”I must decrease and He must increase” - This is how we do it!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first readings about how the early disciples prepared themselves to bring the Gospel to others….Do we somehow think that this method is outdated? - That “the times” have changed?…..What worked then - Will work now!…….”While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off”…..If we do not make a priority of developing a deep interior life - Everything we do for God will be done in vain! - And fasting is a big part of this process - Do we fast regularly?……This practice of fasting seems to have been forgotten in many Catholic circles…Fasting is not just for Lent….The Church asks us to fast every Friday…..How about for Advent? - Do you fast to prepare for the Christmas Season?……If we are serious about being the people we were born to be - Saints! - We should incorporate fasting into our weekly spiritual regiment…..The closer we get to God, the more he can use us……Fasting is also a good way to break sinful habits - Again, its another “tool” Mother Church gives to us - The question is - Are we utilizing everything we have been given?

"I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven”

How does one become holy?…..A good question and something each Catholic should think about…..A holy life can not be self manufactured….God is holy and in order for us to become Christ-like, we must continuously “make room” for the Holy Spirit in our life….This involves a number of practices - Living for others is something every Catholic should be doing - Whether a Priest, a married person or living in the single state…The more you “give away” your life in service to others - The more God will fill you with his Holy Spirit….Fasting is also apart of this process - Fasting helps us to “detach” from the things of this world and in turn we focus more upon God…….The more we empty ourself, the more God will fill us - Remember this “formula”!……..Years ago when I was in my twenties I was struggling with chastity….I was not married and wanted to live as a practicing Catholic….I spent two Lenten Seasons in a row of intense fasting to overcome sinful behavior…Finally, I went to a retreat and was given the grace of chastity….Following that retreat, what seemed impossible became possible and as a result I was chaste for roughly 15 years until I met my wife and got married…..This taught me something very important - Grace is REAL!…And how through fasting, we can overcome sinful behavior…..Fasting is a VERY important spiritual expertise that every Catholic should be utilizing - This is why the Church in her wisdom calls all Catholics to fast every Friday…..”Mother Church” knows what she is doing! - Are we listening to “Our Mother”?

“The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel”

Today at Mass we hear how God prepared St Paul to go forth and proclaim the Gospel…Think about this herculean task given to St Paul - There would have been NO WAY he could have accomplished what was achieved through his ministry without a deep interior life…Now think about YOUR own life - How do you expect to be the person God called you to be without developing an interior life? - As Catholics, we must prioritize our time and when we make God a priority - Everything else in our life will fall into its proper place….Some may claim - “I have no time”…..Jesus tells us otherwise…..”Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides”……Maybe its time to “Make Time”?………The closer we get to God - The more effective disciples we will become…………….”Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it”…….Fasting and Daily Prayer may not “change” the world but it surely will change YOU - And in turn - YOU will change the world………”I must decrease and He must increase” - This is how we do it!………JMJ

Words matter and so does obedience

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus once again tells the people something that may seem strange….He tells them that he has not come to abolish the law, but at the same time, Jesus was very critical of the teachers of the law…..Some may find this confusing….Jesus did not have a problem necessarily about what the teachers of the law were teaching, he did however have a problem with their internal disposition, which lacked love…..We can say “everything right” and still be wrong in the eyes of God if we do come from a place of love….”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. 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”…….Sadly, segments of the Catholic Church, as well as Protestants in America try to manipulate this Gospel…..There really is no wiggle room!…..The words of Jesus are very clear and if we are to follow him, me must take his words very seriously - Do we?…..Some try to separate Jesus from the Church he founded….”I do not have to listen to Church teaching - All I have to do is believe in Jesus”…..Well - That is incorrect! - One cannot separate “the head from the body” just as one cannot separate Christ from the one Church he founded…..The teachings of the Catholic Church are an extension of Christ - And when we live our lives through the lens of these teachings, we will grow closer to God - But the teachings themselves can become an idol, and if we are not careful - That can happen - And this is what happened to the Pharisees in Jesus day - As Catholics the dogmas and teachings of Mother Church are simply “tools” which point our life to God - They keep us in the state of grace as well as keep us safe…….However, if we focus too much on them, we can easy forget why we follow these teachings and in turn forget about God in the process - This is what the Pharisees did…St Paul reminds us of this “trap” set by the devil…..”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”…..The law of God is important, we as Catholics must follow it, but we are not saved by the law, we are saved by a person - Jesus Christ

