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”

Powerful words indeed - And they apply to us all

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus tells his disciples something very important…He is telling us the same thing today! - Particularly fully formed Catholics…..”Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more”…..The Catholic Church contains the Fullness of Truth - What does that mean? - It means the Church is PERFECT - The people in it (ME included) are NOT perfect, but what the Church proclaims to be true is PERFECT…..And if we have been fully formed in our Catholic faith - Now before I go on - I will be honest - Many Catholics sadly are not fully formed - There are many reasons for that and God will be the judge (not me) as far as WHY those Catholics are not formed - With that said - We only know what we know…And God will judge us accordingly….Some many read this and disagree….Jesus today in St Luke’s Gospel addresses this idea…..”That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly”…That means Catholics who are fully formed (ME) better be VERY careful…Because the standards of judgement will be VERY HIGH……As many of us know…There are three components to a mortal sin: First, the matter must be grave - Second, the person MUST KNOW (have full knowledge) that the matter is grave - Third, knowing what they know (that the matter is grave) - The person commits the action any way….Watching human behavior from afar, we can assess a mortal sin from an objective prospective - But only God knows if the person who commits this sin has "full knowledge" and even knows in their heart what they are doing is "grave matter"…For instance - Do you know if we miss Mass on Sunday (outside of being sick or having to take care of someone who is sick), that is an objective mortal sin - It breaks one of the Ten Commandments - Remember them?….But how many Baptized Catholics do not go to Mass on Sunday? - And how many Baptized Catholics even know that is “grave matter” and a mortal sin?….God will judge that - Not me…But all I am trying to illustrate here is - Not all sins are the same and those who are AWARE and fully formed in the faith have a “high standard” to meet….Not because I said so - Because Jesus said so today in the Gospel…..I have taught the Catholic faith for almost thirty years….As a Catechist, my “job” is simply to educate….I can not control other people’s behavior nor is it my job to “judge” them - Meaning - Its one thing to tell someone something - It another thing for the person to really “HEAR” what you say and fully believe it - Again - God’s job to judge - Not mine…..Is this what we see on some segments of Catholic Social Media? - The comments! - The condemnation! - Do you realize that God will judge us by the same standard we judge others?!? - Let that sink in for a minute!….If we have been blessed to be fully formed in Catholic Truth - Its our “job” as a Catholic to share what we know with the world - And to share it from a place of love in our heart - Willing the good of the person we are trying to educate - Not to “call them names” or beat them down or prove how smart we are!…If people want to ignore what we are teaching - That is their business…Let God be the judge of them - In the meantime….Take the words of Jesus to heart…..Because “words” matter - Especially when God says them!…….”As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town”…The Deposit of Faith is not mine to alter - As Catholics - That goes for the Pope - Cardinals - Bishops - Priests - and Lay Catholics alike…Our job is to “pass on” what the Church perennial teaches and has taught for centuries…..And may God have mercy on us if we knowingly twist or alter a teaching to suit an agenda….Jesus addressed that situation as well - Notice the pattern here? - Jesus has a lot to say on this subject - Do we listen to his words and take them seriously?.........”Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea”…Get the point?

”Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

I attended a Catholic College and every Sunday night at 9:00pm, the oldest Jesuit at my University would preside over a Mass - And believe it or not - The Mass was packed with students!….I grew up Catholic and my parents always took me to Mass - But sadly, even though I attended a Catholic High School, I was not fully formed in the faith…..And while at college, a Catholic College no less, I still was not formed….Yet, I still attended Mass…And, let me just tell you this - Knowing what I know now - I am surprised that God did not strike me dead because I was living at the time in objective mortal sin and was receiving the Blessed Sacrament at that Mass - By the way, so were many other students who attended that Sunday night Mass - How do I know that? - Because I would drink excessively with them often - And getting drunk out of your mind on alcohol is an objective mortal sin!….But here is the point….I did not “think” what I was doing was really that wrong - Believe that or not - Not to make excuses - But the first component of a mortal sin was not met - I did not have “full knowledge” of the grave matter that I was participating in…..Now - Let’s address the Priest who presided over that Mass - Is it his job in his homlies to address the student body and educate them in what the Church teaches? - I think I can say that in all fairness - Should he tell the students that if we are not in the state of grace, meaning have confessed our moral sins to a Priest Sacramentally, we cannot receive the Blessed Sacrament - Should that have been said? - The answer clearly and plainly is YES….It is not “pastoral” to not educate Catholics in what the Church perennially teaches and has ALWAYS taught…People only know what they know and we are not doing anyone any “favors” by not addressing mortal sin……For example, if you were about to drink poison and I knew it was poison - And I did not tell you - How do you think God would judge me? - I let you drink poison and did not warn you!……Have we as a Church forgot the consequence of sin? - Do we even believe in hell? - And that people go to hell….Do we dilute the Gospel and what the Church teaches because we are fearful of what people will say or frankly do not believe it ourselves?……These questions MUST be addressed honestly and by each of us as Catholics…..Giving people a false sense of mercy is not mercy at all….The idea is to call people to conversion - So they experience a “change of heart” and live better lives - Right? - Because we love them - Right?…Remember the words of John the Baptist, the man Jesus called "the greatest man born of women"…”Repent and Believe in the Gospel”……How can people REPENT if they do not even know what to REPENT from? - We only know what we know and if no one tells us….Well - We will simple keeping doing what is objectively wrong in the eyes of God……”Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” - Powerful words indeed - And they apply to us all….JMJ

