Because all great things start small

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St John how Mary anointed Jesus feet with expensive perfume…..And Judas took offense to Mary’s kind gesture…..A person’s feet are the dirtiest part of their body….In the Middle East, where men wore sandals, their feet were exposed to the elements and to clean a person’s feet is an extreme gesture of humility and respect for that person…This is what Mary did and Judas took offense to it…..Judas refused to see the gesture for what it was…….As Catholics we are called to give of ourself to others…The more clearly we see the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, the more we will see the Lord in others and service them…..And in our service to others, what matters most to God is our intention and how much love we place into the gestures our faith produces…God does not measure and assess actions like the world does…..”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”…..The great and powerful of the world give of their excess and while all gifts are recognized by God - God is not interested in “gifts” - God is interested in us personally!…..What God wants most from us is our sins - Do we give your sins to him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation….The more we give God our sins, the closer we will gravitate to him - And the closer we are to God, the purity of our intentions behind all our gifts will grow….Its not what we do that counts - Its the love we put into what we do - This is what God sees and this is what God values…..God has everything - He does not need “stuff” - This is why giving just “two coins” when given from the heart can bear a tremendous amount of fruit in building the Kingdom of God….Remember - Twelve uneducated men upon witnessing the actions and teachings of an uneducated Carpenter for three years founded a Global Church….Once again - All it took is “two coins” - A small “mustard seed” - And the world has never been the same since….”Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil”…..Small humble gestures done with great amounts of love change the world - Always has and always will be

“I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness”

Today as in Jesus’ time, the world gets distracted by grand gestures…..As the unbelieving world is distracted, the Kingdom of God continues to move forward……As “sophisticated society” leaves God behind, the people of God march on…..For nearly twenty years I have been an active Co-Worker with the Missionaries of Charity….Mother Teresa’s sisters live in the world but are most definitely not of the world….The sisters do “small things” with great amounts of love…Most of what the Missionaries of Charity do, the secular world does not take notice of or even care to take notice - But in the mean time - Brick by Brick - The Kingdom of God is being constructed…As Catholics, this is how we must think….Stop trying to make a “big splash” with grand gestures but work tirelessly doing the “small things” consistently day in day out with great amounts of love….God will take those pure gestures and multiply them!……..Mother Teresa begin her global ministry by picking up one person from the gutter…That began a journey, she never could have imagined!…Do we somehow “think” that God does not have something for us to do?…..Each and every Baptized Catholic is called to be a great saint…But that journey towards sanctification begins with “small steps”…Sometimes the hardest part of any journey is beginning…To begin a great journey requires courage…….Its time for the Catholic faithful to “set out for the deep”….We must be willing to be uncomfortable - The desire to be “comfortable” is our “enemy”…Great things begin small and also begin with small steps…Its time to begin…….“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches’”……Great things start small!

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid?

Today we heard at Mass the story of a woman who gave everything she had to Jesus - This is what Jesus is interested in - He is not interested in our “gifts” - He is interested in us giving ourselves completely to him…..So few are willing to do this…This is why Catholics must be different…We must examine every part of our lives and ask the question - What are we holding back from God?….And if we are hold something back - Why? - Are we afraid?…..God always meets us, when through our faith, we make ourselves vulnerable and give up control….Trusting beyond what we think “makes sense”…Think of Our Lady - She was asked by God to become the Mother of Jesus - She knew in her society that accepting such a request - A single woman having a child out of wedlock could bring death by stoning - But because God asked it of her - She said YES…..Ask yourself this - Did Mary’s response “make sense”? - Say that was your daughter - What would you have said to her?…In many ways to this very day - God asks the “impossible” - And when he asks the “impossible” from us - If we too say YES - The “impossible” will become possible!…This all starts with one simple small word - YES - How do I know that? - Because all great things start small…………JMJ

"Truly, this was the Son of God!”

Today at Holy Mass the Universal Church commemorates Palm Sunday…The day Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem…..When we read the Gospel today, the many flaws and weaknesses of mankind are on full display……Such behaviors have not changed to this very day…..These behaviors are apart of our fallen human nature and this is why Jesus walked the earth….This is why Jesus founded a Church…And this is why Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing full well he was to be killed…..Only love can propel one to do this…..”For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us”…….While the drama of Jesus’ entry played out - The people who witnessed his entry into the city seemed the “miss” the significance of the moment at hand…How much do we miss at Mass? - How much do we miss when we sit before the Blessed Sacrament? - How much do we miss in the many opportunities given to us daily to love our family and neighbors more deeply?……Catholics today all over the world will go to Mass - We will sit through the long Gospel narrative, hear the words spoken, words we have heard so many times, year after year, Holy Week after Holy Week - But ask yourself this today - What are we missing?……The veil that separates heaven from earth prevents even the best of us from seeing clearly…….Who is this man from Nazareth? - Can anyone say we know the mind and heart of God? - What we know and “see” is but a shadow of what will one day be revealed………….Now think from a moment what Jesus saw as he entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday…..What he saw in the many faces of the people, who both cheered him and also probably cursed him…..Jesus saw these people clearly - He knew them better than they knew themselves - And he went through with his Passion regardless of what he saw in them - The thought makes me shudder!….….”Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”

“I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you”

As Jesus was dying on the Cross, the crowd looked on…They did not know what they were going to “see”…Keeping in mind the many miracles that Jesus performed and the many things that he said - Jesus was clearly a mysterious figure to the people of his day….And as he died, some were expecting the unexpected……."Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him”………But Elijah did not come….And what the crowd expected to happen did not happen………To this day the salvation narrative continues…The Church that Jesus founded moves forward into history and we as Catholics move with it….I believe its very important to keep in mind that we do not “see” as we ought - Even the best of us - Those closest to God still are behind the veil that separates heaven from earth…Just like the people of Jesus’ day, who watched him enter Jerusalem and watched him die - They saw but a “shadow” of who Jesus really was…And because today we are still “behind the veil”, we must trust the Church explicitly, which is an extension of Jesus’s body…….Where the Church goes, we must go - Trusting!…..”Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”…….St Paul tells us that the greatest among us “took the form of a slave”….That he “emptied himself”…..If we are to follow Christ as we are called to as Catholics - What is read to us in the second reading from St Paul at Mass should give us the needed direction to propel us forward…”I must decrease while he must increase”….This is how we shall one day “see” God as he truly is - When the veil between heaven and earth is no more………….”And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!”…….JMJ

Listen very carefully - The stones are indeed crying out!

