Once again….This is why - The “last will be first and the first will be last”

Today at Holy Mass the Church commemorates Our Lady of Sorrows….Mary understood so much of what the world did not…and she kept what she understood deep within her heart…..A pure heart “sees” what others do not - Imagine what Mary saw as Jesus was agonizing on the cross for three hours!?!……Outside of the fact that Jesus was her son - Mary understood, unlike anyone else, the gravity of the sin of what mankind was doing - Killing the Son of God…..Yet, she trusted - She remained silent - She remained steadfast……How quick we are to “rant” - To feel despair - To lose sight of hope!……Jesus taught the world for three years in his public ministry and in the last three hours of his life - He continued to teach…One of his last gestures was to give the world his Mother...........…”When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home”…..As we all know, Jesus entrusted Mary to St John….Just as the first thirty years of Jesus life were not documented - St John lived with Mary for many years following Jesus’ death up to Mary’s Assumption into heaven…..Just imagine what John learned from her?….I believe its because of those “hidden years”, the time John lived with Mary, we today have the Gospel of St John…John was a mystic and I am sure Our Lady contributed to his spiritual growth, forming John into the man he became - His Gospel is very different then Matthew, Mark and Luke - And I attribute that to living with Our Lady (my humble view - not an official Church view)……What can Mary teach us - The answer - Everything!…..Mary was simple, she lived in “the background” of her son….She did not draw attention to herself - She was obedient - Her faith is unfailing…So much of what we “try” to do as Catholics, even the most gifted of us all, is so limited….If we entrust our “work” to Mary - She will magnify it….Why? - Because her son can not refuse her….Think for a moment of the people in history that Mary appeared too…The children of Fatima - St Juan Diego  - St Bernadette…All extremely simple people - People the world did not “look twice” at - These are “Mary’s people”…..If we want to do great things for God - We too must become simple - Do you aspire to be simple? - “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”…..Do you think Jesus was “joking” when he made this statement?…..Mary was and is the “greatest in the kingdom of heaven” because of her childlike simplicity…I believe Mary not only raised Jesus for thirty years but she also “formed” St John after Jesus died…She will “form” us too - But only is we remain simple…and authentically humble….True humility is learned by what we endure - By living…By sacrificing…..Are you willing to endure, patiently and in silence?….This is what Mary did and this is why the “last will be first and the first will be last”

“Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home”

Our culture celebrates NOISE….Our Lady, “mankind’s only boast” was just the opposite…Mary lived in silence - Hidden….Have you ever encountered true Marian Spirituality?….Before I was married I spend the majority of Advent each year (for six straight years) in Kolkata India, serving the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters….Holy Mass began every morning at 6:00am and my alarm bell was the Muslim call to prayer…The Missionaries of Charity’s convent was located near a Muslim quarter in the city….I would always get to Mass early and sit while the sisters finished up morning prayer….The main chapel in Mother House had no pews, all the nuns sat on the floor - In those morning hours I got a “glimpse” of what (I believe) Our Lady must have been like….Silent - Hidden - Prayerful…..The Holy Spirit in that Chapel in the early morning hours tangible - The very memory of it literally haunts me to this day!!!….One morning I was asked to find Sr Adriana…..The sisters had something for me to do in a village outside the city…At the time St Adriana was the second in charge of the entire global order…Coming from America and working in a Global Bank - I assumed this nun would look a certain way - The way I perceived people of power and authority to look…When I was introduced to Sr Adriana, all my preconceived ideas about what she would like like were all wrong….Sr Adriana was an Italian nun with outdated glasses from the 1970s…She had a gentle smile and was very understated….This encounter, as well as my early morning visits to the chapel before Mass in Kolkata with Mother Teresa’s sisters gave me a small indication what Our Lady must have been like in life….Understated - Hidden - Silent…..Is this what you see in all the people we consider to be “important” today - In politics - In society - Even in the Church?……Our Lady was not “in the front” - Just the opposite, she “sat in the back” and allowed Jesus to be upfront…….A good priest once told me how to find Jesus…He said….Jesus is very rarely is found in the front pew of the Church - Instead he is often found in the back pew and it is there that he is alone and broken….If you go to him in the back pew - Jesus will take you by the hand and bring you to the front pew….Once again….This is why - The “last will be first and the first will be last”….JMJ

“Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary; without dying you won the Martyr’s crown beneath the Cross of the Lord”

This will keep you humble and this will also make you holy

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of John a sentence that is widely repeated…….”For 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”…….This is not statement I would like to focus upon for this reflection…Its the next sentence…”For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him”…In our heart of hearts, do we share this sentiment? - To NOT condemn but to save?…..Everything Jesus did was focused on saving others…..Jesus had every right to condemn, he was without sin - He was PERFECT - yet that was not his aim…It was to save…..Clearly our world is troubled - Clearing its VERY EASY to see the flaws and sins of others….But how do we save them and more importantly - Are we even interested in saving them?…Because if we are NOT - We do not share the heart of Christ……But let’s circle back - How do we “save others”….The answer is - We can not…..The only thing we can do is cooperate with God’s grace and allow God to save ourself….As far as others, the witness of a holy life is attractive…If we draw closer and closer to God each day, the reflection of Christ in our life will “spark” the Holy Spirit with in the soul of those we encounter each day - From that “spark”, its then up to them - To begin the process of conversion - Which is a daily and ongoing process - I know, because I am still being converted….Stay focused on “Our Job”, which is to save our self - Why? - Because that is a “full time job”….And make no mistake….If you make it your top priority, to become holy - Your example will impact those around you….This is why only saints change the world - The rest of us just make “noise”

“We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world”

For seven years before I was married I was the driver for the Missionaries of Charity every Saturday in Manhattan…I learned more in those seven years then I did in all the years of my schooling….I would always marvel at how people, all kinds of people, would be drawn to the sisters….The rich and the poor alike….Why? - Because a holy life attracts others…..The sisters did not “preach” - They did not write books - They did not have a “podcast”…They lived the Gospel - To this day - I have never seen the Catholic faith lived out in a more profound way then the Missionaries of Charity…Another thing the Missionaries of Charity DID NOT do is condemn others….While Mother Teresa’s sisters were unapologetically Catholic, they loved people as they encountered them - And because people could recognize Christ in them, many converted and experienced a change of heart - Many of those people were hardened sinners…I have seen this with my own eyes time and time again…..St Paul in the second reading today from Mass gives us a glimpse into the Missionaries of Charity’s secret….”Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross”…Authentic humility witnessed attracts others while arrogance and pride repel others…..You do not have to have a PhD to recognize a sincerely humble soul…And this is what the Missionaries of Charity are - If anything else - Humble…And so was Christ - As St Paul articulated for us today…Here is the question - Are we?….True humility does not condemn, it recognizes who we truly are under all the “noise” - Sinners - In need of a Savior….Does any of us really have a right to condemn anyone?….If this is something you grapple with - Here is a suggestion…Go to confession once a month - And try to go to the same priest each time you do….Even if you live a “good” and “upright” life for the world to “see”….That priest knows your sins - He knows who you really are - A fallen person in need of God’s mercy and grace…This will keep you humble and this will also make you holy……..JMJ

“Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”

Think what grace can do for you - If you allow it too?

Today at Holy Mass we are given good advice about something that plagues us all - Anger…It is very natural to feel spontaneous anger…It simply makes us human…However, to allow anger to ferment - To “feed into it” - To dwell on it….This behavior is the enemy of our soul - It “chases” God away from us….In the first reading today from the Prophet Sirach. - We are given good advice…Do we “hear” it? - Maybe better put - Do we allow the Holy Spirit “into the places” where we allow anger to ferment into our lives?

“Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults”

Not harboring anger does not “fix” others or the situation…It simply gives the situation over to God….That is a healthy practice that only the humble can do….Pride prevents us from doing this because “WE” want to fix it…And frankly, WE can not…We cannot control other people and many things in life are beyond our grasp…Having the ability to recognize those situations and “give them over to God” - Not only is a healthy practice but an effective one……As Catholics, we must know our limits…God is God - WE are not….We can do “everything right” but the devil knows our weaknesses…And anger is one of mine…..If I do not watch it, even “righteous anger” over an injustice can turn into sinful anger….Notice what the Prophet Sirach said…..”your neighbors injustice” and “overlook faults”…Sirach is not saying what we “see” is good…In fact he is calling it out - However, what Sirach is saying is - Remember, WE are sinners too….That justice belongs to the Lord - Not to us…Its very easy to see our neighbors faults - Its much harder to see our own - Even harder than that - To address our own faults - That requires the Holy Spirit and Sacramental grace……All the “outrage” we see on social media….Is God found in it?….God sees the sin of others MUCH clearer then we do…..Let God be God….He will address what needs to be addressed in his way and in His time…In the mean time - Do not allow your anger to cause you to sin……Let it pass and trust all things will be “settled” in relation to God’s law….In God’s way and in God’s time

