Talk is cheap

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St Luke the story of a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man…..This story should haunt us! - Speaking personally it haunts me!…The rich man had a good life - Was given everything but Lazarus was not as fortunate…And the rich man took for granted everything that was given to him….Never giving a second thought to how Lazarus suffered…..The world today should think long and hard about this story because one day we all will stand before God and be judged….Its very easy to criticize the rich man in this story but in many ways, we all are like him….While we cannot help everyone, do we have “eyes to see” the poor around us?….Keeping in mind, before we can give assistance to the poor, we must “see” them……..If we were to look at the wealth of this world objectively today, there is no reason why anyone should be poor….What we have forgotten is, that everything we have is a gift from God and in a “New York minute”, everything can be taken away - Even from the most gifted and powerful people - “Think” of how natural disasters effect the rich and poor alike - “Think” of how the COVID Virus resulted in the deaths of millions globally - Nothing could be done to stop it!…..Yet we somehow “think” we are immune from death - That our “gifts and wealth” insulate us……Notice in the story today told to us at Mass - St Luke states the following….”When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried” - Both the rich and the poor die alike and both will stand before God…All the “things” we chase after in this life at that point mean nothing - Yet we “conveniently forget” that reality……Something else jumped out at me as I read this passage from St Luke today…..The rich man asks God to warn people about his fate….God says something rather interesting……”Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead”………Each and every day as Catholics we hear the words of Jesus Christ read to us at Mass - But do we really “hear” the words spoken from the pulpit?…..God instructs us - God warns us repeatedly - God tries his best to form us - But do we “hear him? - More importantly, if we do “hear” him - Do we respond? - Where we spend eternity rest in the balance of these very important questions…..What we say we believe means very little - Its what we do that counts - Its the daily choices we make that count…..”I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the LORD swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them”……Choose life! - Because it is a choice, its not a guarantee!

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance”

No one ever became poor by sharing…..As a married man with five children, my wife and I have been given a great responsibility by God…We must raise and educate five human beings and that costs money - There is no way around that reality….With that said, how we put our money to use tells the world around us a lot….God gives us what we need - Not necessarily what we want - Do we give to our children in the same manner?…..Do we as Catholics live simply and humbly? - Because if we do, we may find that not only can we provide for our family, but we can also share with those around us, especially those who are in need…This is a choice to live like this and a married couple must make this choice in the beginning of their marriage…..When one lives a life of giving - Giving not only to our immediate family but to others around us - Such a person is filled with great joy and deep peace…..Each of us were born to live this way - Its in our DNA to share and when we do - The Holy Spirit floods into our soul……As Catholics, if you take the time to read the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church - How we are to live is documented very clearly for us…After you read this document, ask yourself - ”Is this what you see in America, even among many Catholics?…..When I entered college at eighteen years old, I was not a practicing Catholic sadly…I did however go to a Catholic College and the religious order that ran the university took a vow of poverty…I can remember very vividly one of the first days on campus and I was told that the president’s home on the campus was referred to by the faculty as “the mansion”….I thought to myself - “How can a priest who took a vow of poverty live in a mansion?”…Now I am not “point fingers” here - Just raising an important point - Why you may ask? - Because this is how the secular world looks at us Catholics…..When we have been give many things - Do we share them? - Do we have large families open to life? - Do we share with the poor? - Do we live simply?….Again, why do I say this? - Because the world is watching! - And so is God…At the same university where I attended, there was a sign above the library - The sign read…”Those who have been given much - Much will be expected” - We either believe that or we do not - And the Gospel today from Mass about Lazarus and the rich man illustrates this for us very clearly…..”I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life”

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit”