Today at Holy Mass we hear the words of the Prophet Ezekiel…….Ezekiel was born 600 years before Christ and these were his words about what would happen as a result of the coming Messiah….”I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all; they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees. They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their fathers lived; they shall live on it forever, they, and their children, and their children’s children, with my servant David their prince forever. I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever”…This process of “gathering in the remnant” is still taking place to this very day - Even within the walls of the Catholic Church…..At the time Ezekiel wrote this narrative, he refers to Israel as being divided….If you listen to Catholic Social Media, you will also get the sense our Church today is divided - How is this possible! - Yet it is….God is still “purifying” his Church and his people…..Everything the Catholic Church proclaims to be true is written down, all you have to do is read it! - Yet - The hearts of men are hard and pride prevents mankind from yielding to God….To this very day segments within the Catholic Church can interpret Vatican II, dogmas, cannons and even Scripture in ways that “twist” what should be crystal clear into something that becomes convoluted….This is the sad story of mankind and this has been going on well before the birth of Jesus Christ as evidenced by what Ezekiel wrote in the Old Testament - But fear not! - God will purify his people and his Church!….Within every human heart the Truth can be found…God is the master builder! - He uses world events, political realities and everyday life to mold us…..Like iron cast into a fire - Mankind when “removed from the furnace” will be magnificent! - A sight to behold…….”Never again shall they be two nations”

“He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock”

For a time I taught RCIA - For those who do not know what that is - RCIA is the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults - In plain speak - When a person wants to become Catholic, they must go through a class to learn about the faith - I taught that course for a period of time…While I was teaching this course, I taught that Catholics must be in the state of grace to receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass…This is not my “opinion” but a perennial teaching of the Church which is support in Scripture…This is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1385, 1415) states, Catholics must be in a state of grace—meaning free from mortal sin—to receive Holy Communion. Anyone aware of having committed a mortal sin must receive sacramental absolution (confession) before receiving the Eucharist, as receiving in a state of mortal sin is a grave offense (sacrilege)…….This teaching is very clear - Its written for all the see in “black and white”…..Yet, some of the other instructors in the RCIA class I taught with somehow did not agree with this teaching - HOW is this possible!!!!!….This is a problem and this problem is not unique to the one Church I taught at…In this reflection I am illustrating one example of how our Catholic Church becomes divided….The Church belongs to Jesus Christ - We as members do not “make up the rules”…Its for us to be obedient to all the teachings of the Church……The Church is not a “cafeteria” that we “pick and choose” what we like and dislike…..Disobedience and pride is the root of all division!…..And sadly the “loudest voices” often win the day….In the mean time, God is “at work” sanctifying and purifying his people……..The words of another Old Testament Prophet come to mind….”I will go before you and level the mountains; Bronze doors I will shatter, iron bars I will snap”….God to this very day is purifying his people and his Church - And in time, God’s time not out time - “Never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms”…….How do I know with certainty things will work out favorably?…..Jesus himself gives us the answer….”And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it”……Those who have ears - Let then hear!

“I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows”

Today in the first reading at Mass, the Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel brings up a problem which plagues the Church to this very day - Division!…..Because of human weakness, mankind continues to repeat the same mistakes over and over again….Only God’s grace and an open heart to receive that grace can “fix” what is broken in all of us…..Another prophet wrote about this problem of division within the Church and the need for the people of God to be purified in the 20th century…..This man’s name was Fr Joseph Ratzinger and interestingly enough, this man became Pope Benedict XVI - And this is what he said in 1969 in a radio address……”But when the trial of this sifting is past, a great power will flow from a more spiritualized and simplified Church. Men in a totally planned world will find themselves unspeakably lonely. If they have completely lost sight of God, they will feel the whole horror of their poverty. Then they will discover the little flock of believers as something wholly new. They will discover it as a hope that is meant for them, an answer for which they have always been searching in secret…..Let the “sifting” continue! - God has a plan! - And when “God’s plan” is complete, what will emerge - “A more spiritualized and simplified Church” - Will once again shake the foundations of the world!……..”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!”……Listen very carefully - The stones are indeed crying out!……JMJ

And “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven!”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in St John’s Gospel that the debates between Jesus and the religious elite of his day are starting to escalated……”The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?”………Why would these men want to kill Jesus? - The answer - They refused to change - Jesus threatened their status and power and they would not tolerate that!……..How about us today? - Are we willing to change? - Are there “things” that we hold out to be more important than our Catholic faith? - Behaviors and ideologies we refuse to “put down”?……As Catholics if we live our faith as the Church clearly lays out - We will have enemies in this world - There is no getting around that reality - Are you “ok” with that?…..Do you have an enemies? - Because if you do not, maybe you are not living as God called you too - Think about it……This world does not and probably will not ever comport with an authentic Catholic world view…We are in a sense “strangers in a strange land”….Our job as Catholics is to “be in the world but not of it” - To be a witness - To show people the way forward by our life’s choices and example…..And in the process expect resistance and to some degree persecution…..How do I know this? - Jesus says so - “Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you”…And when this persecution comes - And it will - Do you accept it? - Do you rail against it? - Do you lash-out against it?…..The Prophet Isaiah tells us how Jesus accepted this persecution for speaking and living the Truth….”Though harshly treated, he submitted and did not open his mouth; Like a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before shearers, he did not open his mouth”…….The Catholic Church extends a friendly hand to all - But the sadly reality is - Many will not take that “hand” and some will outright  “slap the hand away”….Our job is to remain steadfast - Anchored in Truth - Confident in the victory, which Christ won on the Cross - Propelled forward by love…..”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”….Are you willing to “drink of the cup of suffering” which the Lord drank? - “No slave is greater than his master”

“In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried out to my God; From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears”

In the end, the Truth always wins the day!…But before the Truth wins out - The Truth suffers….This is reality and if we are students of history, we can read how this trend repeats itself over and over again…..A few years ago a famous and outspoken priest in America was being persecuted…..Father John was not afraid to speak the Gospel Truth from the pulpit and the everyone seemed to attack him for it….Sadly, this persecution led Fr John to leave the priesthood……When I heard about Fr John leaving his ministry, I was very upset….At the time I was very active with the Missionaries of Charity in New York City and I told what happened to Fr John to a very old and holy nun - Sister Carmel…What she said to me I will always remember……”Fr John in the midst of his persecution should no longer try to defend himself - God will defend him”…Interesting!!!!……….As a man, this is a hard concept to embrace…Men want to “address” issues head on…..But what Sister Carmel said is true…If we are on the side of Truth - In time - God will ALWAYS defend us…We see this again in the life of the saints….Padre Pio during his ministry in Southern Italy, when the news spread about him having the stigmata, some people within the Church thought he was a fraud - And because of this, the Vatican investigated his stigmata - This investigation took ten years and during that time Padre Pio could not preside over the Mass publicly nor could he receive people in the Confessional…Padre Pio did not do anything wrong! - And over that ten years period - He greatly suffered because of his inability to preside over the Mass and hear the Confessions of his people - But he accepted “the cup” of suffering in obedience and in time, the Vatican ruled in his favor….God defended him!….What should that tell us when we live and speak the fullness of Truth in the public square? - God will defend us too!

“My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!”

