“For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”….Do you really believe that?….Tell the Truth

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how Jesus instructs his first Bishops, the original twelve apostles, how to deal with disputes among people……”If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that  every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……The Church has authority! - Why? - Because Jesus who is God gave it authority…….Mankind from the very beginning indirectly tells God by his choices and actions that - “They know better”…We saw this with our first parents Adam and Eve…..God gave them everything - They were prohibited to do only one thing - To eat of the “Tree of Knowledge”…What did that “tree” symbolize?….That God is the author of all knowledge and the he decides what is right and wrong - Not man…So what does Adam and Eve do? - They tell God, by their actions, that they decide what is right and wrong - Not him….The rest is history and we all know how that choice worked out - Paradise Lost!….The same bad choice takes place today…Mankind does not recognize God’s authority in the one Church he founded…And as a result….The world is a mess!……As a  Catholic we must be “fully on board” with everything the Church teaches - It is not for us to “pick and choose” what to believe….While this is not easy - If we avail ourselves to God’s grace found in the Sacraments - God will help us and give us everything we need to be obedient - Now that is a “bad word” today - Obedient - “Get over it!”…Now does being obedient to what the Church teaches mean we will never fall? - Of course not, we are all sinners…But that is why we were given the Sacrament of Reconciliation…That is why we were given the Blessed Sacrament - That is why we were given Our Lady…And if we are consistent…Sins we struggle with will no longer trouble us in time and we will grow in holiness…In order for this to happen, we must fully acknowledge the authority of God and his Church….”Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……God’s way works!….And if we adhere to “the vine” - We will “bear fruit”…And if we do not - We will not

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”

I came from a good home…My parents were hard working good people who loved my brother and I…Everything they did was for us…But when I went away to college…I took for granted everything I was given and fully embraced the “ways of the world”…..After four years of living a very bad life….I returned home heart broken and completely lost….This is when I decided to embrace my Catholic faith…..And after realizing that “MY WAY” does NOT work…I decided to try God’s way…Not everyone has to take this path to God but many sadly do…We have to “come to the end of ourself”…And for some people this takes many years and many trials and heart aches……When I made my first “adult” confession at the age of twenty two - My life began to change…..God uses everything to transform us - Even our bad choices…But transformation takes time - So be patient with yourself and with others…..But now after over thirty years living as a practicing Catholic…I can honestly say, the decision to live as a Catholic that I made at twenty two years old was BY FAR the BEST decision of my life…..And God is not done with me yet…..The secular world around us “thinks” God takes from us…That the Church “does not know what it is talking about”…How wrong that mindset is!!…Sadly, words will never convince others about the goodness of God….This is why the world needs saints…Only a saintly life can “speak” to those around us with hard hearts….People believe what they see not what they are told…..And when a person encounters a saint - They know it!…..For all the Catholics who are frustrated with the secular world around them - Look on social media - You will find them!….Channel your frustrations into striving with all your heart to become a saint…..Every time you see the sins of mankind and you want to condemn others and SCREAM - Fast and Pray!…..Channel all your frustrations…..The closer we get to God - The more God can uses us…And that is how the world is transformed - There is no other way

“Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever”

Today we are told by Jesus that he gave his authority to the Catholic Church - Do you fully recognize that authority?….Let’s be honest - People do not like to be told what to do and some people REALLY do not want to be told what to do…..That mindset must change!….There is one path to heaven and God determines that path…Jesus said he was the Truth….That means Jesus determines the Truth - Not us!…..God is not a slave-driver, as the secular world believes and once we realize that God only gives, he never takes - That the teachings of the Church are to help us live a good life - That the “wages of sin” is death - Once we realize all that - Life begins!…Living a life of sin “costs” us in the here and now - Like it or not!!! - Life is so much BETTER living as God requests of us…..But people need to “figure that out” for themself…We can help them by our example - We can pray for them - And Fast for them - But even a good example will never be able to force someone to change….God never imposes himself on us - We must choose him freely…In the mean time…God waits “on the side of the road” for us…..“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”….Do you really believe that?….Tell the Truth……JMJ

What do you “see” when you “look” at the one who went astray?

