Be not afraid - God goes before us - And God never abandons his own!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the book of Acts how Paul and Barnabus confront the Jewish population who oppose Christ…..Even in the face of great opposition, St Paul did not back down - He was bold and clear…Is this what we see today in the Church?….”On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles”……..Jesus Christ provided us a path forward - Its the only path forward…”Watering-down” teaching - Compromising our faith in the name of being “politically correct” - Not teaching the Truth in its entry and calling it “pastoral” - All these practices do not help anyone nor do they represent what Catholicism is about…The Truth does not belong to us - Its for us to “pass on” as it is…..And in this reading today, Paul and Barnabus did just that, even in the face of violence….They did not back down, in fact, they doubled down!…..Our people must hear the Truth - How can we live our Catholic faith if we do not know it? - And to know the perennial teachings of the Church, they must be communicated to us clearly and fully…..Our world today needs to be “Baptized” in Truth - And in performing this “Baptism”,  we will sadly make enemies - There is no way around that reality - Can you accept that?………Jesus had enemies - St Paul had enemies - What makes us think we can live our Catholic faith fully and not have enemies!?!………It’s our reluctance to suffer and our desire to be comfortable which holds us back!

For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.”

In America same sex marriage has been completely normalized…Not only does the Catholic Church reject this notion of “marriage” but the Church has perennially taught to engage in the homosexual acts is a grave sin…Yet, our culture has embraced this as “norm”…..As Catholics there is no way we can accept same sex marriage as “normal”….Or trivialize homosexual behavior as just another form of affection…How about sex before heterosexual marriage? - This too has been completely normalized - In the eye of God, another mortal sin……How can we as a society “think” that God does not see this?…Do we “think” he is blind to it?…..What is acceptable in the eyes of mankind is in some cases an abomination to God…..And it will be God who judges us when we die and stand before him, not the opinions of mankind or the culture in which we live in…..To be authentically Catholic in many ways is to live counter-culturally - Is this how we live? - Or do you look to “fit-in”?……We as Catholics are to be a guiding light to the nations and if we are “like everyone else” - That light goes out!….In order to live our faith in the public square in a bold and unambiguous manner, one must develop a deep interior life…Prayer, fasting and the Sacraments strengthen our will and resolve…To “think” we are going to “stand down” the world relying solely on our own strength is a fools errand……St Paul instructs us in how we are to live our faith in a hostile world…….”Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”………One man grounded in a Sacramental life can stand down the entire world!…The Truth is like a lion, let it loose, it will defend itself!

“The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit”

Today at Mass we heard how St Paul boldly professed his faith publicly - He was not afraid to be authentically Catholic in the public square - How about us?….Are we too concerned with the opinion of others?…..The great Jesuit, Fr John Hardon SJ (1914 – 2000), who was declared a Servant of God by the Church made this statement about the state of Catholicism in the 20th century….."Ordinary Catholics will not survive this age, only heroic Catholics will survive!”……Catholics today need to get serious! - The world, the flesh and the devil have “breached the walls” of polite society….If we are not living Sacramentally, praying daily and fasting weekly - There is little to no chance we will “stand tall” in a world, which is so antagonist to us and the Catholic Church….But if we are grounded in grace and stand with God and Our Lady - We have nothing to fear!…….Our witness to the world as Catholics does not rest in our natural gifts - We are each limited as human beings no matter how “gifted” we many “think” we are - Our witness to the world must be rooted firmly in the Holy Spirit…….“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”………Be not afraid - God goes before us - And God never abandons his own!…..JMJ

Time to start living like we believe it

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus in the Gospel of St John instructing his apostles…..“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be”….How easy it is to forget that Jesus will return for us!…In the midst of the craziness of life…The trials - The battles - The struggle….We forget!!!…..NEVER FORGET - Jesus will return and come back for us - He never forgets his own!….This makes all the trials - The battles & The struggles worth it!…….During this exchange between Jesus and his apostles, St Thomas makes an interesting claim…Keeping in mind that Thomas has seen the miracles with his own eyes - Yet he still makes the following statement…“Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”……In response to this question - Jesus tells Thomas - “Where I am going you know the way”………“I am the way and the truth and the life”……..Its appears that St Thomas “got lost” in all the “madness” going on around him - But Jesus, who is ever patient reminds him - And he also reminds us today…”Keep your eyes on me” - Straight ahead!……The line in this Gospel passage that jumped off the page for me is this one - “Where I am going you know the way” - How true this is…..The laws of God are written on every human heart - If we only take the time to turned off all the “noise” around us and listen - If we commit to regular periods of silent prayer each week, we too would hear the ever-present voice of God - And that voice is very clear - “Where I am going you know the way!”……And when we hear God’s voice - It then comes down to executing in our daily life what we hear!…..”Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves”…..Its not enough to just “hear” God’s voice….The path to hell is paved with good intentions….Once we hear God’s voice - Then its up to us to act upon it…..There is only one way forward - How do I know this? - Because “No one comes to the Father except through me”

“Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish”

I have actually heard Catholics ask this question - What is the will of God?…How can we ask such a question?!?…Everything the Catholic Church professes to be true is written down in the Catechism - Its perfectly clear…..So where does the confusion come from? - The answer - In our hearts….This is why we must work at purifying our hearts….A pure heart will not only “see” God, but receive the word of God as it is…….Many years ago I attended a retreat the Missionaries of Charity gave for their Lay Co-Workers in New York City…At this retreat were some life-long volunteers and dare I say very holy men and women in attendance, who gave their lives in the serve of the poor….To this day I can not recall what was said at that retreat but I do recall one person…..There was a very simple minded man invited by Mother Teresa’s sisters to attend the retreat - And he was so happy to be there, you could tell - I watched him as we all took a break for lunch - He was so attentive to what was being spoken to him - You could see it in his face!….There was this one conversation where a woman was telling this simple man something about what was said by the priest conducting the retreat - And all this man kept saying repeatedly was…. YES - YES - YES…..The expression on his face I will never forget - He meant every bit of his YES….That was my “take away” from that retreat…The man who was by far the “simplest” - One could even say simple minded - He taught me the most….There was no ambiguity around what he believed…He was not like St Thomas in today’s Gospel saying - “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” - This man knew EXACTLY where he was going…..And this is how we must be - United in one purpose - Anchored in Truth and moving in one direction!…..There is no reason for us to doubt!!! - Jesus is “The Way”

“And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus reassures his friends - He also reassures us….He tells them - “Don’t worry..Just follow me”….This same message must resonate with us today - Does it?….Its easy to “get lost in the fog” of doubts…To focus on the “storms” in life….But as Catholics we must always remember - We are an Easter People!….The battle has already been won on Calvary……”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”…We must live this statement and never forget it……Death has been conquered - We have nothing to fear………”But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself”……We know exactly where we are to go - There is nothing “unclear” about it…..Time to start living like we believe it…..JMJ

Are we deluding ourselves?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John we are told that the words Jesus spoke and the people that he sends forth to speak in his name are one in the same…..”From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me”……What should that tell us about the relationship between Christ and the one Church he founded - The Catholic Church?……Jesus who is the only one with real authority (because he is God) bestowed that authority upon the Church….Its impossible to separate Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church…Christ is the head and the Church is the body…Therefore what the Catholic Church proclaims to be true and has taught perennially must be followed by the faithful…..We, the people in the pews, do not have authority to “pick and choose” what to believe and what not to believe….Why? - Because we are not God and God is the only one with authority and he gave that authority to the Church…Its really that simple….And our lack of authority is articulated perfectly by the fact that we all die - We can not save ourself…Only God can save us and if we want to enter into eternal life, we must comport our life to God’s will…..What is commonly known today as “Cafeteria Catholicism” must cease……Its all or nothing!

“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him”

Excuses…Excuses…Excuse…”In the name of this”…”In the name of that”…..People rationalize away Catholic Teaching…We have heard it all before - This is not “practical” - This is “impossible”……I could go on and on…..Jesus Christ when he gave authority to the apostles and established a Church understood only too well human nature……He also understood what we need.....When we place self created obstacles before God - We limit the amount of grace we receive…..And we all need that grace!!!!…….Unreconciled sin not only prevents us from becoming the people we were born to be but it blinds us - It weakens our will….Just because a teaching of the Church is “hard” does not mean it can not be done - Everything Jesus taught and everything the Church proclaims to be true can be done - But only through grace…This is why we as Catholics must remove every obstacle that gets in the way of that grace - That means frequently going to Confession (one a month)….When we do that we grow in virtue and we also allow the grace from the Blessed Sacrament to penetrate our soul when we receive it at Holy Mass…This is the only way we can live as Jesus asked us too - Why? - Because all of us, every single human being ever to walk this earth has a fallen nature - And because of that reality - Jesus the Divine Physician provided us “the medicine” we need, which is Sacramental Grace - Which in turn elevates our human nature, making the “impossible” possible!…Those who have ears - Let them hear….To live as a Catholic can only be accomplished with the aide of the Sacraments…..We cannot save ourself and we cannot “read” our way into heaven!

