God is not found in noise and “all that glitters is not gold”

Today the Universal Church commemorates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary…..This moment in time marks the beginning, in many ways, of God’s plan to save mankind….Mary was born without the smallest hint of original sin….Her heart mirrors PERFECTLY the heart of her son…..And Mary’s fiat - Her YES - To give birth to Jesus Christ echoes to this vey day……As the world was blinded by material pursuits, God choose a simple girl, someone no one even looked twice at, to be the Mother of God…..This all happened in plain sight of the rich and powerful - And they did not even think to look twice at Mary - They still don’t….Yet God through this common girl brought his son into the world…..In many ways this is how the Kingdom of heaven “operates”…It operates quietly, in plain sight, but sadly not noticed by most….The Kingdom of God does not shout - It does not have too…In the first reading today at Mass, the Prophet Micah, who pre-dates the birth of Mary tells us….”You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace”……Our world today is “searching” for God…Consciously or unconsciously - But searching none the less…..God is not found in the “shouts” - Or in the “noise” of we all surround ourselves with….God is found in the small and in the simple….In the women in the last pew of a church at Daily Mass….In the smile of a child…..In the family enjoying a Sunday afternoon in the park….We are looking for God in the wrong places!…..God choose Mary and for the most part - No one noticed….To this day, nothing has changed…..If we are to find God, we must make time for silence…To listen to the ever-small voice in our hearts….Its there we find Him….And if we want to keep Him - We must follow a “different path” from those who embrace “the noise”…..To this very day, Jesus comes to us under the guise of simple bread…He is very vulnerable in that humble state - Yet he comes to us anyway….This happens in plan sight and “the world” still does not notice….As the plan of salvation progresses forward!…..The purity of our heart determines what we “see” and don’t “see”…..Intellectually knowing something and seeing something are two very different things!

“Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God”

For those who work in “Corporate America”, we know how the powerful of this world “operate”….Only those with the “best” resumes get hired…”Money moves the dial” - And the “big show” of material wealth is the measure of a person's value…God however “operates” completely in a different way!….God choose Mary and Joseph to raise the Son of God…..They were “nobodies” in the eyes of the world!…Yet this is who God chose…All this happened in plain sight and for the most part - No one noticed!……Years ago I used to get my shirts for work dry cleaned professionally….On Saturday I would drop off and pick up my shirts…..In the window of the dry cleaner I would always see this Hispanic woman working quietly…She probably took the bus into town because clearly she could not afford to live where the dry cleaner was located…This is the woman who did all the work and no one gave her a second look!….Sometimes when I saw this woman, who clearly was very poor I would think to myself of Mary….Our Lady too was invisible - She was always in the “background”…Yet Mary - This ”invisible woman” changed the world with her YES!!!!….Do we “notice” those who society disregards?….Do we evaluate people based upon the standards of the materialistic world?……Mary and Joseph as the world frantically “raged” - Very quietly raised the Son of God!….”The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us” - And again - No one noticed….To this very day, Jesus Christ is not found and WILL NOT be found in NOISE…..If you ever go into a chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed…Something my wife and I do regularly, you will find that many of the people who are sitting in that chapel too are “nobodies”….People the world could “care less about”….But these are “God’s people”…And these are the people God works through - Quietly

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins"

Today the world rages on!……People will “chase after money”…..Argue over non-sense!…Concern themselves with superficial ideologies that will amount to nothing!….As all this happens, the Catholic Church commemorates the birthday of the most significant woman who ever was born - And most people have no clue!…..How ironic……”Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound”……God stands before us to this very day - We find Him in the Blessed Sacrament - But if our hearts are not clean - We will not see him there….How many people take for granted the gift of the Blessed Sacrament? - How many people walk by a Catholic Church in big cites all over the world and do not even give the Church a “second glance”?…..Years ago, I was helping two nuns set up for a Holy Hour in a Church in New York City…..When the Blessed Sacrament was exposed on the altar and the doors of the Church were opened….I looked at all the people walk by on the street - Only three of us were in the Church - me and the two nuns…I thought to myself….The Savior of the world is in this Church and all these people are “blind” to Him - They could care less!…..So it was on the day Mary was born - And so it is to this day….”Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God”…..God is not found in noise and “all that glitters is not gold”…….JMJ

