“Without me - You can do nothing!”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear about how King Solomon, who was the son and heir of King David fell from grace…He allowed the pagan religions of his many wives to influence him and as a result, his Kingdom was lost…..”When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods, and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God, as the heart of his father David had been”…This “story” reoccurs through the Old Testament - The story of Exodus and Return - How the Jewish people fall on bad times - They find God - The Times get better - They forget God - And then every thing falls apart……..This is also the story of America and for that matter - The story of mankind……Mankind was made for God and when we consciously turn from God, something within us “breaks”….We become “blind”…..When we live outside of God’s grace, our fallen human nature gets the best of us - And everything falls apart…….Since the time of Christ, with all the human innovation that has taken place, mankind has not learned this great lesson - That we are dependent upon God and without him, we are lost and our human weakness will get the best of us……This is why Catholics must graft their life Sacramentally to Christ…Jesus gave us a Church and the Sacraments for a reason - Because we need them……In addition, Catholics must persevere in daily prayer and weekly fasting…..Whether we “feel” like praying or not - It should not matter! - We need to stay connected to the vine……Remember these words in Scripture………….”The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”…..Don’t “think” for a minute we can “slack off” - Its in those moments of weakness that the devil strikes!

“Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls”

Every Catholic should establish a daily prayer routine…While most of us are working and have families and cannot pray like monks do, we still can establish a robust prayer life - If we make it a priority…..This is very important!…..Get up early - Gather your family together at the end of the day to pray the Rosary together - Pray before meals - Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet as you drive to work - Go to Mass and or Confession on your lunch hour…These are just some ways to “stay connected to the vine” and also a very concrete way to establish a routine……The world, the flesh and the devil are always working against us! - Believe it!…..It’s important to “see” and “know” the enemy for who and what it is!……Only if we stay vigilant will we save our soul!…..The mistake - We take down our guard - We become complacent - We trust in our own “gifts” and “think” we can resist temptations relying solely on our own strengthen - This is the mistake! - This was the mistake of King Solomon in the first reading today at Mass as well - And this is why King Solomon fell - And guess what? - If you do as he did - You will fall too!…….The devil prowls the earth like a lion looking to devour souls….The devil knows all our weakness and we all have them! - The devil is smarter than we are and never sleeps!…So be vigilant!…Stay “grafted to the vine” and remember the words of Christ - “Without me - You can do nothing!”

“Blessed are they who observe what is right, who do always what is just. Remember us, O LORD, as you favor your people; visit us with your saving help”

Today at Mass we hear a familiar story - We hear about the rise and fall of the Jewish people…”Rinse - Wash - Repeat”…The same old story again and again - The story of Exodus and Return…..Today in America a similar story is taking place….We have forgotten God - While we give God praise with our words - Our laws violate the Natural Law and the teachings of the Catholic Church…For example - Usury is used as a means of “doing business” - Same Sex marriage has become “normalized” - And abortion is considered a “human right”….How we have fallen! - Do you think God does not see these things? - Do you think these actions and many more like them do not have very real consequences?……Scholars tell us that politics is down stream from culture and that culture is down stream of religion…….So the question we must then ask - Is America really a “Nation Under God” as we once claimed it to be?…..The story of King Solomon is repeating itself again - In real time - Right before our very eyes!………But God is merciful - He was merciful to King Solomon and he will be merciful to America - A “remnant” will remain!………”So the LORD said to Solomon: "Since this is what you want, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I enjoined on you, I will deprive you of the kingdom and give it to your servant. I will not do this during your lifetime, however, for the sake of your father David; it is your son whom I will deprive. Nor will I take away the whole kingdom. I will leave your son one tribe for the sake of my servant David and of Jerusalem, which I have chosen”……….To borrow the words of John the Baptist ……. “Repent - The Kingdom of God is at hand”

God will never abandon his people but that does not mean that suffering will not take place as a result of bad choices - But it is through suffering that mankind “learns”….He learns lessons “the hard way”…As it was for King Solomon and as it will be for America…..Why is this reality?…….Because as Jesus told us………..“Without me - You can do nothing!”………….JMJ

