Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And be willing to suffer for the Truth

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark, Jesus was seen in the Temple area and is questioned by the the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders…They want to trap him - So Jesus asks them a simple question - One in which he knew they would not answer…..The Jews who rejected him instead of answering the question from their heart were concerned with the “politics” of the moment…..Is this how we respond to simple questions - Questions we know the answers too but refuse to address - Because of “the crowd”? - Because the answers are not “politically correct”? - Because of our concern for social status?:

“Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.  Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me. ”They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”–  they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet. So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

As Catholics we should - Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And be willing to suffer for the Truth when necessary…Is this what is happening?……The Truth is not always going to be convenient but we are to speak it and live it, in season and out of season…..Again - Is this what is happening?…….The secular world will NEVER respect the Catholic Church if it functions as a “paper-tiger” - Writing down eternal Truths but never applying them to public life and speaking them body in the public square….Even if the unbelieving world does not agree with us - They will respect us if we live what we speak….Let me ask this again - Is this what is happening?

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; giving thanks to God the Father through him”

The Catholic Church is to be the moral voice for the world - And if we do not insert ourselves into the culture - Who will?…….“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”…….Recently, a friend of mine who is a Priest in one of his homilies at Mass in New York City made statements about the sin of homosexuality….While we as Catholics must love the sinner - We CANNOT “gloss over” behavior that is objectively sinful…In his homily he spoke about some in the Church, who are minimizing active homosexual behavior….While what he said is 100% accurate - It was “text-book” Catholicism taken right out of the Catechism and the pages of the Bible - That does not mean he will not get “push-back” from both those in the congregation as well as from some clergy….This is reality and a sad reality at that - But that does not mean homilies like the one my friend gave should not be proclaimed to the faithful…If we do not boldly preach the Truth - If we do not boldly teach the Truth - We are NOT living our Baptism mandate as Catholics - To Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And be willing to suffer for the Truth…The problem is - We do not what to suffer for the Truth!!!!! - But that is “part of the deal”….We cannot expect the world to always agree with us - But that should not stop us from speaking and living as Catholics - RIGHT?!? 

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken* to them, they would have no sin; but as it is they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me also hates my Father”

Today in the Gospel we are reminded once again how the secular world “operates” - The Truth is avoided - Power, Comfort and Status are given priority over the Truth….Catholics must be different and if we are not different - We will NEVER make an impact….A “lukewarm” Church that does not “ruffle” feathers is not a living up to its Baptismal promises…..While “lukewarm” Catholicism is socially accepted in “polite company”- It will NOT be accepted on the day of Judgement before God……Jesus was very clear…”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”……Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And be willing to suffer for the Truth…..JMJ

Its not enough to just “believe in God” - God expects us to act!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark Jesus uses a fig tree to teach his apostles…The tree was not bearing fruit, so Christ cursed the tree and as a result, it died - What should that teach us?….”Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it……….Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered”……What is Jesus trying to teach us? - Let’s “break it down” - Each of us has gifts, some more then others, but that reality is irrelevant - The gifts we were given are to be used to build the Kingdom of God…..Not to keep for ourself - God gave us gifts for a reason!….And those who have been given much - Much will be expected……When we stand before the Lord at our individual judgement, not only will our sins be brought to light, but also all the good we did - But here is something else that will be shown to us (I believe) - God will show us what was COULD have done - If we trusted him more!…..Every single baptized Catholic, without exception was born to become a saint!…..And if we allow God to animate our life, He will take the gifts he gave to us and magnify them!….What stops us from giving God permission to work in this way through us?….FEAR - A lack of faith - Unrepentant sin - A weak interior life - All these factors contribute to us not becoming the people we were ALL born to be - Its within our power to address this sadly reality!……All we have to do is give an unconditioned YES like Our Lady did….And God will act!……The Gospel today also addresses a misconception that Jesus is simply looking for “believers” - That all we have to do, to get to heaven is “believe in Jesus” - WRONG! - Jesus is looking for followers not just “believers”…Its our job to follow him! - And to follow him means we act! - St James put it best - “Faith without works is dead”…And Jesus puts an “exclamation point” on that idea with the story today told to us about the fig tree that did not bear fruit - A fig tree without figs is useless! - Such a tree had one purpose - To produce figs and it failed in doing so - So it died…Again - What does that tell us about the purpose of a Catholic life? - If we “bear fruit” we live and if we do not - We die!….Seems pretty clear to me

“I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord”

Not everyone is meant to do “big things” but all of us can do “little things” with love in our hearts…..If we only lived life through this lens!…..Our world measures people by “output” - Its concerned with status and material success - God does not view our worth in this manner, however God does expect us to use what was given to us to build the Kingdom of God…..As we all know, there are many people in the world who are infinitely gifted - Are those “gifted” people using their gifts to serve God? - Some are but many are not….Then there are some who are very limited in their gifts - And they give everything they have to God…Who do you think will be rewarded in the coming judgement more?………Years ago, it was a Saturday and I was headed to New York City to serve with Mother Teresa’s Sisters at their convent in Lower Manhattan….When I got to the convent, three of the sisters were headed out the door….I asked them where they were going…..They told me they were going to clean the apartment of this old woman who lived in a tenement apartment down the street…The old woman’s name was Sarah and she did not take very good care of herself, so the sisters would “check up” on her from time to time…..So that after noon, three nuns spent the day cleaning the apartment of an old woman and doing all her laundry…..I will never forget that gesture! - Why? - Because who does that? - No one I know!!!!….Its such a small gesture but I am sure that old poor woman appreciated it….But when we step back and think about what Mother Teresa’s Sisters did for that woman, it was much more then just cleaning her apartment - They showed her that they cared!….That is a lesson for us all - As Catholics, we have all of the “answers” - The Church contains the Fullness of Truth - But just telling people about it will not convince them - We must show them and we show them by small gestures of love, which anyone can do - Like cleaning an apartment for someone who can’t clean it for themselves….People do not care what you know, until they know how much you care! - Remember that - And this is the “currency” that God “deals in”…..Those who have been given much - Much will be expected….As Mother Teresa would often say - “If you can’t feed one hundred people - Then just feed one”……This is how we will be judged by the way - So “write this down” - Its on the “final exam”

