”Not as man sees does God see”

 Today at Holy Mass in the first readings from the Prophet Samuel we hear that Samuel was asked to choose amongst the sons of Jesse who he should anoint…..It’s an interesting story…Because Jesse assumes that one of his eldest sons would be the one who would be chosen…But that was not the case….”As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,  “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel:  “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,  because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see,  because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,  but Samuel said to Jesse,  “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.” Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There—anoint him, for this is the one!”…As the old saying goes…”Never judge a book by its cover”…..Our world “sizes up people” and if we are honest so do we….We ask what they do for a living…Where they went to college…Where do they live….Based upon these factors, we assume that a person is successful, intelligent and worthy of our company…..This is the reality of the world we live in but this is not God’s reality!….God could care less about all those factors I just listed…God has a different “check list” when it comes to evaluating people….Think for a moment who Jesus hand picked to be his first twelve disciples….Keep in mind…These were the men who after Jesus was to be killed would establish a global church….Now - Stop and think who Jesus picked - A bunch a uneducated fishermen!….If you had the task of establishing a global church, would you pick these twelve men?……But Jesus saw something in them that the world did not…..Many times when you read about the lives of the saints, you will see a similar stories play out….The person the world never thought about is the one who rose to the occasion and was used by God to do the impossible…..So maybe we should not be too quick to “size up” people based upon the criteria of the unbelieving world….In addition, maybe there is more to a person then their education, good looks and societal status……”The last will be first and the first will be last” - “Not as man sees does God see”

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life”

When I was in high school I was for the most part a very good student but at the same time a trouble maker…..I was counted among the elite of my high school class but still would get in trouble for misbehaving often….I can recall my history class very vividly to this day and all the people who were in it with me…..Looking back over almost forty years now - The people who were in that class have achieved amazing things…They are leaders of industry, doctors, lawyers, etc - By all estimations, they are very successful and wealthy people….However, while we all attended a Catholic High School, very few of the people I just noted take their Catholic faith seriously today sadly….Over the years I have spoke to many of them and some of them even have outright rejected their Catholic faith….As for me, the one in the class who was the “trouble maker”, I am the one that has taken his faith the most seriously…I have traveled the world as a missionary, written a book of Advent Reflections, co-host a Catholic radio show…..To name a few things….Let’s just say - I am an outspoken Catholic in the public square…Looking back at the elite of my high school class…There were many among my history class that were better qualified to do all the things I have done for the Church…But God choose me!….When we focus too much on the standards of the world and forget that God does not use those standards when he evaluates who is “up to the task” to be a disciple - When we fall into this trap set for us by the devil, we can give up following the Lord before we start! - If that is how you feel - Discouraged because you are not at the “top of the class” remember these words - “God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called”……You just may be surprised if you look deep within yourself and find that God is calling you to a task that no one else can do but you!…..If God can use uneducated fishermen surely he can use us …………“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”

“The LORD said,“There—anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David”

Today at Mass we hear in the first reading something our society forgets…”Man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart”……We are way to quick to “write off people” whom we think can do nothing for God….We all do this sadly, both in the Church and outside the Church….But God knowing this usually surprises us and more times then not, God chooses the ones we reject to teach us something very important - “Not as man sees does God see”…To put a finer point on this reflection, I want to call to the readers attention the words of Mother Teresa…This is what she said on this subject….“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in”…..Maybe it’s time that we change how we “size up” people because in the end what the world deems important means very little to God….If we are fortunately enough to enter the Kingdom of God, I believe there will be many “surprises” when it comes to who enters into eternal life and who does not……So let’s make sure we are not to quick to “write people off”- Because the very person you “write off” may be at the front of the line in the only line that matters - The line into heaven………..As Mother Teresa also would say to her sisters….”The poor will defend me before God when I am about to be judged”…………..”Not as man sees does God see”…..JMJ