Our world today “thirsts” for a witness

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading about the Queen of Sheba…….She heard about King Solomon….And she wanted to “check out” what she heard for herself……”The queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon's fame, came to test him with subtle questions”….As Catholics we should pay attention to this reading from Mass - Why? - Because people believe what they see!…..If we want the world to believe us - If we believe that the answer to the problems of humanity is Jesus Christ crucified…If we believe that living Sacramentally is the “cure” to mankind’s broken nature…If we believe all that and more! - Then we have to demonstrate it with our very lives!…..The Queen of Sheba heard about all the good things King Solomon was doing and when she saw them for her self - She became convinced…..Again - This is the only way to convince anyone of anything - We must show them……."The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is true," she told the king. "Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes, I have discovered that they were not telling me the half. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard”………So the question for us today is - How do we live such a convincing witness as Catholics?…….Everything we do comes from our interior life…..Within each of us are “deep caverns” which we are not even aware of….The deeper our interior life of prayer becomes, the more we discover those “caverns” within us and in turn God will draw us closer to himself…..As our interior life deepens through daily prayer, weekly fasting and Sacramental living - Our lives will bear fruit…The “fruit” while happen naturally, almost as an organic outpouring from our interior life…In a sense, we won’t even have to “think” about it - It will just flow naturally….This is how we give a convincing example of our Catholic faith to the world around us….And this is the only way the world will believe what we say to be true.

“Commit to the LORD your way; trust in him, and he will act. He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication”

The Gospel lived radically speaks to the world…..This is the Catholicism that convicts souls….And this is where those in the Church who prescribe to what is called the “Spirit of Vatican II” get it wrong…..The Catholic faith should not try to conform to the world - It needs to witness to the world - Offering an an attractive alternative…..The witness of a holy life attracts others because it mirrors the life of Jesus Christ….This is what the Catholic Church must do and trying to be “like everyone else” will never accomplish that goal……Living and working in New York City provides a person with access to many types of people…..Each day I walk a mile from the bus stop to my office building….The neighborhood I walk through each day is a decadent section of New York City commonly referred to as “Hells Kitchen”…..And one day as I was walking to work, I saw a Catholic Priest walking down the same sidewalk as I was wearing a traditional black cassock…..Obviously he stood out!……When I saw him I called out to him and gave him a “thumbs up”…..He smiled and kept walking…….This priest was giving a radical witness to the world just by walking down the street wearing the garb of a priest….If he was wearing secular cloths, I would never have recognized him…..And I am sure others noticed him just as I did…By wearing his cassock, this priest was a visible sign of Christ to a broken and wounded world….Now some may say wearing a cassock is outdated - Some say it “repels” people as opposed to “inviting them in”…..I vehemently disagree!…..When our Catholic faith is radically lived - When Sacrificial living is radically embraced - The world notices - In fact, even the “hardest of hearts” are almost mesmerized by the sight of an authentic Catholic witness…This is why Jesus told his disciples…..”I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth”……Our world will only believe what we are “selling” as Catholics if they see our faith lived out…..Live radically and you will “bear fruit” that will last…..The era of the “lukewarm” is over!

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

Today at Mass we heard about how the Queen of Sheba heard what King Solomon was doing and when she saw it for herself - She was convinced…..As Catholics, we talk a “good game” but does the world “see” what we claim to be true?….Is the world convinced that the Catholic Church possesses the fullness of Truth?…….This kind of “convincing” only results from our cooperation with God…..It is the Holy Spirit that “convicts” souls - We by ourselves cannot convince people of anything!….Until we “die to ourself” and “make room” for the Holy Spirit to enter our life, we will be like “everyone else” - Conforming to the status quo - “Going along to get along”……Catholics must become “all things to all people”…..We must be and live differently in a world that rejects us - Easier said then done!…..The saints show us that such a life is possible and that radically subjecting ourself to God is how the world is transformed…..Mere words and “ticking boxes” as Catholics will never “get the job done”….Catholics were born to “stand out” not “go along” - God can do more with your life then you can….Do you believe that? - If you do - Prove it by “living it”!….Seeing is believing………The world is not interested in another sermon…….Our world today “thirsts” for a witness……………..JMJ