“Teach me your paths, my God, and guide me in your truth”

In the Catholic Church in America “tribes” have been established - “I am an a conservative Catholic” - “I am a progressive Catholic” - I am a Novus Ordo Catholic” - I am a Traditional Catholic…What is all that!?!…..There are no tribes in the Catholic Church! - This is all created by man and St Paul warns us about this as well……”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. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor”……In my view, the problem with all these “camps” and “tribes” within the Church today is - We do not want to be told what to do! - At the root of this problem, there is a lack of obedience and a lack of recognition of true authority, which rests with the Pope - Everything that the Catholic Church teaches is written down in the catechism - Just read it!…And when the pope says something - Do not just “dismiss it” - Obey it!…Why? - Because God gave him authority and trust me - If the pope speaks from a personal prospective and is wrong, God himself in time will correct the mistake…In the mean time, we should be obedient to the Pope’s authority and Trust in God’s providence……Obedience is a virtue that seems to be forgotten these days…Our Lady and St Joseph could teach us a great deal about what it means to be obedient when we see nothing but darkness and confusion in front of our eyes!….Mary and Joseph trusted God - Even when the requests seemed to “not make sense” - And guess what? - In time, everything God asked of them not only “made sense” but changed the course of history!….So STOP creating “tribes” and “camps” within the walls of the Catholic Church!…There is only “one camp” - Only one Church - And only one God…..I am not a “conservative” Catholic or a “progressive” Catholic or a “traditional” catholic or a “Novus Ordo” Catholic…I am simply Catholic

“You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever”

Today in the Gospel, Jesus “throws a curve ball” at us….By the way - Jesus does this often - “Throw curve balls” - Do we pay attention when that happens?….Jesus tells us that we CANNOT ignore the law - Some people will say - ”I just need to believe in Jesus” - But when one looks objectively closer at that “camp”, their life choices seem to contradict that statement of “belief”, due to the fact they do not live through the lens of the perennial teachings of the Catholic Church…..How can we say we “believe” in God - If we do not listen to what God taught us through his Church?…..Jesus is NOT looking for people to just “believe in him” - Jesus is looking for people to FOLLOW him! - There is a big difference between the two “camps”……It all comes down to obedience - Have we surrendered our will to God? - Have we bent our knee fully to the Lord?…..When we pray the Lords Prayer - The one and only prayer in the entire Bible that Jesus taught us - When we say that prayer - Do we listen to the words that come out of our own mouth?…..”Thy will be done”…..RIGHT?!? - Jesus DID NOT say - “Our will be done”.....Words matter and so does obedience……..JMJ

What is preventing us from being that light? - What is in the way?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus addresses his disciples…His words apply to this very day - They apply to us! - You and me!……..“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp-stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”…….Do we live differently? - Are we like everyone else?……As Catholics we can not do what Jesus said today if we live like everyone else….What prevents people from being “different”? - From doing what Jesus requests of us today?…..At the root of our choices, I believe it comes down to - Are we living for the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of this world?…Because if you live for the Kingdom of God, there will be sacrifices that need to be made - We can not serve God and mammon and in making these sacrifices, we lose “something” - We lose “comforts” that the world can give us….In order to be “the salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” we must live the Beatitudes - We must follow the teachings of the Church - We must follow the Ten Commandments…..All these things are rejected by the world but these are the very things that make us “stand out” - They make us authentically Catholic - They make us “shine”…..Notice what Jesus says…..”If salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned”……”Salt loses its tase” when we choose to live outside the state of grace - “Our light” comes from God and when we are “plugged in” to God through Sacramental living, daily prayer and fasting - We “shine” bright!…But when we “unplug” from the source of all goodness - God himself - We can do nothing!!! - The “light” goes out…..Catholics must NOT stoop down to the standards of the world  - We are to propose, by our living example, a “different path” to others - One that points to God…That means we must carry our cross and stay “plugged in”…..”A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket”……The world around us, whether they realize it or not, “thirsts” for this light - So shine bright!