“I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong”

Today St John at Mass tells us that those who Jesus gave authority speak for Jesus - That they in essence are one in the same….Many people today say things like: “I believe in Jesus but I do not believe in the Catholic Church”…or….”I just need Jesus, I don’t need to belong to the Catholic Church”……WRONG!…..There is NO WAY a person can do God’s will without the grace of the Sacraments - NO WAY IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN!…..Jesus gave us a Church for a reason - We need to live Sacramentally due to our fallen human nature…..Its not enough to say we “believe in Christ” - We have to live like Christ asked us to live - The process of sanctification can take a life time - It requires daily prayer, weekly fasting and Sacramental living…..Those who have ears let them hear!…..Jesus is not looking for “believers” - He is looking for followers……”Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves”……Are we deluding ourselves?………JMJ

Do what he tells you!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel how Jesus, who was the son of God did not speak on his own….Jesus was one with the Father and everything he did was in obedience to the Father….That being said - If obedience was a virtue important to Jesus - How much more does this virtue apply to us?….Let’s be honest - Human beings have an “obedience problem”….You hear it all the time - “Don’t tell me what to do?”……As a Catholics this mindset will never work!……”Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak”…….One of the many great things about being Catholic is, everything the Church professes to believe and teaches is written down…There really is no ambiguity - We are the ones that make the teachings unclear….And God, knowing we “need help” with being obedient - Gives us the Sacraments, which provides us with heavenly grace, strengthens our will and opens our eyes!…..To follow Christ is to be obedient - There is no other way to view our relationship with God, who is the Creator….The world today refuses to accept this reality even in the face of bad choices and the consequences that come with those bad choices….God loves us and wants what is best for us - But people do not believe this!…We want to do it “our way” - Even in the face of horrendous outcomes……The first miracle Jesus performed was at the request of Our Lady at the Wedding Feast of Cana…The wine ran out and the people asked Our Lady for help - So what does Our Lady say to do? - Go to Jesus and - “Do what he tells you!” - Simple Right?!?…….That same “advice” applies to this very day….Life is so much better when we do things God’s way…..But sadly the world is not convinced!…..As Catholics, the Church gives us two thousand years of wisdom wrapped up in its perennial teachings - The Church knows what it is talking about! - And when we live out what the Church tells us - We thrive - In our marriages - In our personal life - Even at the hour of death…..It all comes down to obedience….”Do what he tells you!”

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life”

I am the father of five children - I tell my children all the time - “I will never tell you anything that will hurt you”…But kids being kids - They want to do things “their way”….Adults are no different….And we need to “get over” this mind set…..God is our loving Father and he too through his Church will never tell us anything that will hurt us - Do we believe this? - We need to be convinced of this reality!…..At the age of twenty-two years old I decided to take my Catholic faith seriously….That single decision was by far the best decision of my life!!!!…Because of that one decision I have everything I have today, more then thirty years later…I have my wife, who I met through the Church…I have five children…I have an education…I have a good job…I have money in the bank…I have no addictions….I have no debilitating vices…..I am physically strong, healthy and self discipled…I could go on and on…All these aspects of my life stem from that one decision to live my life as a Catholic…..Today many parents when raising their children do not prioritize teaching their kids about their Catholic faith…This is a huge mistake!!!….Nothing is more important then passing on your Catholic faith to your children…A child can get a great education, have a wonderful job, become materially rich - And still destroy their life as a result of bad choices!!! - This happens all the time!!!!!…..When we as parents are long gone from this life, the faith we passed on to our children will guide their life - Keeping them safe and allowing them to thrive in all their decisions when we are not there to help them…Nothing is more important then providing a Catholic education and witnessing our Catholic faith to our children! - Do we as parents see it that way? - If not, maybe we need to reassess our priorities…When we put God first in our life, everything else falls into its proper place…This all comes down to the virtue of obedience - “Doing what God tells us!”

