Because the best is yet to come!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of John Jesus draws a line between heaven and earth….So the question then must be - Do we draw that same line or are we trying to create heaven on earth?…….“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you”………The closest a Catholic can get to heaven while still living on the earth is going to Mass….Outside of that, as we all know, human nature is fallen and as a result no place or no person is perfect…..Jesus came down from heaven for one purpose - “To take away the sins of the world”….And by actively participating in the one Church he founded, we too will become sanctified over time - Not perfect but sanctified growing closer and closer to God with each passing day….Through daily prayer, weekly fasting, frequent Confession (once a month) and weekly reception of the Blessed Sacrament at the Mass….These practices will not make us perfect, but over time we too will grow close to the Lord and create what is commonly called a “Domestic Church” for our family…..The family home is the supposed to be “the next best thing” to the Mass…It is supposed to be a sanctuary from the world - A place of stability - A place of love…..Is this what we see today?……The family is the seed of every society and nation and in America, the family is severely fractured…Many of our societal problems stem from that fracture…Why did this take place? - Because God has been removed from the family - Marriage is a Sacrament and when it is not lived as one - Selfishness grows within the hearts of the spouses - And selfishness destroys the bond of love…..While no family is perfect, when we make God the center of our family - We create a Domestic Church….But back to the words of Jesus from Mass - Jesus tells us point blank - There will be a big difference between those who embrace the world and those who embrace the things of heaven…..As Catholics, while we must love our neighbors and we live in this world - We cannot live like the world lives!!!!…..Catholics must be different - Are we different?

“I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord. I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice”

In the life of a Catholic, every once in a while we experience what I call a “thin place” - What I mean by that is, the veil between heaven and earth is thin…..We can experience this on a retreat - At Mass - In our home - When we meet with our Catholic friends…..These moments remind us that heaven is close……I have learned as an adult that time is a very precious commodity - There are things I must do to keep my life functioning and in doing those necessities, we will encounter in daily life people who are not “citizens of heaven” - This is reality and reality cannot be avoided…But on “my time”, I want to spend that time with “good people” doing “good things” - I have “no time” for people on “my time” that drain me of my energy…I tell this to my children - Spend your time with good people and avoid people who drain your energy…..By doing this, we create what I call “thin places”….These “thin places” will never mirror heaven perfectly, but they will give us glimpses of what is to come….Is your home a “thin place”? - Do your social circles resemble this idea of a “thin place”?…..As Catholics living in the world, we must be realist - We can not create heaven on earth - never going to happen…But what we can do is - Create a “thin place”….Is this what we are doing? - Or are we like every one else?….Catholics must be “set apart” - We must serve as a “light to the nations” - And light attracts others to it - By our example, many will want to enter into our “thin place”….“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lamp-stand?”……Maybe it’s time to stand out as opposed to standing down! - Create a “thin place” - Start with your home and work outward from there - Socialize in circles where “the veil” between heaven and earth is thin - In doing so, we will experience deeper joy and peace and get a “taste” of what is soon to come - Life is short make it count - In a very real sense, the road to heaven is a foretaste of heaven!

“Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly”

Today at Mass we are today that Jesus called each of us by name - Catholics are “not of this world” we simple live in it - We are a “pilgrim people” on a journey back to our Father - Sounds great - But do we view our life in this manner?…….Years ago, my wife and I were asked to speak to young couples about to get married…I would always begin my presentation with a question - What is the goal of your marriage?….And the couples would just stare at me…..Then I would proceed to tell them what the goal of their marriage should be…..The goal of your marriage should be to get your spouse and children to heaven - That is the number one goal! - Nothing should even be a close second…So allow me to ask the reader of this reflection - What is the goal of your marriage? - And if you are not married - What is the primary goal of your life?…Is it to “get rich” - Or is it to get to heaven?….We all need goals and to achieve our goals we also need a “plan” - Right? - What is your goal and what is your plan?…..Getting into heaven is not a guarantee - We do not just “float into heaven” - I hope we all realize that….So what is the plan? - If we are not interested in the “things and the people of heaven” while we are living on the earth, what makes us think we would even want to be in heaven after we die - Its a valid thought - Think about it……..In the meantime - Create a “thin place” - Taste heaven on earth - Why? - Because the best is yet to come!…….JMJ

