Heaven is a choice - And so is hell

Today at Holy Mass, St Paul in his letter to Timothy tells him that to speak and teach the fullness of Truth is not easy….St Paul lived it! - He payed a deep price for being an authentic follower of Christ in an unbelieving world - You can tell this by his words in this letter - There is a tone of exhaustion in the message…..”I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand”…St Paul had a sense of purpose to his life - He understood the importance of finding and living for the Lord - That this life, no matter how good it can be is fleeting - It ends! - And eternity is dependent upon committing ourselves to God - While we have time! - Because time does run out!…St Paul understood this idea very clearly and put all his energy into it - How about us?…..A driving reason why many today do not have the zeal that St Paul did, could be due to very state of mind Paul warned Timothy about in this letter…..”For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths”……Our world today believes that getting into heaven is a lock!…..We live our life on our terms and if we are a “good guy”, we just float into heaven - St Paul understood that to be incorrect - So does the teachings of the Church - Yet, when was the last time you heard the four last things preached from a pulpit?…… Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell…….Jesus will come again and when he does he will judge the people of the earth according to the standards of God, not by the standard of man - St Paul understood that - Do we?

“My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your glory day by day. Cast me not off in my old age; as my strength fails, forsake me not”

What is your goal in life? - No matter what you have achieved in this life - “The party ends” - And in time, we are forgotten and so are the “things” we chased after - Do you ever think about that?….Even “great” men are forgotten!…..So why do we chase after things that do not last?……..Jesus tells us very clearly - “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” - But is this what is happening in the world today? - Very few people live by this model of living - And we chase after “nonsense”………The corporate professional class in America for the most part does not have children - Many of these men and women make incredible amounts of money, yet have no interest in having children…..A sad reality indeed….In the end, no matter what you have achieved, our children are our legacy - They live on after we die - If you are fortunate enough to live a long life, no one in their eighties shows pictures to their friends of their house or car - They show pictures of their grandchildren - Yet, in the meantime - The material world priorities position and monetary gain - Not wanting to have children, seeing them as a burden - All the while forgetting their impending mortality!….This is one of the greatest “tricks” of the devil - To distract us from what is important and the devil does this in plain sight almost without the world even realizing it is happening - Many realize this mistake when its too late……This is why being a Catholic is so important - The Church give us vision, but it also gives us the means for us to “see” through the lies of the world, the flesh and the devil…..Its very easy to “get lost” in this world - Again we are reminded of this reality by Jesus…..“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”…..How many people “fall into this pit”? - The numbers are too large to count…..God gave us one life to live - When we live it for others and for our Creator - Not only will we be fulfilled, but we will live forever!……I tell this to my five children all the time when they ask me questions about dying….I tell them…”If we do God’s will - We never die!”…..Not a bad trade off…….“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 world today will tell you that you can have both - God and mammon” - That is a stone cold lie! - The devil is the father of lies - He knows what he is doing! - Do we?

Today St Paul, as he often does in his many letters to his friends offers encouragement and a warning to them….What he tells Timothy, he also tells us today…..Pay attention! - When we go to Mass and hear the words of Jesus - Do we pay attention?….So much is communicated to us - But is it really heard?…..As Catholics, we are to be formed by the words of God - Through the words of Jesus Christ, empowered by grace through the Sacraments, daily prayer and fasting, we are to be transformed - Is this happening? - Or are we just “Ticking Boxes” as Catholics?….St Paul gave everything he had to God - Paul understood just how short this life is and he prioritized the “things of heaven” - To me that is the “smart play” - But many would disagree with me….The world hears what its “itchy ears” wants to hear….The Truth of God gets “twisted” and as a result our world gets turned upside-down! - May this not be the case for you!……St Paul again reminds us - “ For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances”…..Here is the deal - “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other” - Choices have to be made in life  - We do not just “float” into heaven! - Heaven is a choice - And so is hell…………..JMJ

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”

