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”

What’s in your “wallet”?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus addresses the issue of greed….No one likes to hear about how we are to share with others - About how we are to manage our MONEY and how it should be spent…You want to see people “walk out” of a Catholic Mass…When a good priest gives a homily about sex or money - Just watch what happens….The grumbling of people in the pews, talking under their breath….People writing letters to the bishop….Or….People getting up and walking out of in the middle of Mass…..While everything I just noted sadly can be true at times…That does not change the reality of how God views MONEY and what we are to do with it if we have been blessed to have it…..Today St Matthew addresses this sensitive issue…“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God”……Our money has no value when we stand before God - And each of us WILL stand before God - Believe it!…..Does this mean we must live in poverty? - NO - As a married man and father of five children, I MUST provide for my wife and children….I will be JUDGED by that standard…I MUST provide a safe place for them to live - Keep them out of the elements - Provide food and clothing - Educate my children…..This all requires MONEY…And living in New Jersey, just ten miles from New York City - Those basic things require a lot of MONEY…..But outside of that…If I have been blessed with MONEY - God asks me to share - Just as he asks YOU to share….What I just told you is not a suggestion either - The Church is VERY clear, and frankly so is the Gospel on this subject…That if we ignore those who are objectively poor and lack basic needs to survive - We will be judged harshly by God….So don’t shot the messenger here!…..As I write this - I can hear it now…..Your a socialist - Or worse - Your a communist…..Both claims are wrong…I am a Catholic - A follower of Jesus Christ - Remember him?….God sees us all as his children…Think of it from God’s point of view…For example - If God the Father had only two sons - One was very rich and the other had many “handicaps”….Speaking from a father’s prospective - Don’t you think that God the Father would want his rich son to help his handicapped son?…How about you as a father?….I have three sons…If one of my sons had “issues” providing for himself - I would want my other two sons to help him…..Makes sense right?….Well, even if you do not agree - That is the Gospel standard - And that is one of the ways we will be judged….So pay attention!…What I just noted is on the “final exam”

“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Have you ever encountered an authentically generous person?…A person who has been gifted with wealth and abundant natural gifts but chooses to live simply and share…Have you ever met such a person?…They are rare sadly but if you have met such a person - My bet is - You remember them…..People I just described are “Billboards” for God - What I mean by that is…You can do all the “talking” you want - Say all the “right” things about the Catholic faith….But compared to a person that lives like I just explained - Your message will not be heard over the witness of a authentically generous Catholic person…..How do we become such a person?….The answer - People like that know who they are to their core - They KNOW they are nothing more then a Child of God and that their material possessions do not “weigh in” to that understanding…Very few people know this - And this is why people are constantly trying to “SHOW” people just how IMPORTANT they are - Just take a look on social media….What that says to me is - They have NO CLUE who they are!….When we are content with just being a Child of God - There is no need to SHOW people anything……….Years ago when I volunteered with Mother Teresa sisters in Manhattan before I was married, next to their convent lived a lawyer….Based upon his address, I assume he made a good deal of money - Its VERY expensive to live in Manhattan….One Sunday I was at the convent and met this gentleman in the kitchen…He told me he lived next door to the sisters and that he practiced Corporate Law in Manhattan…If my memory serves me correctly - I believe he worked at the Google Office in Lower Manhattan at the time, which implies he was a VERY rich man….Every Sunday, this man would mop the floor of the entire first floor of the convent…I met him as he was mopping the kitchen and had no idea that he was a rich Manhattan lawyer - Just a guy mopping the floor….To do that requires humility - This man was not “caught up” in a “false sense” of himself….He was not “trying” to be something he was not…..That is just one example of what I am writing to YOU about….Understanding who YOU are - Determines how you live and how YOU share what God has blessed YOU with….When we have this understanding - We know it is by God’s grace that we are his child and because of that gift - And it is a GIFT - We have been given a GREAT responsibility - So we share with others!….Until we understand that - “The show” marches on! - Trying to impress others - Pretending we are something we are not……When in the end, the only thing that matters is - That we understood our “role” as a Child of God and acted accordingly to our neighbor…“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions”……..The “Currency of God” is very different than the “Currency of Mankind” - And time runs out……….What’s in your “wallet”?…..JMJ