“Before the LORD, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy”

Today at Mass Jesus attempted to teach his friends by pointing out something very basic - A tree is meant to bear fruit…And just as a fig tree is meant to bear fruit, so are we as Catholics meant to put our faith into action and produce good works…Not everyone is meant to do “big things” but all of us can do little things that come from our heart - And that is all God expects from us!…But how do we live our life through that lens? - And not get “distracted” by daily life?…Allow me to give you the answer to that question - If we can see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - We surely will see Jesus in our neighbor - And in turn we will treat our neighbor as ourself…..If you are reading this reflection and do not believe in the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist - I have a suggestion to make…..Go into a Church where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar in the monstrance for the faithful to pray….You do not even have to be Catholic to do what I am about to suggest - Go before the Blessed Sacrament and say these word….”God, if you are there show me that you are there - I do not believe that you are there - But I want to believe - So please show me”….Say nothing more and just sit in silence before the Blessed Sacrament…Repeat that action once a week and spend five minutes in silence before the Blessed Sacrament - Simple Right?!?…..Make this apart of your weekly routine - Its just five minutes - Right?!?….Here is my “bet”- In fact, it’s a guarantee!….Before you know it, God will answer your prayer - And you will be given “eyes to see”….How do I know what? - Because Jesus said so! - ”Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”…..Once we “see God” Sacramentally, we will see him in our neighbor and then we will put our faith into action….Its not enough to just “believe in God” - God expects us to act!…………..JMJ

So take courage - And conquer the world!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading St Peter encourages his people….”You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light”……..Catholics are to live among the people of the world…We are not to separate ourself like the American Amish or Mennonites…..We are to live among the world for the very reasons given to us from St Peter today……”To call others out of darkness into his wonderful light”….Within each human being there is a “spark” of God…Even the darkest of people - Even the hardest of hearts…When they encounter authentic Catholicism, they stop in their tracks - Something deep within their soul knows that such a witness is meant for them too - Even when “choices made” make becoming Catholic very difficult….This is why - Catholics must be an example in the public square!….Even in the darkest of places - And to do that, one must develop a deep interior life but also be willing to suffer persecutions and rejection…..In doing so, we participate in a “share” of Christ’s passion…..St Peter goes on today in the first reading speaking about giving a good example to the secular world…..”Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul. Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that if they speak of you as evildoers, they may observe your good works and glorify God on the day of visitation”……Its very hard to hate someone when their conduct is pure…..Catholics must endure a lot to give the example St Peter speaks of today….But this is how we spread the faith, not by arguments, which fall on deaf ears - But by consistent witness - By patiently enduring hardship - And by the example of good works…..There is no other way to evangelize the culture - Mere words will always fall short - Its the witness of a life built on sacrificial love that changes minds and moves hearts - This is the kind of faith that moved “the good thief” on the cross next to Christ to commit his life to God - No argument could have changed such a “hardened man”…But to live this way requires us to share in Christ’s Passion - Are we willing to “drink the cup” of suffering and live amongst the unbelieving world?

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

For almost thirty years I have worked on Wall Street in New York City…Not exactly an easy place to work!…I have encountered some of the smartest but also some very “shady” and dare I say “dark” individuals over those thirty years - Many times, people have disappointed me greatly - Even betrayed me!…Yet, each day I get up and go to work…For a large majority of those thirty years I have gone to Mass on my lunch hour…The people at work know this…While they go to nice places to eat - I go to Mass……Every once in a while someone asks me about what the Catholic Church believes….I do not advertise the fact I am Catholic - I just quietly live as a Catholic in a very aggressive materialistic place in which I have worked for many years….Like me, many Catholics around the world do the same as I have done - Witnessing their faith to an unbelieving world…..Only God knows what our impact is on those around us - But the “outcome” of our witness is not our “business” - Its God’s alone!…Mother Teresa would always say….”We are called to be faithful, not successful”….That statement is very profound!…That means what we do and how we live is between us and God - And no one else!…And if God wants to use our Catholic witness to “spark” a “change” in the unbelieving world in which we live and work - So be it! - But if not - Our “job” is simply to be faithful…….Mother Teresa wrote this short poem, to help us to further understand what she was attempting to teaching the world……”People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway”…Jesus never promised us an easy life - But what he did promise us is eternal life if we follow him!

“Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends”

Today St Peter, the man Jesus appointed to lead his people as the first Pope told the original Catholics how we are to conduct our lives amongst a very antagonistic world…St Peter told it like it is! - He did not “sugar coat” anything….To live as a Catholic in the world is hard - This is why one must live Sacramentally, develop a daily pray life, fast weekly, have a devotion to Our Lady…I do not care who you are - From the Pope down to the lady who cleans the church…If you “think” you somehow can live as a Catholic in the “public square” without doing the things I just noted - You are deeply mistaken! - The world will “eat you up” and “spit you out!”…But if you do what I just recommend - You will not only find out that living as a Catholic “amongst the wolves” of the world is possible - But you will thrive in that “jungle”……Remember the words of Christ……”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”……One man “armed” with Truth and Sacramental Grace can “stand up” against the entire world - How do I know this to be true? - Because that is exactly what Jesus Christ did - And he has called each of us to do the same…..So take courage - And conquer the world!….JMJ