Today at Holy Mass we read in the first reading a letter from St Paul to his friend Timothy…In the letter Paul tells Timothy about the many trials he had to endure on the many mission trips he took preaching the fullness of Truth to hostile people…….”You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, persecutions that I endured”……When we read about the lives of the saints, who were “regular people” just like us, I think to myself - This is how we are to live - Do you think the same?…Saints are nothing more than examples that point to Christ - They show us the way forward and St Paul did just that - He was fearless and “all in” - How about us?….In this letter today Paul tells Timothy something else - Something that Jesus Christ himself said to the original twelve Apostles - “If they persecuted me, they will surely persecute you!” - Do you think that does not apply to us today?!?……These are the words of St Paul…..”In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”…One of the driving factors that hold the Catholic Church back in America is we are WAY to comfortable - Look at the Church in Africa - Its thriving! - Keep in mind, in countries like Nigeria, which has a significant Catholic population, people die for their faith regularly - And the Church in Nigeria is growing!!!!…..In America, our belly’s are full and our wallets are way too fat! - And because of that, we “take God along for the ride” with “our plans” as opposed to letting God dictate “THE PLAN” to us and lead us to where we have to go - We have NOT given up the reins of our life to God! - Far too many American Catholics live their life just like their pagan neighbors - “Ticking the box” on official forms does not make you Catholic…..This is not the path to heaven!!!……We were not put on this earth to be “comfortable” we were given life by God to bring about the Kingdom in the here and now! - And that means we must live radically - Like St Paul……”All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. - Does the Church mirror the words of St Paul? - If not, it needs too!

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him”

Abortion is a sensitive topic today in our society - The Church’s teaching on sex is very clear - Sex is meant to be shared by a man and woman in a Sacramental marriage only - It should be free of any impediment that prevents life (ie no contraception)…..The teaching of the Church could not be any clearer!…Yet, sex outside of marriage is pervasive and because of that abortion is pervasive!….Do we think God does not see this?!?…..But here is the question, if this reality is so pervasive - Where is our Catholic voice addressing it?….Sadly, when a Priest preaches on subjects like this, many Catholics in the pews of Church complain!…..This needs to be addressed too from pulpits around the world  - We are either in or out!….As Catholics its not for us to “pick and choose” what we are to believe…If we have a “problem” with a perennial Church teaching - Here is my advice - Continue to pray, especially before the Blessed Sacrament - Pray the Rosary everyday - Continue to go to mass BUT - Because you do not believe what the Church teaches on say a topic like abortion, when you go to Mass, do not receive the Blessed Sacrament - If you take my advice, in time through your persistent prayer  - The Holy Spirit will enlighten your heart and in time change it!…Then you will be free to receive the Blessed Sacrament when you are ALL IN on what the Church teaches!….We CAN NOT receive the Blessed Sacrament as Catholics on OUR TERMS…And by the way - Nor do we enter heaven on OUR TERMS!

“Princes persecute me without cause but my heart stands in awe of your word”

Today St Paul in the first reading from Mass tells his friend St Timothy something we all should take note of…..”In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”…Notice the word “ALL” - Guess what? - That means you and me!…If we are Catholics and not getting any form of “push back” from the culture around us, frankly we need to stop and ponder if we are living our Catholic faith as we were called too…..By the way, this is not “my opinion”….Throughout the pages of the New Testament, Jesus warns his disciples as does St Paul today that…”In the world you will have trouble”….Yet, in far too many circles, Catholics “play it safe” - We live our life like everyone else around us!….Did Jesus live his life “like everyone else”? - How about St Paul?….Today many people claim to be “activists”, they claim to be looking for a “revolution” - They are “looking” to change society, the culture and the government in radical ways - If you are one of those people - Here is my advice - Become Catholic!……Being Catholic today in the public square is the most “REVOLUTIONARY” thing you can do!…..If we are to objectively study history, many revolutionary figures across the centuries will catch our attention - Jesus Christ was BY FAR the most revolutionary figure history has ever known! - So if you want to be “radical” and live a “revolutionary” life - Be authentically Catholic!……..“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”………..JMJ