“I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you”

To forgive is divine…..God is not asking us to not be human - He is asking us to live by His grace…..The idea behind forgiving our neighbor is to “win our neighbor over”…..That is the hidden power of forgiveness….To forgive does not “fix” the problem - or for that matter “fix” our neighbor…What it does do is allow our neighbor “see” himself clearly for a short instant….We do not “see” ourself as God sees us…..That in and of itself is a mercy because if we did “see” our sins as God sees them, we would probably drop dead on the spot , in reaction to just how pure God is….When your neighbor commits an injustice or sins - Say a prayer asking God for them to see themselves as God sees them….This is how people change…Not by ranting like a lunatic….Sadly, that is my method of addressing such matters, more times then I want to admit….So pray for me…….Think for a moment of Our Lady…She stood at the foot of the Cross…Who had more of a right to rant at the injustice of Jesus being crucified then Mary did?…Yet, she remained silent…Like of Our Lord on the Cross, who suffered there for three long hours......Who had more of a right to scream out the injustice of it all!!!!!…..Jesus did nothing wrong!!!!!……Clearly we are NOT Our Lady and Jesus Christ, who were without sin…..But we are able to cooperate with Sacramental grace…..Only grace can give us the ability to “let hurts go” - To see past injustice and sin…Only grace can allow us to forgive the unforgivable…Only grace can do what no man can do…Like defeat death - Our Lord did the impossible - He defeated death!….If Jesus could do that - Think what grace can do for you - If you allow it too?…….JMJ

Jesus said “I am the vine” - Notice, he did not say - “YOU” are the vine

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke we are given some good advice…Build your life on a “foundation of rock”…..Nothing could be more true…Is this what we see in America today? - In our families? - In our corporations?….Short-term thinking always collapses! - ALWAYS…..Nothing is more solid then God and the teachings of the Catholic Church - Yet both are ignored and the consequences are seen and felt…..Are you aware that 55% of all marriages end in divorce? - That includes Catholics by the way…..Are you also aware that if the couple attends Mass on Sunday - That number reduces to 25%…Simply by attending Mass with your spouse….Let’s go deeper - If married couples do not use contraception and practice NFP - The divorce rate is 3%…..These are not dogmatic statistics - But is real time data….So why would you risk not adhering to these facts?….How many Catholic couples use contraception?….Think of these numbers another way…Would you go into a business and invest, say one million dollars, if your success rate was only 45%? - Speaking personally - I would not!…But if I told you that if you go into “this business” and we have a 97% success rate - Which business would you invest in?….Yet, Americans ignore what I just noted - And FULLY bear the brunt of the consequence for ignoring it - So do their children!…..Facts do not change because we do not “like” them…..We are also told something else in the Gospel today….“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit”….Pay attention, not to what people say - But by what they do - And also what the fruit of their life produces…..Bishops who are holy have packed seminaries - Priest who are holy have long lines at the confessional in their parishes….Married Couples who are holy are full of joy and are open to life…..Single people who are holy attract others to themselves and live to serve their community…..This is the “measure” we should observe - “Nice words” spoken or "posted" on social media do not “cut it”…..How do I know this? - “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks”……Pay attention and keep your eyes open!…..And beware of false prophets!

