"I saw you under the fig tree”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of John how a man by the name of Nathanael approached Jesus…..What made this man want to hear what Jesus had to say?….Jesus spoke in front of many people - And if we are honest - Most people wanted nothing to do with what Jesus was saying - So much so - They supported and cheered on his murder!…So what made Nathanael interested in the words of Christ?….St John gives us the answer…..”There is no duplicity in him”…..We are told again by St John……”My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”…..If a person sincerely is interested in the Truth and searchers it out with an objective and honest heart - There is only ONE destination - The Catholic Church!….Jesus is the Truth - He said so!…And people who seek Objective Truth - Always find it….Nathanael did not know everything - He was not some scholar! - But what Nathanael did have was an honest and pure heart - He did not have an agenda!….How many people like that do you know!?!……Sadly our “agendas” get in the way of “finding Christ”…..And some of our “agendas” are not so “out in the open”- But don’t think for a moment that they are not there!…..Why do you “post” messages on social media? - Why do you broadcast your Catholic faith to the world? - Ask yourself that constantly!!!!!….Is it to get “clicks”? - Is it to get rich? - Is it to be famous? - Would you do what you do for the Church - If you never made a cent? - Not one thin dime?…God knows the human heart - And today in the Gospel - That is why he called Nathanael - And frankly, that is why Nathanael responded…He was single minded in his purpose - And he “found what he was looking for” - He found the Truth - He found Christ…..Are we really interested in the Truth?…What if the Truth cost you everything? - Your MONEY! - Your social standing - Your friends…What if following the Truth made you an outcast?…..Basically what I am trying to articulate - What if following the Truth objectively cost you EVERYTHING!…..Would you still be interested in it?…..Well, today we hear about a man who was "all in" - His name was Nathanael …And Jesus tells Nathanael - Because you are “all in” - This will be the end result…….”You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”……God sees the human heart - And as Catholics in the world today, “our job” simply should be to “work on” purifying our heart - You do not have to be a scholar to do that!……We do that by frequent Sacramental confessions and frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament at Mass - Its not rocket science!….This is how all of our “duplicity” is removed….And when that happens - We will hear and see Jesus and not before.

"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?”


Its very easy to follow Jesus when you are surrounded by friends - When your bank account is fat - When the crowd is cheering…What happens when you are all alone? - When the “crowd” calls for your head!…When following Christ costs you MONEY!!!!……There is a cost to being a Catholic…Anyone who tells you different is LYING TO YOU!….And if you have not “felt” the weight of this “cross”, which I just described - Maybe you are not “who you think you are” - Not yet that is………..In 2007 I met a man volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity in New York City…This man’s name was Michael Grogan…..Michael at the time was discerning for the priesthood…..Michael is legally blind….He also does not have a college education….Before he started the discernment process - He worked as a janitor….What Michael did have that most people do not is this - Michael knew how to suffer!….He was blind and very limited in life - He experienced this state of being his ENTIRE life - And frankly he was at peace with that…As time went on Michael did not enter a religious order or become a priest….But his heart was still “in the game”….He felt called to help the poor and serve Christ radically….So Michael moved into a tenement building in the Bronx - Lived off of Divine Providence and believe it or not - Started evangelizing gang members! - Yes - An Irish “white guy”, who was legally bind would speak about praying the Rosary to gang members…And do you know what? - They listened to him!….In the building he lived in - Thirty people were Baptized Catholic because of Michael’s witness…Why do you think that happened? - Outside of God’s grace? - Like Nathanael  today in the Gospel from Mass - There was no duplicity in Michael - None what-so-ever!…Michael was completely vulnerable as a blind man…His only “credential” was his sincere and honest Catholic faith…That is what those gang members saw - Michael was the real deal! - And because of that - They listened to him!!!…How about us? - Are we the “real deal”?…As time when on Michael felt called to leave the Bronx…But that is not the end of the story…Michael now lives in a section of Philadelphia called Kensington…..Kensington is the fentanyl and heroin capital of America…Michael is doing the same thing he did in the Bronx…Teaching gang members the Rosary - Believe it or not! - And serving the poor….Michael still lives off Divine Providence and because “God has plenty of money” - Michael just purchased his second home in Kensington where his ministry serves the people of that city…..Michael Grogan is the real deal…There is not one ounce of “duplicity” in him - Not one!….How about us?….

”Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree”….JMJ

Suffering is apart of that process

Today at Holy Mass we heard in the first reading the story of Job……Job had everything - He was rich - He had a good family - He had a deep faith……How easy it is to have faith when “things are going right”…..But - As we saw in the story of Job today - Things can go from good to bad very fast!….Everything was taken from Job - His family - His money - His security…And amazingly, Job did not raise his fist against God….How would you respond?…..Its hard to say….But one of the take-aways from this story is - How easy it is for one to take the things we have in life for granted!….That everything we have is a gift - Given to us from God…Do we see our life and all our possessions that way?….And if the things we have are gifts - Which they are - Why would we then not share them?….No one ever went poor by sharing - Just so you know……In fact, when we share, we find deep and lasting joy - A joy the world can never give…..Yet - This is not how the world “operates” - We see what we have as “solely” our own - Humanity “hoards its goods" - Refuses to have children…All for what?…..“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”……….Each of us has a limited time to walk this earth - We all die!…Do we ever consider this reality - That we die! - That our life will be measured by God - On God’s terms - Not our own!…….As far as what we do with the gifts God gave to us - Do we ignore this reality!?! - That God DOES expect something from us!!!!……….Job understood his “role” - That he was a mere creation and God is the creator….And when Job’s material wealth was taken from him - He took it in stride….Now if I was Job - I wish I can say I would be so “clear-minded” about such a catastrophic lose - (Keeping in mind that I am Italian and we Italians can get a little “crazy”)…..But seriously - What I can say is this - In time…Just maybe - By God’s grace - He would sustain me and a new chapter would begin…..All things work towards our sanctification - Its one thing to know this intellectually - It another thing to “live it”…..But God is merciful and he only gives us what we can bear…..But never lose sight of the fact that we are NOT in union with God YET - That we all have a way to go! - And suffering plays a big part in the sanctification process….Being too comfortable on this earth is not good - More times then not, too much comfort results in us losing sight of God - And in the end - Its only God that matters - All your “stuff” will be taken from you - Like it or not!

"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!"

Years ago, I helped facilitate a Bible Study in my hometown parish…A women Elizabeth would faithfully attend each week…I mention Elizabeth today because she came to my mind as I read the first reading from Mass - The story of Job - How he had everything - And then everything was taken from him - Yet Job did not lose faith….Elizabeth was married to a lawyer - His name was Michael - They were faithful Catholics and also very rich…..They belonged to the Opus Dei movement, founded by the Spanish priest and Saint (Josemaría Escrivá)…Michael and Elizabeth wanted to have children and when they found out they were medically unable - They adapted - Not one - But four children!!!!….What a wonderful gesture!!!….Here you have a wealthy Catholic couple, using their gifts to provide a home for not one, but four children the world discarded!…..And then - Just when life seemed to be “perfect” - Michael dies of a sudden heart attack, leaving Elizabeth with four young children to raise on her own…..All the money is now GONE!!!! - And Elizabeth has no husband to help her raise these four children!!!!…..Elizabeth still attended Mass and when she was at our Bible Study, some days she seemed like she was about to have a nervous breakdown - No joke!…But she never lost her faith - She did her very best - And she raised those four children……Only God knows why this tragedy happen….A HORRIBLE event - For such a good person like Elizabeth to endure…..But God in his permissive will knows why - Because all things work for the greater glory of God…..And Elizabeth allowed this hardship, which lasted for YEARS to “wash over her”……….St John tell us…..”So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything”…”No offense” to St John - We can intellectualize our suffering only so far - But that does not “cut it” - We have to live through suffering - And in that “lived experience” -  God forms us and makes us who we were born to be - And that is a process….To become holy is a process - One in which we must experience by living - And - Suffering is apart of that process………..JMJ

“In all this Job did not sin, nor did he say anything disrespectful of God”

Repent and Believe in the Gospel - Not “your gospel” - But THE GOSPEL…..There is a big difference between the two