The Gospel today from Mass I believe is something we as Catholics should take very seriously…..It all comes down to how we view our lives - If we are building our “castle” here on earth - We will not share and hoard all the “good things” we have acquired - But if we are looking to heaven and know that we are simply pilgrims “passing through” this world - Then we will share of our resources with others and not count the cost…..We all “heard” the message today from St Luke - How we live matters! - If we share matters!….Once we authentically encounter the Lord - Once we truly “see” him in the Blessed Sacrament - Then and only then will we “see” him in others, most especially the poor….And when we “see” Our Lord in others, it only then makes sense that we will respond…It all comes down to “what we see”….Because before we can help others and share of our resources - We first have to “see” those around us - Do we “see”?….”Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God”….If we “see” then our actions will follow….And our actions will “speak” to the world around us…This is how we “convince” the unbelieving world that God is real - That the Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth…”For I was hungry and you fed me…I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…I was naked and you clothed me…..Talk is cheap…….JMJ

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we hear how the mother of James and John asked Jesus to place her sons on thrones…..Jesus addresses her request telling her as followers of God, earthly status means very little…So the question for us to ponder today is - Do we thirst for earthly status? - Even as we serve God?……."You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”…….When we contemplate the example of Jesus Christ we will quickly see how he lived a simple and humble life…..As St Paul tells us….”For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich”…For the first thirty years of Jesus life, we know very little about him…The Holy Family lived quietly, no one even looked at them twice!…..While Scripture does not document what their life was all about in Nazareth, I would guess that they lived upstanding lives, yet their example was given no fanfare……This is the life that Catholics around the world should aspire to live - But do we?….Living humbly - Living Simply - “Speaking” by our example……Is this the life you live?……The example of the Holy Family for the first thirty years in the life of Jesus Christ should be our model…..What we do for God and the Church does not have to bring us awards and accolades…And if it does, use the opportunity to point to God…..St Matthew warns us of the trap set for us by the devil himself - Even in our service for the Lord and to the Church - ”All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers”…….As servants of God, we must be mindful of why we do what we do - We should work for an audience of one - And that audience is God alone…Mother Teresa reminds us - “We are not called to be successful - We are called to be faithful…And if our work for the Lord “bears fruit”, let us know that our success is due to God’s grace…..In order to embrace such a mindset, a Catholic must deeply understand the creature - creator paradigm….We were created by God and without God “we can do nothing” - When we lose sight of this reality, we start to think more of ourself and less of God and in doing, we get “lost” - Even in our service for God and the Church!……..“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you”…The devil is shrewd, he can turn even our religious devotions into prideful displays….Be mindful and Be humble - Know who you truly are - A sinner in need of mercy - And give thanks - For God is merciful

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

It was not until I started to work with Mother Teresa’s sisters in 2007 that I began to understand what it means to live a “hidden life”…What I mean by a “hidden life” is to serve the Lord without fanfare…This was the life of the Holy family, St Joseph and Our Lady are the best examples of witnessing this lifestyle for us….The Missionaries of Charity do so many amazing things…They serve the poorest of the poor tirelessly, in every corner of the world and for the most part, no one even realizes it - And they do not care that the world does not “see” what they do - Because everything they do is done for God alone…This is how we must model our life as Catholics….I can remember the years I was the driver for the Missionaries of Charity in New York City…How many times people on the street wanted to take their picture and how the sisters would always politely decline…In this era of “selfies” and social media, the Missionaries of Charity live counter-culturally - They live this away because they know who they are at their core - Children of God - The sisters do not need to be the center of attention - God must be the center - And their witness “screams” this message without using words…..Because of their witness and influence, I am a better Catholic today…The world needs witnesses - Because people believe what they see!…..Aspire to live the “hidden life” as a Catholic….Work tirelessly and quietly to build the Kingdom of God and your Father in heaven who sees all things will one day reward you with the an eternal crown of life.

“Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”……They said to him, "We can."