“Stay awake! For you do not know when the Son of Man will come”

So lets make sure we are READY

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus makes a reference to his disciples about his return in Glory…Words are important - Do we take Jesus words serious?…Notice - Jesus uses the word “prepared” in this text….What do you think that means?…..”And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants”…As catholics we should always have our “spiritual bags” packed - Meaning - We are living in the state of grace and all our mortal sins are confessed to a priest Sacramentally….There is a great misconception in American Christianity - That includes many Catholics…That we enter heaven on what I call the “I’m a good guy standard”…..Society deems me a “good guy” - So I must be! - So right into heaven I go!…By the way - The Catholic Church NEVER taught that….Do we know our faith?….Its a valid question - Across America you see advertised in parishes, at least where I live, priests holding adult formation classes - This is a good sign…Because if we are honest, we have not done the best of jobs forming our people over the last several decades….That is very clear too…..Ultimately, people only know what they know and God will judge them accordingly - That is not the purpose of this reflection…However, not knowing something that is VERY important has consequences in real time - What I mean by that is - To live a Catholic life is a good life! - To live our marriage as the Church prescribes makes for a good and healthy marriage and family life…Just think about how many Catholic people, who simply do not know what their faith teaches or why it teaches what we profess to believe - They are getting ”swallowed up” in this “culture of death” in which we live in…Jesus is telling us POINT BLANK today…BE READY…..Have we created a “religion” of our own choosing? - That claim is not just for Protestants you know - Catholics can be just as guilty of this kind of behavior….Reality is what it is and we do not determine it - The same goes for consequences….In addition, the same goes for what the Church teaches and always has taught - So I will ask it again - Do we know our faith? - Do we even care? - Why is it important? - Because eternity is forever and Jesus is coming back…Whether we are READY or NOT!

“Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Have you ever read Saint Faustina Kowalska’s Diary?….Its a classic and a “must read” - In it she writes about Divine Mercy and as we all know, God is merciful because if he was not - Only two people would be in heaven - Jesus & Mary - The rest of us would be in BIG TROUBLE……With that said - Do we take God’s mercy for granted?…In order to receive mercy - First off - We need to give it to others….Second - Do you think Jesus just forgives us without us asking for that forgiveness?….If you do - I got some bad news - The Church is pretty clear about the NEED to confession our sins, at the minimum once a year sacramentally - In fact its a requirement…And if we have a mortal sin that is not not confessed - Well - Make sure you have some “sun block” and a big bottle of it - Because you will need it for all eternity - Just saying - So don’t shoot the messenger! - This is just what the Church teaches…So here is the question - Now that YOU know - If you did not know already - What are you going to do about it?……..If I were honest, which I always try to be - Making a Sacramental Confession is so easy….Priests do not scold you and rarely if ever do they seem even remotely shocked at “whatever sin” you may have committed and confess to them…Its really such an easy process - To confess your sins…And when you do it regularly, you will find you have so much joy and peace deep within your soul….How much is that worth to you? - And Guess what? - Its free!….One of the many messages documented in Saint Faustina Kowalska Diary that we should always remember is the idea that God’s mercy is like that of an ocean and all our sins are equivalent to a grain of sand…What would happen if you throw one grain of sand off a boat into the Pacific Ocean? - Do you think you would be able to find it? - And that is the idea - Its gone! - All we have to do is confess our sins - And they are gone!…..Today in the Gospel of St Luke…Jesus warns us and rightful so…We need to be ready for his return - Because we never know when that day will come….But preparing for his return is a lot easier then we think….One good Sacramental Confession wipes away a lifetime of sins….What do you have to lose? - Maybe better put - Think about what you have to gain?……READY or NOT Jesus is coming - So lets make sure we are READY…JMJ

“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks”