”Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we are told something that as Americans Christians many cannot and will not comprehend….“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God” - ”Americanism” cannot accept this idea…The Catholic Church teaches that money is not sinful, its what you do with money that can make it sinful…How can we say we love others when we have money and do nothing about helping those in need?…While we cannot “feed the world”…As Mother Teresa once said….”If you cannot feed one hundred people - Feed one”……As Catholics, through honest and hard work, we are to meet the needs our family….What is “left over” must be shared with others…Now don’t shoot the messenger!…Read the Social Compendium of the Catholic Church - The teaching is pretty clear…..As Catholic parents, we must provide for our children, educate them and keep them safe…This all requires money - Let’s be honest…But there is a big difference between providing for our families needs and living extravagantly while so many live and die in poverty in this world….Now I “get it” - No one is perfect - That includes me - But this is the standard on how we will be judged…”I was hungry and you fed me - I was thirsty and you gave me to drink - I was naked and you clothed me”…..Jesus doubles down on this idea in the Gospel today by telling us…”And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first”….Do we take Jesus’ words seriously? - How do we strive to provide for the poor?…..These are very important questions to consider - And a lot “rides” on our answer to those questions…..Being too comfortable can blind us and make us forget God - This idea is brought to our attention in the first read from Mass today by the Prophet Ezekiel……”By your great wisdom applied to your trading you have heaped up your riches; your heart has grown haughty from your riches – therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have thought yourself to have the mind of a god, Therefore I will bring against you foreigners, the most barbarous of nations”….As a Catholic, one cannot love both God and money…..”For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be”

“Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich - So that by his poverty you might become rich”

What “kingdom” do you live for?…That is the question…Are you looking to “retire” in heaven or are you looking to build a mansion here on earth?…..One of the driving problems in America today is - We are WAY too comfortable…And over the decades, Americans have drifted from God…Our culture has embraced abortion upon demand, no fault divorce, same sex marriage, usury….All these things are abominations to God!!!…And they have all become apart of the American mainstream…Do we think God is blind to this?….Do we think these behaviors will not have very real consequences…Sadly, America is currently living with the consequences of the culture of death….And the only way to “turn things around” is for us to turn back to God……In the world at present, Catholicism on the continent of Africa is thriving…Churches and seminaries are packed….One of the reasons I believe that is the case is for the most part Africa is very poor….And poor people “cling” to God…..We see this trend throughout the Old Testament…The Jewish people when they are in bondage cling to God - And God delivers them from their oppressors time and time again - But then they get “too comfortable” and forget all that they went through…And their society falls apart - AGAIN!…This is what is going to happen to America - Our society is collapsing under its own weight - And once AGAIN, when our people “feel the burn” of “going without” - Then many will turn back to God….History repeats itself because humanity does not change…”I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”…..Man continues to “plan” - And God laughs…..Time to face reality - God is reality!

“How could one man rout a thousand, or two men put ten thousand to flight, Unless it was because their Rock sold them and the LORD delivered them up?”

Today both readings at Mass addresses a topic most people do not want to hear - The topic of MONEY….Life comes down to choices and how we choose determines where we spend eternity….I have made this claim before….Show me your “check book” and I will tell you what is important to you…How do you spend your money?….Is it spent on your family? - Do you give to the poor (if you can)?….Do you live above your financial means by living in excessive debt?….Do you buy “things” that you and your family do not need?….Do you live to maintain a level of social status that others define you by?….These are all question we must answer for ourself…..Once again, having money is not sinful - Its what we do with it that can make it sinful…..”Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first”…..JMJ

