How can someone not know who they are?…..Its our job to discover what is actually already there!

Today at Holy Mass the Universal Church honors St Teresa of Ávila, who is a Doctor of the Church and was a great reformer….If you are a student of history as I am you will notice that whenever the Church grows weak, the Lord rises up saints to renew her…St Teresa of Ávila was one of those saints…I was reading a small portion of some of her writings this morning…She tells her nuns something interesting…..”Thus it is a shame and unfortunate that through our own fault we don’t understand ourselves or know who we are”….How can someone not know who they are?……St Teresa wrote a lot about penetrating into what she called the “interior castle of the soul”….That within each of us there are “caverns”, which we do not know exist - But they are there…The deeper you go…The more you may find the deeper you still have to go…And many do not discover these “caverns” that are within us….What should that tell us today?…..There is so much potential within YOU!……If we "tap into" what God has placed deep within each of us…We will set the world on fire!…..This is what St Teresa did….And 600 years later the world is still talking about her

“Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery”

Jesus Christ took regular blue collar uneducated men and used them to do the impossible…..These 12 men did not know what they were individually capable of accomplishing…….What makes us any different?….The original 12 apostles discovered deep within themselves what St Teresa of Ávila called “a castle made entirely of diamonds”….But to get to that “castle” these 12 guys had to penetrate many layers…..Remember, the original 12 failed Jesus many times and “did not understand a lot”…However they persevered…..When a person has a “conversion”….The process does not end….We must be converted each and everyday…..Its like pealing an onion….As we “peal off” each layer we find something new about ourself and with each “layer removed” we conform ourself more and more to Christ….The most efficacious thing a person can do is pursue a holy life…When you encounter a holy person you will know immediately that such a person is not like everyone else!…..Their life reflects Jesus…Such an encounter is so powerful I simply can not put it into words but trust me, if you meet such a person you know it!…….This is how we change the world…Not with politics…Not with “programs”….Only saints change the world and St Teresa of Ávila did just that…Again, within each of us there are “great caverns”, which are untapped and unexplored….Its our job to discover what is actually already there!

“The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart”

In the gospel today at Mass from St Luke Jesus addresses a teacher of the law…He tells him….....”Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil”……Jesus is trying to teach this man that what is most important is developing an interior life….Finding what St Teresa of Ávila would call the “interior castle”…We do that by living sacrificially, by fasting, by daily prayer, by humbling ourself in frequent Sacramental Confessions and by receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace…There are no short cuts!…This is how we find out truly “who we are”…This is how we discover the “untapped caverns” St Teresa wrote about…And this is how we set the world on fire!

How can someone not know who they are?…..Its our job to discover what is actually already there!

God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called…..“He raises up the lowly from the dust”…Only to move mountains that the world thought could not be moved

Today the Universal Church commemorates the life of a 3rd century Pope who is a saint…St Callistus was an interesting person who did not take the usual route to the papacy…Callistus was a former slave and when he became pope a man by the name of Hippolytus opposed him because Callistus believed that grave sinners who sought confession and were willing to do penance can be welcomed back into the Church….Hippolytus did not believe so…And as a result….Hippolytus assumed for himself papal privileges and became the first “anti-pope” in Church history…Here is where the story gets interesting…Callistus continued to give a faithful witness to the gospel of Christ even as he was persecuted and his life was taken from him for it….At the sight of Callistus death and the witness of his life, his archenemy Hippolytus not only repented but became a martyr for the faith himself and is now declared a saint as well…Why is this story relevant to us today?…This is the power of a faithful witness….Callistus, the former slave who became pope won over his enemy not by force but by the consistent example of a life dedicated to the gospel…..We will never argue anyone into the Church…However, a life grounded in gospel truth exhibited to the world for all to see “moves mountains”….If we want to see the world change…We first need to change ourself, pick up our cross and follow the carpenter from Nazareth…..No words needed! - Such a life speaks volumes and when it speaks - It speaks loudly!

