”OK GOD”

Today at Holy Mass we are told in the first reading by the Prophet Isaiah something that most Catholics have heard before….”As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts”…And while we all heard this statement before - I do not think we understand it - Not in the least bit! - Why? - Because no matter how many times we “HEAR” this read to us at Mass…We still “want what we want” and do not allow ourselves to “SEE” the world through the “lens” that God sees it……We “define” what is just according to “what works” for ME…..Clearly this is not the “calculus” of God…..As we see today in the Gospel…..”Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first. When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage.  So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.  And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.' He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you.  Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go.  What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?  Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?” - Is this how YOU would have reacted to God if YOU worked all day and “some guy” who did a fraction of what you did got the same pay?….Hmmmmmm!….So the question then becomes…How do we “see” and “hear” as God does?…The answer to that question comes from our interior life….The closer we get to God, the more we “see” and the more we accept…Now there is a word - ACCEPT!!!! - What do I mean by “accept”?…When outcomes do not “go our way” - We simply say.....”OK GOD”….This mindset needs to be apart of our total surrender to God - Trusting him in all things…Fully “digesting” this idea that I just presented cannot be self-manufactured - It will only happen by developing a deep interior life - “Living and breathing” through Sacramental grace, daily prayer and fasting…….“You got this God - YOU know what you are doing”….Once again - Catholics all over the world will hear the first reading today read to them at Mass - ”As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts”…And when they get home from Mass and turn on the news - And hear something that “does not fit” into their agenda - They will “RANT” and “RAVE” - I know this to be true - Because I too am one of those people!!!…But I am trying - And I invite you to try too….To say these two simple words…And mean them from the bottom of your heart….”OK GOD”
 

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

Everything that happens - EVERYTHING - Both Good and Bad - God allows to happen through his permissive will…One may say - “Why does God allow bad things to happen?….For one - Because God does not interfere with our free will and when humans do bad things, God uses those events for a greater good….But one may then say - So many people suffer!….This is true…..However, God “plays the long game”….His goal is we are fully converted (and that is a long and sometimes painful process) and we arrive in heaven safely…And as many know who are reading this…That “process” is messy!….And only God knows what we “need” and what we must experience to make that happen…….In America since abortion has been legalized, it is estimated that 64 million children have lost their lives….No matter who gets elected - Even with the repeal of the famous court case that started it all - Roe v. Wade - The abortion industry rages on!…..Now stop for a moment - Before you “blow your mind” - Do you actually think God does not see what is going on?….That God will not “step in” and stop this atrocity?…..Clearly, I do not have the mind of God - But there is NO WAY God will permit this holocaust to continue indefinite - Even if it means dismantling the entire country “brick by brick”….And MAYBE that is what we are seeing before our very eyes today - As we all “WANT what we WANT” politically - God is tearing down what needs to be torn down!…In order to build up something new…….”As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts”….Or………How about the big debate in the Catholic Church today in America…The Latin Mass crowd vs the Novus Ordo crowd battle! - Its all over social media…..Many Catholics in America (many are my friends) want the Pope to bring back the Latin Mass in local Parrish across the nation…And frankly it does not look like that is going to happen……The Latin Mass was permitted for a time under the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI - ("Maybe Just Maybe") - This experience in Parrish life will serve as a bench mark to “elevate” the current Novus Ordo Mass, bringing it closer in line to how the Mass was intended as the Vatican II documents state very clearly…..We are one Church and there must only be one Mass!….So maybe God is “stepping in” - In a way we do not understand…..Patience obtains all things….God knows that he is doing - Maybe its time to say once again……”OK GOD”…..JMJ

"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.  After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.'

Do you “know” about Jesus…or….Do you KNOW Jesus?