It does not happen magically - We do not just “float” into heaven

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew a young man approaches Jesus and asks him how does a person get to heaven….This young man was “ticking all the boxes” - He followed the Ten Commandments and religious practices - But still he felt he had to ask Jesus how one is to enter into eternal life….The very idea that he had to ask should tell us something was lacking deep within this young man…Even though he did everything that was required of him - He knew - “Something” was lacking….Now Jesus, who knows everything, knew what was lacking in this man - His love of money - So he instructed him to give away his money to the poor….And we are told….”When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions”…The man went away sad because he was not willing to give up is material comfort in order to follow God…..This story has so much to teach us today - What are the things that we put before our relationship with God?….We all know the First Commandment - To love God above all things….Many people say they prescribe to that command - But do they?….This is what Jesus was trying to teach the young man…Remember, this young man did “everything right” - Yet something was lacking - And Jesus pointed that “something” out - And the young man would not let it go….As Catholics we must search our hearts and objectively be honest with ourself….If there is anything that comes in the way of us following the Lord, we should work tirelessly on “letting it go”….That could be a sinful relationship - That could be an addiction - That could be love of social status and money….There are many “idols” we create that keep us from God….This story also teaches us that even if we appear to be doing everything right - “Ticking” all the Catholic boxes - Our hearts can still be far from God….And its our heart that Jesus is concerned with…..And because God loves us - He will show us the “things” we place before him - And when God shows us the obstacles we place before him - As he did with this young man in the story today from the Gospel - Its then for us to work on removing the obstacle….So we too do not “go away sad” as the young man did.

“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”

How do we grow close to God?….First and foremost we need grace - And we can not self manufacture grace…So how do we get this grace?….By living Sacramentally….Sounds easy right?….What impedes grace? - The answer - Sin…..This is why when a Catholic receives the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, they must be free of all mortal sin…That is done by going to Confession….The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that a Catholic must make a Sacramental Confession at least once a year - (That is the bare minimum standard)…..Because if you receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of mortal sin - Not only is that a sin - But because of that obstacle (the mortal sin) between the person and God - Grace will not flow…..This is why the saints (Pope John II; Fulton Sheen & Padre Pio) recommend going to Confession once a month….By doing this - We open up the channels of grace - And when we receive the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist fills our soul with life giving grace, which we need in order to live as God and the Church requires of us…..This is how we grow close to God…..Frequent Confession and reception of the Blessed Sacrament……The lines at Church should be equally as long for the Confessional as they are to receive the Eucharist…There was a time when Confession was available before every Mass…Not just for one hour on Saturday….How can we grow in virtue as Catholics, be held accountable and receive the necessary grace to overcome our sins if we are not going to Confession regularly?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”

Today we are told a story about a young man who “did everything right” - At least it appeared so - But something was lacking…If we are all honest with ourself - Each of us is “lacking something”…This is why we must pray daily and live a Sacramental life - So we can grow closer and closer to God with each passing day….Going to Confession helps us to do that….Honest and objective self reflection is necessary and when we discover “the things” about ourself, which we do not like and impedes our relationship with God - We must bring them to Confession and work on overcoming them….”Rome was not built in a day” - Meaning growing closer to God takes time…We must cooperate with God in order for our relationship with him to grow strong…It does not happen magically - We do not just “float” into heaven…..JMJ

”But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah we are reminded that we are an Easter people - Do we keep this in the forefront of our mind?….”Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed”……Jesus said he will return - And he will - Do we lose sight of this reality?…..We as Catholics can get “caught up” in many things and in doing so lose sight of the fact that Jesus won the victory and while we are what is called “Church Militant” here on earth - “The battle” has already been won!…With that said - God’s plan for the salvation of mankind is still playing out and we all have a part in the plan - But the outcome has already been sealed - We WON! - Because Jesus was crucified on the the Cross…..And because Jesus is going to come back - Will He find faith on earth? - Will He find faith in YOU?…..When we disagree with Church teaching in essence we are telling God - We know better than he does - How do you think that is going to “sit” when Jesus returns?…..Think about it for a moment…When Christ returns - Everything he said will be publicly validated - Everything the Church has taught for centuries on end will be validated - What is to happen if we are on the “wrong end” on that return?….The very thought should terrify us….Look at our world today - Look at the choices people make, which are fundamentally against God and the Natural Law….When Jesus returns - How do you think those choices are going to be viewed by God?….Some may say - “God is merciful” - “God will understand”…..While it is true - God is merciful and God does understand….We however have a role to play and we are responsible for our actions….God’s mercy has a limit - The time to Repent and Believe the Gospel is NOW!!!!….Once we stop breathing, the time for judgment begins and one day that is going to happen - Like it or not - Don’t lose sight of that reality!

