”Quo Vadis?" - "Where are you going?”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in St John’s Gospel addresses Peter….This exchange between Jesus and Peter took place after Peter’s betrayal of Christ…As we all know, Peter betrayed Jesus three times, so as fate would have it, Jesus reassures Peter three times by asking him a question…Do you love me?…Jesus knew that Peter loved him but he also understood human weakness…..And this is why we all must stay grafted to Christ Sacramentally - Because that same weakness is in each of us…..We are reminded in Scripture - ”The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”….But back to today’s Gospel - Jesus ends this exchange with Peter with a prediction…He foretells how Peter will give his life for God…..”Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;  but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go”…….As we all know - The night before Jesus was crucified, Peter boldly stated that he would die for Christ, only to fall flat on his face…..”The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”….Sadly, that was not the last time Peter failed - He later attempted to run away from his mission once again, only to encounter Jesus himself on the road to Emmaus as he was running away, who told him he would take his place in Jerusalem and be crucified again - This cut Peter to the heart and he went back!…..How human St Peter is!……St Peter’s story is our story in so many ways…..Failing and getting back up - Failing and getting back you - Failing and getting back up!……….The large majority of Catholics will not be asked to die a physical death for the Gospel but each and every Catholic is asked to die to themself….The only way we can allow God to work in our life is if we make “room for him” and that requires a Catholic to “die to self”….If we do not fully embrace this concept, frankly we are “spinning our wheels”…..And the only way to “give your life away” is to deepen your interior life through daily prayer, fasting and the Sacraments…Such a “life choice” is simply not natural!….And it is only accomplished through Divine grace!…..Jesus addressed Peter when he was running away with these words” - Quo Vadis?" - This is Latin for "Where are you going?”……..He asks us the same question today - "Where are you going?”

“The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you”

Each person in life comes to “A Cross Road” - A time when a HUGE choice is presented to them….That choice then determines a path, which either leads to life or death….When that “choice” is presented to you - Trust me - You will know it!…….Abortion not only kills the life of a child but it also severely damages the life of the woman who has the abortion…All the research points to this reality!……Abortion is the furthest thing from being “pro-woman” - It literally destroys a woman!….Sadly, many of the rabid pro-abortion activists, who are women, are suffering from their abortion - And they channel their pain through “activism”….Many Catholics on the First Friday of the Month pray at Abortion Centers around America….And for those who have experienced this, many women who are about to make “the choice” to terminate the life growing inside of them change their minds at the sight of people praying…..This “life choice” is never regretted - Just ask those who have made it! - But such a “choice” is very difficult to make in the moment……….Like St Peter, we all can fail, in fact, we ALL will fail…But this is why as Catholics, we can always return to the Father, as St Peter did and ask for forgiveness….When we confess our sins to a Priest, not only are we forgiven, but we are given Divine Grace to overcome our sins - And little by little - We grow in holiness and are sanctified.......Becoming “who we were born to be” takes time - A life time! - And for that reason we have to learn from the example of St Peter…..Failing and getting back up - Failing and getting back you - Failing and getting back up!……In life, its not how we start that matters - Its how we finish that counts!….St Peter shows us the way forward……If we pray into the silence before the Blessed Sacrament we will hear the ever present steady voice of God……”Quo Vadis?" - When we hear those words - Its time to “turn around!!!!”……”He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me.”……Just think if St Peter did not listen to that “small voice” - Where would we all be today?

“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us”

Today we hear in the Gospel just how forgiving Jesus is - Peter betrays him and Jesus not only forgives him but builds him up!…This same Jesus is there for us when we fail - So the question is - Do we take advantage of the opportunity?…..I work in New York City and sometimes when I walk the busy streets I think to myself - “How many people are carrying around deep regret?” - “How many people are projecting their internal pain on others?” - “How many people suffer from self inflicted wounds caused by poor choices?”…This reality is not unique to New York City….The only remedy is Sacramental Reconciliation - Time does not heal wounds - It only makes them fester!….How the secular world “rationalizes” this reality away as it drowns in its own pain!….If we only knew how much God loves us! - That we are one Sacramental Confession away from peace - From “a second chance” - From beginning the healing process, which we ALL long for!”……..Just as St Peter tried to run away from his destiny, we are the same….Maybe it’s time to turn around and stop!….And listen to the ever present voice of God……”Quo Vadis?" - "Where are you going?”………….JMJ

Bend your will until it breaks - Thy will be done!

