”Where were you?”……JMJ

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St John, we are told that Jesus was only interested in the Will of God….Have we ever stepped back and contemplated that mindset, as we live in a world that clearly is ONLY concerned with selfish interests…Jesus was God - And he completely handed his life over…He “could” have simply said - NO! - Let those poor hopeless sinners bask in their own misery!…..Now think about what the Church asks of us - It clearly is a fraction of what God the Father asked of Jesus….No one I have seen lately has been literally nailed to a cross!…Yet far too many balk at what is asked of us - As Bishops - As Priests - As Lay Catholics…One can say (as an excuse), we are sinners and born imperfect - And that would be true…But what are we doing to “correct” our sinful nature?…Do we put our trust in Sacramental living? - Do we pray everyday? - Do we fast to break the bonds of sinful habits?…..These are things ALL of us can do - Are we doing them?….Again, clearly what is asked of us is not anywhere near what God the Father asked of Jesus - And his YES was total…And our yes is partial……The obedience of Jesus Christ is nothing short of mind blowing!!!!!……“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me”……..One day each of us will stand before God…..And some “think” when they do - Jesus will “understand” about all the bad choices we make…..I would agree - Jesus surely will “understand” - But will he “look past” those selfish choices if we do not acknowledge we made them and then repent of them, trying to then improve?……What is asked of us is NOTHING compared to what Jesus was asked to do for us by God the Father…..And when we do what is asked from us - Whether a Bishop, a Priest, or Lay Catholic…..Be it not using contraception in marriage - Preaching the Fullness of the Catholic Faith from the pulpit at Mass……Living a chaste life as a single Catholic…Whatever our station of life calls for….These sacrifices are NOTHING compared to what Jesus was called to do….”Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”…..Instead of complaining - Instead of ignoring - Instead of outright refusing - Maybe it’s time to start rejoicing…Because our burden is truly light!

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”

What is the issue with the virtue of obedience?….Well, if we are honest, the “issue” is related to the root of all of our sins - PRIDE - “I will not serve” - Remember those words from the “guy who lives downstairs”?……Ultimately, when the Church asks us to live a certain way and we refuse - What we are saying, whether we realize it or not…”I know better then you God”….Because Jesus Christ cannot be separated from the teachings of the Church - And everything the Church teaches is WRITTEN DOWN in the Catechism of the Catholic Church…..”I know better than you God”…That statement if we “step back” from it is utterly RIDICULOUS….God shows us just how ridiculous that mindset is in the Book of Job, when Job complains to God about the hardships of his life……..

"Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its size? Surely you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it? Into what were its pedestals sunk, and who laid its cornerstone,While the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God* shouted for joy. Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb, When I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling bands. When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of its door, And said: Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves stop? Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place For taking hold of the ends of the earth, till the wicked are shaken from it? The earth is changed as clay by the seal, and dyed like a garment; But from the wicked their light is withheld, and the arm of pride is shattered. Have you entered into the sources of the sea, or walked about on the bottom of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you, or have you seen the gates of darkness? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell me, if you know it all. What is the way to the dwelling of light, and darkness—where is its place? That you may take it to its territory and know the paths to its home? You know, because you were born then, and the number of your days is great! Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, and seen the storehouses of the hail Which I have reserved for times of distress, for a day of war and battle? What is the way to the parting of the winds, where the east wind spreads over the earth? Who has laid out a channel for the downpour and a path for the thunderstorm To bring rain to uninhabited land, the unpeopled wilderness; To drench the desolate wasteland till the desert blooms with verdure? Has the rain a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb comes the ice, and who gives the hoarfrost its birth in the skies, When the waters lie covered as though with stone that holds captive the surface of the deep? Have you tied cords to the Pleiades, or loosened the bonds of Orion? Can you bring forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or guide the Bear with her children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens; can you put into effect their plan on the earth? Can you raise your voice to the clouds, for them to cover you with a deluge of waters? Can you send forth the lightnings on their way, so that they say to you, “Here we are”? Who gives wisdom to the ibis, and gives the rooster* understanding? Who counts the clouds with wisdom? Who tilts the water jars of heaven So that the dust of earth is fused into a mass and its clods stick together? Do you hunt the prey for the lion or appease the hunger of young lions, While they crouch in their dens, or lie in ambush in the thicket? Who provides nourishment for the raven when its young cry out to God, wandering about without food?"

