God does the “heavy lifting” - Our job is to “get out of our own way”!

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in St John’s Gospel talks to us about the Holy Spirit…He refers to it as the “Spirit of Truth….Jesus tells us this……”And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him”……To live in the Spirit as a Catholic is not something for a select few people who get canonized - Its simply to live in the state of grace…How does one live in the state of grace?…Simple - Go to Confession regularly, once a month as recommended by the saints and receive the Blessed Sacrament once a week at Mass - Simple!…..But how many Baptized Catholics are doing this?…..The answer to our problems as a Church in so many ways is so simple!!!! - And to live in the state of grace is simple…….Now let’s look closer - Notice what Jesus said….”The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept”…….Why does the world have a problem with God? - Keep this in mind - A person can say they “believe in God” and still be at odds with God and not be in the state of grace - But how? - The answer to this dilemma is - Human Beings want to do things their way - Not God’s way - And that is a dangerous road to walk….Jesus again tells us why in St John’s Gospel….”Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him”…..To be a Christian is more then just “believing in God” - We MUST as Jesus tells us - ”Observes” my commandments - That is the person who really loves me……….Love is an action it is not simply a word….To love someone is to “do” for them……If we are not living in the state of Grace willfully - We are not walking on the path that leads to eternal life - Did you just read that?!? - I will state it again! - If we are willfully, in full knowledge, not in the state of grace we will not enter the Kingdom of God!

“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live”

What is the big deal about confessing your sins to a Priest?….This is a huge obstacle for many people both in the walls of the Catholic Church and outside the walls….God already knows what you did - So why do you have a problem confessing it to a Priest?……For those who do go to Confession regularly, you know that it is a tangible encounter with God…When you leave the Confessional, you feel the Holy Spirit enter your soul in a very real way…..A huge burden is lifted and when we live in this state, we allow the Blessed Sacrament to take root within us when we consume the consecrated Host at Mass - This is how it works! - So simple!…….Confession in the American Catholic Church needs to become what it once was - More available….There was a time when Confessions were heard before every Mass…..In fact, in New York City where I work, to the credit of the clergy, Confession is available just about every day across the enter city……Now sadly at most parishes in America, Confession is made available for only one hour on Saturday……This must change!……To unleash the power of the Holy Spirit - Our people must confess their sins regularly!…..This will open the flood gates of grace - It will turn the “lukewarm” into instruments of the Holy Spirit - And the world will be made anew!

“Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit”

The Gospel of John is a very clear account and today we are told that we must not be Catholic in name alone - We must we “doers” of the word by following the commandments of God - In doing that, the Holy Spirit will fall upon us…..Grace is like rain, it falls from the sky - All we have to do is “put down our umbrella” and allow that Grace to pour down upon us…..Its our pride and sin that get in the way of that Grace - And this is why the Catholic faithful MUST go to confession regularly….To think otherwise is simple foolish…..Its time to get back to basics….Being in the state of Grace is mandatory - Its not optional………If we want to really know what it is like to be Catholic, we must live Sacramental lives and live in the state of grace…This is the ONLY way we impact the world around us…..Are we just “ticking boxes” as Catholics? - Do we say empty words and live in opposition to the words we claim to believe?…….Without the Holy Spirit and the grace of the Sacraments - THERE IS NO WAY! - We can observe the commandments of God - “Did you get that?!?” - Its impossible because of our fallen nature as human beings……We can know all the answers to the test and still fail the test - How? - Because being Catholic is not just about knowing “the answers”, its about LIVING the answers!…..And we can not self manufacture Grace…Our “job” is to get the obstacles out of the way, so the Grace of God can flow down upon us and then through us to the world - Simple - Right?!?………God does the “heavy lifting” - Our job is to “get out of our own way”!…….JMJ

We stand in “good company” - The company of the saints - So rejoice

Today at Holy Mass Jesus warns his disciples in the Gospel of St John …."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”…We read this passage over and over again but we resist it…Why? - Because deep down all human beings want to belong…We want to be apart of “the club”….You witness this reality in young children at school in the cafeteria as far as where they sit and eat - The “cliques” they create, belong to and exclude others from joining…..And this reality does not change as we develop into adulthood - It looks different but the concept stays the same….To fully embrace Jesus Christ and the Truth of the Catholic Church will make you an "outlier" in society - There are no two ways about it…..The secular world not only does not embrace the Truth, it out right rejects it…Why? - For one, it isolates a person from the “crowd” and secondly, it usually makes one have less material wealth…..No one “gets paid” in Fortune 500 corporations for being virtuous - Now that does not mean everyone who works at a Fortune 500 company is a “bad person” but it does mean we are not rewarded for embracing the fullness of Truth - And because of that - People reject Truth for material gain and social status - Let’s just be honest…..And this is where the “rubber meets the road” when it comes to being Catholic - This is how you separate the “sheep from the goats”….A Catholic knows who he or she truly is deep down - We are children of God! - The desire for social status and material wealth mean very little - They do not define who a Catholic is - Therefore, Catholics do not “sell their soul” for them….And that too will make you an "outlier" in society….Jesus today warns us of this reality and if we authentically want to follow him - We must embrace this reality - Because it is reality!

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

I work as a Compliance Officer for a large European Bank…..I am the father of five children and two of my children were born during the COVID global epidemic…..When my fifth children was born, I was fifty-one years old….My fourth child was just born and because of that I waited to tell my manager one month before the birth of my fifth child (Maria)……Now my manager makes a lot of money!…He could afford to have ten children!!!! - Keep this in mind….And when I told him my wife and I were expecting our fifth child and me being fifty-one years old - This was his response, “Joe - YOU ARE CRAZY”…..This is the reaction of the secular world to a Catholic marriage….A marriage that does not use contraception and is open to life - That does not embrace materialism…..As Catholics we must ask ourself - Are we willing to be that "outlier" in society? - Or do we “go along to get along”…..This is in a sense what Jesus warns us about today in St John’s Gospel….."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”…..Do we want to be apart of “the club” that celebrates secular values, which ultimately destroy us?…Or do we embrace Truth, which leads to authentic peace and joy here on earth and life in heaven for all eternity?….…This is the choice that stand before us……”See, I have today set before you life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I am giving you today, loving the LORD, your God, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and ordinances, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. If, however, your heart turns away and you do not obey, but are led astray and bow down to other gods and serve them, I tell you today that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess”….Many in the world today believe they can have it “both ways” - It does not work that way!…..We can not serve two masters - We will love one and hate the other - Jesus himself tells us that…..Its time to make a choice and pick up our Cross!!! - Its our Cross that leads us to eternal life, not being apart of the “crowd”, which clamors and derides us for embracing the Truth……Choose Life - “Be in the world but not of the world” - And if that means being persecuted - So be it!

“Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song”

Today St John in the Gospel at Mass communicates an “inconvenient truth” - If we follow Jesus as we were called to as Catholics - The world will reject us….Our people do not like to think about this - In fact, many try to evade this reality as much as they can….While we clearly do not want to be disliked by some segments of society, the reality of the mater is, it cannot be avoided….The world rejects the Truth and if you embrace the Truth - The world will reject YOU!….Are you ok with that?…Because YOU have to be!…Its part of being a disciple - It comes with the “territory” of being a Catholic…..Because of this, Jesus tells us the following…..”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”………We stand in “good company” - The company of the saints - So rejoice…………JMJ

That “kind of friend” is rare!