“No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark Jesus settles an argument that arose between the disciples about status and power…..He tells something that goes against everything the world says is important - Power belongs to God alone and status is not gained by being served but by serving others….”You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”……..The Kingdom of God is structured in a completely different manner then the power structures of this world….Keeping that in mind, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say the following words - “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”….That means we are to live differently while we are here on on earth, trying to build the Kingdom of God - “As it is in heaven”….To do that means we do not “go along to get along” with the crowd…..And if you find your self in a position, whether at work or as the head of your household, the only way to properly lead the people God placed in your care is to first bend your will to God….No person can properly lead others if that person does not first serve God - That should be a key indicator when assessing politicians - Any man or woman who seeks such a position, which has power over others and does not faithful serve God - Should not have the position!…The same goes for a man who wants to marry your daughter - Any man who does not believe and serve God can not possible lead his family properly! - Impossible! - Such a man will eventually given in to his passions and lead his family astray……All of us are called to serve, whether a Priest or a lay person…But if you want to lead - There is no other way to do it properly outside of allowing God to lead you first and foremost……“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”……Before we lead, we must understand how to serve - We are all under authority - Like it or not - God is God and we are NOT - No matter who you are - Authority is given to us for one purpose only - To lead others to the Lord

“The Son of Man came to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”

A man is the head of his household - He must protect, lead and provide for his wife and children - How is a man going to do that properly without God and the grace of the Sacraments? - Not going to happen!….I have said this before and I will state it again - I do not believe in civil marriage, meaning a marriage that is not lived Sacramentally - Why would I make such a statement? - Because all people are flawed by nature and to have a good marriage is hard work - It requires Divine Grace….That is why God made it a Sacrament and when we live it Sacramentally - We are given grace…Any man that says he does not believe in God - Is not properly prepared to be a husband or a father - How is such a man going to make the required sacrifices for his family? - Not going to happen!……These are some “strong statements” to make - But they are true!….To be a husband and a father is not for the faint of heart! - To head a family properly requires a man to open his life up to God’s grace, which will animate his example and his leadership to his family….To get married outside of God’s authority is simply a fools errand - Don’t believe me? - Look at the divorce statistics for secular marriages around the world - They speak for themselves!…..Marriage is a Sacrament for a reason and to live it any other way is a HUGE mistake….Men must lead their families but first they must bend to God and the Church….A person in authority must recognize true authority and the only one with true authority is God.

"All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the field; the grass withers, and the flower wilts; but the word of the Lord remains forever.”…….This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.”

St Mark today in the Gospel teaches us about the importance of service - And how to be a good leader - And before we can lead, we must first know how to serve…God is in charge! - To think any other way will always lead a person down the wrong road…And to acquire this mindset, one must understand what it means to be humble……Humility is learned by living, its not learned by reading a book…Temptations and earthily comfort can easily make one forget who God is and who we truly are - We are ALL poor sinners in need of a Savior!….Humility is the foundation of all the virtues and without it, we will never bend our knee to the Lord or to the teachings of the Church….”Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him”…..A Catholic must be at the service of others - And those who have been given much, much will be expected!….Servant leaders are required today now more then ever………..“No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master”…..JMJ

God provides!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark we are told about how God will provide for us in this age and in the age to come….However, while Jesus tells his disciples that he will provide for them, he does not say that they will not have to live a sacrificial life and even will have to endure persecution - To think we as Catholics will not have to experience the same thing is frankly a self created fantasy!…......"Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come”…….To live in trust is a grace - Catholic families who do not use contraception, religious orders who rely upon donations for their survival, and diocesan priests who trust that the parish bills will get paid from weekly collections understand full well what I am writing about - Such people understand what Divine Providence is all about…The secular world mocks such a way of life - Because “on paper” it does not make sense! - To live in trust, that God will provide to the unbelieving world is simply crazy!….But for those who have taken this “step” in the spiritual life, they know that great peace is found in KNOWING that God ALWAYS provides….As a father of five children under the age of twelve years old, my family has never wanted for anything…I tell me children all the time - “We take care of God by living in his will and God takes care of us” - That is the “calculus” the world can not comprehend but just like how mathematics is exacting in its objective outcome - So is trust in divine providence - God will provide!……Interestingly enough, Jesus ends his commentary today in the Gospel to his disciples by addressing those who live by the world’s standards and who reject the will of God - Those people who seem to “have everything” while the children of God struggle - ”But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first”…..When we stand before God, the power structures of the world will be flipped - The “currency” that the world relies upon will not matter - The only thing that will be of value is the life we led and the good fruit we bore for the Kingdom of God…….Those who have ears - Let them hear!!……We can not “buy” our eternal salvation…..What is of value on earth is an abomination to God - So be “rich” in good works in the here and now - Because an authentic Catholic life pays “dividends” - Believe it!…….In God We Trust - God Provides!

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

At the age of fifty-one years old, I had my fifth child…I remember telling my manager at work I was about to have another child…His exact words to me - “Joe, you are crazy”…Secular minded people in our world today do not view life through the lens of faith - Its all about acquiring “stuff” - Most of which we do not need…..A Catholic does not have this world view or at least should not “buy-in” to this mindset….A Catholic only wants what they need - We live for the Kingdom of God - A Catholic shares his gifts, first with his family and then with the community…When we live this way, we find that we always have enough! - And that God ALWAYS provides for what is needed - Also, we are given a deep and lasting peace that the world can never give or take away…..A choice has to be made to live in this manner because we can not have it both ways - We either live according to the standards of the materialistic world or we live according to the standards of the Kingdom of God….And if we choose the Kingdom of God - Our way of life will be “different” from others - And that means some level of persecution will go along with our choice - And Catholics must accept this reality - Its part of “the deal”…..But in the end, remembering the words of Jesus told to us today in the Gospel - ”Many that are first will be last, and the last will be first” - God will reward us - How do I know? - Because Jesus said so….. “There is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come”….Believe it! - And if so, we need to live it!

