Think what grace can do for you - If you allow it too?

Today at Holy Mass we are given good advice about something that plagues us all - Anger…It is very natural to feel spontaneous anger…It simply makes us human…However, to allow anger to ferment - To “feed into it” - To dwell on it….This behavior is the enemy of our soul - It “chases” God away from us….In the first reading today from the Prophet Sirach. - We are given good advice…Do we “hear” it? - Maybe better put - Do we allow the Holy Spirit “into the places” where we allow anger to ferment into our lives?

“Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults”

Not harboring anger does not “fix” others or the situation…It simply gives the situation over to God….That is a healthy practice that only the humble can do….Pride prevents us from doing this because “WE” want to fix it…And frankly, WE can not…We cannot control other people and many things in life are beyond our grasp…Having the ability to recognize those situations and “give them over to God” - Not only is a healthy practice but an effective one……As Catholics, we must know our limits…God is God - WE are not….We can do “everything right” but the devil knows our weaknesses…And anger is one of mine…..If I do not watch it, even “righteous anger” over an injustice can turn into sinful anger….Notice what the Prophet Sirach said…..”your neighbors injustice” and “overlook faults”…Sirach is not saying what we “see” is good…In fact he is calling it out - However, what Sirach is saying is - Remember, WE are sinners too….That justice belongs to the Lord - Not to us…Its very easy to see our neighbors faults - Its much harder to see our own - Even harder than that - To address our own faults - That requires the Holy Spirit and Sacramental grace……All the “outrage” we see on social media….Is God found in it?….God sees the sin of others MUCH clearer then we do…..Let God be God….He will address what needs to be addressed in his way and in His time…In the mean time - Do not allow your anger to cause you to sin……Let it pass and trust all things will be “settled” in relation to God’s law….In God’s way and in God’s time

“I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you”

To forgive is divine…..God is not asking us to not be human - He is asking us to live by His grace…..The idea behind forgiving our neighbor is to “win our neighbor over”…..That is the hidden power of forgiveness….To forgive does not “fix” the problem - or for that matter “fix” our neighbor…What it does do is allow our neighbor “see” himself clearly for a short instant….We do not “see” ourself as God sees us…..That in and of itself is a mercy because if we did “see” our sins as God sees them, we would probably drop dead on the spot , in reaction to just how pure God is….When your neighbor commits an injustice or sins - Say a prayer asking God for them to see themselves as God sees them….This is how people change…Not by ranting like a lunatic….Sadly, that is my method of addressing such matters, more times then I want to admit….So pray for me…….Think for a moment of Our Lady…She stood at the foot of the Cross…Who had more of a right to rant at the injustice of Jesus being crucified then Mary did?…Yet, she remained silent…Like of Our Lord on the Cross, who suffered there for three long hours......Who had more of a right to scream out the injustice of it all!!!!!…..Jesus did nothing wrong!!!!!……Clearly we are NOT Our Lady and Jesus Christ, who were without sin…..But we are able to cooperate with Sacramental grace…..Only grace can give us the ability to “let hurts go” - To see past injustice and sin…Only grace can allow us to forgive the unforgivable…Only grace can do what no man can do…Like defeat death - Our Lord did the impossible - He defeated death!….If Jesus could do that - Think what grace can do for you - If you allow it too?…….JMJ