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

”Primacy of Conscience” does not “Trump” Church teaching!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus and the Pharisees talk politics!…Not in a conventional sense, but the conversation is centered on paying taxes to the state…And when it came to Rome, who was the ruling power at the time Jesus walked the earth…Believe it or not, my guess is, on the issue of the Roman occupation of Israel, Jesus and the Pharisees were on the same page…..Israel because it was a vassal state had to pay taxes to Rome…..So the Pharisees asked Jesus - Should we pay these taxes?…..Clearly Rome was not ruling Israel equitably - So should we just refuse to pay these taxes?….Jesus tells them…."Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”….So yes - The state has authority, even if it is not legitimate, and because it has authority, pay the tax…..But God also has authority - Right?!? - He does not impose “taxes” on us, but he does require us to acknowledge his authority - If we want to end up in heaven that is - Don’t fool yourself into thinking we do not owe God obedience and we still get to spend eternity with him on “our terms” - That is a self depiction at best and a completely incorrect way to approach your Catholic faith….But back to our story from the Gospel…..Clearly both Jesus and the Pharisees wanted Israel to be a free and sovereign nation - So politically, they were on the same page.....The difference - The Pharisees “played the political game” with Rome - An example of this is how they convinced Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus…….And Jesus “played no games”…….Today we see many Catholics “caught up” in political idolatry - It can be seen all over social media - They “play the political game” - Whether they realize it or not……..The Church is VERY clear in its positions on issues how they relate to society (i.e Abortion, Euthanasia, Same Sex Marriage, the Death Penalty)…Yet, Catholics say one thing about their religion and then contradict their Catholic faith by how they vote or on certain issues, how they support them, which the Church vehemently rejects….How can that be?….In some cases Bishops have made very strong statements on these intrinsically evil actions, such as abortion, same sex marriage, etc…And still Catholics, politically support politicians, who actively oppose the Catholic Church, some even aggressively oppose the Church!…..That is a modern day form of political idolatry, similar to the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, who “played both sides”…..They publicly claimed to be Orthodox Jews, yet they were “politically in bed” with Rome, who was the oppressor of their people…..Do we realize that is going on today? - In plain sight!…..When we ignore Church teaching and elevate political ideology based upon person preference - We become political idolaters violating the First Commandment……While as Americans we all have to “pay our taxes”, no matter who is in power - Whether a Republican or a Democrat - Our first allegiance must be to God and the Catholic Church….Speaking personally, I am Catholic before I am anything else……God - Family - Country…In that order…….That is how it should be - But is it?…..“Political idolatry” violates the First Commandment - Plain and Simple - When we place our “political preferences” above God and His Church - And if we get the First Commandment wrong - We get everything wrong!

"Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said,"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's."At that he said to them,"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

Could an authentic Catholic - Who publicly believes everything the Church professes to be true ever get elected in America?…..Sadly, I doubt it……Whether its from a lack of formation or frankly out of willful rejection, Catholic politicians in America have historically and currently fail us….Whether its supporting IVF reproductive technology, to “keeping silent” on the issues of same sex marriage, to promoting policies that support usury in business…..Our politicians fail us - Catholic and Non-Catholic alike!…..So what do regular Catholics do? - We “hold our nose” and vote the “lesser of two evils”…Will that ever change? - The answer is probably not - Not until Jesus returns in Glory and then we do not have to worry about “voting”…..In the mean time, we have to stop trying to create a “political utopia” because its never going to happen….Mankind is fallen and frankly has for the most part rejected God and his Church - From the beginning of time!…Until we get the “God part” right - Don’t expect to get the politics part right - Because its not going to happen…Again - In the meantime….Beware of political idolatry!…Its all over Catholic social media…..Catholics “speaking out of both sides of their mouth”!….How do we know we are on the “right side" of things?…The answer - Its easy! - Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church…Everything you need to know is written down! - From how we should view the death penalty, to abortion, to marriage - Its all written down!…..When we ignore or rationalize our political views outside of what is clearly written down by the Church - Like it or not - We are in the wrong before God and His Church!…..The Church is “Our Mother” and needs to help form our political conscience - As all good mothers do - They form us into healthy citizens….”Primacy of Conscience” does not “Trump” Church teaching!…….JMJ

"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."