“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading St Paul instructs his friends…..Do not get distracted…”We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way. To this end he has also called you through our Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours”…How easy it is to “get lost” in the “things” of this world…..While we as Catholics are called to live in the world - We are also called to not be “of the world” - What does that mean? - It means we are not “attached” to “things”….Clearly we need “things” to live - We need a home to keep the rain off our heads - We need a car to get around - We need cloths on our backs to keep us warm…But even the simplest of “things” can become distractions…This is why fasting weekly is essential….It not only sharpens our prayer life but it also serves as a reminder that material things are nothing more then “things”…..The same goes for ideologies and politics…How easy we can fall into the trap of forming our identity around “causes” and forget the Gospel Message in the process….The devil is very smart….And small temptations lead to big sins - Our world today takes this reality for granted and gets “swallowed up alive” as a result…..Only grace fortifies the human will - Only grace gives us “eyes to see” - Only grace elevates our human nature to live as Jesus asked of us to live in the Gospel…..This requires constant vigilance….When we “unplug” from God, we are easily fooled - Most of all, we “fool” ourselves……And the minute you “think” you could never be fooled - Is the very minute the devil smiles and knows he has you right where he wants you.

“The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart”

Over the years my wife and I incorporated weekly fasting into our routine…..On Wednesdays I fast for the Church - On Thursdays I fast for my family - On Friday I fast because Jesus suffered and died……Fasting is a forgotten practice of our Catholic faith that must again be utilized….A friend of mine told me this story about fasting from sleep….My friend John was a very intelligent young man…He came from a devout Catholic home and when he went to college, he lost his faith…When his father heard about this, he was deeply troubled…Instead of lecturing John - His father woke up in the middle of every night, got down on his knees and prayed for his son…John knew this was going on and as time went by - God’s grace once again came into John’s heart…Not only did he return to the faith, John founded a Catholic apostolate called the “Blue Collar Catholic” that utilized both radio and television - John is now a man of deep faith and is known all over the state of Alabama as well as America….Getting back to my wife and I and our weekly fasts….For a time I would go “crazy” when I saw liturgical abuses in the Church…The news of these abuses would “steal my peace”…So I decided to channel all my frustrations into my Wednesday fast….And in time I no longer got as aggravated with things I had no control over, I also did not lose my peace over liturgical abuses I heard / read about in the news….Striving to be “detached” from material things and events we have no control over is very important….These things “get in the way” of our relationship with God….And the devil knows how to “push our buttons”….Many times we do not even realize just how far we are from God when we are fixated on “things”

“Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean”

Today St Paul reminds us - Focus!!!! - As Catholics living in the world, we know just how hectic life can become…We are pulled in many different directions, we have responsibilities to take care of, we must work to pay the bills…I “get it”….As all this goes on, the devil prowls and plots!…The devil knows us better then we know our selves…This is why we MUST make time for daily prayer…This is why we must fast each week to learn the virtue of detachment…This is why we MUST live in the state of grace by living Sacramentally……….”For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate”…..The “battle” is VERY real and it rages all around us - Most of all - It rages within our own hearts….”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”……JMJ

“For your yoke is easy and your burden is light”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John we hear how Jesus encountered Nathanael……It was almost like Jesus could read Nathanael’s heart - Because he could!….The same goes for us….Think for a moment about people you know - Some hear the Gospel proclaimed - They hear the Truth! - And they outright reject it….Why?….How?….Because they are dead set in their sin - And they REFUSE to change their life - And as a result - The Truth “bounces” off them like a rubber ball….Conversely, if a person is objectively and honestly searching for the Truth - They ALWAYS end up in the same place - The Catholic Church….Remember the words of Jesus - I am the Way - The TRUTH - And the Life…When a person is honestly searching for the Truth - They ALWAYS find Christ!….What gets in the way of the search? - Our sins!….This is why John the Baptist said these words…REPENT and BELIEVE in the Gospel - In that order!…If you do not repent - You will not believe in the Gospel - Why? - Because your sins are impediment to you believing……..Nathanael was very quick to follow Jesus….Why? - His heart was true and he honestly was in search for the Truth - And because of that - He found it!……”Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”…….Do we have a “teachable spirit”?…..Is God able to “change your mind”?….Just because we “believe” some secular ideology to be right - Does not mean its right…What if you are confronted with the Truth and the Truth contradicts your life-style? - Are you willing to change?

