That’s the goal - The only goal - To become a saint - Don’t miss the opportunity!

Today the Universal Church commemorates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord….Mary’s YES was the seed of the Church….The YES of a peasant girl changed the world…..”Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. ”Then the angel departed from her”……God works in and through small things and God also works right before our very eyes in the ordinary - Even to this day…And because we do not look for God in the ordinary most times - We miss him…..It could not get any more ordinary then Mary and Joseph…..Uneducated people - They were are common as common could get….But God used them - And animated their lives to such a degree that the Universal Church to this day holds these two individuals up as the greatest of all the saints…..What should this reality say to us?……Our “greatness” is not found in our achievements…..Americans, especially high achieving Americans have a difficult time comprehending this reality…….Our greatness is found in God and the person who empties himself the most allows God to fill them with his greatness - This is where our impact in the world springs forth from…..God cannot fill us with his very life when we are full of ourself!…And this is what Our Lady was able to do…Mary’s heart was the mirror image of Christ’s heart - It was perfectly pure…While we were no born immaculate as Mary was born - We to have the ability to give an unconditional YES to God - This YES begins the process of “emptying ourself”…As John the Baptist tells us - “I must decrease so He can increase”…..This is the blue print Catholics must follow…..And if we embrace this mindset - We will be lead down roads we never imagined possible! - As Mary was - “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God”………….Its our reluctance to embrace the unknown that prevents our growth….What is required is blind trust in God…Its when we walk into the unknown, its there, we find our true self and with it we find eternal life……….Take God’s hand and do not look back!

“The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us; and we saw his glory”

Do we put conditions on our YES to God?….There is the question……As Catholics our YES must be radical - Why? - Because Jesus Christ was radical - He did not “go along to get along”….This is how we are conditioned in America - “To go along to get along”…..This is not the path to eternal life nor will this road lead to “greatness”……………When I was in high school school and college I was a very popular person….One could say I was considered a “cool kid”…I had tons of friends, many of those friends were the most popular amongst our class…..And when I graduated from college, a particular road was laid out for me…And if I took that road - I most probably would be very rich right now…God had a different plan!…..At twenty-two years old, I had my first encounter with God…This encounter resulted from a low point in my life - I was in the process of “digging” myself out of this low point and because I was raised Catholic, I turned to my Catholic faith for help - In that decision, I discovered that God is real…..Each of us comes to this point in our life and when that happens, we have a decision to make - Do we change and pursue God at all costs or do we continue down the “go along to get along” road we were conditioned for as Americans?…….I choose God - And it was the best decision of my life…My YES to God  brought we all over the world - It lead me to my wife - It gave me five children - And God is not done with me yet!…All because I said YES to God and abandoned “the road” I was “supposed” to take as a “cool kid” living in the shadows of New York City…..As Catholics we must be courageous…..We cannot live like everyone else…..And God will give us this courage, if we make ourselves available to him………Catholics must “shed our skin” and walk to the road less traveled!…..God’s plan for our life is infinitely greater than our plan - Most people do not believe that - But for the select few who do - Greatness awaits!…..”“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you”

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus”

The Annunciation, which the Church commemorates today shows us how God works…He takes what is ordinary and makes it extraordinary…….Each human life was created by God for greatness….Maybe not in the way the world defines greatness but if we recklessly abandon our “own plans”, pick up our cross and follow the carpenter from Nazareth, the road we walk upon will end in greatness…How can I say that with such certainty?…..Read the lives of the saints….The saints come to us from the four corners of the earth - Poor, Rich, Smart, Simple - While all the saints are different, they also share many things in common - The first being, their YES was unconditional to God - And because it was - They set the world on fire!…I believe when we stand before God at our individual judgment and God shows us all the good we have done as well as the bad - God will also show us what we could have done if we trusted him more…..As Catholics, our goal should be to live with no regrets! - To become the saints God called us to be - Because each of us were called to be saints and there is no goal in this life more important than that - To become a saint…..But before that happens - Our YES must be radical and unconditional....…”Burn the Boats!” - No Turning Back!…….Live radically and when our day of judgment comes, God will say these words to us…......”Well done good and faithful servant - Share in your masters joy”…..That’s the goal - The only goal - To become a saint - Don’t miss the opportunity!…..JMJ