“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness”

Today at Mass Jesus tells us he does everything the Father tells him….Is this our approach to our Catholic faith?…..Being Catholic means we prescribe to everything the Church teaches….We are not to “pick and choose” what to believe and what not to believe…This “Cafeteria Catholicism” needs to end! - Why? - Because it does not work!….When we do things “God’s way” - Things work out….Keep in mind - Sometimes when we do things God’s way, we need to be patient…..God uses “time” to form us - To prepare us for the “next step”….We must learn to “trust the plan”…..God’s plan works!!!!!!….And so does his “timeline”….All things work for the greater good and for our good…The goal is heaven and for us to enter into eternal life, we must be sanctified, and this takes time - Our life and all the events of our life are geared towards that one goal…This is why we must do things “God’s way”…And this is why we must be obedient to God’s will…..There is no other path to heaven!!….Jesus said, “He is The Way” - He did not say - “You are the way”.......Do what he tells you!……JMJ

I am the Truth - He did not say - I am the custom

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St John how Jesus addresses the Jews who opposed him……”So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me”…..The Jews simply could not accept that the Messiah would look like a simple carpenter….They were looking for something else even though Jesus spoke like no one ever had and performed miracles right before their eyes…..It did not matter what he said - It did not matter how many miracles Jesus performed…The Jewish people were not having it!….They refused to believe…..Why? - The answer is simple - They were not willing to change….And the same issue applies to the unbelieving world today…Jesus Christ could come down from the sky in the middle of the day in New York City….Every cell phone could record Jesus coming down from heaven and stream the sight on social media to the entire world - And still people would not believe - In fact, my bet is, the powerful of the world would once again plot to kill him!…Why is that? - Because the world refuses to change!…..Jesus is not interested in people simply saying that they “believe in him” - Big deal! - Talk is cheap! - Jesus is asking us to change and “follow him”….Are we willing to change!!!!!?????!!!!!……This is the question……To follow Christ is to grow and if we are not moving forward in our relationship with God, we are sadly going backward…..This is why in order to be a follower of Christ - First we must REPENT - Then we can properly believe - That is the proper order, not the other way around…….We can not follow Christ on “our terms” and we surely do not enter eternal life on “our terms” either - Our world today believes otherwise - A costly mistake….Those who have ears - Let them hear

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand”

Do you believe in the existence of Absolute Truth…Allow me to give you an example - Two + Two = Four - That is an Absolute Truth…..And if you believe in the existence of Absolute Truth, then you will understand that somethings can never change…It does not matter who you are, how educated you are, or how “important” you think you are - Somethings can never change - Two + Two = Four!….As Catholics this idea of Absolute Truth applies to us…..The teachings of the Catholic Church are timeless….They do not change because we want them too…And for two thousand years, they have proven to work!…..God does not “change” to adapt to the desires of man - Its man who must change and adapt to God - Today our world as this idea backwards……..Allow me to give the reader of this reflection an example……Marriage is a Sacrament - It is between one man and one woman…..Society can pass all the laws it wants - That eternal Truth about marriage can never change…And because it can never change, when society tries to “change it”, there are consequences….The Natural Law is written on every human heart…And when we reject the Natural Law, something inside of us breaks!….Each and every person was made by God and when we willing turn from God, we reap the consequences…We lack peace - We are in a constant state of “searching” - Nothing seems to satisfy us - We lack lasting and deep joy…This is reality…..Human Beings are not at liberty to change what cannot be changed….The more we try, the more chaos grows, both personally and on the societal level……Once we accept reality - And reality is this - God is God and we are not - Once we accept this reality, our lives will improve and until then, they will not

“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand……The Father and I are one”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus is confronted once again by aggressive people who refuse to believe in him….Sound familiar? - Not too much has changed to this very day…Many people in our world today, whether they know it or not, are trying to be like God…..They are trying to do what cannot be done….Jesus knows full well what is in the hearts of men - What that means is, Jesus knows how we “operate” - And because of that, He is patient - Each of us are given a chance to “figure it all out” - We have our enter life to “figure it all out”…….And what must we come to understand (i.e.“figure out”)? - That the world does not revolve around us - That we are not the arbiters of Truth - That some things cannot change because the Natural Law says so….We can try all we want - That is reality!…..Again, as we live our life and time goes by, God gives us every opportunity to “figure it all out” - But in the end, time does run out - We all die eventually - The “final whistle blows”!….In the meantime, God continues to love us and God plays the “long game” - Meaning, he puts in front of us people, circumstances and events, which are meant for us to reconsider bad choices made….Its then for us to respond - Its then for us to change……Jesus told us very clearly - I am the Truth - He did not say - I am the custom……..JMJ