“The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel”

Radical trust in God can be difficult - And trusting in this manner is a grace…But for those who live under the care of God’s Providence - They know that grace builds upon grace - God shows us just how much he will care for us when we take each uncertain step in faith…And with each step, our trust grows….Life as a practicing Catholic is not always a “bed of roses”…Its a life of deep sacrifices - Let’s call it what it is - But choosing such a life comes with many advantages that the secular world can not perceive and will never understand….I have lived as a practicing Catholic for over thirty years and I still have many secular friends, who live according to the standards of the world - And I would not trade my life with any of them!….God has been so good to my family and has ALWAYS provided for us - And I KNOW that he will continue to do so……Jesus assures us…..”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” - We either believe that or we do not - But before we can experience it - We must “put out into the deep”….”Taste and see the goodness of the Lord” - With each uncertain step, our trust in Divine Providence grows………God provides!…………JMJ

Let Mary be your Mother - Our Lady knows the way home!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John we hear how Jesus gives his Mother to mankind?…..Why is this so significant? - Because we need her!!! - Its that simple…..”When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son. ”Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home”……The road to heaven is narrow and we need all the help we can get to stay on that road….Mary is there to help us and to refuse that help is frankly a tragedy!…..Christianity in America has been sanitized, even within the walls of the Catholic Church this has sadly happened - A Protestant influence has effected our world view as Catholics and how we worship God even in the Mass…..For example - How Christians (and Catholics) take for granted heaven, how its a “given” that everyone dies and and goes directly to God is a dangerous lie the devil has “sown” into the hearts of many - This is what MANY believe…..No matter what state of life you were called to - Religious, Married or Single - To live out God’s will and the commandments requires grace - And Our Lady gives us grace….She also instructs her children, as all good Mother’s do when we pray our Rosary daily…..Without the Sacraments - Without Our Lady - How does one “think” they will be able to live as God calls us too each and every day? - To think you can “get to heaven” upon your own strength and intelligence is a fools errand - It does not matter who you are or who you “think” you are - Not going to happen!!….This is why Jesus from the Cross gave Mary to mankind - Again - He gave her to us because we desperately need her!

“O joyful Virgin, who gave birth to the Lord; O blessed Mother of the Church, who nurture in us the Spirit of your Son Jesus Christ!”

Over the past two thousand years since the death and resurrection of Jesus, Our Lady has appeared a number of times to humanity…Many of these apparitions have been approved by the Vatican….And one of those approved apparitions took place in 1917 at Fatima in Portugal…..During this appearance of Mary, she spoke with three young children and told them to pray the Rosary every day…..Now again, this apparition has been approved by the Vatican - So here is the question - If Mary told the children of Fatima that we need to pray the Rosary every day - Are we doing what she asked of us? - Are all Baptized Catholics praying the Rosary every day?…..If we say we believe who Mary is and she tells us something that we all can do with little to no effort - Why is the Catholic world not listening?….Sure many Catholic pray the Rosary everyday, I being one of them, but why aren’t ALL of us doing it?…….Do you realize that if every Baptized Catholic throughout the entire world prayed the Rosary everyday, which takes a total of twenty minutes, the world would change tomorrow!….I have been married for almost thirteen years and my wife and I have NEVER not prayed the Rosary together before we go to sleep…And now that we have five children, we pray the Rosary with all of them together every night, with each child taking turns leading a decade…..Why is this so important? - “The family that prays together stays together!”…..Family life in America has broken down and that is why we have so many of the problems we have throughout our nation - Divorce, Drug Addiction, Suicide, Depression - All these problems that plague our country can be resolved by strong families…And the statistics do not lie! - Families of faith, who pray together, stay together!…..If you do not pray the Rosary daily - Start doing so!…Pray it with your spouse - Pray it with your children - Pray it by yourself……To know Mary is to get to know her son Jesus!!!…..If we give her permission, Mary will take us by our hand and gently place our hand into the hand of God….This starts with praying the Rosary……The message of Fatima is crystal clear - Pray the Rosary every day!

“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala”

Today the Universal Church, in her wisdom, points all Catholics towards Our Lady - Some people in the Christian world “have a problem” with this idea - That we as Catholics go to Jesus through Mary - This objection needs to end!….We are all flawed, each and everyone of us - Human beings are all sinners - But Mary was born without sin and because she was born immaculate, she holds a very special place in relation to God….This is why we pray through Mary - She is the most direct way for us to reach her son…..And Mary also knows Jesus better then anyone else - So what better way to learn about Jesus Christ then at the feet of his Mother, as we pray the Rosary each day? - It makes perfect sense to me!…….Take a minute and think about what we spend our time with each day - It literally takes twenty minutes to pray the Rosary each day - Now think about the time you spend looking at your phone, scrolling endlessly at nonsense - Think about the time spent watching television - And you cannot spare twenty minutes a day to pray the Rosary?……To walk the “narrow road” that leads to God is not for the faint of heart - Don’t believe the lie - You do not just “float into heaven” as soon as you die - Does not work that way!….We need all the help we can get to stay on that “narrow road” - And Mary is our guide and our help along that road that leads to eternal life with her son……Oh Mary Help of Christians, Pray for us!…Let Mary be your Mother - Our Lady knows the way home!………..JMJ

”Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth”

Today the Universal Church commemorates Pentecost Sunday, the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the first disciples….Without the Holy Spirit nothing happens!…..Not just for the original disciples but for us….In the text from the Gospel read at Mass today, St John tells us that Jesus literally breaths the Holy Spirit from his resurrected body upon the disciples……”As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the Holy Spirit.”……This “breath of God” has enabled saints for two thousands years to do the impossible!….And so will it enable us - If we give God permission…..As Catholics we know that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity….The Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit are all one in the same…That means if we “make room” in our life for the Holy Spirit - God himself will animate us….This is the same God that turned water into wine - This is the same God that fed five thousand people from a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish - This is the same God that was crucified and rose from the grave in three days - Think what this same God can do with your life!……What holds us back? - In a word - FEAR…..We are afraid - We lack trust - We lack faith!……All that being said, one simple YES can remedy all of our doubts and weakness….Just as the original twelve disciples were afraid, God himself came to them and empowered them to do the impossible - Why do we “think” we are any different?……One unconditional YES gives God permission to work in our life…But again, we must make room for God to work - That means “clearing away” all that is not of God in our life….Notice also what is told to us in the Gospel today when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon the disciples - ”Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained”…..In giving the disciples the Holy Spirit, he also gave them authority to forgive sins…..And by utilizing the authority of the Church and going to frequent Confessions with a Priest (once a month), we “make room” for the Holy Spirit to work in our life…..It’s a simple “formula” - RIGHT?!? - And it all begins with a simple three letter word - YES!!!

