You don’t “plant dandelions” and expect an oak tree to grow!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading, St Paul writes a letter to the Ephesians….He tells them something that many in America have forgotten….As well as Europe and Canada for that matter…And because this has been forgotten….We see what we see today all around us….CHAOS…..What has been forgotten? - God is the great unifier - “The glue”…And without the “The glue”…Society fractures and spirals into CHAOS…….”You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”…..The word Catholic means universal….Think about it….As Catholics in America, we share the same world view as people all over the world….Africa, South America, China, Russia…..It’s our belief in God - The Father of us all - That unifies us....Look at the first apostles that Jesus chose…Amongst the twelve were two men who would NEVER have gotten along if it was not for Jesus…..St Matthew was a tax collector and considered a trader to the Jewish people…Remember, all of the original twelve apostles were Jewish…And one of the original twelve, as Scripture describes him today in the Gospel was “Simon who was called a Zealot”……The word “zealot” means Simon was a revolutionary…Remember again, the people of Israel at the time were under the yolk of Roman occupation…..Simon “called the Zealot” means he was actively fighting Rome, which means he would have HATED St Matthew because he was a tax collector and essentially “worked” for the Roman Empire, which was oppressing the Jewish people…..It was only Jesus who could have brought these two men together and unite them…..And because America, Europe, Canada - Formerly deeply religious nations, have turned their backs on God…Let’s not “fool” ourselves either…Countries that are kill children in the womb (in some cases up and until birth, in the third trimester of pregnancy), support same sex marriage, and legalize usury, which oppresses the working poor - These are NOT God centered nations!…That being the case…How can we expect our people to “get along”?…..Not going to happen! - Until once again - Christ Jesus is the “capstone”….And that reality is reflected in our laws - or - Its not reflected in our laws - And then YOU get what YOU get", which is what we have today - CHAOS……You don’t “plant dandelions” and expect an oak tree to grow!

“Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles”

Religion molds culture and culture molds politics….So many today get it wrong - Because we get it backwards!…People expect to “vote” our society into place - Without first building a foundation….Jesus tells us very clearly in Scripture…..“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined”…Before we “fix the politics” of America - We need to fix the culture, which is shaped by the family and our education system….The family unit in America is deeply fracture…Close to 55% of American marriages end in divorce, which leaves children broken, wounded and lost…..It also is a leading cause of poverty….How can we have a “healthy” nation when an overwhelming majority of our people are negatively effected by broken marriages…..How about the American Public Education system?….God has been “shown the door” and radical ideologies have been introduced….Homosexuality and Same Sex marriage has been normalized - Transgenderism has been introduced as a “life choice”….Our children are sexually active in their early teen years and our public education system normalized that behavior as well…How on earth are these children going to grow up and know what it means to have a lasting and stable family!?! - The answer is - They are NOT…..Families that have God at their center work!!!!…And families that don’t - well - The statistics speak for themselves - They do not work!…..So stop with all the talk about voting and politics - Just stop!!!!…We are putting the “horse before the cart”….You don’t “plant dandelions” and expect an oak tree to grow!…….JMJ

“Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message”

All this and more…..Comes from a “small seed”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke the story of the mustard seed….The smallest of seeds when planted becomes a large bush…..At our Baptism, we were grafted into the life of Christ….A “small act” but a VERY significant one….When we were baptized, a “seed” was planted within our soul…But if we do NOTHING, that seed will remain just a seed…Its then for our parents to ensure we are educated and raised in the Catholic Faith…And then at some point, we must make the faith our own as an adult…Then the journey of a life time begins! - And God’s plan for us from the beginning of time starts to take shape…But we still must cooperate…How?…..Daily Prayer - Weekly Fasting - Monthly Sacramental Confession - Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace….If we do those things consistently and persevere in doing them - God will take care of the rest! - TRUST ME….Our “small seed” will grow….And bear fruit for the Kingdom of God….We do not even know how or what “our tree” from that “small seed” will look like - Only God knows…But that is not our concern…Our concern is to do “the basics” - YES - The spiritual practices I noted above are BASICS…..Being Catholic is not some esoteric belief system for the few - Its for EVERYONE…ANYONE can do what I just noted above and if we do - Christ will LIVE in us - And our life will be FAR from mediocre….The public ministry of Jesus was only three short years…And fast forward two thousand years later - The Catholic Church is all over the world…It has endured tyrants, scandal, and persecution…And here we are……What makes YOU think the same thing cannot happen in your life?…..What we lack is faith - What we lack is courage - And we “hold on too” mediocrity, which takes the form of “comfort”…..”Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened”…If we only take Jesus’s words seriously today - Then our “one seed” WILL shake the foundations of the world - If only we cultivate it - That one simple seed…That is all we have to do! - Cultivate it! - God does the rest!