Worry about yourself! - That is a “full time job”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke we hear about how the “scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely”…..Jesus taught before their eyes and clearly, at the minimum, they understood what this man said and did “cut people to the heart”…That did not matter!….They wanted to trap him!…..Do we give people “credit when credit is due” them?……..Social Media is filled with “short clips”….That includes Catholics Social Media…Many make a “living” out of “tearing down” Bishops and the Pope…”Sound bites” are extracted, without giving any context and agendas are broadcasted to the world….Why do we want to teardown?……The answer can only be found in our own hearts - Search for the answer - WHY!?!….Today in the Gospel Jesus knew he was being “watched”…He knew that if he helped this poor man on the Sabbath, that he would be criticized….And he helped him anyway!….Think for a moment of our Pope…He is no “dummy”…He knows that every single word he says is going to be dissected all over the world…Yet, he still gives of himself to the press and the throngs of people who hang on his every word…Speaking personally, I would not be as gracious!……Maybe that is why I am not the Pope!…..Upon reflection on the Gospel reading today - I thought to myself - Do I do what the scribes and the Pharisees do?….Do I “watch people closely” on social media - Looking for them to “slip up”?….And if they do - Do I pray for them? - Or - Do I criticize them? - Or, worse yet - Do I criticize them for money!…..We are all apart of the Body of Christ and if one of our members sins, this affects the entire body….How can we help each other?…First off, by not “jumping on top of the pile” in the social media “scrum” - By attacking others…Secondly, when we see this behavior - Do we pray for those who do “pile on”? - They may "think" they are “doing good” - May the Lord “open their eyes”!….Because healthy people do not behave in this manner…Listen, I am far from perfect - “I get it” - But to obsess about the sins of others 24/7…Something is wrong there - Look deep within your heart and address what is wrong - Take it to Jesus Sacramentally…..In this Gospel story today…Are we like Jesus? - Who helps a man, even when he knows he is going to be attacked?…Or…Are we like the scribes and the Pharisees, who find fault because Jesus did not do his “good deed” the way they wanted him too?……As I tell my children when they fight with one another and then tell me “who did what” and who should be blamed and who should get in trouble….I tell them this - Worry about yourself! - That is a “full time job”!

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

I go to confession two times a month….There is a parish behind my office in Manhattan where I attend daily Mass and they offer confession three days a week during my lunch hour - Thanks be to God!…One of the sins I find myself confessing over and over again is the sin of the Pharisees….I find myself saying this phrase, both with my words but also in my heart very often…”Those People!”….I think to myself….”Those people are so stupid”…Or….”Those people need to stay away from me”…..What I am actually doing when I say that, whether I admit it or not is…”I am better then “those people”….And that my friends is a sin!….And that is why I confess this over and over again - Asking God to heal me……Before I enter the confessional and I examine my conscience…This passage from scripture often comes to my mind……”He then 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.’ 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”…….Once I am finished with confession and the Priest absolves me, I realize I owe others the same mercy as I was just given…But sadly I fall back into the same “trap”…Over and over again…So I ask all those who read this reflection to pray for me!…..Intellectual, I know all the good we do is the result of God’s grace…Everything is a grace!….But being Catholic is not an “intellectual pursuit” - Its a way of life - Its an encounter with a person - Jesus Christ!…..”Knowing something” and “doing something” are two very different things - This is why we need to ask God for grace….And we get that grace by living Sacramentally, praying daily and fasting weekly……A little bit of mercy goes a long way….So….. “Be merciful just as your heaven Father is merciful”

“Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened”

Today in Luke’s Gospel from Mass we see another example of Jesus doing something good and the scribes and the Pharisees unfairly criticizing him…People love to criticize others…I do it to sadly - I too am in great need of God’s grace and mercy - So pray for me!…But do you ever notice?…That we mostly criticize people who “do not have their act together”….This makes us “feel good” about ourself - RIGHT?!?….Or…We we do this to “validate” OUR self - OUR agenda….Makes us “feel good” - RIGHT!?!…..This is an illness!!!! - And I speak for myself - I needed to be cured - Do you?…..God sees everything!!! - He knows how we “operate”….Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you….No one is perfect!….Once again….I am the father of five children under twelve years old…..When they fight with one another and then tell me “who did what” and who should be blamed and who should get in trouble….I tell them this - Worry about yourself! - That is a “full time job”!……….JMJ