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus paints an interesting picture…He tells us about two brothers….The first says he will do not do what is asked - At least he is honest - Then changes his mind and does what was asked….The second says immediately he is “all in” - But does not do what he is called to….Jesus then asks - “Which of the two did his father's will?”….The answer to the question is clear - The first brother - Who hesitated and then came through in the end….In our world today, these “two brothers” are represented in plain sight all around us…..There are some people who are not interested in organized religion but live “better lives” then those who go to Mass everyday as they give “lip serve” to the fact that they are “Catholic”….Now, this reflection is not a commentary about “who goes to heaven and who does not - That is not my intent nor is it my right to make such claims…However, what these “two brothers” in this parable should tell us is….”What we “say” does not really matter” - Its what we do that counts……Also, sometimes people have to “taste” the “bitter cup” of life to understand their need for God…Such people know they are sinners - They know they are flawed…..And when such a person comes to the “end of themself” - They turn to God completely, not in half measure…This is why St Matthew tells us…."Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you”…..The message of the Gospel is not about “being perfect” - In fact its just the opposite - Its about knowing you are NOT perfect - And not “pretending” that you are…That you need Sacramental grace in order for God to perfect your fallen human nature - And God will perfect our fallen human nature if we cooperate with him and His Church - These are the people who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven…..Now for the “perfect people” who give “lip-service” - Who can recite every dogma - Recite every papal encyclical - Recite every Church Canaan ever written…And then turn around and act in a way that even pagans would agree does not reflect, even remotely, the teachings of Christ….”I got some news for you” (as we say in New Jersey) God is not impressed with “lips-service”…..I have a general rule I live by… - I watch what people do before I listen to what they say…..And to be honest with you - I believe that is also the standard God follows as well……..“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them”….Catholic Social Media is FULL of these “false prophets” - They have created their “own form of Catholicism” - Based upon personal preference and political identity - Their words are cruel and nothing about their on-line persona they have created, in many cases is driven by “clicks” and money, even remotely resembles the life and message of Jesus Christ - Not even remotely!!!! - While they “wield” dogmas and rant about problems within the Church….I have seen “pagans” live and act more Christ-like in my life!……This is why St Matthew reminds us today….."When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him”……Repent and Believe in the Gospel - Not “your gospel” - But THE GOSPEL…..There is a big difference between the two……JMJ

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

Clearly there are problems within the Church - By the way - There have been problems with the Church since Jesus founded it…Remember Judas?…..But the Church marches on…..I have been a Catechist for three decades - I am not new to this rodeo as some are on Catholic Social Media…I state that because I have seen a lot! - But I have also changed how I view the problems within the church…..For one - Most of the issues we see in the Church cannot be addressed in a manner that we would address, say a problem in a secular institution - These problems stem from the human heart not being fully converted - And we have NO CONTROL over that.....By the way - My heart is not fully converted to God - And neither is YOUR HEART - Don't kid yourself!…..I simply do not focus on the problems…I focus on my personal sanctification each and every day…..The take away - Keep your eyes on Christ - Not the storm!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood”

Every Wednesday - My wife and I vigorously fast for the Church and the clergy…YOU have a problem with “THE CHURCH”…Maybe it’s time to FAST for her?!?….What else can we do when we are fixated on all the problems within the Church and in the world around us?….Make it your one and only priority to become holy!….Only saints change the world….”Smart people” come and go - And frankly, most of what they say is ignored…However, the witness of a holy life CANNOT be ignored - Even the worst of pagans CANNOT ignore the likes of Mother Teresa; Padre Pio or Pope John Paul II…..No one cares what you know until they SEE how much you care - Remember that - When we TELL THE WORLD we are Catholic - When we have massive social media platforms - And frankly - Our words and how we articulate them sound more like the words of an angry, nasty “Little League father” ranting and screaming in the bleachers watching his son trying his best - Guess what? - Your NOT speaking for Jesus Christ - Trust me - God is absent in your message - Even if your words are “text book perfect”….God weighs the human heart - This is the only thing he sees - And if your heart is not in “the right place” - Your words will not resonant in the manner that they should or could…..

“A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, 'but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."