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

In the Book of Revelation, we are told in the Kingdom of Heaven , we will be given new name…A name only God knows…..That name in many ways is symbolic of the person we were born to be - Or better put - To become if we cooperate with God’s Sacramental Grace here on earth…Each of us have God given talents and if we nurture those talents and give them over to God in service of the Kingdom - We will be transformed and in the process, we will transform others….This my friends is the meaning of life…Not to “get rich”…Not to achieve “this or that”…Its simply to become who we were born to be from the very beginning of time…To “live up” to that “new name” that God will give us when we stand before him………..As a young man, especially while I was in college, I lived a party lifestyle….All my friends were wild guys who were the “life of the party”…When I came home from college, I made a personal decision to live as a Catholic because before that decision, I clearly was not living as I should…Fast forward three decades….I am now a completely different person….I go to Mass just about every day….I go to confession every other week….I pray the Rosary daily with my wife and children…I have five children, all under the age of twelve years old….If you told me this is the person I would become, say at the age of twenty while in college - I would have laughed in your face - And so would my friends at the time…..Recently one of my college roommates passed away and I attended a memorial service for him…At the service I saw many of my old friends…Many of them I had not seen in awhile, but they had heard about my Catholic transformation…To say it was strange to see these people after all those years is an understatement….These were people I knew at one time in my life very well but now they looked at me as a complete stranger - And I looked at them the same…..Interestingly enough, if I were honest, I am still not where I need to be - I am far from being a saint!….Our conversion to God takes place everyday - God is STILL working on me….And I must cooperate…How?…I will say it again…..Daily Prayer - Weekly Fasting - Monthly Sacramental Confession - Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace…..The Basics!……And God will take care of the rest……“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna; I shall also give a white amulet upon which is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it”…….All this and more…..Comes from a “small seed”…..JMJ

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

Oil and Water do not mix - Neither does God and the material world

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading in St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians - He tells them how a Catholic is to live….”Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones, no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God”…..Now - Think about those comments made by St Paul and ask yourself…How would they translate in the world of business today?….In the world of power?…..If we were honest - Not too well…So what does that tell us? - That this is not our “world” - “This world” and those who “thrive” in it play by a “different set of rules”…And because of that, they “thrive” in the here and now…And here is the part no one wants to hear - AND YOU MOST PROBABLY WILL NOT!!!!…..Its human nature to want to have “the best of both worlds” - To be a faithful Catholic and thrive in the here and now materially and have God as well…The reality of the matter is - If we follow Christ and do what St Paul tells us today - We most likely will not thrive in the here and now - Sorry to be the bearer of bad news….”The world” does not honor the things that St Paul talks about in this reading…Kindness - Compassion - Forgiving others….So that means we must make a choice…Are you willing to “walk the narrow road" that leads to heaven?…Think long and hard before you answer - Because if you do…Know this - That “narrow road” is full of “stones” and “thorns”….Are you still willing to walk it? - Is it worth it?….To answer those questions in one word - YES!….."So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God."

“Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth”

There is an old saying in America - “Nice guys finished last”….And if I were to be honest - There is “some” truth to that statement…..If you see the world purely from a secular and materialistic lens - As many do - That statement is very accurate…..This world does not reward virtue…Try being “virtuous” around the boardroom table of a Hedge Fund on Wall Street - See how far that gets you!…..But here is the part of that statement, which is not captured….When we live differently from the world - As we all know - Catholics are to be “in the world but not of the world”…We have a deep peace and joy - The likelihood of having a solid and strong family and living “according to the rules of the world” is slim to none…How can I make that statement? - Look at how many divorces “power brokers” go through - How their children want nothing to do with them - Now of course there are exceptions to that rule - But if we are honest - What I just stated happens a lot!…..Now, say we do as St Paul tells the Ephesians today at Mass…..”Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma”…You may not become rich…or….Marry a movie star…But you will have peace - You will find a good woman, who loves you for who your are - You will have stability in your home and family - Your children will love you - You will have deep and lasting joy that can overcome any hardship the world throws at you - Not a bad “trade off”!…So I guess we have to make a choice right?….When you think about it - Life is all about choices….And if you do not agree with what I just wrote….Let’s look to the words of Jesus Christ, who also addresses this matter…..…”The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’t If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me”……So we MUST make a choice - Choose well - There is no “sitting on the fence" either because no choice is a choice……Oil and Water do not mix - Neither does God and the material world……….JMJ

“Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. So do not be associated with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light”

WRONG - Not going to happen - Without Sacramental grace

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew…Jesus “boils down” what it means to be a Catholic in two sentences……"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments”….Simple right?!?…..Wrong!…..How many idols we create while giving “lip serve” to this commandment?…..How many times we treat our neighbors harshly, in word and deed, in one given day!?!…..So how do we do this?….The answer - YOU CANNOT - Unless you live a Sacrament life…This is what the Protestants get WRONG…..So many claim to be Christians in the world…But “believing” in Jesus is NOT the criteria…Its all about how we live - Its about DOING….And we CANNOT live out the first two Commandments without Sacramental grace…..This is what is missing for so many….Going to confession regularly, once a month as the saints recommend, and receiving the Eucharist as often as possible in the state of grace…So easy RIGHT?!?…If it is easy, why are we not doing it?……..When we can SEE Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - We then will see him in our neighbor - Then we in turn will treat our neighbor as we should…Until that happens - NOT GOING TO HAPPEN - Not in our families - Not in our neighborhoods - Not in our politics - Not in our nation!...You disagree? - Before you do - Think long and hard…Still disagree? - Then I say to you - You do not understand human nature, particularly your own…….In the second reading today at Mass - St Paul reminds us of this reality…..”You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia”…People believe what they SEE…You can have all the answers - Know the Catholic faith, reciting “chapter and verse” all day long - You can quote passages from the Bible all day!…But if people do not SEE goodness in you - Dare I say - SEE Christ in YOU….They will NOT become “imitators” of us, as St Paul tell us today….That witness requires Sacramental Grace - This is what the Protestants get wrong - And so do many Catholics…We are only human - A fallen race of people - And because of that Jesus established a Church and in that Church - He gave us the “medicine” for the fallen world….And “that medicine” is the Sacraments…Without “that medicine - We die!

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him”

Recently I was on a line after Mass in New York City to go to Confession - The line was rather long too - Praise God!….As I was waiting, the janitor, who worked for the Church we were in addressed us all on the Confession line…..”Why are you confessing your sins?” - This man was well intentioned but clearly was a fall away Catholic now “caught up” in some Protestant ideology…I can say that because I have encountered this before - I know their rhetoric very well….So I said to this man, as everyone on the line watched and listened - “How are you going to do what Jesus tells us in the Bible without Sacramental grace?”…..I went on - “St James tells us in Scripture - “Faith without works is dead”….You are going to love your enemies - without Sacramental grace?….You are going to forgive others - without Sacramental grace?…You are going to do all the “hard things” Jesus asks of us without grace?”….The man did not say a word - And looked rather stunned!….The reality of the matter is - When we confess our sins regularly, not only are they forgiven, but God gives us grace to overcome our sins….That is how we grow in virtue and become a holy people…And when we confess our sins regularly…We live in a state of grace…And when we live in this manner - When we receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass - There are no obstacles (i.e. mortal sins) that prevent the efficacy of the Sacrament to penetrate our souls….When we live in the state of grace - Our human will is strengthen to resist sins, we would usually fall prey too…When we live in the state of grace - Our eyes are OPEN to the many “traps” set by the devil in everyday life and because we can SEE those traps, we do not fall into them…..That is what I told this janitor in the back of the Church who felt the need to “lecture” us about going to confession - In a Catholic Church no less!…And he did not say one word as I told him all that….Not one word!……Jesus tells us in Scripture…”Without me - You can do nothing”…Today we are given the two most important commandments - The mistake of far too many - Saying and thinking they can live according to the teachings of Christ - On their own, without the aide of the Sacraments…..As I told that janitor in the back of the Church - I will tell the readers of this reflection - WRONG - Not going to happen - Without Sacramental grace……JMJ