This is the path to eternal life - The only path

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John Jesus gives us the “key” to how we are to live out our Catholic faith but also how we will enter heaven……”This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own”…The path to eternal life is self sacrificial…Do not let anyone tell you otherwise!…..As Catholics we are all called to lay down our lives for others - First our family and then our neighbors…The more we empty ourself - The more the Holy Spirit fills us…This is the “calculus” of God….Jesus showed us the way…..However, we resist this path….Our human nature, self preservation and the desire to be comfortable seems to always get in the way…This is why we must rely on Sacramental grace….Because to live in a self-sacrificial manner is not “natural” - Our human nature rebels against it….Only when we immerse our lives in daily prayer, fasting and the Sacraments can we live such a life…..This is the mistake of our Protestant brothers and sisters - They believe they do not need the Sacraments - How mistaken they are!….This is also the mistake of the secular unbelieving world - And if you doubt what I am saying - Simply look out your window! - Our world is selfish to its core!….And this is why Jesus walked among us two thousand years ago - He taught us by his example to be people for others but he also understood that by our own strength, we could not live in this manner - So he formed a Church, which give us the Sacraments…..The more clearly we “see” Christ in the Eucharist, the more we will see him in our family and neighbors - And the clearer we see Jesus in others - The more we will serve them, even if that service means we have less for ourselves…This my friends is the path to heaven - For those who have ears - Let them hear!

“Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on And bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place”

Our modern world needs to see Catholics - From our Bishops and Priests, to married couples, to non-married people - All of us!!! - Must live sacrificially!….Why would I make such a claim?….For one, its the path to heaven…But secondly, no one will believe we are serious about what we “say” we believe as Catholics if they do not see for themselves that we have “skin in the game”….That means we give of ourself until it hurts…That is what real love is - Giving of self……Growing up in my hometown there was a large family that I was close with…The Fahey family had eight children…I knew three of the boys well and later in life I got to know the father…..Patrick was from Ireland and worked simple jobs…He never had a car…He road his bike everywhere…He always had a smile on his face and was the full of authentic joy….And to me, he was a great example of what a Catholic was to be like…..I got to know Patrick at a Bible Study in my parish - I would pick him up at his home every Saturday morning for years….The example of his life was powerful, and I am sure I am not the only person in my hometown to say that about him…Patrick was uneducated man who emptied himself out - First to his family and then to others…He worked into his eighties as a crossing guard and I can still see him talking to everyone who came across his path with a smile on his face…..To me, knowing Patrick was a blessing - His life’s example resinated with me more then any “sermon” or book I read…..As Catholics, when we live deeply sacrificial lives, trust me, people will stop and be amazed! - People will also listen to what you say because of what they “see” - And as a result of your witness, people will know that Jesus is real….They will not know this simply by us telling them Jesus is real - The world needs to “see” Christ in us - And that only happens when we live sacrificially.

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep”

Today at Mass Jesus tells us how we are to tell if a “shepherd” is good or if he is an imposture……How do we tell? - The shepherd lays down his life for his sheep - That is how we tell….The same standard applies today….When a father and mother have many children and are open to life in their marriage - We see “the shepherd laying down his life for his sheep”……When we see Bishops speaking the Truth to power at the risk of their very life - We see “the shepherd laying down his life for his sheep”…..When we see Priests living simply and assisting the poor at a great personal cost to themselves - We see “the shepherd laying down his life for his sheep”…..This is the ONLY way the unbelieving world will believe we as Catholics are for real!!!!…..It does not matter what we say  - It only matters how we live and if we are not living sacrificially - No one will believe we are for real…..”A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them”…..The world is watching - And people know the “real deal” when they see it - They also can “smell a fake” from a mile away……"It is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life" - This is the path to eternal life - The only path……JMJ