“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke a message I must listen too very carefully! - Why? - Because I find myself saying far too often...…”Those people”…..This is the statement made by the Pharisee today who is convinced of his own righteousness - And “everyone else is a mess” except for him….I find myself sadly making similar claims…This gospel for me is very convicting - How about for you?…..”Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income”…….As practicing Catholics who take their faith seriously, its very easily to fall into this trap set for us by the devil….We evaluate the sins of others against the good choices we have made and get angry - At least I do - “Why” do these people not “get it!”…..”Your bad choices are effecting me and my family!”…..I cannot speak for the reader of this reflection but these are the statements I think as well as come out of my mouth often….While we may have made good choices in life, we often forget that we are still sinners….And that all the good choices we made was the result of God’s grace…..Where would we be without God’s grace?….Where would we be without the love of our families?….Where would we be without the help and support of our parents?……To be very honest and I can only speak for myself - I would probably be much worse than the people I have issues with and rail against…Jesus tells us very clearly in Scripture….”For he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust”……At the root of “my problem” with others - I forget the the goal is heaven….I say all the time that I “know the goal” - But do I really?……..Our life is a journey back to God and part of that journey will be uncomfortable - God allows it to be that way at times - Difficult times and difficult people are opportunities to grasp a firmer grip on the true goal - Heaven…..But we want heaven on earth - Even practicing Catholics! - We say otherwise but when hard times come because of bad choices of “those people” - How quickly we lose of charity!……Today in the Gospel from Mass Jesus juxtaposes the bad attitude of the Pharisee with a public sinner who knows he is doing wrong but is sincere in asking for God’s mercy…..”But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”……Jesus clearly was not impressed by all the “things” the Pharisee did in the name of God….Why was Jesus not impressed? - Because the Pharisee exalted himself and not God as a result of his religious practices…The Pharisee forget that he was a sinner too….Ultimately, as practicing Catholics, who try very hard to do right by God and his Church - We too must not fall into this trap that the Pharisee fell into today in the Gospel….We must learn to be patient with others…To lead by example….To bear with the faults of others…To be kind in the face of difficulties and difficult people…..All these actions require grace! - And everything we do - All the good and everything in between is because of grace - Never forget that!

“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”

Many years ago after my father retired he took a part time job as a security guard at a college…At the time my brother was attending that college….I remember hearing my Dad telling us after dinner that my brother got a parking ticket on the campus and did not pay it and then gave the security officers a hard time, which in turn made my father look very bad at his job…When I heard this I was furious!…I can remember ranting and railing about what my brother did to my parents…..And as I was screaming in my family home, my father just listened to me and when I was done, this is what he said - “Joe, so you are right about all you just said about your brother - But soon you too will be wrong”….There is great wisdom in my father’s statement - He was telling me indirectly  - That I was not perfect and don’t think just because I was right now about what I saying about my brother’s faults does not mean, sooner then later, I too will do something wrong…..God the Father tells us a similar story today in the Gospel about the tax collector and the Pharisee in the temple….”For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn”……St Paul puts a finer point on it…..”Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love”……As practicing Catholics - Do we love in this manner?……Do we bear with one another’s faults?…..Most especially, do we love and bear wrongs patiently from “those people”,  as I like to say?…..As my father told me many years ago…..”So now you’re right now - But soon you too will be wrong!”

“Be bountiful, O LORD, to Zion in your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts”

When we go to Mass as Catholics we hear the word of God read to us and many times the words of Jesus are very challenging - Today for me, this message was very challenging….When this happens - How do we respond - How do I respond?…..As Catholics, no matter who you are or how “good” you think you are - There will be moments when Jesus’s words convict us - When this happens - What is your response?….For me today, the Gospel of St Luke read at Mass convicted me…I must stop saying and thinking about all the faults of others and start thinkings more about my own faults - Because believe me, I have them - Ask my wife and children!….I must learn to bear patiently with the short comings of others as Jesus has to bear with all my short comings when I confess them Sacramentally…..This is how I will grow and in order to grow, I must be honest with myself - How about you?…..”For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”…..Humility is truth and the reality is - We all fall short - But thanks be to God that Our Lord is merciful………….. Are we merciful?……….”The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you”………..“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former”………JMJ