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel”

Edith Stein was an intellectual raised in a Jewish home and later in her life she became an atheist….One day she picked up a book about the life of St Teresa of Avila and read the book all night out of boredom…When she finished the book, all she said was - “This is the Truth”…And that book led Edith Stein to become Catholic…She also eventually became a Carmelite nun and died as a martyr for the faith during the Nazi occupation of Germany….Today the world knows her as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross…How can a person go from being Jewish - To an atheist - To becoming a Catholic nun and a martyr?….My guess is - Edith Stein was an honest seeker of the Truth and when she heard it - In her heart she knew it!…Jesus tells us in the Gospel of St John - “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”…What is it about “the sheep” that follow Jesus that makes them different from the others that “do not hear” the Truth in the words of Christ?…Its their heart - Their heart is not “clouded” with lies, an “agenda” and sin - They are open to change - Their worldly “attachments” do not mean to them more the Truth they are in search of…..I can remember when I was in my twenties…I would go once a month to hear lectures by a famous Franciscan Priest who founded a religious order in New York City…His name was Fr Benedict Groeschel CFR…I had been raised Catholic and went to Catholic Schools - But I NEVER heard anyone talk like he did…And I was attracted to what he had to say……Why? - Because it was the TRUTH…There was something in my heart that knew it was the Truth….As Catholics, we too must NEVER be afraid to speak the Truth in all its fullness….The Catholic Church contains the fullness of truth - Why would we not proclaim it boldly? - I will tell you why? - We are afraid…..Stop being afraid!!!….”You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp-stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”

“The angel spoke to me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

Today at Mass he hear how a man named Nathanael came to follow Jesus….Ask yourself this - Would a man give up everything to follow a lie?….The answer sadly is yes and we see this all around us today…Humanity “sells itself short”……Society “buys-in” to the lies of a materialistic world that in the end leaves people completely empty and alone…. Only the Truth can satisfy the human heart…As St Augustine famously said - “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”…….For most of us it takes some time to realize this reality…We try and try all the material things that the world has to offer, only to find out that only God can give us peace and make us sincerely happy….Nathanael came to that point in his life today in the Gospel - How about YOU?….What is “in the way” of you following Jesus Christ?….What “issues” do you have with what the Catholic Church teaches and has taught for centuries?…Maybe the “problem” is not what the Catholic Church teaches - Maybe the “problem” is YOU? - Ever think that is possible?…….Lord - Give me a teachable spirit - “For your yoke is easy and your burden is light”…. JMJ

“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we hear how Jesus chose Peter to be the first Pope…."Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.  And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……….Would you have chosen Peter?…..Peter did not always think before he spoke - Peter denied Jesus in his most needed hour….Peter was uneducated….This is the guy!?!…..In so many ways God knows us better then we know our selves…..St Teresa of Avila, who is a Doctor of the Church wrote about “the caverns within a man soul” - Meaning within each of us there are “caverns” that even we do not know about but God does because he put them there!…And as we progress in the process of sanctification - God reveals these “caverns” to us….Jesus when we chose Peter knew in the end he would come through - And he did!…He knew Peter better than Peter knew himself…The same goes for us…We must trust the process!….If we fully cooperate with God - He will lead us to places we never thought possible and we will do things we never thought possible…..Why?….Because God created us ALL to be saints….And the only thing that holds us back is ourselves

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?”

