God’s plan is infinitely better than your plan!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus reminds his friends about persevering in prayer, even when life is not easy….”Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily”…For many - There is a great disconnect when it comes to our “vision” and purpose in life and God’s vision….We want what we want - When we want it and how we want it…And let’s be honest, some of our “wants” are good - Very good in fact…But God “sees” the world and frankly us very differently more times than not….All God wants for us is that we become sanctified and in the end return to him in heaven….That process of sanctification is just that, a process - It takes time!…And in order for that to happen, daily prayer needs to be involved…Prayer shapes us - It opens our minds to the mysteries of the Catholic faith, to God and to our very self, but it also is a big part of the sanctification process…And this requires unfailing perseverance……As Catholics, we live in a fallen world that rejects God - Yet, we still seem to think that we will “get what we want” - Politically, materially, and in our interactions with others….While we experience small moments of “perfection” - Those moments are fleeting…Politicians disappoint us - People fail us - Hypocrisy creeps in….And when this happens - Its very easy to get disappointed - To “give up”…Jesus understands this and because he does - He warns us today…..”But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”……Our job as Mother Teresa once put it is not to be “successful” - Its to be faithful……We cannot control others - But we can control what we do…And this is why daily prayer is vital…We will NEVER become who God intended us to be without daily prayer…Do you carve out time each day for prayer?…Is it “built into” your daily routine?….If it is not, Advent is approaching and Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of Christ…Make it a point this Advent to establish a daily prayer life - Start small - And build upon it…Because if we do not persevere in prayer - We will get “lost” - Lost in the many disappoints of life…..But if we pray and begin to “see” as God “sees” - We slowly learn that disappoints teach us more about ourself and about God then our successes do - And disappointments, when “viewed”correctly serve as “reminders” of something better, which is “right around the corner” - But only if we persevere

“God has called us through the Gospel, to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ”

God gives us our vocation - And we each of us have one…Whether we are called to the Priesthood or the married state - God ordains this from the very beginning and to find our vocation is simply a process of following our joy and peace….”Our joy” and peace will eventually “rest” upon the state of life we eventually land upon - That is how we pursue our true vocation - Its a quest - Its a process - And “time” and God has a way of working this process out…..I state this because I always wanted to have many children and get married….I would talk about having many children as a young man…But sadly, after living a wild life in high school and college, I never found a Catholic woman, who I wanted to marry or who saw the world like I did - Through a Catholic lens….At the age of twenty-two, I committed my life to Christ and began living my Catholic faith - Some many say and did, that I lived it radically - Serving the poor in America and abroad in the third world - I developed and prioritized my interior prayer life - I attended daily Mass…So people assumed I was going to be a priest….And I thought about it - But the thought never brought me peace…So I just continued to do what I was doing….I worked with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Newark New Jersey - I drove the Missionaries of Charity in New York City on Saturdays - I traveled to Haiti to serve the poor - I traveled to Kolkata, India each Advent Season to serve the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters…And everyone would say - “Joe will become a Priest” - Everyone thought that accept me…..I still wanted to get married - And time kept “ticking away”…I found myself to be in my early forties - And I finally said to myself - “I guess the married life is NOT going to happen for me”…..And I accepted this - And was at peace with it - My life was good - I was doing good things for the Lord - Growing in my relationship with God…..And just then, at 41 years old - I met my wife…..We got married two years latter and within ten years….By the age of 53, I had five children - Just like that!….God works in mysterious ways….And if I did not preserve in my Catholic faith, I never would have met my wife - Who is also a devout Catholic……Man plans and God laughs…..I have come to understand - God has a plan and his plan is infinitely better then my plan - This reality is so important for us to internalize - I say that because 98% of people in the world are not convinced of it…..So I will say it again - God’s plan is infinitely better than your plan!….JMJ

“Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters, especially for strangers; they have testified to your love before the Church”