When we read today’s Gospel from Mass we can easily think that persecution was just reserved for Jesus…That somehow we will not experience any forms of persecution today as Catholics living in the 21st Century….Sadly, times have not changed that much since the days Jesus walked the earth….To this day Catholics around the world are killed for their faith…And in America, even if we are not physically assaulted because of our Catholic faith, persecution takes different forms….We are rejected by some friends and family - We can be ostracized in our community - We many be limited in certain professional fields….We will be insulted privately and publicly - Thought to be “out of touch” with reality….Thought to be “crazy” for following what the Church teaches…..As American Catholics we must accept this as reality - Why? - Because it is reality!…….”Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him”…..When Jesus was confronted by Pontius Pilate…..The exchange between these two men is very telling….Pontius Pilate asks Jesus - If he was a King?….The response Jesus gives to him should be the same response we should give to the world…….“My kingdom does not belong to this world”……So here is the question - Do you live as if your “Kingdom” is of this world? - Because if we do - We will “go along to get along” - And that is not the path that leads to eternal life nor is that the path of Jesus Christ…..So accept whatever persecution that comes as a result of your Catholic faith - And “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven!”…….JMJ

”Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus is once again confronted by the religious leaders of his day….Let’s think about this conflict objectively for a moment…The religious leaders were the elite of society - They were highly respected and highly educated….And they are engaged in a  heated debate with an uneducated carpenter - “A Nobody!”…..Think about that for a moment!…..And the Carpenter says this to these elite men…..“If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad”…..This carpenter is telling the religious elite in Jewish society - “You do NOT know who God is!”……That is a shocking statement to hear if you were in the crowd hearing this debate in real time….But it should also lead us to think about what Jesus said today……Do we really know who Gods is? - I mean really!…I state that outside of an academic sense because the Catholic Church contains the fullness of truth…I want to look deeper then just the academic understanding of who God is for the purposes of this reflection - Because to understand who God really is, we must evaluate our understanding from the stand point of the human heart - Because that is all that matters - The human heart!…When we stand before God and are judged at the end of our life, God will “weigh our heart”…..Many people today, both inside and outside the walls of the Catholic Church claim to know who God is - Again, from an academic standpoint, many of these people have “all the right answers” - But is their heart pure? - Is my heart pure?…..What is the condition of our heart?!!?…..If we listen to Catholic Social Media, which I am apart of as a co-host on a radio show in the New York City Metropolitan Area….Listen closely to what is said - And listen to how many things are said - The tone - Are these words reflective of God’s Sacred Heart?………In the Gospel of St Matthew, this idea is addressed….“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”……We can boil down “who God is” in one word - Love…If our intentions and life’s example are not mirrors of Love - We are not “of God” - We are a mere shadow of “who God is”….Love is the measure and its the only measure that matters, both now and in the end!

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”

The Universal Church proclaimed St Therese of Lisieux, the 19th century French Carmelite nun a Doctor of the Church….St Therese’s “Little Way” revolutionized the thinking of our Catholic faith in many ways….At the heart of what St Therese wrote was this idea…....Doing little things with great amounts of love……If you read the Diary of this young woman, you will find that Therese from the prospective of the world really did not do anything extraordinary…..But it was how she did - “The Little Things” - With her whole entire heart what made Therese extraordinary…..Her “Little Way” is how we know “who God is”…..The measure is not “what we do” - Its “how we do it” and if we do it with love…..That is how we know who God is!….When I was serving as the driver for Mother Teresa’s sisters in Manhattan before I was married, I arrived at their convent one Saturday afternoon….Three of the sisters were headed to a poor woman’s home as I was walking in the door….Sarah, the woman the sisters were going to visit was a poor old woman….The three sisters were going to spend the afternoon cleaning Sarah’s apartment and doing her laundry…..In all my years as a Catholic, that simple act of kindness blew me a way! - I will forever remember it - And if we step back and think about it - No one spoke about it on a Catholic Social Media - No one wrote a book about it - No attention was given to that simple kind gesture at all - But God saw it! - And what the Missionaries of Charity did for Sarah was done with great amounts of love…..People who understand - “Who God is” - Do things like what I just noted the Missionaries of Charity did for Sarah - Often those people are “invisible” to society at large and what they do does not garner any attention because “no one cares”…..So why do people do those “small things?” - Because they see God in their neighbor and they see God in their neighbor because they see God in the Blessed Sacrament…And in order to “see” in this manner - We must purify our heart…..Because true “sight” comes from a pure heart……And God sees our heart - We can not “fool” God…..So if we want to know “who God really is” - We as Catholics must work on purifying our heart….Then we will “see” and then what we do will be pleasing to God.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death”

Today at Mass St John tells us something we should think long and hard about - “Looks can be deceiving”…..The religious leaders of Jesus’ day made themselves out to be close to God - But their hearts were very far from God - And Jesus calls them out!…..”You do not know him”……..So how about us? - Do we know who God is?…..Now I am not talking about measuring how much you know “about God” - You can have “all the answers” and still fail the test!…..I am asking this question from the prospective of the human heart - Do you know who God really is?……The answer to that question is often found in the small gestures…In what we do with our time…..In how we spend our money…In the sacrifices we make…In how we use the gifts given to us in service to our family and the world around us…….Jesus tells us very clearly in the Gospel of St Matthew - “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be”……The condition of our heart tells the world everything it needs to know……And if we want to know “who God is” - We have to get the “heart-part” of us right before we get the “head part”………”Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God”……..JMJ

That’s the goal - The only goal - To become a saint - Don’t miss the opportunity!

Today the Universal Church commemorates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord….Mary’s YES was the seed of the Church….The YES of a peasant girl changed the world…..”Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. ”Then the angel departed from her”……God works in and through small things and God also works right before our very eyes in the ordinary - Even to this day…And because we do not look for God in the ordinary most times - We miss him…..It could not get any more ordinary then Mary and Joseph…..Uneducated people - They were are common as common could get….But God used them - And animated their lives to such a degree that the Universal Church to this day holds these two individuals up as the greatest of all the saints…..What should this reality say to us?……Our “greatness” is not found in our achievements…..Americans, especially high achieving Americans have a difficult time comprehending this reality…….Our greatness is found in God and the person who empties himself the most allows God to fill them with his greatness - This is where our impact in the world springs forth from…..God cannot fill us with his very life when we are full of ourself!…And this is what Our Lady was able to do…Mary’s heart was the mirror image of Christ’s heart - It was perfectly pure…While we were no born immaculate as Mary was born - We to have the ability to give an unconditional YES to God - This YES begins the process of “emptying ourself”…As John the Baptist tells us - “I must decrease so He can increase”…..This is the blue print Catholics must follow…..And if we embrace this mindset - We will be lead down roads we never imagined possible! - As Mary was - “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God”………….Its our reluctance to embrace the unknown that prevents our growth….What is required is blind trust in God…Its when we walk into the unknown, its there, we find our true self and with it we find eternal life……….Take God’s hand and do not look back!