“May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation”

Do we have a healthy fear of God?….By the way society today lives - It sure does not seem like it…..”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”…Just as there is a heaven - There is a hell…..And the idea that there is a hell and people go there has been lost on our American culture - That mindset is very clear…..We hear phrases today - “You do You”…Such a mindset is not leading a person towards God - In fact, its just the opposite……..While God is love and God is also forgiving and merciful - God is also not blind to our sins!…..The Church needs to make this clear….We do not have a “blank check” to do whatever we want in this life and expect to “coast into heaven” - I am not God - But I think I can safely say -  “It does not work that way!”……..Remember the words of the “good thief” nailed to a cross next to Jesus…..How he addresses the other thief who did not repent of his sins……”Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?”…….The man, known in the Catholic tradition as Dismas was not a scholar of the law - He was a common criminal - But he knew deep in his heart that he was guilty of crimes against God and against his neighbor….And he repented…..And Jesus not only accepted his confession but told him that he was completely forgiven…..“Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise”……What should we learn from this incident?…That we are all sinners and we each have to confess our sins to God in order to be forgiven - We CANNOT take that reality for granted……God is a reality - Heaven is a reality and we all fall short - This is why Jesus established a Church and this is why we were given the great gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation…..Some of the most beautiful words ever spoken by a person are - “Bless me Father for I have sinned”…….Followed by an even better set of words…..”Your sins are forgiven - Go in peace”

“I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them”

Today at Mass we are reminded that Jesus will return….And that his justice will be revealed…..That means we all must be ready for that return…Ultimately, no one knows when Jesus will return - However, when we die we all will stand before the Lord and be judged…That means we should always be ready!…..How are we ready? - By making frequent (once a month) and good confessions with a priest….And doing our very best to live the Gospel message and live according to the teaching of the one Church Jesus founded - The Catholic Church……Heaven is God’s house and God makes the rules!!! - We will not be judged on “our terms” - Its for us to not only recognize that reality but live our life by it - For those who have ears - Let them hear……..Never lose sight of the fact that Jesus will one day return - The question then becomes - Are we ready?…..”But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”…..JMJ

Never forget - One YES changed the world

Today the universal church commemorates the Assumption, the day Our Lady assumed body and soul into heaven…..Our Lady in many ways is humanities hope…She was born of two human beings (Saint Joachim and Saint Anne)…And she was perfectly pure….She is what we one day aspire to be…But to become who we were ALL born to be - We need Our Lady - And she is more then willing to help us in our journey to her son……The life of Mary was not easy….But she trusted God’s plan for her life and God used her to accomplish great things…While we clearly were not born immaculate as Our Lady was - Why do we “think” that God has not planned great things for us to do?….Each person is born to be a saint….And the only thing holding you back - IS YOU!…..Is our first priority in life is to strive for holiness? - Because that is how we make the biggest impact in this world….If we give God permission to work in our life - He surely will…..When Mary was a young girl, the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and asked her if she would be the Mother of God…Mary did not know all the “details” - But she trusted in the goodness of God and said YES…..Once again - How are we any different?…Allow me to explain - Our task is clearly different from Mary’s task - Don’t misunderstand me - But God requests us to do exactly as Mary did - To give our “fiat”…….“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of the Almighty’s servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name. God’s mercy is for those who fear God from generation to generation. God has shown strength with God’s arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. God has helped servant Israel, in remembrance of God’s mercy, according to the promise God made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever”…What is standing in the way of us giving our fiat?……Once we are convinced that God can do more with our life then we ever can - Then we begin the adventure of a life time….And the path towards holiness begins…..Never forget - One YES changed the world