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus in the Gospel of St John call us his friend…..To have a true friend is a gift…Someone who knows you and loves you as you are, with all your flaws….This is rare indeed to have such a friend….When I was young I had tons of “friends”….But as I got older I soon found out who my true friends were….And those are the people we must stay close too….Jesus tells us today…..”No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father”….What does it mean to be Jesus’ friend? - Do you view him in this way?…….Because he is our friend, we must learn to trust him explicitly - Even if what he says “does not make sense” - What do I mean by that? - Even if the Gospel message does not comport to the world’s message - Even if the Gospel message is hard - Even if the Gospel message requires sacrifice…We must still trust in Jesus - Why? - Because he is our true friend!……No one is closer to us than he is and every he says to us through Scripture and the Church he found is in our best interest - Do you believe that?!?….Because if you do, you will bend your will until it breaks!…..Why? - Because your best friend told you too!

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain”

When everything is going well in life most people will find that all your “friends” are close to you - But let something go wrong - Seriously wrong…You get into financial trouble - You lose your job - You get sick and need assistance…Its at those moments that our true friends emerge - How do we know that these people who stick by us in difficult times are our friends? - Because they sacrifice for us…Whether its their time - Whether its helping us financially - They give of themselves for us by “going out of their way” - And this is how we know they are our true friends…Sadly as you get older you realize few people will do that for you and when you find those who do - Never let those people go!……When I was forty years old one of my high school friends found himself drinking way too much…He had chronic back problems and began drowning his pain with vodka….He would come to my family home drunk out of his mind in the morning - It was a “silent cry” for help…..Both my father and I knew he was drunk….One day, he called me and asked to drive him to a rehabilitation center three hours away - Which I did…..The drive was messy - The effects of his alcoholism were very tangible - He was very close to death…..So I drove him to the rehabilitation center where he stayed for a few months…..From that point forward he gained control of his life again and saved his marriage……I mention this because helping my friend was not something I “wanted to do” but I did it anyway…Why? - Because he was my friend…Helping him “cost” me something - But I did it anyway - Why? - Because he is my friend…And when you do things for people like that - Not only do they remember it - But they know you are a follower of Jesus Christ - Because you put the Gospel into action!…..As Catholics, no one will believe us as far as what we “claim” to believe if we do not sacrifice for others - If our actions do not mirror the Gospel…..The “proof” that we love God is that we love others….Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel….”This I command you: love one another” - Its easy to say the word “love” but its another thing altogether to live out what love truly is….To love is to sacrifice self for others and that sacrifice can come in the form of a heavy personal cost!…This is what Jesus did for all of humanity - He gave his life for us on the Cross…This is what a husband does for his wife and children - This is how they know his love for them is real - And this is how the world will know we are Catholic - In the “cost” we are willing to pay for others…..Mother Teresa would always say - “For love to be real it must hurt” - That means it costs us dearly! - This is how we show the world we are Catholics - We “pay the cost” of love and we “pay” it with joy in our heart!

“I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me”

Today at Mass Jesus calls us his friend - What kind of friend are you to him?……Do you “stick with him” no matter what?….Do you trust him?…….Are you only “friends” with Jesus when things are going smoothly?……Jesus stands with us when everyone else walks away - That is the kind of friend he is - And trust me - That “kind of friend” is rare!……JMJ

”Joy is the net that will catch many souls”

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus in the Gospel of St John mention something that many times gets disassociated with Catholicism by our secular society - The idea of Joy…Do we even know what Joy is? - Joy is not some fleeting moment - Authentic Joy lasts - Its deep - And this “kind of Joy” can only be found in God! - A very controversial statement to make but a true one none-the-less……Think for a moment of the person you know who is the farthest away from God - On that person’s heart - All over their heart - Is God!!! - They just have not given God permission to be who he is to them yet….This is why Catholics must be a light to the nations - We must walk among “the people” and show them what authentic joy is….Joy found in everyday living…..The world thirsts for this joy and sadly is looking in all the wrong places to find it…….Mother Teresa would tell her sisters - “Joy is the net that will catch many souls”……Secular people are not going to pay attention to theological arguments - Even if your arguments are perfectly articulated - But those same secular people will see your joy - And wish they had it deep down!…..This is how we evangelize the world - By our joy!…Jesus today tells his disciples - “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete”…….The world simply does not believe this!…..The secular world sincerely thinks being Catholic is the most repressive thing one can be - Nothing could be further from the truth! - But telling someone this will not change their mind - We must show them….There are no saints with sour dispositions! - The saints radiate joy! - And only saints change the world

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

I grow up culturally Catholic - My parents took me to Mass and I attended Catholic high school and college….During that time I met a lot of very “nice people” but really never met anyone sadly that radiated Christ’s joy….Simply by what I experienced as a Catholic in that environment - Nothing about it moved me in a significant way to want to really live as a authentic Catholic - I am just being honest…..Until I met in my twenties the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal - For those who do not know - This religious order began in New York City - And the men who joined it were intelligent, gifted by all messages of the secular world, lived sacrificially and sincerely were joyful people….My encounter with these men in many ways changed my life…Then I met the Sisters of Life - An order of nuns who were also founded in New York City to help women who were experiencing troubled pregnancy - Same thing! - One could say the joy these nuns possessed was almost not of this world - It stopped traffic!…Then I met the Missionaries of Charity - Same thing! - Their joy was so sincere and tangible it could not be questioned…..After “seeing” for myself these men and women, who were living authentic Catholic lives and appeared not only fully content in their vocation but exponentially more joyful then any person I ever met outside the Catholic Church - And that is no exaggeration! - I began to “re-think” my position about the faith - And do you know what else? - I said to myself - Why can’t I have the joy they have too?….And that is the same reaction the world will have if YOU fully embrace YOUR Catholic faith and live it out loud - Because here is “the deal” - People do not care what you know - People care about what they see!……And when secular people, who deep down know they are “missing something” in their life SEE in you authentic joy - They will gravitate to you and in time the Holy Spirit will work in them……A person can not “fake” real joy and the world knows when they see it.

“After this I shall return and rebuild the fallen hut of David; from its ruins I shall rebuild it and raise it up again, so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked. Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things, known from of old”

Today we live in a Post - Christian society…Not only is institutional religion rejected but so is God himself….And because of this, our people are unmoored and searching for “something” to fill the vacuum created by willfully turning from God……In 1969, a German priest made this prophetic statement about the world and the Church….Now some fifty-seven years later, we are beginning to see the start of “something” this Priest predict would happen….In the last few years, people in Europe and America are getting Baptized in record numbers - Why? - This German Priest, who many years later become Pope Benedict XVI told us the answer…….”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”……No matter who you are - We all want to be happy! - And authentic happiness that lasts CAN NOT be found outside of God…..The world can deny this reality all it wants - But the statistics do not lie - Our world today is more depressed then ever before….And only when the unbelieving world “sees” for itself what Pope Benedict XVI describes as “the little flock of believers” - Those who are fully animated by the living God and rooted in Truth - Only then will the world consider making a change….It all comes down to our joy - Joy is not some esoteric concept - Its something everyone can understand and everyone wishes they had……”Joy is the net that will catch many souls”…….JMJ

”Without me you can do nothing” - Get the Hint?

