We are saved by faith, not by sight

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we hear Jesus call people to repentance…These same people saw with their own eyes miracles that Jesus performed and still did not repent…..How can this be!!!….They saw miracles!!!!….This story should make us all pause and ponder how human nature plays out to this very day…It did not matter what these people saw - They were not willing to change their lives and that is what Jesus was calling them to do - So they simply ignored the miracles or worse, acknowledged them as miracles and went on living as they pleased….Now think about all the canonized saints over the past two thousand years…..Most of them have two miracles attributed to their intercession…If people took the time and read about these miracles, any objective person would simply be amazed….Yet, the world has not converted to Catholicism - Once again - HOW can this be!!!….Because people do not want to change their life….There is no doubt in my mind - If Jesus Christ came down from heaven today, in the middle of the day, in Time Square in New York City - And everyone watched him descend from the sky and they recorded the sight and streamed it all over social media….I am convinced that the powerful of the world would try to kill him again!…Why? - Because they do not want to change!……To follow Jesus Christ is not simply to acknowledge him as God - Its to listen to his words, allow his grace to enter into our life and ultimately allow that grace to transform our life….If we are not “all about” that process - Are we really a “Christian”? - Maybe we are in word but clearly we are not in actuality…..The message of John the Baptist is the message of Catholicism…Repent and Believe the Gospel……If we do not repent, we will never be able to change.

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”

How easy it is to forget….How many times in our own life we pray to God for something that seems out of reach….Our mother or father is sick - We lost our job and need another one - A child is diagnosed with a grave illness….And some times when we pray to God for help in these seemingly desperate situations - God answers our prayers…..Our child recovers their health - We get a new job, maybe even a better job! - When this happens - How do we respond to God? - Do we take him for granted?…..Or…..Do we give thanks to God by taking our faith more seriously?….I believe situations like I just described happen to every single person, Catholic or not, over the course of their life…..And when we stand before the Lord after we die at our final judgement - These situations will be brought before our eyes….God will show us the many times he intervened in our life - And some of those times we knew emphatically at the time God did in fact intervene because we begged him too…..And when these images are brought before our eyes when we are judged - The question will be asked of us - “Since I helped you in this manner when you begged me - Why did you not change your life?”…….I believe over the course of every human life - God gives each soul many opportunities to change…..It all comes down to us responding to those opportunities….Because no one just “floats into heaven”….Entering into eternal life requires a transformation…We must make a choice to live as Jesus asked of us and strive to live in that manner every day with the help of God’s grace….God can only help us so much - We also have to help ourself…This begins with saying YES to Christ…By living Sacramentally….And by putting our Catholic faith into practice each and every day…..”Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes”…Miracles happen everyday - But miracles do not change a person - Grace does - And simply acknowledging a miracle does not change our life - And that is exactly what Jesus is trying to do - Change our life…The miracle means nothing unless we are transformed by it.

“Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth”

Today St Matthew tells us in is Gospel about people who experienced amazing sights - Miracles with a “Capital M” - And yet those sights did not move them to change their life……..Human nature has not changed to this very day, let’s be honest……….Jesus was not some “magician” - Performing “magic” to impress the world….Jesus was a trying to teach us about God’s love for us - He used miracles as a “tool” - But the miracle itself was not what was most important……When we go to Mass, every once in a while we hear a homily that is very powerful - When that happens, we can hear that homily and think to ourself - WOW, that was so true! - But is that the intended reaction the Priest wants from us?…To one degree it is - But ultimately the Priest giving that homily wants us to use his words as a “spark” to transform our life….Witnessing a miracle can not change our life without our consent to change………”Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed”……Plenty of people experience miracles, even today, and they go right on living lives that oppose the Gospel……………Witnessing a miracle will not ”save us” - Only a life transformed by grace will - This begins with our YES to God……..We are saved by faith, not by sight……..JMJ

”Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah how God evaluates people and achievements very differently then humans do…What we think is a “big deal” means very little to God……”What care I for the number of your sacrifices? says the LORD. I have had enough of whole-burnt rams and fat of fatlings; In the blood of calves, lambs and goats I find no pleasure. When you come in to visit me, who asks these things of you? Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me”……..In this life it is very easy to “get caught up” in the trappings of materialism and secular achievements…..While we all must live in this world, meaning we all must work, provide for our families, etc…And all that costs money - Trust me - I “get it” - That is not the measure of a man’s worth nor does God evaluate our worth based upon those things….Again - This reality is easily forgotten….We cannot “buy” our way into heaven - God will not ask us for our resume - He will not ask us what university we attended……What he will ask us is - “When I was hungry - Did you feed me?”…..“When I was thirsty - Did you give me a drink?”………..”When I was naked - Did you cloth me?”…..These are the things God is concerned with and this is how we will be evaluated when we stand before him……The Prophet Isaiah goes on in the first reading….”Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow”….When Jesus returns again, the power structures of the world will flip!…Think about that for a moment - All that the world values will mean NOTHING!!!!……”Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last”

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”

Before I was married I served with the Missionaries of Charity in India and Haiti….I have witnessed with my own two eyes the faith of the poorest of the poor…Men and women who work for little or no money - People who are disregarded by society - Who are in essence “invisible” - Who mean “nothing”…I have sat with them at Mass…I have seen their faith!!!!….I can recall one Mass I attended in Haiti….I sat among a group of young school children - These boys and girls were very poor…..When the Mass begun the children started to sing all in unison….As I heard their voices, I was overwhelmed - So much so I almost began to cry…..I thought to my self with absolute certainty - “These are God’s people” - There was no question about it!!!!!!!……..But the ironic thing about it - Society at large could care less about these poor children…..This is just one example of the “calculus of God”….And if we want to enter into God’s Kingdom - We must learn to “see” as God sees and “evaluate worth” as God does…..We do that by purifying our hearts…By going to frequent confession and receiving the Blessed Sacrament….We must allow God to sanctify us - Because if we do not give God permission to begin this process of growing in holiness - We will be blind! - And we will evaluate the world on the world’s terms - Not on God’s terms - And that will prove to be fatal…..”This I declare, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption”…….The day will arrive sooner then we think - When the “small” and child-like of the world will surpass the rich and the powerful….Let us hope we are on the “right side” of things when that day arrives.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword”

Today the Prophet Isaiah’s words calls us to repent and see the world as God does…..In order to live in this manner, one must live “differently”…As Catholics, we are called to live amongst the world but we CAN NOT be like the world…We were baptized to be a people “set apart”…To be a light….How can we be a light we when live like the pagan world around us?…..To live “differently” requires us to not “buy in” to materialism….To live humbly and simply - To share….This is the path to heaven and we MUST walk this path….And if we have been given much - Much will be expected!!!!……God is not concerned with our bank account - He is concerned with our heart…Is our heart pure?….Do we guard our soul from the trappings of the world?…..This is what God is concerned about - The question becomes then - Is this our priority?……”Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down, I tire of the load. When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; Though you pray the more, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves clean!”……….The message is crystal clear - “Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last”………JMJ

God is full of surprises - Trust him

Today at Holy Mass across all three readings, we are reassured that God’s word will bear fruit…That it will be the answer to the world’s problems….Clearly that is the case - But so many do not agree!!!….How does God reach them? - Or will they be reached?…The human heart can become hard….Just like dry soil, a seed can not penetrate it - Even the best seed….In cases like this, a plow must be used, to break up the soil……To make it receptive to the seed…This is where we are at today….Our world has become hardened to the Word of God - Authentic Catholic teachings is mocked - Thought ridiculous by the mainstream…..How does God “reach a hand” to such a world?…..The answer - “The plow”…..What man cannot do - God can do!…..One of the enemies of the Word of God, believe it or not, is comfort…When a society gets too comfortable - People forget God - Such a society’s faith rests in their bank account and refrigerator full of food…On the other hand - When times are tough - God is at the forefront of our mind!…..Look at what happened to Poland in the 20th century….As a result of World War II and the Russian occupation, roughly around one and four Poles were killed…..Look at what the country produced - One of the greatest Popes in the history of the Church (Pope John Paul II) and the Polish people to this day are strong in their Catholic faith…How did this happen? - This was the fruit of hardship…..So today, ask yourself - How can God reach out to the world? - How can the hearts of mankind be reached?……Only God can do this - And he will do this - Because he loves us!……St Paul addresses today at Mass what we see in the world today - And St Paul is confident that God will “fix” what mankind cannot “fix”....….”I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.  We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies”…..It’s very easy to forget that the battle has already been won when Jesus gave his life for humanity on the Cross - What we “see” now is the devil’s final assault, which will end!!!! - In the mean time, work with all your mind and strength to build the Kingdom of God and trust that Jesus will do the “heavy lifting”!

“Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, Softening it with showers, blessing its yield”

There is an old saying - “The light enters through the wound”…..Many people because of various reasons have hardened their hearts to God and the Catholic Church - They are “unteachable” - No person can reach them….But God can…When we hear conversion stories of the most unlikely of people to the Catholic Church, many times we are amazed….One such person was a man by the name of Bill McGill, who I knew from daily Mass…Billy was a construction worker who migrated from Liverpool England to New York…He was a rough man with many bad habits….It was not until his wife threw him out of his house, when he became destitute and had to start his life all over in his early fifties that Billy became receptive to the Catholic Church and the Word of God…And when his heart was ready - Billy changed and he died a Catholic in the state of grace…..For many this is a similar story…People who adamantly resist God have to “come to the end of themselves” - And “life” has a way of making that happen! - They have to clearly “see” for themself that “their way” does not work….And time and suffering can do that - And all the while, God is patient, waiting for them….…As Catholics, most of us have people in our life (family and friends) who we may feel are “hopeless”….Nothing we say or do can reach them….When dealing with such people, the best thing to do is just pray for them…..God will “speak to them” in a “language they understand”…What is impossible for man is possible for God!

“You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest; The untilled meadows overflow with it, and rejoicing clothes the hills”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus illustrates his teaching with a story about a seed - How the seed does not always find good soil but when it does, it bears a tremendous amount of fruit……We as people cannot see the human heart, therefore sadly we judge people, we “right them off”….Think about for a moment what the early Catholics thought about St Paul before his conversion (when he was Saul) - Paul took part in the murder of St Stephen!!!…And then, soon thereafter, everything changed for Paul on the Road to Damascus….This story is very relatable for many…God can take the “hardest of hearts” and change them into hearts of flesh….In the mean time, we as Catholics must do our part…..By giving the secular world a good example……We cannot save the world - That is Jesus’s job!!!….So be patient and know God is at work……If God can change a murderer named Saul into one of the greatest saints - Think about what he can do for you!……God is full of surprises - Trust him…………..JMJ

“Practice makes Perfect”

Today at Holy Mass St Matthew tells us that everything we do as Catholics, in service of God and neighbor comes from our interior life….Each of us have God given talents, and those talents were given to us to serve God, our neighbor and his Kingdom…But its through prayer, fasting and Sacramental living that those talents “blossom”……Our work, if it does not spring from our interior life is not about God may times, its about self and feeds our ego…This is why it is essential for Catholics, before thinking about doing anything for the Kingdom of God, must first develop their interior life…..Today St Matthew in his Gospel educates us….”What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops”…Many time when we sit before the Blessed Sacrament in silence, we hear the “whisper” of God in our hearts…..Praying a Holy Hour each week is in essence a “school” where Catholics are formed….And once we are formed, we are sent!…..But to go forward without prayer is a fools errand…..Abraham Lincoln, who was the sixteenth American President, spoke to this idea…”Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”…..The more we deepen our interior life, the more our work in service to God and neighbor will be fruitful

“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” 

If you take the time and look into the daily structure of Catholic Religious Orders, you will find that each day has designated times for prayer…..Why is that?…Because if a monk, nun, friar or priest does not pray daily - He or she will not be effective…….The same goes for Lay-Catholics…While most of us live in the married state, we must carve out time each day for prayer…If that means getting up early, that is what we must do - If that means going to Mass on our lunch hour at work, that is what we must do…If that means establishing a time at the end of the night for all activity in the house to stop and gather the family to pray the Rosary together, that is what we must do…..Catholics, whether we are consecrated religious or not, must pray!…We must “plug into God” and we do that through daily prayer, fasting and Sacramental living…Mother Teresa illustrates this idea with an analogy……..“Often you can see power lines running alongside the street. Unless current is flowing through them, there is no light. The power line is you and I, the current is God! We have the power to allow the current to flow through us and thus to generate the light of the world: JESUS -  or to refuse to be used and, thus, allow the darkness to spread”…This is the “formula” we must follow…..If every Catholic Priest sat before the Blessed Sacrament for one hour each day - The Church would be renewed!….If every Baptized Catholic went to confession monthly, went to Mass weekly on Sunday as a family and prayed the Rosary daily…The world would be transformed in one day!…So simple - Right?!? - So why do we not do it?

“Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed: holiness befits your house, O LORD, for length of days”

Today we are told in the Gospel that what we hear in the silence of our hearts we are to proclaim - So here is the question - If we do not make time to quiet down and listen to God, how are we to hear his voice?….This is one of the driving problems of our world today - NOISE!…I believe the devil knows this and this is why human being are distracted with all different forms of NOISE….Because as we live amongst this NOISE - We CANNOT hear the voice of God….This is why we MUST make time to sit in silence and listen…….Jesus is very clear - He tells us - “Without me, you can do NOTHING”……Is daily prayer a priority in your life?…Is living sacramentally a priority in your life?….These are questions each Catholic must ask themself…Because if we are not doing the “basics”, we will not accomplish the “goal”, which is to enter into eternal life……God is waiting for us to give him permission to transform our lives - But that transformation does not happen “magically”……Like an athlete who practices day and night for a game - Catholics too must “practice”……..As the old saying goes - “Practice makes Perfect”….JMJ

”We” are not the “vine” - Jesus is the “vine”…..So “do whatever he tells you”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading the Prophet Hosea address the northern tribe of Israel…If we know your history, the Northern tribe committed sins against God and formed political alliances with foreign nations…In the reading today Hosea addresses this situation…..”Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. “I am like a verdant cypress tree”— because of me you bear fruit!”……When “politics” did not work - God stepped in….God “humbled” the nation and in turn the people responded…..This is in many ways the story of human history, which repeats itself over and over again - Even on an individual level…..Human beings many times have to “try it their way” - And when they fail - And they “come to the end of themselves” - They turn to God!…..Notice, God did not give up on the northern tribe of Israel (Ephraim)…Just as a father does not give up on a son that strays from his faith…..God was patient - He waited until Ephraim was ready - And when he came to his senses - He once again was restored……..Notice too what Hosea states….”because of me you bear fruit” - Are we as Catholics convinced of this reality?…..Jesus tells us this himself…..”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. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you”…..This statement made by Jesus cannot be emphasized enough!!!….We “remain” in him by living as a faithful Catholic….We cannot separate ourselves from the teachings of the Catholic Church and “think” we are following Jesus - This is a self deception made by many…..But when we live our lives according to Catholic teaching - When we live Sacramentally - When we pray daily - When we fast weekly - We surely will bear fruit…..How clearly Jesus and the Church tells us - So where is the confusion? - The “confusion” is in our hearts - Its in our will, which we refuse to bend…..But just like the Northern Kingdom spoken about today by the Prophet Hosea - Ephraim was humbled!…And when Ephraim came to “the end of himself” - He once again turned to God - And he “bore fruit”….That is how it works!

“Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the LORD, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them”

Why is it that Catholic religious orders that are faithful to Catholic teaching always get vocations?…..Why is it when a Holy Bishop courageously teaches, preaches and lives the fullness of the Truth in his diocese - Seminaries are packed with vocations?……The answer to these questions are found in the words spoke by Jesus……”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”….Far too many people, both inside and outside the Catholic Church “think” they know better than God - I got some news for you - YOU DO NOT!…..As Catholics all we have to do is read what the Church proclaims to be true in the Catechism of the Catholic Church……Its not for us to be “pastoral” and under the guise of that word - Water down Church teachings…There is nothing “pastoral” about not proclaiming the fullness of Truth….When this happens - Church attendance is low - Vocations to the priesthood and religious life diminish - And Catholic family life suffers….Once again, how many examples do we have to see? - How many times do we read about this in the Old Testament when the Jewish people do not give God what belongs to God……In the life of a Catholic a “turning point moment” comes when he or she surrenders “his way” to God’s way….When a person fully digests the reality that God’s way works and “their way” does not - That is when God really begins to work in the life of that soul….God is not interested in “half measures” - With God its all or nothing……”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”…..The time of “lukewarm” Catholicism is OVER - When the world sees the “real deal” - The world will stop in its tracks!….This requires all of us to be “all in”!  