The sooner we “figure that out” - The better off we all will be

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first a reading from St John….As we know, St John was possibly the closest apostle to Christ - He also lived with Our Lady for many years after Jesus was crucified…Because of that - I pay extra attention to his writings…John was a mystic and he gives us insight where others do not…Today St John tells us something I found very interesting…..These are his exact words - “Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son”……Today people throw around the word “progressive” all the time….Both in religious circles and in political circles…It seems that people “threw around” the word in St John’s day as well…..Today, when people use the word, they imply that being “progressive” is somehow an elevated way to think and live - That they are somehow “enlightened” in a new path forward…..To that claim - St John today is very direct - “Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God”……This is why I love the writings of St John - He is extremely clear and to the point…..To “think” that we can re-write Church teaching because somehow we “know better” is utterly ridiculous!……Its very simple - What the Church teaches is written in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, its very clear - If you do not acknowledge what the Church holds itself out to be true - Frankly you are not in communion with Rome and if you are not in communion with Rome, you should refrain from receiving the Blessed Sacrament at Holy Mass - And fast and pray - In doing so, the Holy Spirit will “get to the bottom” of your “issue” with Church teaching…..Its really that simple - We make it complicated…..Human beings are constantly trying to “re-shape” what cannot be re-shaped…Why? - We are not convinced that God’s plan if FAR better than our plan - Such a huge mistake!…..My bet is, the day Jesus was crucified, many people thought his movement was finished….And to the rational and logical mind, that was a very practical concept to accept - “The party is over!”…..But as we all know now - God had other plans!….How wrong they were - And how wrong you are if you think you are so “progressive” as to find God outside of his Church or for that matter “re-create” the Church in your own image…Jesus said - I am the Way, the Truth and the Life - He did not say - I am the custom…….He also said - ”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. I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 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. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me”…….Are we too “progressive” to read and comprehend what is clearly written down?

“Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist. Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for but may receive a full recompense”

I attended a Catholic High School, I am the son of a barber and many of my classmates had similar backgrounds…Families who worked very hard and sacrificed for their children to receive a private education in the Catholic tradition….When I was in high school I was in many of the accelerated classes, which simply means that track was gearing students towards college…And many of my friends, who were in those advanced classes became very successful…For example, one of my friends, the son of a fireman went on to Harvard to become a doctor…And he was not the only financially successful one - Many of my classmates to this day are extremely successful people, who make tons of money…..Now, the people in those advanced classes with me at my Catholic High School were considered the “best and the brightest”…..And like I stated, they did “live up” to that measure, as far as what they did professionally - But I cannot tell you how many of them now even go to Church, never mind practice their Catholic faith….Many of them went to what is referred to as “progressive” colleges and came back completely different people….They were “so smart” they “figured out” a “better way” - How deceived they are!….And what a tragedy!…For example - One of my friends was the son of a Cuban refugee…I knew his family very well…My friend John’s father sold shoes in a very poor section of Newark New Jersey…And he sent his son off to a highly ranked “progressive” university…John my friend, not only does not practice his Catholic faith - He is adamantly against the Catholic Church…I remember years ago seeing his family at a wedding and my friend John’s father (the shoe salesman) speaking to me privately - Asking me to speak with his son John, who now has “issues” with God and the Catholic Church…What a tragedy!!!…This man sold shoes and worked so hard to send his son to college and this is the outcome!!!!!!…..St John tells us today very clearly……”Anyone who is so “progressive” as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son”….How prophetic that statement made 2000 years ago shows itself to be today…..No one is “smarter” then God - And your “plan” is no plan at all - The sooner we “figure that out” - The better off we all will be…..JMJ

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all”