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St John, in my humble opinion one of the MOST important messages you will hear in the entire Bible……If the Catholic world fully embraced this message, the world would be set ablaze…..But sadly we do not fully embrace it due to our pride…”I know better” - We hear this statement all the time from so many……To address that claim very sharply - NO YOU DO NOT!……Jesus said “I am the vine” - He did NOT say -  “You are the vine”

“Jesus said to his disciples: “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 everyone 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. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned”

I have been a practicing Catholic for over thirty years and over the course of that time I have learned a “few things”….One of those “things” that I learned, because I have seen this with my own two eyes, is that when religious orders adhere strictly to the teachings of the Church, as they are written - If they live lives of sacrifice - If they develop deep interior lives through hours of daily prayer…When they do all that - They bear a tremendous amount of fruit for the Kingdom of God…The formula works without exception!!!!….I have seen this with many religious orders - To name three: The Missionaries of Charity; The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal & The Sisters of Life……Conversely, religious order that have “relaxed” lifestyles, I will be charitable, their orders get no vocations and die out…Why is that? - Jesus tells us why in the Gospel of St John today….So here is the question - If that “formula” works for religious orders - Why would it not work for Lay Catholics; Bishops and Diocesan priests?…The “problem” is not with Church teaching - The problem is segments of Baptized Catholics do not fully embrace Church teaching - We lack courage! - We do not fully bend our will to God….And because of that - We do not bear the fruit that Jesus promises we would bear…This needs to change!!!!…..Being Catholic is “painting by numbers” - All the teachings of the Church are written down - All we have to do is follow them!!!….Just read what is on the paper - Easy RIGHT?!?……What needs to stop is all our “excuses”……No one has a “better idea” than Jesus Christ and the fullness of Truth contained in the teachings of the Catholic Church.....It’s not “pastoral” to alter doctrine…..Its not “merciful” to conveniently “leave out” segments of doctrine….All we have to do as Catholics is “paint by the numbers”…..And if we do - We will bear fruit - Simple? - RIGHT?….Let’s make it happen!

“Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord”

As a married man for twelve years my wife and I have never used contraception…..As a result we have five children - We also lost three as a result of miscarriages…..Our marriage is stronger today than it was on the day we were married!…I love my wife more today then the day I met her….Why is that? - Because our marriage is Sacramental - Which means God animates it because we allow him into our marriage - God is the center of our marriage and of our individual lives - This is the “secret” to a good marriage……God gave mankind marriage and made it a Sacrament - To view marriage any other way is a HUGE mistake…Why is that? - Because to have a good marriage takes work - It also takes God’s grace…And when we “think” we “know better” than God and do things “our way” - Marriages full apart - Why? - Because to have a strong marriage, one needs grace in that marriage and without that grace, selfishness creeps in and in turn the marital bond slowly is destroyed….That is why marriage is one of the seven Sacraments instituted by the Church…Marriage is a vocation, which leads a man and a woman to God by the death of themself through the service of each other and their children…To understand the institution of marriage any other way is a HUGE MISTAKE - Don’t take my word for it - Look at the divorce numbers for couples involved in secular marriages - What does that tell you?…I will tell you what it tells me - God’s way works!

“Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD”

Today at Mass St John tells us something that Jesus said that is SO IMPORTANT!!!!…Clearly everything that Jesus says is important but today we hear something that all Catholics must strive to execute on each and every day……”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” - Did you just hear that! - This is the “key” to everything we do as Catholics, no matter what state of life we are called to - Whether a Bishop, a Priest, married or single…..We are NOT “the vine”, which means we do NOT make the rules!….Catholics who fully digest this teaching today set the world on fire and those who do not - Sadly “spin their wheels”……Its time to stop “spinning our wheels”….Being Catholics is easy - Its like when we were children - All we have to do is “paint by the numbers” - And we will bear fruit……Conversely, if we choose to “do it our way” - Jesus tells us the outcome before we make that choice…………….”Without me you can do nothing” - Get the Hint?…………JMJ

“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John tells his disciples that evil does exist and the devil is real…Do you believe in the existence of the devil?…..You should…..Because he is very real….”I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me”…Throughout the pages of Scripture there are numerous references to the devil…Jesus in this exchange with his disciples tells them bluntly…”the ruler of this world is coming”…..What does that tell you?….The biggest mistake people can make is to dismiss the impact the devil has and can have on the world - This is why we must stay close to Christ and his Church…If we live in the state of grace - We will be given “eyes to see”….Grace also strengthens our will to make the right choices…..Far too many people in this world “assume” they are “too smart” to fall….The devil plays the long game…He knows all our weakness and slowly he draws us away from God if we do not prioritize our Catholic faith….Our world today is “under the spell” of the lies of the devil….We have been fooled into thinking “we make the rules” - That God is “whoever we make him out to be”…….Nothing could be further from the Truth…….Jesus today acknowledges that life is hard but if we trust in God, we will be given what we need…….”Jesus said to his disciples: "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. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I”…..Living your life outside of Sacramental grace is a huge mistake - No matter who you are or how gifted you may think you are - At the “end of the day” - Our lives run out - We all die! - And we can not save ourself…..The tangible peace that God gives is better than anything the world can give to us…Even the best material things of this world “get old” in time…But God’s peace endures….However, we must make a choice, we can not have it “both ways”……“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon”……The devil has laid the world to waste - And only those who live in the state of grace will endure his wrath….So stay close to God and be not afraid.

“Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations”

Have you ever come across in your life an effective liar? - Someone who is so good at lying that most people don’t even realize that person is lying…If you have encountered such a person, imagine just how effect the devil is….The devil does not walk the earth with a “red tail and red horns” - The devil is deceptive - His lies are subtle and “go under the radar” of most people, even the smartest of people - And here is the worse part about it - The devil is effective!!!….This is why St Paul tells us…..”Finally, 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. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one”………Sacramental grace keep us out of harms way!!!…….If we live in the state of grace we have nothing to fear but without that grace, we will be devoured - The minute you think otherwise is the minute the devil has you right where he wants you!…..Some may read this reflection and laugh - They will “think” they are too smart to be “fooled” - That the devil is not real - That they are too strong… - That they will never fall for the lies of some “red-tailed myth” - If you are “that person” - I am here to tell you - Think twice!……Human beings are no match for the devil without the aide of Jesus Christ!….We are told today at Mass in St John’s Gospel….”Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” - “For the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me”……We are being warned - Heed the warning - Stay close to Christ - Stay in the State of Grace!

“May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD, and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever”

Many people today who enjoy music know who the Rolling Stones are - For those who do not, they are a musical group who have been very successful for many years……One of their most popular songs is entitled “Sympathy for the Devil”….This is one of the lyrics from that song….”Please allow me to introduce myself - I’m a man of wealth and taste - I’ve been around for a long, long year - Stole many a man's soul and faith”….Interesting? - Maybe the Rolling Stones read the Gospel of St John too?……..As far as Catholics should be concerned - Have no “Sympathy for the Devil” - Because the devil has no “sympathy” for you!….Stay vigilant and Stay in the state of grace…..”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”……JMJ

And without grace - Not going to happen!

Today at Holy Mass Jesus address his disciples in the Gospel of St John…He tells them its not enough to say that we love God - That our love for God is shown if we follow his commandments….“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me”…….Words are very easy to say - I tell my five children this all the time….If our actions do not mirror our words - Our words really mean very little….This is one of the complaints people say about many Catholics today - Their lives are just like the pagan world they live among - This must change!….But how do we live the Gospel? - Its impossible right? - WRONG!!! - With God all things are possible….And that is the point - This is why we must avail ourself to grace…Without God’s grace their is NO WAY we are going to live as God called each of us to live…I repeat this over and over again in these daily reflections because its the “missing link” which most people seem to “gloss over”…..Saying “fancy words” does not cut it!…You can memorize the entire Bible and still not live the message contained in the Bible….And it’s how we live that matters!!!….And to live as a Catholic you need grace, which comes from the Sacraments, daily prayer and weekly fasting…..Does our life mirror that of the Beatitudes? - Because that is the model given to us by Jesus - This is the path to heaven…….“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 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”….Do we live in this way? - A better question - Do you think you could live in this way without God’s grace?……Words are cheap - We must live our words! - And that only happens if we avail ourselves to God’s grace - Those who have ears let them hear!