"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

God draws straight lines from the crooked lines of life

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus breaks it all down into one word…..REPENT….Have we forgotten this?…..or…Do we think salvation is just “a given”? - If I were honest, I think both situations have poisoned the American Christian mind - And the mind of the world…Jesus today tells us otherwise….That we must repent…And how do we tell if someone has repented?…..Their life bears fruit…and…What happens if their life does not bear fruit?…..They will die in their sins and guess what that means?….They will not enter into heaven…Some may read this reflection today and say…”You are so negative”…But read the words of the Gospel on the page!!!!!….Its not me saying these things - Its Jesus!!!!…Do we hear him? - Do his very words (not my words) even register in your mind and heart?….Ask yourself then if they do not - Why is that the case?

“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed  when the tower at Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty  than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree  but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also,  and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;  it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

There really is one goal to human life - To get to heaven - But this is not our goal…We “say” it is…But under all our words - Our goal is to be comfortable here on earth…We seek comfort in “political solutions” - In material wealth - In good food - “Nice” things - You get the picture…All the while we give lip service to God….We take for granted that getting into heaven is a “given”….That all we have to do is “tick the Catholic boxes” and we “get in”….Jesus is very clear today….Our lives must “bear fruit” and he uses the analogy of a fig tree to tell us, that the “fruit” of our life is the evidence that we have indeed repented of our sins….The two ideas go together organically - Those who repent - Live for God - And their life bears fruit for the Kingdom…And those who do not - Live selfishly - And “bear fruit” for themself…..Something else is addressed in this Gospel today…The idea how God “cultivates” the soil around the fig tree that does not bear fruit…..To a larger degree - That message applies to all of us! - We are NOT who we were born to be - YET - So God has to “cultivate” the soil around us…How does he do that?….Through suffering! - And we reject it…And in turn - We turn from God and look to “false Gods” - Politics - Material goods - Ideologies…You get the picture…We have to learn - I HAVE TO LEARN…To say “OK God” - To everything!!!! - Even suffering!…To know that we are not perfectly in union with the Lord - YET - And that God, in his love is “cultivating the soil” around us - And in ME….And that process requires suffering!….We need to STOP looking to “false gods” that “preach” the idea that heaven can be achieved here on earth - NOT GOING TO HAPPEN - We are in “the valley” and it will always be the valley until Jesus returns in His Glory!!!….We have NOT arrived where we need to be - YET - And God is at work!!! - Even as the world suffers….Purifying us - Transforming us…So that we “bear fruit”

“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live”