”Make room” and open the doors wide for Christ

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark Jesus tell a man the entire Gospel message boils down to two requests…..…..Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,  with all your mind,  and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these”…….So simple - Right? - So what is the problem?…….When we read these two commandments from Jesus, at first glance we say to ourself - How easy - But then “life” presents itself….What makes these two easy commandments so hard?…..Well, let’s start with the first - Love God above all things - We can “say” we do this but the devil is not only real but very “slick” in how he fools us into thinking we are “ticking this box” when in fact we are not….”Idols” that take the place of God can be things that on the surface many appear good…But just when we are not paying attention…..These harmless activities or mindsets become something they were not intended to be - And in turn can become “bigger” and more important then God…Our need for control - Our desire to succeed - To name two such idols….When we “get lost” in these pursuits, we can stop hearing the voice of God…..Now for the second commandment that Jesus presents to us today in the Gospel - Loving your neighbor as yourself…Why can’t we do this?…The answer comes down to we do not “see” God in our neighbor….If we do not “see” God in our neighbor - Because let’s be honest - Our neighbor can be very unlikable at times - We surely will not  “Love our neighbor as our self…However, if through grace we can “see” God in our neighbor, we surely will make great strides in loving our neighbor as God intended us too….So how do we make that happen?….This begins and ends with the Sacraments….When we “clear away our sins” through making a good confession, we then can receive the Eucharist worthily, which in turn will “open our eyes”….Here is also something very important to keep in mind - When we have been given “eyes to see” through God’s grace…We will see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament…When we can see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, a simple piece of bread transformed by the hands of a priest, we then will be able to see God in our neighbor - And in turn, we will fulfill the commandment - To love our neighbor as ourself. - Simple Right?!?

"If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, I would feed them with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them."

The greatest witness I have ever been given of the first two and most important commandments was given to me Mother Teresa’s sisters…For seven years before I was married I was their driver in New York City on Saturdays…The Missionaries of Charity love the most unloveable among us….How do they do it….In two words - They pray!….To see God in our neighbor requires grace - And God avails us to this needed grace through the Sacraments and also through prayer…Mother Teresa’s sisters sit before the Blessed Sacrament everyday for one hour…In doing this, God speaks to their heart - And God also transform their vision in the process….This is the only reason why the Missionaries of Charity can do what they can do…Because their hearts have been transformed, their vision is  transformed as well …….”I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”….This “new heart”, which is required for us to “see” properly can not be self manufactured…It also cannot be acquired from reading a book…To acquire this “new heart” we must again, clear away our sins Sacramentally, receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace and make time to pray, especially before the Blessed Sacrament…And when we make these practices apart of our everyday life….Our vision not only changes but so does our priorities…And before we know it…We love God above all things and we love our neighbor as our self - Bingo!……That is how the Missionaries of Charity do it - And that is how we must do it as well

"You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions”

Today Jesus in the Gospel from Mass tells a man the foundational belief and practices of Catholic faith - In two short sentences!…Its very easy to read something and think we can accomplish it all by ourself - Even when we as Catholics have the best of intentions, we all fall short of these two commandments….But just because we fall short does not mean we can not get better!…..Like with all things in life, we must put in effort and time to improve…The same goes for becoming a better Catholic!….In this reflection, I gave the example on Mother Teresa’s sisters….They live the first two commandments better then anyone I have ever seen…But that does not happen “magically”…..The Missionaries of Charity “make room” for God to enter into their life….They pray, they live sacrificially, and they live Sacramentally…And they do this day after day - “Rain or Shine” - This is exactly what each of us must do…To love God above all things  and to love your neighbor as yourself will not happen “magically”…For this to happen - We need grace and that grace is made available to us all - If only we “make room” for it in our life……..John the Baptist put it best….”I must decrease and he must increase”…..This is how we love God above all things and love our neighbor as ourself…..”Make room” and open the doors wide for Christ…..JMJ