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading, St Paul in his letter to Corinthians speaks about the need to die to our selves…This is a fundamental concept that every Catholic must FULLY embrace….At the core of Jesus’ message - He shows us that we must “die” in order to rise….Most people will not die like Jesus did…Martyrdom is very rare and frankly is a grace…One does not “will” them self to be a martyr, God gives a select few that grace to carry forth such a radical sacrifice…For the rest of us…We are called to what is referred to by the Church as “White Martyrdom”…….White Martyrdom is when we die to ourself completely by giving our life away in service to others…Most do this in the married state…Where a man and a woman, give themselves to each other completely, are open to life and pour their lives into their children…In doing that, such a couple will find God……This is how the “seeds” of grace take root in us…By emptying our life, we prepare ourselves to receive the Holy Spirit - Because if we are “full of our self”, God cannot “work” with us…..A Priest does this too - By living simply, serving his people tirelessly, sharing his material goods and living a celibate life…..A single person does this too…By using his spare time serving the community, praying daily, and sharing his income with the poor…This is how Catholics die to themself in each state of life…All three of these states of life, if lived in this manner, point to God…..”Someone may say, “How are the dead raised?  With what kind of body will they come back?”You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible. It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one”…..So basically there are only two kinds of people in heaven….”Red Martyrs” and “White Martyrs”…..If you do not “fall” into one of these two buckets, my guess is (And it is my guess - I clearly am not God) - You will not be in heaven…….”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. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”…We can read every book ever written about the Catholic faith….We can “go through the motions” and “tick every Catholic box” perfectly! - But if we do not give our life away…We will never know who Jesus Christ is…..Red or White - Pick your “poison”?

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance”

I know a very gifted Franciscan Priest whose name is Father Bernard…..Before Father Bernard was ordained, his name in the world was John….John was the oldest of seven boys…His father was a lawyer and John grew up in Connecticut - The eldest son of a privilege Catholic family…John was an exceptional student and went on to Brown University - As most people reading this reflection know - Brown is an Ivy League University and one of the most prestigious colleges in America…After college John took a year off to serve the poor in Appalachia - Again, for those who are reading this reflection and may not know - The Appalachian region of America is arguably the poorest region in all of the United States….John was fresh out of college - He had a brilliant mind - He stood over six feet tall and his body was very strong…John had it ALL! - And he knew it……So one day he was asked to help re-build a porch on an old home for a very poor old man…..And John went to work…And as he was working, he realized he did not know how to build the porch - He “thought” it would be easy - But it turned out to be not so easy…So John was visibly struggling and upset…..As he was struggling, the poor old man from Appalachia watched him and had the biggest smile on his face - While John toiled in frustration!…..Finally after hours of trying to fix the porch and not succeeding, John sees the old man, still with a big smile on his face and John screams at him…..”Why are you smiling!!!!!”….”Can’t you see me trying to HELP build this porch”…..The old man just kept smiling - Finally the man from Appalachia addressed John…..”The reason why I am smiling is I KNOW Jesus”…..John heard this and he only got more enraged…He responded - “I know Jesus too - That is why I here trying to build your porch!!!!!!”……The old poor man, still smiling heard what John said and responded back……”You “know” about Jesus - But you DO NOT KNOW him”…”If you did - You would be smiling too”…..This statement left John speechless - He was stopped dead in his tracks….John told me later that night, after thinking about what that poor man said to him, that it caused him to weep bitterly!……“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. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me”…..Before we can “understand” who Jesus is - Before we can live our Catholic faith as we are called too…We MUST give ourself away!!!!…This is how we “tend the soil” of our soul - So “the good seed” can bear fruit…….We are told in the Gospel today that God “sows seeds” - Some on rocks, some in thorn bushes and some on good soil…..Our job as Catholics really is a simple one….Give your life way in service of others in the way God called you to do it - Priest - Married - Single…Then Pray Daily - Fast Weekly - Live Sacramentally…If you do this - “You will bear fruit that will last” - And save your soul…Whether you live in the Hills of Appalachia or graduate from an Ivy League school - Does not matter!……”But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance”…….Do you “know” about Jesus…or….Do you KNOW Jesus?…….JMJ