“Let your light shine before others. That they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”

Before I was married I was the Saturday driver for Mother Teresa’s sisters in New York City…I would always marvel at how the sisters would impact any room they were in, just by their mere presence…Whether it is in poverty stricken city housing projects, handing out food to the homeless or simply talking to people on the street - There was “something” about them - Their joy - It could not be mistaken or ignored!…..This witness is “the witness” our world needs today and it is available to all of us to give it!…..If we give God permission to enter our life and “make room” for the Holy Spirit….The witness of Mother Teresa’s sisters in the darkness of places was a sight to behold!….I found it to be amazing how secular people, many of whom were hostile to the Catholic Church would become “disarmed” immediately when they saw the nuns….Crowds would literally part when the sisters walked into the room!….This is an example of what St Matthew tells us today in the Gospel…..”A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp-stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”…This is our task as Catholics and each of us is capable, in our own way to do this!….Catholics must be unabashedly Catholic in the Public Square!…..A water-down version of Catholicism does not change the world - The world needs to see “the real deal”

“Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one; the LORD will hear me when I call upon him”

Today Jesus tells us in the Gospel what we are to do and how we are to do it….We are to be living witnesses of light to the world….No one cares “what we know” or how many books we have read…No one cares about all the diplomas that hang on our wall…….No one cares that we can speak eloquently…But I will tell you this - When the unbelieving world “sees” for itself authentic Catholicism lived out boldly in real time - The world stops in its tracks!!!!…How do I know this? - I drove Mother Teresa’s sisters for seven years in New York City…I have seen with my own two eyes how “light” can pierce the darkest of places!……What is preventing us from being that light? - What is in the way?…..JMJ

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus giving is disciples the “blue print” on how to get to heaven…..The Beatitudes are the “golden standard” of what a Christian is supposed to look like - I have meditated upon this “list” of Christian attributes many times - And each time I think to myself - I have  some “work to do” - How about you?……“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”……How does a person do this? - The last time I checked - “The world” does not exactly “Bless the Meek”….So how does one acquire these virtues? - The answer is we can not self manufacture such a life - To live the Beatitudes is to live by grace! - This is why one cannot simply “read” their way into heaven - We can read the Bible all day long - We can study the lives of the saints until we are blue in the face - All this is good! - But it still will not transform our life….The only way for transformation to occur is to live Sacramentally!….Confess your sins regularly with an open and transparent heart & receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace - If you do that and add daily prayer and weekly fasting…We are on our way! - God will slowly change us - Even the “worst of us! - Into a holy people…….”I will sprinkle clean water over you to make you clean; from all your impurities and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 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. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them”…….Only God can do this - We can not - This is why being Catholic is essential…Because only the Catholic Church gives us the Sacraments, which are not of this earth! - The Sacraments are divinely manifested through the authority given by Jesus to Catholic Priests….Those who have ears - Let them hear!…..There is NO WAY you are going to live the Beatitudes without the assistance of Sacramental grace and living the beatitudes are essential when it comes to arriving safely in heaven - If you doubt my claim - Do a little “experiment” - The next time someone “wrongs you” see how you react - Are you meek? - Now think to yourself - How can one be meek in such a situation? - The answer - Sacramental Grace!

“Rejoice and be glad; for your reward will be great in heaven”

If you ever have met an authentically holy person - Trust me - You will remember it!…There is something about a person who is very close to God that makes you stop in your tracks!…..This is why only saints change the world - The Catholic faith, as far as what is taught and what is written down is perfect! - The words are flawless on the written page! - But notice, the teachings of the Church, more times then not have not converted the world…People could read the many dogmas and cannons and agree with them all day - But that does not make people change…On the other hand, when you meet a person that is transformed by grace and LIVES the teachings of the Church - That person literally “stops traffic”…..This must be the goal of every Baptized Catholic - To become a saint - To be transformed…This is the ONLY way the world will change!….How do we do this?….Again - The Church tells us……Live Sacramentally, pray daily, fast weekly…Its that simple and with each passing day - God will transform us, drawing us closer to himself….And as this transformation takes place, the world around us will take notice….When a person is close to God - People are “drawn” to such a person - Notice, this phenomenon repeats itself time and time again with many of the saints, that is why many of these saints start religious orders - People want to “be like them” - They want be be near them!….Our world today has trivialized heaven and hell….People live like they are never going to die and “believe” that no matter what they do - They go straight to heaven - I got news for you - Nothing could be further from the Truth…..This is why we as Catholics must be a “light to the nations”…Catholics have been given so much - Are we using the gifts given to us by Jesus - He gave us a Church - He gave us His Mother - He gave us the Sacraments…What else do we need!?!….WE can tell the world “all day long” about God but if the world does not “see” God in us - All our words are said in vain…When Jesus tells us - “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land” - He meant it…So are YOU aspiring to be “meek”? - How many “meek” people do YOU know? - Maybe that is the problem - “Meek” people are nowhere to be found? - Think about it

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  He began to teach them…..”