Jesus said “I am the vine” - Notice, he did not say - “YOU” are the vine

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke we are given some good advice…Build your life on a “foundation of rock”…..Nothing could be more true…Is this what we see in America today? - In our families? - In our corporations?….Short-term thinking always collapses! - ALWAYS…..Nothing is more solid then God and the teachings of the Catholic Church - Yet both are ignored and the consequences are seen and felt…..Are you aware that 55% of all marriages end in divorce? - That includes Catholics by the way…..Are you also aware that if the couple attends Mass on Sunday - That number reduces to 25%…Simply by attending Mass with your spouse….Let’s go deeper - If married couples do not use contraception and practice NFP - The divorce rate is 3%…..These are not dogmatic statistics - But is real time data….So why would you risk not adhering to these facts?….How many Catholic couples use contraception?….Think of these numbers another way…Would you go into a business and invest, say one million dollars, if your success rate was only 45%? - Speaking personally - I would not!…But if I told you that if you go into “this business” and we have a 97% success rate - Which business would you invest in?….Yet, Americans ignore what I just noted - And FULLY bear the brunt of the consequence for ignoring it - So do their children!…..Facts do not change because we do not “like” them…..We are also told something else in the Gospel today….“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit”….Pay attention, not to what people say - But by what they do - And also what the fruit of their life produces…..Bishops who are holy have packed seminaries - Priest who are holy have long lines at the confessional in their parishes….Married Couples who are holy are full of joy and are open to life…..Single people who are holy attract others to themselves and live to serve their community…..This is the “measure” we should observe - “Nice words” spoken or "posted" on social media do not “cut it”…..How do I know this? - “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks”……Pay attention and keep your eyes open!…..And beware of false prophets!

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

One of the most important statements, in my humble opinion, made by Jesus Christ in the entire New Testament can be found in John 15……”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing”……..If we take this statement to heart - We are GUARANTEED to “bear fruit” in our life…However, that means we do things according to what the Church teaches - Not our “vision” of the Church - But what the Church actually teaches (i.e. What is written down) - It means we are - Are you ready for this? - OBEDIENT! - Now that is a “BAD WORD” these days - OBEDIENT! …..The Catholic Church is a Divine Institution - That means while it is made up of flawed men - What the Catholic Church teaches is PERFECT - What it also means is - NOTHING mankind can “throw at the church” can destroy it….Look at history objectively - How is the Catholic Church still here?…..The Romans killed every Pope for the first (say) 275 years….Regime after regime has tried to destroy her - THEY ALL FAILED…..Now, how does this apply to us?….When we are obedient to what the Church teaches and live under the authority, which only the Church has because Christ himself gave the Church (that includes the Pope) that authority - We will bear fruit that lasts…For all the people who “follow” various Catholic people on Social Media - This should be the measure that guides you, as far as who you listen too and who you “scroll passed” - No need to comment - Just “scroll” passed!…..Why should you “listen” to what I just noted? - ”Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing”….Speaking personally - I AM NOT INTERESTED in your OPINION….The “collective we” has ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY…..I am however going to listen very closely to the Pope - I am also going to pray and discern very carefully about what he says, even if what he says “does not agree with my view”….Why? - BECAUSE HE HAS AUTHORITY - And I do not……Does the “collective we” “get that”?

“How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD”

As Catholics when we go to Mass, as we did today, we hear words read to us in the readings that should guide our lives…These are not just “nice words” - They are instructions and in many cases they are commandments…..Today we hear one of those very important messages….That left by ourselves, “we can do nothing”…Do you believe that? - I mean really believe that?….By what I see on Catholic Social Media - I do not “think” many do - Whether they “realize” it or not…I do not comment much on social media but some of the “posts” I read very much contradict the Gospel message today - Again, whether the people who “post” these comments realize it or not…..We have no authority!!!! - Yet these “self appointed prophets” speak like they do….If we are not living and speaking in union with the Pope and the teachings of the Catholic Church - NOTHING YOU DO WILL BEAR FRUIT THAT WILL LAST…..How do I know that? - Because Jesus tells us this today in the Gospel….Do we realize this as we pontificate our personal nonsense for the world to read?….Jesus said “I am the vine” - Notice, he did not say - “YOU” are the vine….JMJ

That is how you tell and that is how you “see”