“The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us; and we saw his glory”

Do we put conditions on our YES to God?….There is the question……As Catholics our YES must be radical - Why? - Because Jesus Christ was radical - He did not “go along to get along”….This is how we are conditioned in America - “To go along to get along”…..This is not the path to eternal life nor will this road lead to “greatness”……………When I was in high school school and college I was a very popular person….One could say I was considered a “cool kid”…I had tons of friends, many of those friends were the most popular amongst our class…..And when I graduated from college, a particular road was laid out for me…And if I took that road - I most probably would be very rich right now…God had a different plan!…..At twenty-two years old, I had my first encounter with God…This encounter resulted from a low point in my life - I was in the process of “digging” myself out of this low point and because I was raised Catholic, I turned to my Catholic faith for help - In that decision, I discovered that God is real…..Each of us comes to this point in our life and when that happens, we have a decision to make - Do we change and pursue God at all costs or do we continue down the “go along to get along” road we were conditioned for as Americans?…….I choose God - And it was the best decision of my life…My YES to God  brought we all over the world - It lead me to my wife - It gave me five children - And God is not done with me yet!…All because I said YES to God and abandoned “the road” I was “supposed” to take as a “cool kid” living in the shadows of New York City…..As Catholics we must be courageous…..We cannot live like everyone else…..And God will give us this courage, if we make ourselves available to him………Catholics must “shed our skin” and walk to the road less traveled!…..God’s plan for our life is infinitely greater than our plan - Most people do not believe that - But for the select few who do - Greatness awaits!…..”“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you”

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus”

The Annunciation, which the Church commemorates today shows us how God works…He takes what is ordinary and makes it extraordinary…….Each human life was created by God for greatness….Maybe not in the way the world defines greatness but if we recklessly abandon our “own plans”, pick up our cross and follow the carpenter from Nazareth, the road we walk upon will end in greatness…How can I say that with such certainty?…..Read the lives of the saints….The saints come to us from the four corners of the earth - Poor, Rich, Smart, Simple - While all the saints are different, they also share many things in common - The first being, their YES was unconditional to God - And because it was - They set the world on fire!…I believe when we stand before God at our individual judgment and God shows us all the good we have done as well as the bad - God will also show us what we could have done if we trusted him more…..As Catholics, our goal should be to live with no regrets! - To become the saints God called us to be - Because each of us were called to be saints and there is no goal in this life more important than that - To become a saint…..But before that happens - Our YES must be radical and unconditional....…”Burn the Boats!” - No Turning Back!…….Live radically and when our day of judgment comes, God will say these words to us…......”Well done good and faithful servant - Share in your masters joy”…..That’s the goal - The only goal - To become a saint - Don’t miss the opportunity!…..JMJ

God or Mammon - Which will it be?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John we are told that Jesus once again has a heated exchange with the religious leaders of his day….The Pharisees are baffled by the words of Christ…..They were so convinced that they were right about everything……“I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come”……We cannot save ourself and no man can forgive sins - This only God can do - And God himself gave this authority to the Catholic Church…..”Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……This is why our eternal salvation is found in our Baptism and in the Catholic Church - Why? - Because human beings sin! - And only the Catholic Church has the authority given by Jesus himself to forgive sin - One mortal sin is all it takes for a person to lose eternal life and One Sacramental Confession takes away a life time of sin………Circling back to the Pharisees today in St John’s Gospel….Jesus tells them something very important - Why is it important? - Because what Jesus stated applies to this very day - Yet sadly is ignored by so many….”You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins”…There is no such thing as the “Prosperity Gospel” - One cannot “be of this world” and also belong to Christ - American Christianity in many ways embraces this false teaching of the “Prosperity Gospel”…..The Gospel of Jesus Christ contradicts the “ways of the world”!…Read the Beatitudes - Read the Sermon on the Mount - Do these proclamations sound like something that would be said around corporate board rooms or in the halls of power in governments around the world today? - ”Blessed are the meek” - Are you crazy!!!!!!………As Catholics, we have to be at peace with this reality  - That we are to be in the world but not of the world….To live as a Christian means we too will be a contradiction to those around us - If you are not - Maybe you have to reassess our commitment to Christ and his Church…….The Pharisees today were not willing to live in the manner Jesus spoke about - This is why Jesus told them - “You will die in your sin”…..The only way to heaven is through the Cross!….The only way to heaven is “to lose your life” in order to “gain life” - The only way to heaven is to live sacrificially!….That is the only way!….And those who live worldly lifestyles are not willing to do this - This is why they will die in their sins just as the Pharisees did.

“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever”

Before Jesus entered Jerusalem, he fasted for forty days in the desert…During that time Jesus was tempted three times…..”Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve’ “………It is absolutely impossible to serve God and mammon (i.e. money)…Notice how the devil tempted Jesus - He offered him all the “good things of this world” - Look at our world today - Look at those in the ruling class who are the most gifted - What have they chosen to serve? - Is it God or mammon?……….The “good” things of this world are not sinful in and of themself - However, the good things of this world must be used to serve others and if we do not use them in this manner - They become idols, which replace God, whether we realize it or not…….Today in American elite circles…Those going to the best Universities - Those getting the best jobs…These individuals sadly many times are not having children….They have the resources to raise many children, but chose not too……….My wife graduated from an elite University in America…If she chose too - My wife could have been a very rich woman - Instead, my wife had five children in ten years - That was a choice! - This is a modern day example of what the Pharisees in St John’s Gospel would not do…The Pharisees, as Jesus put it - “Belonged to what is below” - Which means they were “of this world” and would not put aside their status in society to embrace the Christ - This is why they were “blind”  and “deaf” to the Truth………..My wife on the other hand did the exact opposite - She was given a great intellect and could have used her intellect to make a tremendous amount of money in the business world - Instead - She was open to life in our marriage and gave birth to five children……When you get right down to it - Each of us are tempted in a similar manner that Jesus was tempted, during his forty day fast in the desert….”Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me”…Its for us to make a choice and don’t deceive your self - We cannot have it both ways - As many today believe we can - You can not serve God and mammon!

“The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory, When the LORD has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer”

Today at Mass Jesus tells the elite of his society, who were convinced of their own righteousness, that they were on the wrong path - And as we all know - The Pharisees did not believe in what Jesus had to say…What prevented them from “hearing”? - The Pharisees liked the “good life” - They used religion to gain status and power in society and in doing so, they lost “sight” of God, even when the Son of God stood right before their eyes…This same thing can happen to us today….As Catholics, if we have been gifted with many things, those gifts are to be used to serve others - First in our family and second in the service of our neighbor…When we do this, our “eyes” open and we can “see” God for who he is…But if we hoard our gifts and do not share, our gifts prevent us from “seeing”…….We all want to live comfortable lives and what Jesus is telling us is - We can! - But in the mean time, we must learn to share…..No one ever became poor by sharing….The devil fools us in many different ways - Idols are created of many things - “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me”…….The path of heaven is a narrow one - Don’t let anyone tell you different - Just as the Pharisees “missed out” - So can we just as easily today………God or Mammon - Which will it be?…..JMJ

God helps those who help themselves - Help yourself and go to Confession

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John we hear the story about the woman caught in adultery….We all have heard this story before….The woman is condemned to death and Jesus saves her life from an angry mob……“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”……Upon hearing this statement, the men who were about to stone the adulterous woman all walk away….Jesus then confronts the woman and tells her that he does not condemn her but then tells her to….”Go, and from now on do not sin any more”….Jesus clearly addresses the sin and asks the woman to address it as well - To change her life…..While we walk this earth, we all make mistakes - All of us - Even the best of us are sinners…..When you get right down to it - All Jesus really wants from us is our sins…And we as Catholics have been given an opportunity to give our sins to Christ through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…Its there that we are not only forgiven but given grace to overcome our sins……The Church must be clear, as Jesus was clear today in the Gospel…Sin causes death and sin destroys lives….The Church must clearly address the sins of our culture - While doing this - The Church must also make it crystal clear that the doors are always open for reconciliation with God…..Sacramental Confession must be made more accessible - One hour on Saturday each week is not enough!……In order to receive the benefits of divine grace, most especially when we receive Jesus at Mass in the Blessed Sacrament, which the Church requires the lay faithful to be in the state of grace - Catholics must confess their sins! - Is this what is happening? - Are the lines to the Confessional long? - If they are not they need to be!