Today at Mass St Matthew tells us a story of an over ambitious mother….Before we “point fingers” and criticize the Mother of James and John - Let us look at our own life….Do we work quietly in the vineyard of the Lord? - Do we aspire to live a hidden life in the service for God and His Church?……Looking at social media today, a very different picture is projected, even within the walls of the Church at times……The Holy Family should be our example, St Joseph and Our Lady put Jesus first - They were in the background, working day and night - They lived this way because they understood first who Jesus was and secondly, they understand who they were in relation to Jesus - The question is - Do we?……In the beginning of Lent when the priest places ashes on our forehead, these words are said to us….."Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”……These words are to reminder us about our own mortality…..Its very easily to lose sight of the fact that one day we will die, most especially if we have been gifted with many things - And if we have been gifted by God - We can start to “think” we are something we are not - And that is the trap set for us by the devil….So be humble and remain that way! - But how? - Is humility just a word Catholics like to “throw around”?……In order to authentically live a humble life,  we must feel the effects of a humble life - That comes down to our daily choices and the sacrifices we make for others that cost us deeply - You do not learn how to be humble by reading a book!….A person who lives in this manner stays grounded and focused knowing that true greatness rests in God alone and at the end of the day, we are simply sinners in need of mercy….Do we recognize that reality? - Regardless of all the “great things” we do?……………"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”……..JMJ

”If you are willing, and obey” - There is the key to it all - The rest is up to us

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear from the Prophet Isaiah…In this passage Isaiah is addressing the sins of mankind in a very direct manner…..Can we disagree with him?….We are all sinners - This is the driving reason why Jesus came to us - To forgive our sins……”Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow”…Do we take for granted the driving purpose of Jesus Christ’s mission on earth? - Do we assume that if we profess a belief in Christ with our words that we are automatically forgive our sins?……The Church has taught perennially that Catholics must at the minimum participate in at least one Sacramental Confession each year……Are we as the Body of Christ doing this?…And if we are, is going to Confession once a year enough to grow in virtue and become the people we were born to be?…..The Catholic Church in America has in many ways minimized the need for frequent confession…..The saints tell us (Pope John Paul II; Padre Pio & Fulton Sheen) that going to confession once a month is a very efficacious practice to develop….So why are we reluctant to listen to the saints?…..The Prophet Isaiah goes on in today’s reading……”Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!”…….We are given a chance to ask God for mercy and forgiveness while we still have life here on earth - But time does run out!……Notice the words Isaiah uses in this passage - “ If you are willing, and obey” - This is a conditional statement…Do we again take for granted that we are entitled to eat the “good things of the land” without meeting the established condition, which is to repent Sacramentally?…..The human mind many times deludes itself of the Truth - But the teaching of the Church is clear and so are the words of the prophets and the saints…The rest is up to us.

"Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?"

Protestantism has made its way into Catholic thinking in America - Far too many people “think” we just float into heaven based upon the “I’m a good guy” approach….The Church has not, nor never will teach such an idea, but sadly this mindset has made its way into Catholic thinking in America……What the Church has taught perennially is that we need to be sanctified over the course of our life in order to “be ready” to stand before the Lord - This takes time and grace - We must also live and grow in virtue…Frequent Sacramental Confession helps us with this process….For one, frequent confession holds us accountable….A person who makes this a practice knows that if he or she commits a sin, they will soon have to confess it…Secondly, frequent confession, opens a Catholic up to grace, which helps us to overcome even our venial sins…..This is vital and this allows God to “work” in our life, opening “the door” to divine grace….Remember, becoming a holy people is not an automatic - We must give God permission to act in our life…..Both clergy and lay leadership in the Catholic Church needs to promote the practice of frequent confession….Our people need to hear more about this spiritual practice from both the pulpit and the pews alike!…”And I say: Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people’s way”……Good habits are developed over time….But leaders must lead by example….Our people need to “see” the benefits of living a vibrant sacramental life in real time….Holiness is attractive and it can’t be self manufactured nor can you become holy by reading a book - It requires God’s grace and in order to receiving that grace we must “make room” for God in our life….We have everything we need to make this happen as a Catholic - Maybe its time to “shout the path forward” from the roof tops? - People do not “know what they do not know”, remember that, they must be told and more importantly shown by a living example. - That is what a leader does - He leads by example.

“Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit”

Today the Prophet Isaiah has some strong words for the people…..You can summarize the entire first reading from Mass into one word - Repent!….When was the last time you heard this word spoken to you?……Jesus Christ himself said that the greatest man ever born of a woman was John the Baptist and John really had one message for the world to hear….”Repent and Believe the Gospel”…….Think about that message for a moment - Notice John did not say “believe the Gospel” first - In fact, if we try to understand what the Gospel is trying to teach us without first repenting of our sins Sacramental, we will never understand its intended meaning…Jesus Christ walked this earth to “take away the sins of the world”…Its for us to allow him to do just that - But before that happens - We must give Jesus permission to free us of our sins….This begins with us saying these words to a Catholic priest…”Bless me Father for I have sinned”…..One Sacramental Confession can erase a lifetime of sin and the practice of frequent Sacramental Confession transform us into a holy people…......”If you are willing, and obey” - There is the key to it all - The rest is up to us………………..JMJ

Forgive and you will be forgiven

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke, that if we call ourselves Christian - We must forgive - At all costs…Easier said then done - But that does not change the directive one bit…..”Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you”…….How do we do this? - The answer - Divine Grace…..To forgive in this radical manner is humanly impossible…..How do we receive this divine grace?….We must radically surrender to God and empty our selves of our selves, so God can fill us with his Holy Spirit…….Catholics pray the Lord’s Prayer daily and when we do, we say the words….”Forgive us our trespass as we forgive those who trespass against us” - Do we realize what we say when those words come out of our mouth?…..If a person is to carry out this radical concept of forgiveness, which Jesus himself taught us….There must be a certain level of detachment from secular world views…One can not be “worldly” in word and deed and forgive radically…..The “world” looks to “even the score”…The “world” looks to “get ahead”…One can not forgive and do those things….For a person to carry out the words of Christ, when it comes to mercy and forgiveness - One must be focused on heaven as their one and only goal…………...”Winning Out” or “Settling a Score” can not be of a concern….And again, this implies sacrifice on the part of anyone who attempts to live in this manner - Are you willing to live in this manner? - To live sacrificially? - To live for heaven?….Many say they do - But when it comes time to forgive a grevious wrong committed against them - Their words fade way and “old habits” settle back in……This is why to racially forgive as Jesus asks of us to requires divine grace and detachment….And we cannot self manufacture this grace - We are only given it if we cooperate with Jesus so he can fully animate our life…..This is how we enter into enteral life and this is how we “forgive those who trespass against us.”
 

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life”

When you look at the news one sees just how cruel mankind can be - How can a person forgive such atrocities?……Again, it all boils down to how you see the world and what your ultimate goal is…..Is you “end game” heaven”…or…Is your “end game” to thrive on this earth…..As Scripture tells us…“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon”…To radically forgive in the manner that Jesus asks of us may require you to seem weak to the world at times….To maybe not get the job you were working for….To take “a back seat”…Are you willing to go there? - At the request of Jesus? - To live for heaven and not to “thrive” here on earth……..These three words said from the heart - “I am sorry” - Carry with them so much power…Saying those words from the heart can de-escalate some of the most heated conflicts mankind can face….Yet we are unwilling to say them - Because of our pride…..Each of us are sinners and every practicing Catholic knows when he or she goes to a Sacramental Confession with a priest that we are forgiven by God….So how can we then not forgive others their trespasses against us?…..Time does not heal our wounds - Time makes our wounds fester - Only Sacramental Grace and the Holy Spirit can accomplish within us this radical request by Jesus Christ - To forgive…..This is why Jesus and his message is the answer to many, if not all of our words problems….And in order to convince the world of this solution - The world has to “see” the Gospel radically lived out……One act of racial forgiveness can open the “eyes of the blind”…And talking about such an act does not make it happen….We must live as we say we believe - And that requires divine grace.

“Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name's sake”

Today at Mass we are reminded of our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness - And as we know, all we have to do is ask for it in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and God will forgive us - Great!…But there is a condition - And that condition is, we too must forgive others who have wronged us…Each time we sin, we trespass against Jesus Christ himself, who gave everything he had for us, even his own blood!…Do you ever ponder that reality?…..Therefore we too must forgive - But we don’t….Why? - Could it be we are looking to “get ahead” here on earth? - To settle a score? - To win at all costs?……..This secular mindset must be banished from our soul…..To forgive radically requires us to live racially….We will never be able to forgive as Jesus asks of us, if we do not realign our priorities - Loving God above all things and Loving our neighbor as our self - If these are our priorities, we can and will forgive with the help of God’s grace…If not - We simply will not……And if we refuse to forgive others - God will not forgive us…..”For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” - Stop and think about that for a minute!…..As Catholics, we are quick to say a “bunch of words” when we pray…But do we mean them? - More importantly - Do we live those words?……”If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions”…..God seems to mean what he is telling us here - Do we take Jesus at his word?…..Forgive and you will be forgiven…………JMJ

Listen to Him!