The great saints did this and so must we

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus addresses the Pharisees about when the Kingdom of God would come…He basically says - No one knows but he also warns them - Do not be deceived…..“The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit”….Jesus gives us the same warning…For 2000 years - Charlatans - Frauds - Grifters - Manipulators have made many claims about the Kingdom of God - And to this very day - They still do….Jesus warned us!…..Why do people still not “hear” the voice of God?…or….Better put - Why is the voice of God ignored?….The answer - Because we “hear” what our “itchy” ears want to hear…There is one Church - There is one Pope - Everything the Catholic Church professes to be true is clearly written down in the Catechism of the Catholic Church - The Scriptures are as clear as day!…So what is the problem? - We are the problem! - PRIDE is the problem!……..Why are we deceived?…Why are we “looking” for God in all the wrong places?……Jesus gives us the answer today…….”But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation”…We do not want to suffer (I do not want to suffer) and we do not want to be rejected by the world……And because of this - We reject our Catholic faith and Christ…..What many of us refuse to accept is - Being a Catholic in the world - I mean living what the Church teaches - WILL bring with it suffering - There is no way around this…And because such a life is counter-cultural to the “ways of the world” - We will be rejected by many - That includes family, neighbors and “old friends”……This reality MUST be accepted if we want to authentically be a disciple of Jesus Christ……Jesus repeatedly tells us this in the Gospels…..”If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours”…..And deep down in the hearts of many - We are fully aware of this reality….So what happens? - We make a choice - We either - Water down the faith and / or turn from Jesus and our Catholic faith entirely - Or - We accept the fact that being Catholic implies some degree of rejection and persecution…..To be an authentic Catholic - To live as the Gospel commands us to live…We must accept this reality - Because it is reality - That suffering and rejection is part of “the game”…..So accept it - And rejoice and be glad - The Kingdom of God will one day be yours.

“I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord: whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit”

Its very important for Catholics to read the lives of the saints…Over the years I have read extensively about the saints and when you do, certain common themes surface…While all the saints were different, in many ways they all shared similar characteristics and experiences…One of those shared experiences for almost all the saints was they experienced rejection and suffered at the hands of injustice and power…..There is an old saying….”Beware of celebrity Priests”….Why say such a thing?…Because if one lives and speaks like Jesus Christ, “the world” more times then not will reject such a priest….In my hometown parish, where my children go to school, my wife and I go to Daily Mass together when we drop off our children in the morning at school…The pastor of our Parish is a good priest, who is not afraid to preach the fullness of Truth contained in the Gospel….More then a few times, I have heard as he was giving his homily, people siting behind me, verbally express dissatisfaction regarding what he was preaching from the pulpit…..How are we to grow as Catholics if we are not willing to be challenged!?!…..If we listen to the Gospels, that is what Jesus did - He challenged people!…Why? - Because he hated them? - Just the opposite - Because he loved them!…We as Catholics, whether we are Bishops, Priests or Lay-Catholics….We must challenge the status quo….Not by our “opinions” - But by the very words of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Church as they are written in the Catechism of the Catholic Church…If we are not willing to do this, frankly, we are wasting our time!…And if living and preaching the Truth brings with it rejection and suffering - So be it…..”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 are not in heaven yet - So bear your share of hardships for the Gospel - The great saints did this and so must we…..JMJ

“Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord. - Refresh my heart in Christ”