Follow the “voice” and stick to God’s plan

Today at Holy Mass in all the readings there is a common theme, which tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd…We are told in the Gospel of St John that the sheep hear the Shepherd’s voice…..That the sheep will not follow the voice of someone who is not the Shepherd……St John Gospel is a very blunt account - John tells us very clearly that Jesus is the only way - That there is no other way that leads to salvation….."Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly”…….The “voice” that the sheep hear is the Natural Law - It is “hardwired” on the hearts of all mankind - There is nothing we can do to erase the Natural Law from our hearts - That is why when we hear the voice of Christ proclaimed through the Gospel - It registers deeply within us….So why is it then that some people, who also have the Natural Law written on their hearts turn away from Christ and the Catholic Church?…..Jesus addresses the answer to that question in this Gospel today as well……We are told by St John that -  “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” - And those who hear the voice of Christ and turn away from him do not believe this reality - They believe that following Jesus will not make their life better - They see the sacrifices required to be an authentic disciple of Christ and want nothing to do with such a life - They can not believe that if they too “pick up their cross” somehow they will have a better life - So what do they do? - They turn away from the “voice” of the Good Shepherd….This was the case from the very beginning, from the first betrayal of Jesus - When Judas turned from him….Judas knew Jesus was a very special person, but he lost faith in Jesus’ method of how the Jewish people would be liberated - Judas thought he had a “better plan” - So he betrayed him….This same mindset exists to this very day….The unbelieving world that turns from Christ still “hears” his voice - How do I know that? - Because the Natural Law is written on every human heart…But the unbelieving world turns from that “voice” because it does not believe that following “that voice” will bring them an abundant life…..This is why practicing Catholics must lead the way - Only by our example can we show people that Jesus takes nothing from us - He only gives!!!! - That the teachings of the Catholic Church lead a person to an abundant life, full of joy and peace….Only by our example can we demonstrate this reality - Words will never convince the world - That God gives - God never takes….People believe what they see - So we must show them!

“If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps”

Today the institution of marriage is in crisis - One in two marriages ends in divorce…Why do you think that is?…..First off, do we even know what marriage is? - Marriage is a Sacrament….Now ask yourself - How many people live their marriage Sacramentally?…..Placing God and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the center of their marriage…..How many Catholic marriages today use contraception?….When we make our vows on the altar - We as Catholics vow we will be open to life - And when we break that vow by using contraception - Our marriages cease to be Sacramental - That means God’s grace does not animate the bond between the man and the woman - And when that happens - Selfishness creeps in - And Selfishness is the destroyer of love…..This is why marriage as an institution is in trouble - Because modern man does not live marriage as it was intended…So what does this sad reality have to do with Jesus being the Good Shepherd?…..As I stated above, the voice of the Shepard is heard by all because the Natural Law is written on every human heart - Many people today feel that if they follow that “voice”, it will lead to a hard and joyless life - That such a decision will not bring them peace…..Clearly that mindset has been proven false when it comes to who has successful marriages and by the divorce statistics……Authentic Catholic marriages, that place God in the center and are open to life work! - Why? - Because they comport to the Natural Law…..And to deny the Natural Law is like trying to deny the existence of gravity…….The ever present voice of God can still be heard today - Even above all the “noise” of the culture - Its up to us to pay attention for that “voice”… If we watch closely at the lives of faithful Catholics - What you will see is not a “perfect people” but a group of people who are peaceful and full of joy…..What you will also see is their marriages work! - Why? - Because marriage is a Sacrament - These couples heard the voice of the Good Shepard and followed that voice……And guess what happened? - They were given an abundant life, just as St John told us in the Gospel today….Go figure?!? - What Jesus says really works - Imagine that!

“When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls”

Today we are told at Mass that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that his sheep hear his voice…….So here is the question - If that were true - Why is it that so many people don’t seem to “hear” what Jesus is telling them today?…..The answer to the question is not found in the fact that those who turn from Christ’s voice don’t “hear” it - Because they do hear it! - The problem is - They hear it but don’t believe “the voice” will lead them to a happy and productive life - They believe they have a “better plan”…..If we are objective students of history and if we are honest, we will read in the history books how many people “thought” they had a “better plan”, which contradicted God’s plan - Once again, if we are honest - What happened to those “better plans” and those people?……Like it or not - All things point to Christ - That is reality! - Why? - Because he has the best plan!………The Natural Law is written on every human heart and the voice of the Good Shepard can be heard by all….Maybe its time the modern world should start listening? - And be convinced!! - That God way works!! - That God has the best plan!!…..Once we are fully convinced that God’s plan for our life is infinitely better then “our plan” - Then and only then will we follow the Good Shepherd where ever he leads…..God gives - God does not take - And the “sheep” that follow the Shepherd know this and the “sheep” that turn away think they have a “better plan”………The pages of history show us this - Don’t end up on the scrap heap of history!!……..Follow the “voice” and stick to God’s plan!……..JMJ