I love how God’s litany begins when addressing Job….”Where were you?”……In other words - “Job, YOU do NOT have a clue!”…..And today we see the same attitude from humanity…We “tell” God we know better then him…On topics like Abortion - Same Sex Marriage - Assisting the Poor - Chastity before Marriage - The use of Contraception in marriage…..By REFUSING to listen to God, through the one Church he established through his son Jesus Christ…We are telling God we know better than him!…In a word once again - RIDICULOUS!!!!…..Now I do not know the mind of God, but if I were to “bet” how God would respond to this behavior we see all our us today…I bet his response would be similar to what he told Job centuries ago……..”Where were you?”……JMJ

“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me”

"It is what it is”

Today at Holy Mass the Universal Church commemorates the Solemnity of All Saints…What is a saint?…To put is simply…Its a person who is in heaven….Most people think of a saint from the lens of those select few who are canonized by Rome…And those few clearly are saints…But what about the rest of us?….If a person enters into eternal life (i.e. Heaven) - They are just as much a saint as say St Francis or St Padre Pio….Are you aware of this?…..So what does that mean for us in the here and now?….It means we do not just “float” into heaven when we die….This is arguably one of the biggest misconception throughout the enter Christian world - That includes many Catholic circles as well….The Church has NEVER taught this…Before we enter heaven and stand before the Beatific Vision - We must be made pure….And if we cooperate with God - By living a Sacramental life, as we are ALL called to at our Baptism, along with the trials and tribulations we endure in this life that will “mold” us - Whether we like it or not - In the “furnace” of that “process” - We will become the person were born to be! - And be “ready” to stand before the Lord….If we look at life here on earth through that lens - The lens of God - Then we will be ready to face God when our time on this earth comes to an end…And if we have any small “rough edges” left - God in his goodness and mercy will take care of them in Purgatory…Some may read this - Some may even be Catholic and say…”That is not MY Jesus” who says things like that!!!!….Sorry to “burst your bubble” - But what I just noted is a perennial teaching of the Church - Not even the Pope can change it…..”After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb”……Having a mature Catholic faith means we actually know what the Church teaches - The next step after we know what the Church teaches - Is to live it….Is the “god” most Americans “created” in their head really who God is?…..Not to mention their “ideas” about heaven?…….All well-formed and functioning adults know full well - WE do NOT get to define reality…There is a saying where I come from in New Jersey - “It is what it is”…..God is God and we do not get to define him…And Heaven is God’s house - Right! - That means its God’s rules - And that means we get into God’s house according to “those rules”….Once again and its worth repeating……“It is what it is”

“Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,"Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows."He said to me,"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."

For the readers of my blog who are not from America, particularly from New York City, you may not know who Fr Andrew Apostoli is….Fr Andrew before his death was a rather famous priest…..And one time I went to confession with him - It was a face to face confession too - Not in the confession booth….He was giving a talk that I attended and after his presentation he made himself available for confession in the seats in the back of the auditorium….So as I sat before Fr Andrew, I was nervous - He was a famous man and a holy man for that matter…He did not know me either but the only thing he told me after my confession was that I should not want to go to Purgatory - That I should want to go “straight to heaven”….I found that rather odd - My confession was not “so bad” - I did not confess “killing anyone” - But for some reason - The idea of Purgatory was the ONLY thing Fr Andrew spoke to me about - And he was emphatic, so much so he gave me a special Fatima prayer…..In the life of a Catholic, there are some confessions that we always remember - There are many reason for that and I will not explore those reasons in this reflection…But for me - This was “one of those confessions” - I have never forgotten it to this day…..And it’s been well over twenty years that the confession took place….Father Andrew Apostoli has since gone on to his eternal reward….In my humble opinion, I believe he could very easily be canonized as a saint by the Church one day, would not shock me in the least - Fr Andrew was a very special person and a VERY holy man….Since the age of twenty-two, its been over the thirty years since I committed my life to Christ as a faithful Roman Catholic, and during that time I have been blessed to have met many VERY holy men and women - Some even world famous…..And when one meets an authentically holy person - YOU NEVER FORGET the encounter - Trust me about that!…Holy people “leave a mark” on you….And when a holy man, like Fr Andrew Apostoli tells me, without even knowing me, that I DO NOT want to go to Purgatory - That I should strive to go “straight into heaven” - Well - I cannot speak for YOU  - But as for me - I am going to take his words seriously……Do we take the teachings of the Church seriously? - When it comes to Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell?….Do we have a well-formed and mature Catholic faith?…..Either way - WE do not get to define reality…..So I will say it again - I hope you are listening - “It is what it is”…..JMJ

"Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure"

Then give up your seat! - Prove it

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew that Jesus once again was invited to eat at the home of the Pharisees…If these men hated Jesus so much - Why did they invite him to their home?…..In addition, when Jesus arrived at this dinner party, we are told - “The people there were observing him carefully”….Why do they care if Jesus was so wrong!?!…..This tells us something about human nature….People you are deeply dissatisfied with themselves are hyper-critical of others….They are fully aware of their shortcomings and as the old saying goes “misery loves company”….So they “look” to find faults with others - Why? - It makes them “feel good” about themselves…Conversely - A person who is at peace with themself, does not “point fingers at others”….There is no need to “tear others down”…..Many times the people who are hyper-critical of others, project verbally their personal wrong doings and sins (without realizing it)…In doing that “they show their cards” and do not even realize it….Today in the Gospel, human nature is on display…Jesus is at peace with himself and the Pharisees at not, so they have to find fault, to make themselves “feel good” by attempting to “tear down” Christ…..Do we do this to others?…..What is the solution to this very human problem? - Because there is ONLY ONE solution….A Sacramental Confession!….Only God can forgive our sins and only God can give us peace….The world longs for this peace and when it does not have it - It needs to find alternatives…Many times that alternative is found in tearing others down….I can always tell a person who goes to confession frequently - You see deep peace in their eyes and they usually have a gentle smile……Such a person knows who they are - A sinner in need of God’s mercy - And when they find authentic mercy in the Sacrament - They are able to “bear with others” who also are flawed, just as they are…They are also quick to offer forgiveness and are much more patient with the faults of others…..There is only one “medicine” for our sins…Its confessing them to a Catholic priest…We are only fooling ourselves when we do not “take our medicine”…..And if I were honest, its such an easy thing to do - To admit that we have failed - That we were wrong - That we are sinners…..But that requires humility and take note - Only the humble will enter heaven.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart”

Humility is the foundational virtue of all the virtues…So how do we acquire it?….Can we read about it and someone grow in humility?…The answer is - NO…Humility must be learned through living….St Paul gives us some insight into the humility of Christ….”Though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross”……If our life is “too comfortable” we will never learn what it means to be humble…Whether we are are a Bishop - Priest or Lay Catholic….Humility to be learned MUST be FELT…And when it is a lived experience, we not only become humble but we acquire authentic empathy for those who suffer….If you have never been hungry - You will most likely never go out of you way to feed others….Sadly, humanity has a far too elevated idea of itself - Especially those who possess many nature gifts…We easily forget where the gifts come from and that our life ends in death…This is why many famous and rich people ruin their lives - They begin to “think” they are God…Only to “find out” in time that they are not!…..A Catholic should live differently….Our goal should not be comfort - It should be holiness….And comfort is the enemy of holiness…..Does this mean we are all called to live in poverty - NO - But it does mean we should live simply….Take care of the basic needs of our family…Share with others where and when we can…And in doing so - We will learn what it means to be humble - It will come naturally as a result of how we live….Not from reading a book - But from living!…..Far too many reject this idea - This is why far too many have no idea about what true humility is all about….Look at the example of the Holy Family…Jesus, Mary & Joseph…….They lived a simple life and for thirty years Jesus lived with them and lived in obedience to Mary and Joseph - And Jesus was GOD!!!!!!!….My bet is, their life was not easy - But I would also bet, their home was a place of great joy and deep peace…Is this something we want? - Many say they want joy and peace - But when it comes to doing the things that make for joy and peace - We quickly turn away and settle for a second rate life….Is it because of how true humility looks to the world? - Are we concerned with how our life is “projected to others”? - We can’t “post pictures” on social media the way we want!?!….“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted”….Only those who truly understand who they are can do what Jesus tells us in St Matthew Gospel today - To give up the best seat for others……Patience obtains all things and those who give up the best seat for others will one day be given a better seat…If you say you believe that - Then give up your seat! - Prove it……..JMJ