Do we realize that before we stand before God - The Beatific Vision - We must be made pure - Do we ever meditate on that reality? - Because it is reality…This is a perennial teaching of the Catholic Church…Not my “idea” by the way……So how does that happen?….The answer - “LIFE” happens - And God’s grace enters into LIFE…..That is how it happens!…..God uses everything that happens to us, even our sins to help us - As long as we cooperate with him….There is the “rub” - Mankind DOES NOT cooperate - He comes up with excuses - “IDEAS” - ideologies” - None of which can save him….Years ago, Mother Teresa’s sisters asked me to prepare a man they were caring for who was dying of AIDS to become Catholic…The man’s name (ironically enough) was Angel…..Angel lived a horrible life…Abandoned by his parents and raised by his grandmother…..Angel as a young man went to jail, was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and was violent……Angel also fathered many children, who he too abandoned…..Now Angel had AIDS and stated he wanted to be Catholic and get Baptized….So I was asked to teach Angel about the faith….So I did my best….I would meet with him during the week after work in the Missionaries of Charity Convent in lower Manhattan….And as I spoke to Angel, telling him about the teachings of the Church…I could tell - What I was saying was “going in one ear and out the other”….And while Angel lived in the AIDS Hospice the sisters ran - He would periodically get in trouble and the sisters would throw him out…He would always return, ask for forgiveness and the “cycle” would start over again….."Rinse - Wash - Repeat"......Fast forward - Finally Angel was baptized…And shortly there after, he left the AIDS Hospice to go and live in the Bronx on his own (upon his request)….Fast forward a few months…We heard that he was found dead in an apartment in the Bronx……Is Angel with God? - Who knows…..But what I can say is this - God allowed Angel to suffer - And his suffering “brought him to a place” in his life where he was open to get Baptized…And shortly thereafter - He died…God’s ways are not our ways...and….God draws straight lines from the crooked lines of life……JMJ

“And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming”

Makes sense?!? - Probably only makes sense to those who can “SEE”

Today at Holy Mass in the gospel of St Luke, Jesus asks an interesting question……”You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”……So many around us are blind…Blind to God - Blind to our neighbor…Bind to the Truth…All three stare us in the face!….What “gets in our way”?…What makes society blind?….In one word - Sin…..Unrepentant sin distances us from God - It makes us BLIND!…And only confessing our sins Sacramentally to Priest “removes the obstacles” that not only keep us from God but opens our eyes, so we can SEE…..Think about this for a moment…In America about 20% of the population is Catholic…From what I have read - 9% of that 20% go to Mass every Sunday - Of that 9% - How many Baptized Catholics actively go to Confession?…The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that a Catholic MUST go to confession with a Priest AT THE MINIMUM ONCE A YEAR…So let’s be charitable - Say 5% of the 9% of the Mass attending Catholics in America go to Confession…That means only 5% of America is living in the state of grace! - Think about that for a moment - Only 5 out of every 100 Americans have “eyes to see” - How can I claim that? - Because grace animates the human soul - Without Sacramental Grace - Our human will is significantly weakened and our "sight" is impaired….How can we navigate this world properly without “eyes to see”? - And what we “see” all around us speaks for itself - Just LOOK out your window - The consequences of unrepentant sin and a lack of “sight” - Its everywhere - Coast to Coast!…..Jesus tells us in the Scripture……”If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit”…And this is exactly what we “see” in America today….How can we expect Americans to vote properly? - We cannot even as a people determine that there are only two genders (Male and Female) - That marriage is between a man and woman - That a baby is viable in a woman’s womb and human life cannot be terminated in that womb under any circumstances - These things are BASICS!! - Yet we are blind to them…Why? - Sacramental Grace gives us sight - And far too many are not living in a state of grace in America….So don’t be surprised by what YOU SEE!

"Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom"

What is the “turning point” in a Catholics life? - When everything changes and our faith becomes real?….If I were to think about that - I would say - When a person “SEEs” Jesus - Body - Blood - Soul - And Divinity in the Eucharist…When that becomes a tangible reality - Everything changes….And when you SEE Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - You will SEE him in your neighbor…And SEEing Jesus in your neighbor - You will treat your neighbor like you would want to be treated…That is the “Turning Point”.....In St John’s Gospel we are told by Jesus something that many disregard - This statement says everything we need to know about what we SEE all around us today……..“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”…Once again - In America about 20% of the population is Catholic…From what I have read - 9% of that 20% go to Mass every Sunday - Of that 9% - How many Baptized Catholics actively go to Confession?…The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that a Catholic MUST go to confession with a Priest AT THE MINIMUM ONCE A YEAR…So let’s be charitable - Say 5% of the 9% of the Mass attending Catholics in America go to Confession…That means only 5% of America is living in the state of grace!…That means 95% of America, according to St John’s Gospel, have NO LIFE within them!!! - So how on earth are we to “interpret the present time?” - Not only is America blind - The large majority of our people are “dead on their feet”….And we expect them to vote properly? - To live properly? - To treat people properly?…….”If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit” - Right? - Makes sense?!? - Probably only makes sense to those who can “SEE”…JMJ