The Beatitudes are a very important teaching - They are something each of us should think long and hard about - Why? - Because this is the standard by which God “evaluates” his people….Notice how very different the standard of God is from the world - When was the last time someone was rewarded for being “meek” in this world! - But in the eyes of God, being meek is essential…..As Catholics, we are to live in the world but not be of the world…That means we live according to a different standard - Is this what we are doing?….If we are not living to the standards set by God himself - How are we to expect the unbelieving world to take us seriously - Because they simply will not!…However, when the unbelieving world encounters a person fully transformed and is animated by divine grace - Something happens - Hearts change - People reevaluate life choices - Conversions happen - People request to be Baptized - Not because of “nice words” read from a page - But from the witness of a holy life….People believe what they see!…That is why Jesus told us with absolute certainty - “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land”……..JMJ

”Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”

Today the Universal Church commemorates The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, which is commonly known as the Feast of Corpus Christi…….Why are we Catholic? - Well, there are a number of reasons, but today one of the biggest reasons is highlighted for us by the Church…To be Catholic means we are a Sacramental people - Jesus through the Consecrated Host is fully present: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity for us…..At each Mass a miracle takes places! - Do you ever think about that? - We are transported to the foot of the Cross two thousand years ago and mere bread is transformed into the flesh of God through the consecrated hands of a Priest!…..And if we choose not to consume that “Flesh” in the state of grace, which means we have confessed all our mortal sins - We have NO LIFE WITHIN US - Have you ever thought about those words because they are not my words but the words of Christ……..“Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. "The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "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.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven.  Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever”……….The above passage is taken from St John’s Gospel and is read to us at Holy Mass today…..These words are very clear - “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”……That means every human life, was created to be grafted into the life of God and through the Blessed Sacrament - The Eucharist is literally the “nourishment”,  which not only animates our life but sustains us on our journey back to God…Without this “heavenly Food” - To put it frankly, we live at a great disadvantage in this world….Not only will we not receive the NEEDED grace to live a life that mirrors the Gospel but a void is created within our soul….Something is missing! - And sadly, usually when a void is created, human beings fill that void with nonsense! - We chase after “stuff” that we “think” can fill the void - Which we find out in time, the “stuff” we seek leaves us all the more empty…..To be Catholic is to live as God called the human race to be! - Every human soul was born to be Catholic! - How can I state that with such certainty? - Because Jesus said so - “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”…..So stay in the “Barque of Saint Peter” and let the stormy seas of the world around us rage!…..We were given what we need to “get to the other side” - The Body and Blood of God himself!

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever”

The Church tells us that we are to remain chaste before we get married - How many people do this? - Maybe a better question is - How many people think this is even possible?!?….Let’s take a moment, in a very real and concrete way, and address those questions - Without Sacramental grace - Such a life is NOT possible….To live a chaste life is very difficult, but if we develop a daily prayer life, fast regularly and live a Sacramental life - Our human nature is elevated!….I bring this example up to make a point…..To do what the Catholic Church asks of us is IMPOSSIBLE, if we rely solely on our own strength - But here is “the deal” - We do not have to rely on our own strength - We were given the Blessed Sacrament, which is “food for the journey”…And if we receive the Eucharist in the state of grace - We are enabled to live a chaste life  - Whether a Priest, a married couple or a single person…..Jesus tells us….”Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” - And Jesus does not lie!

“Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf”

Today as the Catholic Church around the world celebrates the great Feast of Corpus Christi, each of us should take a moment to give thanks for what we have received from the hands of the Lord himself - His very Flesh and Blood!…Let’s face it - Living in the world is hard - And trying our very best to live as Jesus asked of us is even harder!!! - But we should not fear the world or give into despair!…..Jesus gave us “food for the journey”…Just as he gave the Israelites manna (bread from heaven) as they crossed the desert, He too gives us “nourishment” to sustain us for our journey back to him as well….Its up to us to “take advantage” of this great gift….Because I got news for you - If you “think” you can live the Gospel message and not live a Sacramental life - You are only fooling yourself…”The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”…However, through Sacramental grace - “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me”…….For those who have ears - Let them hear!…..”Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”…….JMJ

Heaven is a choice - And so is hell

Today at Holy Mass, St Paul in his letter to Timothy tells him that to speak and teach the fullness of Truth is not easy….St Paul lived it! - He payed a deep price for being an authentic follower of Christ in an unbelieving world - You can tell this by his words in this letter - There is a tone of exhaustion in the message…..”I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand”…St Paul had a sense of purpose to his life - He understood the importance of finding and living for the Lord - That this life, no matter how good it can be is fleeting - It ends! - And eternity is dependent upon committing ourselves to God - While we have time! - Because time does run out!…St Paul understood this idea very clearly and put all his energy into it - How about us?…..A driving reason why many today do not have the zeal that St Paul did, could be due to very state of mind Paul warned Timothy about in this letter…..”For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths”……Our world today believes that getting into heaven is a lock!…..We live our life on our terms and if we are a “good guy”, we just float into heaven - St Paul understood that to be incorrect - So does the teachings of the Church - Yet, when was the last time you heard the four last things preached from a pulpit?…… Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell…….Jesus will come again and when he does he will judge the people of the earth according to the standards of God, not by the standard of man - St Paul understood that - Do we?

“My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your glory day by day. Cast me not off in my old age; as my strength fails, forsake me not”

What is your goal in life? - No matter what you have achieved in this life - “The party ends” - And in time, we are forgotten and so are the “things” we chased after - Do you ever think about that?….Even “great” men are forgotten!…..So why do we chase after things that do not last?……..Jesus tells us very clearly - “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” - But is this what is happening in the world today? - Very few people live by this model of living - And we chase after “nonsense”………The corporate professional class in America for the most part does not have children - Many of these men and women make incredible amounts of money, yet have no interest in having children…..A sad reality indeed….In the end, no matter what you have achieved, our children are our legacy - They live on after we die - If you are fortunate enough to live a long life, no one in their eighties shows pictures to their friends of their house or car - They show pictures of their grandchildren - Yet, in the meantime - The material world priorities position and monetary gain - Not wanting to have children, seeing them as a burden - All the while forgetting their impending mortality!….This is one of the greatest “tricks” of the devil - To distract us from what is important and the devil does this in plain sight almost without the world even realizing it is happening - Many realize this mistake when its too late……This is why being a Catholic is so important - The Church give us vision, but it also gives us the means for us to “see” through the lies of the world, the flesh and the devil…..Its very easy to “get lost” in this world - Again we are reminded of this reality by Jesus…..“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”…..How many people “fall into this pit”? - The numbers are too large to count…..God gave us one life to live - When we live it for others and for our Creator - Not only will we be fulfilled, but we will live forever!……I tell this to my five children all the time when they ask me questions about dying….I tell them…”If we do God’s will - We never die!”…..Not a bad trade off…….“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon”…The world today will tell you that you can have both - God and mammon” - That is a stone cold lie! - The devil is the father of lies - He knows what he is doing! - Do we?

Today St Paul, as he often does in his many letters to his friends offers encouragement and a warning to them….What he tells Timothy, he also tells us today…..Pay attention! - When we go to Mass and hear the words of Jesus - Do we pay attention?….So much is communicated to us - But is it really heard?…..As Catholics, we are to be formed by the words of God - Through the words of Jesus Christ, empowered by grace through the Sacraments, daily prayer and fasting, we are to be transformed - Is this happening? - Or are we just “Ticking Boxes” as Catholics?….St Paul gave everything he had to God - Paul understood just how short this life is and he prioritized the “things of heaven” - To me that is the “smart play” - But many would disagree with me….The world hears what its “itchy ears” wants to hear….The Truth of God gets “twisted” and as a result our world gets turned upside-down! - May this not be the case for you!……St Paul again reminds us - “ For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances”…..Here is the deal - “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other” - Choices have to be made in life  - We do not just “float” into heaven! - Heaven is a choice - And so is hell…………..JMJ