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

Are we fully committed Catholics? - Do we believe everything the Church teaches?….Do we live to the best of our abilities, aspiring to live out everything the Church teaches?….To do all this, one must consciously commit to live in a different manner then the rest of the world…..And when we do this, then our impact as Catholics will be felt in significant ways - And not before…..Does the secular world take Catholics seriously today in America?……I wish I thought they did…..Its only when we live the Gospel boldly without apologies that the secular unbelieving world will take us seriously…And if we radically committed our lives to God…The unbelieving world may not “like us” but one thing is for sure - They will respect us - And some may even be transformed by us…..Our Lady radically followed her son….And today Mary assumed into heaven…Body and Soul….For us, this is our hope - That one day we too will arrive at our eternal home - Body and Soul….But that will not happen “magically”….We must fully commit our life to God now!…Our YES must be bold and unwavering.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”

Today is a great day - Mary arrives safely home!…..Think for a moment what Our Lady had to endure before she was assumed into heaven?…..Even though she was the Mother of God - Her life was far from easy….But Mary persevered….And so must we…..Its so important to emphasize that Mary did not have all the answers when she gave her consent to give birth to Jesus….She was a simple person….We have stop trying to control every aspect of our life and trust God….We must “turn over” the “wheel” of our life to God and let him “drive”…..This is how we too will arrive safely in heaven...Once again - Never forget - One YES changed the world…..JMJ

Grace perfects nature - That is why marriage is a Sacrament - And because of grace - Sacramental marriage work

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus giving us the teaching about marriage….”He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate”……Marriage is a vocation - When it is lived as a vocation it leads us to God…And when it is not - It does not work!…..God created marriage to be a Sacrament - Have you ever given any thought as to why?…..The reason is - It was not meant to be lived any other way!…Anyone who is married knows that to have a good marriage takes work…Nothing good happens without effort……When a couple lives Sacramentally, God gives them grace and that grace sustains them in their marriage….Without that grace - Selfishness sets in - And it creeps in slowly….This is how marriages fail…..Do we even know what marriage is today?….Do we even know what love is?……The Catholic Churches perennial teaching on marriage WORKS….Faithful - Fruitful - Forever….And guess what? - The secular version of marriage our culture has self created DOES NOT work……How much more heart ache and suffering does our society have to endure to realize what I just noted - The Truth of the matter is staring YOU in the face!!!!- Just look out your window - On your street…In your family….Across the nation.

“Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but, as it truly is, the word of God”

Why is contraception fatal in marriage?….Because when you use contraception, you say with your body that my love for you has limits - And when you do this - That “mindset” bleeds into other aspects of your marriage weakening it…….One of our vows, as a Catholic who enters marriage is to be open to life….By being open to life, the couple through their children “die to themself”…And that is what authentic love is - To give ones self to another completely….This is why marriage is a vocation - It leads two people to God…..My wife and I have been asked to give talks when young couples are about to get married during the Pre-Cana Courses in our diocese…When we gave these talks - I would always begin my presentation with the same question……What is the goal of your marriage?….When I asked these young men and women that question all I would see is blank faces…….The answer I was looking for from both the ladies and the men was this…..”The goal of my marriage is to get my wife and children to heaven” - “The goal of my marriage is to get my husband and children to heaven”……Everything else in final analysis DOES NOT MATTER!…..Is this the goal of our marriages today?