Our world tries to “fix itself” - When the only “fix” is grace

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah how the Jewish people “did not want to hear it”…They hardened their hearts to God and his words…..How could that be possible after everything they went through?…..How God rescued them time and time again…..And as soon as things settled down - And they got a little comfortable - They forgot everything they learned…..Sound familiar!?!…..This is the condensed story of man kind…Its the story of “Exodus and Return” - “Exodus and Return” - Rinse - Wash - Repeat!…..The Old Testament is filled with similar stories of the Jewish people following God and then forgetting God, and as a result, everything would fall apart…These stories are to remind us today…Has modern man learned anything?…..It does not appear he has….For as sophisticated as we are, for as educated and intelligent….This reality has not penetrated our hearts - And what is that reality? - That we were made by a loving God and when we turn from God the Father, something within mankind breaks…And that something can only be “filled” with the very thing we reject - God himself……”Thus says the LORD:  This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers. When you speak all these words to them, they will not listen to you either; when you call to them, they will not answer you. Say to them: This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the LORD, its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech”…….How many times does this passage from Jeremiah have to repeat itself?…..What will make mankind “see” and “hear”?……..God must become a reality - Each of us must “position ourselves” to encounter the Living God - God has to become real to us and simply reading about him will not make this encounter happen….But how do we encounter God?…..The answer is - We encounter God Sacramentally…And its the grace of living a sacramental life that keeps us grafted to God….Without that grace - We drift slowly away and repeat what Jeremiah tells us today…Exodus and Return - Exodus and Return…Jesus gave us the “tools” to break this destructive cycle - The “tools” are the Sacraments and they are only found in the one and only church Christ founded - The Catholic Church…So stay grafted to God - Live Sacramentally!

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”

If you ever went to a book store, you would see that there is an entire section of “self-help books”….In addition to these “self help” books, an entire profession was created to address the human need to improve - “Life Coaches” in big cities across America charge the rich and the elite in our society huge amounts of money to “give advice” on how to manage day to day life…..Why is there a need for “self help” books and an entire profession to give common sense advice to others?……Is it because human beings are all flawed in some way?…But will reading a book or getting advice “fix” the fallen nature of mankind? - The answer is sadly - NO!……All of us are born with a fallen nature, which means we sin….The only solution to this “sin problem” we all deal with is Jesus Christ and the Sacraments of the Catholic Church…The secular world scoffs at this reality….And as a result, they spend their money on high priced “life coaches” and psychologists to “fix” their problems - When the “missing link” is grace…And God can only give us grace if we “make room for it” in our life….This is why Jesus very clearly in St John’s Gospel speaks about his flesh being “real food” and his blood being “real drink”…..If we prepare the vessel of our soul by going to Confession with a Catholic priest once a month and receive the true Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist - We will not need “self help books” or “life coaches”….Does this mean living Sacramentally will “fix” all our “issues” - No!…But it does mean living in the state of grace will give us “eyes to see”, to avoid many of the potholes of life - It will give us “ears to hear” when we hear the word of God and understand what Scripture is telling us - It will give us grace to strengthen our will to resist many of the temptations that the unbelieving world fall prey too and ultimately destroy their lives and their families….This is what Jesus gives us through his Church…The “missing link” today that the world ignores is grace and only living a Sacramental life can give us this grace…The Sacraments are the “medicine” for the world’s “sickness” - That “sickness” is sin…..”Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him”…….Do we take advantage of this gift? - The gift of being Catholic and living Sacramentaly…Because it truly is a gift….We can not “fix” ourself and with God we are made whole…We are sanctified…And in the end, we are transformed into the people we were born to be - God’s people

“Oh, that today you would hear his voice: "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works."

Today the Prophet Jeremiah tells us about human nature, how we “screw everything up”….Its in our nature! - We are all sinners - We fall - We stray - And we do it again!…..It’s sadly the “story of mankind” from the very beginning….How do we remedy this reality?….We must cooperate with God and allow him to work in our life…We must “make room for God”…As John the Baptist told us…”I must decrease and he must increase”…..We also must “feed” on the very flesh and blood of Christ - In the Blessed Sacrament - This is vital…The Eucharist received at Mass in the state of grace  is “food for the journey”, without it we will not make it!….What else must we do? - Pray and learn at the feet of Our Lady….Mary is our Mother and she will lead us to her son…Our Lady is also “Full of Grace” and she is more then happy to give us the grace we need - Why? - Because we are her children!…..It all comes down to grace - Jesus tells us…”Without me you can do nothing”….That is why there are so many “self help books” out there today - Our world tries to “fix itself” - When the only “fix” is grace….JMJ