“You worry about you!”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how the Pharisees and some scribes find fault with Jesus…..Jesus addresses them……”This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts”…….God weighs the human heart…Its not necessarily what you do that matters, but how much love you put into what you do…The  Pharisees and scribes “on paper” did everything right - But their hearts were far from God….This is something we as Catholics must be very aware of….We too came be just like the Pharisees and scribes and not even realize it - The devil is very clever - Never forget that….Catholics many times “tick off boxes” - We pray the Rosary - We go to Sunday Mass - We even go to Confession regularly - We pray our Divine Mercy Chaplet every day too - The list goes on and on……But even doing all those things - Our heart is not in what we doing……And when life does not go the way we want it too - We complain - At least I do…..As married Catholics, we can be involved in numerous activities in the Church, but lose focus of our primary duty - Which is to our family....As a priest - We can get “caught up” in administrative tasks and forget the sick and poor of our parish - Or neglect our prayer life……Once again - God sees the human heart - God is not “impressed” with the “big things” we may think he is impressed with - My wife has a phrase for this “Corporate Catholic” - When we behave as corporate people act towards one another - Looking for opportunities to “climb the ladder” - Looking to get noticed - Looking to acquire titles…Once again - God is not impressed……”He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.  Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood”……Its not what we “do” that counts - Its about how much love we put into what we do….This is how we “impress” God

“Blessed they who dwell in your house! Continually they praise you. O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed”

Next to Jesus, the greatest of all the saints was Our Lady and St Joseph - Many Catholic scholars would agree with that statement….And just think - St Joseph does not have one recorded word in Bible - And Our Lady always was in the background….Yet - Catholic tradition tells us they were the closest to God - The greatest of the saints…That should tell us something…..To live what is commonly referred to in Catholic circles as “a hidden life” is the surest path to God…..That was the path of Our Lady and St Joseph…It means to “get out of the way” and let Jesus lead the way….To “get lost entirely” in God so God “overshadows” us as he did with Our Lady……It means not attracting attention and when attention is directed towards us, we direct it back to God…..Is this how we live? - Is this what we strive to do?……Over the years I have been married, I have watched my wife and marvel at her - I marvel at what she does for our family each and every day…..She does so much and she does it quietly, without any fanfare…..I can say this with honestly, I love my wife more now then the day we were married because of how she has sacrificed herself for me and our five children…And just as I have witnessed this - I am sure our children have as well, which in time will “bear fruit that will last”…..This is an example of a hidden life…..The journey to God is not like “climbing the ladder” of a Fortune 500 Company - So don’t look to be a “Corporate Catholic”….Thinking to yourself: How much can I do? - What can I achieve? - Does “what I do” come with “a title”?……….God sees us “as we truly are” - When no one is looking……In addition to the witness of my wife, I have also seen the example of a “hidden life” when I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters in Manhattan every Saturday for seven years before I was married…The Missionaries of Charity work in the background quietly like Our Lady…They are prayerful and are not interested in gaining any attention for all the good they do…..Again - This is the surest path to God - This is how we grow in sanctity….It should not be about “us” when we do “good things” and if it is, frankly what we do is of little use to God……To acquire this mindset is to understand who we are at or core - Humility is Truth - We are simply children of God and no more - All the gifts given to us were given to serve God and to serve our neighbor…And one day we will die…..Our worth is found in God alone and God alone can restore our life, giving it back to us after our physical death when we see him face to face upon our judgement - This is our hope!…..In the meantime - No need to be “glorified” for all the “good we do” here on earth……Now - That does not mean we should not look to do “great things” - And if God calls us to do “great things” - We must do them for the Glory of God and if attention is directed towards you because of what you do - Direct it back to God and keep working!