Its really easy to “get lost” in the hype of the label - “I’m Catholic”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke Jesus cures ten lepers…Now keep in mind…Being a leper in Jesus time was literally a death sentence….Not to mention, before you died of the disease, you were cast out of society - Literally - To live in the elements alone until you died….So Jesus encounters a group of these people and they asked him to heal them…..So Jesus does…..And nine of them just go on their merry way…and only one comes back to thank him….And this man was a Samaritan - Why is that significant?…Samaritans were consider the lowest of the low by the Jewish people….And he comes back to thank Jesus…The other nine, implying they were Jews and knew the law of God did not……WOW!!!….…Now that is a message right?!?…..How quick people forget the mercy of God……How quick we take for granted all the good things God gives to us each and every day……If we make it a practice to go to confession with a priest frequently as the saints prescribe (once a month) - No matter how “good” other people think you may be - You start to “see” very clearly that you are flawed….This is also why its good to go to the same priest each time you go to confession…Its a reminder to you….That you are “no saint” - You know it and so does the priest!!! - And that is a good thing…It keeps you humble…..Now, as a person who does go to frequent confession at the same parish in New York City every other week - I am fully aware of how good I feel after I get out of the confessional and the Priest absolves my sins….In experiencing this encounter with Christ, which is exactly what a Sacramental Confession is - Don’t you think that encounter will effect how I see other people around me who are also in need of mercy too? - Of course it does…..How about if someone wrongs me and they apologize - Knowing that God forgave me makes it that much easier for me to forgive that person who asked of my forgiveness - Makes sense right?….“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love.* But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little”…This is just one more reason why Catholics need to commit to going to frequent Sacramental Confession - It fosters empathy within you for others and the seeds of authentic humility grow….But let’s circle back to the Samaritan leper who was cured in today’s Gospel….You would have thought the nine Jewish lepers who “knew better” because they knew the Jewish law would have come back to Jesus and not only thank him but followed him - But that did not happen……What does this story tell you? - I will tell you what it teaches me - Don’t “write people off” too quickly - Because sometimes people surprise you…What else does it tell us? - “Labels” and self-described “identities” mean very little - Why? - Because its our actions that define us not the “labels”…Who we say we are or what we say we believe mean very little if our actions do not reflect what we say we believe…..There are some today who say “I am Catholic” and frankly, if we are honest, their daly lives in no way reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church or that of Christ - Let’s just be honest……“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers”….God sees the human heart - It does not matter what you know or even say…Its what is in your heart, how you say it and how you live each day - That is how God will judge us….A good reminder for us all

“As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

Clearly no one is perfect - If you are looking for perfection in people - You will always be disappointed…With that said, in my life I have met all kinds of people and periodically,  I not only meet someone who is not a practicing Catholic but never walked into a Catholic Church in their entire life - And that person, if I was to be honest (again periodically), is clearly a “better person” then many Catholics I know…Simply by the way they act and treat others…..Now the Church is very clear in the Catechism about how we are saved…I am not refuting that teaching in this reflection - I am simply making an observation….Not all “self-described Catholics” are “nice people” - In fact, some of them are down right nasty!…Not all but there are some - So please do not misunderstand me…..When we die and stand before God, we will not be asked to recite the Bible or the Catechism of the Catholic Church from front to back - That I can guarantee you!…We will however be asked two questions…Did you love God above all things?…and….Did you love your neighbor as yourself?……..And how we live our daily life will answer both of those questions - Very clearly!……So how do we “live” according to those first two Commandments? (Which by the way are on the “final exam”)…The answer  - Without Sacramental Grace and daily prayer - You are not going too…….Without Sacramental grace, even if you are a “self-described Catholic” in essence, you are really no better or different than a non-believer…Because it does not matter what you say or know - Its how you live your life that matters and with out grace - Trust me - You will live for the most part like the non-believing world…….My father died of Parkinson disease in the midst of the COVID pandemic….Because of that, his funeral was not attended by many people…..One of the people who did attend was a work colleague of mine from twenty years ago….His name was Jack Lokensky…Jack is Jewish and he drove over one hour to attend the funeral service…..When I saw Jack enter the room, to be honest I was “blown away”…So many people did not come - Some close friends and family of my father too did not attend - Many of them were Catholic by the way….But Jack came - A Jewish man, who does not believe that Jesus is God - And Jack did not even know my father!….Once again, Jack blew me away by that kind gesture - I will never forget it!….That story reminded me of today’s Gospel from Mass……“Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you”……God sees the human heart - As far who “gets into heaven” and who does not - I think - There will be many people in heaven that “surprise” you - Some will be there who we never thought would and some who we thought would will not!…I just hope I “make it” - And in order for that to happen…I need to live by Sacramental Grace and daly prayer - By the way - So do YOU!….Its really easy to “get lost” in the hype of the label - “I’m Catholic”…..JMJ

“But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life”