God or Mammon - Which will it be?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John we are told that Jesus once again has a heated exchange with the religious leaders of his day….The Pharisees are baffled by the words of Christ…..They were so convinced that they were right about everything……“I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come”……We cannot save ourself and no man can forgive sins - This only God can do - And God himself gave this authority to the Catholic Church…..”Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……This is why our eternal salvation is found in our Baptism and in the Catholic Church - Why? - Because human beings sin! - And only the Catholic Church has the authority given by Jesus himself to forgive sin - One mortal sin is all it takes for a person to lose eternal life and One Sacramental Confession takes away a life time of sin………Circling back to the Pharisees today in St John’s Gospel….Jesus tells them something very important - Why is it important? - Because what Jesus stated applies to this very day - Yet sadly is ignored by so many….”You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins”…There is no such thing as the “Prosperity Gospel” - One cannot “be of this world” and also belong to Christ - American Christianity in many ways embraces this false teaching of the “Prosperity Gospel”…..The Gospel of Jesus Christ contradicts the “ways of the world”!…Read the Beatitudes - Read the Sermon on the Mount - Do these proclamations sound like something that would be said around corporate board rooms or in the halls of power in governments around the world today? - ”Blessed are the meek” - Are you crazy!!!!!!………As Catholics, we have to be at peace with this reality  - That we are to be in the world but not of the world….To live as a Christian means we too will be a contradiction to those around us - If you are not - Maybe you have to reassess our commitment to Christ and his Church…….The Pharisees today were not willing to live in the manner Jesus spoke about - This is why Jesus told them - “You will die in your sin”…..The only way to heaven is through the Cross!….The only way to heaven is “to lose your life” in order to “gain life” - The only way to heaven is to live sacrificially!….That is the only way!….And those who live worldly lifestyles are not willing to do this - This is why they will die in their sins just as the Pharisees did.

“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever”

Before Jesus entered Jerusalem, he fasted for forty days in the desert…During that time Jesus was tempted three times…..”Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve’ “………It is absolutely impossible to serve God and mammon (i.e. money)…Notice how the devil tempted Jesus - He offered him all the “good things of this world” - Look at our world today - Look at those in the ruling class who are the most gifted - What have they chosen to serve? - Is it God or mammon?……….The “good” things of this world are not sinful in and of themself - However, the good things of this world must be used to serve others and if we do not use them in this manner - They become idols, which replace God, whether we realize it or not…….Today in American elite circles…Those going to the best Universities - Those getting the best jobs…These individuals sadly many times are not having children….They have the resources to raise many children, but chose not too……….My wife graduated from an elite University in America…If she chose too - My wife could have been a very rich woman - Instead, my wife had five children in ten years - That was a choice! - This is a modern day example of what the Pharisees in St John’s Gospel would not do…The Pharisees, as Jesus put it - “Belonged to what is below” - Which means they were “of this world” and would not put aside their status in society to embrace the Christ - This is why they were “blind”  and “deaf” to the Truth………..My wife on the other hand did the exact opposite - She was given a great intellect and could have used her intellect to make a tremendous amount of money in the business world - Instead - She was open to life in our marriage and gave birth to five children……When you get right down to it - Each of us are tempted in a similar manner that Jesus was tempted, during his forty day fast in the desert….”Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me”…Its for us to make a choice and don’t deceive your self - We cannot have it both ways - As many today believe we can - You can not serve God and mammon!

“The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory, When the LORD has rebuilt Zion and appeared in his glory; When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer”

Today at Mass Jesus tells the elite of his society, who were convinced of their own righteousness, that they were on the wrong path - And as we all know - The Pharisees did not believe in what Jesus had to say…What prevented them from “hearing”? - The Pharisees liked the “good life” - They used religion to gain status and power in society and in doing so, they lost “sight” of God, even when the Son of God stood right before their eyes…This same thing can happen to us today….As Catholics, if we have been gifted with many things, those gifts are to be used to serve others - First in our family and second in the service of our neighbor…When we do this, our “eyes” open and we can “see” God for who he is…But if we hoard our gifts and do not share, our gifts prevent us from “seeing”…….We all want to live comfortable lives and what Jesus is telling us is - We can! - But in the mean time, we must learn to share…..No one ever became poor by sharing….The devil fools us in many different ways - Idols are created of many things - “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me”…….The path of heaven is a narrow one - Don’t let anyone tell you different - Just as the Pharisees “missed out” - So can we just as easily today………God or Mammon - Which will it be?…..JMJ