“I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked”

Today at Mass in the Gospel Jesus “calls out” the Pharisees and scribes - These were the perfect people who found fault with everyone else as opposed to addressing their own faults - Do we do this?…..I say that because I do sometimes and I confess this often Sacramentally….I somethings find my myself saying the phrase - “Those People” followed by a litany of faults “Those People” do - And when I do this verbally, the Holy Spirit usually convicts me on the spot……….Its so easy to forget that we are all sinners and that all “the good” we do and all the virtues we have are due to God’s grace - Everything is grace!…..It’s not our place to call out “Those People” - As I tell my children when they fight with and blame each other - I tell them: “You worry about you!”…….Worrying about my own sanctity is a “full time job” - And before I start “pointing the finger” at others for their many faults - Maybe I need to do some self reflection - How about you?…….Jesus tells us very clearly…..”For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?”….Wrong is wrong - “I get it” - But as I tell my children often….”You worry about you” - And God will address your neighbor’s faults in his time and in his way - In the mean time - “You worry about you!”………….JMJ

We cannot heal the world - But Jesus can - He has and still does

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how great crowds were following Jesus…Word had spread that he was a healer and people wanted to either see these miracles for themselves or experience a healing……”Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed”……….We as Catholics have heard about the miracles performed by Christ our entire lives…Its so easy to dismiss them as something at happened only when Jesus walked the earth 2000 years ago….But do we realize that miracles happen everyday?……In the Sacramental of Reconciliation, miracles happen!…..People are freed of the many “issues” that weigh them down….Sin not only blinds us, it can not be “erased with time”….Time does not heal wounds - It only allows them to fester…..And far too many people in our world today at walking around “in chains”....…Their past “owns them” - They cannot “shake free” of it…This is why Christ came to us…..As we hear at every Mass - Jesus came “To take away the sins of the world”…..And only Jesus can do this……So why do we not let him?…One sincere Sacramental Confession can change your life!……And sadly the world ignores this reality…..And because of this - Our world suffers……Do we as Catholics take full advantage of what Jesus gave to us through his Church?…….The saints (Padre Pio; Fulton Sheen & Pope John Paul II) recommend we go to a Sacramental Confession once every month - Why would we not listen to people who clearly show us that such a practice “bears fruit” in the life of a soul…This is why the Church raises up saints - To show us the way to Christ himself……This is why Catholics today must live in and amongst the world - To show people the way…..Our joy and peace will speak to harden hearts - And this joy and peace can only be obtained Sacramental……Take advantage of your inheritance, which is the Catholic Church….Use the “tools” given to you…And in the process, your heart will be transformed and your witness will influence many….The witness of a holy life is contagious.

“Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people”

When I walk into a Catholic Church there are certain things that tell me immediately that the people of that parish “get it”…For one - The tabernacle is right behind the altar for all to see as soon as you walk into the front door of the Church…..Secondly - The Parish has established set times for Eucharistic Adoration……And lastly, confessions are made available more than just for one hour on Saturday, some times I have even seen confessions before every Mass!……These “signs” to me tell me that such a Church is alive!……..You would think that what I just noted would be a given, something every Catholic Church would be doing……But sadly, that is not the case….We need to get back to “First Principals”…….Stop with all the “power point presentations”….Stop with all the “programs”…..Stop with all the “diocesan initiatives”…..”First Principals” were used by Jesus to build the Church and “First Principals” will renew it!…..Pray the Rosary everyday and pray it with your family…Go to a Sacramental Confession once a month…Go to Mass with your family every Sunday and receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace….There is it - “First Principals”…When we do this as Catholics we let God do the “heavy lifting”….And graces flow!….What a gift it is to be Catholic - But we have to utilize “the gifts” given to us - God helps those who help themselves - Are we cooperating with God?……Jesus reminded us of this reality yesterday at Mass - Have you forgotten?……..Jesus said to his disciples: "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”……..Time to get back to “basics” - No need to “recreate the wheel” - Everything we need can be found in “First Principals”

“I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever.”