Today at Holy Mass we get a small insight into the way God the Father thinks - And acts!…In the Gospel of St Matthew we are told about God’s love for us - Even for the “one” who does not do what he is asked….”If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost”…Would you do this? - Risk the safety of the ninety-nine for one “screw up”?…Most people would not…It does not make sense to us - But it makes perfect sense to God…Because God’s love for us is beyond our understanding…..If a man has twelve sons and eleven of his sons are successful and well educated…But one of his sons has a drug dependency and is in and out of jail…How would that father react?…A good father would seek out the one son who was the drug addict - And on his death bed, his last request would be to the other eleven sons - “Make sure you take care of your brother!”……I have three sons and that would be my response on my death bed if I had such a “lost son”…..As a father of five, you always see your children in your mind as innocent - Then the world comes sweeping in!…But in your eyes you always remember your children as they were as babies - Sitting on your lap - Innocent as the driven snow….This is how God sees us all - As his beloved children!…God’s love for us is beyond our understanding…And when we make the wrong choices, he permits hardships to take place in our life - Not to punish us - But to allow us to “see” what we are doing and change….The only thing God desires for us is that we arrive safely back to him in heaven!…But the unbelieving secular world does not see it that way!…We sadly more times then we realize look to find heaven on earth - Something which we never will find…And this is why we “write off” the “screw ups” - Those we consider “hopeless” - To us “such people” just “get in the way”…God does not think or respond in that way!…And frankly, if we are Catholic, we should not think or respond in that way either…..It takes courage to “leave the ninety-nine for the one who is lost” - The “ninety-nine” many times gets angry when one does this - They “do not understand”….But God understands - Because his love is beyond human understanding….The “calculus” of God is different from that of man - But if we want to enter into God’s Kingdom - The “mathematics” of mankind must change

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart”

Every time I hear this Gospel, I think of Pope Francis….He was willing to “leave the ninety-nine in search for the one”…..Allow me to explain….Many “conservative Catholics” would get unset when Pope Francis would speak at the Vatican to a public sinner…There was a famous Italian journalist who would constantly get audiences with the Pope…And the “Catholic mob” on social media would go CRAZY…..Why did Pope Francis speaks to this man?….Why? - Because he loved him and was hoping he would “return to God”….Currently, Pope Leo asked a controversial nun to sit on this Vatican committee…And the same “Catholic mob” on social media is going "berserk”!!!…Pope Leo “sees” the same thing that the “mob” sees - The errors of that nun - But the difference is - The Pope loves her and is “trying” to help her…And the “mob” is looking to cast her off into the wilderness….A good father is patient and a good father loves all his children….Love never gives up on anyone!!!!…..And as Catholics we must be patient with each other - Something I personally need to work on - Big time!…..St Paul instructs us in this mindset…..”Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do”…….We are also told by Jesus in the parable of the wheat and the weeds…..”He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up? He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest”……As Catholics our hearts of stone must be transformed into hearts of flesh….God sees everything!…He knows what the one “screw up” did….Let God “deal” with him…But in the mean time…It is for us to be patient with “our brother” and never give up on anyone - Always reaching out for the “one” who is lost.

“Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me”

God’s ways are not our ways - That is very true! - But that does not mean we stop trying to love like God!….Seeing the world through the eyes of God is impossible, however, the closer we get to God, the more we will “see”…..This is why the secular world does not understand the Catholic world view….Materialism, Power & Status - These things have no place in God’s eyes…And if we see the world through the lens of “the worldly” - We will NEVER understand anything Jesus Christ ever said or taught…..This is why in order to “believe” - We first must REPENT…..One Sacramental Confession “opens our eyes” to “see”……”Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength”…How we live determines what we “see” and what we “see” determines how live……”I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost”……What do you “see” when you “look” at the one who went astray?…….JMJ

”Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel, St John tells us (arguably) one of the most radical requests made by Jesus Christ to every person who has ever claimed to be a Christian - How does this idea “sit” with us? - “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me”…Do we take these words serious? - And if we do - How are we living them out?…..Most people live these words out in the married state - They have children and they “pour their life” into their children…In doing so, God pours his life into them…Because its in giving that we receive!….What St John presents to us today is the path to eternal life - Love gives, it never takes…This is the example that Jesus Christ gave to the world…And this is the path each of the baptized must walk…However, due to our fallen human nature, we all (to some degree or another) resist this selfless way of life - And because Jesus understood human nature very well - He gave us the Sacraments, which helps us to embrace a selfless way of living…Without the Sacraments - There is NO WAY a person can live in this manner….Only through God’s grace can a person be transformed into a selfless person - To the degree that St John speaks about today…….In the first reading at Mass, St Paul echoes this same concept...….”Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work”….The happiest people in this world are those who give of themself to others - This is a hard-cold fact!….To be a “giver” is woven into our human DNA - It is written on our hearts…And when we live this way, God pours his Holy Spirit into us, which brings with it peace and joy…..The most miserable people in this world are those who refuse to share - Who deny their very nature - To give of themself to others…..This is what true poverty looks like!

“Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life, says the Lord”

If you asked a group of ten year old children a question - “When you grow up - Do you want to be happy?”…My bet is - Everyone of those children would answer YES….But when we all grow up into adults - We still all want to be happy - But sadly we “chase” after “things” that CANNOT make us happy….Whether we realize it or not…..The path to true, lasting and authentic happiness is told to us today in St John Gospel - By the “giving of your life” to others….To the secular unbelieving world - This idea is pure madness…But for those who have witnessed people who have lived these words - As I have - The reality of authentic joy can not be denied…..For seven years before I was married I was a Lay Co-Worker for the Missionaries of Charity…I served mostly in New York City but also in India, San Francisco and Haiti…In that time I have witnessed the happiest people I have ever met….Keep in mind, I work in banking and have worked with over the years some VERY wealthy people….But the people I served with over the course of those seven years were BY FAR the most happy….Why? - Because giving of our self is “built in” to our DNA and when we live according to the Natural Law, we live in harmony with God who created us……The Missionaries of Charity take a vow of poverty and they live out that vow radically…I state that because they have nothing!…Yet they are BY FAR the happiest people I have ever met….This reality defies everything the secular world tells us - That we must become rich to be happy - To have a lot of “stuff” - This idea is “beaten” into our heads in America…The reality of the matter is - True and lasting happiness is found in “giving your self away” to others….Again, most people do this in the married state - But sadly because of contraception, we “hedge our bets”….This is why marriages that are open to life - That do not use contraception last…Why? - Because the couples that live this way “give themselves away” - And in doing so - They are fulfilled and happy…..What St John tells us today in the Gospel is not only the path to heaven but it is the only way we will find fulfillment here on earth….The secular world disagrees - But the secular world is unhappy - Don’t believe me? - Take a good look around! - Secular people “chase” after “something” they will never find…….Authentic joy is a by-product of a life given away to others…Joy can not be bought - Its not a destination…Joy is a gift from God and we receive that gift when we give our life away.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit”

Today St John tells one of the most radical ideas ever to be communicated to the world…That we must give our life away in order to have a fulfilled life here on earth…Is St John CRAZY?!?….The answer to that question is NO……As Catholics living amongst a secular society, we must demonstrate this radical idea by the way we live…This is how the “sheep” are separated from the “goats” - Not by what Mass you attend (Latin or Novus Ordo) - But I digress - Back to the subject at hand…We can tell people all day and everyday about the Gospel of Jesus Christ  - But if the world around us does not “see” for itself the witness of self giving that St John speaks about today - No one will believe a word you say!….”I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” - This statement says EVERYTHING we need to know about what it means to be Catholic….Are you a “sheep” or are you a “goat”? - No need to answer - Our life’s witness gives the answer…..”Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be”….JMJ

