe this….But when the world “sees” with their unbelieving eyes ordinary Catholic married couples living this way - The world will begin to second guess bad choices made…..A Catholic couple in the world, which is open to life is a living sign of Christ!…….Our world needs to “see” in order to believe - That means Catholics can not live like everyone else…Not to mention Sacramental marriages that do not use contraception teach us to “die to our self”, which is the very essence of what authentic love is all about……Such a witness “screams” of God to a world that does not and will not be converted by even the most eloquent of words spoken by the most educated of preachers……….Catholic couples are on “the front lines” of the culture war!….We must witness our faith to a hostile world….And Catholic families living out their marriage vows form children who will one day be the future leaders, both in the world and the Church….This is how we change the world….Trust in God and live the Gospel - Be open to life and trust that God will provide for you…How do I know that? - Because he has provided for me and my family…Remember this - The sight of an ordinary man and an ordinary woman who have many ordinary children - This sight “speaks” to the world - And there is nothing “ordinary” about what such a family has to “say” without even saying one word!

"In your hand are power and might; it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all"

Today at Mass Jesus challenges his first apostles…He also challenges us…Do you trust God?….Many will hear that question and answer it without thinking too deeply…So I will ask the question again - Do you trust God will provide for you and your family?…..If you say - YES - Then trust in the commands of Christ and the teachings of his Church…Trust that God will provide for you in every way - Because he will!…….”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 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”……….When we “let go” of the “reins of our life” and give God control - We will experience a great amount of freedom - Believe it or not….It is in “this space” that we will meet the living God…….Just as St Peter requested to meet Jesus as he was walking on water…We too will “walk on water” and do the impossible - How do I know this? - Because God provides!…..We must not be afraid to  - “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” - It is in “that place” where we are transformed - It is in “that place” where our life’s witness will “speak” to an unbelieving world…“Do not be afraid - And put out into the deep - From now on you will be catching men”…………JMJ

You are God - I am not - Do with me what you will

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark we hear how Jesus was back in his home town and his own people, the people he grew up with, rejected him…”They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him?  What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!  Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us?”  And they took offense at him”……..Think about it for a moment, God incarnate was standing before them, and they out right rejected him!……Human beings, due to their pride, will do this to this very day! - As we say in New Jersey - They cut off their nose to spite their own face!…..They reject the good for the bad, even when it is not in their favor to do so, and sometimes this is done with intention!……..All because of pride…..The words of the devil ring loud and clear to this very day - “I will not serve”……The opposite of pride is humility….Humility is the foundational virtue of all the virtues…Without humility, we can not accept the Lord or what he has to say to us…Humility is also Truth - It acknowledges reality - We are the creatures and God is the creator…God makes the rules and we must obey those rules……Why? - Because “the rules”were created for our benefit, so we can thrive and live life to the fullest - But the world does not see it that way…..”Don’t tell me what to do”……..The secular world would rather double and triple down on bad choices rather then bend a knee to God…..We see this all around us…..Even within the Church……We don’t have too understand everything - Even Our Lady, who was perfect did not understand everything - But we have to obey as Mary did…..Listening to God and following his commands is paramount to the Christian life…..If we want to “bear fruit”, we must stay connect to “the vine”…Jesus himself tells us this…That also means staying connected to the Church, which is an extension of Jesus himself…..Circling back to the Gospel of St Mark today at Mass - We are told that Jesus was shocked at the reaction of his friends and neighbors……”He was amazed at their lack of faith”……..And as a result, he could not help them…Why? - Jesus is not a magician here to perform “tricks” for us…Jesus cares about one thing and one thing only - Our salvation…And for us to be saved from our sins, we must allow the “seed of faith”, which was implanted in us at our baptism to grow……Its up to us to nurture that “seed”….And if we do - It will “bear fruit” that will last….This requires us to foster a spirt of humility - “You are God and I am not”…..”Its all about your way and not my way”…This is how we “see”  and “hear”……And this is how we enter into eternal life…..Jesus is the way - We are not - Follow him!

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me”

When a Catholic man and woman get married, we make a vow before God - One of those vows is to be “fruitful” - To be open to life - That means we will not use contraception in the married state and will be open to as many children as God in his providence will give us……To a secular person, this is a completely crazy idea…..To accept this teaching as a Catholic is to submit your will to God’s will….And that is the key - To allow God to “drive the car” - To give God control…..The purpose of every Catholic person’s life should be to completely die to ourselves……..In the married state, we do that by giving “ourself away” to our spouse and children…Again, a foreign concept to the secular world…..To live in this manner, one must be humble……One must be obedient…..And one must trust that God will provide…Think about the Gospel today from St Mark once again…The people who grew up with Jesus, who knew him their enter life would not accept him….Even after hearing about all his miracles….Are we any different today?…If we read about the lives of the saints….If we read about how the perennial teachings of the Church work in real time and have have worked for centuries! - That includes not using contraception in the married state……When we read about the many miracles performed but the saints….The many Marian apparitions that took place around the world……Yet - We still do not believe! - We still reject what the Catholic Church teaches us to be true……Are we any different then the people in the Gospel today?….God has given us all the evidence we need - Now its up to us….We either believe or not…..To have faith and to allow it to grow comes down to embracing the virtue of humility…….We do not have to understand everything but we are called to believe everything - Why is that? - Because God can do anything and if we graft our life into his body, which is the Church - We too will do the impossible…..Why? - Because our God is the God of the impossible - He rose from the dead!