Such a witness “hypnotizes” the world….And all it takes is one look

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading, St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians offers us words of encouragement and a reminder…..That Jesus Christ defeated death, mankind’s ancient enemy….And because of that reality - We must rejoice - Because we have been grafted into his life through our Baptism….This means, if we follow Jesus…Notice the word “follow” and not simply “believe”…We too will never die…..I have five children under twelve years old…When they ask me about dying and death I tell them….If you live your Catholic faith and do what Jesus tells you - You never die!….So true….But how easy we forget this….And for this very reason St Paul reminds us today…Paul also tells us something else….That if Jesus did not rise from the dead - Everything we do as Catholics is done in vain….All the prayers - All the rubrics - All the teachings - All the encyclicals - All of it - A complete waste of time.......Its only because Jesus conquered death and rose - That everything we do as Catholics make sense - To us - Now think for a moment of those who see us who are not Catholic….How can a non Catholic understand the sacrifices we make? - How can a non Catholic understand why a Catholic couple would NOT use contraception and have numerous children? - How can the a non Catholic understand why we would share our wealth with the poor?…..The answer - “On Paper” - These actions will NEVER make any sense!!!!! - But the “answer” is not written on paper - Its found in our joy!….People believe what they see - Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are going to “debate” anyone into the doors of a Catholic Church….What people see in us, who live and breath our Catholic faith is joy!….And everyone wants to be happy….Mother Teresa would tell her sisters - “Joy is the net that will catch many souls”…..There are no joyless saints!…..When the world sees us live sacrificially, as we are called too, and still remain full of joy, which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit - This paradox, will not only cause the secular would to consider the Catholic Church, but make even the hardest of hearted people question their choices….This is reality and this is the ONLY way we evangelize the world effectively…Not with podcasts - Not with sermons - Not with writing books - There is a time and a place for everything - Podcasts, Sermons and Books educate people - And that is a good thing - But the witness of authentic joy converts people!…So are we joy filled?….”If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith”……As Catholics, the “lens” we “see” the world must be through the dying and rising of Jesus Christ - That means we too must die to ourselves - And only then will we rise with him…This is why we have joy - A joy the world cannot take away

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom”

Years ago before I was married, when I would travel to Kolkata India for Advent, I met a young woman who was discerning to become a nun…Nikolina was from Croatia and we would speak about what she was experiencing while in Kolkata serving the poor with the sisters…This particular December, Sister Fredrick MC was in Kolkata from Rome…At the time Sister Fredrick was the oldest living Missionaries of Charity sister….Sister Fredrick was originally from Malta and was a contemporary of Mother Teresa and when Mother died, she was one of the nuns who was considered to replace Mother Teresa as the Superior General of the global order…She was known for being very tough….But at this point in her life, she was very meek and her eyes were very gentle…My friend Nikolina, who was a young girl told me one morning that she had a conversation with Sister Fredrick and just standing in her presence completely overwhelmed her - She began to cry just simply by looking into her face…..I too can understand this reaction….Standing in front of a very holy person, just by looking into their face, can be overwhelming…Such a person “looks through you” - Their eyes are on fire! - Even if their bodies are old….Sister Fredrick greatly impacted Nikolina, not with words - Simply by being who she was created to be - A saint….I think of Nikolina sometimes - I am sure she is a nun somewhere in the world - Praying and serving mankind….Today, we are told in the Gospel from Mass, that a group of woman accompanied Jesus…..”Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources”….What made these women “give up” their life and follow Christ? - What made Sister Fredrick do the same?….And what about Nikolina?…This I can tell you - People do not give up their life for mere words - Its the witness of the Gospel - A life of service for others seen through the witness of sacrificial love - All “fueled” by daily prayer, fasting and Sacramental grace….This is what “transformed” Sister Fredrick…And this is why Nikolina would cry when she stood before Sister Fredrick - Because Sister Fredrick was a saint - And only saints change the world….We are told in St Luke’s Gospel today that…”Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God”….Why did people listen to Jesus? - Why do people listen to him today?…..And give up everything to follow him?…..The answer to these questions are not simply found in words and in books - Its the witness of a pure soul - The witness of a Holy Life……….”As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him”…..Such a witness “hypnotizes” the world….And all it takes is one look……JMJ