In order to hear “a whisper” - There must be silence

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Book of Kings how God works - In silence!…God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts and all the “noise” we experience around us is nothing more than a distraction….One of the many cunning “traps” set before us by the devil…To keep us “preoccupied” with nonsense……”Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by……..A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire.  After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound”…..In order to hear the voice of God, we must cooperate - We must “carve out” time to listen in silence - When we do this, most especially when we sit before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament in silence, not only will we hear the Lord speak to us in our hearts, but we slowly become transformed….The Eucharist can change the world! - That means it can change us!!!!……All the “noise” we experience today - On Social Media - In Politics - In the main stream news…All the “promises” of proposed “change”…If these activities and voices do not have God at their center - They will amount to NOTHING….It is very easy to get “caught up” in these distractions - And that is why the devil puts them in front of us!….As Catholics we must “put on the armor of God” - We do that by living in the state of grace….We also must pray daily and make time to sit in silence…This is how we “navigate” through the “noise” of this corrupt world…..Without grace, we will not see and hear God - And without God’s grace, we will surely “fall into the traps” set before us by the devil…And the devil is MUCH smarter than YOU are!…He knows all your weaknesses….And the more YOU “think” you cannot be fooled - The easier it is to be fooled…..“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”…All over the world and all over the mainstream news we see this occurring - “The blind leading the blind” - Where does it all lead and when will this end?….It ends when we take the time and sit in silence - And “listen” to the voice of God….God will NEVER be found in “nose” - The devil knows this and that is why there is so much “noise” all around us

“I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD — for he proclaims peace”

Each baptized Catholic is called to live in the state of grace…How do we do this?…The saints tell us - By going to a Sacramental Confession frequently (once a month) and by receiving the Blessed Sacrament once a week at Holy Mass…Easy right!……Everything we do requires grace and only God can give us this grace….This is why Jesus established a Church…..If we study the lives of the saints…Certain patterns can be observed…One of those patterns is how many saints would sit before the Blessed Sacrament each day for one hour in silence…This is what Mother Teresa had to say about making a Holy Hour each day…"When the Sisters are exhausted, up to their eyes in work; when all seems to go awry, they spend an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. This practice has never failed to bear fruit: they experience peace and strength”…While most of us cannot make a Holy Hour each day….We can find the time to make one each week…This is what my wife and I do - And we are VERY busy people - We have five children under twelve years old and we still “find the time” to make a Holy Hour each week….Each Saturday and Sunday, in the morning before the day gets moving, we both sit before the Blessed Sacrament for thirty minutes each…My wife goes first and I watch the children and when she comes home, I go and sit for thirty minutes…Over time, my youngest son Gerard has requested to go with me - How I am certain when Jesus sees Gerard, who is six years old in the Adoration Chapel - How happy Jesus must be in heaven!!!…..The practice of spending time before the Blessed Sacrament is what I call a “saint maker” because many of the saints utilized this practice in their life - And look at what God accomplished through these men and women!!!!……When we sit before Our Lord, when He is exposed in the Blessed Sacrament before our very eyes, God radiates his goodness upon us….We feel his peace - The peace in an Adoration Chapel is tangible!….Take the time - Make the time

“Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven”