Why? - Because the Rosary is the weapon!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke Jesus addresses us - Don’t “pat yourself on the back” for doing what is required of you!…Have we forgotten that we live under authority?….People today do not want to hear that - Even within the walls of the Catholic Church - Our life is not our own……..We see this all over social media - Do we “pat ourselves on the back” for simply living as a Catholic? - Because even in the best of actions and in the “best” of people, there are “cracks” and flaws….How can I say such a thing? - Because we are all flawed!!!!…This is why we must do all things through Our Lady….She takes all our good actions - And magnifies them…She then presents them to her son…This is a good way to view your “Catholic walk” each day - To Jesus through Mary…No matter what I do - Even when I try my very best…There are imperfections in my actions - But Mary who is perfect and my Mother, sees my intentions and purifies my actions - She in essence “cleans them up” and presents them to her son…This is why devotion to Our Lady is so important…She is the most direct way to Jesus….How do we develop this devotion?…Start with saying one “Hall Mary” each day….Then pray one decade of the Rosary each day….Then pray the entire Rosary each day…Then pray one Hail Mary with your spouse each day…Then pray one decade of the Rosary with your spouse each day…Then pray the entire Rosary with your spouse each day…Then slowly invite the children to join you….Step by Step - Our Lady will guide you to her son…..As Catholics, if we read the Gospels carefully, we will notice that many things are asked of us and how we live is what God is concerned about - Not what we say we “believe” - Never forget that…Our Lady is a true Mother and all Mother’s guide their children…Without her, we can never accomplish what we are ALL called to accomplish - To be a holy people….We learn this at the feet of our Mother…..No one understood Jesus like Mary - This is why its vital we cling to her and "the cord" that we “attach” ourselves to her is the Rosary

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

Padre Pio famously said - “The Rosary is the Weapon”…What did he mean by that?…..Scriptures tell us that the devil prowls the world seeking the ruin of souls…That means the devil is very real and that he is in a sense “hunting” us…The devil is highly intelligent - He knows all our weaknesses and we all have weakness….He plays “the long game” and all the devil needs is a “crack” to get into our lives and before we know it, that “crack” becomes a chasm…..What does this all have to do with the Rosary?….Well - As Padre Pio said - The Rosary is the weapon…Even if we live in the state of grace, we are still only human and will be faced with temptation after temptations each day….And trust me - The devil knows YOU better then you know your self….So what do we do when we face temptation? - Or experience doubt? - Or experience a lack of trust in God? - Or are afraid of what the future holds?…..I will tell you what I do - I hold my Rosary in my hand…Just by merely holding my Rosary, the temptations that plague me flee….Try it….When I walk to my office building each day in New York City - As I am about to do - The Rosary is ALWAYS in my hand the entire journey to my office…If I see a beautiful woman, who is not dressed appropriately, I grasp my Rosary…If an impure thought comes into my head, I reach into my pocket and grab my Rosary….Before I put on my wrist watch each day, my Rosary goes into my pocket…..I carry it with me EVERYWHERE I go………Why is the devil afraid of Mary?…Because Mary was humble….The mistake many people make when confronted with temptation (i.e. the devil) - They try to stand against him solely on our own - We “puff” up our chest and tell ourself I am “strong”….When we do this - The devil laughs….But as for Our Lady…She was perfectly obedient to the Father - Sinless in every way - And perfectly humble….The devil FEARS humility - He has no defense against it….And this is why when I am tempted, or afraid, or have doubts…I reach for my Rosary…Why? - Because the Rosary is the weapon!……JMJ

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant”

Why settle for a “shack” when you are a “temple”?