“He raises up the lowly from the dust”

The more we read and learn about our Catholic faith we will conclude that God uses people that many in the world would have disregarded…St Paul, St Matthew, Moses, Mary Magdalene, the list goes on to this very day…..Because God’s ways are not our ways….The gospel from Holy Mass today references the story of Jonah…We all know the story of Jonah being sallowed by a whale…But that is not the interesting part about the story…God told Jonah to preach the message of repentance to the evil city of Nineveh and Jonah did not want to do it so he ran away from God…As we all know, running away from God is futile…God always catches up with us….So when God caught up with Jonah, as the story goes….He had a whale swallow him and for three days he suffered inside of that whale….God gave Jonah “something to think about”…When the whale "spit Jonah out"…He was then ready to preach to Nineveh…..What can we learn from this story?…God chose Jonah for a task that Jonah did not think he could do…God knew otherwise…So he “prepared” Jonah for the task…God does the same thing with us to this very day…..God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called and each one of us by means of our Baptism are called to a special task given to us by God himself…You may not be “swallowed up by a whale” like Jonah but make no mistake…God has something for you to do…So the question is…Are you running away from that task?…We can run but we cannot hid….God will continue to call

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

As we began this reflection with the story of Callistus, the former slave turned pope…We remember it was the witness of his holy life and death that impacted his enemy Hippolytus, causing him to not only repent but become a canonized saint himself!….Who would have guessed a former slave could become the pope?….Who would have guessed the very man who hated him would repent and become a saint himself simply by watching the life and death of Callistus?…I will tell you who - God!….And who would have guessed that Jonah, who ran from God would only change his mind and preach to the city of Nineveh, which had a reputation for being one of the most evil cities in the world….Who would have guessed at the words of Jonah, the man who thought he could not do it, not only would preach to the people of Nineveh but he did such a good job, the people repented and changed their ways….Who would have guessed that?…..I will tell who - God!……..We cannot run and we cannot hid…God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called…..“He raises up the lowly from the dust”…Only to move mountains that the world thought could not be moved

”If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit.”….For those who have ears - Let them hear…But in the meantime…Do we wish to “see”?

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first readings from the Book of Wisdom….”I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne”…There is an implication made in that sentence…That wisdom is better than material wealth…Would you agree?…….People say these days…...Common sense is not that common any more…There is a big difference between raw analytical intelligence and wisdom…There are many highly intelligent people, who do not possess any wisdom what so ever and it shows by the outcome of their decisions in real time…Remember, you judge a tree by the fruit it bears…..Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit, which allows us to see as God sees…Ultimately, it is only when we can “see” properly will our decisions lead to positive outcomes…But when we lack wisdom, no matter “how smart we are”….Our lack of clarity when viewing what stares us directly in the face results in us “missing the mark”…So how do we receive this gift of wisdom?…And is this “gift” more valuable than gold?…..Because if we “can’t see”…We will not end up where we want to be

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!”

People see what they want to see in order to “fit” what they see into their life choices…Very few people are objective because very few people “see” clearly…We possess sight when we open our hearts to the Lord…When we prepare our soul to receive him at Mass when we consume the Blessed Sacrament….In order to prepare ourself for this encounter…We must consistently make good confessions with a priest with a firm purpose of amendment to change our life…This frequent practice in many Catholic circles has been abandoned to a certain extent…I can remember when I was a boy confession was available before every Mass…Now confession in far too many Catholic parishes is open for only 30 minutes on Saturday afternoon and few people take advantage of the opportunity…….In order to open ourselves up to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we must “clear a path” for the grace of God to enter. I have heard it said….God’s grace is constantly pouring down upon us like rain, however we choose to put up an umbrella, which keeps that grace off our head…By going to a Sacramental confession, say once a month…We in essence “put down that umbrella”, and allow the grace of the Blessed Sacrament to penetrate our soul…..This is how we “see” and in turn receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, one of which is wisdom

“When you look at the inner workings of electrical things, you see wires. Until the current passes through them, there will be no light. That wire is you and me. The current is God. We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us, to produce the light of the world, Jesus, in us. Or we can refuse to be used and allow darkness to spread”