”And no one dared to ask him any more questions”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark Jesus condenses the entire law into two points…Love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself - Simple - Right?!?…..Sometimes as a Catholic I step back and ask myself - Have we complicated things?…Jesus was a man who worked with his hands - He did not have university degrees nor did the first twelve men who followed him….Yet look at all they accomplished!….When we look at the Church today, we see men who are so educated that sometimes I think they can’t “get out of their own way” - Yet today in the Gospel, Jesus a very simple man breaks down the will of God into two sentences….Have we as Catholics made something that is so simple complicated? - Now I am not questioning the validity of the Catholic Church but what I am stating is - Are we getting “caught up” in the “weeds” and missing the big picture?…..As Catholics, we can argue about so many small elements of dogma and miss what Jesus is teaching us today…..If we stick to what I call First Principals, we will never “get off the road” that leads to heaven - We may fall now and then - But never stray from the road…..What are those “First Principals”?……Pray the Rosary everyday! - Our Lady requested this at Fatima - Why would we not listen to her!……Go to Confession with a Catholic Priest once a month - The saints recommend this practice - Men like Pope John Paul II, Fulton Sheen & Padre Pio - Why would we not listen to the advice of men who did so much to build the kingdom of God?……Lastly, go to Mass and receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace at minimum once a week on Sunday with your family…..These three practices are so simple and free! - Anyone can do them!….And if you make these three practices apart of your life - Your life will change for the better! - So why would you not do them?…..Like Jesus, who was a simple man, we need to make the Catholic faith accessible to all people - Being Catholic is not some esoteric way of life meant for the elite - While there are some elite Catholics, must of us are simple people - So maybe its best to “keep things simple” - That is what Jesus did - Right?!?

“And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions”

I co-host a Catholic radio show, for the last five years, in the New York Metropolitan area and due to my role on the show I pay attention to Catholic media….Like anything else in life, some of the voices out there are good and some are not so good….Some shows educate, inform and even entertain - But some look to constantly find fault and argue endlessly - I thought of this reality as I read the first reading today at Mass…St Paul instructs the faithful of his day with these words….”Remind people of these things and charge them before God to stop disputing about words. This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen. Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation”……For those of us who have large Catholic audiences and voices that are followed by others - Do we take St Paul’s advice?….Its not always what we say that matters - Its how we say it…..And what we say must come from the heart - A place of love…If that is not what we are doing, whether we have a large Catholic platform on the radio or we simply speak about the faith to our neighbor next door from our home - People will not listen to us, if they do not perceive that our words reflect the heart of Christ by the tone and way we say them…Don’t get me wrong - Words matter - So does speaking the Truth boldly and clearly! - But words said in arrogance or in anger will never convince the unbelieving world of anything - Even if you are right!….Our “job”, the way I see it, is to be as simple as possible - Stick to “First Principals” - And speak from the heart…..No matter how big your “audience” is - Be it one person or a million people that listen to you - The world will take note…..Love God above all things and Love your neighbor as your self - Its really that simple!

“Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way”

Today both readings at Mass give us some good advice - Do not complicate the Catholic faith - Speak from the heart - Stick to First Principles - And let God do the rest…..Mother Teresa would always say - “Our job is to be faithful not necessarily to be successful” - Sometimes we can lose focus of this concept when we “argue” with others about the Catholic faith…Such arguments many times become more about “us” then about God - “We” want to be right and “win” the argument….Taking that approach when it comes to passing on the faith to others never works….Sometimes saying less is more, especially when we say something from the heart……..People can tell a sincere and loving person from a mile away!….And if we are sincere, clear, and speak the Truth - The world will take note!…Maybe its time to stop trying to “win” arguments and start winning souls for God….Its not simply a matter of what we say - What we say can be one hundred percent true however people will “tune us out” - Its how we say it that matters most and will always win the day!…..Arrogance does not come from God nor does endless arguments…..”And no one dared to ask him any more questions”……….JMJ