“God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation”

Today Jesus reinforces a teaching we all know deep in our hearts to be true…Marriage is between one man and one woman…Marriage is to be forever….No matter how our culture has attempted to manipulate this eternal truth - The foundation of every society, which is the family, remains the “cornerstone” of that society…..This Truth can never be manipulated….Pope John Paul II famously said….."As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live”…….Strong families produce healthy children - Healthy children are the leaders of tomorrow……If you want to “fix” America……..”Fix” the family….And we cannot “fix” the family without God….Why is that true?…..Because marriage was created to be a Sacrament and without Sacramental grace the likelihood that you will have a strong marriage is slim to none!…..Why is that true?…Because each of us have a fallen nature and without grace our own selfish wants and desires eat away at the bond we vowed before God could not be broken….Grace perfects nature - That is why marriage is a Sacrament - And because of grace - Sacramental marriage work….JMJ

“Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus teaches his friends about forgiveness……God is always ready to forgive us - Like any good father….But here is the “catch”…We must ask for that forgiveness….Do we take for granted that God will forgive us?…..Allow me to illustrate an example - If you were to take the money to pay the monthly rent and used it to go away with your friends for a weekend without your family…Don’t you think you owe your wife and children an apology?…And say you did not apologize - How would that impact your relationship with your wife?…..When we sin, we MUST reconcile with God…We do that through the Sacrament of Confession…But what about when someone continues to wrong you?….Or someone who is clearly doing what is wrong and impacting your community…How are we to treat such a person?….Clearly God did not create us to be “door-mates”, so one must keep a distance from a person who wants do them harm - But that does not mean we cannot pray for that person……How does a Catholic live learn to forgive the unforgivable?….In a word - GRACE!…..We CANNOT forgive as God forgives without grace….And when you can see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - You surely will be able to see him in your neighbor - Even in your enemy!……When a Catholic makes it a practice to go to Confession frequently, that person understands just how good God is - How he forgives us each time we ask him too…Once we experience this kind of forgiveness from God - Its much easier to forgive others….We cannot give away what we do not have!

“Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times”

Some people believe that “time heals old wounds”…Well, for some wounds, that is not the case…If we have a “moral wound” and do not get it addressed by a doctor, there is a strong likelihood that we will die!…..Let’s be honest - Life is not always fair and some people endure horrific tragedies in life…How can someone overcome these catastrophic events?….In a word - GRACE!….As human beings we are limited - Even the best of us is limited - But God is UNLIMITED!….Only by God’s grace can a person forgive another person who has severely harmed him…Do you believe in Grace? - Have you experienced Grace?……….My wife comes from a big family…She is one of twelve children…Sadly, her father was not a very good husband and father…He was married numerous times and had children out of wedlock…..With that said, I always marvel at how my wife gets along with her step-sisters…..She loves them just as if her Dad did not father these children outside of his marriage with my mother-in-law….I came from a very different family background…My parents were happily married for fifty-two years…..So I could NEVER fully grasp how my wife could love her step sisters the way she does….Like nothing happened!!!!…..Maybe I can not understand this because I did not “go through it” as my wife did…But maybe the “miracle” of my wife’s family is due to my wife surrendering her hurts to God because of the actions of her father……My wife found Christ in a deep and abiding way and because she found him - She learned to forgive and heal……God is good - His mercy is endless….What we cannot do - God can do in and through us!

“Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes”

Today we are told by Jesus that forgiving others is not an option…But how do we do it?……An old saying tells us….”To forgive is divine”……I believe the mistake people make when they attempt to forgive other is - They try to do it without God….For some “hurts” in life - That is impossible!……Sometimes we have to give to God our wounds caused by others….Its not within “our power” to heal from these wounds or for that matter forgive those who harmed us….Its only by and through grace that we can overcome such “hurts” and in turn forgive those who were responsible for hurting us….I shared in this reflection how my wife, who came from a very difficult childhood overcame bitterness and learned to forgive…..I do not want to speak for her - But if I was to ask her how she did it - My “bet” is - She would tell me it was by and through God’s grace…..For nothing is impossible for God!!!…To this day I admire my wife’s family - Why? - They overcame heart-ache and pain only because they all learned to forgive….Many times in life - Its through our “wounds” that the “light” enters…God knows that he is doing!…..“Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan”…..JMJ

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”….Do you really believe that?….Tell the Truth