“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”

Today at Holy Mass we read in the first reading a letter from St Paul to his friend Timothy…In the letter Paul tells Timothy about the many trials he had to endure on the many mission trips he took preaching the fullness of Truth to hostile people…….”You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, persecutions that I endured”……When we read about the lives of the saints, who were “regular people” just like us, I think to myself - This is how we are to live - Do you think the same?…Saints are nothing more than examples that point to Christ - They show us the way forward and St Paul did just that - He was fearless and “all in” - How about us?….In this letter today Paul tells Timothy something else - Something that Jesus Christ himself said to the original twelve Apostles - “If they persecuted me, they will surely persecute you!” - Do you think that does not apply to us today?!?……These are the words of St Paul…..”In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”…One of the driving factors that hold the Catholic Church back in America is we are WAY to comfortable - Look at the Church in Africa - Its thriving! - Keep in mind, in countries like Nigeria, which has a significant Catholic population, people die for their faith regularly - And the Church in Nigeria is growing!!!!…..In America, our belly’s are full and our wallets are way too fat! - And because of that, we “take God along for the ride” with “our plans” as opposed to letting God dictate “THE PLAN” to us and lead us to where we have to go - We have NOT given up the reins of our life to God! - Far too many American Catholics live their life just like their pagan neighbors - “Ticking the box” on official forms does not make you Catholic…..This is not the path to heaven!!!……We were not put on this earth to be “comfortable” we were given life by God to bring about the Kingdom in the here and now! - And that means we must live radically - Like St Paul……”All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. - Does the Church mirror the words of St Paul? - If not, it needs too!

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

Abortion is a sensitive topic today in our society - The Church’s teaching on sex is very clear - Sex is meant to be shared by a man and woman in a Sacramental marriage only - It should be free of any impediment that prevents life (ie no contraception)…..The teaching of the Church could not be any clearer!…Yet, sex outside of marriage is pervasive and because of that abortion is pervasive!….Do we think God does not see this?!?…..But here is the question, if this reality is so pervasive - Where is our Catholic voice addressing it?….Sadly, when a Priest preaches on subjects like this, many Catholics in the pews of Church complain!…..This needs to be addressed too from pulpits around the world  - We are either in or out!….As Catholics its not for us to “pick and choose” what we are to believe…If we have a “problem” with a perennial Church teaching - Here is my advice - Continue to pray, especially before the Blessed Sacrament - Pray the Rosary everyday - Continue to go to mass BUT - Because you do not believe what the Church teaches on say a topic like abortion, when you go to Mass, do not receive the Blessed Sacrament - If you take my advice, in time through your persistent prayer  - The Holy Spirit will enlighten your heart and in time change it!…Then you will be free to receive the Blessed Sacrament when you are ALL IN on what the Church teaches!….We CAN NOT receive the Blessed Sacrament as Catholics on OUR TERMS…And by the way - Nor do we enter heaven on OUR TERMS!

“Princes persecute me without cause but my heart stands in awe of your word”

Today St Paul in the first reading from Mass tells his friend St Timothy something we all should take note of…..”In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”…Notice the word “ALL” - Guess what? - That means you and me!…If we are Catholics and not getting any form of “push back” from the culture around us, frankly we need to stop and ponder if we are living our Catholic faith as we were called too…..By the way, this is not “my opinion”….Throughout the pages of the New Testament, Jesus warns his disciples as does St Paul today that…”In the world you will have trouble”….Yet, in far too many circles, Catholics “play it safe” - We live our life like everyone else around us!….Did Jesus live his life “like everyone else”? - How about St Paul?….Today many people claim to be “activists”, they claim to be looking for a “revolution” - They are “looking” to change society, the culture and the government in radical ways - If you are one of those people - Here is my advice - Become Catholic!……Being Catholic today in the public square is the most “REVOLUTIONARY” thing you can do!…..If we are to objectively study history, many revolutionary figures across the centuries will catch our attention - Jesus Christ was BY FAR the most revolutionary figure history has ever known! - So if you want to be “radical” and live a “revolutionary” life - Be authentically Catholic!……..“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”………..JMJ