The greatest adventure a person can embark upon is to follow Christ with reckless abandon….The secular world would disagree sadly - This is why our world needs more people who commit to this “adventure”……I was born into a simple family…My father was a barber and my mother was an office secretary….When I look back at my life I cannot believe where I have been……At twenty-two years old I committed my life to Christ and began living as a practicing Catholic…Since then I have traveled the world…I have served the poor across America, in Haiti and in India….I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters actively for seven years in New York City and saw a side of the city that has shocked me at times but at the same time “opened my eyes” wide!…I have written a book…I am a co-host on the radio…..And God is not done with me yet!!!!….There are smarter people then I am - People much more qualified to do the things that I have done - But God chose me!….Why? - Because I gave God permission….This is the key…God cannot work radically in our life unless we radically surrender to him….Its like when a Catholic couple gets married….When my wife and I got married we were open to life…In thirteen years we have given life to eight children - Three died before they were born and five are with us know….Again, the day we were married, we did know how many children God will give us…But God did - My wife and I simply cooperated with him….This is what every Catholic must do….Surrender our “plans” - And embrace God’s plan….We get in our own way! - Get out of the way and let God work….His plan for your life is infinitely better then your plan!

“I will give thanks to your name, because of your kindness and your truth: When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me”

Today Jesus tells St Peter that not only will you be the first Pope but the Church, which appeared so small and weak in its beginning stages will one day conquer the world….If you were Peter and Jesus told you that two thousand years ago, would you have believed him?….Well - Peter did!…Maybe that is why Jesus chose him!…..As Catholics we must be willing to do the “ridiculous” so God can do the miraculous….Think about Noah for a moment…When we think of Noah, we think about the ark he built and how he saved two of every animal and God saved them from a great flood…Now think of Noah before the flood, when he was building the ark in his “back yard”…My bet is, his neighbors thought he was crazy!!! - “Why are you building this boat Noah?!?”…And I am sure Noah told them why - And I am also sure his neighbors that Noah was crazy….But in the end - Who was right?….Noah was willing to do the “ridiculous” and as a result God did the miraculous…..It all comes done to radically surrendering to God….People like to convince themself that they are in control and when they do - They “play it safe”….Catholics today must “stop playing it safe”….Its time "put out into deep water" - Its there that we become the people we were born to be…..“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”…..JMJ

“Sheep” or “Goat”?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we are told what it means to be a Catholic - To be a person for others…No matter what your vocation is: Priest, married or single…As a Catholic we are meant to give our life away in service to God and neighbor….”As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted”………I was educated at a Jesuit University and above the front door of the library were these words - “Those who have been given much - Much will be expected”……If we have been blessed in this life with an education, with a good job, with a good family…We are called to use what was given to us to build the Kingdom of God here on earth - And this mindset is at the root of seeing the world through the lens of what Jesus tells us today….Are you trying to build your kingdom here on earth or in heaven?….A person who has been blessed with many things and lives to “impress others” as we are told the Pharisees did today in the Gospel - Such a person is building their Kingdom on earth…But the man who has been blessed with many things and shares what has been given to him and lives in a simple and humble manner - This man is a “child of God”…..The difference between the two different kinds of people described to us today by Jesus is very transparent…..Even when a person, like the Pharisees, “broadcast” a belief in God - Such a man’s lifestyle will speak for itself….Maybe this is why Jesus choose twelve simple men to be his first disciples….These twelve men worked with their hands and were “men of the people”…This is the kind of man a Catholic must aspire to me…Humble - Simple - And a person of “the people”…….”The greatest among you must be your servant” - Is this how you aspire to live? - To be a servant of others and not a master?……Once again, this is another criteria noted in St Matthew’s Gospel describing how God the Father will separate the “sheep” from the “goats”…..”Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted”…….No servant is greater than his master!