Its all about “THY” will be done - Not - “MY” will be done

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark a conversation about what heaven will be like…..Some of the Sadducees were questioning Jesus…Keep in mind, the Sadducees were learned men and they were asking Jesus his thoughts about heaven….After the conversation was complete, Jesus said these words to them about their ideas about what eternal life will be all about….”You are greatly misled”…….So here is the question to ponder - Are we too “greatly mislead” about heaven today?…….Jesus tells us very clearly that He is the Way, which implies that in order to get to heaven, we must follow him - Why is that? - Because Jesus knows the “WAY”…This means our lives must be transformed by divine grace - And this is a process!….In heaven, for those who enter, the elect will ALL be perfected - First in this life by living sacrificially for others in love - And what remains in us that is impure, will then be perfected in Purgatory - This is a perennial teaching of the Catholic Church!….Before we stand before the "beatific vision”, we must be made perfect…Do we consider this reality? - This is an unchangeable teaching of the Catholic Church….But is it still preached? - Is it still taught?…..”American Christianity” has influenced the Catholic mind…..Today it is “believed” that “everyone” goes to heaven - And they go to heaven on “their terms”…..Nothing could be further from the Truth……What Jesus today said to the Sadducees applies to us equally today…..”You are greatly misled”…..In heaven, once the elect are ALL purified, EVERYONE will be of one mind and one heart - There will be perfect unity! - When you look at the world today - This is a hard concept to grasp - Because only God can make this happen…As we pray in the Lord’s Prayer - The only prayer given to us from Jesus….He teaches us - ”Thy will be done - On earth as it is in heaven”….As Baptized Catholics, maybe its time to start the purification process now - Don”t you think?….If we are to be of “one mind and one heart” in heaven - Its best we make that happen now - RIGHT?!? - I want my time in Purgatory to be as short as possible!

“I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die”

A few years ago, one of my childhood friend’s father died and I attended the funeral Mass…At the Mass, my friend spoke and said his father, who was a Baptized Catholic - “Lived his life on his terms”……As I heard this I thought to myself - You completely do not get it!…To borrow the words of Jesus today in the Gospel…..”You are greatly misled”…..In order to arrive safely in heaven, we do not live our life on “our terms” but instead are called to live our life on “God’s terms” - Remember the words in the Lord’s Prayer? - “Thy will be done”……To live our life on God’s terms means to live the eternal Truths taught by the one Church that Jesus founded - The Catholic Church…Now how can we do that? - It seems almost impossible - Right?…..Well, to live as a Catholic relying on our own strength and natural born gifts is impossible! - The only way to live as a Catholic is to live Sacramentally, to develop a prayer life, to fast weekly etc….If we “think” we can self-manufacture a sanctified life without God’s grace - We are simply delusional! - There will be no transformation of the self!….But when we live as a practicing Catholic, day in and day out, we are slowly transformed - We become sanctified over time - In essence, we “prepare” our self to stand before the "beatific vision”…….If this is not your number one priority in life - As we heard in the Gospel today at Mass - ”You are greatly misled”….My childhood friend sadly “does not get it”…Life is not about living on “our terms” - Its about living on God’s terms….So don’t be misled!

“On this account I am suffering these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know him in whom I have believed and am confident that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day”

Today in St Mark’s Gospel at Mass a great debate takes place between Jesus and the religious scholars of his day about life after death….Such debates rage to this very day….Instead of “arguing” about something that frankly we have no idea about, maybe its a better idea to read what the Catholic Church tells us about how we are to arrive in heaven and what heaven will be all about - Why take this approach? - Because its all written down very clearly!…..The Church tells us how we are to get to heaven…And the Church tells us what heaven will be like….And here is the most important “take away” here….We DO NOT get to heaven on “Our Terms” - “Get that through your think head” as my mother would tell me growing up…..St Paul has diagnosed the problem best in this “great debate” about heaven - Here is the fundamental problem as per St Paul - “We hear what our itchy ears want to hear”….Maybe its time to stop “hearing” what we want to hear and start objectively reading what is presented very clearly to us by the Catholic Church……Its all about “THY” will be done - Not - “MY” will be done….JMJ