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

How does a Catholic Priest remain chaste? - HOW?!?….How does a married couple remain faithful to each other for fifty + years  - HOW?!?…How does a single person not engage in casual sex before marriage - HOW?!?…..The answer to all those questions comes down to one word - GRACE!…..Grace elevates our fallen human nature….Grace also can not be self-manufactured….Its for us to open ourself up to it and then God “rains down” grace unto our soul….How does this process begin? - The answer - With a Sacramental Confession….Sin “gets in the way” of God’s grace…Even if we go to Mass and receive the Blessed Sacrament…If we are in a state of mortal sin - The grace contained in the Eucharist will not penetrate our soul…….This is why you hear this statement from some Catholics: “I have been going to Mass all my life - I get nothing out of it”……Maybe if such a person saying that statement went to Confession monthly and then received the Blessed Sacrament at Holy Mass their “mind would change” and they would “get something out” of Mass on Sunday - My bet is - They would see a change if they took my advice…….If we are struggling with a sin and can’t seem to over come it - Don’t give up!!!….Fasting is a good tool to open our soul up to God’s grace….In time, when we utilize all the “tools” given to us by the Catholic Church - We surely will not be perfect - But we will find that everything the Lord commanded us is possible - And many of the sins we struggle with in time will be overcome - But this requires effort on our part - We do not become the people God called us to be over night….Is being sanctified your number one priority? - If it is not - It should be…That is what life is all about - To grow closer to God….And if we are not growing closer to God each day - Sadly then, we are growing away from him…..”Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough” - Notice what Jesus told us in that statement…Some will “not be strong enough” - Why do you think Jesus said that? - Because without God’s grace - NONE OF US are strong enough!!!!!….This is why we must live Sacramentally - Strive to enter through the narrow door!!!!!!

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

Today at Holy Mass Jesus tells us something that St James also reminds us of…..”Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves”….Let’s be honest - To live a Catholic life can be challenging - And that is why many people abandon even trying to live as a Catholic…What needs to be emphasized when we teach the Catholic faith to others is - All things are possible with God - But without God - Nothing is possible!….It does not matter how “gifted” you “think” you are…If you “think” you are going to live the Beatitudes, as well as all the commandments of God relying on your own strength and will - You are going to be greatly disappointed - And in the end you may even give up…The “key” to it all is grace….If we live a Sacramental life, pray each day and fast weekly…God will show you just how possible it is to live as a Catholic!….But we have to do our part…Its easy to say words - We hear them all the time - But its hard to live out those words and that is what the unbelieving world needs to see - People need to see a Catholic life lived out in real time - Telling the secular world about what it means to be Catholic will never convince anyone - They need to see it for themself - And without grace - Not going to happen!……..JMJ

Trust the plan!

Today we hear at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John that everything he said comes from the Father…That even Jesus did not speak on his own - And he was God - What does that example say to us?!?…..”The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works”……The Deposit of Faith does not belong to us - Its simply meant to be passed on by us to other as it is…..Even the Pope does not have the authority to alter the eternal teachings contained in the Deposit of Faith….Yet, human nature being what it is - People attempt to do what is impossible both inside and outside the walls of the Church…..If Jesus did not speak on his own - What makes us “think” we can?…..Human beings have a big problem accepting authority….We see this from the very beginning of creation in the story of our first parents Adam and Eve….But accepting authority is a vital aspect of being an authentic Catholic - So is being obedient to that legitimate authority….But again, obedience is a “dirty word” these days…..”Don’t tell me what to do” - “I will live my life on my terms”…These are statements made often in the times we live in and these statements do not lead to heaven - That I can say with certainty…..When we look at the lives of the three most esteemed people in our Catholic Tradition - Jesus, Mary and Joseph…One of the many virtues that all three shared in common was their obedience to God’s will….Each had a different role to play but each of them were obedient, even in the face of great adversity….Again, I will ask the question - How about us? - Are we obedient to the will of God?….When we come to the place in our faith journey when we are utterly convinced that God’s plan for our life is infinitely better then “our plan” - Its at that point that not only will we be given great peace, but we will advance in the spiritual life in ways we never thought possible!…..God can do more with our life than we can! - Don’t believe me? - Read about the lives of the saints - The powerful and wealthy of this life are long forgotten, yet the saints live on in the words and memories of millions of people for centuries…..Only because of their obedience to God did these timeless men and women become saints - Because they believed that God’s way was the best way…How about you?

"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. "Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

One of the aspects that make a Catholic marriage Sacramental is that the couple make a vow before God on their wedding day that they will be open to life…That means they will accept children as a fruit of their marriage but it also means that they will not use artificial contraception…..Is this what is happening in our Catholic marriages today? - Because if we use contraception in our marriage - Not only are we breaking one of our marriage vows but our marriage is not being lived out Sacramentally, which means God’d grace is not at the center of our marriage - And when that happens, slowly our relationship with our spouse deteriorates…..But people think they “know better” - So they persist in this secular model of living that has proven not to work - How can I say that with such certainty? - Look at the divorce rates!……An authentic Catholic marriage, which is lived out Sacramentally works! - But our world today is not convinced!……I got marriage at forty-three years old - My wife is ten years younger then I….In ten years we had five chidden - We also lost three children to miscarriages…….And each step of the way - God provided for us - My family has never “wanted” for anything….Again, this is something the secular world does not believe - That God will provide!…….”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they”…….The virtue of obedience is something that must be spoken about more in Catholic circles today….We as a Catholic people must re-learn what it means to “listen” to what God has to say as opposed to “listen” to all the voices in our culture that say the exact opposite to what our Catholic faith has professed to be true for centuries….All we have to do is look around - How are things working out in the world around us? - Maybe its time to “listen” to someone else? - That “someone” is God the Father, who loves us and wants what is best for us….Jesus said, “I am the Truth and the Way”……Whatever you may “think” - The fact is, you DO NOT know “the way” and your “way” is NOT better then God’s “way”……..Maybe its time for a change? - Maybe its time to listen? 