The best sermon is a sermon that is lived!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel that a great responsibility has been placed upon our shoulders as Catholics…If we have been fully formed in our faith, we MUST live and educate others in the fullness of Truth….While the people who make up the Catholic Church are far from perfect (me being on the front of “that line”) the Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth - Which means the Church is PERFECT - In what it teaches….And if we have been formed in the Truth and do not proclaim it fully - WE WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE BEFORE GOD….This is not my “opinion”…We are told this today by the Prophet Ezekiel…. “You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. If I tell the wicked, "O wicked one, you shall surely die, "and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself”…The fullness of Truth must be proclaimed…We are NOT doing anyone any favors by “glossing over” the “hard parts” of what the Church teaches….Or even worse, being intentionally ambiguous when preaching what the Church teaches…At the end of the day…People know only what they know…And God will judge us accordingly…But God also knows what is in our hearts…That also goes for if we use the fullness of the Truth as a weapon to harm others…The Truth must be spoke with charity, said for the good of our neighbor…….Weaponizing the Truth is a sin and does no one any good……As Catholics we are called to…KNOW the Truth - SPEAK the Truth - LIVE the Truth - And if required, SUFFER for the Truth…..The Deposit of Faith does not belong to us - Our job is to simply “pass it on” - As it is - Doing so with love for our neighbor in our heart

 

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

In America, as well as in the countries of Europe…Mortal sins have become mainstreamed….No fault divorce; usury, same sex marriage, abortion upon demand - to name a few…These sins are abominations to God - All capital sins!…And today our people do not even “blink” at them any more….Do we “think” God does not see what we are doing?….That God somehow “understands” and that everything is simply “ok” without the need for change?….Now, when was the last time you heard a homily from the pulpit addressing these capital sins?…How about a homily about the harm contraception has done to marriages and how contraception leads a society to abortion? - When was the last time you heard that?…..Now, I am not “picking” on the Catholic clergy - I am just stating a fact - I have eyes and ears - And what I just stated is sadly a fact…This is why we as Catholics must pray for our priests and bishops….Do you fast and pray for the Church?….Every Wednesday, my wife and I fast for the Church….If you are a Catholic and are frustrated by what you see going on in the Church - In the clergy and the laity - I state that because Catholic Social Media is full of such voices….My advice is to FAST aggressively for the Church one day a week…Remember the words from the Book of Leviticus before you “post” something on social media negative about the Catholic Church and its clergy…..“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him”…..Speaking the fullness of Truth is required of us as Catholics - Bishops, Priests, and Lay Catholics - NO ONE is exempt of this grave responsibility - But if the Truth is not spoken with charity - We not only bring sin upon our self - We also are not helping our neighbor, in fact, we probably making matters worse!…..”Clarity with Charity”….And leave the rest to God…..St Paul said it best…”If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing”

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law”

Today at Mass we are reminded of the responsibility we have been given by God as Catholics….How is the world going to know the Truth if we do not proclaim it?…..So many people today no long know how to live - Just look out your window!!!….How is society going to know how to live properly if we as Catholics first do not witness a “good life” by the way we live ourselves to others around us?…..Actions speak the loudest…If we are not living what the Church teaches - How are we supposed to “think” the secular world around us is going to embrace the Catholic faith?…..The best way to teach the faith is by example - And this requires Sacramental grace, daily prayer and fasting…..People believe what they see!!!….The best sermon is a sermon that is lived!……JMJ

“I must decrease and He must increase”

Today the Universal Church celebrates the Feast Day of St Teresa of Kolkata…..Known to the world as Mother Teresa…..The order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, is active to this day in 133 countries…..Mother Teresa took Jesus at his word…She radically “stepped out” into the “deep”…How about us?….Jesus Christ was a revolutionary - The most radical man who ever lived…As Catholics, we too are called to be radical - To love radically….Today at Holy Mass in the first reading St Paul tells his friends….”What do you possess that you have not received?……At our Baptism, we were grafted into the life of Christ - Do we realize the gift which was given to us?…Mother Teresa did - She radically abandoned her life to God…..When we die and stand before God…All the good we have done will be shone to us - Also all the bad….God will also show us the good we COULD have done - If only we trusted him more….Each of us were born to become saints - Mother Teresa understood this - What Vatican II calls “the universal call to holiness”…..Mother Teresa left her family at eighteen years old to become a nun….And in her late thirties she felt another call - To serve the poorest of the poor…At the time Mother Teresa was a high school principal at an affluent all girls school in Kolkata…She loved what she did…..Her life was very comfortable…But once again, she radically chose Christ, leaving everything behind - AGAIN!….Comfort is the enemy of a holy life - “Write that one down”….To live radically for Christ - To radically abandon our plans - Our dreams - And to pour out our life - This is the path to holiness!…..And that “path” will “steal our comfort”…..Are we willing to go there?…..This is how we become saints….Not by “reading”…Not by “speaking” - But by doing!…..Fueled by Sacramental grace, fasting, daily prayer…..Our world today needs witnesses…..The secular / unbelieving world is not interested in our Catholic Sermons - NO ONE CARES!!!! - However, the secular world will be “rocked” to the core by the witness of sacrificial love - This is what Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity did and do….Their witness unsettles a world blinded to God and his Church…..This “witness” only happens because the sisters are willing to give up their comfort and live radically…As St Paul reminds his friends today at Mass in the first reading….”For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and men alike. We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands. When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment”…If we want to “change the world” as Catholics - We can not be like “the world”….And to love radically is the only way that happens…..Sacrificial love witnessed “stops traffic” - It reflects Christ and it is that “reflection” that changes hearts of stone into hearts of flesh

“Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self. Mother Teresa”

Years ago before I was married I backpacked through Vietnam and Cambodia…It was Sunday and I was in Phnom Penh Cambodia…I was able to find the only Catholic Mass in the city…A French Missionary Priest presided over the Mass in an open room on the second floor of a building that looked more like a warehouse…There were no pews, everyone sat on the floor…I was one of three non-Cambodians in the room….As I sat on the floor, in walks the Missionaries of Charity Sisters and as Providence would have it, they sat on the floor right next to me…My experience in Cambodia was in many ways a beginning of a new chapter of my life and that encounter with the Missionaries of Charity was a “beginning” of what became a seven year odyssey that took my around the world….The sisters and I spoke and exchanged addresses and for a time we wrote letters back and forth…They convinced me to go to Kolkata - And the following year - That is what I did…..I served the poor at the Home for the Dying and Destitute in Kolkata for three weeks…And from those three weeks spent in Kolkata, I made my way to their home in Manhattan, where I was the Saturday driver for seven years….I also returned to Kolkata five more times…Each time God had something “new” to show me…..Catholics MUST put their faith into action…..And when we serve the poor - We serve Jesus……There are many ways to encounter Christ….One of those ways is to serve the poor…Jesus tells us in St Matthews Gospel….What you did to the least - You did to ME!……..As Americans we have NO IDEA how hard life is for billions of people around the world - NO IDEA!…..And its very easy to forget these poor souls….One thing is for certain - God does not forget them…And he sees what we do and what we do not do to help our fellow man….Put your Catholic faith into action!….Do not conform to this age - But transform it…Not by words - But by your actions!

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me”

Mother Teresa was declared a saint for many reasons…But under all that she did - What Mother Teresa did that most people will not do is - She radically and reckless trusted Christ…Even when the world did not understand her - Even when the Catholic Church did not understand her - And she did all this to the detriment of her own comfort….This is what we must be willing to do - Are you willing to go there?…..The first year I went to serve the poor with the Missionaries of Charity in India I got very sick…For two days I laid in bed in the apartment I rented in Kolkata….. I had a fever, the pollution of the city effected by respiratory system, I had dysentery….I remember laying in my bed thinking…”God - Did you call me here to kill me?”…I got no answer - But I knew deep in my heart that was not the “Plan”…Once I regained my strength and was about to return to America…I spoke to a French volunteer…He too was there to serve the poor…He was an older man, a watch maker by trade…I told him how sick I got and that I would never come back to Kolkata again…This man listened to me very closely and simply said….”You will return”…At the time I thought he was crazy to say that…But he was right…I went back to Kolkata five more times!…..As Mother Teresa famously said - “For love to be real - It must cost us - It must empty us of our self”…..Listen up!!!! - Because that was Mother Teresa secret!!!!…And that too is the “blue print” we as Catholics must follow, no matter what state in life we have been called too…..”I must decrease and He must increase”….JMJ

