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

“On that day you will not question me about anything”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John does not parse words…To live as a Catholic in an unbelieving world is difficult……Do we accept that? - Or do we think we can live like everyone else and still enter the Kingdom of Heaven?…..”Jesus said to his disciples:  "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything”……..American Christianity is sadly a mile wide and an inch thick!…..We sanitize our faith, removing the reality of the Cross….But as all adults know - Reality is Reality!…No Cross - No Crown…..To deceive ourself and think we somehow can part take in the secular world, experiencing all the ideologies and activities, which contradict the laws of God and still “somehow” arrive in heaven is one of the greatest lies ever “pull off” by the devil himself…..To be Catholic is to be different - We are to live in the world but not be of the world….To “think” otherwise is simply an illusion…..In the meantime, feeling the full weight of our Cross, Christ himself gives us his peace and joy…..”For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”…..When we are tempted to live as the world lives we must make a choice - We can not have God and the world at the same time….Its a trade off - But for many who have experienced the “things of the world”, they know that the joys of the world are fleeting and the joy of living in God’s will is deep and lasting…..Again, it’s a trade off - We can not have both!……”I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live”…Choose well - Choose Life!

“Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory”

How does one find a good spouse?….A question asked by many…..God forms us when we are single and living a chaste life….Many people “think” when they get married all of sudden they are going to live a virtuous life…The reality is - We learn to live a virtuous life before we get married…..I married later in life…In college I did not practice my faith and learned the hard way that the world’s way does not work!….From the age of around 27 years old until I was married at 43 years old…I lived a chaste life as a single Catholic man….I made that decision and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life….I was given the grace of chastity as a result of intense fasting, Sacramental living and daily prayer…..And in those many years before I met my wife, which for the record were difficult years, God formed me!….And when I did find the woman I was to marry - I was ready!…..We must be willing to ”pick up our Cross”……………Its under the weight of our Cross that God forms us into the people we are called to be - And that does not happen over night!….That same “process” must be applied as we prepare to stand before God when we die at our individual judgement…The process of sanctification is just that - A life long process! - We as Catholics must learn to “trust the plan” - Doing things God’s way - All day everyday!….And over the course of our life as a Catholic, all the trials, successes, failures, etc…All those events will form us…Again, if we “opt out” of God’s plan, we slow down our sanctification process, we could even cut it off all together!….A very wise Priest once said to me, “Joe, we do not just float into heaven” - Far too many people “think” that but that is a lie from the evil one!…We must be fully sanctified before we stand before the beatific vision and enter into eternal life…..And for most of us - That is a process - Learn to trust the process!

“He brings people under us; nations under our feet. He chooses for us our inheritance, the glory of Jacob, whom he loves”

Today at Mass we are reminded - Life is hard!…..Even when we do “everything right” - Life is still hard…..People have a way of glossing over suffering but suffering is apart of every human life….As my father would always tell me - “Joe - No one goes through this life unscathed”…As Catholics, while we do not look for suffering, when it comes our way, we can use it….We must learn to understand that suffering forms us…The world rejects suffering but only Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church gives meaning to suffering….This is why to be Catholic is the most realistic thing you can do - Why? - Because no matter who you are - You will experience suffering and being Catholic helps you to navigate that suffering in a way that no other religion or worldly ideology can……The path to heaven is narrow and to walk that path requires us to bear the full weight of the Cross…And as we walk under our Cross, God teaches us to be like his son - He also gives us the grace to carry what is asked of us to carry……”No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it”……So let us not “sugarcoat” our Catholic faith….Let us bear our share of hardships and trials…Because on the day of our judgement - And God willing we all enter into eternal life - “On that day you will not question me about anything”………JMJ