That is what a disciple is - A follower

Today at Holy Mass we are told in the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy that God specifically instructed the Jewish people…Not only did he give them land to dwell on after freeing them from bondage - He gave them the law, which was for their benefit……Did you “catch that” - For their benefit!……God is not an ogre - He gives us commandments because he loves us…….."Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.  Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees as the LORD, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy. Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.' For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?”….The laws of God are written on every human heart…And because of that reality, they apply to us whether we acknowledge them or not - Just as gravity applies to us, whether we “believe in it or not”….If someone was to say…”I do not believe in gravity”….Their sincere belief would not matter if that person was to jump off the roof of their house….Their lack of belief in gravity would not prevent them from crashing to the ground!…The same goes for us when it comes to the laws of God - They apply to us whether we “believe” in them or not - Why? - Because God is a reality - As is gravity!……When someone turns from God, something “breaks” within that person…..Jesus tells us this in the Gospel of St John…..“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”….What should this tell us? - That mankind was made to live Sacramentally…Jesus created a Church and gave it authority for our benefit…Without the grace provided through the Sacraments, the likelihood that we will live as God commanded us to is “slim to none” - Not going to happen!……The secular world for the last two thousand years has not learned this and in some circles refuses to learn it! - And sadly it shows - The consequence of sin are very real and they are everywhere we look today!…..God is fully aware of how human beings fall into sin…This is why in the first reading today, God warns the Jewish people….”Take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children”……How do we as Catholics  - “Be earnestly on your guard not to forget”? - This is how - Pray the Rosary everyday; Go to Confession with a Catholic Priest once a month & receive the Blessed Sacrament at Sunday Mass in the state of grace…That is how we do not “forget” and if we do these three things and make them apart of our life and the life of our family - We will surely not “forget”!

“Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place”

There is something about a person who lives in the state of grace that is very tangible…You can see evidence of this in the tone of their voice, the outward signs of joy they possess and oddly enough, their is even a light in their eyes…Conversely, when a person is not in the state of grace, there are also tangible signs…..This reality circles back to what we were told in the Gospel of St John…..“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”…But it also ties into the first reading from Mass today….That we must listen to and be obedient to the laws of God - There is no getting around this reality….When we adhere to the laws of God, we are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit - In addition, we are given peace - A peace the world can never give….Each person makes choices in life to either allow God to animate their life or not….We can not have it both ways - Meaning, we do not live a Godly life on “our terms” - Many American Christians believe this (some Catholic too) and this belief is fundamentally flawed…..Jesus is not looking for “believers” - He is looking for followers and to follow Jesus we must be obedient to him and to the teachings of the one Church he founded….Again, the benefits of living a life of discipleship far out way the difficulties that come along with it…How can I make such a statement?…Let’s circle back to the words of Jesus  - “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”….The “yoke” of sin far out weighs the Cross each of us must carry as followers of Jesus Christ - That is reality and we can not have it “both ways”…….Pick up your cross and follow me!

“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Today we are told something in the readings of Mass that will make many people very uncomfortable - The message is clear - We are called to not only believe all the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church but to be obedient to the laws of God as well….”Believing” and being obedient are two very different things!……..As Catholics we can not “make it up as we go along”…..One of the many good things about being Catholic is, everything is written down - All we have to do is read it!……And if we live a Sacramental life, God will give us the Holy Spirit to live out his commands - But to “think” we can do what God asks of us without the Holy Spirit is a fools errand…Never forget and never be discouraged - With God all things are possible!…..Jesus Christ was one man, who founded one Church….We are all God’s children and because of that, the laws of God are written on our hearts.....Being true to your self and following God is one in the same thing…..All of humanity was made by God to love him, to serve him and to be with him for all eternity - Our daily choices determine this reality not our words…..Jesus is not looking for “believers” - He is looking for followers - That is what a disciple is - A follower…..JMJ

Forgiveness is a gift and once we experience this gift, we are then able to give it away

