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”

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