“The one to whom little is forgiven, loves little”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus is invited to the home of a Pharisee to eat…One can assume that Jesus and this Pharisee were friends…..And while at this meal, a public sinner expresses her humble thanks to Jesus for restoring her back into society as well as forgiving her sins…And the Pharisee has a problem with it…..During the three year ministry of Jesus, he confronts all kinds of people…Many of them public sinners…Tax collectors, prostitutes, etc….And Jesus does not shy away from addressing their sin, but he does not condemn these people - You would think he would - But he does not…The only people, repeatedly throughout the four Gospels that Jesus condemns harshly are the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes…These are the people who “put themselves out there” as being perfect…Not only does Jesus “call them out” - He outright and aggressively scolds them…..This trend, which any objective person can pick up on while reading the Gospels, should stand out for us…..It should also serve as a reminder - And a warning!……When we want to “put others down”….or….. Point out their faults and sins……..Instead, do we sincerely pray for those who have fallen into sin? - Do we fast for the world & the Church?….Hell is FOREVER and if we have the heart of Christ we should not want anyone to go to hell…..And make no mistake - There is a hell and people are there….Ever think when we call people out for their sins - We might find ourselves in hell?…..”“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me”……Do we presume that we are “holy” because we like the Pharisees do “everything right”?……

“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The Pharisee in our story today “thought” he was perfect - And make no mistake - He did “everything right”…But God sees the human heart - He knows all our sins…And when we “put ourselves out there” like we are perfect - This is a great insult to the only one who is perfect - God alone…..When we go to confession frequently, we understand just how flawed we are - Even if what we confess, are not mortal sins….And when the Priest gives us absolution, we feel a sense of relief….This understanding of our own imperfections and the reception of God’s mercy is the only thing that can gives us empathy for public sinners….I am not in any way condoning mortal sin…But “point out” the sins of others does not help the situation one bit….Only the example of a holy life can cause  “public sinners” to confront their sins in a productive manner - Do we give this example to the world around us?…….If we are serious about our Catholic faith - If we have studied it - If we know it….The next step is to internalize it….And live it…..If we are to be a catalyst for change in the world - “Ranting” about the sins of others is not going to make that happen…..However, if you pray and fast for the sins we see in the world - God will transform you….And then and only then will your life impact others…and sinners will “see” them self clearly, maybe for the first time in their entire life - They will “see”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord”

Years ago the Missionaries of Charity had a cook out in front of their convent on July 4th in Lower Manhattan….I was helping them out….During this barbecue a man on the street covered in tattoos, with his shirt off approached one of the Missionaries of Charity…When I saw this I said to my self…”Here we go”…So I made my way close to the two of them talking….The man was telling sister that - “He used to be Catholic” - “But now he is a Christian”…Sister Eva listened to this man, giving him one hundred percent of her attention….As I watched this seen, I stood in awe…It was one of the craziest sights I ever saw….This huge guy with no shirt on, covered in tattoos is talking to this little nun on the streets of New York…Finally after this man told sister that - “He was no longer Catholic”…Sister Eva tells the man the following - “You are a Baptized Catholic - Go this instant into our chapel and pray before the Blessed Sacrament"….And do you know what the man did? - He did just what sister told him to do….How do you think it would have gone if I told that man to do what Sister Eva told him?….Something tells me, I would not have gotten the same reaction….Sister Eva had every right to “scold” this man for attending their cook out with no shirt on looking like a crazy person…But that is not what she did…She spoke with him as an equal - She “heard him out”…And the man responded as a result…Do we “judge” people based upon their appearance?…Do we assume people to be great sinners because they do not do what we do?….Only when we understand our own flaws and sins…and then experience God’s mercy will we stop “pointing out” the sins of others…Only when we see Jesus fully present in the Blessed Sacrament will we see him in others - And love Jesus in others….Today in the Gospel…The Pharisee “understood” the law…But had “no idea” who God really was…How about us?…..Do we just “know about God” from a text book?……Even the hardest of people, living in the darkest of places - Even they can “see” the witness of a holy life…As Catholics today, just as the Pharisees in Jesus’ day….We can do “everything right” - And still be wrong…..“The one to whom little is forgiven, loves little”….JMJ

