”Small things” add up!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus addresses the “perfect people”….The Pharisees did everything right outwardly but their hearts were cold and hardened…….God sees us as we truly are and when we stand before him after we die, that is exactly how we will all be judged - As we truly are!……Being Catholic is simple not about “ticking boxes”…While we have obligations to meet - Going to Mass on Sunday - Following the Commandments - Going to Confession, etc….If our lives are not full of charity, which simply is another word for love - Everything we do is in vain…St Paul addresses this so well in his Letter to the Corinthians……”If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing”….Ask yourself this question - Is there love in your heart when you speak the Eternal Truths of the Catholic Church?….The Truth should never be used as a weapon or as a means to simply prove how “smart” you are when debating another person…The Truth must always be spoken in love - But it MUST be spoken…..Within the Catholic Church spanning across the world, some of the greatest minds debate, write books, and lecture on all sorts of Theological topics to this very day - And in the right context, there is nothing wrong with that….However, never forget that our Lord was a simple man…He worked with his hands….He was a carpenter…He came from a humble family…He surrounded himself with simple and uneducated people…..One does not have to be a scholar to be Catholic - What is important is our interior disposition - The purity of our hearts…..Everything we do must come from a place of charity….Because without charity we simply are wasting our time……God sees the human heart as it is, not as the world sees it…And its what God sees that matters

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”

Over the years I have done many things in service of the Church…..I have traveled the world serving the poor before I was married…I have written a book…I currently am a co-host of a Catholic radio program in the New York City Metropolitan Area….I write this blog each day - And while all that is good, I do not want to trivialize these actions…What is most important is how my wife and children view me as a husband and father….Many people may think I am a “holy person” because of the many things I have done and do…But what does my wife think?….How about my children?…..Recently I went to confession and confessed to the priest that when we pray our Family Rosary each night, I can be harsh with my children when they misbehave…….(I have five children under 12 years old)….As I confessed this to the priest he listened quietly and when I was finished he said something that hit me like a tons of bricks!….He said:  “Jesus never yelled at children” - OUCH!!!!……….While its important to pray the Rosary each night as a family and its also important for my children to behave while we pray it - If as their Father I am not being kind and merciful when I address my children - The question then becomes - Is our family Rosary being prayed as Jesus would like us to pray it?……The priest’s words cut me to the bone!…..So does Jesus word’s today in the Gospel……“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”

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

Today in the Gospel Jesus teaches his disciples something very important…Outward acts of piety mean very little to God if those actions are not grounded in charity……God is love, he is not a lawyer!…While the Catholic Church possess the fullness of Truth, everything the Church has taught and still teaches must be said in love of God and neighbor…If we as Catholics find ourselves “arguing for the sake of arguing” - Ask yourself this question - Have we become what St Paul warns us about?….”If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal”…..The Truth must ALWAYS be spoken - More importantly - The Truth must be lived out - But its how we speak it and live it that matters most….God sees our hearts…This is why before we “do things” for God, we must first purify our hearts….We do that by living Sacramentally and by praying daily….These “tools” draw us closer to the Lord and in turn we will love more…Then “what we do” will be pleasing to God….”Quantity” is not always Quality…Focus on doing small things with great amounts of love….....”Small things” add up!…JMJ