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew about a conversation that took lace between Jesus and St Peter……The conversation was started as a result of a question that St Peter asked Jesus….“Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?”…..Jesus then proceeds to address the question with a parable…..In the parable Jesus says the following….”That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount”…For the purposes of this reflection, let’s focus on that statement……Only God can forgive our sins…and frankly that is the only thing God wants from us - Our sins - Jesus is God, he does not need anything from us - Not our money, not our service, not our time…While we should give to God freely of what was given to us out of love - God surely does not need what we have….But he does want our sins and we have the ability to give them to him in and through the Sacrament of Reconciliation……Jesus also stated in his parable that a “huge amount” of “debt” was owed to the king…..Let’s think about that for a moment….God the Father offered up is beloved son, who was flawless for the sins of the world…..Step back and think about that for a second…..Jesus was the perfect sacrifice and God in his love gave him up for sins of mankind…Now think about all the sins of mankind, the horrible injustices, the unspeakable acts, the crimes against humanity that scream for vengeance!…God, who is a Father gave up his flawless son for all of it…That is the “huge debt” spoken about in this parable and there is no way it could ever be payed back!……This is why God asks of us to forgive others….Jesus teaches us this by example from the Cross….“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”….Because of the “huge debt” humanity owes to God, a debt that can never be paid back - We must learn to forgive “our brother from your heart”….And this can only be accomplished with God’s grace….Some crimes committed against us are beyond our human strength to forgive…..But with God all things are possible and when we forgive our brother, most especially when the crimes committed against us were unjust and in the eyes of the world unforgivable - When we do what the unbelieving world deems “foolish”…We proclaim the message of the Gospel in a way words never can or could - And in turn we just may “win over” our brother, who will see something in you that was for a time unseen - That “something” is the life of Christ himself….To forgive is divine and the world finds the divine through those who find it in their heart to forgive

“Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior”

Our world today does not know how to forgive because it has not experienced forgiveness in a personal way…Let’s face it, working and earning a living is a not easy…The “world” does not give anything away - To forgive others is a “foreign idea” to the power brokers of this world…This is why many find it impossible to believe that God can forgive us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…But for those who lived lives outside of the Church and then came to their senses like the Prodigal son and returned “home”…These “prodigal people”, of which I am one, understand what it means to be forgiven - And the experience is life changing!…..When a person confesses their sins to a Catholic priest, this is a very real and tangible encounter with the living God…The unbelieving world does not and frankly cannot understand this until they experience it for themselves….So many people in our world today are carrying around huge burdens…Sins committed and sinful lifestyles take there toll on people - We can rationalize sin away all we want - It does not go away! - Until it is confessed Sacramentally…And unconfessed sin in many ways deforms people…..This is why people “change” from the people we once knew when we were young - Bad choices made and sins committed in adulthood steal from us - Only God can return us back to childlike innocence………Years ago I was flying for business to the California and ran into a good friend of mine from high school…Paul was always a great guy and I heard through mutual friends that he was discerning to become a Catholic Deacon…When I saw Paul at the airport, he was exactly the same guy I knew in high school…The same big smile - The same light in his eyes…..Paul had not changed one bit….At the time I was a practicing Catholic and I had seen many of my “old friends” make bad choices in adulthood and as a result, the joy of our youth was taken from them in a very real and tangible way…But not Paul….Paul was the same - Why? - Because Paul lived sacramentally - The life of Jesus Christ shined through him - It was obvious when I saw him after all those years….Only God can gives us this joy and only God can return us to the innocence of our youth…Do not let the world rob us of what is rightfully ours - Take back what is yours - Go to Confession and be made new!

“Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful”

Today in the Gospel at Mass, Jesus teaches St Peter about what it means to forgive….Forgiving someone is not easy, let’s face it…But when we live a life of grace, and God animates our life - What seems impossible can become possible……And when we regularly confess our own sins Sacramentally and feel the deep peace given to us by God himself as a result - This experience makes it easier to forgive others…..We can not learn how to forgive others by reading a book - We must first experience it for ourself….And when we do, we can then give what was given to us……”His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began”….All of humanity has fallen and that means all of us need to be forgiven…..Only God through the one Church he founded can give the world what it desperately needs…..”I absolve you of your sins - In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” - “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven”…..You can’t “fake it” nor can you self manufacture God’s forgiveness….Forgiveness is a gift and once we experience this gift, we are then able to give it away………………………….JMJ

You worry about you

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke about Jesus talking to a group of people from his home town of Nazareth…You would think the people who knew him best would accept what he had to say….But they did not…..He told them something rather interesting…The Jewish people were set apart by God….Yet, Jesus demonstrated to the crowd through concrete examples given to them from Scripture that while God set the Jewish people apart as the chosen people….God did not come to them many times in their need - Instead he came to the aide of foreigners…..”Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian”……As Catholics we are taught in the catechism that salvation is only found through the Catholic Church - We are saved through our Baptism and the Church…Yet, the next sentence of the Catechism is often over looked….“Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men” (CCC 847-848)…In addition, contained in the documents of Vatican II (Lumen Gentium) a similar statement is made - “Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or his Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with his grace strive to live a good life. Whatever good or truth is found amongst them is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the gospel (16).”……..We only “know what we know” and God is the judge of that - Not us….God is perfectly merciful and perfectly just…That means he is the one and only judge, as far as what a person knew to be true and what they honestly did not……This is why we have no right to judge others…As I tell my five children when they fight with each other and find fault with one another…I tell them repeatedly - “You worry about you”…..God tells you and I the same thing - You worry about you!

“I hope in the LORD, I trust in his word; with him there is kindness and plenteous redemption”

If you ever go to a funeral in America, you will find that everyone believes that the person who died is in heaven, regardless of the life they lead…This is a very human reaction to death but it also is not in line with perennial Catholic teaching….The Catholic Church is very clear regarding how one goes to heaven, so was Jesus Christ…..We as human beings have no authority to change what cannot be changed…However, we cannot read the hearts of men - Only God can...With that said, the Natural Law is written on the human heart….And Jesus tells us very clearly…..”So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them”…….He then goes on to say in the Gospel of John…”I have other sheep* that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd”…..As a Catholic, we must pray and give witness to the Truth, which is Jesus Christ…We are also saved through the teachings of the Church - Some may say why is that true?…For one, Jesus founded the Church and gave it authority…Secondly, we are all sinners and when we sin we must reconcile our sins to God, which can only be done Sacramentally….We are also fed by the Body and Blood of Christ, which gives us spiritual nourishment to carry our cross and live a holy life…Now if for some reason a person is not Catholic and lives according to the Natural Law, which is written on their heart - God will judge them accordingly….Our job is not to judge - Our job is to give a witness, which will make the unbelieving world question why they too are not Catholic when they see our peace and joy……This is why only saints change the world…The witness of a holy life is the “spark” that causes people to question bad choices….I have seen this first hand when I was the driver for Mother Teresa’s sisters in New York City before I was married…..People from every walk of life, some who lived very bad lives, when they encountered the Missionaries of Charity and saw how they lived and what they did for the poorest of the poor…Many of these people changed - Some even requested to be baptized…Again, I have seen this with my own two eyes..In fact, my time serving the poor closely with Mother Teresa’s sister changed me forever….Words can never do this - Only an authentic Catholic witness can…This is our task - As Catholics our first priority in life should be to strive to become a holy person…This is how God can use us - This is how we change the world - Person to Person - One person at a time!

“Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on And bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place”

Today at Mass in the Gospel we hear about Naaman the Syrian and a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon…These two individuals were not Jews, which means they were not part of God’s chosen people - Yet, God came to their aide…This should tell us something…We as Catholics must view all people as children of God - Why? - Because they are!….Our Catholic faith is a gift and because we have been given such a gift, its for us to share it with the world….For those who do not accept what the Catholic faith teaches, that is for God to judge….Our “job” is to give the best example possible of what it means to be Catholic to the world around us…And we accomplish that only by God’s grace…..Again, our “job” is to allow God’s grace to animate our life…God then takes care of the rest……The words of Christ tell us very clearly…..”I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd”……Let God be the judge of who the “other sheep” are, who “do not belong to the fold” - In the mean time as I tell my children - You worry about you…..JMJ