Jesus was bold - That should imply we are to be bold too!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark, the Pharisees attempt to trick Jesus - But before they do, they say something, which is in my estimations to be highlighted for the purposes of this reflection…Jesus only cared about the “opinion” of God the Father - He did not live to appease men…How about us? - Are we more concerned with how society views us, then we are how God will judge us at the end of time?……“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth”………We are told in Scripture by Jesus himself that the Truth when fully embraced divides…..The world rejects the Truth - Sadly, even within the walls of the Church - When the Truth is preached in its fullness from the pulpit, many are “put off”….But this was the manner in which Jesus lived and spoke - Through the lens of the Truth - And this must also be the model of every Catholic today - But is it?…….”And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna”…When we read the Acts of the Apostles, which chronicles the early Church, we see just how bold the first Catholics were….This book of the Bible, should be a constant reminder for the Church today - Are we bold? - Do we bring the Catholic faith into the public square? - Do we “water-down” eternal Truths to appease the culture and “win” favor?…….St Oscar Romero (1980), was the Archbishop of El Salvador and a martyr ,who famously proclaimed these words….. “A church that doesn't provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a word of God that doesn't get under anyone’s skin, a word of God that doesn't touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed —  what gospel is that?”…..Powerful words - But words are not enough - Our world needs Catholic action!

“May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call”

When there is a Catholic wedding in America, at the Mass, usually in attendance are many non-Catholics. Also in attendance are usually many non-practicing Baptized Catholics, which is a sad reality….What I have observed in those situations is the Priest who is presiding over the Mass, when its time to approach the altar to receive the Blessed Sacrament, usually would make a statement to the congregation that only Catholics in the state of grace can receive the Blessed Sacrament, which means only Catholics free of mortal sin. He would also go on to say Non-Catholics cannot receive the Blessed Sacrament as well but can come up and receive a blessing….This is the correct statement to make at such a wedding, sadly, but that does not mean that the people in the congregation always receive this statement in a “friendly” manner - Many are “put off” when a Priest simply is “doing his job”….This is just a small, but very real example of what the Pharisees said Jesus would do in the public square during his earthly ministry…..”We know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth”…Jesus was bold - Therefore, so must the Church be bold today!….As Catholics, if we do not live the teachings of the Church and put them into practice in real time, the secular world will not take the Catholic Church seriously! - How could they?!?……If we say something is an eternal Truth - If we write that eternal Truth down formally in the Catechism  - Then don’t you “think” we NEED to live those teachings out!….”Pretending” not to “see” sin does not make it go away….”Watering-down” Church teaching is not “pastoral” nor is it an act of mercy…..Preaching “half-truths” does not convert others - It frankly affirms them in their sin……Jesus is our example - RIGHT! - So were the early disciples…..”Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna”…..Live for an “audience” of one - Only God’s opinion in the end matters - The “noise” of the “crowd” will all “fade away”, so don’t be bullied by “noise”

“Let your work be seen by your servants and your glory by their children”

Today the leading members of society try to trick Jesus - What about today? - Does our culture try to manipulate the way we think and live?….To live as a Catholic means that we live differently - If you are not “different”, frankly you simply are not living the Gospel - Sorry! - That is a bold claim to make but a true one nonetheless…..We as a Church must “lift up” society - We are not to compromise our standards to appease society - To tell people what they want to hear - And to live like that can be challenging - Let’s be honest - But that is the mandate of every Baptized Catholic - “To be in the world but not be of the world” - To show the world, by our life’s example, a “better way” to live….This requires us to be bold!….Jesus was bold - That should imply we are to be bold too!……………..JMJ

This is our task….But is this YOUR priority?