“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love”

Jesus tells us many things in the pages of Scripture but one of the most important statements he instructs us with is this….”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”….Before the reader of this reflection affirms this statement to be true - Think long and hard - Do you really believe that without God you can do nothing? - That means all your education means nothing - That means all your wealth means nothing - That means your position within the Church means nothing…It all means NOTHING WITHOUT GOD!…God can use a street sweeper more than a Cardinal of the Catholic Church if that street sweeper fully surrenders his life to God with an unconditional YES and the Cardinal does not!….When we look at the lives of the saints and see how God took some of the most simple people - People with little to no education - People who were poor and completely invisible to the power structures of their day - And God took those same “nobodies” and literally “shook the foundations of the world” by their witness to the Gospel……..In the Magnificat, a young girl who the world came to know as the Mother of God said these words…..”For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant”……If the Mother of God who was born without sin considers herself as “lowly” - What does that imply about us?…But here is the “key” - So pay attention!!! - Humility is Truth - When we know “our place” before God - That God is God and we are NOT - Its then that God will use us!….St Francis would pray these words into the night - “Who are you Lord and who am I” - When we fully digest that we can do NOTHING without God and when we fully graft our life to “the vine”, which is the Church - Then we will bear fruit that will last! - And not before - Why? - Because without me you can do NOTHING!

“O most blessed Light divine, Shine within these hearts of yours, And our inmost being fill!  - Where you are not, we have naught, Nothing good in deed or thought, Nothing free from taint of ill”

Today the Universal Church in her wisdom commemorates the day Jesus empowers his first apostles to go forth throughout the world and “make disciples of all nations”…Think for a moment - How could twelve uneducated fishermen accomplish this task?…It’s a herculean task asked of them - I will tell you how they do it - “As the Father has sent me, so I send you."And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit”….This same man, who walked the earth and rose from the dead says the same thing to us today!……"Receive the Holy Spirit” - “And renewal the face of the earth”……It does not matter who you are - If you give God permission - And “clear away” all that interferes with God in your life - We too will be a “force of nature”, as the saints were - Why do you have any doubt?!?…..”These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”……God can do more with your life than you can - Do you believe that?….If you do, the greatest adventure of your life is about to begin!……”Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth”…..JMJ

“You worry about YOU!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of John we see human weakness on full display…St Peter is jealous of St John…..And Jesus addresses the situation - ”What concern is it of yours?” - To put it another way - Worry about your self!……..”Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye”……….While the Catholic Church is a divinely inspired institution, it still is comprised of men and as we know, all men are flawed - Sin exists in the Church, it has from the very beginning and it always will exist until Christ returns…Because of that, many say they could never be Catholic or for that matter, they leave the Church….My response to such a claim is, because sin exists, even in the Church, we MUST be Catholic - Why? - Because only by the authority given to it by God can our sins be forgiven - And that only happens within the walls of the Catholic Church…….Any person with two eyes and who is objective can see the flaws that exist in many of the leaders of our Church - St Peter, as flawed a man as he was has some good advice for us when we are overly critical of the Church…“Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”……..No matter what parish you attend, you will always be able to find flaws - There is no such thing as a “perfect” Church and if such a Church existed, the moment you or I went to it, it would no longer be perfect - Why? - Because we ALL are flawed as people….With that said - Only in the Catholic Church can we receive the Sacraments and without Sacramental grace, there is NO WAY we can live the Gospel message and do God’s will….The Sacraments are literally the “medicine” for our fallen world….And without this “medicine” the soul dies!

“The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold, his searching glance is on mankind”

Its very easy to criticize others - On the other hand, its hard to work on perfecting our own faults and we all have them…..Today on Catholic Social Media, many make a living criticizing the Church…..Commenting on every flaw and exploiting those flaws for “clicks” and profit…While its important to educate the public, with honest and respectful instruction, its another thing all together to isolate every word said and exploit every weakness to prove a point….And what is the point?!? - That there are people in the Church hierarchy who are flawed? - Tell me something I do not know!….Do we pray for our clergy? - Do we fast for the Church?…Years ago, I was one of those people - I would “go crazy” when I saw Bishops and Priest not following rubrics perfectly…..I have now taken a different approach, which has brought me peace…Every Wednesday, I fast for the Church rigorously….And through my fast I channel all my frustration into my fast - In doing that, God can make use of it…..We can not “fix” other people - We can only “fix” ourself….And if we give a consistent good example, the people around us will take note and the Holy Spirit will use our example to “fix” our neighbor….I tell people all the time - “Its a full time job, for me to worry about myself” - To ensure I am doing God’s will - So leave the “fixing” of others to God - And worry about yourself!