Today at Mass we hear how the sick wanted to be physically healed by Jesus 2000 years ago……..Can you blame them?….How about the sick of today?….So many people, even people who seem to “have it all together” are deeply burdened by past sins - They are the “walking wounded” of our world today - They can not “shake out of it”…..This is why Jesus came into the world - He came for YOU……The devil uses all kinds of tactics to convince us that our sins are greater then God’s mercy….He convinces us that the Catholic Church is somehow “out of touch” with humanity….That Sacramental living is “optional” and gives no benefit, so it can be discarded…In many ways - the devil has succeeded…..So the question then is - What are you going to do about it!?!…….People believe what they see - So what do they see when they encounter you?……When we ground our life as Catholics in “First Principals” and allow grace to animate our soul - We will “stand out”….We will serve as a “light to the world” - This is our mission and such a witness can not be self manufactured…..We need to live by and through Sacramental grace - This is the “secret ingredient”…..Utilize the “tools” given to you by the Church……..And then you will begin to “shine” - The Light will not be your own - It will be Jesus shining through you - And that light will lead the way for others……We cannot heal the world - But Jesus can - He has and still does…….JMJ

Its up to us - To be that “light”

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus say in the Gospel of St Matthew that…."You are the salt of the earth”……Which is a huge compliment - Right?!?………In Jesus’ day salt was used as something to preserve food due to the fact they did not have refrigeration…Salt was an essential commodity………But Jesus did not end there - He followed up his statement with this…..”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.”…How does “salt lose its taste”? - How does a Catholic loses his / her impact on the world?…….By living outside the state of grace……….Jesus founded a Church…Remember, Jesus did not write a book - The Bible came roughly four hundred years after Christ - But Jesus founded a Church - To give us the Sacraments, which are “the medicine” for a fallen world…..So again, how do we stay in the state of grace? - By not sinning morally - By going to frequent Sacramental Confessions - By receiving the Blessed Sacrament each Sunday at Mass…..And when we do this……We will become a “light to the world” and a “city set on a hill”……We must comes to understand that our “light” does not belong to us - It comes from the Holy Spirit…..Our job is to make room for the Holy Spirit, by “clearing away” all the “stuff” in our life that “gets in the way”…….When a Catholic does this and lives Sacramentally, he / she makes room for the Holy Spirit….That is how we are “salt and light”…..Nothing we do are self manufacture this state of being…..…However, it is through our cooperation with Christ and his Church that we “shine” in a dark world….St Paul in the second reading today brings this point home…Remember, Paul was a highly educated man - He was greatly gifted! - Yet, in this passage he takes no credit for what he does…Why? - Because Paul knows that only God can pierce the hearts of men….Mere words will never make that happen, even if the words are well said and well intentioned…….”When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom. but on the power of God”……….God continues to use the most unlikely of people to bring his message to the world…….The more we empty ourself, the more room we make for the Holy Spirit…….This is how we reach the unreachable…….”Through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - Believe it and be not afraid!

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life”

Many Catholics in their life have heard great homilies at Mass…..Many priests are extremely gifted and can deliver a great message….But after hearing such a message the question becomes - Were you changed by it?…..Words while they resonate for a short period of time within the human heart are just simply words….However, witnessing the Holy Spirit work through a person is something of a different matter…..Such a witness “stops the world in its tracks”……It leaves the hardest of hearts speechless……Sacrificial love lived out, which is empowered by Sacramental living is the witness Catholics need to project to the world……For example - A Catholic man and a woman, united in the bond of marriage, who are open to life raising many children……A priest living humbly and speaking boldly the eternal truths of the Catholic faith from the pulpit……We Catholics must “stand in the breach” of our fallen world and that will not happen if we do not live sacramentally and are not a people of deep prayer………Before I was married, every Advent I would travel to India to serve the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters…..When I would go, people would literally hand me money…I would not even ask for it…They would just give it to me…..And I would give this money to the Missionaries of Charity in India…..Why do you think that happened?- People just handing my thousands of dollars - People do not just give people money in this world - Right?!?……The answer is - The service God was working through me resonated deeply within the human heart to those around me…It clearly was not me!!! - No one has EVER given me money…But what God was doing through me “spoke” to the world around me….This is a small example of how we as Catholics must strive to be “salt and light” in the world….We must live our Catholics faith radically and sacrificially - Giving of ourself until it hurts - That is what real love is - Love must “cost us”…And when we do this - The world will take note!….Our life will challenge the status quo….Our life’s example will cause people to question choices made…Our joy and peace will radiate into the darkest of places and into closed hearts…..This is how we “change the world”…Mere words will never accomplish this kind of lasting transformation……However, before Catholics “change the world” - We must be changed from the inside out ourself………..Our lives should make no sense to the secular world - When the secular sees your life - They should say to themselves - ‘How does this person do what they do?”….And when they say that and if they direct that statement to you - Your response as a Catholic should be…..”It is not I but Christ who lives in me”!