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus is telling the first disciples that the Truth spoken by him is the same Truth spoken by God the Father - But the disciples do not seem to “get it”….They question Jesus and sadly so do we two thousand years later……We are told by Jesus that unless our faith becomes like the faith of a child, we will not enter into the Kingdom of God…Why do you think Jesus said that? - Because a child trusts his Father - A child believes every word a Father says - And a child does what his Father tells him…..Why? - Because a child is utterly convinced that his Father will never tell him anything that will harm him….Is our faith like that of a child?…Do we view the teachings of the Catholic Church in that manner?…..It’s vital that we do!…….”Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides”……When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we say “Thy will be done”….Are these just mere words said?…It all comes down to the virtue of obedience…..”When they had departed, behold, the angel of 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. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son”……God has a plan - We may not understand “the plan” as it unfolds but if we trust “the plan” - One day we will “see” just how good of a “plan” it was…….Trust the plan!……JMJ

Be not afraid - God goes before us - And God never abandons his own!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the book of Acts how Paul and Barnabus confront the Jewish population who oppose Christ…..Even in the face of great opposition, St Paul did not back down - He was bold and clear…Is this what we see today in the Church?….”On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles”……..Jesus Christ provided us a path forward - Its the only path forward…”Watering-down” teaching - Compromising our faith in the name of being “politically correct” - Not teaching the Truth in its entry and calling it “pastoral” - All these practices do not help anyone nor do they represent what Catholicism is about…The Truth does not belong to us - Its for us to “pass on” as it is…..And in this reading today, Paul and Barnabus did just that, even in the face of violence….They did not back down, in fact, they doubled down!…..Our people must hear the Truth - How can we live our Catholic faith if we do not know it? - And to know the perennial teachings of the Church, they must be communicated to us clearly and fully…..Our world today needs to be “Baptized” in Truth - And in performing this “Baptism”,  we will sadly make enemies - There is no way around that reality - Can you accept that?………Jesus had enemies - St Paul had enemies - What makes us think we can live our Catholic faith fully and not have enemies!?!………It’s our reluctance to suffer and our desire to be comfortable which holds us back!

For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.”

In America same sex marriage has been completely normalized…Not only does the Catholic Church reject this notion of “marriage” but the Church has perennially taught to engage in the homosexual acts is a grave sin…Yet, our culture has embraced this as “norm”…..As Catholics there is no way we can accept same sex marriage as “normal”….Or trivialize homosexual behavior as just another form of affection…How about sex before heterosexual marriage? - This too has been completely normalized - In the eye of God, another mortal sin……How can we as a society “think” that God does not see this?…Do we “think” he is blind to it?…..What is acceptable in the eyes of mankind is in some cases an abomination to God…..And it will be God who judges us when we die and stand before him, not the opinions of mankind or the culture in which we live in…..To be authentically Catholic in many ways is to live counter-culturally - Is this how we live? - Or do you look to “fit-in”?……We as Catholics are to be a guiding light to the nations and if we are “like everyone else” - That light goes out!….In order to live our faith in the public square in a bold and unambiguous manner, one must develop a deep interior life…Prayer, fasting and the Sacraments strengthen our will and resolve…To “think” we are going to “stand down” the world relying solely on our own strength is a fools errand……St Paul instructs us in how we are to live our faith in a hostile world…….”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. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”………One man grounded in a Sacramental life can stand down the entire world!…The Truth is like a lion, let it loose, it will defend itself!

“The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit”

Today at Mass we heard how St Paul boldly professed his faith publicly - He was not afraid to be authentically Catholic in the public square - How about us?….Are we too concerned with the opinion of others?…..The great Jesuit, Fr John Hardon SJ (1914 – 2000), who was declared a Servant of God by the Church made this statement about the state of Catholicism in the 20th century….."Ordinary Catholics will not survive this age, only heroic Catholics will survive!”……Catholics today need to get serious! - The world, the flesh and the devil have “breached the walls” of polite society….If we are not living Sacramentally, praying daily and fasting weekly - There is little to no chance we will “stand tall” in a world, which is so antagonist to us and the Catholic Church….But if we are grounded in grace and stand with God and Our Lady - We have nothing to fear!…….Our witness to the world as Catholics does not rest in our natural gifts - We are each limited as human beings no matter how “gifted” we many “think” we are - Our witness to the world must be rooted firmly in the Holy Spirit…….“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, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”………Be not afraid - God goes before us - And God never abandons his own!…..JMJ

Time to start living like we believe it

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus in the Gospel of St John instructing his apostles…..“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be”….How easy it is to forget that Jesus will return for us!…In the midst of the craziness of life…The trials - The battles - The struggle….We forget!!!…..NEVER FORGET - Jesus will return and come back for us - He never forgets his own!….This makes all the trials - The battles & The struggles worth it!…….During this exchange between Jesus and his apostles, St Thomas makes an interesting claim…Keeping in mind that Thomas has seen the miracles with his own eyes - Yet he still makes the following statement…“Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”……In response to this question - Jesus tells Thomas - “Where I am going you know the way”………“I am the way and the truth and the life”……..Its appears that St Thomas “got lost” in all the “madness” going on around him - But Jesus, who is ever patient reminds him - And he also reminds us today…”Keep your eyes on me” - Straight ahead!……The line in this Gospel passage that jumped off the page for me is this one - “Where I am going you know the way” - How true this is…..The laws of God are written on every human heart - If we only take the time to turned off all the “noise” around us and listen - If we commit to regular periods of silent prayer each week, we too would hear the ever-present voice of God - And that voice is very clear - “Where I am going you know the way!”……And when we hear God’s voice - It then comes down to executing in our daily life what we hear!…..”Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves”…..Its not enough to just “hear” God’s voice….The path to hell is paved with good intentions….Once we hear God’s voice - Then its up to us to act upon it…..There is only one way forward - How do I know this? - Because “No one comes to the Father except through me”

“Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish”

I have actually heard Catholics ask this question - What is the will of God?…How can we ask such a question?!?…Everything the Catholic Church professes to be true is written down in the Catechism - Its perfectly clear…..So where does the confusion come from? - The answer - In our hearts….This is why we must work at purifying our hearts….A pure heart will not only “see” God, but receive the word of God as it is…….Many years ago I attended a retreat the Missionaries of Charity gave for their Lay Co-Workers in New York City…At this retreat were some life-long volunteers and dare I say very holy men and women in attendance, who gave their lives in the serve of the poor….To this day I can not recall what was said at that retreat but I do recall one person…..There was a very simple minded man invited by Mother Teresa’s sisters to attend the retreat - And he was so happy to be there, you could tell - I watched him as we all took a break for lunch - He was so attentive to what was being spoken to him - You could see it in his face!….There was this one conversation where a woman was telling this simple man something about what was said by the priest conducting the retreat - And all this man kept saying repeatedly was…. YES - YES - YES…..The expression on his face I will never forget - He meant every bit of his YES….That was my “take away” from that retreat…The man who was by far the “simplest” - One could even say simple minded - He taught me the most….There was no ambiguity around what he believed…He was not like St Thomas in today’s Gospel saying - “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” - This man knew EXACTLY where he was going…..And this is how we must be - United in one purpose - Anchored in Truth and moving in one direction!…..There is no reason for us to doubt!!! - Jesus is “The Way”

“And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus reassures his friends - He also reassures us….He tells them - “Don’t worry..Just follow me”….This same message must resonate with us today - Does it?….Its easy to “get lost in the fog” of doubts…To focus on the “storms” in life….But as Catholics we must always remember - We are an Easter People!….The battle has already been won on Calvary……”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”…We must live this statement and never forget it……Death has been conquered - We have nothing to fear………”But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself”……We know exactly where we are to go - There is nothing “unclear” about it…..Time to start living like we believe it…..JMJ

Are we deluding ourselves?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John we are told that the words Jesus spoke and the people that he sends forth to speak in his name are one in the same…..”From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me”……What should that tell us about the relationship between Christ and the one Church he founded - The Catholic Church?……Jesus who is the only one with real authority (because he is God) bestowed that authority upon the Church….Its impossible to separate Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church…Christ is the head and the Church is the body…Therefore what the Catholic Church proclaims to be true and has taught perennially must be followed by the faithful…..We, the people in the pews, do not have authority to “pick and choose” what to believe and what not to believe….Why? - Because we are not God and God is the only one with authority and he gave that authority to the Church…Its really that simple….And our lack of authority is articulated perfectly by the fact that we all die - We can not save ourself…Only God can save us and if we want to enter into eternal life, we must comport our life to God’s will…..What is commonly known today as “Cafeteria Catholicism” must cease……Its all or nothing!