Today at Holy Mass In St Luke’s Gospel we are told something rather interesting…"Can a blind person guide a blind person?”……People “see” what they want to see…The same thing goes with hearing…Facts mean nothing to a person who is “dug in” to a lifestyle choice…Facing such a “fact” would mean changing, or worse, facing the reality that they made a horrible mistake or choice…And pride will NEVER allow that to happen for far too many…So they deflect, ignore and self rationalize their life away…This is what makes people “blind”….Reality is going on all around them and they live in this self-created lie….As a measure of self preservation…..This is what we see with many woman who are rabid supports of abortion…I would bet all I have that most of those women had abortions themselves…And they cannot admit what they did was wrong…So “their wound” becomes a means of “lashing out” to all those who are pro-life…Now lets look at the over side of this….Now you have the Pro-Life side….Many sadly “lash back out” at these women….Do you actually “think” you are helping the situation?….That your words are going to change the minds of these pro-choice women?…..Or…Are you just “blind” too to their wounds and to what will help them?……This is why what Jesus tells us today is so interesting….What we “see” and what we do not “see” has everything to do with how clean our heart is…And how do we have a clean heart?….By confessing our sins regularly, living Sacramentally, fasting, and daily prayer…..By living this way…We see….Because we see through the lens of God….And this kind of “sight” has NOTHING to do with how smart you are…Or the university degrees on your wall…..It has everything to do with the purity of your heart……Jesus goes on to say in the Gospel today that before we “take offense” with our neighbor, we address our own “issues”….Interesting…Does that mean we ignore issues that need to be addressed in society? - Of course not…But it does mean we do not attack others - Knowing we are ALL flawed and are in need of God’s grace and mercy….”How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,'when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye”…….When we attack others because of their sins - What is at the root of this attack?….Do we want to help this person who has made a bad choice?…or…Do we want to “feel better” about ourself?….or….Feel superior to this person?…..Jesus walked among sinners - That did not mean he condoned “bad behavior” - He walked among sinner because he had concerns for them….He wanted to help them…Do we?

“Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth”

By the grace of God go I….Ever think how your life would be if God did not give you the family you had - The education you have - The opportunities allotted to you….You may be shocked at “just how bad” you would have turned out if those things were not given to you! - Notice the word “given”!……How can a person “see”, as he heard in the Gospel today, if they were never shown how to live?…Notice I used the word “shown” - Why - Because people DO NOT CARE what you have to say - They watch what you do!….Trust me - Any person who “puts themselves out there” as a Catholic is “watched” very closely by family, neighbors and friends….Its what you DO that tells these people what you are all about…..So how do we give “sight” to a world that is blind if our words are ignored?….The ONLY way is to live a holy life - Which means we have to life sacrificially….So many people, many of them Catholic, say they “see”…or…They say they want to “see”…But are NOT willing to make the choices so they CAN “see”….And ALL those choices require DEEP sacrifices…..To have a many children and provide for them….To share your wealth with others….To live a chaste life….To live simply….To give of your time to the poor…..To not “cut corners” in business - To live Sacramentally - To not use contraception…..For every one of “these choices” that we refuse to make - This affects what we “see” and what we do not “see”….When Jesus walked this earth, so many did not “see” him for who he was…Jesus to this very day walks among us - Do you "see" him?…He is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament…How do we as Catholics get the world to “see” Christ?…..I got some news for you - ”Posting” on social media is notho we do it……...”Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”…Are you willing to “lose your life”? - By giving it away to others?……That is the ONLY way we make the world “see”….The witness of a life lived sacrificially stops traffic!…..Our world needs witness - Not social media warriors…..”Can a blind person guide a blind person? - Will not both fall into a pit?"

“The LORD withholds no good thing from those who walk in sincerity”

Today at Mass the theme of “sight” is brought up again by Jesus…This theme trends throughout the New Testament…..Many claim to “see” in this world….But do they?….Jesus tells us in St Luke’s Gospel…..”Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from”…..Only those who “walk the narrow road” can “see” God - Why is this the case?….Because Jesus walked this road - Its the only “road” he knew!…He still walks it to this today….Are we on that “road” with him? - And how do you know that you are on it or not?…..Those who “give their life way” - They are on that “narrow road” - And those who do not - Are NOT…That is how you tell and that is how you “see”….JMJ

Are those just “words” too?