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John makes an appeal for unity…..How can it be that one man, founded one Church and yet the Christian world is so fractured?…Even within the walls of the Catholic Church - Camps have been created…..This is a scandal in the eyes of God - But sadly this should be of no surprise due to our fallen human nature….Never underestimate our need for divine grace and the pull of sin in your life…The devil knows all our weakness and only needs a small opening - Therefore do not give the devil an inch!……Our Christian unity is found in the Pope, who is the Vicar of Christ on the earth…..And in all the teachings of the Church, which are all written down very clearly…..If Jesus is God, which we know he is - And God founded one Church, which we know he did - Then what is the problem?…..The problem is not God or the Church - The problem is within us!…..The closer we grow towards God, the more we will be able to bend our will….Unity within the Church rests with our closeness to the Lord individuality - First and foremost….There is a reason why the first commandment is to Love God above all things…Its because when we get that commandment right - We get the rest of the commandments right….This unity with God comes from Sacramental grace, daily prayer, weekly fasting and living a sacrificial life for others….We must “make room” for grace to enter our life….And when we do - “Getting along” with our neighbors - Bending our will to Church teaching - And adhering to the tenets and rubrics of the Catholic faith will not seem as hard…..Again - The problem is not “the Church” - The problem is us!…..Jesus and his Holy Mother gave us the example of what it means to be obedient…..Obedience is something that many people have a big problem with - “Don’t tell me what to do!” - Why do we have a problem with the Church instructing us when the instruction is in our best interests?…..”If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him”…..We need to trust more and question less…God knows what he is doing and he sees ‘the big picture”….There is one way into heaven and the “sign posts” are clear - Its for us to follow them.

“May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord”

If you read the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church, which I have read (I read it twice)…You will find that the document is very easy to digest…In this book, all the teachings of the Church are communicated very clearly - So what is the problem!!!!…How can we get “it wrong” when what the Church teaches is perfectly articulated?!?….We get it wrong because we do not want to do things “God’s way”…..We still “think” that “our way” is better than God’s way - What a mistake - That was the same mistake of Adam and Eve and how did that work out for them!?!…………I will tell you this - A turning point in your faith journey is when you KNOW that “your way” is NOT the way to heaven - Have we fully digested this idea?…….Answer me this - Why are we not at peace? - Why is our joy fragmented? - The answer to these questions come from our lack of unity with the Lord individually…..The Church is our Mother and a Mother knows the son better then anyone….Once we look at the Church as our mother and view her instruction to us as something that is in our best interests - Our spiritual life will grow in leaps and bounds!…How did I come to this revelation? - I tried things “my way” and failed!….As a result I am fully “on board”….I KNOW God can do more with my life then I can - Are you convinced of this reality? - Because whether you agree or disagree - It is reality!….”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”….Jesus did not say things to hear himself talk! - He told us everything we needed to know - The rest is up to us!

“You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever”

One of the last requests made by Jesus Christ was that all his followers would be of one mind and one heart…..If we arrive safely in heaven, you do realize that no one is going to ask your opinion!….In heaven all people will be of one mind and one heart - So why don’t we embrace this idea here on earth!?! - And the only way we will accomplish that is by bending or will - By making room for Divine grace - And by embracing the virtue of obedience……Our Lady can help us with all of those things……”Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”……Finding our unity with our fellow Christians first begins with finding our unity with God….The problem is not the Church - The problem is within us!…..Bend your will until it breaks - Thy will be done!…………….JMJ

The world is watching!

Today at Holy Mass we are reminded in both readings that Jesus Christ is the Truth…We hear that often but do we take this reality for granted?…..To love Jesus is to love the Truth and if we love the Truth, we must live it!……Easier said than done!…..The world rejects the Truth - Why? - It does not pay!….In order to fully embrace the Truth, Catholics and all people of good will must be willing to pay a cost….Yes - There is a cost to living the Truth and if we want to walk the narrow road to heaven, we must be willing to pay that cost…Let’s not fool ourselves! - There is no heaven without the Cross!…..”I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth”….How can we possibly think that living in this world as a Catholic will be easy….How can we possibly think that we can be both a Catholic and “go along to get along” among “the children of this world”? - Yet we do “think” we can have it both ways - As we say where I from in New Jersey, “we want to have our cake and eat it too”….Let’s face it - We all want to live comfortable lives - But here is “the deal” - We were not created for comfort - We were created for greatness!…..If we fully want to become the people we were born to be - We must rely on Divine grace….No man is an island and the full weight of the world will come down upon us when we embrace the fullness of Truth…This is why St Paul tells us….”Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. 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”…….St Paul understood that the battle was real because he fought it! - And so will we if we engage in the "Zone of Truth" in the public square…And if we attempt to “fight the good fight” - Without Divine Grace - We will most assuredly lose that fight!….St Paul in the first reading today warns his friends……“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God that he acquired with his own Blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them. So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears. And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated”…….To follow Christ is to “be in the fight”…..And as the old saying goes - “The Truth will set you free” - But before it sets you free - You must fight for it!