“The LORD searches the just and the wicked; the lover of violence he hates. For the LORD is just, he loves just deeds; the upright shall see his face”

Today at Mass we see St Peter criticize St John - And Jesus was not having it!……This Gospel should serve as a reminder for us….Before we are overly critical of others, we should first make sure our own “house” is in order - And if we have to “correct” our neighbor, the correction should be done with charity….We all can probably do a better job of this and today Jesus reminds us to keep working at it!…..I am the father of five young children and when my children fight and point fingers at each other, telling me what “their brother did” - This is what I always telling them - “You worry about YOU!…Good advice….Jesus tells us this same message today……“You worry about YOU!…..JMJ

”Quo Vadis?" - "Where are you going?”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in St John’s Gospel addresses Peter….This exchange between Jesus and Peter took place after Peter’s betrayal of Christ…As we all know, Peter betrayed Jesus three times, so as fate would have it, Jesus reassures Peter three times by asking him a question…Do you love me?…Jesus knew that Peter loved him but he also understood human weakness…..And this is why we all must stay grafted to Christ Sacramentally - Because that same weakness is in each of us…..We are reminded in Scripture - ”The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”….But back to today’s Gospel - Jesus ends this exchange with Peter with a prediction…He foretells how Peter will give his life for God…..”Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;  but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go”…….As we all know - The night before Jesus was crucified, Peter boldly stated that he would die for Christ, only to fall flat on his face…..”The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”….Sadly, that was not the last time Peter failed - He later attempted to run away from his mission once again, only to encounter Jesus himself on the road to Emmaus as he was running away, who told him he would take his place in Jerusalem and be crucified again - This cut Peter to the heart and he went back!…..How human St Peter is!……St Peter’s story is our story in so many ways…..Failing and getting back up - Failing and getting back you - Failing and getting back up!……….The large majority of Catholics will not be asked to die a physical death for the Gospel but each and every Catholic is asked to die to themself….The only way we can allow God to work in our life is if we make “room for him” and that requires a Catholic to “die to self”….If we do not fully embrace this concept, frankly we are “spinning our wheels”…..And the only way to “give your life away” is to deepen your interior life through daily prayer, fasting and the Sacraments…Such a “life choice” is simply not natural!….And it is only accomplished through Divine grace!…..Jesus addressed Peter when he was running away with these words” - Quo Vadis?" - This is Latin for "Where are you going?”……..He asks us the same question today - "Where are you going?”

“The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you”

Each person in life comes to “A Cross Road” - A time when a HUGE choice is presented to them….That choice then determines a path, which either leads to life or death….When that “choice” is presented to you - Trust me - You will know it!…….Abortion not only kills the life of a child but it also severely damages the life of the woman who has the abortion…All the research points to this reality!……Abortion is the furthest thing from being “pro-woman” - It literally destroys a woman!….Sadly, many of the rabid pro-abortion activists, who are women, are suffering from their abortion - And they channel their pain through “activism”….Many Catholics on the First Friday of the Month pray at Abortion Centers around America….And for those who have experienced this, many women who are about to make “the choice” to terminate the life growing inside of them change their minds at the sight of people praying…..This “life choice” is never regretted - Just ask those who have made it! - But such a “choice” is very difficult to make in the moment……….Like St Peter, we all can fail, in fact, we ALL will fail…But this is why as Catholics, we can always return to the Father, as St Peter did and ask for forgiveness….When we confess our sins to a Priest, not only are we forgiven, but we are given Divine Grace to overcome our sins - And little by little - We grow in holiness and are sanctified.......Becoming “who we were born to be” takes time - A life time! - And for that reason we have to learn from the example of St Peter…..Failing and getting back up - Failing and getting back you - Failing and getting back up!……In life, its not how we start that matters - Its how we finish that counts!….St Peter shows us the way forward……If we pray into the silence before the Blessed Sacrament we will hear the ever present steady voice of God……”Quo Vadis?" - When we hear those words - Its time to “turn around!!!!”……”He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me.”……Just think if St Peter did not listen to that “small voice” - Where would we all be today?

“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us”

Today we hear in the Gospel just how forgiving Jesus is - Peter betrays him and Jesus not only forgives him but builds him up!…This same Jesus is there for us when we fail - So the question is - Do we take advantage of the opportunity?…..I work in New York City and sometimes when I walk the busy streets I think to myself - “How many people are carrying around deep regret?” - “How many people are projecting their internal pain on others?” - “How many people suffer from self inflicted wounds caused by poor choices?”…This reality is not unique to New York City….The only remedy is Sacramental Reconciliation - Time does not heal wounds - It only makes them fester!….How the secular world “rationalizes” this reality away as it drowns in its own pain!….If we only knew how much God loves us! - That we are one Sacramental Confession away from peace - From “a second chance” - From beginning the healing process, which we ALL long for!”……..Just as St Peter tried to run away from his destiny, we are the same….Maybe it’s time to turn around and stop!….And listen to the ever present voice of God……”Quo Vadis?" - "Where are you going?”………….JMJ

Bend your will until it breaks - Thy will be done!

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John makes an appeal for unity…..How can it be that one man, founded one Church and yet the Christian world is so fractured?…Even within the walls of the Catholic Church - Camps have been created…..This is a scandal in the eyes of God - But sadly this should be of no surprise due to our fallen human nature….Never underestimate our need for divine grace and the pull of sin in your life…The devil knows all our weakness and only needs a small opening - Therefore do not give the devil an inch!……Our Christian unity is found in the Pope, who is the Vicar of Christ on the earth…..And in all the teachings of the Church, which are all written down very clearly…..If Jesus is God, which we know he is - And God founded one Church, which we know he did - Then what is the problem?…..The problem is not God or the Church - The problem is within us!…..The closer we grow towards God, the more we will be able to bend our will….Unity within the Church rests with our closeness to the Lord individuality - First and foremost….There is a reason why the first commandment is to Love God above all things…Its because when we get that commandment right - We get the rest of the commandments right….This unity with God comes from Sacramental grace, daily prayer, weekly fasting and living a sacrificial life for others….We must “make room” for grace to enter our life….And when we do - “Getting along” with our neighbors - Bending our will to Church teaching - And adhering to the tenets and rubrics of the Catholic faith will not seem as hard…..Again - The problem is not “the Church” - The problem is us!…..Jesus and his Holy Mother gave us the example of what it means to be obedient…..Obedience is something that many people have a big problem with - “Don’t tell me what to do!” - Why do we have a problem with the Church instructing us when the instruction is in our best interests?…..”If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him”…..We need to trust more and question less…God knows what he is doing and he sees ‘the big picture”….There is one way into heaven and the “sign posts” are clear - Its for us to follow them.