“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”

Today we hear once again how without God, we as his people can do nothing….Jesus drives this point home to us but do we hear it?….Our Lady tells us this as well at the Wedding Feast of Cana…She tells us - "Do whatever he tells you”…..Yet somehow this message gets disregarded - We choose not to hear it!…..As Catholics we need to stop trying to “re-create the wheel”….Jesus took twelve uneducated fishermen and built a global church……And if we today follow Jesus example - Do we somehow think we will not bear fruit for the Kingdom of God?…..The problem is - Our efforts are “half-hearted” - We lack courage - We try to conform our message to the world by “watering it down”…This needs to stop!…..The Catholic Church is not to be “like the world” - We must mirror the Kingdom of God and invite “the world” to live differently…..As we say when we pray the Our Father Prayer - “Thy Kingdom Come - Thy will be done - On earth as it is in heaven”…..There is nothing “pastoral” about watering down Church teaching!…..It all comes down to this - Do we believe the words of Jesus?…”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”……”We” are not the “vine” - Jesus is the “vine”…..So “do whatever he tells you”………..JMJ

Words always fall short - Actions speak volumes!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading, the Prophet Hosea gives us a small glimpse into just how much God loves us…As a father of five young children, this reading resonated with me deeply….A father will always see his children as innocent….He remembers them as babies…When they were innocent…When he lifted them up to his cheek and felt the warmth of their face…..As life happens and children make choices - Some bad and some good - A father remembers and continues to love…This is the love that is required of us as Catholics for everyone - Even our “enemies” because this is how God loves……”For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same…..Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”……As human beings we can never fully understand just how much God loves us….As parents of children, we get a small “taste” of how God loves - But even as parents - God infinitely loves our children more then we do - Hard to believe but true!…..”Thus says the LORD: When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the farther they went from me, Sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks; Yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer. My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again; For I am God and not man, the Holy One present among you; I will not let the flames consume you”…….The question then becomes - How do we love in this manner?…..To love as God asks us is a supernatural act, which requires supernatural means…Only by purifying our hearts through frequent Sacramental Confession and the frequent reception of the Eucharist will we be able to love in this manner….Its only and until we can “see” our neighbor in a “different light”, seeing him or her as God sees them, as a child, that we can love in this way….But make no mistake - Such love is possible - It is supernatural and God is in the “supernatural business”!

“As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons”

Years ago before I was married I helped teach the Catholic faith to a man who had the AIDS virus…Angel was his name and he was living in a hospice run by Mother Teresa’s sisters in New York City…Angel was a mess!….He fathered numerous children that he abandoned, he had alcohol and drug problems, he had been to jail a number times….Yet, Angel asked to be baptized….The sisters were hesitant at first - Why? - Because Angel’s behavior in the hospice at times was very bad - He was asked to leave a number of times only to return asking for forgiveness - And the sisters always let him back in….In time Angel was indeed baptized and interestingly enough, he then left the hospice for good…Shortly there after, we heard he was found died…..A true story……..God in his mercy never gave up on Angel, and before Angel died, he was baptized…..I often think about this - How Angel clearly lived a horrible life but God did not “write him off” - God waited as the father of the Prodigal son waited by the side of the road - And when Angel was ready to be baptized - God then called him to himself…….Human beings are very quick to “give up” on people - We “write them off” as hopeless…In many ways Angel was that type of person - I am sure many people “wrote him off” - But not God!!……This is how we MUST learn to be - To love and not count the cost - To give people a chance, even those who the world views as hopeless…Its in loving in this manner that we can get a “small glimpse” into how God loves….This is the path to heaven - “Walk it”…When we know we are loved in this way - Unconditionally - Nothing will “get in the way” between God and us…Love changes everything! - So many people today in the world have never experienced this “kind of love”….And when the secular world witnesses love like this from us - Hearts change and so do lives….Just ask my friend Angel

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give”

Today at Mass the Prophet Hosea gives us a glimpse into how God loves us…..If the world only understood this - Everything we do as Catholics must be grounded in charity….If our “works” do not come from a place within us of love - They mean nothing to God!….We can say all the right things - Do all the right things - But if there is no love - They mean NOTHING……To love our neighbor like this requires us first to love God…If we do not love God above all things - There is NO WAY we can love our neighbor as God requires us….We are incapable of such love without God’s assistance….Jesus knew this - That is why he established a Church - That is why he gave us the Sacraments….As Catholics we have EVERYTHING we need to love in the manner God requires us - Frankly, its up to us!…Love is a choice, its not a “feeling” - And we must make “the choice” every day…..Mother Teresa would tell her sisters - “For love to be real, it must hurt, it must cost us”…Are we as Catholics willing to love like this? - To pay that “cost”?….When the world witnesses love like this - “Eyes will open” and so will hearts - Sacrificial love cannot be ignored…And in the end - This is how the “sheep will be separated from the goats” - Some will use the word “love” and treat it simply as a word or a “feeling” - And others will demonstrate what love really is - By giving their lives away for others….As we all know - Sheep and Goats are very different from each other - So is sacrificial love from sentimental love……Words always fall short - Actions speak volumes!…….JMJ

