”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

So put down your “umbrella” and feel the rain on your face!

Today at Holy Mass we heard from the Gospel of St John the story of the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well…As many of us know who are very familiar with this story, this woman was public sinner….And Jesus had no issues engaging her in conversation even though she was known to be who she was - An adulterous woman…This is the first point I want to highlight in this narrative by St John…..As Catholics we should offer a hand of friendship to all people, even those who live outside the walls of the Church…Its through the vehicle of friendship that the world gets to “see” in real time what it means to “have life and have it abundantly”…And the only way one has “life within them” is to feed off the very Body and Blood of Christ in the state of grace….With that said, lets get to the part of the Gospel today that I want to highlight….After engaging this Samaritan woman in conversation, she began to understand that Jesus was “someone special” and asked him an interesting question….“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water”…Clearly, this woman could tell that Jesus was not like everyone else and she wanted what he had…..But before Jesus addressed her “ask” for “life giving water” - He masterfully draws out of her the very thing that kept her from the grace of God - Her sin….”Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come back.” The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.” Jesus answered her, “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands,  and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet”……And after Jesus tells this woman what he already knew - That she was living an adulterous life - The Samaritan woman admits her sin - And this confession changes the dynamic of the conversation - It also changes the Samaritan woman!….This is the aspect of this story told to us by St John that we must focus on….We will never be fulfilled in our relationship with God until we “come clean” with him by and through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…Our eyes will remain “closed” - We will never “hear” the Gospel as it truly is meant to be heard - Until we confess our sins……Many will hear this Gospel today at Masses across the entire world…But how many will “hear” the message - That in order to possess “the life giving water” of Christ, we must first repent - As this adulterous woman at the well did…..John the Baptist showed the world the way to God…Notice in the message that John the Baptist proclaimed to the world - “Repent - The Kingdom of God is at hand”……Again - notice the order of his message - First we must repent and then the Kingdom of God will be at hand to us…Then and only then we will “see” and “hear” God as He is.

“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

There are some in the Catholic Church, that believe that the Blessed Sacrament can be received no matter what state a person is in, meaning we can receive it “as we are” and on “our terms”……This is fundamentally incorrect - The Church is very clear  and always has been clear in its teaching authority - In order to receive the Blessed Sacrament, a Catholic must be in full communion with the Church and be in the state of grace - Meaning free from objective moral sin….No Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Priest of Lay person can change this teaching…….For this very reason, we must instruct our people that they must frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation before fully participating at Mass… And if a person finds themself in a irregular situation where they can not receive the Blessed Sacrament for whatever reason, that person is of course welcome to attend Mass - Everyone is welcome to attend Mass! - They just can not receive the Blessed Sacrament…And during that time away from the Eucharist, such a person must pray…And if they pray - God will address what is keeping that person away from living a Sacramental life - And in time, God will address what needs to be addressed…..Why is this so important? - Because the Church very clearly teaches that to receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of mortal sin is a grave offense against God….As a lifelong Catholic - Have you ever heard people say? - “I have been going to Mass every Sunday for forty years and get nothing out of it”….If a person who says that only would go to Confession with a priest…If they did, they never would say such a statement again….The grace of God is always falling upon us like rain - Sadly we sometimes put up an “umbrella” and “the rain” does not touch our face…We must put down the “umbrella” so God’s life giving grace can fall upon us…..The story of the Samaritan woman told to us at Mass illustrates this point…The woman did not receive the “life giving water” Jesus spoke about, until she was open and honest about her sins with Christ….This woman’s example points the way forward…..Repent - The Kingdom of God is at hand!

“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Today at Mass a very important message was communicated to us…First of of which is that as Catholics we must be a welcoming people - No matter who God puts in front of us, we must be encouraging and friendly….However at the same time, this Gospel also tells us that in order to build a fruitful relationship with the Lord, we have to be honest with God and our self - We must admit where we have sinned, repent of our sin and ask God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation for not only forgiveness but the grace to overcome our sin….This is the key!….Catholics must return to the practice of frequent Confession - The saints recommend going once every month…….Notice in the Gospel, the Samaritan woman who Jesus spoke with at the well, she perceived immediately that Jesus was “someone special”….The same will go for us as practicing Catholic when we encounter the unbelieving world around us - If we live a Sacramental life, if we pray daily and fast weekly - The secular world will notice the life of God in us…And that will encourage them to inquire about possessing the same grace we have been given….Grace falls upon the world like rain - It is always pouring down upon the earth - Maybe its time to “put down our umbrella”…..This is the “life giving water” that we all “thirst” for - So put down your “umbrella” and feel the rain on your face!…..JMJ

A kind smile and a welcoming word can work wonders - Leave the rest to God

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading from Micah we are told something important…Something our world desperately needs to believe…”Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins”…….Our world today reels from wounds due to sins…We all sin, its sadly apart of the human condition and the reality is, sin wounds us….The secular world has no answer for these wounds - Instead of bringing them to God Sacramentally, the wounds of sin fester and are rationalized away - Then the hurt as a result of sin is projected upon others…..Those who have eyes to “see” - “See” this all around us…There is only one cure and our Catholic faith provides it through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…..Intellectually one can tell themselves, even with the best of intentions - “Jesus forgave me of my sins” - We can tell ourselves this all day and everyday - But if we do not bring our sins to a Catholic priest and have them forgiven Sacramentally - Those sins remain….In our reading today from Micah, we are told something that should bring us great joy - That God delights in clemency - Why would we not take him up on it? - Its there for the taking!…..Time does not heal old wounds…..And sinful habits that are not broken are a form a slavery…..The answer to so many of our problems can be solved - Beginning with these words…”Bless me Father for I have sinned - Its been “x” amount of years since my last confession”…..Freedom is staring us in the face on the other side of one Sacramental Confession.

“I will get up and go to my father and shall say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you”

Social Media has its benefits….Its a good way to keep in touch with old friends…Recently a friend of mine from college, who I lived with for two years and currently lives many miles way asked me privately about going to confession…..I knew Sean all four years of my college career…I knew his brothers and also his father….They all were good people…..Sean was just like me, we came from good Catholic homes, went to a Catholic University…and sadly “forgot” everything that was taught and shown to us before we entered college…We both lived the life of the prodigal son and because of bad choices we both made - Life taught us hard lessons!…I “figured things out” sooner then Sean and returned to my Catholic roots but Sean, now in his fifties was beginning to “see the light”…..So Sean reached out to me and asked me about going to Confession…I told him I go to Confession every two weeks….And my first real “adult confession” was when I was twenty-two years old - After I returned home from college and my life was a mess!….I told Sean the devil tries to discourage us from going to Confession, even as we open the door to the Confessional, but once we “get it over with” we feel great!….Confessing our sins is a lot easier then we all think…..After I told Sean all this - Time went by - And he never brought the topic up again…Around one month later - Sean sent me a message - It was short and to the point - “I did it - I went to Confession”…..I responded with a “thumbs up”….."The Lord is good and his mercy endures forever"

“Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

The theme of today’s readings from Mass centers in on God’s mercy and forgiveness…The Gospel echoes the message from the Prophet Micah in the first reading…In the Gospel we heard the story of the Prodigal son…We all know this story and sadly most of us “lived” this story - At least I did….I shared in this reflection how my friend Sean came back to God, after squandering the many gifts given to him by his Catholic family - I can say that because I was no different…We are told so many “nice things” about God when we are children…Our parents warn us….Good teachers educate us and warn us too…But all that “good stuff” can so easily “go in one ear and out the other ear”…..Sometimes, like the young man in the story of the Prodigal son, we have to “feel the burn” of “hard times”………”When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any”…….God works in mysterious ways - He also works sometimes through the bad choices we make and through the many “crooked paths” of our life…But through it all - The “seeds” of Baptism are constantly “churning” and the “Hound of Heaven” is always on the “prowl” for lost souls……This is why we as Catholics, who practice our faith must live and work amongst the many who do not….We are told in the Gospel reading today from St Luke that the pharisees took offense that Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them”……How else can the “sick” get better? - If we do not reach a hand to “the sick” and show them a path forward by the witness of our life…..The late Pope Francis made a statement that has and always will stick with me….”The Catholic Church is not a museum for saints - But a hospital for sinners”…….We as Catholics are all sinners! - And when we “think” we are somehow “better” then others - Who simply do not sin like we do - If we “think” this way - Something is very wrong!….Now, don’t get me wrong - This does not mean we condone sin nor does it mean we can distribute the Blessed Sacrament to those who live in objective mortal sin - But it does mean we should never “shut people out” of our life….Open the doors wide to Christ - The doors of the Church must always be open! - And we as Catholics must always be at those Church doors with a smile on our face and a hand extended to every and any soul who approaches us!….“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners”…….The minute we “think” we are somehow better then others - We become worse!…..A kind smile and a welcoming word can work wonders - Leave the rest to God…………JMJ