Take whatever the world “throws at you” and rejoice - “For your reward will be great in heaven”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how King Herod was beginning to hear about Jesus…..His fame was spreading……”King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets. ”But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up”……John the Baptist and Jesus Christ both spoke the Truth….And they spoke it clearly and boldly…Notice how even though John the Baptist was killed, the Truth was still spoken - It could not be silenced…This reality is something that the powerful of the world can not accept to this very day…The Natural Law and Gospel Truths are written on the human heart….No matter what a person does in trying to silence or eliminate the Truth - It cannot be done! - Even if you “eliminate” that person - Another person takes their place…..This is why the Catholic Church has endured for 2000 years and will be the last institution left standing on the face of the earth - Bank on that!…Because the fullness of the Truth is contained in the Catholic Church and the Truth always remains when everything else fades away and turns to dust - And that is reality! - Human beings do not get to define reality - We can deny it all we want but when we do, there are consequences……”Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!”……Catholics today, no matter what we are up against must always remember that the victory has already been won - Jesus Christ defeated death and Jesus Christ is the Truth!…Anyone who objectively searches for the Truth always ends up in the same place - With Jesus in the Catholic Church.....”Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance”

Time and patience obtains all things……Far too many people argue with people, both on social media and in day to day life about the Truth - And the Truth is objective - There is no such thing as “my truth” or “your truth” - That is pure nonsense - There is just “THE TRUTH”…..There are many reasons why people argue incessantly….Pride - People want to be prove they are right……..Validation - People yearn to be validated by their peers and even by those who oppose them……Hatred - People hold in their hearts hatred for groups of people and want to humiliate them - These are just a few reasons why people are always arguing!……Ultimately, these motives must be removed from the hearts of Catholics…..The Truth can stand on its own - Its like a lion, just let it loose, it will defend itself…If a person will not accept the Truth…If they claim 2+2 = 8….There is nothing a Catholic can do to change their mind……At that point, all we can do is pray, fast and give a consistent witness with our life…..Words will never convince a person who has “dug in” to relativistic ideologies - Catholics will never argue anyone into the doors of the Church - So stop trying…..However - If we live what we say we believe - The secular world will “think twice”…..At this point in America and across Western Civilization, the best argument to be made for the Catholic Church is found in the lives of the saints…..That means if on a personal level, you want to impact the world, maybe its time to stop “posting” on social media and start getting serious about living radically our Catholic faith….The witness of sacrificial love “speaks” to the hardest of hearts….This is what our world needs right now…..Talk is cheap!…..Catholics need to get serious…..Why?……Because only saints change the world - Strive to be one or die trying!

“God’s way is unerring, the promise of the LORD is fire-tried; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him”

Today at Mass St Mark tells us how Herod, while he denied the Truth spoken by both Jesus and John the Baptist, he was perplexed by them….Scripture even tells us that Herod liked to listen to these men, even though he outright rejected what they spoke about…..This reality should give us a clue into the human heart….This reality should also encourage us today……To never be afraid to live and speak the Truth………However………While we can count on the Truth “winning” in the end - In the mean time - There is always a “price to pay” - The world always “takes its pound of flesh” from those who side with the Truth….It all “boils down” to this question - Are you willing to pay the price?…..Each Catholic must ask themself this question and answer it one way or another! - Time to face facts! - “The Cross” stares us in the face!…..And Jesus understood this reality very well - So much so he warned us about it - “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. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”…….There is no “getting around” this reality - So what is it going to be? - What is your choice - Yes or No?……Our choices define who we are as people and as Catholics…..Before you answer, keep this in mind - Our time on this earth is so short when it is compared to eternity, which awaits us all….So I say to you today who read this reflection - Choose life! - Pay the price!……Take whatever the world “throws at you” and rejoice - “For your reward will be great in heaven”…….JMJ

“Do not be afraid - And put out into the deep - From now on you will be catching men”

Today at Holy Mass he hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus sends out his apostles - With nothing but the clothes on their back!…..….”Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic”…….Many people will hear this passage from St Mark today at Masses around the world and either gloss over it or think to themselves that such a “journey” is completely impossible!…..Do we believe in Divine Providence? - If not, we should think twice!……..God provides - Always! - He may not give us what we want all the time, but he always gives us what we need….We must learn to trust him!…..When we are attached to “things” our attention is not focused upon God - While we need things in the world, practically speaking, we as Catholics should aspire to live as simply as possible……Heaven is our true home and the man who wants the least while he is on this earth is the man who is the richest!

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

I have been married for 12 years…In that time period my wife and I have had five children…We also lost three children to miscarriages….We have never used contraception in our marriage and as a Catholic couple are open to life…..My wife and I are not rich people but during the entire time of our marriage we have never wanted for anything - The Lord has always provided for us in every way….As a husband and father of five young children, I have come to find my peace in the Catholic concept of Divine Providence…What I mean by that statement is - I trust in God’s providence more then I trust in my self……Much more!….God has proven to me that he will provide for my family, therefore I trust him implicitly…..I tell my wife all the time - If we do “our part” and live out our marriage vows and stay in the state of grace - God will do his part!…..The secular world does not believe this….But when the world “sees” with their unbelieving eyes ordinary Catholic married couples living this way - The world will begin to second guess bad choices made…..A Catholic couple in the world, which is open to life is a living sign of Christ!…….Our world needs to “see” in order to believe - That means Catholics can not live like everyone else…Not to mention Sacramental marriages that do not use contraception teach us to “die to our self”, which is the very essence of what authentic love is all about……Such a witness “screams” of God to a world that does not and will not be converted by even the most eloquent of words spoken by the most educated of preachers……….Catholic couples are on “the front lines” of the culture war!….We must witness our faith to a hostile world….And Catholic families living out their marriage vows form children who will one day be the future leaders, both in the world and the Church….This is how we change the world….Trust in God and live the Gospel - Be open to life and trust that God will provide for you…How do I know that? - Because he has provided for me and my family…Remember this - The sight of an ordinary man and an ordinary woman who have many ordinary children - This sight “speaks” to the world - And there is nothing “ordinary” about what such a family has to “say” without even saying one word!

"In your hand are power and might; it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all"

Today at Mass Jesus challenges his first apostles…He also challenges us…Do you trust God?….Many will hear that question and answer it without thinking too deeply…So I will ask the question again - Do you trust God will provide for you and your family?…..If you say - YES - Then trust in the commands of Christ and the teachings of his Church…Trust that God will provide for you in every way - Because he will!…….”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 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”……….When we “let go” of the “reins of our life” and give God control - We will experience a great amount of freedom - Believe it or not….It is in “this space” that we will meet the living God…….Just as St Peter requested to meet Jesus as he was walking on water…We too will “walk on water” and do the impossible - How do I know this? - Because God provides!…..We must not be afraid to  - “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” - It is in “that place” where we are transformed - It is in “that place” where our life’s witness will “speak” to an unbelieving world…“Do not be afraid - And put out into the deep - From now on you will be catching men”…………JMJ

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