Today at Mass we are told that God is not found in “noise” but in silence….What are you going to do with this information imparted to you?…..If we “pay attention” to the readings at Mass - We will grow in wisdom and in holiness….God is constantly instructing us - Do we hear him?….And in order to “hear” God requires silence…But as we all know - To create silent time takes effort….God does not “magically” come into our life - We must “make room” for him…And if we take some time each week and sit before the Blessed Sacrament - God will “speak” to you in the silence, in a “language” that only you can understand….Once again, this is what Mother Teresa had to say about the practice of Eucharist Adoration….”Be careful of all that can block that personal contact with the living Jesus. The Devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes—to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you. This is a danger for all of us. And so sad, because it is completely opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more—He longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes—He is the one who always accepts you. My children, you don’t have to be different for Jesus to love you. Only believe—you are precious to Him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest”……In order to hear “a whisper” - There must be silence….JMJ

"He who laughs last, laughs best”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, the disciples of Jesus are unable to help a young man who was tormented by a demon…..”I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him”…Jesus then “steps in” and cures the man…The disciples inquire why they could not drive out the demon and Jesus addresses their concern…”He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you”……Do you believe this? - That if you have faith, “nothing will be impossible for you”?…Clearly all human beings have natural and material limitations…Intellectually - Physically - Financially….And sadly the world defines us by those limitations - God however does not!…And because the world looks at us through the lens of these limitations, most people “buy in” and “settle” for mediocrity…..This is exactly what the devil wants us to do!…….With God all things are possible!!!!!…..Did you know that an American Franciscan cloistered nun (Mother Angelica) founded a global Catholic media network (EWTN)?……She had no experience in the media either…..This is what Mother Angelica had to say about what God accomplished through her…."Unless you are willing to do the ridiculous, God will not do the miraculous”…This is the difference between the saints and those who “settle” for mediocrity…The saints KNOW God can do more with their lives then they can!!! - The saints are honest with themselves about their human limitations but they KNOW God has NO limitations and they put their entire trust in God and not in themselves….What else do the saints do? - They are willing to attempt the impossible and this usually results in people thinking they are “crazy”…To be a “fool for Christ” is a requirement to accomplish the impossible!…..How can a cloistered nun from Ohio, with no media experience establish a Global Media Empire?…..Even the very idea is ridiculous!!!!! - But it happened…Catholics have to start “thinking” BIG!…..Our God is the God of the impossible and if we radically trust him and surrender our will - God will use us to do the impossible too!

“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel”

Eight years ago, at the request of a priest, my brother in law and I started a podcast….We had no experience and no understanding of the technical equipment that such an endeavor would require…Like all things we started small - Live Streaming on Facebook in my basement every Sunday night…The podcast began to grow - And the miraculous began to happen!…..A man who lived in Canada saw us on FaceBook and was so impressed that he drove to New Jersey to meet us…That man for the past six years produces our weekly show and provided all the technical expertise, which we did not have….Now we needed money for equipment - So we did a crowd funding and raised close to three thousand dollars to buy equipment - We did not have to use “one cent” of our own money!…..And only after two years of recording in my basement every Sunday night, we were introduced to a man who founded a Catholic radio station, which steams content across Connecticut, Long Island and Westchester County New York….That man asked us to host an interview show for the station, which he founded….We have been on the radio now for over five years and the show is growing and growing…..How did that happen?!!? - My brother in law and I have no media experience!….When I was a child growing up in New Jersey, if you told me that one day I would be co-hosting a radio show in the New York Metropolitan Area, I would have told you that you were crazy!…But guess what? - It happened! - And the show is getting bigger and bigger with each passing year…Only God knows what is next!….This is just one example of what God can do when you radically trust him and dare to do the impossible!….Father Benedict Groeschel, a very holy priest from Jersey City New Jersey, who one day I believe will be declared a saint by the Church once said….”When God gives you a vision, He isn't looking at your bank account”……Daring to do the impossible requires the courage to do the ridiculous!…And only those who are “fools” in the eyes of the world become saints….Do not be afraid to be a “holy fool” - Because these are the people who change the world!