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,” and you took away the guilt of my sin”

Today at Mass we hear about a group of people who reject Jesus - Keep in mind, many of these people knew Jesus very well - And they still rejected him…..When you step back the think about it - Catholics have been given the most gifts - We have Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and we also are given the opportunity to confess our sins Sacramentally to a Priest…We also have Our Lady……Yet……..Many Catholics still reject these gifts and reject many teaching of the Church and believe only what “works” in their life….This attitude needs to end - It all comes down to humility….Submitting our will to God’s will…..The people in St Mark’s Gospel were full of pride…They refused to acknowledge Jesus as being who he was, which was God incarnate……..How about us?…..Are we willing to do what the world considers to be “strange”?….To live differently?…….Like the marriage couple who is open to life - Just to give one example…Its our choices that say to the world everything - Not our words…We either believe Jesus is God and rose from the dead or we do not…We believe Jesus founded one Church - The Catholic Church - Or we do not believe this - Let’s get right down to it plainly and clearly!….…Our life’s choices tell the world everything it needs to know……This is why Jesus tells us in the pages of Scripture…….“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’…….Our life must speak of Jesus Christ crucified - This begins with a humble proclamation…….You are God - I am not - Do with me what you will………………..JMJ

”Your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark we hear the story about how Jesus cures a woman of internal bleeding…St Mark tells us that the woman suffered for twelve years and spent all her money on doctors and nothing changed, she still was very sick…So in desperation, she reached a hand to Christ…And she was healed…..”She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured. "Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?" And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”…………This story is very common to this very day…Many people carry around sins that trouble them for years - They try everything to make themselves feel better…Only to continue to be weighed down…..Most times, its not until a person “hits rock bottom” and comes to the end of themself that they turn to God - Just like this woman in St Mark’s story told to us at Mass….And its then that they find mercy and healing……How many Baptized Catholics today live with objective mortal sin on their soul?…How many Baptized Catholics have not been to a Sacramental Confession in many years?…..Sin takes away our joy - Sin blinds us - Sin darkens our intellect!……And the only cure is Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of Reconciliation…..If we look around the world we live in - You will see so many people reeling from the effects of unreconciled sin - They project their pain on others - They distract themselves with all kinds of pursuits - When the only answer is Jesus and a Sacramental Confession….Like the woman we heard about today at Mass - She came to the end of herself - She tried everything to cure her sickness - But it was only until she reached a hand to Christ that she was healed - And so it is for the world today…..So many of the problems we face as individuals and as a society can be resolved with one Sacramental Confession....…..”He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”…….These same words are said each and every day in Catholic Churches around the world - But before we can experience a similar healing……..There are words we must say…....”Bless me Father for I have sinned” - The conversation begins from that point forward…..There are no substitutes for the one and only cure!

“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases”

The saints tell us to go to a Sacramental Confession once a month…..If every Baptized Catholics did three things - Our world would change literally tomorrow!….Pray the Rosary everyday - Go to Confession once a month - Go to Mass and receive the Blessed Sacrament each week in the state of grace….BOOM! - Like a thunderbolt, the world would change tomorrow - So why is this not happening?…….The word “freedom” gets thrown around a lot by many but do we really know what it means to be free?……Only God can give us freedom - Why is that? - Because the human condition is plagued by sin - Each of us sin - And only God can forgive sins…..This is why Jesus Christ walked the earth and established a Church……And when as a Catholic live in a state of grace - You are free!…..Our world today, the rich and the poor alike wear all kinds of “masks” to cover up who we truly are...…We try to “fit in” to a world that ultimately does not care about us…..This is not freedom, in fact it’s slavery!…..Jesus Christ takes nothing from us - He only gives…But sadly the world does not believe this….This is why Catholics must show people the way forward…..Trust me - When a person who is authentically free encounters you - You remember it!…..Our world today needs Catholic witnesses….The world needs to “see” for itself what it means to be truly free…..This kind of freedom can only be experienced Sacramentally….And no one will believe you if you yourself do not demonstrate this freedom to others by your very presence………..When you tell people that you are a practicing Catholic - People watch you very closely - Trust me when I tell you this - So this is what I say - Let them see! - Show them by your life what it means to be free!

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul”

Today St Mark tells us at Mass a story of a woman who was sick for years…..Ask yourself this - What took her so long to go to God?….In the Gospel we hear this woman was sick for twelve years and spent all her money searching for a cure - Only to find a cure by simply touching the cloak of Jesus Christ………As it was for this woman, so it is to this very day - One Sacramental Confession can “cure” a lifetime of sins that weigh us down!……One simple conversation with a Catholic Priest, a conversation that literally costs us nothing can bring a complete and total change to our life - So the question then must be - Why do we not give this a try?……Why keep “putting off” what must be done?……Why keep searching for “cures” only to find “dead ends”?……..Why double and triple down on bad choices thinking somehow a different result will come about?…….This is what we see all around us today…….Our world “puts off” the only cure to its problems - That cure is Jesus Christ - One Sacramental Confession!….…A fifteen minute conversation with a Catholic Priest can bring about deep and lasting peace - And “spark” a change to your life and usher in a new beginning!…Why not take advantage of this gift?….…Because it is a gift……And then like the sick woman in the Gospel today we too will hear the words we have waited to hear for many years, for some, have waited a lifetime to hear…......”Your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”………..JMJ