Repent and Believe in the Gospel - Not “your gospel” - But THE GOSPEL…..There is a big difference between the two……JMJ

Are you “blind”? - Or worse - Have you “fallen into the pit”?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus instructs his disciples of the fact that he will be killed…And they are completely clueless! - They simply did not understand what he was telling them….Was it that they did not understand?…or…They did not want to understand?…Only God knows…But the fact is…Jesus was a mystery to them……These men failed him numerous times, in word and deed - Yet Jesus saw “something” within them - Something they did not even know existed…Jesus never gave up on them…And in the end - The disciples came through!…..So it is with us - We hope!…..Each of us, we were created by God for a purpose….God sees our potential more clearly then we do….How do we begin to see what God sees in us? - “To unlock” the very “thing” we were created for, which is at the present moment hidden from our eyes?…Its only and until we purity our hearts and that can only be done Sacramentally - You cannot “read” your way to a pure heart…Our “sight” is restored through daily prayer, fasting and Sacramental living…Do we take our spiritual life serious?….This is the greatest mistake of mankind - We shower each day to stay clean - Take care of our bodies endlessly - Go to the gym for hours each week - Eat good food three times a day…Yet we starve our soul - The only thing that lastly eternally - Is our soul…If we make it our priority to pray and fast - To go to confession frequently - To receive the Blessed Sacrament as often as possible - We will discover who we truly are and what we were born to do - And not before…I believe, when we stand before God and are judged - God will show us all the good and all the bad we have done in our life…Think about that!!!!…But I also believe, God will show us what we COULD have done if we TRUSTED him more - What we could have become!….And we will never meet our full potential if we do not make purifying our hearts a priority - If we get distracted from that priority - We will chase after nonsense of all "sorts, kinds and shapes"! - Like a dog chasing after its tail…..Just as the disciples found Jesus to be a mystery today in the Gospel at Holy Mass and were confused about what he was telling them…Don’t think for a moment that you are somehow any different!…Because only those with a pure heart “see” and become who they were born to be…That is why Jesus told us…..”Blessed are the pure of heart - For they will SEE God”…What do you “see”?

“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying”

In the two thousand years the Catholic Church has been around, the Popes have only proclaimed thirty-eight people “Doctors of the Church”….Think about that - All the people that have come and gone in two thousand years, and only thirty-eight are being held up by the Church as “Doctors”….What made these people so special?…Well - Most of them had brilliant minds and wrote or taught something that was in many ways revolutionary, impacting millions upon millions of people….St Augustine; St Jerome, St Alphonsus Liguoiri,  St John Henry Newman…To name a few…These men were brilliant and what they wrote and taught is studied to this very day…But in this illustrious list of thirty-eight people is a young French nun, who had no formal education and dies at the age of twenty-four years old…That young woman was St Therese of Lisieux…….Now St Therese only wrote one book, and it was her diary and in it, she taught the world how to love God in the simplest of terms….To find God in all things and to see him in all things - The simplest of things!…Sounds almost ridiculous?…But in reality it was far from ridiculous - It was and is pure brilliance!!!….One can argue that of the thirty-eight Doctors of the Church - St Therese of Lisieux may be the MOST brilliant…..This reality should teach us something….That within each of us - There is greatness!! - Waiting to be “unpacked”….Our job simply is to “unpack it”….And we do that by simply working on purifying our hearts - From that purity - As we “peal away” layer upon layer - The mystery of God is revealed…The same mystery that the disciples could not comprehend in today’s Gospel at Mass….That Jesus had to die in order for the world to be saved….God is only a “great mystery” to those who complicate things - The more we “complicate God” - The more we will lose sight of him - That we too must “die” to ourself, in union with Christ, for us to be saved….So keep it simple!!! - And be simple! - Do not worry yourself about matters that are beyond your control….Stick to the basics!!!…..Pray the Rosary every day - Go to a Sacramental Confession once a month - Go to Mass every Sunday and receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace - Simple - Right?!?….By doing that - God will not seem like a mystery to us - His will for our life will be revealed and in turn, we will discover our purpose - To become a saint - The way God intended you to be from the beginning of time! - Not some “self manufactured” purpose YOU created for yourself…..Wasting time - Chasing after nonsense!…..So keep it simple!……..”Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?"………Are you “blind”? - Or worse - Have you “fallen into the pit”?…..JMJ

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!”