“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live”

My office in New York City is relatively close to St Patrick’s Cathedral…For a while I would attend Mass at the Cathedral on Friday’s at noon….Before midday Mass, Confession was made available by a priest….I would often go to Confession before the Mass and I would also marvel at how long the confession line was…For as crazy as New York City is - The Confession line was always long and the people who were on that line ranged from businessmen, to blue-collar workers, to tourists, to even priests…When I saw this, I was always deeply edified and impressed….Where my family attends Sunday Mass, the late pastor Fr Stanley Kostrzomb would always make himself available for confession….And the lines were always long as well….This should tell us something - If the Church makes Confession available and preaches the importance of going to confession frequently from the pulpit, the lay-faithful will make frequent confession a practice once again…..In my humble opinion, this needs to happen…..As Catholics we have been given everything, sadly many are not utilizing all the gifts given to us by Jesus himself through the Church….Praying the Rosary everyday and going to Mass on Sunday is very important…But if we are not confessing our sins regularly, once a month as recommended by the saints, we are shortchanging ourselves!…..The doors of our soul must be open for grace to enter! - Frequent Sacramental Confession does just that - It opens the “flood-gates” of grace to enter our soul…Then when we pray the Rosary daily and attend Mass with our family on Sunday - The grace of God floods into our soul and animates our life…..It’s not “rocket-science”….Its time to get back to basics!

“Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side……Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come”

Today in the Gospel from Mass Jesus addressed a mob who wanted to condemn a sinful woman…Jesus tells these men something very interesting….“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”…Keep in mind, the men who were condemning this adulterous woman were the “righteous” people of Jesus’ society….Yet Jesus  is “calling them out”….Even the righteous among us are sinners!…..What does that say about us today?….We all are in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness but if we do not ask for it - We do not receive it!….This is why the Catholic Church provides us with the opportunity to go to Confession….But if we as the Lay-Faithful do not utilize this gift - We will not receive God’s mercy and forgiveness….How many people today, this includes many Baptized Catholics take for granted God’s mercy?…..”God understands” - “I don’t have to tell my sins to a Priest”……We have all heard these statements before….And when I hear them I cringe! - Its a tragedy!…….Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father to forgive the sins of the world but we must cooperate with him in order for that mission to be accomplished…..How do we cooperate? - It begins with us individually going to Confession frequently….It begins with these words…”Bless me Father for I have sinned”….Again, its not rocket-science…….We all need God’s grace to overcome our sins and that grace is available to us when we live Sacramentally…..Without Sacramental grace - We remain in our sin and sin results in death…..God helps those who help themselves - Help yourself and go to Confession……JMJ 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of John we hear a familiar story…The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead…..Lazarus and his two sisters (Mary and Martha) lived in Judea….Jesus was just driven out of Judea under threats of him being killed…So when he decided to go back to Judea to perform the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, which this Gospel passage highlights, his disciples stated the following….”“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?”…….Because the faith of the people was weak, Jesus was determined to go back into harms way, to perform a miracle, which in turn would strengthen the faith of those who had doubts about who he was……This is where St John’s account of this event gets interesting…St Thomas, the man who is remembered for doubting that Jesus rose from the dead…In the face of what seemed as certain death for Jesus and maybe even the disciples by going back to Judea and facing the angry mob says this……”So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go to die with him.”……”Big words” indeed - But time proved those words to be very empty when “push came to shove” and Jesus was brutally murdered and the twelve disciples were considered outlaws - Thomas as we know not only abandoned Jesus at the cross but doubted he rose from the dead….Being a good judge of human nature…My bet is - Thomas was what we would call today a “tough guy”….He talked “big” as must “tough guys” do because strong men for the most part are very confident in themselves and in many of life’s situations they feel they are in complete control because they are “tough guys”….I have found in my own life experience that when events evolve into chaos - As many times they do - Its the “tough guys” who are the first to run…Why? - Because they are not used to not being in control and when they sense that something happens that is out of their control - They run!…This is what happened to Thomas…Thomas “talked a big game” because Thomas probably thought he was a “tough guy”….This is why many times its the meek and the weak who come through in the chaotic patches of life - Those who know they are weak always rely on the power of God - They are fully aware of their limitations - And when life spins out of control - Their commitment to trusting God holds fast - But the one who trusts in his own strength - At the sight of chaos - When they feel they have no control - They are the first to run!……..St Paul instructs us in reflecting upon this reality of the human condition…….“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong”…….Maybe this is why the only apostle who did not run away when Jesus hung on the cross was John….John was the youngest and probably the weakest - Yet John stayed firm until the end!……..”For when I am weak, then I am strong”

“But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you”

Everyone in New York City remembers September 11th when the Trade Centers were hit by airplanes and came crashing down….I work in banking and was six city blocks away to this event as it happened in real time - I watched it up close and in person!….After the second plane hit the Trade Centers, I was working on the 32nd floor of my office building - I saw the plane hit and the flames of the blast - As this happened - My office building shook violently - Keep in mind I was on the 32nd floor of the building, so one could imagine that this event caused the people I worked with to be very concerned - Some begin to cry and panic….As this all unfolded, I ran to the elevator to get out of the building…In the elevator was by boss at the time…His name was Norm and he was a New York City Attorney…Norm made a lot of money and had a big job…While we were in the elevator - Norm was panicking….He even started to cry….I on the other hand was very common…And because Norm was so upset, I did my best to make him relax…..As I read the Gospel account of John today from Mass - How he describes St Thomas talking a “big game” - Only for Thomas in the end to fail Jesus and doubt he rose from the dead - As I reflected on Thomas the “tough guy” - I thought of my old boss Norm…Norm was a “big shot” lawyer…He made tons of money - But when Norm saw all his so-called power, in the face of the chaos of the Trade Centers collapsing could do him no good - Norm lost control……….What is the take-away here? - As Catholics, we must place our complete trust in God….No matter how much we “think” we are in control - The reality is - We have no control what-so-ever!…God is in control and if we trust him - He will give us peace the unbelieving world can not give - No mater what happens! - And when we are firmly grounded in God - We will also find strengthen that we did not realize we had….With God all things are possible!