Today at Holy Mass in the second reading from St Paul, we are told that its not our works that make us holy, but its the grace of God that does….Our works are a fruit of the Holy Spirit that animates us when we make room for it…When we clear away all the “things” and aspects of our life that “get in the way” of God’s will…..”He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”……I find this statement interesting because the world looks at “good works” and does not understand where they come from - Everything we do as Catholics come from our interior life, that should imply that if we do not develop our interior life, there will be no good works…..

Today the Universal church commemorates the Transfiguration of Jesus…..Peter, James and John witnessed this miracle…And at the time did not understand it at all………”Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid”……Peter, James and John were the “inner circle” of the original disciples and even they did not understand what they saw when Jesus transfigured before their eyes…This should tell us something today……That as Catholics, even though we possess the fullness of the Truth and have two thousand years of tradition and teaching to read and comprehend…There is still so much more about God that is still a mystery…..Even Our Lady appeared to not fully understand everything as it occurred in real time…For example - Remember, we were told in the pages of Scripture that when Our Lady found Jesus in the Temple, after he was lost, speaking with the high priests - Scripture tells us - ”And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart”…….We too must “reflect” on the life and teachings of our Lord daily…..God is a mystery in so many ways and we must fully realize that we as human beings are very limited…Knowing this should help us to embrace humility all the more, which in turn will lead us closer to Our Lord.

“Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you”

God is the master builder…..There is an old saying - “Man plans and God laughs”…The minute we “think” we figured out what God is going to do - He throws a “curve ball” at us - Because of this reality, we need to be open and flexible to the workings of the Holy Spirit and discern in prayer how God is not only sanctifying us individually by events we sometimes do not fully understand but is moving his Church in the world today…..We only see so much as human beings and what is to come has not been fully revealed…To have this mindset we must learn to trust like a child - Trusting that God is working!…….A good example of this is when a Pope is chosen…Every time this happens, the media prints story after story about who they “think” will be the next Pope…In my adult lifetime…Every time this happens - The media gets it completely wrong and the man that appears on the balcony at the Vatican to be the next Pope is someone most of the world never heard of…This is how the Holy Spirit works…And we must be open to it - And accept it…None of us - No matter who we are - Knows better then God!….And God’s ways are not our ways…..This is why we must trust beyond what we see and in some cases trust belong what we even “think” - Too much “thinking” can be no good - What is needed is prayer!…The secular world will read this and concluded Catholics who think and believe in this manner are simply “sheep”….I disagree - Catholics who think in this manner trust explicitly….We do not have to understand everything about our faith to believe it - This idea is a “sticking point” for the people today who consider themselves to be too “sophisticated”….When moments of confusion and trial happen in the life of the Church….I personally recall the words of Jesus to Peter, the first Pope…..”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. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”….The Pope, no matter who he is, was given authority by the only one with authority - Jesus Christ…Therefore we must trust and obey - Even if we do not understand fully…..…God will never abandon his Church!…The Catholic Church, while run by men is not simply a human institution - There is a very real element of the divine at work in it always - So when we do not understand something, as Peter, James and John did not understand in real time when Jesus was transfigured before their eyes - Its at those moment that we must trust…Trusting God’s hand - The hand of God is more reliable then anything we may “think” we “understand”….This is hard for some - And in many cases, only the simple and child-like can do this…Maybe this is why Jesus told us……“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me” 

“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.”