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

One of the most important statements, in my humble opinion, made by Jesus Christ in the entire New Testament can be found in John 15……”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 every one 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”……..If we take this statement to heart - We are GUARANTEED to “bear fruit” in our life…However, that means we do things according to what the Church teaches - Not our “vision” of the Church - But what the Church actually teaches (i.e. What is written down) - It means we are - Are you ready for this? - OBEDIENT! - Now that is a “BAD WORD” these days - OBEDIENT! …..The Catholic Church is a Divine Institution - That means while it is made up of flawed men - What the Catholic Church teaches is PERFECT - What it also means is - NOTHING mankind can “throw at the church” can destroy it….Look at history objectively - How is the Catholic Church still here?…..The Romans killed every Pope for the first (say) 275 years….Regime after regime has tried to destroy her - THEY ALL FAILED…..Now, how does this apply to us?….When we are obedient to what the Church teaches and live under the authority, which only the Church has because Christ himself gave the Church (that includes the Pope) that authority - We will bear fruit that lasts…For all the people who “follow” various Catholic people on Social Media - This should be the measure that guides you, as far as who you listen too and who you “scroll passed” - No need to comment - Just “scroll” passed!…..Why should you “listen” to what I just noted? - ”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”….Speaking personally - I AM NOT INTERESTED in your OPINION….The “collective we” has ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY…..I am however going to listen very closely to the Pope - I am also going to pray and discern very carefully about what he says, even if what he says “does not agree with my view”….Why? - BECAUSE HE HAS AUTHORITY - And I do not……Does the “collective we” “get that”?

“How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD”

As Catholics when we go to Mass, as we did today, we hear words read to us in the readings that should guide our lives…These are not just “nice words” - They are instructions and in many cases they are commandments…..Today we hear one of those very important messages….That left by ourselves, “we can do nothing”…Do you believe that? - I mean really believe that?….By what I see on Catholic Social Media - I do not “think” many do - Whether they “realize” it or not…I do not comment much on social media but some of the “posts” I read very much contradict the Gospel message today - Again, whether the people who “post” these comments realize it or not…..We have no authority!!!! - Yet these “self appointed prophets” speak like they do….If we are not living and speaking in union with the Pope and the teachings of the Catholic Church - NOTHING YOU DO WILL BEAR FRUIT THAT WILL LAST…..How do I know that? - Because Jesus tells us this today in the Gospel….Do we realize this as we pontificate our personal nonsense for the world to read?….Jesus said “I am the vine” - Notice, he did not say - “YOU” are the vine….JMJ

That is how you tell and that is how you “see”

Today at Holy Mass In St Luke’s Gospel we are told something rather interesting…"Can a blind person guide a blind person?”……People “see” what they want to see…The same thing goes with hearing…Facts mean nothing to a person who is “dug in” to a lifestyle choice…Facing such a “fact” would mean changing, or worse, facing the reality that they made a horrible mistake or choice…And pride will NEVER allow that to happen for far too many…So they deflect, ignore and self rationalize their life away…This is what makes people “blind”….Reality is going on all around them and they live in this self-created lie….As a measure of self preservation…..This is what we see with many woman who are rabid supports of abortion…I would bet all I have that most of those women had abortions themselves…And they cannot admit what they did was wrong…So “their wound” becomes a means of “lashing out” to all those who are pro-life…Now lets look at the over side of this….Now you have the Pro-Life side….Many sadly “lash back out” at these women….Do you actually “think” you are helping the situation?….That your words are going to change the minds of these pro-choice women?…..Or…Are you just “blind” too to their wounds and to what will help them?……This is why what Jesus tells us today is so interesting….What we “see” and what we do not “see” has everything to do with how clean our heart is…And how do we have a clean heart?….By confessing our sins regularly, living Sacramentally, fasting, and daily prayer…..By living this way…We see….Because we see through the lens of God….And this kind of “sight” has NOTHING to do with how smart you are…Or the university degrees on your wall…..It has everything to do with the purity of your heart……Jesus goes on to say in the Gospel today that before we “take offense” with our neighbor, we address our own “issues”….Interesting…Does that mean we ignore issues that need to be addressed in society? - Of course not…But it does mean we do not attack others - Knowing we are ALL flawed and are in need of God’s grace and mercy….”How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,'when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye”…….When we attack others because of their sins - What is at the root of this attack?….Do we want to help this person who has made a bad choice?…or…Do we want to “feel better” about ourself?….or….Feel superior to this person?…..Jesus walked among sinners - That did not mean he condoned “bad behavior” - He walked among sinner because he had concerns for them….He wanted to help them…Do we?

“Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth”

By the grace of God go I….Ever think how your life would be if God did not give you the family you had - The education you have - The opportunities allotted to you….You may be shocked at “just how bad” you would have turned out if those things were not given to you! - Notice the word “given”!……How can a person “see”, as he heard in the Gospel today, if they were never shown how to live?…Notice I used the word “shown” - Why - Because people DO NOT CARE what you have to say - They watch what you do!….Trust me - Any person who “puts themselves out there” as a Catholic is “watched” very closely by family, neighbors and friends….Its what you DO that tells these people what you are all about…..So how do we give “sight” to a world that is blind if our words are ignored?….The ONLY way is to live a holy life - Which means we have to life sacrificially….So many people, many of them Catholic, say they “see”…or…They say they want to “see”…But are NOT willing to make the choices so they CAN “see”….And ALL those choices require DEEP sacrifices…..To have a many children and provide for them….To share your wealth with others….To live a chaste life….To live simply….To give of your time to the poor…..To not “cut corners” in business - To live Sacramentally - To not use contraception…..For every one of “these choices” that we refuse to make - This affects what we “see” and what we do not “see”….When Jesus walked this earth, so many did not “see” him for who he was…Jesus to this very day walks among us - Do you "see" him?…He is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament…How do we as Catholics get the world to “see” Christ?…..I got some news for you - ”Posting” on social media is notho we do it……...”Then Jesus said to his disciples, “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”…Are you willing to “lose your life”? - By giving it away to others?……That is the ONLY way we make the world “see”….The witness of a life lived sacrificially stops traffic!…..Our world needs witness - Not social media warriors…..”Can a blind person guide a blind person? - Will not both fall into a pit?"

“The LORD withholds no good thing from those who walk in sincerity”

Today at Mass the theme of “sight” is brought up again by Jesus…This theme trends throughout the New Testament…..Many claim to “see” in this world….But do they?….Jesus tells us in St Luke’s Gospel…..”Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from”…..Only those who “walk the narrow road” can “see” God - Why is this the case?….Because Jesus walked this road - Its the only “road” he knew!…He still walks it to this today….Are we on that “road” with him? - And how do you know that you are on it or not?…..Those who “give their life way” - They are on that “narrow road” - And those who do not - Are NOT…That is how you tell and that is how you “see”….JMJ

Are those just “words” too?

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the gospel of St Luke what it means to really love….Do we know what love is?…”Love is Love” - Right? - WRONG!!!!…For love to be real it must cost us!…..Jesus tells us today to love our enemies…Hmmmmm! - Interesting - Is this what we see in the “mob” on Catholic Social Media?…….or…….Are the words of Christ just that - Words - Meaningless words?!?….St Paul in the first reading adds to this idea in his letter to the Corinthians……”Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him"…….Again…Is this what we see on “Catholic” Social Media?….Brothers “building up” Brothers…….The words of Jesus Christ must be taken seriously if we expect the world to take us seriously as Catholics…This requires grace….It does not matter how “smart” you think you are! - Without grace - We fail…What are you doing to acquire this needed grace?…Do you fast weekly? - Do you pray daily?…..How about going to frequent confession, which holds us accountable when we fail? - It also gives us grace to overcome our weaknesses……Grace is not self manufactured and your “degrees on the wall” mean very little when it comes to living the Gospel…And its in the living out of the Gospel that we are measured in the end…..“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?”……The “idea” here is that we “win over” our enemy…Not “get the last word in” on a social media thread…or…Win some meaningless debate, which makes us “feel” superior….Jesus does not tell us things in the Gospel to “hear himself talk”!…..How about us?…..Do we “post” on Social Media to hear ourselves talk?…..or……Do we us social media as a means to communicate the Gospel? - As it was written - Not our “version” of it……As Mother Teresa would tell her sisters…”I take Jesus at his word”…..Speaking personally - So do I….I am sure you do as well….This is why we need grace…What are you doing each day to acquire this needed grace?