“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Why? - “Because without me, you can do nothing”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear St Paul share the words he spoke to the Corinthians many years ago….This reading, as many know, is utilized at many Catholics weddings..Telling us what love is and what love is not…..Do we know what love is today? - The word - Love - Gets thrown around a lot….For those of us who have ever fallen in love - You know that love is a VERY powerful emotion….But is that all love is - An emotion?….Authentic love is a choice….And those who love authentically are willing to suffer for another…Is this the love we see today?…..When a man and a woman get married, clearly they love each other - The emotional side of love is very strong….You see this in all the pictures at the wedding….But life is more then “pictures” posted on social media….And as a couple moves forward in their marriage - LIFE and all that comes with it is hurled at the same couple in those wedding pictures…..Financial issues - Sickness - Job loss - Disappointments of all kinds - Children - Lack of time…..Lack of sleep…No one is “taking pictures” of those moments - When your son vomits at 2:00am in the morning and you have a big meeting at work in only a few hours…..How does a couple LOVE in those moments?….The answer to that question is found in Sacramental grace…One of the biggest mistakes of “modern man” is he “thinks” he does not need God’s grace - HUGE MISTAKE!!!!!….And as a result, when life gets HARD - And it will - Many of these married couples fold - To the tune of 55% of all marriages in America end in divorce…..For those of us who are Catholic and live our lives Sacramentally, we know just how flawed we all are - We also know how grace perfects our broken human nature…..Each of us needs that grace in order to love as St Paul tells us today at Mass…..”If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing…….Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”…….Sacramental marriage works! - It is also a means by which God sanctifies us - Making us holy….Do we view our marriage this way? - As a means to make us holy?…..Frankly, if you do, I am sure you have a great relationship with your wife…But if you do not - Well…Maybe not…..Why do we complicate what is so simple?….Go to Mass every Sunday with your family….Go to Confession monthly - Receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace when you go to Mass - Pray the Rosary every day…So simple!…This is the “recipe” for a good marriage - This is also the “recipe” for a good life…..This is how we come to understand what LOVE truly is…..Its much more then a feeling - Its a decision, which is fortified by grace….And when the world sees such an example of love - It stands in awe - As did the Roman centurion soldier, who fell to his knees after piercing the side of Christ….Sacrificial love is fueled by Sacramental grace…Without that grace - Not going to happen!

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life, you have the words of everlasting life”

Catholic couples are called to be open to life…Its part of our wedding vows…..That means a few things…First, if a couple gets married and claims they are… “Not ready for children” - What they really are saying is…”They are NOT ready to be married” - And should not be married - They are making a BIG mistake!….Secondly, a Sacramental marriage does not use contraception…Why?…Because when you use contraception in your marriage, what you are saying with your body is….”I only love you to a point - Not completely”…And that mindset will bleed into other aspects of your marriage and ultimately hurt the marital bond…..Love gives it never takes and couples that use contraception “use” each other…Again, they are doing this whether they realize it or not - And again - That bleeds into other areas of their marriage and breaks the bond down over time……My wife and I have been married for thirteen years…We have never used contraception…We currently have five children….And we lost three as a result of miscarriages….My wife gave birth to all five of our children by means of a cesarean birth (or C-section) - For those who do not know what that is, its a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through incisions made in the mother's abdomen and uterus…….We lost two children after our third child Matteo was born and when my wife got pregnant again, I had to inject her with progesterone to keep our son Gerard alive…And it worked! - Gerard was born….After Gerard, because my wife had low levels of progesterone in her body, we did not think we could have more children (medically speaking)…But God had another plan…Sabryna (my wife) got pregnant again….And the doctors were very concerned because this was going to be her fifth C-Section and because of her age - There were medical risks…The day of the surgery…The hospital and doctors made us sign all kinds of legal documents, removing any financial consequences from the hospital if the surgery went wrong and something happened to my wife and child….And after all that….Little Maria was born - Our fifth child - Born on October 1 - The Feast Day of St Thérèse of Lisieux - The birth of Maria was the easiest of all our children - Ironically!…In my view, a miracle (with a small “m”)…..I write all this because I want to demonstrate that “LOVE” is a choice - Much more then an “emotion”….True love COSTS us!!!!….I am blessed to have a Catholic wife…I love my wife more today then I did on the day of our wedding thirteen years ago - That is no lie!….I love her more now because I have witnessed with my own two eyes how she has sacrificed for our children and for me…..And without Sacramental grace - None of this would have happened….So you tell me?….What does love look like?….Is it simply a “feeling”? - Is it a “pretty picture” posted on social media?……Catholic marriages work! - They work because God is at the center of them…Why? - “Because without me, you can do nothing”………..JMJ

“Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love”

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, “mankinds 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 was 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 Sr Adriana was the second in charge of the entire global order…Coming from America and working in an International 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 look 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”