“You have but one Father in heaven; you have but one master, the Christ”

When I was in college I had a roommate who was possibly the most generous person I ever met…Sean came from a rich family - His father was a lawyer and Sean had a good job he worked in the summers and when he went home on breaks from college….None of us had any money except for Sean and when Sean went home and worked - He would return to college and share the money he made with all of us…..After we graduated, one of our roommates was getting married and I drove out to Sean’s home to pick him up so we could drive to the wedding in Washington DC….Sean’s family lived out by the beach, close to the ocean, and I assumed his home would be some mansion….When I got to Sean’s house, I was surprised to see his home was very modest….While his father made a lot of money - Sean was one of five children and his family home was far from what I expected it to be….I never told Sean this but I always admired just how generous he was - Also how impressed I was with his parents, who were practicing Catholics….Sean’s father made a lot of money - He could have very easily not had a big family and lived the life of a rich man, as many New York lawyers do - Instead, he had five children and taught them by his example what it meant to be a man for others…Maybe this is why Sean was so generous - He learned it from his parents…..How we live our life “speaks” to others….If we say we are Catholic - The choices we make and how we live tells the world everything they need to know.

“The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps”

Today we are told by Jesus what it looks like to be a disciple - As Catholics, we have to practice what we preach - Why? - Because people believe what they see!…We cannot speak like Jesus and live like some king….Jesus was a humble man and he was God - “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”….God the Father choose to send his son into the world as a humble carpenter - He lived in a humble working family with Joseph and Mary and he choose humble working men to be his first disciples….How can we not think we are not to do the same?…And if we have been given great talents and gifts - Do we share them with others? - Do we have large families with many children? - Do we teach our children by our life’s example what it means to be a person for others?……When we live this way - We proclaim the Gospel without preaching a word!…Just as my friend Sean’s family did - And those are the “messages” that resonate!……And that is how we will be separated at the end of time when Jesus returns………“Sheep” or “Goat”?……JMJ

And without Sacramental grace - That is not going to happen!

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St Matthew is once again confronted by the Pharisees and they ask him a question….“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments”……On the surface this seems fairly basic and easy…Love God - Love your neighbor…Easy Right?….But as we all know, life presents us with many choices…Its very easy to forget God when tempted to satisfy personal desires - And people do this all the time, as we all know….And when it comes to our neighbor…If our neighbor “gets in the way” of what we want - Well - Too bad for them!…That again is a common mindset of our society…..Before a Catholic can even think about living out these two commandments, one must commit fully to a life of the Sacraments, prayer and fasting…Why?…Because without these practices there is NO WAY we can or even will live in this manner - “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”….In fact, in some instances, we will not even realize when we violate these commandments because the human mind has a way to rationalize actions that benefit our creature comforts…As the saying goes - “Its only business” - Tell that to the person who is cheated!…..Mankind lives in denial of his human weakness - His tendency to be drawn to sin….This is why Jesus established a Church - To help us with our “sin problem”…You can read the Bible all day, which is a good thing - But that is not going to give you the grace to live out the Gospel….We need grace to do that….And that is where the Sacraments, prayer and fasting come into play…How can we love our neighbor if we do not see God in our neighbor?….Once again, really solely on our human strengthen, this kind of love will never happen!…But when we prioritize practicing our Catholic faith (Living Sacramentally, daily prayer and fasting) - We not only will see God in our neighbor, we will feel an obligation to assist our neighbor when he or she is in need….Without “the tools” of our Catholic faith - We are helpless to love as Jesus commands us

“Teach me your paths, my God, guide me in your truth”