“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of Luke Jesus tells Peter something he does not understand - Not only does he not understand it - He does not accept it…And guess what?…Nor do we!……“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed”……So what is the problem here? - Bottom line - If Jesus who is God suffered - SO WILL WE - And we adamantly reject this notion - We run from suffering - We avoid suffering - We push suffering away….But this is not what Jesus did - And we must learn to accept whatever suffering comes our way as being part a God’s permissive will for us, in order for us to grow in sanctity and become a holy people….Learning to say “OK God” when things do not go our way is a grace - One I pray and fast for….The saints accepted everything and we too must strive to do the same….Suffering touches every human soul and ONLY the Catholic faith can adequately address it - Why Is that the case? - You can not “think” your way out of suffering - You cannot “argue” your way out of suffering….You can only pray your way out of suffering and by and through God’s grace - You can accept that suffering and endure it until it “passes”…This is how we grow in holiness…..As Catholics we are told by Jesus himself that we must “pick up our cross daily” - We give “lip service” to this “idea” and “think” we understand this request - Until we actually see and feel just how heavy “that cross”   is….Then comes the “excuses” - The complaints - The avoidance - The self rationalizations…..Jesus knows us better then we know ourself and he knows EXACTLY what we need to become holy - And that MUST be the goal - To become holy….And because God loves us - He allows suffering to enter our life through his permissive will - A “particular suffering” perfectly suited for each soul…To mold us - To form us - To sanctify us….I have prayed to Our Lady and have asked her to make me a saint - So my life can bring her son the glory…Not the way “I” want to become a saint - The way her son wants me to become a saint…And my “bet” is - Those two “ideas” are very different…Maybe God’s idea of me becoming a saint is simply to be a good husband and father….To do the simple tasks each day with joy and great amounts of love - To enjoy every moment with my wife and children…Not too “glamorous” - Right?!? - But that does not matter!!! - God knows what we need and he provides what we need so we can become WHO we were born to be….St Luke’s Gospel today began with Jesus asking St Peter a question…..“Who do the crowds say that I am?”……Take a moment today and ask God that question about yourself…..WHO am I Lord and WHO am I supposed to become?…..The answer may be very different from “your version” of who you “think” you are and who you are to become…Either way - One thing I know for certain - YOU are to become a saint - WE are all called to become saints…Be who you were born to be!

“The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”

For seven years I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters in an AIDS hospice in New York City every Saturday…I primarily was the Saturday driver but the convent I would visit every Saturday took care of men with AIDS - In fact, this home was the first of its kind in all of America founded by Mother Teresa herself - This is where I was given my “education”…In this home I have seen men transformed - And their suffering played a big part of the transformation…Allow me to share one story….One Saturday in 2008 I got to the convent and the sisters told me that Bishop Manny Cruz, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark (my diocese) personally carried in a man (he literally carried him in with his own hands), who was dying in a city hospital in New Jersey of AIDS….This man was from El Salvador and his name was Manuel - Manuel spoke no English, he was blind and had AIDS - No joke!….When I saw Manuel in a bed in the hospice, I thought to myself - He will be dead soon - Manual was emaciated and looked like his time was short for this life……For two straight weeks he did not get out of bed…But slowly, due to the good care the sisters provided…..Manual slowly got better…It took one entire year from him to come down the stairs by himself to the chapel to pray a Holy Hour with us and go to daily Mass….Think about that for a moment - ONE WHOLE YEAR he was basically bedridden!!!….Manual not only got better with time - But began to thrive….He would pray everyday and became a daily communicant…He lived in the Hospice for seven years! - And frankly, he was a very pleasant man, considering he was blind and had AIDS…Well one day, the sisters told me Manual was moving out…They found him an assisted living facility in New York City suited for the blind….When I heard this I called Bishop Manny’s office in Newark…I told his secretary that Bishop Manny carried a man, half dead, to a AIDS Hospice in Manhattan seven years ago run by Mother Teresa’s sisters…..That he is now leaving and going to live on his own - I asked Bishop Manny’s secretary if he would come to the convent and preside over a Mass of thanksgiving….His secretary said she would “pass on the message”…Guess what? - Bishop Manny showed up!….And when Manual, the man he saved heard his voice, he weep like a child…..Think about the ordeal Manuel went through to get him to “this state” - A prayerful man - A daily communicant…He was on death’s door!!!! - He was bedridden for one entire year - He was blind - He had AIDS…And now - After all that - He was restored back to being able to live independently and was actively practicing his Catholic faith…..What does that tell you?…I can only conclude - God has a plan…And his ways are NOT our ways…..Everything happens for a reason - All suffering is meant to sanctify us…And there is one goal - The only goal that matters!!!! - That we arrive safely in heaven……