“For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live”

Today in the Gospel we are told by Jesus that if we have faith - “Nothing will be impossible for you”…Do not allow the unbelieving world to discourage you!….God the Father created the world from NOTHING and his son Jesus Christ conquered death on the cross! - Amazing!!!!!……Each and every Baptized Catholic, if we only trusted that God can do more with our life then we can would set the world on fire!…..Instead, most people “play it safe” - And nothing gets done!…..Did Jesus “play it safe”? - Did the twelve apostles “play it safe”?…..No one who accomplishes anything significant in this world “plays it safe” - Remember that……Dare to do the ridiculous and God will do the miraculous!……This is the path to a holy life...…Have the courage to allow the secular world to call you a fool…..Be a “fool for Christ” and don’t look back!……There is an old saying in America…."Better the last smile than the first laughter”……."He who laughs last, laughs best”….JMJ

And people know when they see it!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how we are to journey to heaven…..That the way to heaven is to “die to our self”…..Is this what we see in society today?…..This idea of how we are to live as Christians and how we get to heaven has been twisted and manipulated….St Matthew today tells us….“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct”…….Do we take Jesus at his word?!?…Because if we did, clearly we would live differently - Right?!?….As Catholics, we hear the words of Christ at Mass read to us and his words are VERY challenging - Do we take these words seriously?!? - Because we should!…..The path to heaven is “giving yourself away” - That is the only path to heaven…Most people do this in the married state….Sacrificial love is the mark of a Catholic….And when the secular world witnesses a Catholic living sacrificially radically for others - Then and only then will “the crowd” take us seriously….Professing a belief in Christ means very little to the unbelieving world if we do not strive to die to our self each day…..Jesus today in the Gospel tells us this VERY clearly…..For the Holy Spirit to animate our life, we MUST make room for it….And if we are “full of our self”, God cannot form us into the people we were born to be…..Having a prayer life is vital - Living a Sacramental life is vital…But actively striving to die to your self each day is vital too!!!….When we do all three of these things - Pray daily - Live Sacramentally - And love sacrificially…Its is then that we will set the world on fire!…This is the path to sanctity and if we want to enter into eternal life…That is the only path we must walk.

“Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom”

For love to be real - It must cost us…This is what Mother Teresa would say and anyone who as ever really loved someone knows this is a true statement…Talk to any husband and wife who have children…..All the time spent - All the hard work to provide for the children…This is what love looks like…Love is much more than a “feeling” - Love at its essence is an action!…..As Catholics, if we do not witness this “kind of love”…No one will listen to our words!…It does not matter what you have to say either - How “good” it sounds…Or how right you are….The secular world believes what it sees…And today Jesus tells us what we must do!…..Why was Mother Teresa’s impact so profound?…Because she radically loved the unloveable!….Her actions defied logic for most people!!!….Well - This is what we as Catholics must do today - Beginning with our family….A family that is open to life and has many children loves radically!!!…It tells the world, without saying one word - That “material things” mean nothing to me!!…My children are my wealth!!….How many today are living this way?…..This is why the unbelieving world does not take Catholics seriously in many ways….Trust me - When people see radical sacrificial love witnessed in real time - You do not need an advanced degree to understand what you are seeing…..All the arguments mean nothing! - All the “words” mean nothing! - Unless we as Catholics love sacrificially…..“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”…Jesus tells us this today - Do we take him seriously?

“What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”

Today in the Gospel at Mass - We are challenged….What is your response?…..Do we walk out of Mass and self evaluate how we are living up to this challenge?….A life well lived speaks volumes!…..Have we as Catholics in America become like “everyone else”?…..Was Jesus like “everyone else”? - Clearly he was not! - And nor should we be like “everyone else”…..The Catholic faith when it is lived out is rather shocking to others - The sight of an authentic Catholic “screams” of sacrificial love - Again, such a sight shocks people!….This is the only way to evangelize the world - Outside of that witness - No one cares! - Trust me - Just another bunch of “fancy” words to be ignored…But when those words are lived out - The world will stop and take notice - Some people may even be transformed..............….”Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it”…………..That is the entire Gospel in one sentence!……A person who “lives out” this sentence is a disciple of Jesus Christ - Such a person means business!……And people know when they see it!…..JMJ