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

The Catholic Church is universal, which means everyone is invited to Mass…No matter who you are - You do not even have to Catholic to attend Mass - That sounds very inclusive to me - Right? - But here is the “rub” - In order to receive the Blessed Sacrament - A Catholic must be in the state of grace - That means we must confess our sins to a Priest at least once a calendar year and if we fall into mortal sin, we confess that sin before receiving the Blessed Sacrament at Mass….This is not my opinion - This is a perennial Catholic teaching that cannot be changed - Not even by the Pope.

“Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1415)

With that said - Is this teaching of the Church taught with clarity? - A better question may be - Is this teaching put into practice?…..For example - When a Catholic politician is living in objective mortal sin - Is their sin addressed and if it is and the politician obstinately refuses to change their position - Is the Blessed Sacrament withheld from them at Mass?….A teaching is a teaching and if we say we believe that Jesus is fully present - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament - Then we should act like it - Right!……And because we do not always “practice what we preach”, the world does not take the Catholic Church seriously - Face the facts!!! - And if we want to be taken seriously as Catholics, we have to live what we say we believe - Its really that simple - But is it simple?…..In order to live what we believe - We must be grounded in Sacramental grace…..Living “counter” to the world requires super-natural assistance - Daily Prayer, Weekly Fasting and the Sacramentals - There are no two ways about it! - So are we living in this manner?….Are we willing to suffer the cost for speaking and living the Truth? - This is the question - And believe me - The world is watching!.......JMJ

What are you holding back and why are you afraid?

Today at Holy Mass St Paul in the first reading tells us that he knows the end is near….Paul was bold and opened himself up completely to Christ - And look at the outcome!…Do you think that if we did the same we would not experience a different outcome?….We may not be viewed in history as “another St Paul” - But God would surely use us in miraculous ways!….What holds us back? - Why are we so afraid?…..Our life is but a breath - Even if we were to live one hundred years - What is one hundred years compared to eternity?…..The words of St Paul today should be our words……”And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”……We only know what we know but the question is - Is it our primary priority to find the Truth? - Are we searching the truth out relentlessly?…..And when we find it - Do we share it with reckless abandon?…..As a Father of five children - My primary job is to get my wife and children to heaven - To be “the priest” in my household - To pass on the faith to my children - Nothing is more important then that - There is not even a close-second!…And in my efforts, if I do my very best - No matter what the outcome - I too can say the same words that St Paul said…..”For I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”….That is my job in my home as a father and a husband…Its frankly the job of every Baptized Catholic - So the question then becomes - Are we doing our job?

“I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always”

The Church teaches that in order to receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, one must be in the state of grace…This is not my “opinion” - Its a perennial teaching of the Church, which can not be changed…..One of my sons recently received his First Holy Communion and at the Mass the Priest stated to the congregation that if they were not Catholic or were not properly disposed to receive the Blessed Sacrament to approach the altar and receive a Blessing instead….That is all a Priest can do - Speak the Truth - Then its up to us!…We as Catholics cannot be afraid to speak the Truth - To communicate the fullness of of the Truth, which is contained in the Catholic Church to our people - How are people going to know how to live according to God’s will if they are not instructed properly?…..There is nothing “pastoral” about not proclaiming the Truth in all its fullness….Some people may be “put off” when they hear the Truth - But that is not our problem….Our job is simply to “pass on” the Deposit of Faith - We are not hear to “re-define” it or make it more “palatable” by twisting it….No one is serviced when that occurs!…..As St Paul told us today in the Acts of the Apostles at Mass…..”For I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”….Paul went to his death with a clear conscience and that should be our goal as well….As a Father, my job is to make sure my children are raised Catholic, that they know their faith by my example in the home as well as the education I provide for them….A Priest or Bishop has a different role but a similar task - To preach and teach the faith in all its fullness to their congregations - In season and out of season - Come what may!…..Is this happening? - In some cases yes - However, in some cases we lack courage!…..We must listen carefully to the words read to us in the Acts of the Apostles once again - And notice how even in the face of violent opposition, the early Church did not hesitate to be bold…..So take courage! - “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood”……When our earthly life comes to an end let us have no regrets!!! - Let us “run the race” - Let us “fight the good fight” - Let us “keep the faith”

"Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him”

Today once again the saints show us the way…St Paul in the first reading at Mass knew that soon his life would be demanded of him - But that did not slow Paul down! - “I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus. But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me” - St Paul was all in!!!!  - How about us?……What parts of your life have not been “given over” to the Lord?….What are we holding back?…….Another saint points the way forward - St Francis of Assisi once said to his brothers….."Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally”…..This is how we shake the foundations of the world! - That is how St Paul did it as well as St Francis - How about us?…..What are you holding back and why are you afraid?……..JMJ

No need to re-create the wheel

Today at Holy Mass we hear once again from the Acts of the Apostles in the first reading….This book of the bible documents the early Church from its very beginning immediately following the death of Christ - The Church at that time was full of zeal, it was fearless, and bold….This is the model for what the Church should look like - So the question then must be - Is this what we see in the Church today?…..Have we become “measured”, like lawyers, in how we address society?…..Do we preach the fullness of Truth without apologies?….We are told today about St Paul - A man who suffered his fair share of hardships for the faith - And none of what he suffered stopped him!…….”He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God”…..There is a cost to be a disciple - Are we willing to pay it?…Do we prefer to be “comfortable” and “go along to get along” like everyone else in society?….This was not the path of St Paul - Nor was it the path of Jesus Christ……Today in the Gospel, Jesus tells us very clearly……”In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”……Jesus Christ was the greatest revolutionary that has ever walked the face of the earth and to be Catholic today is in many ways to be a revolutionary…We were not Baptized to be like everyone else! - We were grafted into the life of God for a purpose - And that purpose is to work towards building up the Kingdom of God…..The message has not changed - Nor has the method….If we are not living a revolutionary life - Frankly, we are not living the Gospel......It’s not enough to “believe” the Gospel - We must live it and to live it makes us revolutionaries!

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”

Do we “play it safe”?…What do I mean by that? - Are the choices we make as adults made simply to be comfortable and “go along to get along”?…..Nothing about being Catholic can comport with the idea of “playing it safe”!….For example - When a Catholic couple does not use contraception and has numerous children, trusting in God’s providence - Is that couple “playing it safe”?…..The world will not believe what we claim to be true if it does not see what we claim to be true lived out!…..And that requires us to: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch”……I remember the first time I traveled to Kolkata India to serve the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters…I was attending a parish at the time, which frankly lacked apostolic zeal…When I told the pastor I was headed to Kolkata, his face dropped almost in horror!…….Catholics need to stop “buying in” to the lie of the culture - “Have only two children” - “Ticking the Catholic box” on Sunday - “Keeping our head down” - And living like everyone else around us!….Our world today needs radicals! - Yes - Revolutionary Catholics!….Those who fully believe the words of Christ and look to live those words, without apologies, boldly in the public square….Why is that? - Because the secular world in many ways does not take the Catholic Church seriously - We do a lot of “talking” but frankly our actions are in many segments of the Church “lukewarm”……The unbelieving world is not going to be convinced until it sees us practice what we preach - And that requires a radical response to the Gospel…..“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”…Speaking personally, “lukewarm” Catholicism bores me - I am not interested in it - By the way - Nor was Jesus interested in it

“Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?”