“I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the LORD”

Today at mass we are told that an angry mob wanted to kill Jesus in Judea and as a result Jesus and the twelve apostles were driven out of Judea…But when Jesus heard his friend Lazarus in Judea needed him, he wanted to return, knowing he would face the blood thirsty crowd….St Thomas knew this too - And he immediately “talked a big game”…..“Let us also go to die with him”…..And we all know how things turned out for Thomas when “push came to shove” - When Jesus needed him the most - Thomas ran away - His “big words” turned out to be empty!……”But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail-marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you”….Jesus taught St Thomas a great lesson - And Thomas responded to that lesson - He learned to trust the Lord more then himself and all his many gifts - And as we know, Thomas did in the end give his life for Christ - And he traveled all the way to India to do it! - Further by land and sea then any of the other twelve apostles….St Thomas turned out to be a true “tough guy” but that did not happen until he learned the lesson of St Paul……“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”……..JMJ

Choices have consequence - Choose well

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of John that the mob is forming around Jesus!….Jesus has threatened the power base of his society and they are not having it!….And because of the elite of Jesus’ day focused their life choices on power and status, they are unable to “hear” the words of Jesus…God is standing right in front of them and they cannot “see” and “hear” him!…..We see similar events like this play out today….Truth is spoken and when it challenges those who refuse to put down the idols of power and status, they lash-out….We see this in our communities, in our work places and in our politics……..”Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But others said, "The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?" The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man." So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed." Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,  "Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?" They answered and said to him, "You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee”…………Human beings have not changed too much since the time of Jesus Christ……Mankind would rather live a lie then embrace life giving Truth…..We cannot claim to “believe” in God if we do not embrace the Truth in all it fullness - This is a great disconnect, which plays out in our American society……”I believe in abortion - But I also believe in God”…”I believe in same sex marriage - But I also believe in God”……I believe in euthanasia - But I also believe in God”……To make such statements and to convince yourself that somehow you are on the side of God while you actively work against God is not only a delusion but a recipe for disaster…..Jesus Christ said he was the Truth - Not the custom….And while the Truth will set you free - The Truth also divides…It separates the “sheep from the goats”………“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”…As it is today and how it was in the days that Christ walked the earth - The Truth divides!….We must make a choice and our life speaks of this choice….Are you a “sheep” or a “goat”? - One will live, the other will die - That is the way it is…Choose well - Choose life!

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

Both inside and outside the walls of the Church, the battle for Truth rages on to this very day!……The Catholic Church is an extension of Jesus Christ and contains the fullness of Truth…In addition, everything the Church claims to be true is written down - So how can there be so much confusion?….Its all written down!!!…..Interestingly enough, when the Truth in all its fullness is proclaimed from the pulpit or for that matter spoken in the public squares of America - Many Catholics and Non-Catholics reject it, sometimes even violently……Why?…Because to embrace the Truth requires sacrifice…And people refuse to sacrifice anything…Jesus was very clear…..“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?”……When I got married to my wife, I was full committed to being open to life…The Catholic Church, as many know, does not permit the use of contraception and part of our wedding vows as Catholics is to be fully open to life….How many Catholic married couples embrace this teaching?…..When I got married, my wife and I were all in!…And as a result my wife gave birth to five children in ten years - We also lost three children as a result of miscarriages in those ten years…Its easy to say with words that we did this as a Catholic married couple but clearly there was a “price to pay”….My wife suffered physically, the financial burden involved in caring for five children…The daily sacrifices of time….The sleepless nights…….To live out what the Church requires of married couples costs!…..So here is the question - Are we willing to “pay the cost”?…….The Truth is so easy to repeat - So easy to read from a book - Its something all together different to live the Truth in real time….But reading about the Truth does not make a person a follower of Christ - To follow Christ we must live the Truth….All our daily choices - In everything we say and do should “scream” to the world around us that we are Catholic….If our life does not communicate that message - Then maybe we need to stop and think - Are we really following Jesus Christ?……Are we willing to “pay the price” of discipleship?

“O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, Lest I become like the lion's prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me”

Today at Mass we hear in the Gospel that many of the power-brokers of Jesus’ day outright rejected him…..Keep in mind…Many of these men claimed to be “religious” - Yet God stood right before them and they could not “see” or “hear” him….This reality should serve as a warning to us today…..The Catholic Church proclaims the fullness of Truth….And God does not force us to believe in him - God simply proposes the Truth to us - Its up to us to accept the Truth…And if we fully accept the Truth - Our life will look differently from the crowd…Are we willing to “look differently” from the crowd?……Far too many Catholics “go along to get along” in our society…We look like everyone else and live like the pagan culture that is all around us - This needs to end!….Catholics must be willing to “pay the price” of living as a Catholic in the public square - Come “hell or high-water”….If we are not willing to “pick up our cross” - How can we possibly think we will spend eternal life with Christ in heaven?……..”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”……Choices have consequence - Choose well…….JMJ

”I must decrease and He must increase”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading something from the Book of Wisdom that gives us a window into human nature…..Those who seek power at all costs in this world to this very day ”think” exactly as they did in the time of Christ….The Church and those who are faithful to her should always remember that we live in a hostile world….Jesus tells us this very clearly….“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues”…When we are working and living in this chaotic reality, which is the world, its easy to forget the power of God - That Jesus defeated death and that Christ will one day come again…..The reading today reminds us all that the world is a dangerous place but take heart - Christ has conquered death and the darkness of the world will not have the last word…….”The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright: "Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD. To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, Because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways. He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him." These were their thoughts but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”.……….Notice the end of this passage…..”but they erred”……Just when evil “thinks” it has the last word, it fails……History proves this to be true time and time again…..God is at work and we must work with him…..The Catholic Church has outlasted the Roman Empire, The French Revolution, The Nazi Third Reich & the Soviet Union - To name just a few of the enemies of the Church…Think about that!!!!!…The world and the devil has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at the Catholic Church - And it is still standing….For those who are objective - That should tell you something…Think long and hard - Jesus Christ is King!

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

God plays the “long game”…And because God thinks in those terms, so must we…But if we look at our life, for those who have been around from some time as I have been, you will observe how good behavior in time always wins the day and how bad behavior in time destroys those who prescribe to it….I have life-long friends and outside of going away to college, I returned to my hometown and live to this day amongst many of the people I grew up with…I have watched people I have known my entire life - From grammar school to them being grandparents…Of these people that I see around town, people I have known for decades, there have been many surprises……One stark observation I can make is…….Many of the “bad guys” I grow up with have long fallen away….Their bad behavior caught up with them and when I see them as men in some cases, now in their sixties - They are a shell of who they once were - Some are even dead…….Historically speaking, mankind has not “figured out” what was read to us in the first reading from Mass today…..”These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”………God always has the last word!…..I have five children and I always tell my kids, as my father always told me - “There are no short cuts in this world”….That also goes for entering into eternal life……Jesus is very clear about this reality….We are instructed as Catholics to “Pick up our Cross”…..That the “road that leads to heaven is narrow”….That Jesus is the only “gatekeeper”….This is told to us by the Church and read to us at Mass - But do we “hear” the words?……How do we stay on the road to heaven?…How do we endure the trials and temptations of life?…..How do we not “get lost” along the way?……Again, for those of us who have lived in this world for many years as I have, we have watched many “good” people we know and love “fall away” - They “get lost” - And in turn pay a huge price!…..So how do we “stay the course”?……The answer comes from Jesus and we have heard it before - But did we really “hear” the words?…….“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”…….To be a Christian means to live and worship as a Catholic…A bold statement for sure but a true one…….While there are many well intentioned Christians in the world who are not Catholic, the words of Jesus contained in the Gospel of John, which I just noted refutes any claim of Christian authority outside the Catholic Church……And if we are not living Sacramentally, which means going to frequent confession and receiving the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace - If we live outside of the realm of Sacramental grace - To “think” we can “walk the narrow road” laid before us is in my view a fools errand…..Again, circling back to the first reading from the Book of Wisdom proclaimed at Mass today…..”But they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”…….The unbelieving world does not “get it” sadly……For those who have “eyes to see” - What I just noted is very clear - Again - For those who have eyes to see.