“May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord”

If you read the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I have read (I read it twice)…You will find that the document is very easy to digest…In this book, all the teachings of the Church are communicated very clearly - So what is the problem!!!!…How can we get “it wrong” when what the Church teaches is perfectly articulated?!?….We get it wrong because we do not want to do things “God’s way”…..We still “think” that “our way” is better than God’s way - What a mistake - That was the same mistake of Adam and Eve and how did that work out for them!?!…………I will tell you this - A turning point in your faith journey is when you KNOW that “your way” is NOT the way to heaven - Have we fully digested this idea?…….Answer me this - Why are we not at peace? - Why is our joy fragmented? - The answer to these questions come from our lack of unity with the Lord individually…..The Church is our Mother and a Mother knows the son better then anyone….Once we look at the Church as our mother and view her instruction to us as something that is in our best interests - Our spiritual life will grow in leaps and bounds!…How did I come to this revelation? - I tried things “my way” and failed!….As a result I am fully “on board”….I KNOW God can do more with my life then I can - Are you convinced of this reality? - Because whether you agree or disagree - It is reality!….”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”….Jesus did not say things to hear himself talk! - He told us everything we needed to know - The rest is up to us!

“You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever”

One of the last requests made by Jesus Christ was that all his followers would be of one mind and one heart…..If we arrive safely in heaven, you do realize that no one is going to ask your opinion!….In heaven all people will be of one mind and one heart - So why don’t we embrace this idea here on earth!?! - And the only way we will accomplish that is by bending or will - By making room for Divine grace - And by embracing the virtue of obedience……Our Lady can help us with all of those things……”Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”……Finding our unity with our fellow Christians first begins with finding our unity with God….The problem is not the Church - The problem is within us!…..Bend your will until it breaks - Thy will be done!…………….JMJ

The world is watching!

Today at Holy Mass we are reminded in both readings that Jesus Christ is the Truth…We hear that often but do we take this reality for granted?…..To love Jesus is to love the Truth and if we love the Truth, we must live it!……Easier said than done!…..The world rejects the Truth - Why? - It does not pay!….In order to fully embrace the Truth, Catholics and all people of good will must be willing to pay a cost….Yes - There is a cost to living the Truth and if we want to walk the narrow road to heaven, we must be willing to pay that cost…Let’s not fool ourselves! - There is no heaven without the Cross!…..”I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth”….How can we possibly think that living in this world as a Catholic will be easy….How can we possibly think that we can be both a Catholic and “go along to get along” among “the children of this world”? - Yet we do “think” we can have it both ways - As we say where I from in New Jersey, “we want to have our cake and eat it too”….Let’s face it - We all want to live comfortable lives - But here is “the deal” - We were not created for comfort - We were created for greatness!…..If we fully want to become the people we were born to be - We must rely on Divine grace….No man is an island and the full weight of the world will come down upon us when we embrace the fullness of Truth…This is why St Paul tells us….”Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground”…….St Paul understood that the battle was real because he fought it! - And so will we if we engage in the "Zone of Truth" in the public square…And if we attempt to “fight the good fight” - Without Divine Grace - We will most assuredly lose that fight!….St Paul in the first reading today warns his friends……“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God that he acquired with his own Blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them. So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears. And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated”…….To follow Christ is to “be in the fight”…..And as the old saying goes - “The Truth will set you free” - But before it sets you free - You must fight for it!

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

The Catholic Church is universal, which means everyone is invited to Mass…No matter who you are - You do not even have to Catholic to attend Mass - That sounds very inclusive to me - Right? - But here is the “rub” - In order to receive the Blessed Sacrament - A Catholic must be in the state of grace - That means we must confess our sins to a Priest at least once a calendar year and if we fall into mortal sin, we confess that sin before receiving the Blessed Sacrament at Mass….This is not my opinion - This is a perennial Catholic teaching that cannot be changed - Not even by the Pope.

“Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1415)

With that said - Is this teaching of the Church taught with clarity? - A better question may be - Is this teaching put into practice?…..For example - When a Catholic politician is living in objective mortal sin - Is their sin addressed and if it is and the politician obstinately refuses to change their position - Is the Blessed Sacrament withheld from them at Mass?….A teaching is a teaching and if we say we believe that Jesus is fully present - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament - Then we should act like it - Right!……And because we do not always “practice what we preach”, the world does not take the Catholic Church seriously - Face the facts!!! - And if we want to be taken seriously as Catholics, we have to live what we say we believe - Its really that simple - But is it simple?…..In order to live what we believe - We must be grounded in Sacramental grace…..Living “counter” to the world requires super-natural assistance - Daily Prayer, Weekly Fasting and the Sacramentals - There are no two ways about it! - So are we living in this manner?….Are we willing to suffer the cost for speaking and living the Truth? - This is the question - And believe me - The world is watching!.......JMJ

What are you holding back and why are you afraid?

Today at Holy Mass St Paul in the first reading tells us that he knows the end is near….Paul was bold and opened himself up completely to Christ - And look at the outcome!…Do you think that if we did the same we would not experience a different outcome?….We may not be viewed in history as “another St Paul” - But God would surely use us in miraculous ways!….What holds us back? - Why are we so afraid?…..Our life is but a breath - Even if we were to live one hundred years - What is one hundred years compared to eternity?…..The words of St Paul today should be our words……”And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”……We only know what we know but the question is - Is it our primary priority to find the Truth? - Are we searching the truth out relentlessly?…..And when we find it - Do we share it with reckless abandon?…..As a Father of five children - My primary job is to get my wife and children to heaven - To be “the priest” in my household - To pass on the faith to my children - Nothing is more important then that - There is not even a close-second!…And in my efforts, if I do my very best - No matter what the outcome - I too can say the same words that St Paul said…..”For I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”….That is my job in my home as a father and a husband…Its frankly the job of every Baptized Catholic - So the question then becomes - Are we doing our job?

