Choose life and be “that light”!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from Sirach that mankind is given a choice - Life or Death - That without our cooperation with God’s grace - Without our firm YES to God…..We shall not be saved….”If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him”….American Christianity and that includes many Catholics believe that getting into heaven is a given….You can live anyway you want, as long as you are what is considered a “good guy” by the standards of the world - If you do that - You get into heaven…That means you are free to disregard God’s laws for the sake of your own desires and still “walk right into the pearl gates”……Today the readings at Mass say otherwise and the Church has never taught such a twisted idea of salvation……What is at the root of mankind’s rebellion?….There are many reasons but one of the driving reasons is - Many believe God’s commands take from us as opposed to give…People believe that somehow they will be “missing out” if they follow God, the Natural Law and his Holy will…..That is a lie told to us by the devil and far too many believe it!…..God only gives, he never takes and God’s commandments keep us safe - Safe from who? - The answer - Safe from our very self!……The peace and joy that comes with living in a state of grace as a Catholic far outweighs anything the world can give us…If we abandon God’s will for the “things of the world”, even if those “things” seem “harmless”, because we turned from God, our choice and whatever comes with that choice materially speaking will become tainted and “something” will seem to be missing - That “something” is the presence of God….We can not get around this reality…..Each of us was made for God - On each of our human cells, written in our DNA is God….And when we turn from him - Something in us breaks…..No material thing can replace this innate desire…..This is why the best choice to be made is the “God Choice”…..And when we make that choice - Our life not only has order to it but peace and joy rest deep without our hearts….”If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides”…….We cannot have both - “The world” and God at the same time - Many tell themselves this lie!…..To think we can is not to think as an adult with a mature faith….Life boils down to choices - Choose well!

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom”

God’s way works - Yet our world today not only does not believe it - But rejects this reality outright…..Let’s look at one aspect of how God’s way works…….Currently the family unit in America is deep fractured…More then half of American marriages end in divorce, which has deeply impacted our society leaving wounded people and children with life long “issues” to resolve……What is at the root of all these divorces? - Well, there are many reasons but one of the driving reasons is God is no longer the center of many American marriage….Vast numbers of people in America do not live their marriages Sacramentally….Some do not even get marriages in Churches…The reality is to have a good marriage, no matter who you are, takes work - But it also takes God grace - That is why marriage is a Sacrament…God understands the difficulties of raising a family - That is why he gives us his grace in the marriage covenant....But our society has rejected this grace…..This is a driving reason why so many marriages end in divorce….Let’s look at some numbers…….Currently 50% of all American marriages end in divorce…If a couple simply goes to Church on Sunday - That number gets cut in half to 25%……And if couples do not use contraception and utilize natural family planning, the divorce rate for those couples is only 3%….This is reality not religious dogma - The numbers do not lie!…Yet society chooses to ignore reality……Without God’s grace in marriage selfish behavior is soon to follow and selfishness is the killer of love…True love gives, it never takes and God helps us to love in a sacrificial way…When a married couple love sacrificially, their marriage thrives!…This is why God must be the center of every marriage…..To ignore reality has consequences.

“Be good to your servant, that I may live and keep your words. Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law”

Today at Mass we are told boldly that we have to cooperate with God if we want to enter into eternal life - Some may rationalize this message away……..or……Flat out ignore it!………But reality is reality……God is not some kind of “ogre” - God gives us his law to not only keep us safe but to allow us to thrive here on earth…..And nothing the world can give us can surpass the peace that God can give us when we live in a state of grace and follow his commandments……Again, the world is not convinced!……This is why Catholics must give a witness to the world….An unbelieving world must “see” what it means to live as an authentic Catholic…..To be open to life in marriages - To be generous - To be kind - To be friendly to all…..Why is this so important? - Because again - “Seeing is believing”…..The secular world does not believe that God’s ways works - This is why we must show them!……Our world today has radically rejected God - American society is reeling - It has become unmoored! - Basic common sense has become lost in a sea of confusion and chaos……What will change this trend?…..The answer - Witnesses!…Catholics must be those witnesses to serve as a reminder that God is real - That God’s way works - That God’a way brings joy and peace…..As many Americans believe - We are not going to “vote our way out” of the current environment we live it…..We cannot legislate morality as some believe we can…Only the witness of a holy people - A people “set apart” will change the minds of a society that has taken the wrong path and has “doubled-down” on that choice……..Only saints change the world…..It’s time Catholics “step up” and start showing the world that we believe what we say we believe….Words will not accomplish this task…….“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”……..History is clear - The witness of Catholicism radically lived out has changed the world time and time again - When nothing else works - When words fail and ideologies fall short - God rises up saints…….”A light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it” - Ever think God is calling you to be that “light”? - Guess what? - He is…..Choose life and be “that light”!………………JMJ