“And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Acts of the Apostles about a Catechist whose name was Apollos - The text read to us stated he was gifted, he knew the Scriptures, came from a sophisticated city (Alexandria) and was an eloquent speaker…..Apollos was also humble, even with all his gifts, he subjected himself to those who knew more than him - Why? - Because what he was doing was not “about Apollos” it was about teaching the Deposit of Faith…..”He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately”……And once he was fully formed, Apollos set out!……”After his arrival he gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace. He vigorously refuted the Jews in public, establishing from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus”…The task of a Catechist, both in small and big ways belongs to each and every Catholic…Whether we are teaching our children or we have huge social media audiences….Each of us has a part to play…Catholics are to: “Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And Suffer for the Truth when required…..While it’s important to be properly formed, as Apollos was and that entails a solid Catholic education - But notice what is stated in this passage…….”He gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace”….No matter how educated you are in the faith - No matter how eloquent of a speaker one can be…We will never be able to argue anyone into the doors of the Church……The best way to teach the faith is by example, especially an example of sacrificial living….The hardest of hearts - The most unbelieving of people - Those who are deeply against organized religion - Even “that crowd” - When they see a person fully animated by the Holy Spirit and living a deeply sacrificial life - Something inside of them knows and sees the presence of God…This is how each and every Catholic must witness their faith….And such a witness is within our power  - One does not have to be a scholar to live the will of God and also to live for others sacrificially….In fact, the simplest of people can do this - The question then becomes - Are we WILLING to live in this manner?…..The Church needs gifted catechists, there is no disputing that reality - But more then that - The Catholic Church needs authentic witnesses!!!…..People fully alive and on fire with apostolic zeal……This is how the Catholic Church was built - Upon the shoulders of such individuals.

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete”

The unbelieving world has created a misconception that those who are “religious” are losers…They cannot “make it on their own” so they use religion as a crutch…This is why when a secular person encounters a deeply gifted Catholic, living a sacrificial life - The world takes note!…..Let’s be honest - People do not willing sacrifice for God if they believe it to be a lie - This is the kind of witness that moved me early on in my faith journey when I committed to living as a practicing Catholic…In my twenties, I encountered faithful religious orders: The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal - The Sisters of Life - The Missionaries of Charity….The members of those orders where far from “losers”…In fact, if they choose to live in the world - Many of them would have been extremely successful people….They were highly intelligent - Some even went to elite American Universities…And they lived authentic Catholic lives - Deeply sacrificing for others….Again, speaking personally, this witness really made me think!…..And trust me - It makes others “think” as well….Our world today does not need another “sermon” - It needs witnesses - People deeply committed to God and the Catholic Church - People living their faith in the public square - Living their faith boldly and without apologies!!!……This is how we “make disciples of all nations”…..The task falls to you and me!……When I walk into my parish for Sunday Mass…I sometimes look at the faces of the other parishioners……I am Italian-American and my wife is Haitian-American…We have five bi-racial children under eleven years old….When my family walks in the door of the Church, every eye is on us!….Why? - Because we are special? - NO - Because God is special!….And God transforms regular people into disciples - Allow God to transform YOU and watch how the witness of your life stops traffic!

“All you peoples, clap your hands; shout to God with cries of gladness. For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth”

Today at Mass we hear about the early Church - How it grew and how regular people used their gifts to help it grow…..The same way the Church grew two thousand years ago, is the same way it grows today - By witnesses!……..As Catholics if we believe what we say we believe, we must be willing to live differently - We can not “go along to get along”…The world will never be convinced unless they SEE for themselves the Gospel lived out in real time through our families and individual lives…As Catholics, we have been given everything we need: We have Our Lady - We have the Sacraments - We have the Saints - We have two thousand years of tradition to uses as an example…The question then becomes - Do we utilize what was given to us?…Because if we did - We truly would set the world on fire!….In the world today, believe it or not, there is a great thirst for God - People are searching for God but looking in all the wrong places…Its “our job” to direct them - But how? - By the way we live our life - So live it radically!…..Be Catholic - Be Bold - Be Unapologetic!!!!…..And you will set the world on fire………”He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’…..Our words will fall short if our witness is not rooted in Truth; Love and Sacrifice - That is the “formula” - “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”……………..JMJ