Americans by nature are self-reliant…And that is a good thing…However, that can also be a “bad thing” when it comes to the spiritual life…All spiritual gifts come from God…These gifts can not be self-manufactured and sadly far too many people think they can be…..Our intellectual gifts are very different from the grace given to us from God….Again, wisdom is very different from raw intelligence because wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit and wisdom helps us to see reality with clarity…..Today in the gospel from Mass a rich man approaches Jesus and asks him…”Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”…..We all live in the world and know that people who make a lot of money do not make it by accident. There is a certain level of intelligence required to be successful in this life…So how can this very capable man who approaches Jesus not know what is necessary to inherit eternal life?…He is smart, yet he does not know…..Only the Holy Spirit can illuminate the darkness of our hearts and minds…And that only happens when we “clear a path” for the Holy Spirit to penetrate us deeply…This requires first a Sacramental Confession and then once the “path” is made clear, we then receive the source and summit of all grace in the Blessed Sacrament, which is Jesus himself………..Only then we will we “see”…….St Matthew tells us…”If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit.”….For those who have ears……Let them hear…But in the meantime…Do we wish to “see”?

“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Today at Holy Mass St Paul states something that at the time was revolutionary…And still is revolutionary to this day for that matter……..”For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”……..Jesus Christ is the common denominator…..Societies have always divided people…By education, economic status, race, etc…However Jesus Christ and through our common Baptism unites us all…All of us are equal in the eyes of God and all of us have something to do….So the question we should ask ourself is this…Do we see and treat all people as equals?

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise”

I have often thought about when Jesus returns again to the earth as he stated he would…When he does return, Jesus has said very clearly…”Many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first”….Think about that for a moment!…….Its very human to view the world from the lens in which we have been brought up and from the places we live…I have been blessed to have traveled all over the world….And people live very differently then we do here in America as you can only imagine but I have seen this first hand…In fact, many of those people are very poor and some are very close to God…When Jesus returns, the power structures of the world as we know them will be flipped…What we consider as important will mean nothing…Mother Teresa wrote about this and this is what she said…..“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”…God deals with a very different “currency”…There is a famous book writen by Viktor Frankl entitled Man’s Search for Meaning…..Viktor Frankl was a famous and rich man who got thrown into a concentration camp during the Nazi occupation in Germany…In the camp he encountered another prisoner who was a scientist. This man was also very successful and rich before he got placed in prison. And when this scientist met Viktor Frankl, who had been in the prison camp for some time, he showed him how he smuggled into the camp his research papers, which to him were the most important thing in his life…I always remember in the book what Viktor Frankl said to this man…”In here, those papers do not mean anything! - Only bread is important”….This scientist viewed a certain “currency” as important, only to have that currency devalued and mean nothing in the blink of an eye….When Christ returns to the earth…All the class structures we value and live by will disappear in an instant because in the eyes of God we are all equal….The only “currency” that will matter will be the “currency” of the Gospel

”When I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”

The Gospel today from Mass is from St Luke…Jesus tells a woman something very important…He tells us that same thing too 2000 years later….”He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it”…Do we deal in the “currency” of the world or do we deal in the “currency” of God?…..One must be realistic when addressing that question…As Catholics we are called to live in the world but not be of the world…That means we have to work and take care of our familles and that requires money…….With that said…..Do we value status?…Do we lord over people our wealth?…..Do we wear our success on our sleeves?…......Or…… Do we treat people as equals?……Do we share from our resources considering everything we have as gifts from God?…..Are we citizens of heaven and live like it or do we “build” our “kingdom” here on earth only to lord it over others?…These are the questions we need to ask ourself…..Jesus very clearly tells this woman in the gospel today......…”I am not interested in "lip service" - I am interested in putting the word of God into action!”…….Is this our priority too?…..Because when Christ returns…Our “money” has no value….God conducts “his business” with a different kind of “currency”

“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

When the Truth becomes a lie, darkness descends upon us and when darkness falls, how very deep will that darkness be?