“His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear. Lavishly he gives to the poor; His justice shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory.”

Today at Mass Jesus tells us we as Catholics must we a “sign” to an unbelieving world…That means we cannot be like the world - Right?!?…….We must be and live differently - Right?!?……….Is that what is happening?…….”Going along to get along” is not going to “cut it” - That is how - ”Salt loses its taste, no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot”…….If we are to be “the light of the world, we need to get serious!….And then as Cardinal John Henry Newman put it so eloquently…..” Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus. Stay with us, and then we shall begin to shine as you shine; so to shine as to be a light to others; the light, Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be you shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best, by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching: not by words, but by our example”…….One solitary “light” is more powerful than all the darkness oil the world - We have within ourselves the “power” to be “that light”……..Its up to us - To be that “light”…………JMJ

Pride always comes before the fall

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading how Solomon, who was the son of the great King David now sits on the throne…David is dead and Solomon is a young man with a big job to do….He realizes he needs help to rule over his people, so he goes to a holy place (Gibeon) to pray…And the Lord appears to him and asks him what he is looking for….Solomon says he wants….”an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”….The readings goes on………”The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this – not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right – I do as you requested.  I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.”……..Notice, with understand came riches for Solomon……This reading echos the very words of Christ….”Seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides”……Are we putting the cart before the horse?…..For those who pray the Rosary daily as Our Lady asked of us at Fatima…In the Fifth Joyful Mystery - The Finding of Jesus in the Temple - We meditate on how Jesus put God above all things - Even his family - And in doing so - All things were given to him…..…”After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers”……..This should be a great lesson for us to take note of…..The First Commandment tells us - Love the Lord your God above all things - And then and only then can we love our neighbor as our self……Do we put God first?...Idols come in all shapes and sizes - Even “good things” can turn into an idol that we place before God….The devil is shrewd…So be vigilant and seek first the Kingdom of God and all things will be given to you!

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me”

In Catholic teaching we are told that there are seven gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord….How does one obtain these gifts? - By living in the state of grace….How does one live in the state of grace? - By going to frequent Sacramental Confession (at least once a month) and receiving the Blessed Sacrament at least once a week (Sunday)…..By doing this “all things” will be given to us! - Including the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which in turn will assist us on our earthly journey to heaven…..These gifts can not be self manufactured as many Christians incorrectly believe…One can be highly intelligent, analytically speaking, and still not possess these seven gifts…..And why goes God in his infinite wisdom provide a practicing catholic with seven gifts?…….Because we need them!…..The road to heaven is long and hard…..Discerning the many choices that stand before us in this world today is difficult - How many people fail? - How many people choose wrongly and “get lost”? - How many people fall never to “get up” again?……Our Lord himself tells us…..“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”……How hard it is to persevere in our given vocations - To stay “on the road” - To pray daily and fast weekly - To stay focused…..In order to do all these things - We need grace! - We also need the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit…Because again, Jesus reminds us - “Without me, you can do nothing!

“Lord, teach me your statutes. In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches”

King Solomon in the first reading from Mass reminds us that God must come first….Nothing is more important than our relationship with God - Nothing!……When we put God first, everything else finds its proper place….A life built upon the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit will obtain all things….Is this model for living emphasized in our schools? - To our children? - All the “high achieving” children in America striving for “success” - Do we teach our children that without the Holy Spirit and the gifts that come with it, there is a good chance that any “success” we achieve can be so easily lost!…….Jesus reminds us each and every day in the Gospels read to us at Mass……………..“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined”……..Are we convinced that without God we can do nothing? - I believe the poor and the humble of the world are convinced - But what about those who are truly gifted? - Those with great intellects - Those who have been born into prominent families - Like King Solomon - Those who have been given or earned great wealth?……..Do all these people believe - “Without God, you can do nothing”……..The devil plays the “long game” and is very aware of human nature - Many times the devil gives us “the rope we hang ourselves with”…..This is why we need “eyes to see” - This is why we need to always stay in the state of grace - This is why we need the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit…….Those who have ears let them hear!……Pride always comes before the fall…..JMJ