“On that day you will not question me about anything”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John does not parse words…To live as a Catholic in an unbelieving world is difficult……Do we accept that? - Or do we think we can live like everyone else and still enter the Kingdom of Heaven?…..”Jesus said to his disciples:  "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. 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”……..American Christianity is sadly a mile wide and an inch thick!…..We sanitize our faith, removing the reality of the Cross….But as all adults know - Reality is Reality!…No Cross - No Crown…..To deceive ourself and think we somehow can part take in the secular world, experiencing all the ideologies and activities, which contradict the laws of God and still “somehow” arrive in heaven is one of the greatest lies ever “pull off” by the devil himself…..To be Catholic is to be different - We are to live in the world but not be of the world….To “think” otherwise is simply an illusion…..In the meantime, feeling the full weight of our Cross, Christ himself gives us his peace and joy…..”For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”…..When we are tempted to live as the world lives we must make a choice - We can not have God and the world at the same time….Its a trade off - But for many who have experienced the “things of the world”, they know that the joys of the world are fleeting and the joy of living in God’s will is deep and lasting…..Again, it’s a trade off - We can not have both!……”I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live”…Choose well - Choose Life!

“Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory”

How does one find a good spouse?….A question asked by many…..God forms us when we are single and living a chaste life….Many people “think” when they get married all of sudden they are going to live a virtuous life…The reality is - We learn to live a virtuous life before we get married…..I married later in life…In college I did not practice my faith and learned the hard way that the world’s way does not work!….From the age of around 27 years old until I was married at 43 years old…I lived a chaste life as a single Catholic man….I made that decision and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life….I was given the grace of chastity as a result of intense fasting, Sacramental living and daily prayer…..And in those many years before I met my wife, which for the record were difficult years, God formed me!….And when I did find the woman I was to marry - I was ready!…..We must be willing to ”pick up our Cross”……………Its under the weight of our Cross that God forms us into the people we are called to be - And that does not happen over night!….That same “process” must be applied as we prepare to stand before God when we die at our individual judgement…The process of sanctification is just that - A life long process! - We as Catholics must learn to “trust the plan” - Doing things God’s way - All day everyday!….And over the course of our life as a Catholic, all the trials, successes, failures, etc…All those events will form us…Again, if we “opt out” of God’s plan, we slow down our sanctification process, we could even cut it off all together!….A very wise Priest once said to me, “Joe, we do not just float into heaven” - Far too many people “think” that but that is a lie from the evil one!…We must be fully sanctified before we stand before the beatific vision and enter into eternal life…..And for most of us - That is a process - Learn to trust the process!

“He brings people under us; nations under our feet. He chooses for us our inheritance, the glory of Jacob, whom he loves”

Today at Mass we are reminded - Life is hard!…..Even when we do “everything right” - Life is still hard…..People have a way of glossing over suffering but suffering is apart of every human life….As my father would always tell me - “Joe - No one goes through this life unscathed”…As Catholics, while we do not look for suffering, when it comes our way, we can use it….We must learn to understand that suffering forms us…The world rejects suffering but only Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church gives meaning to suffering….This is why to be Catholic is the most realistic thing you can do - Why? - Because no matter who you are - You will experience suffering and being Catholic helps you to navigate that suffering in a way that no other religion or worldly ideology can……The path to heaven is narrow and to walk that path requires us to bear the full weight of the Cross…And as we walk under our Cross, God teaches us to be like his son - He also gives us the grace to carry what is asked of us to carry……”No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it”……So let us not “sugarcoat” our Catholic faith….Let us bear our share of hardships and trials…Because on the day of our judgement - And God willing we all enter into eternal life - “On that day you will not question me about anything”………JMJ