Each day Mother Teresa sisters pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament for one hour….I know this because for seven years I served with the Missionaries of Charity both in America and abroad….Why do these nuns take up an hour each day to pray in this way? - Should they not be serving the poor?…..The answer as to why the sisters utilize this daily practice is - They would not be able to serve the poor in the way they do if they did not learn to see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament…I have seen with my own eyes what those nuns do and trust me - There is NO WAY a human being without an intense prayer life could do with the Missionaries of Charity do…..On one of my trips to Haiti, I was in Port au Prince, which is the capital of Haiti…The city is a war zone - Literally - Gang violence, poverty and suffering is everywhere!….To be very honest, to a foreigner (even a well traveled foreigner like myself) the sight of the city was both terrifying and disturbing……Has I entered into one of the Missionaries of Charity homes in Port au Prince, I was greeted by the superior of the house, a small Filipino nun, who had the biggest smile you ever saw…Sister greeted me with - “WELCOME TO HAITI” - She meant every bit of that greeting too!…..When I was greeted by her, I almost wanted to laugh….”This place is a disaster - How can you be so happy”…This is what was in my mind and why I wanted to laugh…..For those reading this reflection now - Ask yourself - How did this nun have this kind of joy (Because her joy was very real - Was she simply crazy)? - How does this nun willingly live in war zone?….How can this nun love people, who the world has disregarded and live like she does at a great personal cost to herself?….The answer to all those questions is - This nun prays before the Blessed Sacrament each day - She lives Sacramentally - She fasts regularly……Because that is the ONLY way one can do what she does….“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments”…There is only one way to live out what Jesus commands of us…And that is to live as a Catholic….Not going to happen any other way!

“They cried to the LORD in their distress; from their straits he rescued them. And he led them by a direct way to reach an inhabited city”

As we all know - In the New Testament, Jesus tells us a lot of things, instructing us how to live…Its not enough to know what Jesus said, we are all called to live it out….And if we do not utilize the Sacraments, daily prayer and weekly fasting…Do you actually “think” you are going to live the Gospel?….You’re going to love your enemies?…You’re going to be meek and humble of heart?….You’re going to forgive unceasingly?…..As they say where I come from - NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!……….What is asked of us today in the Gospel of St Matthew is very hard to do - In fact, its impossible to do without God’s grace…Its our job to open ourselves up to that grace…So God can give us “eyes to see” and grace to act….There is a big difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus…And if we claim we “know Jesus”, we have to aspire to live like he lived…And without Sacramental grace - That is not going to happen!….JMJ

A remnant will rise from the ashes once again….Count on it

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading the Prophet Ezekiel addresses the remnant of Israel….God is faithful and He promises to purify his people once again…..But how?….We read in the Gospel today how God sent is prophets to the Israelites and they ignored them - How will he purify these “stiff-necked people”?……The answer to the question comes to us in the Old Testament, which is in many ways a historical account of the Jewish people….Its the story of Exodus and Return - Exodus and Return - Exodus and Return…..Every time God’s chosen people forget where they came from - Their lives fall apart - And it is through their suffering and hardships that God once again forms their heart…..”For I will take you away from among the nations, gather you from all the foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors; you shall be my people, and I will be your God”…….When we look today at Europe, Canada and America - We see a similar pattern emerging…A people that once adhered to the ways of God have forget where they came from - And Western Civilization is falling apart….But God understands human nature better then we do!…It will be through hardships that these once faithful nations will regain their identity once again…..A great lesson should be vetted from both history and what we see currently in America in real time - How human nature is so easily distracted and enticed to walk away from God…..This is why as Catholics we MUST cling to the Sacraments and daily prayer…Never for a moment think you cannot fall away - Never for a moment should you think you are “so strong” as not to be tempted and fall into sin….The devil is very real - But so is grace!

“A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me”

For many years before I was married I lead a Bible Study in the parish I grew up in…..Many of the men who would attend that Bible Study became good friends of mine over the years and attended the study faithfully…Recently I ran into one of those men….Michael had a good job at a bank and was a faithful Catholic - I always saw him at Mass on Sunday and he faithfully came every morning to the Bible Study on Saturday for many years….I saw Michael at the grocery store recently and innocently asked him about St Mary’s, which was my old parish where I grew up in….And he told me he no longer attends Church….I was literally shocked!!!…Here was a man who was faithful Catholic - How can that happen!…..But it happens!…..The same thing happened to a woman I went to college with…Kelly grew up in a good Catholic home near Philadelphia…After college, she served the poor in New York City with Mother Teresa’s sisters….And sadly during that time, her older brother died tragically at work…And Kelly was deeply effected by her brother’s death - It effected her relationship with God and her view of the Catholic Church…..These two stories are so sad but these were people who I would have NEVER thought would turn way from the Church - And they did - These two accounts should serve as a reminder….”The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”…Stay close to God Sacramentally - Fast weekly - Pray Daily….”The devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls” - Don’t let him get yours! - “Put on the armor of God”