God helps those who help themselves - Help yourself and go to Confession

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John we hear the story about the woman caught in adultery….We all have heard this story before….The woman is condemned to death and Jesus saves her life from an angry mob……“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”……Upon hearing this statement, the men who were about to stone the adulterous woman all walk away….Jesus then confronts the woman and tells her that he does not condemn her but then tells her to….”Go, and from now on do not sin any more”….Jesus clearly addresses the sin and asks the woman to address it as well - To change her life…..While we walk this earth, we all make mistakes - All of us - Even the best of us are sinners…..When you get right down to it - All Jesus really wants from us is our sins…And we as Catholics have been given an opportunity to give our sins to Christ through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…Its there that we are not only forgiven but given grace to overcome our sins……The Church must be clear, as Jesus was clear today in the Gospel…Sin causes death and sin destroys lives….The Church must clearly address the sins of our culture - While doing this - The Church must also make it crystal clear that the doors are always open for reconciliation with God…..Sacramental Confession must be made more accessible - One hour on Saturday each week is not enough!……In order to receive the benefits of divine grace, most especially when we receive Jesus at Mass in the Blessed Sacrament, which the Church requires the lay faithful to be in the state of grace - Catholics must confess their sins! - Is this what is happening? - Are the lines to the Confessional long? - If they are not they need to be!

“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live”

My office in New York City is relatively close to St Patrick’s Cathedral…For a while I would attend Mass at the Cathedral on Friday’s at noon….Before midday Mass, Confession was made available by a priest….I would often go to Confession before the Mass and I would also marvel at how long the confession line was…For as crazy as New York City is - The Confession line was always long and the people who were on that line ranged from businessmen, to blue-collar workers, to tourists, to even priests…When I saw this, I was always deeply edified and impressed….Where my family attends Sunday Mass, the late pastor Fr Stanley Kostrzomb would always make himself available for confession….And the lines were always long as well….This should tell us something - If the Church makes Confession available and preaches the importance of going to confession frequently from the pulpit, the lay-faithful will make frequent confession a practice once again…..In my humble opinion, this needs to happen…..As Catholics we have been given everything, sadly many are not utilizing all the gifts given to us by Jesus himself through the Church….Praying the Rosary everyday and going to Mass on Sunday is very important…But if we are not confessing our sins regularly, once a month as recommended by the saints, we are shortchanging ourselves!…..The doors of our soul must be open for grace to enter! - Frequent Sacramental Confession does just that - It opens the “flood-gates” of grace to enter our soul…Then when we pray the Rosary daily and attend Mass with our family on Sunday - The grace of God floods into our soul and animates our life…..It’s not “rocket-science”….Its time to get back to basics!

“Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side……Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come”