Today in St Matthew’s Gospel we heard the story of the Transfiguration…..Peter, James and John were not only afraid when they saw Jesus transfigured before their eyes, but they seemed to not understand what was being communicated to them by the event….”Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”…Clearly Jesus did not bring these three men with him for Peter to build a few tents! - Once again, Peter missed the point!…..But notice what happened next - A voice was heard by Peter, James and John and the voice said the following….“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” - And ultimately that is exactly what they did - Peter, James and John did not understand fully what they saw in real time - But God the Father told them something very important - “Listen to him” - And that is exactly what they did…..And this is what we too must do today - Listen to him!…We do not always have to understand everything - But we do have to believe everything……….“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the LORD’s command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen, better than the fat of rams”………Our Lady shows us the way - So does St Joseph….Be Obedient - Be Humble - And if we are - God will come close to us and we will be his people……….Listen to Him!…………………JMJ

”Pick up your Cross and follow me!”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy….God addresses his people and tells them that they are obliged to obey his commandments…There is a “bad word” today - Obey - Far too many people can’t seem to understand that its in our best interest to obey God - God is not an ogre - He loves us!….”And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised”….Notice the language used….”You are to be a people peculiarly his own” - Now comes the conditional word - “provided” - Ready for it?!?…….While each of us is far from perfect, if we do not accept ALL the teachings of Christ ands the one Church he founded - The Catholic Church - And do our very best to follow them - And when we fall short, ask God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation for forgiveness - And have a firm purpose of amendment for our sins - If we do not act and think in this manner - How can we possibly “think” we are “a people peculiarly his own”? - How?….I will tell you how - The human mind has a way to twist and convince itself of many things - Its called “self preservation”….We rationalize away our salvation for comfort - When the Scriptures are crystal clear!……”But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother”….It does not get any clearer then that - Right?!?……So “strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough”……..Without God’s grace - Without the aide of the Sacraments - Without daily prayer - Without weekly fasting…The likelihood of “being perfect” is slim to none as we say in New Jersey….Jesus gave us a Church and Our Lady for a reason….To help us “carry our cross” and enter through the “narrow gate” which leads the salvation…..To “think” otherwise is foolish…Left to our own devices, we will fail - But with God all things are possible…Those who have ears - Let them hear!

“Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation”

American Christianity has a false belief that we can simple say - “We believe in Jesus Christ” and with that claim - “We are “saved” - Really? - Jesus did not say that………How can anyone come to that conclusion after reading the words of Jesus Christ himself in Scripture……There is no getting around it……We must “pick up our cross and follow” the one and only man that can save us and we do that by the way we live our life and by the choices we make…Again, the human mind can “play tricks” on us - But reality is reality….And heaven and hell is reality!…………..Years ago I got into a discussion with a man who left the Catholic Church who believed the Protestant rationalization of “once saved always saved” - That once you proclaim Jesus to be you savior, you are guaranteed eternal salvation…I told this man that such a belief is not biblical…Now keep in mind, Protestants say they “believe everything in the bible”…Ok - So do Catholics - And the words of Christ do not validate the “once saved always saved” Protestant delusion…..So I told this man that I would take the very bible in his hand and find verse after verse that refutes this self rationalization…..So that is what I did - I filled a single piece of paper, front and back, of verses from the bible that refute the “once saved always saved” Protestant doctrine…And when I tried to give this man the paper filled with Biblical verses - He refused to read it…..”I thought you believed everything in the Bible?” - I guess not…..As St Paul tells us…”We hear what our itchy ears want to hear”…..Bottom line - We do not get into heaven on “our owns terms”…..Jesus Christ told us - He is “the Way” - He did not say he was the custom……..”Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”…Does it get any clearer than that? - And the words I just cited come from Jesus’ mouth - And they are in the Bible - They are not my words - I did not make them up - Go figure?

“You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping your statutes!”