If you can not feed hundred people - Then just feed one

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark that Jesus was a man of compassion…He has “eyes to see” human suffering…The question is - Do we?…….”Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat”….Its very easy to get desensitized to the sufferings of those around us…..So many in our society are “invisible”…They have “fallen through the cracks” of acceptable society and live on the margins….Its very easy to blame them for bad choices made and then disregard them as almost sub-human……Jesus today shows us he understood deeply what it meant to be human and that suffering is apart of the human condition…..While we can no solve the problems of the world, we can “do our part” to bring comfort and assistance to others when we can…As Mother Teresa once said…”If you can not feed one hundred people, feed one”……But before we do, we need to have “eyes to see”…..How do we acquire this kind of sight?……If we can see Jesus in the consecrated host, we will be able to see Jesus in our neighbor, most especially our neighbor in need…..We are given “this kind of sight” only by and through Sacramental grace…..Grace elevates human nature and without it we focus inward upon ourself as opposed to outward towards others…..St John tells us in his Gospel……”If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother”…….Many in our world today do not have “this kind of sight” - They are “blind” to the plight of others….How can this be?…..If we expect God to welcome us into heaven - As many do! - We then must do our part!…..What we do to the least of us, we do to God himself”….This is on the “final exam” and the “measure we measure out to others will be measured back to us”…..Those who have ears - Let them hear

“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God’

There are many people in our world who have not had an authentic encounter with God - Now that does not mean God does not love them, maybe it simply means some people are not looking in the right places…..One way we can have a very real encounter with God is when we serve the poor…….Mother Teresa would say the entire Gospel can be taught on five fingers and in five words: “You - Did - It - To - Me”……….Mother Teresa would also teach her sisters that when we help the poor, we are literally helping Christ himself…….That Jesus is found literally in the poor…..I tell the readers of this reflection this reality because even if you are searching for God and have not found him yet - If you serve the poor with a sincere and open heart, “a bridge” to God opens up, even if you did not intend that “bridge” to be built…..For many years I have served the poor with the Missionaries of Charity all over the world (Haiti; India; New York; San Francisco; Montreal) ….I have seen with my own two eyes secular people, people who were not Catholic, even people who were living objective amoral lives who have sincerely immersed themselves in serving the poor and in doing so make huge strides in “awakening” to the reality of a God that loves them…..Serving others opens our heart - The gift of self to another human being “makes one feel good” for a reason - The reason is, we were born to “give ourself away”, its in our human DNA…..As St Francis rightfully said…”It is in giving that we receive”

“He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied.”

Today we hear at Mass how Jesus himself feed those in need……Do we somehow think we are not “called” to do the same?……Being Catholic is not simply an academic pursuit - While there is so much to learn about the Catholic faith from books  - This is only a one dimensional aspect of what it means to be Catholic…We must put our faith into action!……Its one thing to “know something” and its another thing altogether to “do something”………But before we “do something”, we must acquire “eyes to see”….This begins by living a Sacramental life - Frequent Confession and Frequent reception of the Eucharist….We can not self manufacture “eyes to see” those who live on the margins of our society……Jesus today in St Marks’s Gospel shows us that he had “eyes to see” the suffering of mankind and he did something about it…..We are also told in the Gospel that Jesus was willing to “leave the ninety-nine to help the one who was lost”……How about us?…..Its very comfortable to stay with the “ninety-nine” who “have their life in order”…..And for those who have ventured out to the margins - We know that to “go out” to help the “one” who is lost can be very uncomfortable, it can even be outright dangerous - So hear is the question - Are you still willing to do it?…….Catholics all across the world “tick boxes” - What do I mean by that?……We go to Mass - We say our prayers - We have our personal devotions - And all these things are good…But do we “see” our neighbor in need? - And if we do - What are we doing about it?…….Catholic action “speaks” to the unbelieving world in a way that words never can……..So - If you can not feed hundred people - Then just feed one………………JMJ