Today in the Gospel from Mass Jesus addressed a mob who wanted to condemn a sinful woman…Jesus tells these men something very interesting….“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”…Keep in mind, the men who were condemning this adulterous woman were the “righteous” people of Jesus’ society….Yet Jesus  is “calling them out”….Even the righteous among us are sinners!…..What does that say about us today?….We all are in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness but if we do not ask for it - We do not receive it!….This is why the Catholic Church provides us with the opportunity to go to Confession….But if we as the Lay-Faithful do not utilize this gift - We will not receive God’s mercy and forgiveness….How many people today, this includes many Baptized Catholics take for granted God’s mercy?…..”God understands” - “I don’t have to tell my sins to a Priest”……We have all heard these statements before….And when I hear them I cringe! - Its a tragedy!…….Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father to forgive the sins of the world but we must cooperate with him in order for that mission to be accomplished…..How do we cooperate? - It begins with us individually going to Confession frequently….It begins with these words…”Bless me Father for I have sinned”….Again, its not rocket-science…….We all need God’s grace to overcome our sins and that grace is available to us when we live Sacramentally…..Without Sacramental grace - We remain in our sin and sin results in death…..God helps those who help themselves - Help yourself and go to Confession……JMJ 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of John we hear a familiar story…The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead…..Lazarus and his two sisters (Mary and Martha) lived in Judea….Jesus was just driven out of Judea under threats of him being killed…So when he decided to go back to Judea to perform the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, which this Gospel passage highlights, his disciples stated the following….”“Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?”…….Because the faith of the people was weak, Jesus was determined to go back into harms way, to perform a miracle, which in turn would strengthen the faith of those who had doubts about who he was……This is where St John’s account of this event gets interesting…St Thomas, the man who is remembered for doubting that Jesus rose from the dead…In the face of what seemed as certain death for Jesus and maybe even the disciples by going back to Judea and facing the angry mob says this……”So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go to die with him.”……”Big words” indeed - But time proved those words to be very empty when “push came to shove” and Jesus was brutally murdered and the twelve disciples were considered outlaws - Thomas as we know not only abandoned Jesus at the cross but doubted he rose from the dead….Being a good judge of human nature…My bet is - Thomas was what we would call today a “tough guy”….He talked “big” as must “tough guys” do because strong men for the most part are very confident in themselves and in many of life’s situations they feel they are in complete control because they are “tough guys”….I have found in my own life experience that when events evolve into chaos - As many times they do - Its the “tough guys” who are the first to run…Why? - Because they are not used to not being in control and when they sense that something happens that is out of their control - They run!…This is what happened to Thomas…Thomas “talked a big game” because Thomas probably thought he was a “tough guy”….This is why many times its the meek and the weak who come through in the chaotic patches of life - Those who know they are weak always rely on the power of God - They are fully aware of their limitations - And when life spins out of control - Their commitment to trusting God holds fast - But the one who trusts in his own strength - At the sight of chaos - When they feel they have no control - They are the first to run!……..St Paul instructs us in reflecting upon this reality of the human condition…….“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong”…….Maybe this is why the only apostle who did not run away when Jesus hung on the cross was John….John was the youngest and probably the weakest - Yet John stayed firm until the end!……..”For when I am weak, then I am strong”

“But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you”

Everyone in New York City remembers September 11th when the Trade Centers were hit by airplanes and came crashing down….I work in banking and was six city blocks away to this event as it happened in real time - I watched it up close and in person!….After the second plane hit the Trade Centers, I was working on the 32nd floor of my office building - I saw the plane hit and the flames of the blast - As this happened - My office building shook violently - Keep in mind I was on the 32nd floor of the building, so one could imagine that this event caused the people I worked with to be very concerned - Some begin to cry and panic….As this all unfolded, I ran to the elevator to get out of the building…In the elevator was by boss at the time…His name was Norm and he was a New York City Attorney…Norm made a lot of money and had a big job…While we were in the elevator - Norm was panicking….He even started to cry….I on the other hand was very common…And because Norm was so upset, I did my best to make him relax…..As I read the Gospel account of John today from Mass - How he describes St Thomas talking a “big game” - Only for Thomas in the end to fail Jesus and doubt he rose from the dead - As I reflected on Thomas the “tough guy” - I thought of my old boss Norm…Norm was a “big shot” lawyer…He made tons of money - But when Norm saw all his so-called power, in the face of the chaos of the Trade Centers collapsing could do him no good - Norm lost control……….What is the take-away here? - As Catholics, we must place our complete trust in God….No matter how much we “think” we are in control - The reality is - We have no control what-so-ever!…God is in control and if we trust him - He will give us peace the unbelieving world can not give - No mater what happens! - And when we are firmly grounded in God - We will also find strengthen that we did not realize we had….With God all things are possible!

“I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the LORD”

Today at mass we are told that an angry mob wanted to kill Jesus in Judea and as a result Jesus and the twelve apostles were driven out of Judea…But when Jesus heard his friend Lazarus in Judea needed him, he wanted to return, knowing he would face the blood thirsty crowd….St Thomas knew this too - And he immediately “talked a big game”…..“Let us also go to die with him”…..And we all know how things turned out for Thomas when “push came to shove” - When Jesus needed him the most - Thomas ran away - His “big words” turned out to be empty!……”But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail-marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you”….Jesus taught St Thomas a great lesson - And Thomas responded to that lesson - He learned to trust the Lord more then himself and all his many gifts - And as we know, Thomas did in the end give his life for Christ - And he traveled all the way to India to do it! - Further by land and sea then any of the other twelve apostles….St Thomas turned out to be a true “tough guy” but that did not happen until he learned the lesson of St Paul……“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness”……..JMJ

Choices have consequence - Choose well

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of John that the mob is forming around Jesus!….Jesus has threatened the power base of his society and they are not having it!….And because of the elite of Jesus’ day focused their life choices on power and status, they are unable to “hear” the words of Jesus…God is standing right in front of them and they cannot “see” and “hear” him!…..We see similar events like this play out today….Truth is spoken and when it challenges those who refuse to put down the idols of power and status, they lash-out….We see this in our communities, in our work places and in our politics……..”Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But others said, "The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?" The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man." So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed." Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,  "Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?" They answered and said to him, "You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee”…………Human beings have not changed too much since the time of Jesus Christ……Mankind would rather live a lie then embrace life giving Truth…..We cannot claim to “believe” in God if we do not embrace the Truth in all it fullness - This is a great disconnect, which plays out in our American society……”I believe in abortion - But I also believe in God”…”I believe in same sex marriage - But I also believe in God”……I believe in euthanasia - But I also believe in God”……To make such statements and to convince yourself that somehow you are on the side of God while you actively work against God is not only a delusion but a recipe for disaster…..Jesus Christ said he was the Truth - Not the custom….And while the Truth will set you free - The Truth also divides…It separates the “sheep from the goats”………“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”…As it is today and how it was in the days that Christ walked the earth - The Truth divides!….We must make a choice and our life speaks of this choice….Are you a “sheep” or a “goat”? - One will live, the other will die - That is the way it is…Choose well - Choose life!

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

Both inside and outside the walls of the Church, the battle for Truth rages on to this very day!……The Catholic Church is an extension of Jesus Christ and contains the fullness of Truth…In addition, everything the Church claims to be true is written down - So how can there be so much confusion?….Its all written down!!!…..Interestingly enough, when the Truth in all its fullness is proclaimed from the pulpit or for that matter spoken in the public squares of America - Many Catholics and Non-Catholics reject it, sometimes even violently……Why?…Because to embrace the Truth requires sacrifice…And people refuse to sacrifice anything…Jesus was very clear…..“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. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”……When I got married to my wife, I was full committed to being open to life…The Catholic Church, as many know, does not permit the use of contraception and part of our wedding vows as Catholics is to be fully open to life….How many Catholic married couples embrace this teaching?…..When I got married, my wife and I were all in!…And as a result my wife gave birth to five children in ten years - We also lost three children as a result of miscarriages in those ten years…Its easy to say with words that we did this as a Catholic married couple but clearly there was a “price to pay”….My wife suffered physically, the financial burden involved in caring for five children…The daily sacrifices of time….The sleepless nights…….To live out what the Church requires of married couples costs!…..So here is the question - Are we willing to “pay the cost”?…….The Truth is so easy to repeat - So easy to read from a book - Its something all together different to live the Truth in real time….But reading about the Truth does not make a person a follower of Christ - To follow Christ we must live the Truth….All our daily choices - In everything we say and do should “scream” to the world around us that we are Catholic….If our life does not communicate that message - Then maybe we need to stop and think - Are we really following Jesus Christ?……Are we willing to “pay the price” of discipleship?

“O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, Lest I become like the lion's prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me”

Today at Mass we hear in the Gospel that many of the power-brokers of Jesus’ day outright rejected him…..Keep in mind…Many of these men claimed to be “religious” - Yet God stood right before them and they could not “see” or “hear” him….This reality should serve as a warning to us today…..The Catholic Church proclaims the fullness of Truth….And God does not force us to believe in him - God simply proposes the Truth to us - Its up to us to accept the Truth…And if we fully accept the Truth - Our life will look differently from the crowd…Are we willing to “look differently” from the crowd?……Far too many Catholics “go along to get along” in our society…We look like everyone else and live like the pagan culture that is all around us - This needs to end!….Catholics must be willing to “pay the price” of living as a Catholic in the public square - Come “hell or high-water”….If we are not willing to “pick up our cross” - How can we possibly think we will spend eternal life with Christ in heaven?……..”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”……Choices have consequence - Choose well…….JMJ