“The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them”

As Catholics, we go to Mass every Sunday and the words of Christ are read to us…This goes on for years and years - But do we “hear” those words? - I mean really “hear” them!…..Mother Teresa would always say - “I take Jesus at his word”……That is coming from a  canonized saint…So the question today is - Do we take Jesus at his word?……Because if we did - Maybe we would live differently - Maybe we would live Sacramentally - Maybe we too would become saints…Isn’t that the goal?  - To become a saint……Jesus walked among men “to take away the sins of the world” - To establish a Church - To show us by his example how to reach eternal life….He could not have done anymore to make is “point” any clearer - So what is the problem? - Where is the confusion?….The problem rests within each of us - This is the greatest enemy we face - Our own will - And this is the enemy we must defeat - Our will must bend until it breaks!….As John the Baptist tells us…”I must decrease and He must increase”….There it is - The answer to the problems that plague mankind…….”I must decrease and He must increase”……..JMJ

When we “fix” the man - We will “fix” society

Today the Universal Church honors St Joseph…..A man of silence, obedience and humility……In a world where everyone seems to have “something to say” on social media, St Joseph is a contradiction…..In the entire New Testament there is not one single word recorded from the mouth of St Joseph…Yet the Universal Church honors him as one of the greatest saints…..Our world today needs more men like St Joseph…..He spoke by his example…..And ultimately the only lasting statement anyone ever makes, is their example…..Words are easily said but forgotten quickly…..However, the lasting power of a good example is what makes the deepest imprint on those around us….But how are we able to give such an example?….The only way is to be rooted in daily prayer, fasting and Sacramental grace……Our human condition is so easily distracted….And we are all susceptible to temptations and sin….The answer to human weakness is divine grace and Joseph opened himself up to that grace….Joseph emptied himself and God in turn filled him with the Holy Spirit….Our world today is so convinced that we can make a lasting impact grounded upon words, accomplishments and achievements…St Joseph took an opposite approach….Joseph lived out his vocation as a married man and father…He did not regard himself to be important but made others the center of importance….And God honored him and two thousand years later so do we as Catholics…..Instead of focusing in on the “big things” - Maybe we all should concentrate on the “little things”….Like the virtues of obedience, humility and silence……We will never be able to do the “big things” if we do not first master the “little things”

“He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness”

Being a good father boils down to be consistent….Taking out the garbage every night - Going to work every day - Helping the kids with their homework - Mowing the lawn and shoveling snow - Helping your wife with shopping…..To name a few of the tasks of a father…These tasks seem of little value to the world but if they are not done, family life does not run properly…..I am a father of five children and I had a father who gave me a good example, so for me, being a father comes fairly naturally…But so many today in our world have no idea what it means to be a father…To some degree, its not their fault because they were not given a good example to follow….I recently heard a statement made that stuck with me deeply…”If we fix the man, we fix society”…This I believe is at the root of so many of our problems today in America….Men do not know how to be men….We have forgotten that mastering the “little things”, lead to us mastering “big things”…..St Joseph teaches us this and for the many men in America that did not have a good example to follow, St Joseph must be that example…..Our world today is hyper-focused on “achievements”…Building a solid resume - Getting a great education - Accumulating wealth…..But the purpose of manhood has little to do with those things….A man is born to be a husband and a father…To love his wife and children, dying to himself and in turn growing closer to God each day….All the other “stuff” is forgotten as quickly as the dirt is placed over our coffins…The impact of a good husband and a father - Not a perfect one but simply a good and consistent one - Such a witness lasts for generations!…..Our society has lost its focus in all the “noise”…..And only a father’s example, not a father’s words, but his example can be “heard” above all the “noise”…..When America “fixes the man” we will “fix” the nation

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home”

The Universal Church in her wisdom honors St Joseph…..There was a time when family life thrived in America….Marriage was viewed traditionally…Mom’s stayed home and Dad’s worked….Families had many chidlren…..Sunday’s were special….Holiday’s were even more special……All this and more has been lost - Americans may “have more stuff” and are more educated but we lost something much more valuable….I was born to simple people…My father was a barber in a one man barber shop….He was the son of Italian immigrants….My family lived simply and both my parents sacrificed deeply for me and my brother….They did not have to talk about their sacrifices…We saw them and as a result to this day, I remember everything they did for us…..Americans must return to this “simpler time”….The answer to many of our problems today is because we know longer know how to live well….There is an “art to living” and that “art” is not taught to us in college…Its taught in the home….St Joseph teaches us that “art”….There is nothing more extraordinary then the witness of a simple man and a simple woman who raise many ordinary children against all odds…Such a witness challenges the world’s false ideologies in a way no words ever could or can……”The Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you……….Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt”……St Joseph’s witness two thousand years later is the path forward for America and the world…..Obedience, Humility and Silence…….Only a man of prayer can do what St Joseph did….But before we do the “big things” we must first master the “little things”….Grace builds upon grace….When we “fix” the man - We will “fix” society………….JMJ

“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St John Jesus addressing the religious leaders of his day……"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also”…Jesus Christ was God and he was perfectly obedient to the Father…What should that say to us in terms of the need to be obedient?…..Both inside and outside the Church - Far too many people believe to have “great” ideas” that conflict with Catholic teaching…This is the mistake of our first parents in the Garden of Eden….Our job is to be obedient - To listen to the word of God - To adhere to the timeless teachings of the Church - And if we do that - We surely will “bear fruit that will last” - How do I know this? - Because Jesus Christ said so!……“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. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing”…….We see this passage from St John lived out in the lives of the saints - The saints take Christ at his word - That should tell us all something!….The collective “we” do not have “better ideas” that conflict with the Gospel and Church teaching….And if we as Catholics “stick with the program” - We too will become a holy people that impacts the world, just as the saints have done for two thousand years…..Jesus today in the Gospel from Mass goes on to tell the religious leaders who oppose him that if they do not “hear” his voice, they will not enter into eternal life……This very clear message holds true to this very day….Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation - There is “one door” that leads to eternal life - Jesus was very clear about this reality and so must we be clear…Catholics are not doing the world “any favors” when in the name of “ecumenicalism” do not make this message very clear - Just as Jesus did…..That the salvation of mankind comes only through Christ…..And for those, through “no fault of their own” who do not know Christ - God in his mercy will judge them…And God if perfectly merciful and perfectly just…In the mean time - Catholics must be crystal clear……..“Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”…The message is crystal clear

“I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die”