“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed”

Learn to say - “OK God”….Pray and fast for this grace….God “knows what he is doing”….”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”…..JMJ

There is nothing new under the sun

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading one of those Bible passages that we all know…But do we “think about it”?….Clearly we hear the words….But do we somehow “think” they do not apply to us? - We are “that special”?…In the reading from Ecclesiastes, we are presented with a litany of examples that should open our eyes to the fact that “we are not all that” as we commonly say in New Jersey where I am from - meaning - Life comes and goes - And it goes by fast!….That the only thing that lasts is God and the Eternal Truth, which can not be changed…But “Boy-Oh-Boy” does mankind try to ignore this reality and dare I say even alter it….Over the decades I have taught the Catholic faith and one of the examples I have used to compare the Truth contained in the Catholic Church to is the laws of gravity…..A person can deny that gravity exists all day long…We are free - Right?….But then that same person “jumps of their roof” and “hits the cement sidewalk”…..Even then they can deny gravity exists- But their body in the mean time is mangled from the fall…..The Eternal Laws of God, which are written on the human heart apply to us whether we acknowledge them or not….The same goes for God Himself - You can rationalize God away all you want - That does not change reality - And God is reality……This is one of the fatal flaws of mankind - Arguably, the biggest mistake ever made!….And the same mistake is repeated generation after generation - Look around - Look right out your front door - Its happening in real time!….I have seen the impact of this “denial” of reality in close friends and family - As I am sure YOU have…As time goes on - As it always does - Their lives unravel…..Most times people have to come to “end of themselves” to accept the fact that God is real and that “the rules” of life apply to them - Like them or not……When we finally come "to end of ourself" - Its there that God waits for us and life begins….Its in that space that God says - “Now we can begin”

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities!  All things are vanity! What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun? One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays. The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises. Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds. All rivers go to the sea, yet never does the sea become full. To the place where they go, the rivers keep on going. All speech is labored; there is nothing one can say. The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing. What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun. Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!” has already existed in the ages that preceded us. There is no remembrance of the men of old; nor of those to come will there be any remembrance among those who come after them.

Years ago I attended a Holy Hour at a Church in mid-town Manhattan on a Sunday evening…The Parish of Saint Vincent Ferrer is located in one of the wealthiest parts of Manhattan….Before the Holy Hour, I decided to grab a coffee around the corner…When I walked into the coffee shop, a bunch of old man, they looked like they lived in the neighborhood were there drinking coffee together…I thought to myself - Who are these men? - They must be WEALTHY to live around here!!!!…But if you looked at them, they simply looked like old men who lived anywhere in America - These men just happened to be uber-rich….The thought came to my mind when I saw them, which we are reminded today in the first reading from Mass……”Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities!  All things are vanity! What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun? One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays”…Clearly these men were accomplished people - They ran companies - They sat in executive board rooms - They traveled the world!……One can assume that because they live where they do - But at this point in their life - NO ONE CARES!….They are simply old men drinking coffee at a local coffee shop….This example is worth noting and we are reminded today in the first reading from Mass of the reality of our own mortality…Do we prioritize the eternal?…or…Do we chase after “straw” that burns away quickly and is forgotten?….Have you ever met an eighty year old man who showed you a picture of his house?….Usually eighty year old men, if they are fortunate enough to still be alive and healthy show you pictures of their grandchildren…Do we keep this reality in mind? - As we chase after “straw”?……God is REAL and living your life through the lens of Catholic teaching is not only the best way to live - Its the only way to live….How can I say that? - “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”…….The eternal and unchangeable teachings of the Catholic Church are time tested and proven to “bear fruit” that will last…We can ignore that reality all we want - Self rationalize it away all day…Delude ourselves and distract ourself with all forms of nonsense until the sun goes down!….But reality is reality……”Nothing is new under the sun”……We are told by Jesus that if we build our life on a solid foundation - It will stand firm - The winds of time will blow and storms will come and go - But our life will stand strong….There is no stronger foundation to build a life upon then the teachings of the Catholic Church….That is reality!….Because God is reality…There is nothing new under the sun…..JMJ