“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him”

Excuses…Excuses…Excuse…”In the name of this”…”In the name of that”…..People rationalize away Catholic Teaching…We have heard it all before - This is not “practical” - This is “impossible”……I could go on and on…..Jesus Christ when he gave authority to the apostles and established a Church understood only too well human nature……He also understood what we need.....When we place self created obstacles before God - We limit the amount of grace we receive…..And we all need that grace!!!!…….Unreconciled sin not only prevents us from becoming the people we were born to be but it blinds us - It weakens our will….Just because a teaching of the Church is “hard” does not mean it can not be done - Everything Jesus taught and everything the Church proclaims to be true can be done - But only through grace…This is why we as Catholics must remove every obstacle that gets in the way of that grace - That means frequently going to Confession (one a month)….When we do that we grow in virtue and we also allow the grace from the Blessed Sacrament to penetrate our soul when we receive it at Holy Mass…This is the only way we can live as Jesus asked us too - Why? - Because all of us, every single human being ever to walk this earth has a fallen nature - And because of that reality - Jesus the Divine Physician provided us “the medicine” we need, which is Sacramental Grace - Which in turn elevates our human nature, making the “impossible” possible!…Those who have ears - Let them hear….To live as a Catholic can only be accomplished with the aide of the Sacraments…..We cannot save ourself and we cannot “read” our way into heaven!

“I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong”

Today St John at Mass tells us that those who Jesus gave authority speak for Jesus - That they in essence are one in the same….Many people today say things like: “I believe in Jesus but I do not believe in the Catholic Church”…or….”I just need Jesus, I don’t need to belong to the Catholic Church”……WRONG!…..There is NO WAY a person can do God’s will without the grace of the Sacraments - NO WAY IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN!…..Jesus gave us a Church for a reason - We need to live Sacramentally due to our fallen human nature…..Its not enough to say we “believe in Christ” - We have to live like Christ asked us to live - The process of sanctification can take a life time - It requires daily prayer, weekly fasting and Sacramental living…..Those who have ears let them hear!…..Jesus is not looking for “believers” - He is looking for followers……”Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves”……Are we deluding ourselves?………JMJ

Do what he tells you!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel how Jesus, who was the son of God did not speak on his own….Jesus was one with the Father and everything he did was in obedience to the Father….That being said - If obedience was a virtue important to Jesus - How much more does this virtue apply to us?….Let’s be honest - Human beings have an “obedience problem”….You hear it all the time - “Don’t tell me what to do?”……As a Catholics this mindset will never work!……”Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak”…….One of the many great things about being Catholic is, everything the Church professes to believe and teaches is written down…There really is no ambiguity - We are the ones that make the teachings unclear….And God, knowing we “need help” with being obedient - Gives us the Sacraments, which provides us with heavenly grace, strengthens our will and opens our eyes!…..To follow Christ is to be obedient - There is no other way to view our relationship with God, who is the Creator….The world today refuses to accept this reality even in the face of bad choices and the consequences that come with those bad choices….God loves us and wants what is best for us - But people do not believe this!…We want to do it “our way” - Even in the face of horrendous outcomes……The first miracle Jesus performed was at the request of Our Lady at the Wedding Feast of Cana…The wine ran out and the people asked Our Lady for help - So what does Our Lady say to do? - Go to Jesus and - “Do what he tells you!” - Simple Right?!?…….That same “advice” applies to this very day….Life is so much better when we do things God’s way…..But sadly the world is not convinced!…..As Catholics, the Church gives us two thousand years of wisdom wrapped up in its perennial teachings - The Church knows what it is talking about! - And when we live out what the Church tells us - We thrive - In our marriages - In our personal life - Even at the hour of death…..It all comes down to obedience….”Do what he tells you!”

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

I am the father of five children - I tell my children all the time - “I will never tell you anything that will hurt you”…But kids being kids - They want to do things “their way”….Adults are no different….And we need to “get over” this mind set…..God is our loving Father and he too through his Church will never tell us anything that will hurt us - Do we believe this? - We need to be convinced of this reality!…..At the age of twenty-two years old I decided to take my Catholic faith seriously….That single decision was by far the best decision of my life!!!!…Because of that one decision I have everything I have today, more then thirty years later…I have my wife, who I met through the Church…I have five children…I have an education…I have a good job…I have money in the bank…I have no addictions….I have no debilitating vices…..I am physically strong, healthy and self discipled…I could go on and on…All these aspects of my life stem from that one decision to live my life as a Catholic…..Today many parents when raising their children do not prioritize teaching their kids about their Catholic faith…This is a huge mistake!!!….Nothing is more important then passing on your Catholic faith to your children…A child can get a great education, have a wonderful job, become materially rich - And still destroy their life as a result of bad choices!!! - This happens all the time!!!!!…..When we as parents are long gone from this life, the faith we passed on to our children will guide their life - Keeping them safe and allowing them to thrive in all their decisions when we are not there to help them…Nothing is more important then providing a Catholic education and witnessing our Catholic faith to our children! - Do we as parents see it that way? - If not, maybe we need to reassess our priorities…When we put God first in our life, everything else falls into its proper place…This all comes down to the virtue of obedience - “Doing what God tells us!”

“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness”

Today at Mass Jesus tells us he does everything the Father tells him….Is this our approach to our Catholic faith?…..Being Catholic means we prescribe to everything the Church teaches….We are not to “pick and choose” what to believe and what not to believe…This “Cafeteria Catholicism” needs to end! - Why? - Because it does not work!….When we do things “God’s way” - Things work out….Keep in mind - Sometimes when we do things God’s way, we need to be patient…..God uses “time” to form us - To prepare us for the “next step”….We must learn to “trust the plan”…..God’s plan works!!!!!!….And so does his “timeline”….All things work for the greater good and for our good…The goal is heaven and for us to enter into eternal life, we must be sanctified, and this takes time - Our life and all the events of our life are geared towards that one goal…This is why we must do things “God’s way”…And this is why we must be obedient to God’s will…..There is no other path to heaven!!….Jesus said, “He is The Way” - He did not say - “You are the way”.......Do what he tells you!……JMJ

I am the Truth - He did not say - I am the custom

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St John how Jesus addresses the Jews who opposed him……”So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me”…..The Jews simply could not accept that the Messiah would look like a simple carpenter….They were looking for something else even though Jesus spoke like no one ever had and performed miracles right before their eyes…..It did not matter what he said - It did not matter how many miracles Jesus performed…The Jewish people were not having it!….They refused to believe…..Why? - The answer is simple - They were not willing to change….And the same issue applies to the unbelieving world today…Jesus Christ could come down from the sky in the middle of the day in New York City….Every cell phone could record Jesus coming down from heaven and stream the sight on social media to the entire world - And still people would not believe - In fact, my bet is, the powerful of the world would once again plot to kill him!…Why is that? - Because the world refuses to change!…..Jesus is not interested in people simply saying that they “believe in him” - Big deal! - Talk is cheap! - Jesus is asking us to change and “follow him”….Are we willing to change!!!!!?????!!!!!……This is the question……To follow Christ is to grow and if we are not moving forward in our relationship with God, we are sadly going backward…..This is why in order to be a follower of Christ - First we must REPENT - Then we can properly believe - That is the proper order, not the other way around…….We can not follow Christ on “our terms” and we surely do not enter eternal life on “our terms” either - Our world today believes otherwise - A costly mistake….Those who have ears - Let them hear