”I must decrease and He must increase”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading something from the Book of Wisdom that gives us a window into human nature…..Those who seek power at all costs in this world to this very day ”think” exactly as they did in the time of Christ….The Church and those who are faithful to her should always remember that we live in a hostile world….Jesus tells us this very clearly….“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues”…When we are working and living in this chaotic reality, which is the world, its easy to forget the power of God - That Jesus defeated death and that Christ will one day come again…..The reading today reminds us all that the world is a dangerous place but take heart - Christ has conquered death and the darkness of the world will not have the last word…….”The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright: "Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD. To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, Because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways. He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him." These were their thoughts but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”.……….Notice the end of this passage…..”but they erred”……Just when evil “thinks” it has the last word, it fails……History proves this to be true time and time again…..God is at work and we must work with him…..The Catholic Church has outlasted the Roman Empire, The French Revolution, The Nazi Third Reich & the Soviet Union - To name just a few of the enemies of the Church…Think about that!!!!!…The world and the devil has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at the Catholic Church - And it is still standing….For those who are objective - That should tell you something…Think long and hard - Jesus Christ is King!

“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God”

God plays the “long game”…And because God thinks in those terms, so must we…But if we look at our life, for those who have been around from some time as I have been, you will observe how good behavior in time always wins the day and how bad behavior in time destroys those who prescribe to it….I have life-long friends and outside of going away to college, I returned to my hometown and live to this day amongst many of the people I grew up with…I have watched people I have known my entire life - From grammar school to them being grandparents…Of these people that I see around town, people I have known for decades, there have been many surprises……One stark observation I can make is…….Many of the “bad guys” I grow up with have long fallen away….Their bad behavior caught up with them and when I see them as men in some cases, now in their sixties - They are a shell of who they once were - Some are even dead…….Historically speaking, mankind has not “figured out” what was read to us in the first reading from Mass today…..”These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”………God always has the last word!…..I have five children and I always tell my kids, as my father always told me - “There are no short cuts in this world”….That also goes for entering into eternal life……Jesus is very clear about this reality….We are instructed as Catholics to “Pick up our Cross”…..That the “road that leads to heaven is narrow”….That Jesus is the only “gatekeeper”….This is told to us by the Church and read to us at Mass - But do we “hear” the words?……How do we stay on the road to heaven?…How do we endure the trials and temptations of life?…..How do we not “get lost” along the way?……Again, for those of us who have lived in this world for many years as I have, we have watched many “good” people we know and love “fall away” - They “get lost” - And in turn pay a huge price!…..So how do we “stay the course”?……The answer comes from Jesus and we have heard it before - But did we really “hear” the words?…….“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”…….To be a Christian means to live and worship as a Catholic…A bold statement for sure but a true one…….While there are many well intentioned Christians in the world who are not Catholic, the words of Jesus contained in the Gospel of John, which I just noted refutes any claim of Christian authority outside the Catholic Church……And if we are not living Sacramentally, which means going to frequent confession and receiving the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace - If we live outside of the realm of Sacramental grace - To “think” we can “walk the narrow road” laid before us is in my view a fools errand…..Again, circling back to the first reading from the Book of Wisdom proclaimed at Mass today…..”But they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”…….The unbelieving world does not “get it” sadly……For those who have “eyes to see” - What I just noted is very clear - Again - For those who have eyes to see.

“The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them”

As Catholics, we go to Mass every Sunday and the words of Christ are read to us…This goes on for years and years - But do we “hear” those words? - I mean really “hear” them!…..Mother Teresa would always say - “I take Jesus at his word”……That is coming from a  canonized saint…So the question today is - Do we take Jesus at his word?……Because if we did - Maybe we would live differently - Maybe we would live Sacramentally - Maybe we too would become saints…Isn’t that the goal?  - To become a saint……Jesus walked among men “to take away the sins of the world” - To establish a Church - To show us by his example how to reach eternal life….He could not have done anymore to make is “point” any clearer - So what is the problem? - Where is the confusion?….The problem rests within each of us - This is the greatest enemy we face - Our own will - And this is the enemy we must defeat - Our will must bend until it breaks!….As John the Baptist tells us…”I must decrease and He must increase”….There it is - The answer to the problems that plague mankind…….”I must decrease and He must increase”……..JMJ