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

Today the Universal Church commemorates the Feast of the Ascension - The day our Lord ascend into heaven - A new chapter is about to begin guided by the Holy Spirit…….”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”……Everything we do must be grounded in the Holy Spirit….That means we are merely vessels….Our job is not to formulate what we are to do - Our job is to empty ourself to make room for God…The more we empty ourself, the more the Holy Spirit has room within us to work…..Remember these words from John the Baptist - They are instructing us to this very day - “I must decrease and he must increase”….What was John talking about? - We can do nothing that will last with the assistance of the Holy Spirit - This is why all our “great ideas” when they deviate from God’s will and Church teaching never bear fruit that lasts….Are you convinced of that reality?…..Many will say they are - But actions speak louder than words….Our “power” as a Catholic rests in God’s will alone - It does not matter how smart you are - How gifted you are….All our natural gifts in time turn to dust…But if we ground our life in the Holy Spirit - Making room for the Spirit to animate our life - The witness of our life will stop traffic!…..”Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”……..Notice the words Jesus chose - ”Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”……What we are to teach does not come from us - It comes from God himself…The Deposit of Faith does not belong to anyone person - Not even the Pope - We are simply to pass it on….And when we “adhere to the vine”, knowing we are merely a “branch” of that “vine”…Jesus tells us - We will “bear fruit”…..That all begins with us following the instructions of John the Baptist….“I must decrease and he must increase”…Once we are empty - We will be given what we are to do and also given the “power” to get it done!

“They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven”

Now that Jesus has ascended to heaven - How does a group of twelve uneducated fishermen start a global Church? - Have you ever “stepped back” and thought about that?…..If you were starting a goal enterprise - What kind of men would you choose to lead it?….Would they come from the best Universities? - Would they be brilliant orators? - Would they have the best resumes? - These were not the kind of men Jesus picked and yet today the Catholic Church is all over the world….Again, “step back” and think about that reality - How did that happen?!!?…..It happened because the Catholic Church is divinely guided and protected….There is no other way to look at it…There is no other way the Catholic Church would have survived two thousand years….The secular world forgets what I just stated and for the most part would not agree with my claim - A HUGE mistake!….The Holy Spirit animates that Catholic Church….Our job as Catholics is not to “re-create the wheel”…Our job is merely to “adhere to the vine”…..And when we do, even if we are like those twelve uneducated fisherman, God will accomplish amazing things through us….The power of the Holy Spirit manifests itself to this very day…We see it in new religious orders being formed - We see it in new Catholic Colleges being founded - We see it in the rise of young men entering the Church in America and in France in record numbers…..The Holy Spirit can not be extinguished…Its like the wind - Again, our job is simply to harness “the wind”, like a sail on a boat and allow “the wind” to move us….And it will move us! - If we allow it too!

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”

Today on the Feast of the Ascension, the Universal Church reminds us - Jesus did not leave us orphans - He is still with us…As we know, he is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament in the Mass - But he is also fully present in the Holy Spirit…..Every Catholic at their Baptism receives the gift of the Holy Spirit - We are also given that gift when we are Confirmed….When we were Confirmed by a Bishop of the Church - These are the words said to us - “"Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit”…..That means we are “fully armed” to become “Soldiers of Christ”…This idea that we are “soldiers” is not used anymore in many segments of the Church - Catholic tradition refers to the faithful on earth as "Church Militant” - Those who are engaged in a spiritual battle with the forces of evil…To pretend that evil does not exist and that we are not to battle against it as Catholics is a false narrative that needs to be refuted….Evil and the powers of the world, the flesh and the devil are all around us - But we are not to fear - We have been ‘fully armed” with the Holy Spirit…“Why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven” - Its time to get to work! - The battle wages on!……”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

Are you interested in the Truth?