Today at Mass once again we hear of the early Church acting boldly….St Paul was not “playing it safe” - How about us?….Do we live our Catholic faith in the public square?…..Do we make life choices through the lens of the Church’s teachings and the Gospel message?….Because if we do - The world will see very clearly what we are all about - No words will be necessary to “explain” that we are Catholic - Our life’s witness will “scream it”…Why is such a witness necessary today? - Because this is the only “message” that frankly resonates in our secular society - Such a life cannot be “dismissed” so easy!…..Its far to easy to talk - Its time to “put up or shut up”…..Jesus gave us the “blueprint” to follow - Just follow it! - Its been proven to work for two thousand years and if we follow it, it will work once again!…..No need to re-create the wheel……….JMJ

Because the best is yet to come!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of John Jesus draws a line between heaven and earth….So the question then must be - Do we draw that same line or are we trying to create heaven on earth?…….“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you”………The closest a Catholic can get to heaven while still living on the earth is going to Mass….Outside of that, as we all know, human nature is fallen and as a result no place or no person is perfect…..Jesus came down from heaven for one purpose - “To take away the sins of the world”….And by actively participating in the one Church he founded, we too will become sanctified over time - Not perfect but sanctified growing closer and closer to God with each passing day….Through daily prayer, weekly fasting, frequent Confession (once a month) and weekly reception of the Blessed Sacrament at the Mass….These practices will not make us perfect, but over time we too will grow close to the Lord and create what is commonly called a “Domestic Church” for our family…..The family home is the supposed to be “the next best thing” to the Mass…It is supposed to be a sanctuary from the world - A place of stability - A place of love…..Is this what we see today?……The family is the seed of every society and nation and in America, the family is severely fractured…Many of our societal problems stem from that fracture…Why did this take place? - Because God has been removed from the family - Marriage is a Sacrament and when it is not lived as one - Selfishness grows within the hearts of the spouses - And selfishness destroys the bond of love…..While no family is perfect, when we make God the center of our family - We create a Domestic Church….But back to the words of Jesus from Mass - Jesus tells us point blank - There will be a big difference between those who embrace the world and those who embrace the things of heaven…..As Catholics, while we must love our neighbors and we live in this world - We cannot live like the world lives!!!!…..Catholics must be different - Are we different?

“I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord. I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice”

In the life of a Catholic, every once in a while we experience what I call a “thin place” - What I mean by that is, the veil between heaven and earth is thin…..We can experience this on a retreat - At Mass - In our home - When we meet with our Catholic friends…..These moments remind us that heaven is close……I have learned as an adult that time is a very precious commodity - There are things I must do to keep my life functioning and in doing those necessities, we will encounter in daily life people who are not “citizens of heaven” - This is reality and reality cannot be avoided…But on “my time”, I want to spend that time with “good people” doing “good things” - I have “no time” for people on “my time” that drain me of my energy…I tell this to my children - Spend your time with good people and avoid people who drain your energy…..By doing this, we create what I call “thin places”….These “thin places” will never mirror heaven perfectly, but they will give us glimpses of what is to come….Is your home a “thin place”? - Do your social circles resemble this idea of a “thin place”?…..As Catholics living in the world, we must be realist - We can not create heaven on earth - never going to happen…But what we can do is - Create a “thin place”….Is this what we are doing? - Or are we like every one else?….Catholics must be “set apart” - We must serve as a “light to the nations” - And light attracts others to it - By our example, many will want to enter into our “thin place”….“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lamp-stand?”……Maybe it’s time to stand out as opposed to standing down! - Create a “thin place” - Start with your home and work outward from there - Socialize in circles where “the veil” between heaven and earth is thin - In doing so, we will experience deeper joy and peace and get a “taste” of what is soon to come - Life is short make it count - In a very real sense, the road to heaven is a foretaste of heaven!

“Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly”

Today at Mass we are today that Jesus called each of us by name - Catholics are “not of this world” we simple live in it - We are a “pilgrim people” on a journey back to our Father - Sounds great - But do we view our life in this manner?…….Years ago, my wife and I were asked to speak to young couples about to get married…I would always begin my presentation with a question - What is the goal of your marriage?….And the couples would just stare at me…..Then I would proceed to tell them what the goal of their marriage should be…..The goal of your marriage should be to get your spouse and children to heaven - That is the number one goal! - Nothing should even be a close second…So allow me to ask the reader of this reflection - What is the goal of your marriage? - And if you are not married - What is the primary goal of your life?…Is it to “get rich” - Or is it to get to heaven?….We all need goals and to achieve our goals we also need a “plan” - Right? - What is your goal and what is your plan?…..Getting into heaven is not a guarantee - We do not just “float into heaven” - I hope we all realize that….So what is the plan? - If we are not interested in the “things and the people of heaven” while we are living on the earth, what makes us think we would even want to be in heaven after we die - Its a valid thought - Think about it……..In the meantime - Create a “thin place” - Taste heaven on earth - Why? - Because the best is yet to come!…….JMJ