“You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.”For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night”

GOD PROVIDES

Today at Holy Mass both readings refer to what is commonly known as Divine Providence…That God will provide what you need in life…Do we believe this?….Its important to note that there is a big difference between what we need and what we want….When one reads the Social Compendium of the Catholic Church, that idea is illustrated very clearly…In the first reading today at Mass - We are told something that goes against our American sensibilities…”Give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need; Lest, being full, I deny you, saying, "Who is the LORD?" Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God”…Is this how we view our life and the life of our family?….To live simply?……As Catholics we are called to be detached from money….Clearly as a man who has five children, I need money…But money should never be the goal - Its a means to provide for the needs of my family….How does one put money in its proper place?…For one, as a married Catholic - Do you use contraception?….If your marriage is open to life, the couple will learn how to trust in Divine Providence - And God will show you just how he provides!….Second - Do you share your wealth with the poor?….Not everyone can do this because let’s be honest - Some people have just enough to survive themselves - But how do you structure your finances? - Are you so leveraged because of debt because you are trying to have things you really cannot afford, which in turn does not permit you to share or have numerous children?…..If you structure your income to simply provide for the needs of your family, most times, one will find there is money left over - Money that can be shared - Is this what you do?….When we live in this manner, we detach from money and our trust in God’s providence grows and grows - We find that God ALWAYS provides!…….I have been married for thirteen years - I have five children - We have never used contraception in our marriage and we tithe our income and give to the poor - By the grace of God we are able to do that (Again - I understand not everyone can do this)….Because of this - I NEVER worry about money - That is the truth!!!…Why? - Because God has plenty of money and he has ALWAYS provided for me and my family - God has given me the grace to never worry about money - The way I look at it - “I take care of God in how I lead my family - And He takes care of me!”……I was educated by the Christian Brothers and St John Baptist De Lasalle the founder of the Christian Brothers tells us….“The more you abandon to God the care of all temporal things, the more He will take care to provide for all your wants; but if, on the contrary, you try to supply all your own needs, Providence will allow you to continue to do just that, and then it may very well happen that even necessities will be lacking, God thus reproving you for your lack of faith and reliance on Him”….Throughout the thirteen years of my married life - I have found this statement to be 100% accurate - GOD PROVIDES

“He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic”

In order to live your life according to Divine Providence, one must “step out” in faith…To live in this manner makes us feel like we “have no control” - Its in that “place” that the Lord meets us!…..When I was the driver for the Missionaries of Charity one of my tasks was to go on Saturday to Trader Joe’s, which is a food store in New York City on 14th Street in Union Square….The store would give us food they could not sell and we would share the food with the poor of the city…Some days I would go there and the manager of the store would be very kind to me - And sometimes they would not….This particular day I asked the manager if he had any food to spare…He at first told me no - Then he hesitated and told me to wait for a moment at the door, he wanted to check something…He came back with three big bags of meat - All kinds of meat - Steak, Chicken, Turkey, Ham….I could not believe it! - I never was given so much good food to bring back to the Missionaries of Charity Convent…When I returned to convent with all the meat…The Superior, Sister Tonia, told me…She recently gave all the meat away and they were in need of food - And now they have MORE then what they need - A true story…I always remember this incident, to this very day, especially when I have doubts in living by Divine Providence…When we “do things God’s way” and trust him - He always provides…As a married man, that means being open to life and sharing my income with the poor….In doing so - God who is my loving Father will ALWAYS take care of me and my family….Why? - Because….GOD PROVIDES!…..JMJ

“Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him”