Today we hear at Mass in the Gospel Jesus say to his disciples…..”So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect”….We also hear in the first reading at Mass that we as Catholics are obliged to keep the commandments…..How can we possibly “think” we are exempt from this?……Catholic teaching is very clear - All we have to do is read it…The words of Scripture are very clear as well……Being that we are all sinners and are far from perfect, should give us all the more reason why we need to rely of grace and take the words of Christ and his Church seriously…..There is no way we can do what God asks of us without grace!….This is why Jesus did not write a book - The bible was written roughly 400 years after the death of Christ - Jesus however did give us a Church - And he gave it to us for a reason…And here is the reason……”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”…..Can it be stated any clearer than that?!?…….As we say in New Jersey - “It is what it is”….”Pick up your Cross and follow me!”……………….JMJ

God makes saints out of sinners

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus tells us something that is rather shocking……"I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven”…As we all know, Jesus was constantly addressing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees but here he seems to be complimenting them……..Interesting……The Pharisees took the law seriously and for the most part, lived good lives…Their problem was, the law became a idol in and of itself…In essence, the law replaced God…..What Jesus is telling us here is, we are not to disregard to commands of God, they are to be used as a tool to lead is to God and keep us safe…….And Jesus goes on to say, we must respond to the commands of God, even the “little things” that many seem insignificant…."You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,  will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift”…….But how do we follow Jesus and the laws of God to the degree we are asked to today in the Gospel?…Seems impossible right?……Well, if we do not cooperate with God’s grace - It is impossible…But with God all things are possible!…..A good priest told me many years ago…”Joe - We do not just float into heaven”….We must allow God to transform us….And that takes time…..Everything we do and everything we are as Catholics comes down to GRACE!….But if we do not avail ourselves to the grace, we will fail…..The “cup of our life” must be “emptied” in order for God to fill it….This is our task - “To empty the cup”…….God will take care of the rest.


“Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, And make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit”

The famous American President Abraham Lincoln had a saying….."Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”…..This statement applies directly to our interior life….Most Catholics do the exact opposite of what Lincoln is telling us…They do not spend enough time “sharpening the axe” before they attempt to “chop down the tree”…..What do I mean by that?….They do not prioritize their interior life and attempt to do God’s work before they are ready….A huge mistake…We can not give what we do not have…..Everything we do comes from our interior life…..A Catholic that prays daily, fast weekly, and lives a Sacramental life is prepared to successfully complete whatever task the Lord gives to them…And it is the Lord that chooses the task….However, when we rely upon ourself, when we choose the task and when we attempt to accomplish this self appointed task, odds on we will fail……In the Gospel today - Jesus is telling us that we must follow the commands of God very careful, as did the Pharisees…Far too many Catholics disregard this very direct request from Christ….And the only way we are able to accomplish this “ask” from Jesus is to live in the state of grace……St Paul reminds us….”Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more”….There is nothing we cannot over come, no temptation we cannot resist and no bad habit we cannot defeat if we radically surrender our will to God and allow his grace to animate our soul…..Again, the mistake made by far too many, they attempt to do this on their own…And that is why they fail.

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication”

Today Jesus in St Matthew’s Gospel tells us we can not disregard to commands of God….I have heard this time and time again - Especially from our Protestant brothers and sisters - “God freed us from the law”…That is incorrect!….Jesus tells us rather clearly…..“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place”…….And once again today at Mass, Jesus “doubles down”…."I tell you,  unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven”…..These directives by Christ implies we must be completely transformed - That the road to heaven is a road of sanctification, which requires us to cooperate with God’s grace……This concept is completely missed by the vast majority of the Christian world, even many Catholics miss it - Falsely thinking that we just “float into heaven” - Because “I’m a good guy”…….What Jesus tells us today should not discourage us - In fact it should motivate us…..There is nothing that God and his Church asks of us that cannot be done - However, we cannot do it without God’s grace!……This is why Jesus gave us a Church, the Catholic Church, where we can receive the Sacraments…..This is why Jesus gave us his Mother…And if we utilize these “gifts” given to us - We surely will do what is asked of us, no matter what vocation we have been called too and in doing so, we shall be transformed - And as a result of our transformation, we as Catholics will transform the world!…....”So be perfect as your heaven father is perfect”…Sounds impossible right?!? - Well it is - If we attempt to be “perfect” without God’s grace - But with God all things are possible...................God makes saints out of sinners……JMJ