Today at Holy Mass the Universal Church commemorates the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome…This Church was at one time the Palace for a wealthy Roman family who gifted it to the Pope…Today this Church is know as the Pope’s Cathedral….The readings today at Mass all make reference to a “temple”….What is a temple? - What comes to your mind when you hear the word?…On a very elementary level, a temple is a place of worship, a place that people consider to be sacred…..I think we can all agree on that, on a very basic level…St Paul in the second reading today tells us that our bodies are temples to God….Do you think in these terms?…......”Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”….As children most Catholics are baptized and at that moment, an “indelible mark” was placed upon us…..We become grafted into the very body of Christ - Do you ever think about that!!!!…..What is within each of us is HOLY!!!….And if we cooperate with God - We will become what were were ALL born to be - HOLY…But here is the “catch” - Without cooperation with God - That is not going to happen…..St Paul also tells us something else that is rather interesting…..”You are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ”…Notice what St Paul says…..”each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there”……There is only one real authority on this earth - That authority is the Catholic Church - I realize I just made many people get very angry after they read this last sentence - But it is true!!!….Jesus Christ was God and he founded only one Church - He gave it authority - His authority!….When we “break” from the Church - Something “breaks” within us……Why? - Because without Sacramental grace - The likelihood that we will be able to live as Christ requires us to live is slim to none!…..And how we live is the only thing that matter - Not what we say we believe….What else does that one sentence imply?…It should tell us that NO ONE can “build” upon the foundation that Jesus built upon outside of the Catholic Church - How do I know that to be true? - Because the Catholic Church has lasted for 2000 years and will be the last institution standing when EVERYTHING we see around us falls to pieces…Notice how businesses, “churches” of all kinds, governments, empires - They all come and go - And the Catholic Church is still here…Does that make you think? - If it does not - It should…Think long and hard before you “break” with the Catholic Church! - The people in it (myself included) are all flawed - I “get it” - But what the Church teaches and has taught for centuries is PERFECT and will NEVER change….Denying reality does not do you any good….So “stay in the boat” - The "seas" may get rough but "the boat" will NEVER sink - That means YOU will NEVER sink - But only if you STAY IN THE BOAT

“I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, that my name may be there forever”

There is an old saying…”The seeds of Baptism are always being sown”…..Many Catholics get Baptized and then never go into a Church again….However, that does not mean God is not still working within them….As long as a person has breath in their body - There is hope for them - Because God is always “reaching out his hand”……St Paul reminds us today at Mass that our bodies are God’s temple - Sadly the world does not view things this way - I can say that by the way the world lives - What people put into their bodies - What people do sexually with each other….Clearly this concept is not in the forefront of the minds of people across the world - But that does not mean it is not a reality……Before I was married I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters for seven years at an AIDS hospice in New York City…I have watched harden men - Some outright criminals fresh out of jail - Who lived HORRIBLE lives…..Come to Christ as their life was coming to an end…Many of these men were not Baptized and requested to be Baptized before they died - Some were Baptized as children and they never lived as Catholics - Until they saw that life was soon to end for them due to their medical condition….The point I am making is - Each of us is a “Temple of the Holy Spirit”…That is the way God sees us - No matter who we are or what we have done….And if we choose to cooperate with God - We “set the world of fire”…But sadly, we “think” our “plan” is better than God’s plan…And as a result we settle for mediocre lives - Some even live criminal lives!….With that being said - ”The seeds” of our Baptism are always being sown…If only we cooperated - If we did - The “temple”, within each of us would THRIVE - You would stand out for all the world to see as a beacon of LIGHT…..Why settle for a “shack” when you are a “temple”?…..JMJ

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy”