“Blessed are the pure of heart - For they shall SEE God”

So we too are called…To do what you say? - To set the world on fire!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus say something that is rather disturbing…..”Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”…..What does that say to me? - And to YOU? - Jesus is NOT interested in the lukewarm…As we know he tells us that point blank in the Scripture - But today’s message confirms it - Jesus means business!!! - How about us?….For those of us who are purveyors of the Truth - We know that the Truth divides…Its not for the faint of heart - For those who want to “go along to get along” - To live comfortable lives….The Truth spoken, even more shocking, the Truth lived out is frankly SHOCKING to society….Radically caring for the poor - Having many children on a modest income - Renouncing a comfortable life for a life of hardships at the service of others and the Church….When the world witnesses such a person - The world gets a glimpse of Christ - And to many - Such a sight is threatening and in some cases - And history shows us - People like that are eliminated….WHY? - Because the only real threat to the powerful of this world is the Truth radically displayed with reckless abandon…And this is the task of the Church….Not to “go along to get along” - And I will be perfectly honest…Lukewarm Catholicism nauseates me!…..It is good for nothing and the secular world - Just so you know mocks it…..For me - Its all of nothing!….These are the people I try to find within the Church….And these are the people, who as we hear Jesus say today in the Gospel - “Will set the world on fire”….To be like this - More importantly - To live like this…We must radically surrender - We must also have radical trust…What stops us from this mindset?….Two things - Fear and Doubt….We fear that God will not provide for us - We also doubt in the promises of Christ…..Only Sacramental Grace, weekly fasting and daily prayer can open us up to face our doubts and fears - Unlike the powerful of this world, who rely on raw cunning and intelligence - A Catholic must rely in grace alone - And as St Paul tells us….“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”…The problem is - We do not believe this - So we “hedge our bets”…..We are not convinced that God can do more with our life then we can - We are not convinced, even after we read about the lives of the saints, many of which were simple men and women, who did exactly what Jesus spoke about today in the Gospel - Radically surrendered to the Truth…What will convince us? - What will convert us?…..The answer - Grace!

“I consider all things so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him”

Before I was married, while working with the Missionaries of Charity, in India, Haiti, San Francisco & New York…..I realized as a man who lived “many lives” - Who has seen many places and people - Both the very rich and the poor….I had never met anyone like Mother Teresa's nuns….NO ONE even came close…Their lives were radical - Their surrender to Christ was total….And because of this - They bore fruit for the Kingdom of God…I knew this is the only way….This is how its done - This is what Christ did and each Catholic must do - In our own vocations, no matter what that vocation was - Priest - Married - Single….This is the narrow road to heaven….One day while serving in the convent in New York City, Sister Antonia MC told me story about one of the sisters she knew, who came from a wealthy French family…She was the only child of a rich couple and felt that she had a religious vocation…She told her parents at the age of sixteen...…”In two years I am going to leave you - You should adapt other children”…And true to her word - That is exactly what she did - She enter the Missionaries of Charity…Who does that????!!! - At the age of sixteen no less!!!….How can someone so young KNOW with such certainty, to give up their life like that so radically!!!….This example personifies what Jesus speaks about today in the Gospel….”From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father,  a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”…A life radically lived for Christ divides - It shocks people!!!!…But all the while - “It sets the world on fire!”…Each of us - The baptized of the world - We were not born to live mediocre lives - The seed of Baptism was placed in our soul - A “mark” that cannot be erased….So we too are called…To do what you say? - To set the world on fire!…….JMJ

“Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever”