You are God - I am not - Do with me what you will

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark we hear how Jesus was back in his home town and his own people, the people he grew up with, rejected him…”They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him?  What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!  Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?  And are not his sisters here with us?”  And they took offense at him”……..Think about it for a moment, God incarnate was standing before them, and they out right rejected him!……Human beings, due to their pride, will do this to this very day! - As we say in New Jersey - They cut off their nose to spite their own face!…..They reject the good for the bad, even when it is not in their favor to do so, and sometimes this is done with intention!……..All because of pride…..The words of the devil ring loud and clear to this very day - “I will not serve”……The opposite of pride is humility….Humility is the foundational virtue of all the virtues…Without humility, we can not accept the Lord or what he has to say to us…Humility is also Truth - It acknowledges reality - We are the creatures and God is the creator…God makes the rules and we must obey those rules……Why? - Because “the rules”were created for our benefit, so we can thrive and live life to the fullest - But the world does not see it that way…..”Don’t tell me what to do”……..The secular world would rather double and triple down on bad choices rather then bend a knee to God…..We see this all around us…..Even within the Church……We don’t have too understand everything - Even Our Lady, who was perfect did not understand everything - But we have to obey as Mary did…..Listening to God and following his commands is paramount to the Christian life…..If we want to “bear fruit”, we must stay connect to “the vine”…Jesus himself tells us this…That also means staying connected to the Church, which is an extension of Jesus himself…..Circling back to the Gospel of St Mark today at Mass - We are told that Jesus was shocked at the reaction of his friends and neighbors……”He was amazed at their lack of faith”……..And as a result, he could not help them…Why? - Jesus is not a magician here to perform “tricks” for us…Jesus cares about one thing and one thing only - Our salvation…And for us to be saved from our sins, we must allow the “seed of faith”, which was implanted in us at our baptism to grow……Its up to us to nurture that “seed”….And if we do - It will “bear fruit” that will last….This requires us to foster a spirt of humility - “You are God and I am not”…..”Its all about your way and not my way”…This is how we “see”  and “hear”……And this is how we enter into eternal life…..Jesus is the way - We are not - Follow him!

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

When a Catholic man and woman get married, we make a vow before God - One of those vows is to be “fruitful” - To be open to life - That means we will not use contraception in the married state and will be open to as many children as God in his providence will give us……To a secular person, this is a completely crazy idea…..To accept this teaching as a Catholic is to submit your will to God’s will….And that is the key - To allow God to “drive the car” - To give God control…..The purpose of every Catholic person’s life should be to completely die to ourselves……..In the married state, we do that by giving “ourself away” to our spouse and children…Again, a foreign concept to the secular world…..To live in this manner, one must be humble……One must be obedient…..And one must trust that God will provide…Think about the Gospel today from St Mark once again…The people who grew up with Jesus, who knew him their enter life would not accept him….Even after hearing about all his miracles….Are we any different today?…If we read about the lives of the saints….If we read about how the perennial teachings of the Church work in real time and have have worked for centuries! - That includes not using contraception in the married state……When we read about the many miracles performed but the saints….The many Marian apparitions that took place around the world……Yet - We still do not believe! - We still reject what the Catholic Church teaches us to be true……Are we any different then the people in the Gospel today?….God has given us all the evidence we need - Now its up to us….We either believe or not…..To have faith and to allow it to grow comes down to embracing the virtue of humility…….We do not have to understand everything but we are called to believe everything - Why is that? - Because God can do anything and if we graft our life into his body, which is the Church - We too will do the impossible…..Why? - Because our God is the God of the impossible - He rose from the dead!

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,” and you took away the guilt of my sin”

Today at Mass we hear about a group of people who reject Jesus - Keep in mind, many of these people knew Jesus very well - And they still rejected him…..When you step back the think about it - Catholics have been given the most gifts - We have Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and we also are given the opportunity to confess our sins Sacramentally to a Priest…We also have Our Lady……Yet……..Many Catholics still reject these gifts and reject many teaching of the Church and believe only what “works” in their life….This attitude needs to end - It all comes down to humility….Submitting our will to God’s will…..The people in St Mark’s Gospel were full of pride…They refused to acknowledge Jesus as being who he was, which was God incarnate……..How about us?…..Are we willing to do what the world considers to be “strange”?….To live differently?…….Like the marriage couple who is open to life - Just to give one example…Its our choices that say to the world everything - Not our words…We either believe Jesus is God and rose from the dead or we do not…We believe Jesus founded one Church - The Catholic Church - Or we do not believe this - Let’s get right down to it plainly and clearly!….…Our life’s choices tell the world everything it needs to know……This is why Jesus tells us in the pages of Scripture…….“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’…….Our life must speak of Jesus Christ crucified - This begins with a humble proclamation…….You are God - I am not - Do with me what you will………………..JMJ

”Your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Mark we hear the story about how Jesus cures a woman of internal bleeding…St Mark tells us that the woman suffered for twelve years and spent all her money on doctors and nothing changed, she still was very sick…So in desperation, she reached a hand to Christ…And she was healed…..”She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured. "Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?" And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”…………This story is very common to this very day…Many people carry around sins that trouble them for years - They try everything to make themselves feel better…Only to continue to be weighed down…..Most times, its not until a person “hits rock bottom” and comes to the end of themself that they turn to God - Just like this woman in St Mark’s story told to us at Mass….And its then that they find mercy and healing……How many Baptized Catholics today live with objective mortal sin on their soul?…How many Baptized Catholics have not been to a Sacramental Confession in many years?…..Sin takes away our joy - Sin blinds us - Sin darkens our intellect!……And the only cure is Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of Reconciliation…..If we look around the world we live in - You will see so many people reeling from the effects of unreconciled sin - They project their pain on others - They distract themselves with all kinds of pursuits - When the only answer is Jesus and a Sacramental Confession….Like the woman we heard about today at Mass - She came to the end of herself - She tried everything to cure her sickness - But it was only until she reached a hand to Christ that she was healed - And so it is for the world today…..So many of the problems we face as individuals and as a society can be resolved with one Sacramental Confession....…..”He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”…….These same words are said each and every day in Catholic Churches around the world - But before we can experience a similar healing……..There are words we must say…....”Bless me Father for I have sinned” - The conversation begins from that point forward…..There are no substitutes for the one and only cure!

“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases”

The saints tell us to go to a Sacramental Confession once a month…..If every Baptized Catholics did three things - Our world would change literally tomorrow!….Pray the Rosary everyday - Go to Confession once a month - Go to Mass and receive the Blessed Sacrament each week in the state of grace….BOOM! - Like a thunderbolt, the world would change tomorrow - So why is this not happening?…….The word “freedom” gets thrown around a lot by many but do we really know what it means to be free?……Only God can give us freedom - Why is that? - Because the human condition is plagued by sin - Each of us sin - And only God can forgive sins…..This is why Jesus Christ walked the earth and established a Church……And when as a Catholic live in a state of grace - You are free!…..Our world today, the rich and the poor alike wear all kinds of “masks” to cover up who we truly are...…We try to “fit in” to a world that ultimately does not care about us…..This is not freedom, in fact it’s slavery!…..Jesus Christ takes nothing from us - He only gives…But sadly the world does not believe this….This is why Catholics must show people the way forward…..Trust me - When a person who is authentically free encounters you - You remember it!…..Our world today needs Catholic witnesses….The world needs to “see” for itself what it means to be truly free…..This kind of freedom can only be experienced Sacramentally….And no one will believe you if you yourself do not demonstrate this freedom to others by your very presence………..When you tell people that you are a practicing Catholic - People watch you very closely - Trust me when I tell you this - So this is what I say - Let them see! - Show them by your life what it means to be free!

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul”

Today St Mark tells us at Mass a story of a woman who was sick for years…..Ask yourself this - What took her so long to go to God?….In the Gospel we hear this woman was sick for twelve years and spent all her money searching for a cure - Only to find a cure by simply touching the cloak of Jesus Christ………As it was for this woman, so it is to this very day - One Sacramental Confession can “cure” a lifetime of sins that weigh us down!……One simple conversation with a Catholic Priest, a conversation that literally costs us nothing can bring a complete and total change to our life - So the question then must be - Why do we not give this a try?……Why keep “putting off” what must be done?……Why keep searching for “cures” only to find “dead ends”?……..Why double and triple down on bad choices thinking somehow a different result will come about?…….This is what we see all around us today…….Our world “puts off” the only cure to its problems - That cure is Jesus Christ - One Sacramental Confession!….…A fifteen minute conversation with a Catholic Priest can bring about deep and lasting peace - And “spark” a change to your life and usher in a new beginning!…Why not take advantage of this gift?….…Because it is a gift……And then like the sick woman in the Gospel today we too will hear the words we have waited to hear for many years, for some, have waited a lifetime to hear…......”Your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”………..JMJ