Wisdom gives us this required “sight”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading about the importance of wisdom….Wisdom is something that is misunderstood by many - It has very little to do with raw analytical intelligence as most people think it does - It also does not necessarily come to us through life experience…..Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and to give a definition to it - “Wisdom: The ability to see things from God's perspective and to value spiritual and eternal things over material ones”….How does one acquire this? - Simple….Live in the state of Sacramental grace…An illiterate farmer in the middle of South America can possess true wisdom and a Harvard educated Banker in New York City can be devoid of it…..Having wisdom helps one see the world as it truly is….Through God’s eyes - Because that is reality…Sadly, the smarter we are and the more we have - The more we distort reality - We see this all around us today…..Just because we can for a very brief period of time distort reality - Does not mean it is reality…Because God is reality - He created the world and no matter what mankind does - We can not alter God’s plan - So we either “join the team” or we “get trampled under foot”….There is no way mankind can “fight against God”…Its like trying to hold back the ocean with a table spoon in your hand!…But back to wisdom - When we “see” the world though God’s len and value what God values - As the definition of wisdom describes - We “see” many of the “potholes” in life that most people fall into…And by “seeing” them - We avoid them…..For instance - Like marrying a superficial and materialistic woman - Like becoming addicted to pornography - Like chasing money and power - Like buying into materialism that is all around us…These are just a few of the “potholes” that even the smartest of people fall into and their lives are destroyed!…Authentic wisdom allows us to “see” these things for what they are as they are!…And when you live Sacramentally - Our human will is fortified to resist the temptations that far too many people fall prey too (i.e. Fortitude is another of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit)…..I have learned this by watching my own father, who lived a good and respectful life…..By watching my earthly father, the son of an Italian immigrant who worked in a one man barbershop, I learned that life has many “chapters” and also that life is NOT to be viewed in the “short term”, as many view it - Because life in many ways is a “marathon not a sprint” - And without wisdom, one will never see it that way….And if we are "blind", the likelihood of us falling into a pit is highly probable.

“Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire; Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate. For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence, and whoever for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free from care; because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all solicitude”

In my life I have met many different people  - I have also lived “many different lives”…..I was once “the cool kid” in high school…Voted by my class of 282 people “the class clown” - Everyone loved me and I had all kinds of friends from every “group”…I went on to college to become the “party guy” - Lived a wild life like one sees in the movies about college life - Maybe even more wild than the movies - If you can believe it…..Then I came home lost and broken because of my sins - Only to find Christ in my Catholic faith….Following my “new life with Christ” - I found that many of the “cool friends” I had wanted nothing to do with me - So a “new life” and a new chapter began………Then I worked on Wall Street and traveled for 13 years all over the United States and South America - Working with and next to wealthy bankers and brokers - These people took me to the best restaurants and when I traveled and I stayed in the best hotels….During this period of my life, I worked and served with the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s sisters) both in America and abroad and have walked among some of the poorest people on this earth!…….Now I am married to a Haitian-American Catholic woman and have five children under 12 years old - To say life is a journey is an understatement - And my life is not done!…….I say all this because I have “lived many lives”…..And my experiences have given me prospective - But not necessary wisdom, which was a theme today in the readings from Sunday Mass….As I have stated earlier in this reflection…“Wisdom is the ability to see things from God's perspective and to value spiritual and eternal things over material ones”…….Seeing the world “through God’s prospective” has NOTHING to do with our experiences - It has EVERYTHING to do with Sacramental grace…And to obtain this grace is rather easy - It also is FREE…Yet most people refuse it…What is the obstacle that prevents us from having this grace?….By the way, this includes many Catholics - We REFUSE to confess our sins to a Catholic Priest…By refusing to confess our sins - We create a barrier between us and Jesus - That means if we are not formed (as I was not at one time in my life) and we receive the Blessed Sacrament, while living in objective mortal sin - We are limiting the grace of God that COULD BE penetrating our soul….Its like putting up an umbrella in the rain - The rain is falling from the sky in buckets but we are not “feeling” the rain on our face because of the umbrella….Sacramental grace is what “opens us up” to wisdom (a gift of the Holy Spirit) and in order to have a “good” and healthy life - We need wisdom!!!….The number of people who destroy themselves, who do not possess wisdom is to numerous to count….And again - Just because we have “lived” a long time and experienced many different things does not mean we have true wisdom…Wisdom is like all good things, it is a gift from God…And when we have it - We are equip to “tackle the world”….And if we do not have wisdom - Watch out……The “traps” of life are many and in order to “see” them we need to see as God sees - Wisdom gives us this required “sight”…….JMJ

“Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.