”If you are willing, and obey” - There is the key to it all - The rest is up to us

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear from the Prophet Isaiah…In this passage Isaiah is addressing the sins of mankind in a very direct manner…..Can we disagree with him?….We are all sinners - This is the driving reason why Jesus came to us - To forgive our sins……”Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow”…Do we take for granted the driving purpose of Jesus Christ’s mission on earth? - Do we assume that if we profess a belief in Christ with our words that we are automatically forgive our sins?……The Church has taught perennially that Catholics must at the minimum participate in at least one Sacramental Confession each year……Are we as the Body of Christ doing this?…And if we are, is going to Confession once a year enough to grow in virtue and become the people we were born to be?…..The Catholic Church in America has in many ways minimized the need for frequent confession…..The saints tell us (Pope John Paul II; Padre Pio & Fulton Sheen) that going to confession once a month is a very efficacious practice to develop….So why are we reluctant to listen to the saints?…..The Prophet Isaiah goes on in today’s reading……”Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!”…….We are given a chance to ask God for mercy and forgiveness while we still have life here on earth - But time does run out!……Notice the words Isaiah uses in this passage - “ If you are willing, and obey” - This is a conditional statement…Do we again take for granted that we are entitled to eat the “good things of the land” without meeting the established condition, which is to repent Sacramentally?…..The human mind many times deludes itself of the Truth - But the teaching of the Church is clear and so are the words of the prophets and the saints…The rest is up to us.

"Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?"

Protestantism has made its way into Catholic thinking in America - Far too many people “think” we just float into heaven based upon the “I’m a good guy” approach….The Church has not, nor never will teach such an idea, but sadly this mindset has made its way into Catholic thinking in America……What the Church has taught perennially is that we need to be sanctified over the course of our life in order to “be ready” to stand before the Lord - This takes time and grace - We must also live and grow in virtue…Frequent Sacramental Confession helps us with this process….For one, frequent confession holds us accountable….A person who makes this a practice knows that if he or she commits a sin, they will soon have to confess it…Secondly, frequent confession, opens a Catholic up to grace, which helps us to overcome even our venial sins…..This is vital and this allows God to “work” in our life, opening “the door” to divine grace….Remember, becoming a holy people is not an automatic - We must give God permission to act in our life…..Both clergy and lay leadership in the Catholic Church needs to promote the practice of frequent confession….Our people need to hear more about this spiritual practice from both the pulpit and the pews alike!…”And I say: Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people’s way”……Good habits are developed over time….But leaders must lead by example….Our people need to “see” the benefits of living a vibrant sacramental life in real time….Holiness is attractive and it can’t be self manufactured nor can you become holy by reading a book - It requires God’s grace and in order to receiving that grace we must “make room” for God in our life….We have everything we need to make this happen as a Catholic - Maybe its time to “shout the path forward” from the roof tops? - People do not “know what they do not know”, remember that, they must be told and more importantly shown by a living example. - That is what a leader does - He leads by example.

“Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit”

Today the Prophet Isaiah has some strong words for the people…..You can summarize the entire first reading from Mass into one word - Repent!….When was the last time you heard this word spoken to you?……Jesus Christ himself said that the greatest man ever born of a woman was John the Baptist and John really had one message for the world to hear….”Repent and Believe the Gospel”…….Think about that message for a moment - Notice John did not say “believe the Gospel” first - In fact, if we try to understand what the Gospel is trying to teach us without first repenting of our sins Sacramental, we will never understand its intended meaning…Jesus Christ walked this earth to “take away the sins of the world”…Its for us to allow him to do just that - But before that happens - We must give Jesus permission to free us of our sins….This begins with us saying these words to a Catholic priest…”Bless me Father for I have sinned”…..One Sacramental Confession can erase a lifetime of sin and the practice of frequent Sacramental Confession transform us into a holy people…......”If you are willing, and obey” - There is the key to it all - The rest is up to us………………..JMJ