What we will become has not yet been revealed

Today the Universal Church commemorates the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple…For those who pray the Rosary daily, this is an event we are very familiar with….While the Gospel passage at Mass today from St Luke recalls Joseph and Mary going to the temple in obedience to present their son…I would like to reflect instead upon the first reading from Malachi…..In this reading we are told that…….”Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD. Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years gone by”……..In this reading, Malachi tells us the Lord is coming but interestingly enough, Malachi warns us…..”But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears?”……There is an implication in this statement that not only is no one worthy to stand before the Lord but will anyone have the stamina to endure the trials and tribulations before the Lord comes again - This is a daunting thought!…And after pondering this statement, I can only conclude that without grace, there is no way we will make it!……The Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross payed a heavy price for the sins committed by mankind…..But as far as our individual earthly journey back to God goes - Without God’s grace, its far to easy to “give up”….The decision to persevere must go beyond our feelings…We must grope many times in the dark as if we are blind, trusting beyond what we feel that God is at work, both in our life and in the Church……We should not be focused on outcomes we what to see or do not see…We each have a part to play in God’s plan of salvation - Just do your small part! ………What else does Malachi tell us?….He tells us that God is purifying his Church - “He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, Refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD”….Again, many Catholics want to see the outcome of that purification process in the here and now - That is not how it works - God’s timing is not our timing…We must be patient and endure…..Trusting that God is at work, not only in the Church but in us……All good things take time….Place your hand into the hand of God and do not look back…Stop trying to “control” outcomes…God is the only one in control - Allow him to work and simply just do your small part.

“A light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel”

When one looks back on their life honestly, more times than not, one will see how their views have changed…….People change in time because of what they have experienced and also by what they have suffered…..God works in each soul this way….Patiently “refining and purifying” them…..This is why we must pray to have a teachable spirit………A heart that allows God to prove us wrong!…..Do we listen to people who disagree with us?......In life there are no coincidences - God is at work! - But while he is at work, we must be open to him….Allowing him to form us…..Why?….Because nothing unclean enters heaven - And God wants us in heaven…..Most people assume we just stroll right into the gates of heaven - That is not how it works - And while we may not know that or for that matter accept that reality - God is at work in each of us because he loves us beyond all telling - As Malachi tells us in the first reading today at Mass - God is “refining and purifying” us…..Sometimes I say to myself - “Why” - I question what God is doing - Or - I assume “I get it” just because I am a practicing Catholic - But do I “get it”?!?………”I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus”……The “refining and purifying” process continues - Trust the process

“Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested”

Today the Universal Church tells us about the Holy Family, how they went to the Temple like everyone else and presented their son in obedience……Just as Joseph and Mary were obedient to God, so must we be obedient and not assume we “get it”…..Mary of all people could have refused to participate in this Jewish Presentation ritual - Why? - Because Mary was the only one who “got it”!…Yet that is not what she did…..The sanctification process for both us individually and the Church is long and twisting endeavor…..We are not the people we were born to be - Yet! - Nor is the Church for that matter!…This is why we must trust the process and allow God to work….We must be open to the Holy Spirit, not to “hold on too tightly” to “our” plans but instead be open to what God “throws at us”…..In all things and through the journey of life God is working……He is “refining and purifying”……In the mean time, we must persevere and trust…..…..What we will become has not yet been revealed……..JMJ

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus gives us the Beatitudes…..These teachings are the “blue print” into heaven….”He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven”……If asked the question - “Do you want to go to heaven?”  - Most people would answer “YES” - But if asked do you want to be meek, a peacemaker, merciful, clean of heart, mourn, be poor in spirit - Somehow I do not think we would all be saying YES to those requests - This is a problem because in this teaching Jesus is telling us that we can not create heaven on earth or get to heaven on our terms - He is also telling us that if you follow Christ, you most assuredly will have “trouble” in this world and when that trouble comes - Rejoice! - Because “your reward will be great in heaven” - Notice Jesus did not say your reward would be given to you here on earth…..Sadly, many American Christians want it both ways, whether we admit it or not - But that is not the way it works…..The “ways of the world” and the “ways of heaven” are in conflict, they always have been and always will be…We must accept that reality and when we accept that reality, we must make a choice…And if you choose God and the path of the Beatitudes - While we will be given peace that the world can not give, we also will suffer….Again, this is reality - Jesus says so - This is the way of the Cross - The only way to heaven……….And if we want to be authentic followers of Jesus Christ, we must accept this reality - Why? - Because it is reality!

“Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven”

When I read the list of the Beatitudes, the one teachings that troubles me the most is being meek - I need to work on that virtue more…To be meek is to trust in God more then yourself…To accept whatever God gives to you - Both the good and the bad - And be at peace with it knowing that God loves us and knows what he is doing…..I struggle with this virtue because I rail against “the bad” - I rant and scream - I complain!….These are not qualities of being meek and because of that, I need to work on this virtue…How about you? - Is there a virtue contained in the Beatitudes that you have to work on?…..This is important because the Beatitudes are a fundamental teaching for a Catholic - This is how our life on earth will bear the most fruit and this is how we will arrive safely in heaven…..Circling back to....…”Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land”……One of Mother Teresa’s sisters once told me - “Joe - Everything comes from the hand of God” - That means when something does not go our way - God allowed that “bad thing” to happen for the betterment of our soul…When this happens - Do we accept it?……I am learning through God’s grace to accept those situations…..Think for a moment of Our Lady….How a “sword” pierced her heart - Our Lady had to accept the brutal murder of her son - Just because she was born Immaculate and never committed a sin does not mean that was an easy thing to accept - But she did accept it - Not only that, she stood silently at the foot of the Cross….This image of Our Lady for me epitomizes what is means to be meek…..Mary did not complain - She accepted everything….This is what I try to do and only by God’s grace will I achieve it…To be meek and accept everything from the hand of God - Both the good and the bad….Each of us is a “work in progress” - This is why we must through God’s grace put what we hear in the Gospel into practice - In doing so we give God permission to transform us into the people we were born to be - A holy people who will one day - “Inherit the land”!

“God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.”

Today at Mass we hear a message, which can easily be disregarded or dare I say ignored - Jesus is telling us as Catholics that we must live differently…….To be meek - To be humble - To be a peacemaker - These are not qualities that are praised around conference room tables in the halls of the powerful of this world…And this is why today we must make a choice - Again - We can not have it both ways….If we choose “the ways of the world” - Know this - We will be living in a way that conflicts with the Beatitudes, which is the “blue print” to heaven……..Far too many American Christians “think” we can have it both ways - That is a fantasy! - A false gospel!……To be a person of the Beatitudes, one must live differently - As Catholics we must strive to be salt and light to a dark and wounded world….To be in the world and not of the world…..By doing so, we will understand what it means to “rejoice and be glad”…To the world however, the sight of a person living the Beatitudes is a fools errand - And if you choose this path - You surely will be misunderstood…….Again - “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven”……..JMJ

”Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first readings how David after committing the sins of adultery and murder did not comprehend that he had sinned…….He was “blind”…So the Lord sent Nathan who brought the sins before him…….And to David’s credit, his “eyes opened” and he acknowledge his sin…….David’s situation is not unique….Just turn on the news today…..Our culture has mainstreamed mortal sin….We as a people do not even “blink” at sins that are an absolute abomination to God - (Abortion; Same Sex Marriage; Usury, to name a few)…..We are completely blind to these practices just as David was blind…..So the question is - How does our culture once again “see”?……Far too many people believe that our problems today are political - That if we somehow vote the right person into office, that person will “fix” everything….That will never happen - Why? - Because our society is deeply ill and as a result of its illness - Completely blind!…….“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”…..Before we “vote” our way out of this problem, we have to get back to our moral footing……A house cannot be built upon sand, it requires a firm foundation - And that is exactly what we are lacking today - A firm foundation - Our society is unmoored, like a boat without oars being tossed about in the sea…..So how do we see again? - How do we regain our health?……The only answer is Jesus Christ - Sin is a plague and all of mankind is effected by this virus - The tendency to sin…Sin blinds us and dims our intellect…….This is what happened to King David and this is what is happening today right before our very eyes…Our culture can not see!…..The only solution is to return back to the Sacraments…One Sacramental Confession will take from us the burden of sin - Nothing else can do it!….Once we are free from this burden, then we can participate in the Mass fully by receiving the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace…Only then will our people “see” - Until then, we will be blind and what is evil in the sight of God will be acceptable to us…..King David was blind but through God’s grace his eyes were open to his sin and when he regained his sight - David repented….This is what needs to happen today……….John the Baptist got it right! - ”Repent - And Believe in the Gospel”….”Voting harder” is not going to “get it done!