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand”

Do you believe in the existence of Absolute Truth…Allow me to give you an example - Two + Two = Four - That is an Absolute Truth…..And if you believe in the existence of Absolute Truth, then you will understand that somethings can never change…It does not matter who you are, how educated you are, or how “important” you think you are - Somethings can never change - Two + Two = Four!….As Catholics this idea of Absolute Truth applies to us…..The teachings of the Catholic Church are timeless….They do not change because we want them too…And for two thousand years, they have proven to work!…..God does not “change” to adapt to the desires of man - Its man who must change and adapt to God - Today our world as this idea backwards……..Allow me to give the reader of this reflection an example……Marriage is a Sacrament - It is between one man and one woman…..Society can pass all the laws it wants - That eternal Truth about marriage can never change…And because it can never change, when society tries to “change it”, there are consequences….The Natural Law is written on every human heart…And when we reject the Natural Law, something inside of us breaks!….Each and every person was made by God and when we willing turn from God, we reap the consequences…We lack peace - We are in a constant state of “searching” - Nothing seems to satisfy us - We lack lasting and deep joy…This is reality…..Human Beings are not at liberty to change what cannot be changed….The more we try, the more chaos grows, both personally and on the societal level……Once we accept reality - And reality is this - God is God and we are not - Once we accept this reality, our lives will improve and until then, they will not

“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand……The Father and I are one”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus is confronted once again by aggressive people who refuse to believe in him….Sound familiar? - Not too much has changed to this very day…Many people in our world today, whether they know it or not, are trying to be like God…..They are trying to do what cannot be done….Jesus knows full well what is in the hearts of men - What that means is, Jesus knows how we “operate” - And because of that, He is patient - Each of us are given a chance to “figure it all out” - We have our enter life to “figure it all out”…….And what must we come to understand (i.e.“figure out”)? - That the world does not revolve around us - That we are not the arbiters of Truth - That some things cannot change because the Natural Law says so….We can try all we want - That is reality!…..Again, as we live our life and time goes by, God gives us every opportunity to “figure it all out” - But in the end, time does run out - We all die eventually - The “final whistle blows”!….In the meantime, God continues to love us and God plays the “long game” - Meaning, he puts in front of us people, circumstances and events, which are meant for us to reconsider bad choices made….Its then for us to respond - Its then for us to change……Jesus told us very clearly - I am the Truth - He did not say - I am the custom……..JMJ

This is the path to eternal life - The only path

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John Jesus gives us the “key” to how we are to live out our Catholic faith but also how we will enter heaven……”This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own”…The path to eternal life is self sacrificial…Do not let anyone tell you otherwise!…..As Catholics we are all called to lay down our lives for others - First our family and then our neighbors…The more we empty ourself - The more the Holy Spirit fills us…This is the “calculus” of God….Jesus showed us the way…..However, we resist this path….Our human nature, self preservation and the desire to be comfortable seems to always get in the way…This is why we must rely on Sacramental grace….Because to live in a self-sacrificial manner is not “natural” - Our human nature rebels against it….Only when we immerse our lives in daily prayer, fasting and the Sacraments can we live such a life…..This is the mistake of our Protestant brothers and sisters - They believe they do not need the Sacraments - How mistaken they are!….This is also the mistake of the secular unbelieving world - And if you doubt what I am saying - Simply look out your window! - Our world is selfish to its core!….And this is why Jesus walked among us two thousand years ago - He taught us by his example to be people for others but he also understood that by our own strength, we could not live in this manner - So he formed a Church, which give us the Sacraments…..The more clearly we “see” Christ in the Eucharist, the more we will see him in our family and neighbors - And the clearer we see Jesus in others - The more we will serve them, even if that service means we have less for ourselves…This my friends is the path to heaven - For those who have ears - Let them hear!

“Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on And bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place”

Our modern world needs to see Catholics - From our Bishops and Priests, to married couples, to non-married people - All of us!!! - Must live sacrificially!….Why would I make such a claim?….For one, its the path to heaven…But secondly, no one will believe we are serious about what we “say” we believe as Catholics if they do not see for themselves that we have “skin in the game”….That means we give of ourself until it hurts…That is what real love is - Giving of self……Growing up in my hometown there was a large family that I was close with…The Fahey family had eight children…I knew three of the boys well and later in life I got to know the father…..Patrick was from Ireland and worked simple jobs…He never had a car…He road his bike everywhere…He always had a smile on his face and was the full of authentic joy….And to me, he was a great example of what a Catholic was to be like…..I got to know Patrick at a Bible Study in my parish - I would pick him up at his home every Saturday morning for years….The example of his life was powerful, and I am sure I am not the only person in my hometown to say that about him…Patrick was uneducated man who emptied himself out - First to his family and then to others…He worked into his eighties as a crossing guard and I can still see him talking to everyone who came across his path with a smile on his face…..To me, knowing Patrick was a blessing - His life’s example resinated with me more then any “sermon” or book I read…..As Catholics, when we live deeply sacrificial lives, trust me, people will stop and be amazed! - People will also listen to what you say because of what they “see” - And as a result of your witness, people will know that Jesus is real….They will not know this simply by us telling them Jesus is real - The world needs to “see” Christ in us - And that only happens when we live sacrificially.

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep”

Today at Mass Jesus tells us how we are to tell if a “shepherd” is good or if he is an imposture……How do we tell? - The shepherd lays down his life for his sheep - That is how we tell….The same standard applies today….When a father and mother have many children and are open to life in their marriage - We see “the shepherd laying down his life for his sheep”……When we see Bishops speaking the Truth to power at the risk of their very life - We see “the shepherd laying down his life for his sheep”…..When we see Priests living simply and assisting the poor at a great personal cost to themselves - We see “the shepherd laying down his life for his sheep”…..This is the ONLY way the unbelieving world will believe we as Catholics are for real!!!!…..It does not matter what we say  - It only matters how we live and if we are not living sacrificially - No one will believe we are for real…..”A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them”…..The world is watching - And people know the “real deal” when they see it - They also can “smell a fake” from a mile away……"It is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life" - This is the path to eternal life - The only path……JMJ

Follow the “voice” and stick to God’s plan

Today at Holy Mass in all the readings there is a common theme, which tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd…We are told in the Gospel of St John that the sheep hear the Shepherd’s voice…..That the sheep will not follow the voice of someone who is not the Shepherd……St John Gospel is a very blunt account - John tells us very clearly that Jesus is the only way - That there is no other way that leads to salvation….."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”…….The “voice” that the sheep hear is the Natural Law - It is “hardwired” on the hearts of all mankind - There is nothing we can do to erase the Natural Law from our hearts - That is why when we hear the voice of Christ proclaimed through the Gospel - It registers deeply within us….So why is it then that some people, who also have the Natural Law written on their hearts turn away from Christ and the Catholic Church?…..Jesus addresses the answer to that question in this Gospel today as well……We are told by St John that -  “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” - And those who hear the voice of Christ and turn away from him do not believe this reality - They believe that following Jesus will not make their life better - They see the sacrifices required to be an authentic disciple of Christ and want nothing to do with such a life - They can not believe that if they too “pick up their cross” somehow they will have a better life - So what do they do? - They turn away from the “voice” of the Good Shepherd….This was the case from the very beginning, from the first betrayal of Jesus - When Judas turned from him….Judas knew Jesus was a very special person, but he lost faith in Jesus’ method of how the Jewish people would be liberated - Judas thought he had a “better plan” - So he betrayed him….This same mindset exists to this very day….The unbelieving world that turns from Christ still “hears” his voice - How do I know that? - Because the Natural Law is written on every human heart…But the unbelieving world turns from that “voice” because it does not believe that following “that voice” will bring them an abundant life…..This is why practicing Catholics must lead the way - Only by our example can we show people that Jesus takes nothing from us - He only gives!!!! - That the teachings of the Catholic Church lead a person to an abundant life, full of joy and peace….Only by our example can we demonstrate this reality - Words will never convince the world - That God gives - God never takes….People believe what they see - So we must show them!