“I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always”

The Church teaches that in order to receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, one must be in the state of grace…This is not my “opinion” - Its a perennial teaching of the Church, which can not be changed…..One of my sons recently received his First Holy Communion and at the Mass the Priest stated to the congregation that if they were not Catholic or were not properly disposed to receive the Blessed Sacrament to approach the altar and receive a Blessing instead….That is all a Priest can do - Speak the Truth - Then its up to us!…We as Catholics cannot be afraid to speak the Truth - To communicate the fullness of of the Truth, which is contained in the Catholic Church to our people - How are people going to know how to live according to God’s will if they are not instructed properly?…..There is nothing “pastoral” about not proclaiming the Truth in all its fullness….Some people may be “put off” when they hear the Truth - But that is not our problem….Our job is simply to “pass on” the Deposit of Faith - We are not hear to “re-define” it or make it more “palatable” by twisting it….No one is serviced when that occurs!…..As St Paul told us today in the Acts of the Apostles at Mass…..”For I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”….Paul went to his death with a clear conscience and that should be our goal as well….As a Father, my job is to make sure my children are raised Catholic, that they know their faith by my example in the home as well as the education I provide for them….A Priest or Bishop has a different role but a similar task - To preach and teach the faith in all its fullness to their congregations - In season and out of season - Come what may!…..Is this happening? - In some cases yes - However, in some cases we lack courage!…..We must listen carefully to the words read to us in the Acts of the Apostles once again - And notice how even in the face of violent opposition, the early Church did not hesitate to be bold…..So take courage! - “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood”……When our earthly life comes to an end let us have no regrets!!! - Let us “run the race” - Let us “fight the good fight” - Let us “keep the faith”

"Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him”

Today once again the saints show us the way…St Paul in the first reading at Mass knew that soon his life would be demanded of him - But that did not slow Paul down! - “I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus. But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me” - St Paul was all in!!!!  - How about us?……What parts of your life have not been “given over” to the Lord?….What are we holding back?…….Another saint points the way forward - St Francis of Assisi once said to his brothers….."Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally”…..This is how we shake the foundations of the world! - That is how St Paul did it as well as St Francis - How about us?…..What are you holding back and why are you afraid?……..JMJ

No need to re-create the wheel

Today at Holy Mass we hear once again from the Acts of the Apostles in the first reading….This book of the bible documents the early Church from its very beginning immediately following the death of Christ - The Church at that time was full of zeal, it was fearless, and bold….This is the model for what the Church should look like - So the question then must be - Is this what we see in the Church today?…..Have we become “measured”, like lawyers, in how we address society?…..Do we preach the fullness of Truth without apologies?….We are told today about St Paul - A man who suffered his fair share of hardships for the faith - And none of what he suffered stopped him!…….”He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God”…..There is a cost to be a disciple - Are we willing to pay it?…Do we prefer to be “comfortable” and “go along to get along” like everyone else in society?….This was not the path of St Paul - Nor was it the path of Jesus Christ……Today in the Gospel, Jesus tells us very clearly……”In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”……Jesus Christ was the greatest revolutionary that has ever walked the face of the earth and to be Catholic today is in many ways to be a revolutionary…We were not Baptized to be like everyone else! - We were grafted into the life of God for a purpose - And that purpose is to work towards building up the Kingdom of God…..The message has not changed - Nor has the method….If we are not living a revolutionary life - Frankly, we are not living the Gospel......It’s not enough to “believe” the Gospel - We must live it and to live it makes us revolutionaries!

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”

Do we “play it safe”?…What do I mean by that? - Are the choices we make as adults made simply to be comfortable and “go along to get along”?…..Nothing about being Catholic can comport with the idea of “playing it safe”!….For example - When a Catholic couple does not use contraception and has numerous children, trusting in God’s providence - Is that couple “playing it safe”?…..The world will not believe what we claim to be true if it does not see what we claim to be true lived out!…..And that requires us to: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch”……I remember the first time I traveled to Kolkata India to serve the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters…I was attending a parish at the time, which frankly lacked apostolic zeal…When I told the pastor I was headed to Kolkata, his face dropped almost in horror!…….Catholics need to stop “buying in” to the lie of the culture - “Have only two children” - “Ticking the Catholic box” on Sunday - “Keeping our head down” - And living like everyone else around us!….Our world today needs radicals! - Yes - Revolutionary Catholics!….Those who fully believe the words of Christ and look to live those words, without apologies, boldly in the public square….Why is that? - Because the secular world in many ways does not take the Catholic Church seriously - We do a lot of “talking” but frankly our actions are in many segments of the Church “lukewarm”……The unbelieving world is not going to be convinced until it sees us practice what we preach - And that requires a radical response to the Gospel…..“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”…Speaking personally, “lukewarm” Catholicism bores me - I am not interested in it - By the way - Nor was Jesus interested in it

“Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?”

Today at Mass once again we hear of the early Church acting boldly….St Paul was not “playing it safe” - How about us?….Do we live our Catholic faith in the public square?…..Do we make life choices through the lens of the Church’s teachings and the Gospel message?….Because if we do - The world will see very clearly what we are all about - No words will be necessary to “explain” that we are Catholic - Our life’s witness will “scream it”…Why is such a witness necessary today? - Because this is the only “message” that frankly resonates in our secular society - Such a life cannot be “dismissed” so easy!…..Its far to easy to talk - Its time to “put up or shut up”…..Jesus gave us the “blueprint” to follow - Just follow it! - Its been proven to work for two thousand years and if we follow it, it will work once again!…..No need to re-create the wheel……….JMJ