Maybe its time to “get out of your own way” - So you can follow “The Way”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus cures a deaf man…..”And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!") And immediately the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly”….Clearing to “see” and “hear” is a gift……But how many today do not “see” and do not “hear”?…..How many “hear” the Gospel Truth and what they “hear” goes in one ear and out the other?…….Even within our Church!…..Think about it - Everything is written down!…..And yet for some - There is confusion - They do not “hear”……How is this so?……In order to hear God, our heart must be made pure…..What we “hear” and “see” depends completely upon the condition of our hearts…….So how do we purify our hearts? - The answer - Frequent Sacramental Confession……This allows us to see and hear the world as it truly is….But how many Catholics make this practice apart of their life?……If we are not going to Confession, we are not benefiting from the reception of the Blessed Sacrament as we should be…However, when we receive the Eucharist in the state of grace at Mass due to the utilization of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the “flood gates” of grace are open…..You would think this would be understood by all - Right?!? - You would think every Catholic would follow this “blue-print”…..But sadly this is not the case - Something is “getting in the way” of us “hearing”…….St John tells us in his Gospel….”My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”……We can not follow Jesus unless we hear him……..In the silence sitting before the Blessed Sacrament, if we are living Sacramentally (frequent Confession and frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament), we will most certainly hear God’s voice and when we do, its then up to us to follow him!

“Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son”

Our Lady tells us when Jesus performed his first miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana - She told us…“Do whatever he tells you”…….Again, in the Catholic Church, everything is written down - So how are we so confused…..Just - “Do whatever he tells us” - Right!?!…Yet somehow we don’t and somehow the words on the page become “blurred”…..This is because of our will - We have not fully bent our knee to God…This is also because of our heart - It is not as pure as it should be……If we “work” on those two realities - Bending our will until it breaks and purifying our hearts - We will surely do as Our Lady tells us - To listen to her son…..All this is dependent upon grace!……Without grace we are lost!…..Jesus tells us - “Without me you can do nothing”…I repeat this statement in my many reflections often because I do not believe people believe it….We are far too dependent upon our self…..We must “put down” self dependence and rely on God - Trusting in is grace…..It’s his grace that allows us to “see” and “hear”….We can not “read” our way to God’s grace - In order to receive it, we must become empty of “self” making “room” for God’s grace……That is how we will “see” and that is how we will “hear”……And once we get to that point - The “following Jesus part” is not far off

"If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, Quickly would I humble their enemies; against their foes I would turn my hand."

Jesus in the Gospel today read to us at Mass performed a physical healing……Many will “hear” this passage read to them and not really “hear” it - What is God telling us in St Mark’s Gospel today? - Maybe he is saying - We too are “deaf” to the words and actions of the Gospel!…..Because if the words do not penetrate our hearts - We simply will not act upon them…..Mother Teresa would always say….”I take Jesus at his word”….Why do you think that was the case? - Clearly we “heard” all the same things as Mother Teresa did - Yet she executed on the words of Christ and most of us do not, at least to the degree we should - What did Mother Teresa have that we do not?……In a word - Grace!…How did Mother Teresa get that grace? - Through daily prayer, fasting and through frequent reception of the Sacraments…Its really that simple - Why do we make it complicated!?! - Why do we make excuses?……Jesus is “The Way” and if we believe that - As we say we do - We must “hear” his voice…Do you “hear” his voice?….Or is that your voice? - Maybe its time to “get out of your own way” - So you can follow “The Way”……………JMJ

“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