Its all about ”Thy will be done” - Not - My will be done

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus makes a statement which many may “gloss over”…Why? - Because obedience to legitimate authority is something human nature rejects….”Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness”…….Because Jesus rose from the dead and is God, that should logically imply that everything he said must be true - Right?!?…Jesus did not write a book, the Bible was complied by the Catholic Church around 400 AD - Jesus established a Church upon twelve men….And today St Matthew tells us Jesus gave these men authority…Why is that so important?…..Because Jesus is God!….And what these twelve men proclaim to be true - Is true…Again - Why? - Because God gave them authority!….This authority given to the Catholic Church remains to this very day…The Pope is not just some “guy” - He is the Vicar of Christ, which means he is given a special grace….When the Pope makes a proclamation or writes a papal encyclical, the Catholic world should pay very close attention…..While the Pope is subject to sin, like everyone else - God’s grace rest with him in a very special way to guide the Catholic faithful around the world…..For that reason, every Catholic should be obedient to the Pope….Bishops and Cardinals too have authority….That means we owe them respect and obedience as well….There are times (both in the past and in the present) that Bishops and Cardinals have made “questionable statements” - When this happens - We as Catholic can always use the Catechism of the Catholic Church as our guide…The beauty of being Catholic is - Everything is written down!…All we have to do is read the words on the page!.....If a Bishop or a Cardinal does or says a “questionable” thing - Be at peace - God will “right the wrong” in time……In the mean time - Respect legitimate authority and be obedient - And remember this - The collective “we” (You and I) do not establish that authority - God does and so does the Church!

“Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Being that I co-host of a Catholic radio show in the New York City metropolitan area, I am very aware of the many Catholic voices on social media….For a Church that is very clear when it comes to its teachings - Its rather odd that so many people have “problems” with the Church……..While all people are subject to sin - Trust me, I “get it” - If I was to be blunt and honest, many of these ”problems” that people have with the Catholic Church are not “problems” with the Church itself - They are examples of a lack of obedience to legitimate authority…….As a Lay-Catholic, I have NO AUTHORITY…That means if I want to receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, I must “bend my knee” to EVERYTHING the Church professes to be true…..I can not “pick and choose” what to believe…That is why at Mass we profess publicly the Nicene Creed before we receive the Eucharist….In doing so, we publicly profess our obedience to everything the Church teaches…And if we have a “problem” with something the Church proclaims to be true - We should not receive Holy Communion…However, we should continue to go to Mass, pray daily, fast weekly to enable the Holy Spirit to “address” what our “problem” is all about….We can even seek good spiritual direction from a Holy Priest…If we do that, in time, the Holy Spirit will enlighten our minds and hearts - And my bet is - Our “problem” will no longer be a “problem”…….The Catholic Church belongs to Jesus Christ - We are just members of HIS Church - Only Jesus has authority, which he gave to the twelve apostles and is now passed down to the Bishops of today through what is called apostolic succession…Allow me to make it even more clear……God makes the rules - We do not!….Everything is written down very clearly in the Catechism of the Catholic Church - All we have do is follow along - Easy Right?!?….Seems clear to me

“The Kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the Gospel”

Today we are told by Jesus in the Gospel that he gave authority to the early Church…Think about that - God gave the Church his authority!…….Today the world “authority” is a “bad word”…People like to do what they want to do….That is not the path to heaven!….The path to heaven is one of obedience to God and to the one and only Church he founded….That is why the road to heaven is “narrow”….We as Lay-Catholics have NO AUTHORITY - Its our job to be obedient to legitimate authority, which rest in the Church…..Ponder this for a moment - Jesus Christ subjected himself perfectly to St Joseph and Our Lady for thirty years…Jesus was God! - Yet he was obedient to his parents…What should that example tells us?…..What it tells me is - I need to be obedient - I do not “make the rules” - Its my job simply to follow the “rules”…..For those who read this reflection and have a “problem” with what I just wrote…I will leave you with the words of Jesus Christ…..“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”………Jesus came to give us life and give it abundantly - God never takes - He only gives!!!……Authentic Joy and Peace is only found in our obedience…..Its all about ”Thy will be done” - Not - My will be done……..JMJ