Live for an audience of one…..Only one “Thumbs Up” matters

Today at Holy Mass St Paul once again addresses the Corinthians….He tells them to live for an “audience of one”….That no other opinion matters except God’s opinion - Is this how we live?….Social Media is all about “self affirmation”…..Finding people who “LIKE” us, agree with us and in turn make us feel important….The entire world can be against you and if God is for you - That is the ONLY thing that matters!….”Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God”…..Every word that comes out of our mouth - Every action performed….Everything we fail to do…God sees!….God also knows the intentions behind everything we do…Why do we contribute to Catholic Social Media?….God knows why and that is all the matters…The same goes for “assuming bad intentions” about others….That is not our job nor do we know the hearts of others…Our “job” is to worry about our intentions - Ensuring they are pure - Repenting when they are not - Persevering even when no one cares to listen…..And if everyone is listening - Not letting it “get to our head”…….Is this what we do? - Because this is what we should be doing…..And God knows our heart, even if others do not……Jesus was a man who was deeply misunderstood - Even by his closest friends…As Catholics, if we are following Christ the way we are all called too, we also will be misunderstood…..Are you willing to be misunderstood?……Live for an audience of one…..Only one “Thumbs Up” matters

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

Are you willing to leave the ninety-nine in search of the one?…..Jesus did this time and time again…..Mother Teresa established the first Hospice for men who had full blown HIV in the world in New York City…At the time, AIDS was a death sentence….No one wanted to go near these men…Gay men infected with AIDS were modern day lepers…Mother Teresa saw past the judgments of the world and took these men in - For years these men died under the care of the Missionaries of Charity…Many of them came to Christ as a result - Many were Baptized as well….While the world “judged”, the Missionaries of Charity “rolled up” their sleeves and simply loved these men - They did not affirm bad behavior - They simply cared for men who needed care - They let their actions do the talking!…..I served in this home for seven years and I have witnessed miracles (with a lower case “m”)…Hardened men - Public sinners - Outcasts - People the world ignored…I witnessed many of these men convert and request to be Baptized - In fact, I am the God-Father to one of them who read at my Wedding Mass…..How did this happen?…..In that Hospice run by Mother Teresa - There was no judgment…Only love put into action…People do not care what you know until they know how much you care….The best “sermon” is to go out of your way and feed a hungry family…An empty stomach has no “ears”!

“The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress. And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him”

Today St Paul, a great man by every measure, tells his friends not to judge him - That only God can judge him…..The same goes for us….God knows our intentions and what is in our heart…."There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops”…Before we hit the “send” button on our computer - Do we think of the words we are about to “post”?….St Paul reminds us today…Live for an audience of one - Only God’s opinion matters!……”It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord”…..When a person lives as St Paul instructs us today - There is great freedom - There is also great power found in living in this manner as well…..Catholics should not belong to “any camps”…..Do you “identify” as a Republican? - Do you “identify” as a conservative? - Do you “identify” as a nationalist - Do you “identify” as a “TRAD”? - Do you “identify” as a “Progressive Catholic”?……”Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God”…….Live for an audience of one…..Only one “Thumbs Up” matters….JMJ

”For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God”

Today at Holy Mass in the first readings St Paul in his letter to the Corinthian people tells them about true wisdom….Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit……It is very different from raw analytical intelligence…A person can be off the charts brilliant and lack wisdom…Wisdom is a gift……Paul tells the people of his day and also tells us……”Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: God catches the wise in their own ruses, and again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain”…….Have you ever spoken to a very worldly person about your Catholic faith? - The life decisions you make - Such a person thinks Catholics are completely crazy….We make absolutely no sense to them….Yet today, the great St Paul tells us that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness”…..Tell that to a Wall Street Banker!…..When Jesus Christ returns, and he will, the power structures of the world will be turned completely upside-down!!!….The very thought should terrify us in more ways than we even realize!…..Think for a moment of Jesus’ teaching in the Beatitudes….Blessed are the meek….Blessed are the poor in spirit…Is he crazy? - The answer is NO…And when Jesus returns, those who are not meek and those who are not “poor in spirit” and those who are not peace makers will be in BIG trouble…..As Catholics, we must aspire to live by the wisdom of God as opposed to the wisdom of the world…We must be willing to be a “fool for Christ”…Our life should be viewed as a contradiction to the secular world around us…People should look at you and your life and say…How do you do it! - Are you CRAZY?….And our answer to them should then be - I am a disciple of Jesus Christ - The man who conquered death….The very idea of conquering death is “foolish” - Right?!?…But it happened…..So much for being “foolish”

“Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men”

Growing up I knew a man by the name of Patrick Fahey…..Patrick had eight children…If you did not know Patrick, you probably would have thought he was crazy person…He rode his bike to the store, he never owned a car….He was always happy, in fact, I never saw him without a smile on his face…And Patrick’s life was far from easy…He was not a rich man, far from it, and for the most part his children were not “choir boys” - I know, I was friends with them!…But Patrick was always smiling….Over the years Patrick became very well known in our town….Everyone knew him because Patrick spoke with everyone..He worked as a crossing guard well into his eighties and rode his bike to work everyday (rain or shine)…When he died, many people came to his funeral, I being one of them…..This “fool for Christ” taught us all…Just being living and smiling