When we “fix” the man - We will “fix” society

Today the Universal Church honors St Joseph…..A man of silence, obedience and humility……In a world where everyone seems to have “something to say” on social media, St Joseph is a contradiction…..In the entire New Testament there is not one single word recorded from the mouth of St Joseph…Yet the Universal Church honors him as one of the greatest saints…..Our world today needs more men like St Joseph…..He spoke by his example…..And ultimately the only lasting statement anyone ever makes, is their example…..Words are easily said but forgotten quickly…..However, the lasting power of a good example is what makes the deepest imprint on those around us….But how are we able to give such an example?….The only way is to be rooted in daily prayer, fasting and Sacramental grace……Our human condition is so easily distracted….And we are all susceptible to temptations and sin….The answer to human weakness is divine grace and Joseph opened himself up to that grace….Joseph emptied himself and God in turn filled him with the Holy Spirit….Our world today is so convinced that we can make a lasting impact grounded upon words, accomplishments and achievements…St Joseph took an opposite approach….Joseph lived out his vocation as a married man and father…He did not regard himself to be important but made others the center of importance….And God honored him and two thousand years later so do we as Catholics…..Instead of focusing in on the “big things” - Maybe we all should concentrate on the “little things”….Like the virtues of obedience, humility and silence……We will never be able to do the “big things” if we do not first master the “little things”

“He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness”

Being a good father boils down to be consistent….Taking out the garbage every night - Going to work every day - Helping the kids with their homework - Mowing the lawn and shoveling snow - Helping your wife with shopping…..To name a few of the tasks of a father…These tasks seem of little value to the world but if they are not done, family life does not run properly…..I am a father of five children and I had a father who gave me a good example, so for me, being a father comes fairly naturally…But so many today in our world have no idea what it means to be a father…To some degree, its not their fault because they were not given a good example to follow….I recently heard a statement made that stuck with me deeply…”If we fix the man, we fix society”…This I believe is at the root of so many of our problems today in America….Men do not know how to be men….We have forgotten that mastering the “little things”, lead to us mastering “big things”…..St Joseph teaches us this and for the many men in America that did not have a good example to follow, St Joseph must be that example…..Our world today is hyper-focused on “achievements”…Building a solid resume - Getting a great education - Accumulating wealth…..But the purpose of manhood has little to do with those things….A man is born to be a husband and a father…To love his wife and children, dying to himself and in turn growing closer to God each day….All the other “stuff” is forgotten as quickly as the dirt is placed over our coffins…The impact of a good husband and a father - Not a perfect one but simply a good and consistent one - Such a witness lasts for generations!…..Our society has lost its focus in all the “noise”…..And only a father’s example, not a father’s words, but his example can be “heard” above all the “noise”…..When America “fixes the man” we will “fix” the nation

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home”

The Universal Church in her wisdom honors St Joseph…..There was a time when family life thrived in America….Marriage was viewed traditionally…Mom’s stayed home and Dad’s worked….Families had many chidlren…..Sunday’s were special….Holiday’s were even more special……All this and more has been lost - Americans may “have more stuff” and are more educated but we lost something much more valuable….I was born to simple people…My father was a barber in a one man barber shop….He was the son of Italian immigrants….My family lived simply and both my parents sacrificed deeply for me and my brother….They did not have to talk about their sacrifices…We saw them and as a result to this day, I remember everything they did for us…..Americans must return to this “simpler time”….The answer to many of our problems today is because we know longer know how to live well….There is an “art to living” and that “art” is not taught to us in college…Its taught in the home….St Joseph teaches us that “art”….There is nothing more extraordinary then the witness of a simple man and a simple woman who raise many ordinary children against all odds…Such a witness challenges the world’s false ideologies in a way no words ever could or can……”The Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you……….Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt”……St Joseph’s witness two thousand years later is the path forward for America and the world…..Obedience, Humility and Silence…….Only a man of prayer can do what St Joseph did….But before we do the “big things” we must first master the “little things”….Grace builds upon grace….When we “fix” the man - We will “fix” society………….JMJ