“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life”

When I was in my late twenties I remember going to confession and the priest was trying to get me to acknowledge a sin I committed against chastity….The priest was doing his best to bring this sin before my eyes but I would not “hear” it…I was actually arguing with the priest in the confessional - I was convinced of my innocence and thought I was completely justified in my actions…Looking back I clearly see now that I was wrong…I share that story because the story of King David today is very common…Many people are very sincere in their actions, but sadly are sincerely wrong….This is why the Church must be clear in its communication of the Truth…Our people will not know what the Truth is, if the teachings of the Church are not communicated clearly in the home, from our schools and from the pulpit on Sunday…And once the Truth is communicated, then we must rely of God’s grace to put the Truth into action…..Without God’s grace words will never convince us or for that matter make us do what is required of us as Catholics…We must graft our life into the life of the Holy Spirit…We do this by living Sacramentally, through daily prayer and weekly fasting…..If you think you are going to simply read the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and then put those teaching into practice without Sacramental grace - You are on a fools errand - That is never going to happen………But before we get to the point of action - Our eyes must be opened - As King David’s eyes were made to open….As a write this reflection, the conversion of St Paul comes to mind - St Paul was utterly convinced that persecuting the first Christians was the right thing to do - He was completely sincere in his actions - But as we know - He was sincerely wrong!…God had to “knock him off his horse” for Paul to “see”…..And when that happened - The rest is history…….”Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do”…….Jesus to this very day “gives sight to the blind” in more ways then one…….And just as the scales fell from the eyes of St Paul - So too must the scales fall from our eyes…..So we can see and once we “see”, we can then act accordingly.

“Create a clean heart in me, O God. A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me”

Today at Holy Mass we hear how David was blind to his sins - And how God sent Nathan to confront him and bring his sins before his eyes……Today is this “confrontation” of speaking the Truth directly to the sins of society happening? - When society sins mortally, is the Church “calling out” the sin? - Are we doing this in our homes, in our families and from the pulpits of our Churches?…Nathan had the courage to confront King David, who was a very powerful man - He told David what he did wrong…So the question becomes - Are we doing that today?……..Or……Have we conformed to the ways of the world, justifying objective mortal sin as something that is common place?……Catholics must not be afraid to “call out” sin for what it is…….The Church is not to conform to the world’s standards but instead is meant to raise the standards of the world to God’s standards....…That begins with words and it ends with grace, which in turn leads to Catholic action………Let us not be afraid!……Then and only then will the “eyes of the blind be open, the deaf will hear and the lame will walk”….…….”Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do”………JMJ

Jesus gave us the Sacraments for a reason - And the reason is - We need them!

Today in the first readings from Mass we hear how King David falls into sin…He has sexual relations with a married woman………”One evening David rose from his siesta and strolled about on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he had relations with her”…Now keep this in mind - King David was a chosen person - God said that David was “A Man After My Own Heart" - And David still committed this mortal sin…Not only did he commit adultery but he had the husband of Bathsheba killed as well…..How could such a man like David do this!?!…….Before we condemn David, we should keep in mind that all human beings have a fallen nature and if you think that somehow you are not capable of sinning as David did - Think again!……For this very reason, Jesus walked the earth - To take away our sins…But how?…..Jesus gave us a Church and in the Church we can take advantage of the Sacraments, which elevate our human nature…This reality is ignored by so many in the world - Even Protestants ignore it…The Sacraments are “the medicine” for mankind’s fallen nature….Frequent Confession and Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacraments provide us with grace…And its this grace that keep us from destroying our life by chasing after the sins of the world…Never take for granted the grace given to us from the Sacraments - Never take for granted the reality that YOU AND I are sinners and without grace we would be completely lost!…I state this because it’s very easy to “forget” - And the devil knows this!…..Jesus tells us in Scripture - “Without me, you can do nothing”…..Do you believe that? - If not you should….Just ask King David - I am sure he would tell you the same thing as Jesus did - “Without me, you can do nothing”!

“Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.”

Today in America more the fifty percent of marriages end in divorce…Why do you think that is the case?…..For one, most people do not know what love is - Love is more than a “feeling” - Its a decision….Its a commitment to die to your self for another completely……And in order to live that way, we need God’s grace…..This is the driving mistake today in most American marriages - We do not live our married vows Sacramentally!….Jesus created a Church, which makes available to us seven Sacraments…Marriage is a Sacrament because in order to have a good marriage, one needs God’s grace - Don’t believe me? - Just look at the divorce numbers in America and think again!…..When a man and a woman live their marriage in accordance to the vows they professed at the altar - When they attended Mass each Sunday together - When they are open to life - And make sure they stay in the state of grace by frequently going to confession…The couple is given the “tools” to love the way God calls them to love - To love Sacrificially - Without God’s grace - That is NEVER going to happen!……By nature human beings are selfish and over time and with God’s grace, we learn to become selfless - In essence we learn to love as God loves…..The greatest killer of marriage and of love is selfishness…..One can not love when one is selfish…..Because love gives completely, it never takes.