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading St Peter addresses the first Catholics…He talks about manifesting the seeds of faith into action…This is what each of us must do - It is not enough to say we “believe” if we do not put our belief into practice….”His divine power has bestowed on us everything that makes for life and devotion, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power. Through these, he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature, after escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love”…..Human nature being what it is prevents us from becoming the people we are called to be…..This is why St Peter tells us today - “His divine power has bestowed on us” - What does he mean by that? - Through the Sacraments, we are grafted into the life of Christ - This is something the Protestants miss - And its a BIG miss!….We can read all we want about Jesus Christ - Memorize the entire Bible to the point we can cite chapter and verse at will! - But that will not gain us virtue - Nor will it transform our flawed human nature - Only when we live a Sacramental life does this occur….When we confess our sins regularly (once a month), not only are we forgiven but we are given grace to overcome the sins, which seem impossible for us to overcome…Along with frequent confession, when we then receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace, our fallen human nature is elevated!!!…Again something Protestants miss!!!!…..Catholics must return to the practice of frequent Confession….What I just documented is not “rocket science” - Its what I call “First Principals”  - But if we return to these First Principals, we will be transformed in time…Why? - Because as St Peter rightfully stated….”His divine power has bestowed on us”

“Because he clings to me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name”

The name of the “game” as a Catholic is to grow in virtue…This is how we put our faith into action!….And this takes time - One does not become virtuous over night and this is why as Catholics our top priority should be to develop habits that allow God to work in our life…..Weekly fasting, daily prayer, Sacramental living….All these things, like an athlete trying his body, a Catholic “works out” his salvation each and every day - And in the process we transform those around us by our example - Example is everything! - No one will believe what you are “selling” as a Catholic if they do not “see” God in us - And that transformation ONLY happens when we are consistent in our daily spiritual practices…..This past weekend I ran into a man I knew from many years ago - When I first met Joseph, his life is a mess…He was in a bad marriage, in which he was not faithful to his wife - He had destroyed his relationship with his son…Joseph was a mess!…..I met Joseph on a pilgrimage and since then he began to take his Catholic faith seriously - What do I mean by seriously?…..Confessing his sins regularly, praying daily, and going to Mass just about everyday….Joseph now is still not “perfect” but Joseph is a very different person from the man I met fifteen years ago on that pilgrimage…But this transformation did not happen over night….And such a transformation is available to ALL of us!!!!…..But here is the take away - Because we are fallen human beings, meaning we are ALL sinners, we need Sacramental grace to make that transformation happen and last - Jesus established a Church because the Church gives us the “medicine” we ALL need….The Sacraments are the “cure” and the secular world refuses to “take its medicine” - This is why the world is the way it is - Reeling in its “sickness”….So take your “medicine” and allow God, who is the Divine Physician to do what he does best - Cure us of our “sickness”........You can read all the “self help” books in the world - That will never “cure” us, nor make us virtuous - So take your “medicine”!

“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress”

Today St Peter in the first reading is instructing the faithful…He is trying to tell them how to become the people God called them to be….That is the role of the Church - To Teaching - To Admonish - To Instruct by example…..St Paul tells us something similar……”I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children”…..If a father does not instruct his children in how they are to live - How can he expect them to grow properly?….The voice of Truth must be boldly proclaimed by the Church - And that “voice” must be inserted into the public square fearlessly!……Is this happening? - More importantly, are we as Catholics living witnesses of that same Truth? - Are we growing in virtue each day? - Is this our priority?…..All these questions need to be considered….And if we commit our life to accomplishing what St Peter tells us today at Mass, we not only will save our soul but set the world on fire around us - This is our task….But is this YOUR priority?…..JMJ