“For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn”

Today the readings at Mass tell us how even in the face of rejection - God is faithful to his people - That there will always be a remnant and that God will “purify” his people once again….When we study Salvation history, we can clearly see trends emerging…We see that throughout the Old Testament but also when we read about European history - Even in American history we see this same trend - Exodus and Return - Exodus and Return - Exodus and Return…But through it all - God is always at work! - Even when we “think” the darkness of the culture of death has won the day…..And once again, as St John tells us in his Gospel…”A light shines in the darkness and the darkness can not overcome it”….A remnant will rise from the ashes once again….Count on it….JMJ

This is on the “final exam” - So write what I said down

Today at Holy Mass we are told in the first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel about the responsibilities of whose who were called to be shepherds for the Lord and how they did not do what was asked of them…..Clearly God called these men for a reason….They had certain gifts which made them equipt for the role…As we all know, not everyone is called to be a Priest but each of us does have a vocation and a task given to us by God…..And God gave us what we need to accomplish that task…..This is how we must view the natural gifts given to us - They were given for a purpose - To serve God and others…At the end of our life, when we look back at all the “things” we chased after and have faded away in time - The only things that will matter are the eternal things and in order to avoid regret, we must employ our gifts appropriately….There is an old saying…..”Those who have been given much - Much will be expected”…God does not give some people extraordinary gifts for them to hoard them selfishly - He gives some more than others, so those who have not been given as much can be guided and assisted - Do we as Catholics view our life this way? - To serve others - Especially if you have been given great natural talents and gifts….Because this is how God will judge us

“Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep? You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; my sheep were scattered over the whole earth, with no one to look after them or to search for them”

Before I was married I would spend Advent in Kolkata India serving the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters…During that time I spent my mornings serving severely handicapped children….Many of these children were abandoned on the streets and the Missionaries of Charity provided a home for them…..Over the five years I served these children, I would sometimes just watch them and think to myself just how lucky they were…These children were completely innocent and while they did suffer from their handicaps, all their needs were provided for by the nuns…..I sometimes would think to myself, these children were more fortunate than me!….I am not innocent - I have to work hard in the business world to provide for my needs in an unjust world - But these children were so simple and God provided for them….Now - Think about this - What if Mother Teresa’s sisters did not provide for these innocent children? - Sadly - They all would be dead on the streets!!!…So basically, God created a “plan” and the Missionaries of Charity cooperated with that plan - And everyone was provided for….Again - What if the nuns did not do their part?…This is what we see in the world today…God has given some people many gifts and they hoard their gifts - They do not share or serve others with what God gave them - And that is why we see all the poverty and suffering that we see…..If each person just did their part! - The world would be such a better place….God is our Father and each of us is our brother’s keeper….God does not give some so much for them to not share what was given to them…For the day will come when Jesus will return and ask us….What did you do with the gifts I gave you? - Let’s hope we all have a good answer to that question - “Those who have been given much - Much will be expected”

“It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ [Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away”

Today we hear at Mass once again in the Gospel…..…”The last will be first, and the first will be last”…God does not give us great talents for us to hoard them….This is how the materialistic world views talents - “Good for me, Too bad for you” - That mindset is not the path to eternal life……….No one ever became poor by sharing….And if everyone just did their part - The world would be such a better place…..God does not distribute gifts evenly - We all know this…But God does give out gifts for a purpose - Its for us to share what God has given us and put our natural talents at the service of God, His Church and our neighbor…Those who have ears - Let them hear…..This is on the “final exam” - So write what I said down…..JMJ