“And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Acts of the Apostles about a Catechist whose name was Apollos - The text read to us stated he was gifted, he knew the Scriptures, came from a sophisticated city (Alexandria) and was an eloquent speaker…..Apollos was also humble, even with all his gifts, he subjected himself to those who knew more than him - Why? - Because what he was doing was not “about Apollos” it was about teaching the Deposit of Faith…..”He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately”……And once he was fully formed, Apollos set out!……”After his arrival he gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace. He vigorously refuted the Jews in public, establishing from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus”…The task of a Catechist, both in small and big ways belongs to each and every Catholic…Whether we are teaching our children or we have huge social media audiences….Each of us has a part to play…Catholics are to: “Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And Suffer for the Truth when required…..While it’s important to be properly formed, as Apollos was and that entails a solid Catholic education - But notice what is stated in this passage…….”He gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace”….No matter how educated you are in the faith - No matter how eloquent of a speaker one can be…We will never be able to argue anyone into the doors of the Church……The best way to teach the faith is by example, especially an example of sacrificial living….The hardest of hearts - The most unbelieving of people - Those who are deeply against organized religion - Even “that crowd” - When they see a person fully animated by the Holy Spirit and living a deeply sacrificial life - Something inside of them knows and sees the presence of God…This is how each and every Catholic must witness their faith….And such a witness is within our power  - One does not have to be a scholar to live the will of God and also to live for others sacrificially….In fact, the simplest of people can do this - The question then becomes - Are we WILLING to live in this manner?…..The Church needs gifted catechists, there is no disputing that reality - But more then that - The Catholic Church needs authentic witnesses!!!…..People fully alive and on fire with apostolic zeal……This is how the Catholic Church was built - Upon the shoulders of such individuals.

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete”

The unbelieving world has created a misconception that those who are “religious” are losers…They cannot “make it on their own” so they use religion as a crutch…This is why when a secular person encounters a deeply gifted Catholic, living a sacrificial life - The world takes note!…..Let’s be honest - People do not willing sacrifice for God if they believe it to be a lie - This is the kind of witness that moved me early on in my faith journey when I committed to living as a practicing Catholic…In my twenties, I encountered faithful religious orders: The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal - The Sisters of Life - The Missionaries of Charity….The members of those orders where far from “losers”…In fact, if they choose to live in the world - Many of them would have been extremely successful people….They were highly intelligent - Some even went to elite American Universities…And they lived authentic Catholic lives - Deeply sacrificing for others….Again, speaking personally, this witness really made me think!…..And trust me - It makes others “think” as well….Our world today does not need another “sermon” - It needs witnesses - People deeply committed to God and the Catholic Church - People living their faith in the public square - Living their faith boldly and without apologies!!!……This is how we “make disciples of all nations”…..The task falls to you and me!……When I walk into my parish for Sunday Mass…I sometimes look at the faces of the other parishioners……I am Italian-American and my wife is Haitian-American…We have five bi-racial children under eleven years old….When my family walks in the door of the Church, every eye is on us!….Why? - Because we are special? - NO - Because God is special!….And God transforms regular people into disciples - Allow God to transform YOU and watch how the witness of your life stops traffic!

“All you peoples, clap your hands; shout to God with cries of gladness. For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth”

Today at Mass we hear about the early Church - How it grew and how regular people used their gifts to help it grow…..The same way the Church grew two thousand years ago, is the same way it grows today - By witnesses!……..As Catholics if we believe what we say we believe, we must be willing to live differently - We can not “go along to get along”…The world will never be convinced unless they SEE for themselves the Gospel lived out in real time through our families and individual lives…As Catholics, we have been given everything we need: We have Our Lady - We have the Sacraments - We have the Saints - We have two thousand years of tradition to uses as an example…The question then becomes - Do we utilize what was given to us?…Because if we did - We truly would set the world on fire!….In the world today, believe it or not, there is a great thirst for God - People are searching for God but looking in all the wrong places…Its “our job” to direct them - But how? - By the way we live our life - So live it radically!…..Be Catholic - Be Bold - Be Unapologetic!!!!…..And you will set the world on fire………”He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’…..Our words will fall short if our witness is not rooted in Truth; Love and Sacrifice - That is the “formula” - “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”……………..JMJ