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John tells his disciples that he will lead them to the Truth - In fact, the exact words he used were - “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth”…….That is a very strong statement considering people today believe the truth is relative - You have “Your truth” and I have “My truth”…Jesus today tells us something all together different….The Truth of God is absolute - It can not change - Yet how many people, societies, empires and power-brokers try to do the impossible - Change the Truth - And each time history shows us, they all fail….Because Jesus founded one Church and the Church is divinely inspired, it contains the fullness of Truth…Any person with an honest and objective heart, who searches for the Truth relentlessly will always end up in the same place - The Catholic Church……Many in the Christian world today try to separate Jesus from the Church - This too is impossible!…Jesus is the head and the Church is his body….And to be Catholic is to embrace the Church in all its teachings…One can not live Sacramentally and “pick and choose” what “works” for you when viewing your Catholic faith…And we need to live Sacramentally because we need grace to live as Christ requires us….Without Sacramental grace, there is NO WAY we can live the Truth…Why? - Because of our fallen nature…..Do you believe the Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth?…That is the question to ponder today…..Jesus today tells us that the Holy Spirit will lead us to “all truth” - What do you think he was talking about when making that statement?…….Remember - Jesus himself said - I AM THE TRUTH….And anyone who follows Christ with an open heart will indeed find the Truth…And in turn become Catholic

“I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always”

Is our Catholic faith something that is understood by a select few? - Absolutely not!…Being Catholic is actually very simple - We make it complicated…The Truth contained in the Catholic church is all written down - All we have to do is read it…Not to mention, Jesus gave us a Church, which gives us the Sacraments, which enables us to receive grace to live that same Truth - Simple! - Right?…..Over the course of two thousand years Popes have made statements, which at the time were rejected, but in time were to be proven true…….One of those statements was made by Pope Paul VI in 1968 contained in his encyclical Humanae Vitae…In the document Pope Paul stated that contraception was not to be used by Catholic married couples…He also told us what would happen if married couples used contraception…This is what he predicted…..

“A general degradation of sexual morality and an increase in marital infidelity - The loss of respect for their wives as persons on the part of their husbands, and of women in general on the part of men - The decision of some governments to impose population control through contraception, sterilization or abortion on their own people - The tendency of man to wrongly think that he should have an absolute dominion over his (or her) own body, including his procreative powers or those of others”

Sixty years have come and gone since Pope Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae - So I will ask the question - Was his prediction accurate?…..The Catholic Church contains the fulness of Truth…Each and every person was created to live in the Truth and when we reject Truth, with full knowledge and consent, something inside of us breaks…This is what we see all around us in the world today….Our world has rejected Truth and in rejecting Truth - They reject God…And with that rejection - Society breaks down……But let’s get back to the issue contraception…When Pope Paul VI made these statements about contraception, the world went crazy!…Even members of the clergy - In fact, the Canadian Bishops at the time issued a statement in 1968 called The Winnipeg Statement, which rejected the Popes claim siting this idea of Primacy of Conscience, which states that Catholics when it comes to making choices to use contraception do not have to be guided by the Church, they can use their own conscience - But what if their conscience is not fully formed?….So let me ask the question again…Who was right sixty years later? - Pope Paul VI or the Canadian Bishops?……The consequences of using contraception were told to us by the Pope before they took place, almost to the letter…Does that come as a shock? - It shouldn’t - Know why? - The Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth…And the Truth will set you free.

"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus tells us about a word that is debated to this very day - Truth….Ask your self the question - What is the debate all about?…Is it really about the Truth? - Or is it about our rejection of the Truth and people coming up with excuse after excuse as to why they have “better ideas” then God…The famous English intellectual, G.K. Chesterton weighed in on this subject……“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried”……To live the Truth contained in the Gospel and taught by the Catholic Church is IMPOSSIBLE to follow without the assistance of grace…How do we get that grace? - By living Sacramentally, through daily prayer and weekly fasting - When we make those practices apart of our life - We will find that what seemed impossible becomes possible - We will also experience the meaning of what true freedom is - Sin is slavery and only the Truth can set us free……When confronted with the Truth , Pontius Pilate famously asked Jesus  - “What is Truth?”…..And when Jesus rose from the dead, Pilate got his answer….”I am the Way - The Truth - And the Life”……The fullness of Truth is contained in the Catholic Church and to be Catholic is to experience freedom…..We are each called as Catholic to: Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth and And when necessary, suffer for the Truth………..The Truth is not an “idea” - It is a person and only that person can make you free......Are you interested in the Truth?………JMJ