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Many of the “asks” of the Gospel are impossible if left to our nature gifts and abilities - “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”…Loving our enemies is one of those “asks”….Without Sacramental grace - THERE IS NO WAY that is going to happen!!!….There are many aspects of the Gospel that are like this...This is why everything we do as Catholics (what I call the daily “blocking and tackling”) must be to “tend to the soil” of our soul, building up of our interior life, making room for God to give us this needed grace......Stop trying to “self manufacture” what cannot be manufactured!…..Many “high achieving people” forget this…They rely on their nature gifts and abilities way too much….God can use the simplest of people and many times that is exactly who he uses - Why? - Because humble people are convinced of they are “nothing” without God…..And when we are “empty of self” - God then fills us with Himself…This is the only way we can love our enemies - If we are “full of ourself” - THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN……Years ago I was laid off from my job at Morgan Stanley….I worked four out of the seven years at Morgan Stanley for my boss Larry - I thought we were good friends…The day I got laid off…Larry did not show up for work - Interesting?!?…And when they laid me off abruptly, he never even reached out to me at home….I was deeply bothered by that…Years later…I was working at another Investment Bank and I heard Larry got laid off…And believe it or not, he reached out to me asking for help to get him a job at my current employer…A part of me wanted to “laugh in his face” and tell him “tough luck”….But instead I saw this an an opportunity to show Larry what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ…So I went out of my way to help him get a job at my bank…Larry did not get the job but he was extremely grateful for all my efforts….And our friendship was restored as a result……”Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same”…..Words matter - Especially Jesus’ words - Do we take them seriously?..And if we do, the only way we can “live those words out” is by God’s grace…Because “without me, you can do nothing” - Right?!?….Are those just “words” too?……..JMJ

“Rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful”

So how are you doing?

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St Luke provides us with the measure by which we can evaluate if we are an true follower of the Gospel…The Beatitudes……This is the “Blue Print” to heaven…How do you “measure up”?…..“Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man”…..Jesus then goes on to tell us what it means to fail in our duties to God and neighbor…”But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false  prophets in this way”…….How many of us view “success” in these terms!?!…..We must choose what “kingdom” we live for - The Kingdom of this earth is diametrically opposed to the Kingdom of heaven…..And there is no sitting on the fence!…..”Polite society” crucified Jesus Christ and we look to “political society” for approval? - WHY?…..As Catholics “our job” is to live in the world but not be of the world….God did not come down from heaven to “accommodate” people…Jesus walked among us to show us a better way - And “the crowd” killed him because they were not “willing to go there” - How about you? - Are you willing to “go there”?….Have people of today changed since the days of Jesus Christ?…What do you think that means for us? - That somehow we can have an easy life and still have God…and get to heaven?….Does not work that way!…..The life of an authentic follower of Jesus Christ is a life of sacrifice…Beware of those who do not live sacrificially - Who do not share - Who have an easy life…..The road to heaven is narrow and the Beatitudes tell us how to walk that road…So how are you doing?

“Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way”

Is money evil?…..The short answer is no….But if you have been blessed by God to have it - Do you share?….That is what makes money evil - When we have it and do not share it…..If you ever want to see what a person cares the most about - Look at his checkbook…Does he spend his money on himself?…or…Does he spend his money on others?…..If we take the time to read the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, many American Catholics just might be shocked…..If you want to do some “homework”…Read Rerum Novarum or Caritas in Veritate…Again, these documents may shock you too…..In my life before I was married, I have traveled extensively throughout the “third world”…I have been to Haiti, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia and India…There are more…You get the point!…I have seen how the majority of the world lives…..Do you somehow think God does not love these people?…..That we in America, who have been blessed, “somehow” are exempt from helping?…..No one ever became poor by sharing….The way I “see it”….As a father of five children…It is my job to provide for my children - Not necessarily giving them what they WANT but providing what they NEED…I must educate them, provide a roof over their head and clothes on their back, feed them….But if I then have extra money, it is my DUTY to help others…Catholics should be detached from material wealth and live simply - Is this what you see? - I ask that because the world is watching?!!?……..And if you do not see it that way…WOE TO YOU!…..Again, do some reading….The Church is very clear in what it teaches about how we are to be good stewards of our wealth….And if you see other Catholics not doing what they are supposed too…Even if those Catholics are among the clergy…THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE…..WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF….”The last will be first and the first will be last”

“Rejoice and leap for joy! Your reward will be great in heaven”

Today we heard at Mass Jesus teach us abut the Beatitudes…Whenever I hear this Gospel - I always think to myself - How am I doing?….The one Beatitude I have the most trouble with is…”Blessed are the meek”…I am not meek sadly - I have a big loud mouth!…And that needs to change!!!!! - St Joseph (the saint I was named after) did not say one word throughout the entire Bible and he is arguably the Church’s greatest saint…..I need grace and beg God for that grace - So pray for me!….The life of a Catholic must be a life of contradiction…..And if your life is “like everyone else” - Stop and think long and hard….Those who have been given much - Much will be expected……And as Baptized Catholics, we have been given the Fullness of Truth - That means we have “full knowledge” as to what is right and wrong……”But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more”……So how are you doing?…..JMJ