Look to the East - The Kingdom of God is at hand

Today at Holy Mass the universal Church commemorates the Transfiguration of our Lord…Jesus was soon going to endure his passion and in the time that remained, he had to strengthen his men…..So he took Peter, James and John up a mountain and they saw with their own eyes as he truly was….In all his glory….Jesus did this to give his inner circle something to hold on to when times got hard - And they soon would get very hard! - Jesus was about to be brutally murdered….This vision of the Lord transfigured was to “drive” Peter, James and John - To help them to endure - To persevere - And to embrace the herculean task of spreading the gospel to the four corners of the world…..In the second reading today, Peter addresses the crowd telling them about what he saw and heard…..“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased” - We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”……..Christ will return!……Until that day, we must hold fast to the fullness of Truth……Notice how Jesus did not come to conquer the world, like a military general…He permitted the “weeds and the wheat” to grow together….St Peter acknowledges this reality by telling the crowd to be “attentive” to the “light” - That the world is a “dark place” and will remain a dark place - Only until Jesus returns will the world be fully renewed…That means we cannot “fix” the problems we see around us politically, with violence, or with science…The problems sadly will remain until Jesus returns…Its for us in the mean time to hold fast to the Truth!….To persevere - And to endure…..The world around us today is changing once again - Geopolitical forces are manipulating borders and attempting to manipulate cultures….These things have taken place for centuries and will continue to take place…Its for us to hold on to what we know is true!!!!…..“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him”….There is only one answer - And that answer is Jesus Christ!….There is only one Church - The Catholic Church….And for those who remain - The Remnant - We must feed on the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood in the state of grace….This is what will sustain us….The only way we will endure and remain until the end.

“Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone

There are moments in life that a person holds on to - That drives them - That motivates them to carry on….But moments like the ones I am describing are just that - Moments - They are not to last - We are to move on from them and use the memory of them to live our lives well……..The seven years I spent serving with Mother Teresa’s sisters primarily in New York and India formed me….Those years in essence were my “Transfiguration” moments…..In many ways those years formed me to be who God called me to be….A husband - A father of five children - And a Catechist of the Catholic Church….Over those years I saw many things, too many to note in this reflection, that almost “haunt me” to this very day….I was not called by God to stay permanently serving with the Missionaries of Charity - That was not my vocation - I was there to be formed - “To go forth” and take what I learned and apply it in the world around me……Allow me to share one of “those moments”……..During one of my visits to Kolkata, I served at a home for severely handicapped children….On that visit to India I was assisting a young boy named Bernard….Bernard was severely handicapped, both mentally and physically…Bernard and I got to become good friends…He had the biggest smile you could ever imagine and I would always make him laugh - His laugh was infectious!!!!…And when he would laugh - It brought me a tremendous amount of joy….I think of Bernard often - How truly innocent he was!!! -  His memory and his smile almost haunts me!!!!…..One day when I stand before the Lord after my death - I will see Bernard again, I am sure of this…And on that day, Bernard will help me - And our friendship will continue for all eternity…But for now - The memory of Bernard and many memories like it - Drive me forward!!!

“As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Transfiguration is an important event during the three year ministry of Jesus Christ….Everything Jesus did had a purpose - To teach - To lead - And to give an example……Peter, James and John while Jesus was transfigured did not “get it”…..”Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said,  “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid”……Just as Jesus inner circle did not “get it” - There are many moments in our own life that we do not fully understand from the prospective and intent of God and how those moments were meant to sanctify us……God is constantly at work!….Salvation history is still playing out and each of us have a role in God’s plan….We must learn to trust God implicitly!!! - More so then we trust ourself….Just as St Peter instructed the crowd, the readings from Mass today instruct us....…”We possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”……..Look to the East - The Kingdom of God is at hand……..JMJ