Make good on what was given to you

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in St John’s Gospel talks to us about the Holy Spirit…He refers to it as the “Spirit of Truth….Jesus tells us this……”And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him”……To live in the Spirit as a Catholic is not something for a select few people who get canonized - Its simply to live in the state of grace…How does one live in the state of grace?…Simple - Go to Confession regularly, once a month as recommended by the saints and receive the Blessed Sacrament once a week at Mass - Simple!…..But how many Baptized Catholics are doing this?…..The answer to our problems as a Church in so many ways is so simple!!!! - And to live in the state of grace is simple…….Now let’s look closer - Notice what Jesus said….”The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept”…….Why does the world have a problem with God? - Keep this in mind - A person can say they “believe in God” and still be at odds with God and not be in the state of grace - But how? - The answer to this dilemma is - Human Beings want to do things their way - Not God’s way - And that is a dangerous road to walk….Jesus again tells us why in St John’s Gospel….”Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him”…..To be a Christian is more then just “believing in God” - We MUST as Jesus tells us - ”Observes” my commandments - That is the person who really loves me……….Love is an action it is not simply a word….To love someone is to “do” for them……If we are not living in the state of Grace willfully - We are not walking on the path that leads to eternal life - Did you just read that?!? - I will state it again! - If we are willfully, in full knowledge, not in the state of grace we will not enter the Kingdom of God!

“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live”

What is the big deal about confessing your sins to a Priest?….This is a huge obstacle for many people both in the walls of the Catholic Church and outside the walls….God already knows what you did - So why do you have a problem confessing it to a Priest?……For those who do go to Confession regularly, you know that it is a tangible encounter with God…When you leave the Confessional, you feel the Holy Spirit enter your soul in a very real way…..A huge burden is lifted and when we live in this state, we allow the Blessed Sacrament to take root within us when we consume the consecrated Host at Mass - This is how it works! - So simple!…….Confession in the American Catholic Church needs to become what it once was - More available….There was a time when Confessions were heard before every Mass…..In fact, in New York City where I work, to the credit of the clergy, Confession is available just about every day across the enter city……Now sadly at most parishes in America, Confession is made available for only one hour on Saturday……This must change!……To unleash the power of the Holy Spirit - Our people must confess their sins regularly!…..This will open the flood gates of grace - It will turn the “lukewarm” into instruments of the Holy Spirit - And the world will be made anew!

“Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit”

The Gospel of John is a very clear account and today we are told that we must not be Catholic in name alone - We must we “doers” of the word by following the commandments of God - In doing that, the Holy Spirit will fall upon us…..Grace is like rain, it falls from the sky - All we have to do is “put down our umbrella” and allow that Grace to pour down upon us…..Its our pride and sin that get in the way of that Grace - And this is why the Catholic faithful MUST go to confession regularly….To think otherwise is simple foolish…..Its time to get back to basics….Being in the state of Grace is mandatory - Its not optional………If we want to really know what it is like to be Catholic, we must live Sacramental lives and live in the state of grace…This is the ONLY way we impact the world around us…..Are we just “ticking boxes” as Catholics? - Do we say empty words and live in opposition to the words we claim to believe?…….Without the Holy Spirit and the grace of the Sacraments - THERE IS NO WAY! - We can observe the commandments of God - “Did you get that?!?” - Its impossible because of our fallen nature as human beings……We can know all the answers to the test and still fail the test - How? - Because being Catholic is not just about knowing “the answers”, its about LIVING the answers!…..And we can not self manufacture Grace…Our “job” is to get the obstacles out of the way, so the Grace of God can flow down upon us and then through us to the world - Simple - Right?!?………God does the “heavy lifting” - Our job is to “get out of our own way”!…….JMJ

Be patient - In the end - We win!