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the gospel of St Luke what it means to really love….Do we know what love is?…”Love is Love” - Right? - WRONG!!!!…For love to be real it must cost us!…..Jesus tells us today to love our enemies…Hmmmmm! - Interesting - Is this what we see in the “mob” on Catholic Social Media?…….or…….Are the words of Christ just that - Words - Meaningless words?!?….St Paul in the first reading adds to this idea in his letter to the Corinthians……”Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him"…….Again…Is this what we see on “Catholic” Social Media?….Brothers “building up” Brothers…….The words of Jesus Christ must be taken seriously if we expect the world to take us seriously as Catholics…This requires grace….It does not matter how “smart” you think you are! - Without grace - We fail…What are you doing to acquire this needed grace?…Do you fast weekly? - Do you pray daily?…..How about going to frequent confession, which holds us accountable when we fail? - It also gives us grace to overcome our weaknesses……Grace is not self manufactured and your “degrees on the wall” mean very little when it comes to living the Gospel…And its in the living out of the Gospel that we are measured in the end…..“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?”……The “idea” here is that we “win over” our enemy…Not “get the last word in” on a social media thread…or…Win some meaningless debate, which makes us “feel” superior….Jesus does not tell us things in the Gospel to “hear himself talk”!…..How about us?…..Do we “post” on Social Media to hear ourselves talk?…..or……Do we us social media as a means to communicate the Gospel? - As it was written - Not our “version” of it……As Mother Teresa would tell her sisters…”I take Jesus at his word”…..Speaking personally - So do I….I am sure you do as well….This is why we need grace…What are you doing each day to acquire this needed grace?

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Many of the “asks” of the Gospel are impossible if left to our nature gifts and abilities - “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”…Loving our enemies is one of those “asks”….Without Sacramental grace - THERE IS NO WAY that is going to happen!!!….There are many aspects of the Gospel that are like this...This is why everything we do as Catholics (what I call the daily “blocking and tackling”) must be to “tend to the soil” of our soul, building up of our interior life, making room for God to give us this needed grace......Stop trying to “self manufacture” what cannot be manufactured!…..Many “high achieving people” forget this…They rely on their nature gifts and abilities way too much….God can use the simplest of people and many times that is exactly who he uses - Why? - Because humble people are convinced of they are “nothing” without God…..And when we are “empty of self” - God then fills us with Himself…This is the only way we can love our enemies - If we are “full of ourself” - THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN……Years ago I was laid off from my job at Morgan Stanley….I worked four out of the seven years at Morgan Stanley for my boss Larry - I thought we were good friends…The day I got laid off…Larry did not show up for work - Interesting?!?…And when they laid me off abruptly, he never even reached out to me at home….I was deeply bothered by that…Years later…I was working at another Investment Bank and I heard Larry got laid off…And believe it or not, he reached out to me asking for help to get him a job at my current employer…A part of me wanted to “laugh in his face” and tell him “tough luck”….But instead I saw this an an opportunity to show Larry what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ…So I went out of my way to help him get a job at my bank…Larry did not get the job but he was extremely grateful for all my efforts….And our friendship was restored as a result……”Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same”…..Words matter - Especially Jesus’ words - Do we take them seriously?..And if we do, the only way we can “live those words out” is by God’s grace…Because “without me, you can do nothing” - Right?!?….Are those just “words” too?……..JMJ

“Rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful”

So how are you doing?

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St Luke provides us with the measure by which we can evaluate if we are an true follower of the Gospel…The Beatitudes……This is the “Blue Print” to heaven…How do you “measure up”?…..“Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man”…..Jesus then goes on to tell us what it means to fail in our duties to God and neighbor…”But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false  prophets in this way”…….How many of us view “success” in these terms!?!…..We must choose what “kingdom” we live for - The Kingdom of this earth is diametrically opposed to the Kingdom of heaven…..And there is no sitting on the fence!…..”Polite society” crucified Jesus Christ and we look to “political society” for approval? - WHY?…..As Catholics “our job” is to live in the world but not be of the world….God did not come down from heaven to “accommodate” people…Jesus walked among us to show us a better way - And “the crowd” killed him because they were not “willing to go there” - How about you? - Are you willing to “go there”?….Have people of today changed since the days of Jesus Christ?…What do you think that means for us? - That somehow we can have an easy life and still have God…and get to heaven?….Does not work that way!…..The life of an authentic follower of Jesus Christ is a life of sacrifice…Beware of those who do not live sacrificially - Who do not share - Who have an easy life…..The road to heaven is narrow and the Beatitudes tell us how to walk that road…So how are you doing?

“Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way”

Is money evil?…..The short answer is no….But if you have been blessed by God to have it - Do you share?….That is what makes money evil - When we have it and do not share it…..If you ever want to see what a person cares the most about - Look at his checkbook…Does he spend his money on himself?…or…Does he spend his money on others?…..If we take the time to read the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, many American Catholics just might be shocked…..If you want to do some “homework”…Read Rerum Novarum or Caritas in Veritate…Again, these documents may shock you too…..In my life before I was married, I have traveled extensively throughout the “third world”…I have been to Haiti, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia and India…There are more…You get the point!…I have seen how the majority of the world lives…..Do you somehow think God does not love these people?…..That we in America, who have been blessed, “somehow” are exempt from helping?…..No one ever became poor by sharing….The way I “see it”….As a father of five children…It is my job to provide for my children - Not necessarily giving them what they WANT but providing what they NEED…I must educate them, provide a roof over their head and clothes on their back, feed them….But if I then have extra money, it is my DUTY to help others…Catholics should be detached from material wealth and live simply - Is this what you see? - I ask that because the world is watching?!!?……..And if you do not see it that way…WOE TO YOU!…..Again, do some reading….The Church is very clear in what it teaches about how we are to be good stewards of our wealth….And if you see other Catholics not doing what they are supposed too…Even if those Catholics are among the clergy…THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE…..WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF….”The last will be first and the first will be last”

“Rejoice and leap for joy! Your reward will be great in heaven”

Today we heard at Mass Jesus teach us abut the Beatitudes…Whenever I hear this Gospel - I always think to myself - How am I doing?….The one Beatitude I have the most trouble with is…”Blessed are the meek”…I am not meek sadly - I have a big loud mouth!…And that needs to change!!!!! - St Joseph (the saint I was named after) did not say one word throughout the entire Bible and he is arguably the Church’s greatest saint…..I need grace and beg God for that grace - So pray for me!….The life of a Catholic must be a life of contradiction…..And if your life is “like everyone else” - Stop and think long and hard….Those who have been given much - Much will be expected……And as Baptized Catholics, we have been given the Fullness of Truth - That means we have “full knowledge” as to what is right and wrong……”But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 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. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more”……So how are you doing?…..JMJ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I go to confession two times a month….There is a parish behind my office in Manhattan where I attend daily Mass and they offer confession three days a week during my lunch hour - Thanks be to God!…One of the sins I find myself confessing over and over again is the sin of the Pharisees….I find myself saying this phrase, both with my words but also in my heart very often…”Those People!”….I think to myself….”Those people are so stupid”…Or….”Those people need to stay away from me”…..What I am actually doing when I say that, whether I admit it or not is…”I am better then “those people”….And that my friends is a sin!….And that is why I confess this over and over again - Asking God to heal me……Before I enter the confessional and I examine my conscience…This passage from scripture often comes to my mind……”He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner. ’I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”…….Once I am finished with confession and the Priest absolves me, I realize I owe others the same mercy as I was just given…But sadly I fall back into the same “trap”…Over and over again…So I ask all those who read this reflection to pray for me!…..Intellectual, I know all the good we do is the result of God’s grace…Everything is a grace!….But being Catholic is not an “intellectual pursuit” - Its a way of life - Its an encounter with a person - Jesus Christ!…..”Knowing something” and “doing something” are two very different things - This is why we need to ask God for grace….And we get that grace by living Sacramentally, praying daily and fasting weekly……A little bit of mercy goes a long way….So….. “Be merciful just as your heaven Father is merciful”

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

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