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

Today the Universal Church commemorates the Feast of the Ascension - The day our Lord ascend into heaven - A new chapter is about to begin guided by the Holy Spirit…….”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”……Everything we do must be grounded in the Holy Spirit….That means we are merely vessels….Our job is not to formulate what we are to do - Our job is to empty ourself to make room for God…The more we empty ourself, the more the Holy Spirit has room within us to work…..Remember these words from John the Baptist - They are instructing us to this very day - “I must decrease and he must increase”….What was John talking about? - We can do nothing that will last with the assistance of the Holy Spirit - This is why all our “great ideas” when they deviate from God’s will and Church teaching never bear fruit that lasts….Are you convinced of that reality?…..Many will say they are - But actions speak louder than words….Our “power” as a Catholic rests in God’s will alone - It does not matter how smart you are - How gifted you are….All our natural gifts in time turn to dust…But if we ground our life in the Holy Spirit - Making room for the Spirit to animate our life - The witness of our life will stop traffic!…..”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”……..Notice the words Jesus chose - ”Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”……What we are to teach does not come from us - It comes from God himself…The Deposit of Faith does not belong to anyone person - Not even the Pope - We are simply to pass it on….And when we “adhere to the vine”, knowing we are merely a “branch” of that “vine”…Jesus tells us - We will “bear fruit”…..That all begins with us following the instructions of John the Baptist….“I must decrease and he must increase”…Once we are empty - We will be given what we are to do and also given the “power” to get it done!

“They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven”

Now that Jesus has ascended to heaven - How does a group of twelve uneducated fishermen start a global Church? - Have you ever “stepped back” and thought about that?…..If you were starting a goal enterprise - What kind of men would you choose to lead it?….Would they come from the best Universities? - Would they be brilliant orators? - Would they have the best resumes? - These were not the kind of men Jesus picked and yet today the Catholic Church is all over the world….Again, “step back” and think about that reality - How did that happen?!!?…..It happened because the Catholic Church is divinely guided and protected….There is no other way to look at it…There is no other way the Catholic Church would have survived two thousand years….The secular world forgets what I just stated and for the most part would not agree with my claim - A HUGE mistake!….The Holy Spirit animates that Catholic Church….Our job as Catholics is not to “re-create the wheel”…Our job is merely to “adhere to the vine”…..And when we do, even if we are like those twelve uneducated fisherman, God will accomplish amazing things through us….The power of the Holy Spirit manifests itself to this very day…We see it in new religious orders being formed - We see it in new Catholic Colleges being founded - We see it in the rise of young men entering the Church in America and in France in record numbers…..The Holy Spirit can not be extinguished…Its like the wind - Again, our job is simply to harness “the wind”, like a sail on a boat and allow “the wind” to move us….And it will move us! - If we allow it too!

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”

Today on the Feast of the Ascension, the Universal Church reminds us - Jesus did not leave us orphans - He is still with us…As we know, he is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament in the Mass - But he is also fully present in the Holy Spirit…..Every Catholic at their Baptism receives the gift of the Holy Spirit - We are also given that gift when we are Confirmed….When we were Confirmed by a Bishop of the Church - These are the words said to us - “"Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit”…..That means we are “fully armed” to become “Soldiers of Christ”…This idea that we are “soldiers” is not used anymore in many segments of the Church - Catholic tradition refers to the faithful on earth as "Church Militant” - Those who are engaged in a spiritual battle with the forces of evil…To pretend that evil does not exist and that we are not to battle against it as Catholics is a false narrative that needs to be refuted….Evil and the powers of the world, the flesh and the devil are all around us - But we are not to fear - We have been ‘fully armed” with the Holy Spirit…“Why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven” - Its time to get to work! - The battle wages on!……”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”…………….JMJ

Are you interested in the Truth?