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St Luke…In this readings Jesus talks about how people are accusing him of being evil…How can that be?….It seems that what was good is being called bad…And what is bad is being called good…Sound familiar?…..”For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?”….We all must make a choice…..And no choice is a default choice…We either choose the Kingdom of God……. And if we make that choice…We must walk the “narrow road” that leads to heaven…The other option is hell and the road to hell is wide……And yes - Hell is real and people go there……We cannot have it both ways…..Far too many people “think” we can have it both ways…But it simply does not work that way….Don’t take my words for it…Jesus is pretty clear on the subject

“The prince of this world will now be cast out, and when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all to myself, says the Lord”

I have heard it said…The greatest trick the devil ever played on mankind is to convince us that he does not exist…..Make no mistake about it…Evil does exist and so does the devil…….Jesus says something very direct and to the point in this Gospel….”Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters”…There is no wiggle-room in that statement…Its very black and white…We are either with God or against God….On the surface its an easy choice…We tell ourselves we are with God…Right?…But when we sin and we all sin, are actions say something else….This is why when we sin we must seek reconciliation…Because "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak"…..Another aspect of the devil that I believe people take for granted is…The devil is infinitely smarter and stronger than we are…The devil knows all of our weaknesses…And we all have weaknesses….This is why we must put on what is commonly called “the armor of God”…When we develop a daily prayer life, fast weekly and live a Sacramental life…We put on that “armor”…In doing those things we live in what is called the state of grace…..This state essentially protects us from the “tricks” and temptations of the devil, which each of us face everyday…That does not make us perfect by no means however what it does mean is it gives us “eyes to see” and fortifies our will to resist temptation…….Never forget - “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”……Some may read this and dismiss what I just wrote….BIG MISTAKE….The devil is smarter then you and stronger then you…He knows ALL your weaknesses…The devil HATES YOU…..Bad habits and grave sin begin gradually and with small steps…And before we realize it…We have “crossed a bridge too far”…Put on the armor of God!

“He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant. He has made known to his people the power of his works, giving them the inheritance of the nations”

Some may say…How do I know the will of God?…..Some say….There is no such thing as Absolute Truth…You have “your truth”….And I have my “truth”….That is a lie!…Jesus said very clearly…I am the Truth!…He did not say he is the custom…God determines the Truth…If you have any doubt about the eternal Truths of the Church, I suggest you pray about what troubles you before the Blessed Sacrament…In the silence sitting before God fully present in the consecrated Host you will be given all the clarity you need…Then it is up to us to choose!…There is no middle ground

”I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you”

Getting back to our gospel passage today…The people who opposed Jesus called him evil…Because they refused to change…They justified themselves and their behavior even as they stood face to face with God himself…What about us?…People today love the idea of “Hippie Jesus”….Who is “Hippie Jesus” you may ask?….“Hippie Jesus” does not ask us to change….“Hippie Jesus” says everything is ok…..“Hippie Jesus” says “you be you”…..That is not who Jesus Christ was or is!…..Jesus Christ was the Lion of Judah……Jesus Christ spoke Truth to power…Jesus Christ loves us too much to leave us as we are…He asks us to change and he enables us with the “tools” through his Church to make that change…The rest is up to you and me…..When the Truth becomes a lie, darkness descends upon us and when darkness falls, how very deep will that darkness be?

“This son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found…..If only we simply “knock on that door”….We are wasting time

Today at Holy Mass hear from the Gospel of St Luke….Jesus says something we have all heard before…..The question is….Do we take for granted the invitation?…Because its real and sincere…..“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”….Have you ever “knocked on that door?…And if you did…What did you expect to “get”?

“Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son”

While each and every person ever created is unique and unrepeatable…There are aspects of the human condition that join us together…..That unite us….One of those foundational elements of mankind is the fact that we were all created by the same God…However, we can resist that God…Deny God exists all we want…But that does not change the reality that we all came from the “same place”….With that said….God, who loves us wants us to return to him..... However, we have been given free will, which means we are free to not accept his invitation….While we are free to choose not to return God’s love….When we choose that path…Something inside of us breaks…In a sense its not natural to not serve and love God…We were all born for that very reason - no matter who we are or what we have done…And when that natural desire is not fulfilled we try to “replace” that desire for God with other “things”…All of which leave us unsatisfied and empty in the end…..This is why when a person comes to the “end of themself”…Has tried “everything”…Its at that time many turn to God…..And at the end of that search they find peace…..“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”

“What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?”