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John again warns his….."I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you”……..What is wrong is considered right and what is right is considered wrong….This sad reality has not changed…Jesus Christ did nothing wrong and he had enemies - And those enemies had him put to death - Why? - Because they would not change for one and secondly, Jesus threatened their power - This reality has not changed to this very day….Powerful people are not in “the business” of giving their power away - And frankly “The Truth” is simply an obstacle for them…..But history tells us - As well as our faith - That the Truth can not never be destroyed!…..This is why the Catholic faith has lasted as long as it has….The enemies of the Church are not objective students of history….The Church has been violently persecuted to this very day - And has outlasted all its oppressors…Empires have come and gone - Dictators have come and gone - Violent Ideologies have come and gone…But the Catholic Church remains…It cannot be destroyed!…Why - For one God said so…..”And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it”……Secondly, the Truth is written in the hearts of of all men…We can ignore it, try to “bury it”, twist it…But the Truth is what it is - It remains…..Any objective student of history can see what I just wrote very clearly…This is why when Jesus challenged the first disciples about consuming his very flesh - And many turned away from him - Jesus then asked St Peter if he too would turn away…This is what St Peter said….“Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”…St Peter understood - There is no other path to eternal life!…….And to “pretend” like there is, frankly is not to live in reality……The Truth will set you free but before that happens we must accept the Truth as it is….We are not at liberty to change what cannot be changed - Never mind defeat what can never be defeated

“The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord, and you also will testify”

In time, the Truth is always revealed…This statement always proves to be true….We as Catholics need to be more patient….In the short term, the faithful many feel like all is lost - That there is no hope - Be patient!!!……Man has his hour but the Lord will have his day!…….Many times when we are young, we “think” we know it all…Our bodies are strong and we have tons of energy - We also do not know how the world “operates” yet…So we “think” we have all the answers…How many times in your life someone told you something when you were young that at the time made no sense at all - But when you got older, looking back, what that person said made all the sense in the world…It may have been your parents, a teacher, a coach, a police officer - Someone in authority who cared about you - Who tried to help you - But you thought you knew better….One of the greatest revelations of my entire life came to me when I was around twenty-two years old…I tried while I was away at University to live as “the world” told me too - Only to walk away heartbroken in the end…I can remember when I came home from University and seeing my parents and understanding for the first time that they DID know what they were talking about…And I DID NOT….Some people listen to good advice and never have to go through what I did - But sadly, most have to suffer and through their suffering come to understand that God’s way works…And that is exactly what I “figured out” - God’s way is the right way and “my way” does not work…..When we fully “digest” this idea - Life begins - And so does our journey back to God - Its a grace to understand this concept and one can not “read their way” to this grace….Our Lady when Jesus performed his first public miracle said these words…..“Do whatever he tells you”…Mary gives us the same advice today - And its in our best interest to take that advice - And if we choose to ignore it - There is a price to pay, both now and in eternity - That is the Truth and there is nothing anyone can do to change it……God is reality and doing things God’s way works

“Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory”

Today Jesus in the Gospel at Mass once again warns us - The world is not interested in the Truth and if we as Catholics embrace the fullness of Truth, we will have trouble……But even in the midst of persecution and hardships, living as a Catholic has its advantages…..For one, we are on the right side of history….And history, time and time again proves this to be true…..All the adversaries of the Church are long gone but the Catholic Church remains…..And if we live as Catholics and embrace the Truth in its fullness, we too we remain firm - We will live forever with the Lord in heaven - Nothing the world can “throw at us” can change that…..So let the “wind blow”  - Let the earth shake! - Let the tyrants rant!….There is nothing they can do to take us from the Lord……Remember the words of Jesus as he was confronted by the power of the Roman Empire: “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above”………”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. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again”……Catholics should never live in fear - We need to live the Truth boldly - And if the gates of hell fall upon us - Fear not - Jesus walks with us…..The Truth will prevail……..”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”……..Be patient - In the end - We win!……JMJ