“If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps”

Today the institution of marriage is in crisis - One in two marriages ends in divorce…Why do you think that is?…..First off, do we even know what marriage is? - Marriage is a Sacrament….Now ask yourself - How many people live their marriage Sacramentally?…..Placing God and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the center of their marriage…..How many Catholic marriages today use contraception?….When we make our vows on the altar - We as Catholics vow we will be open to life - And when we break that vow by using contraception - Our marriages cease to be Sacramental - That means God’s grace does not animate the bond between the man and the woman - And when that happens - Selfishness creeps in - And Selfishness is the destroyer of love…..This is why marriage as an institution is in trouble - Because modern man does not live marriage as it was intended…So what does this sad reality have to do with Jesus being the Good Shepherd?…..As I stated above, the voice of the Shepard is heard by all because the Natural Law is written on every human heart - Many people today feel that if they follow that “voice”, it will lead to a hard and joyless life - That such a decision will not bring them peace…..Clearly that mindset has been proven false when it comes to who has successful marriages and by the divorce statistics……Authentic Catholic marriages, that place God in the center and are open to life work! - Why? - Because they comport to the Natural Law…..And to deny the Natural Law is like trying to deny the existence of gravity…….The ever present voice of God can still be heard today - Even above all the “noise” of the culture - Its up to us to pay attention for that “voice”… If we watch closely at the lives of faithful Catholics - What you will see is not a “perfect people” but a group of people who are peaceful and full of joy…..What you will also see is their marriages work! - Why? - Because marriage is a Sacrament - These couples heard the voice of the Good Shepard and followed that voice……And guess what happened? - They were given an abundant life, just as St John told us in the Gospel today….Go figure?!? - What Jesus says really works - Imagine that!

“When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls”

Today we are told at Mass that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that his sheep hear his voice…….So here is the question - If that were true - Why is it that so many people don’t seem to “hear” what Jesus is telling them today?…..The answer to the question is not found in the fact that those who turn from Christ’s voice don’t “hear” it - Because they do hear it! - The problem is - They hear it but don’t believe “the voice” will lead them to a happy and productive life - They believe they have a “better plan”…..If we are objective students of history and if we are honest, we will read in the history books how many people “thought” they had a “better plan”, which contradicted God’s plan - Once again, if we are honest - What happened to those “better plans” and those people?……Like it or not - All things point to Christ - That is reality! - Why? - Because he has the best plan!………The Natural Law is written on every human heart and the voice of the Good Shepard can be heard by all….Maybe its time the modern world should start listening? - And be convinced!! - That God way works!! - That God has the best plan!!…..Once we are fully convinced that God’s plan for our life is infinitely better then “our plan” - Then and only then will we follow the Good Shepherd where ever he leads…..God gives - God does not take - And the “sheep” that follow the Shepherd know this and the “sheep” that turn away think they have a “better plan”………The pages of history show us this - Don’t end up on the scrap heap of history!!……..Follow the “voice” and stick to God’s plan!……..JMJ

“By their fruits you will know them”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus gives the first apostles their “marching orders”…..”Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned”……..How does a person even begin?……..How do we do it?……Before we begin this herculean endeavor, we first must be formed in our Catholic faith and secondly, we must be animated by the Holy Spirit…A Catholic can not give what they do not have!……It’s the Holy Spirit that does the “heavy lifting” through us….But what does it mean to be animated by the Holy Spirit?….We must make room for God in our life - That means we must “clear away” certain behaviors, ideologies and lifestyles that contradict the Gospel….John the Baptist put it best - “Repent and Believe the Gospel”…The Gospel will not make sense to us unless first repent……This is just the beginning - What else must a disciple do? - In order to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel”, one must develop a deep interior life….Everything we do as Catholics comes from our interior life….This means we must establish a daily prayer life, fast weekly and live Sacramentally…..Once we do this - We will become instruments of the Lord and through our individual gifts and God given talents - We will effectively proclaim the Gospel…..Notice what else Jesus said today in St Mark’s Gospel - ”Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned”………Let’s not fool ourselves - There is a heaven and there is a hell…..And we as mere human beings cannot save ourself…..The Truth is not ours to manipulate and mold into something that suits our personal agendas or lifestyle…Man conforms to God - God does not conform to man!…..And when we as Catholics live as Christ intended, steeped in the Truth - When we live Sacramentally and Sacrificially - The world will take notice!….Our joy and peace will be contagious…..And in turn, we will set the world on fire!

“We proclaim Christ crucified; he is the power of God and the wisdom of God”

How do we tell if someone is the “real-deal”? - Meaning - If someone is an authentic Catholic?…..Jesus gives us the answer - “By their fruits you will know them”….Being Catholics does not imply a person is perfect, no one is perfect…But it does mean our life, which is fully grafted to Christ and his Church will naturally “bear fruit” for the Kingdom of God…And if you are objective and observant, you will see this “fruit” produced in real time…..The Christian world “says” it wants to produce this “fruit” - But are we willing to live sacrificially in order to be the people we were born to be?….Because if we “do not pick up our Cross”, we sadly are not only fooling ourselves, but will we never convince the unbelieving world of anything….Authentic followers of Christ, live sacrificially and their lives are lived for others…This is how we change the world - The only way!…….There is no such thing as what is coming referred to in America as the “Prosperity Gospel”…..Living as a Catholic means we pour our lives out for others…To not accept this reality is to live on the surface of Christianity….Such a mindset will not only limit our impact on the world but also prevent us from growing closer to God…..”Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple”…….Jesus meets us personally in the “space of sacrifice” - We must be willing to enter that “space”….And its from that point, that we begin our journey of transformation - “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature” - We cannot give what we do not have……..Before we change the world - We must first change ourself

“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”

Today at Mass the Universal Church commemorates the Feast Day of St Mark - As we all know, St Mark was one of the four writers of the Gospel….What made Mark’s words so effective? - So much so that two thousand years have past and we still are reading what he wrote….St Mark was so effective because he not only wrote “all the right things” - He lived them as well…As we say today in America - St Mark “practiced what he preached” - He “walked the walk and did not just talk the talk”….This is the mark of a true disciple and the only way we can live in this manner is to live by and through the grace of God….The words of Jesus Christ can never be lived out if we rely solely upon our own strength…This is why Jesus established a Church and did not write a book - The Bible was complied roughly four years after the death of Christ…And its through the Catholic Church, the one Church Jesus himself founded, that we are given the Sacraments, which elevate our human nature so we can be the disciples we were called to be…..No one is ever going to believe what we say unless we become what we say we believe…….People have “eyes to see” - They can “smell a fake” from a mile way!…..“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?”………Each of us are called to die to our very self - And its in the “death of self” that we will find life and give life to others…..That is how you tell if someone is an authentic disciple…….“By their fruits you will know them”……….JMJ