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how Jesus instructs his first Bishops, the original twelve apostles, how to deal with disputes among people……”If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that  every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……The Church has authority! - Why? - Because Jesus who is God gave it authority…….Mankind from the very beginning indirectly tells God by his choices and actions that - “They know better”…We saw this with our first parents Adam and Eve…..God gave them everything - They were prohibited to do only one thing - To eat of the “Tree of Knowledge”…What did that “tree” symbolize?….That God is the author of all knowledge and the he decides what is right and wrong - Not man…So what does Adam and Eve do? - They tell God, by their actions, that they decide what is right and wrong - Not him….The rest is history and we all know how that choice worked out - Paradise Lost!….The same bad choice takes place today…Mankind does not recognize God’s authority in the one Church he founded…And as a result….The world is a mess!……As a  Catholic we must be “fully on board” with everything the Church teaches - It is not for us to “pick and choose” what to believe….While this is not easy - If we avail ourselves to God’s grace found in the Sacraments - God will help us and give us everything we need to be obedient - Now that is a “bad word” today - Obedient - “Get over it!”…Now does being obedient to what the Church teaches mean we will never fall? - Of course not, we are all sinners…But that is why we were given the Sacrament of Reconciliation…That is why we were given the Blessed Sacrament - That is why we were given Our Lady…And if we are consistent…Sins we struggle with will no longer trouble us in time and we will grow in holiness…In order for this to happen, we must fully acknowledge the authority of God and his Church….”Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……God’s way works!….And if we adhere to “the vine” - We will “bear fruit”…And if we do not - We will not

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”

I came from a good home…My parents were hard working good people who loved my brother and I…Everything they did was for us…But when I went away to college…I took for granted everything I was given and fully embraced the “ways of the world”…..After four years of living a very bad life….I returned home heart broken and completely lost….This is when I decided to embrace my Catholic faith…..And after realizing that “MY WAY” does NOT work…I decided to try God’s way…Not everyone has to take this path to God but many sadly do…We have to “come to the end of ourself”…And for some people this takes many years and many trials and heart aches……When I made my first “adult” confession at the age of twenty two - My life began to change…..God uses everything to transform us - Even our bad choices…But transformation takes time - So be patient with yourself and with others…..But now after over thirty years living as a practicing Catholic…I can honestly say, the decision to live as a Catholic that I made at twenty two years old was BY FAR the BEST decision of my life…..And God is not done with me yet…..The secular world around us “thinks” God takes from us…That the Church “does not know what it is talking about”…How wrong that mindset is!!…Sadly, words will never convince others about the goodness of God….This is why the world needs saints…Only a saintly life can “speak” to those around us with hard hearts….People believe what they see not what they are told…..And when a person encounters a saint - They know it!…..For all the Catholics who are frustrated with the secular world around them - Look on social media - You will find them!….Channel your frustrations into striving with all your heart to become a saint…..Every time you see the sins of mankind and you want to condemn others and SCREAM - Fast and Pray!…..Channel all your frustrations…..The closer we get to God - The more God can uses us…And that is how the world is transformed - There is no other way

“Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever”

Today we are told by Jesus that he gave his authority to the Catholic Church - Do you fully recognize that authority?….Let’s be honest - People do not like to be told what to do and some people REALLY do not want to be told what to do…..That mindset must change!….There is one path to heaven and God determines that path…Jesus said he was the Truth….That means Jesus determines the Truth - Not us!…..God is not a slave-driver, as the secular world believes and once we realize that God only gives, he never takes - That the teachings of the Church are to help us live a good life - That the “wages of sin” is death - Once we realize all that - Life begins!…Living a life of sin “costs” us in the here and now - Like it or not!!! - Life is so much BETTER living as God requests of us…..But people need to “figure that out” for themself…We can help them by our example - We can pray for them - And Fast for them - But even a good example will never be able to force someone to change….God never imposes himself on us - We must choose him freely…In the mean time…God waits “on the side of the road” for us…..“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”….Do you really believe that?….Tell the Truth……JMJ