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

Today we hear at Mass about a great fall from grace - How King David sins mortally…..This story should serve as a reminder to us all…Never underestimate the devil - “Who roams the earth like a lion seeking the ruin of souls”….For this very reason we should also cleave to Christ through his Church…..St Paul tells us……”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. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”…….Jesus Christ defeated death and came among us for the forgiveness of sins….We can not “save” our self….We must cooperate with God…..To live outside the Sacraments is a fools errand…Jesus gave us the Sacraments for a reason - And the reason is - We need them!……………………..JMJ

”The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St Mark tells disciples …..“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? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;  nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear”…That means God knows everything - We can not keep anything from him - He sees everything! - That means everything we think, say, thought and did in our life will be brought to light one day……To some degree, we see that lived out in daily life in the here and now…......”We reap what we sow”…..If we sow “the good” consistently, in time our life produces good fruit…And for those who sow “the bad”, in time their life produces bad fruit…..Ultimately we get away with nothing! - Yet mankind lives under the fallacy that they can “get away” with living and doing things that violate both the Natural Law and God’s Holy will……..Consequences are very real - We see them all around us…….This is why St Matthew tells us in his Gospel…..”Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”…….A Catholic witness is desperately needed in our world today…..People do not believe necessarily what they are told…They believe what they see….And an authentic Catholic witness penetrates even the hardest of hearts…..Such a witness makes people rethink bad choices made and self-reflect…….Are we giving this kind of example to the world?…..Such an example comes from and through the Holy Spirit….Its a product of a mature Catholic faith rooted in Sacramental living, daily prayer and fasting…….Christ must live within us and in order for that to happen, we must give him permission and make room for him…That means “clearing out” many of the “things” the world values……If we do this, our light will surely shine - But in actuality, the light is not our own - It is Christ’s himself shining through us - This is how Catholics impact the world - The only way - By consistent example

“A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path”

People notice the “little things”….And its the “little things” that move the hearts of mankind……Simple gestures of “going out of your way” for someone - These gestures resonate deep…….During the COVID era, my father died…He had a long battle with Parkinson’s disease…..At his funeral, not many people attended due to that they were afraid of the hysteria created around the COVID virus……That being said, a friend of mine who I worked with twenty years ago drove one hour to pay his respects to me and my father….When I saw my friend Jack walk into the funeral home, frankly I was blown away!…..Jack’s gesture told me a lot about him as a person…It also meant a lot to me……These “small gestures”, which come from the heart tell the world who we truly are as Catholics - These are the gestures that will resonate with the world around us in a way words never can…..Trust me - People notice authentic Catholic action - And this is how we must live…..”Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”…….Our world today, as was the world of Jesus Christ’s day is focused on many of the wrong things, which can never make mankind happy nor can these things satisfy us in a lasting way….The world needs to “see” a life fully animated with the life of Christ…This kind of witness “stops traffic” and whether people admit it or not - They all want to live in this manner - Fully of life, joy and peace….Jesus tells us….”A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly”…….God takes nothing from us, he only gives - But telling people this reality will never convince them - You must demonstrate this reality - And then the world will believe and maybe just maybe - The world will change.

“If your sons keep my covenant, and the decrees which I shall teach them, Their sons, too, forever shall sit upon your throne”

Today at Mass, Jesus asks a question - “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?……I think we all know the answer to that question - But if we think about it - Do we really? - What is Jesus telling us?….He tells us that the “lamp” which gives “light” is God…And if you allow God to work in your life - Your life will act as a “lamp” to the world…..What else does Jesus imply by this question?….A light reveals Truth - It exposes lies - It opens the eyes to the blind…..A life which embodies the “light of Christ” acts in this manner - Some people will appreciate such a witness and others will not…..Our job as Catholics is to not trouble ourselves with outcomes…Our job is simply to sow seeds, in season and out of season - Let God do the convincing - We are to give what was given to us free of charge!…So let your light shine before men - And you may be surprised - The dark world will respond because light always defeats the darkness and the shadows of this world will flee…………How do I know this to be true? - St John tells us the answer - “What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race”……….”The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”……..JMJ