Take whatever the world “throws at you” and rejoice - “For your reward will be great in heaven”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how King Herod was beginning to hear about Jesus…..His fame was spreading……”King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets. ”But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up”……John the Baptist and Jesus Christ both spoke the Truth….And they spoke it clearly and boldly…Notice how even though John the Baptist was killed, the Truth was still spoken - It could not be silenced…This reality is something that the powerful of the world can not accept to this very day…The Natural Law and Gospel Truths are written on the human heart….No matter what a person does in trying to silence or eliminate the Truth - It cannot be done! - Even if you “eliminate” that person - Another person takes their place…..This is why the Catholic Church has endured for 2000 years and will be the last institution left standing on the face of the earth - Bank on that!…Because the fullness of the Truth is contained in the Catholic Church and the Truth always remains when everything else fades away and turns to dust - And that is reality! - Human beings do not get to define reality - We can deny it all we want but when we do, there are consequences……”Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!”……Catholics today, no matter what we are up against must always remember that the victory has already been won - Jesus Christ defeated death and Jesus Christ is the Truth!…Anyone who objectively searches for the Truth always ends up in the same place - With Jesus in the Catholic Church.....”Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

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

Time and patience obtains all things……Far too many people argue with people, both on social media and in day to day life about the Truth - And the Truth is objective - There is no such thing as “my truth” or “your truth” - That is pure nonsense - There is just “THE TRUTH”…..There are many reasons why people argue incessantly….Pride - People want to be prove they are right……..Validation - People yearn to be validated by their peers and even by those who oppose them……Hatred - People hold in their hearts hatred for groups of people and want to humiliate them - These are just a few reasons why people are always arguing!……Ultimately, these motives must be removed from the hearts of Catholics…..The Truth can stand on its own - Its like a lion, just let it loose, it will defend itself…If a person will not accept the Truth…If they claim 2+2 = 8….There is nothing a Catholic can do to change their mind……At that point, all we can do is pray, fast and give a consistent witness with our life…..Words will never convince a person who has “dug in” to relativistic ideologies - Catholics will never argue anyone into the doors of the Church - So stop trying…..However - If we live what we say we believe - The secular world will “think twice”…..At this point in America and across Western Civilization, the best argument to be made for the Catholic Church is found in the lives of the saints…..That means if on a personal level, you want to impact the world, maybe its time to stop “posting” on social media and start getting serious about living radically our Catholic faith….The witness of sacrificial love “speaks” to the hardest of hearts….This is what our world needs right now…..Talk is cheap!…..Catholics need to get serious…..Why?……Because only saints change the world - Strive to be one or die trying!

“God’s way is unerring, the promise of the LORD is fire-tried; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him”

Today at Mass St Mark tells us how Herod, while he denied the Truth spoken by both Jesus and John the Baptist, he was perplexed by them….Scripture even tells us that Herod liked to listen to these men, even though he outright rejected what they spoke about…..This reality should give us a clue into the human heart….This reality should also encourage us today……To never be afraid to live and speak the Truth………However………While we can count on the Truth “winning” in the end - In the mean time - There is always a “price to pay” - The world always “takes its pound of flesh” from those who side with the Truth….It all “boils down” to this question - Are you willing to pay the price?…..Each Catholic must ask themself this question and answer it one way or another! - Time to face facts! - “The Cross” stares us in the face!…..And Jesus understood this reality very well - So much so he warned us about it - “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”…….There is no “getting around” this reality - So what is it going to be? - What is your choice - Yes or No?……Our choices define who we are as people and as Catholics…..Before you answer, keep this in mind - Our time on this earth is so short when it is compared to eternity, which awaits us all….So I say to you today who read this reflection - Choose life! - Pay the price!……Take whatever the world “throws at you” and rejoice - “For your reward will be great in heaven”…….JMJ