The road to God for some is a rough one….But it does not have to be that way….We have to come to understand that God “has our back”…God always wants what is best for us!…But these are just words…People need to figure this out for themself…This is why mankind “tries” so many substitutes to fill the “God-hole” in its heart….One of my favorite stories of a person who chased after the things of the world only in the end to find God is a personal friend of mine’s story. His name is John Pridmore. I know John through the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal…….John was born in London and when he was young his parents divorced. Their separation hurt him so bad he began to act out and his bad behavior landed him in jail. When he got out of jail he got involved with organized crime in the East-end of London. One day he was working as a door man in a bar and he punched a man so hard that he thought he killed him. That night he drove home and took a deep look at himself….And said the first prayer he ever said in his life…And God answered him!…And that began a new chapter in the life of John Pridmore…John now speaks to people all over the world…He is a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ and a devout Catholic….The world gave up on John Pridmore…But God did not!…Like St Paul who was once a murderer…God had something for John Pridmore to do

”But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites”

Back to our gospel today, Jesus tells us something we take for granted…He tells us that no one is beyond his love…That all we have to do is “knock”….So why do we not do it?…Only you can answer that question…But I will tell you this…While we resist the God who created us…God will continue to do the “knocking”…God will continue to “knock” on the “doors of our hearts”…And like the father in the story of the Prodigal son…He waits for us…”This son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found……..If only we simply “knock on that door”….We are wasting time

In the silence you will hear his voice and feel his peace…Everyone wants peace - Right?!?...Make the time!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the gospel of St Luke how Jesus when asked taught his disciples to pray…Its the only prayer Jesus gives us throughout the entire Scripture…..”Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test”…..Why should we pray?…Because prayer is the answer to everything but before we pray…Do we know what prayer is?…Is it a request we make before we go to bed asking for something?…Or is it a conversation?…….We speak to God in the silence of our heart and he speaks to us…..Do we make time for God to speak to us in silence?

"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples”

The highest form of prayer is the Mass, where we enter into the passion of our Lord and consume his body in the form of a consecrated Host…In order to do that one must be Catholic and be in the state of grace…What does it mean to be in the state of grace?…We must not have committed any mortal sins…What are mortal sins?…..There are three components to a mortal sin….One, the sin is grave in nature….Two, you are aware the sin is grave in nature….And three, with full awareness you commit the sin anyway…..Before one can consume Our Lord in the Eucharist one must confess all mortal sins in a Sacramental Confession with a Priest. However, there is also a very efficacious prayer one can participate in even if one is living with a mortal sin and has not confessed it….Even if one is agnostic to God….Even if one is not Catholic…And I highly recommend it……..Making a small amount of time each week to sit in silence in-front of the exposed Blessed Sacrament………This prayer is easy…All you have to do is sit there!…Sit in silence in front of the exposed consecrated Host…That is it!…Its in the silence that the Lord will speak to your heart…He will communicate to you in a way that no one else can…Because he knows you like no else does…In that time you will feel peace…A tangible peace is felt in the room when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar…The “feeling” “in the air” of the chapel with the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar is “different” - Make no mistake about that!…….I will tell you this….If you commit to this practice for a small amount of time once a week…Your life will change…..Only God can heal us of our wounds that not even time can heal….Only God can break down the walls we put up to the world…..In the silence you will hear his voice…Make the time!

“Do you realize that Jesus is there in the Blessed Sacrament expressly for you, for you alone?”

In our gospel reading from Mass today…Jesus is asked by his friends to teach them to pray…Jesus was a simple man…As we say commonly today…Jesus was a regular guy!…..You don’t have to be a scholar to know how to pray…In fact, the more basic and simple our prayers are the better…….A contemplative nun who was a peer of Mother Teresa once told me….”Joe, Prayer is the answer to everything”…At the time she told me this I did not fully believe her…But I do now…In the silence of your heart…If you make the time…The Lord will speak to you in his ever small voice….In that silence…You will feel his peace….He will provide you with all the clarity you need…..But like all things in life that are good…We must make the time…..As the old saying goes…The Lord helps those who help themself….Prayer is not a vending machine where we put in our coin and something we want pops out…Prayer is a conversation…In the silence you will hear his voice and feel his peace…Everyone wants peace - Right?!?...Make the time!