Our “itchy” ears are easily deceived - Don’t be deceived

Today at Holy Mass, the Gospel of John is read to the faithful. This particular text is one of the most familiar passages in the entire New Testament….John 3:16………”God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life…Its clearly a “feel good” passage…..And it’s a passage that gives people hope!…..But have we ever really thought about this famous statement deeply?…….Here are some thoughts to consider - What is love? - Do we have a clue about the kind of love God has for us, never mind the love we should aspire to have as human beings for each other? - Have you ever stopped and thought how much of a sacrifice it was God to give up is PERFECT son for an IMPERFECT world!? - Would you do such a thing,  give up your son for sinners? - I surely would not! - What does God mean by believing in his son? - Does this “belief” imply we do anything?…..These are some of the questions and thoughts we can reflect upon when we meditate on this passage that is used by many both inside the Catholic Church and outside its walls as well…….St John in his Gospel goes on…..”For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God”…Like any good father, God wants what is BEST for his children and WE ALL are God’s children…That means God wishes us to live in the state of grace - When we sin, which we ALL do, we NEED to reconcile our sin - God wants us to communion with him daily, which we do through prayer and receiving the Blessed Sacrament at Mass….Why would God want this? - The answer - Because its what is BEST for us!……..Interestingly enough, St John also implies an alternative to NOT believing in his son - What is that “alternative? - St John describes it as “condemning the world” - That means if we do not spend eternity with God in heaven - There is “another” place we will go - That “other place” is hell - Yes - Hell is real and Jesus spoke clearly about it often in the Bible…No one likes to think about “hell” these days but the reality is every human being we know will spend eternity in one of two places…Heaven or Hell - The entire world will be divided into two camps - And the only way to stay our of hell - As St John tells us today - Is to believe in God’s son……Seems pretty clear - RIGHT?!?

“Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you”

American Protestants have interpreted the words of Christ and somehow made avoiding hell and entering heaven as easy as saying a few words….”I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior”….That is wonderful - But when one comes to this decision in life - What then does such a statement imply? - Do we have to live a certain way? - And if we fail at living as God commanded - Then what?…..The Catholic Church offers an alternative to the Protestant mindset - And that alternative is Sacramental living….Jesus did not write a book, he founded a Church - Why? - Because we need it!…The Church gives us the Sacraments and its the Sacraments that give us the grace to live the Gospel….If you “think” you can do as Jesus commanded without Sacramental Grace - You are deluding yourself! - Its simply impossible!….This is a driving reason why Jesus created a Church and gave us the Sacraments - Jesus understands human nature and knew we would need divine assistance to live out the Gospel……Somehow the Gospel has been “sanitized” - We have made it “palatable” for “polite society”…..How can this be when the words of Jesus are so very clear…St Paul tells us how - “We hear what our itchy ears want to hear”……The words of God are not for us to manipulate - God is very clear and He points the way forward - Its then up to us to go where he tell us to go………….Go to the Catholic Church!!!!!…….. Ultimately, all of us will end up in one of two places based upon the lives we lead, not simply by the words we speak…….Its “Upstairs or Downstairs” - Choose well

“This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own."

Today at Mass we hear a Gospel that is very familiar to us all….But did we stop and think about the words? - Its very easy to just hear them and make a superficial interpretation, taking the very words of Good for granted…..The Catholic Church’s teachings are very clear - So are the words in the Bible - Its all crystal clear!….With that said - How do so many people hear these words and come away believing something completely different? - The answer - PRIDE - We do not want to bend our will and change our life…..God is our father and he meets us as we are! - But when we meet him - God then asks us to CHANGE…If we begin the process of transformation - We grow in our faith - But if we refuse to change - Our faith regresses backwards and we simply “fool” ourself……In the final analysis - Its not enough to say - ”I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior” - Once we make that statement - We then have to LIVE like we mean it! - And the only way to do that is to live Sacramentally........Our fallen human nature will not permit us to do what cannot be done without Divine Grace given to us by the Sacraments………Walking the “narrow road” that leads to heaven is not accomplished by saying a few simple words……“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”……….Our “itchy” ears are easily deceived - Don’t be deceived……..JMJ