“He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob”

As many know, St Paul was a sophisticated man…Educated and a leader amongst the Jews…Once he encounter Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life changed…I am sure many of St Paul’s “old friends” thought him to be crazy…..In many ways, the measure of our life as Catholics should be the same…If we are just like the rest for the world, we surely are not following Jesus Christ…..Secular people should look at our life and think we are CRAZY….Because our choices contradict the “wisdom” of this world…Catholics do not use contraception - Catholics forgive - Catholics have many children - Catholics are faithful to their spouses….Catholics are kind to all….All these traits will make secular people think you are a fool….So be it - Be a fool for Christ….Do not seek to blend in - But instead “stand out”…..Our life as Catholics should make absolutely no sense to the secular world….No sense at all….If you find yourself in that “bucket” - Blessed are you - For the Kingdom of God is at hand……”For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God”….JMJ

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity” - Words to live by

Today at Holy Mass St Paul addresses the Corinthians…The Church is divided into factions - Sound familiar?…Paul attempts to reason with the various factions…..Today our Church in many ways is no different….Look at Catholic Social Media….How can this be?….Each of us should be on guard for this very real danger…..St Augustine addressed the same issue Paul addressed today… “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity”…..Is this what you see on Catholic social media?……The Sacraments should unite us all…Why? - Because we ALL need them…..When we go to Mass - Do we hear the words of the Creed, which we all recite before we receive the Blessed Sacrament?….”I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come”…..If you believe all the words of the Creed, and are in the state of grace - You are free to receive the Blessed Sacrament…But if you do not believe these words - You should not receive the Eucharist….And pray and reflect as to what your “issue” is……We do not get to personally define what the Church is…The Catholic Church belongs to Jesus Christ…We are just members…The Deposit of Faith is not to be “manipulated” like lawyers manipulate words in corporate board rooms…The Deposit of Faith is actually very simple and easy to understand - Sadly, we make what is simple complex…..Sadly, when I “scroll” through the many voices on Catholic Social Media, what I see is described today by St Paul to the letter!…..And St Paul gives us the answer to this current dilemma………”What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God’s co-workers;  you are God’s field, God’s building”……Pray for the Church - Pray and Fast for her…That we all may be one!

“The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives”

Before I was married, I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters in Manhattan for seven years…I was their driver on Saturday….The Missionaries of Charity are many things - One of those things, they are fiercely obedient - To the Church - To what the Church teaches in the Catechism - To their superiors…..Over the years I got to be good friends with many of the sisters…I remember what Sister Vineeth told me about the call to prayer..”When the bell rings for prayer - The bell is the voice of God - You drop everything”…..Is this how we approach what the Church teaches?….The Catechism of the Catholic Church, if you ever take the time to read it is very clear….For the life of me I do not know how there can be so much confusion in the Church - Yet there is - And I know why?….Because of our fallen human nature….This is why we must all fast regularly and pray daily…This is why we must go to confession monthly and receive the Blessed Sacrament often…..Simply reading the Catechism will not bring unity in the Church - Only Grace can do this…And we must avail ourselves to this Grace…So our “eyes can see” - And our “ears can hear”

“Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down; he sees all mankind”

Today at Mass we hear how St Paul tries to bring unity amongst the believers….Arguably one of the biggest scandals to ever rock the Christian faithful, are the many divisions that have been created…From the Protestant Reformation - To Martin Luther - To the many “camps” within the Catholic Church today….SCANDAL!!!…There is no such thing as “Conservative Catholics” - “Liberal Catholics” - “Progressive Catholics” - “Traditional Catholics”…….And any Christian denomination outside of the Catholic Church was created by “man” and has absolutely no authority - NONE!….Jesus Christ was one man - Who created one Church…"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it”…..But knowing humanity as Jesus did and does to this day, he understands what happens to us….We make complicated what is so simple!…More reason why we need to pray and fast….And to live Sacramentally….Without grace - We fail….Its that simple!…….One of the last prayers Jesus prayed before he was killed addresses unity within the family of believers…."I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me”…..Is the division we see today in the Church - The Church’s problem? - Or is the problem within us?……“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity” - Words to live by….JMJ