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John tells his disciples that he will lead them to the Truth - In fact, the exact words he used were - “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth”…….That is a very strong statement considering people today believe the truth is relative - You have “Your truth” and I have “My truth”…Jesus today tells us something all together different….The Truth of God is absolute - It can not change - Yet how many people, societies, empires and power-brokers try to do the impossible - Change the Truth - And each time history shows us, they all fail….Because Jesus founded one Church and the Church is divinely inspired, it contains the fullness of Truth…Any person with an honest and objective heart, who searches for the Truth relentlessly will always end up in the same place - The Catholic Church……Many in the Christian world today try to separate Jesus from the Church - This too is impossible!…Jesus is the head and the Church is his body….And to be Catholic is to embrace the Church in all its teachings…One can not live Sacramentally and “pick and choose” what “works” for you when viewing your Catholic faith…And we need to live Sacramentally because we need grace to live as Christ requires us….Without Sacramental grace, there is NO WAY we can live the Truth…Why? - Because of our fallen nature…..Do you believe the Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth?…That is the question to ponder today…..Jesus today tells us that the Holy Spirit will lead us to “all truth” - What do you think he was talking about when making that statement?…….Remember - Jesus himself said - I AM THE TRUTH….And anyone who follows Christ with an open heart will indeed find the Truth…And in turn become Catholic

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

Is our Catholic faith something that is understood by a select few? - Absolutely not!…Being Catholic is actually very simple - We make it complicated…The Truth contained in the Catholic church is all written down - All we have to do is read it…Not to mention, Jesus gave us a Church, which gives us the Sacraments, which enables us to receive grace to live that same Truth - Simple! - Right?…..Over the course of two thousand years Popes have made statements, which at the time were rejected, but in time were to be proven true…….One of those statements was made by Pope Paul VI in 1968 contained in his encyclical Humanae Vitae…In the document Pope Paul stated that contraception was not to be used by Catholic married couples…He also told us what would happen if married couples used contraception…This is what he predicted…..

“A general degradation of sexual morality and an increase in marital infidelity - The loss of respect for their wives as persons on the part of their husbands, and of women in general on the part of men - The decision of some governments to impose population control through contraception, sterilization or abortion on their own people - The tendency of man to wrongly think that he should have an absolute dominion over his (or her) own body, including his procreative powers or those of others”

Sixty years have come and gone since Pope Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae - So I will ask the question - Was his prediction accurate?…..The Catholic Church contains the fulness of Truth…Each and every person was created to live in the Truth and when we reject Truth, with full knowledge and consent, something inside of us breaks…This is what we see all around us in the world today….Our world has rejected Truth and in rejecting Truth - They reject God…And with that rejection - Society breaks down……But let’s get back to the issue contraception…When Pope Paul VI made these statements about contraception, the world went crazy!…Even members of the clergy - In fact, the Canadian Bishops at the time issued a statement in 1968 called The Winnipeg Statement, which rejected the Popes claim siting this idea of Primacy of Conscience, which states that Catholics when it comes to making choices to use contraception do not have to be guided by the Church, they can use their own conscience - But what if their conscience is not fully formed?….So let me ask the question again…Who was right sixty years later? - Pope Paul VI or the Canadian Bishops?……The consequences of using contraception were told to us by the Pope before they took place, almost to the letter…Does that come as a shock? - It shouldn’t - Know why? - The Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth…And the Truth will set you free.

"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus tells us about a word that is debated to this very day - Truth….Ask your self the question - What is the debate all about?…Is it really about the Truth? - Or is it about our rejection of the Truth and people coming up with excuse after excuse as to why they have “better ideas” then God…The famous English intellectual, G.K. Chesterton weighed in on this subject……“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried”……To live the Truth contained in the Gospel and taught by the Catholic Church is IMPOSSIBLE to follow without the assistance of grace…How do we get that grace? - By living Sacramentally, through daily prayer and weekly fasting - When we make those practices apart of our life - We will find that what seemed impossible becomes possible - We will also experience the meaning of what true freedom is - Sin is slavery and only the Truth can set us free……When confronted with the Truth , Pontius Pilate famously asked Jesus  - “What is Truth?”…..And when Jesus rose from the dead, Pilate got his answer….”I am the Way - The Truth - And the Life”……The fullness of Truth is contained in the Catholic Church and to be Catholic is to experience freedom…..We are each called as Catholic to: Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth and And when necessary, suffer for the Truth………..The Truth is not an “idea” - It is a person and only that person can make you free......Are you interested in the Truth?………JMJ