“My eager expectation and hope is that I shall not be put to shame in any way, but that with all boldness, now as always, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death”

Do you believe that? - I not only do - I KNOW IT - Because “without me you can do nothing”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke how Jesus cures a man on the Sabbath in front of the Pharisees….He was trying to teach the Pharisees something - And us too!…And if one is an objective reader of this passage, one can safely claim that the point Jesus made was irrefutable….And if the Pharisees were objective and open, they would have seen just how correct Jesus was in is interpretation of the Law…But sadly, the Pharisees were not objective…Their hearts were closed….And because of that - They “missed” it! - God was literally standing right in front of them - And they missed him!…….”Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?” But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him. Then he said to them “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” But they were unable to answer his question”……Notice how St Luke addresses the hardness of heart of the Pharisees…He says they - “Were unable to answer his question” - Is it that they were “unable” to answer the question or they WOULD NOT answer the question? - Because they were convicted in their error…So they REFUSED to answer the question…Before we condemn the Pharisees, which is very easy to do, how about we examine our own hearts….Do we have a teachable spirit?…..Sadly, when you look on social media, it does not appear like many people do….What happens when someone presents rock solid Church teaching from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to you? - Do you dismiss it? - Ignore it? - Rationalize it away?…..Many on Catholic Social Media do this….As Catholics, we must allow the Church to form our conscience….Like a good mother, who forms her children…If we “do not agree” with something the Church teaches - Say its the teaching on being open to life in marriage or abortion or the need to be in the state of grace before we receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, these are just a few examples, that are VERY CLEARLY addressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church - If we do not believe what the Church teaches on these topic - We need to pray…I will also take it a step further…Because we are not in “communion” with the Church, when we disagree with fundamental Church teachings - We should still attend Sunday Mass, but should not receive the Blessed Sacrament…Again, because we are not in “communion” with the Church…By the way, that is why we recite the Nicene Creed before we receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass…In doing so, we are professing that “WE BELIEVE” everything the Church teaches BEFORE we receive the Eucharist…If we do not believe EVERYTHING - Its time to pray, fast and discern…And if we do that with an honest and objective heart - The Holy Spirit will guide us to the Truth….The Pharisees in St Luke Gospel read to us today at Mass in essence “created” a God of their own choosing - How about us?….Have we “created a Church” of our own choosing?….One of the beautiful things about being Catholic is - EVERYTHING we need to KNOW and BELIEVE is written down in the Catechism!…. St Paul instructs us on this point perfectly - "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." ……The minute you realize that God is smarter then you - And the Church has been around for 2000 years for a reason - Is the minute you advance in your relationship with Christ…..So the question then remains - Do you have a teachable spirit? - Its “kind of required” that you do!

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me”

How is it that there are so many people who are Catholic that disagree? - Everything the Church professes to be true is written down!!!!! - Yet here we are…Have you ever thought the problem is not the Church - But the “problem” is YOU!…..One of the pivotal moments in my personal walk as a committed Catholic, which by the way as spanned over 30 years - Is this - I came to realize that - “My way does not work!!!”…I learned that very young - At the age of 22 years old - I came to know deep within my heart - “My way does not work”…How did I receive that grace? - Well, I tried it “MY WAY” - And that led to DISASTER…I went away to college and “bought in” to everything the American culture was “selling” - And I was left broken, my joy was gone and I was empty!……When I returned home to my parents - I knew deep down I needed to start “listening” to God…I remember the day like it was yesterday…I went into the Catholic Church my parents raised me in on a Saturday afternoon and just sat in front of the Tabernacle - For those who do not know, the Tabernacle is where the Blessed Sacrament is kept…At the time I did not believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, but as Divine Providence would have it - I sat in front of it that given day….As I sat there - A tidal wave a grief came over me…I can not explain it any other way - But it was a tidal wave!!!! - I have never felt that much grief in MY LIFE…And I wept bitterly, like I never have before or since….That was the beginning of my walk with God - From that point forward - And on that very day - I made my first “adult confession” - And life started over….To this day and I am now 56 years old - I KNOW - “My way does not work!” - And God’s way does work….In my humble opinion - This is one of the most important things Jesus ever taught mankind - “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing”….....Do you believe that? - I not only do - I KNOW IT - Because “without me you can do nothing”……JMJ