Over the past hundred or so years the Catholic Church has engaged in what is commonly referred to as ecumenicalism….We have seen this play out in many different forms, some effective and some not so effective…..Ecumenicalism practiced on the part of Catholics should never make concessions when it comes to Church teaching….A proper interpretation of ecumenicalism is simply developing a friendship with those who you do not agree with and when subjects come up in that friendship where there are deep disagreements - The two parties simply say to each our - “Let’s agree to disagree” - And continue to be friends and allow the Holy Spirit to work…..If Catholics took this approach  - Never “watering down Church teaching - Extending a hand of friendship to all people of different religions - Always giving a good example filed by Sacramental grace….In time, our witness will be “speak volumes”…This is how we are to evangelize the non-Catholic world…We are never going to argue people who are not Catholic into the doors of the Church - But our uncompromising witness of the Gospel and Church teaching will make the world “stop and think long and hard”…..I have watched this play out over the years of serving with Mother Teresa’s sisters….The Missionaries of Charity are uncompromisingly Catholic - But they never preach - The sisters do all “their talking” by their actions…..And the witness of a an uncompromising Catholic life “stops traffic” - Even in New York City!…And nothing stops traffic in New York City

“I will cut a road through all my mountains, and make my highways level”

St John’s Gospel is crystal clear and the message today from Mass instructs us to be crystal clear as well….So the question we must ask ourselves as Catholics should be…In the name of “Not offending” others - Of being “political correct” - Are we diluting the Gospel message and Church teaching?……It appears to me that Jesus never did this and in turn Jesus had enemies…We are also told in the Beatitudes that if we follow Christ as we are told to - We too will have enemies…This is reality!…..The doors of the Catholic Church are open too all - But the Church is not “ours” to manipulate and Church teaching is not ours to change…..Catholics, while well intentioned are not doing anyone any favors by not being clear when it comes to what the Church professes to be true and has taught for two thousand years….We need to tell it like it is!….We need to teach it like it is and like me mean it!………This is the only way forward - Be a friend to all but fear none!……..”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”…..Its all about clarity with charity….There is no mercy without Truth  - Catholics are not doing the world any “favors” by “watering down” Church teaching - Its all written down - Read it as it is and proclaim it from the roof tops!….. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’…..JMJ

Don’t make what is simple complicated!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Book of Ezekiel a story about how from the temple fresh water flows, which “empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live”….How true and so it is when we as Catholics live in the state of grace……Without grace we are in essence dead!…..Yet how many in the world make it a priority to live in a state of grace?…..Grace is given to us through the Sacraments of the Catholic Church…It involves going to confession frequently and receiving the Blessed Sacrament….The method by which we receive this grace is so simple and available to everyone…..As we hear in the first reading….”Fresh water makes the salt water livable”….In the Gospel of St John, the same message is repeated….”Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”…It could not be stated any clearer…..But do we believe this and take this message to heart? - Because if we did we would follow the “simple formula” - Frequent Sacramental Confession (once a month) and Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament at Mass….This is the “fresh water” which comes from the side of the Temple…..”For wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh”….For those who have ears let them hear.

“A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation”

As a co-host of a Catholic Radio show in the New York Metropolitan Area, I keep up with many different voices in Catholic Social Media…And if you follow these rather prominent men and women, you will find a lot of differing opinions and debates about many different topics…..Sadly I feel many of these topics, while important, can become a distraction to what is most important….We as Catholics have a tendency to complicate our faith…Jesus was a carpenter, a simple man and the Church he founded is not something that only the elite of the world can understand - In fact, being Catholic is rather simple…..If we stick to the basics, what I call “First Principals” - Everything else will fall into place….Pray the Rosary every day - Go to a Sacramental Confession once a month - Receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of Grace on Sunday…These are “First Principals”……And if we are faithful to these “First Principals” we will undoubtedly make it to heaven…..So why all the debates?

“For they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary……Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine"

Today at Mass the first reading offers us a simple message…That without the “living waters” from the Temple - Life as we know it can not exist….A life of grace is vital for us to “see” the world as it truly is and thrive…And that is the problem - Our world today lives outside of this life-giving grace…Society “thinks” it can thrive without God - A fool’s errand for sure!…..This is why Catholics must give witness to how Sacramental grace impacts a human life…And our witness, we will show the world - By our joy and by our peace - By the way we conduct our family life - By the way we treat our neighbors…..Only through our witness, the by-product of grace, will the unbelieving world come to believe that the fullness of Truth is contained in the Catholic Church……We will never argue anyone into the doors of the Catholic Church, no matter how good the argument…And there is no such thing as “cheap grace”…Grace is a gift and Grace is given freely through the Sacraments of the Church…Its really that simple - Don’t make what is simple complicated!…….JMJ
 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading the Prophet Isaiah tells us something we should never forget…I say this because I forget it…..We are an Easter people - The victory has been won…But I forget this very important message as I work and live in the fog of sin and misery caused by sin in the world around us…This is why the message of Isaiah is important to hear….”Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed. They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant”……We all need reminds of this message…Tangible signs that God is real and that sin does not have the last word…This is why as Catholics we go to confession frequently….This is why we receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass (every day if possible)…….This is why we pray the Rosary Daily…..This is why we sit before the Blessed Sacrament once a week for a Holy Hour….These are all “reminders”……And this is why we must make a conscience effort to “stay connected” to Christ each day…The world is constantly “pulling us away” from God and the devil if fully aware of this reality….We are only human, no matter who you are!….This is why Sacramental grace and daily prayer is vital….Without these practices, its easy to forget…Its easy to fall into despair….Its easy to a unconsciously create a  “gap” between us and God where the devil can get a “foothold” in your life.

“Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the LORD will be with you”

In my thirties after spending way too many years partying I made a very important decision…..I will not waste my time! - I will spend it with positive people and do positive things…And in making this decision, my life changed…..Every Saturday I would volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity in New York City…In doing so, my prayer life expanded…On my vacations from work I would spend three weeks each year in Kolkata India serving the poor…In doing so my spirits would always be lifted and I would meet the ‘best people” who always were a joy to be around….I also became involved with a Catholic Young Adult Group in New York City and it was there that I met my wife…..As Catholics who live in the world, we must realize that not everyone is going to be “nice”…Not everyone is going to “play by the rules”…This is why what you do on “your time” matters…..Do not waste your time with people and activities that “drain the life out of you”….Reorient your life and how you spend your time and your life will improve drastically…Its very easy to get “sucked into”   the “rat race” of a hectic life, which is focused on secular goals and ideologies…We as Catholics must make a conscience effort - To organize our time and surround ourself with positive people….We also must cooperate with God….In doing this, we open up new horizons that we thought were never there or possible…And in the process we become a people of hope for others….God helps those who help themselves!….Help yourself and get involved in the many “reminders” - God is not only very al but is at work in our world today……”The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”

“I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit”

Today at Mass the Prophet Isaiah tells us that God wins and if we stand with him - We win too….The road to heaven is in a way a small “taste of heaven”….The world looks at practicing Catholics and “thinks” we are crazy…..That we somehow have given up “something” to follow Christ as a Catholic…Nothing could be further from the truth…..God takes nothing from us - God only gives….I can say this will all honesty….The best decision I ever made in my life was at the age of twenty-two years old - When I decided to take my Catholic faith seriously - It was because of that decision that all the good things in my life have taken place….I have my wife because of that decision - I have five children because of that decision…I also have lasting peace and a deep sense of pervasive joy because of that decision….In the mean time - We as Catholics are a people on a pilgrimage - While living on this earth can at times be hard - God walks with us - He also gives us the “tools” we need to “stay the course”…..As my dear Father would always tell me - “Straight ahead”……”The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”………JMJ