“He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant. He has made known to his people the power of his works, giving them the inheritance of the nations”

”For I have conquered the world”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading St Paul, who is writing a letter to the Ephesians…In this letter Paul is declaring war!…….”Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”…..The Catechism of the catholic Church is very clear….Those of us who are “above ground” and Baptized are called the “Church Militant”…..What does that mean?…It means that God and “the world” are at odds!….They are like oil and water!…Being Catholic means you live differently and because you live differently - In the Truth - The world, the flesh and the devil will “throw everything” they have against you!…..To think other wise is frankly to “bury your head in the sand” and ignore reality…..America culture as it stands is vehemently anti-family, anti-Catholic and embraces what Pope John Paul II called the culture of death…The family unit is deeply fractured - So much so, people are not getting married and those who do, many do not even know what a “normal” family looks like any more…We abort our children in the womb and think nothing of it…We have normalized homosexuality….Materialism thrives……None of these things are of God…So St Paul today tells us - We are at war!…..To think otherwise is frankly foolish - Indifference to this “battle” simply means you are “going along to get along” - And that is not the path to heaven…St Paul also tells us today….”To put on the armor of God” - What does that mean?….To put it simply - To live in the state of grace….To live Sacramentally…If you “think” you are going to resist the culture and live as a Catholic without daily prayer, weekly fasting, frequent confession and frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament - You are only kidding yourself…The “culture of death” in America will eat you alive!…The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that grace perfects human nature…It also tells us that grace elevates human nature…Sacramental Grace strengthens the human will to resist sin and opens our eyes to the many false promises of the devil and the world…….Make no mistake about it - YOU ARE IN A WAR!….And the world, the flesh and the devil are infinitely more powerful then you without God and his grace…..However, if we do what St Paul tells us today - We will overcome what seems to be an impossible fight…Jesus reminds us in the writings of St John…..”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”…Notice the words Jesus uses - Words are important! - He did not say - “YOU” will conquer the world - He said “I” have conquered the world…That should tell us something…Without God’s Sacramental grace - You will fail - Sorry to burst your bubble - YOU WILL FAIL…But with God’s grace….Failure is not an option…So take courage……”For I have conquered the world”…..JMJ

"With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must"

You don’t “plant dandelions” and expect an oak tree to grow!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading, St Paul writes a letter to the Ephesians….He tells them something that many in America have forgotten….As well as Europe and Canada for that matter…And because this has been forgotten….We see what we see today all around us….CHAOS…..What has been forgotten? - God is the great unifier - “The glue”…And without the “The glue”…Society fractures and spirals into CHAOS…….”You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”…..The word Catholic means universal….Think about it….As Catholics in America, we share the same world view as people all over the world….Africa, South America, China, Russia…..It’s our belief in God - The Father of us all - That unifies us....Look at the first apostles that Jesus chose…Amongst the twelve were two men who would NEVER have gotten along if it was not for Jesus…..St Matthew was a tax collector and considered a trader to the Jewish people…Remember, all of the original twelve apostles were Jewish…And one of the original twelve, as Scripture describes him today in the Gospel was “Simon who was called a Zealot”……The word “zealot” means Simon was a revolutionary…Remember again, the people of Israel at the time were under the yolk of Roman occupation…..Simon “called the Zealot” means he was actively fighting Rome, which means he would have HATED St Matthew because he was a tax collector and essentially “worked” for the Roman Empire, which was oppressing the Jewish people…..It was only Jesus who could have brought these two men together and unite them…..And because America, Europe, Canada - Formerly deeply religious nations, have turned their backs on God…Let’s not “fool” ourselves either…Countries that are kill children in the womb (in some cases up and until birth, in the third trimester of pregnancy), support same sex marriage, and legalize usury, which oppresses the working poor - These are NOT God centered nations!…That being the case…How can we expect our people to “get along”?…..Not going to happen! - Until once again - Christ Jesus is the “capstone”….And that reality is reflected in our laws - or - Its not reflected in our laws - And then YOU get what YOU get", which is what we have today - CHAOS……You don’t “plant dandelions” and expect an oak tree to grow!

“Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles”

Religion molds culture and culture molds politics….So many today get it wrong - Because we get it backwards!…People expect to “vote” our society into place - Without first building a foundation….Jesus tells us very clearly in Scripture…..“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined”…Before we “fix the politics” of America - We need to fix the culture, which is shaped by the family and our education system….The family unit in America is deeply fracture…Close to 55% of American marriages end in divorce, which leaves children broken, wounded and lost…..It also is a leading cause of poverty….How can we have a “healthy” nation when an overwhelming majority of our people are negatively effected by broken marriages…..How about the American Public Education system?….God has been “shown the door” and radical ideologies have been introduced….Homosexuality and Same Sex marriage has been normalized - Transgenderism has been introduced as a “life choice”….Our children are sexually active in their early teen years and our public education system normalized that behavior as well…How on earth are these children going to grow up and know what it means to have a lasting and stable family!?! - The answer is - They are NOT…..Families that have God at their center work!!!!…And families that don’t - well - The statistics speak for themselves - They do not work!…..So stop with all the talk about voting and politics - Just stop!!!!…We are putting the “horse before the cart”….You don’t “plant dandelions” and expect an oak tree to grow!…….JMJ

“Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message”

All this and more…..Comes from a “small seed”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke the story of the mustard seed….The smallest of seeds when planted becomes a large bush…..At our Baptism, we were grafted into the life of Christ….A “small act” but a VERY significant one….When we were baptized, a “seed” was planted within our soul…But if we do NOTHING, that seed will remain just a seed…Its then for our parents to ensure we are educated and raised in the Catholic Faith…And then at some point, we must make the faith our own as an adult…Then the journey of a life time begins! - And God’s plan for us from the beginning of time starts to take shape…But we still must cooperate…How?…..Daily Prayer - Weekly Fasting - Monthly Sacramental Confession - Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace….If we do those things consistently and persevere in doing them - God will take care of the rest! - TRUST ME….Our “small seed” will grow….And bear fruit for the Kingdom of God….We do not even know how or what “our tree” from that “small seed” will look like - Only God knows…But that is not our concern…Our concern is to do “the basics” - YES - The spiritual practices I noted above are BASICS…..Being Catholic is not some esoteric belief system for the few - Its for EVERYONE…ANYONE can do what I just noted above and if we do - Christ will LIVE in us - And our life will be FAR from mediocre….The public ministry of Jesus was only three short years…And fast forward two thousand years later - The Catholic Church is all over the world…It has endured tyrants, scandal, and persecution…And here we are……What makes YOU think the same thing cannot happen in your life?…..What we lack is faith - What we lack is courage - And we “hold on too” mediocrity, which takes the form of “comfort”…..”Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened”…If we only take Jesus’s words seriously today - Then our “one seed” WILL shake the foundations of the world - If only we cultivate it - That one simple seed…That is all we have to do! - Cultivate it! - God does the rest!

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

In the Book of Revelation, we are told in the Kingdom of Heaven , we will be given new name…A name only God knows…..That name in many ways is symbolic of the person we were born to be - Or better put - To become if we cooperate with God’s Sacramental Grace here on earth…Each of us have God given talents and if we nurture those talents and give them over to God in service of the Kingdom - We will be transformed and in the process, we will transform others….This my friends is the meaning of life…Not to “get rich”…Not to achieve “this or that”…Its simply to become who we were born to be from the very beginning of time…To “live up” to that “new name” that God will give us when we stand before him………..As a young man, especially while I was in college, I lived a party lifestyle….All my friends were wild guys who were the “life of the party”…When I came home from college, I made a personal decision to live as a Catholic because before that decision, I clearly was not living as I should…Fast forward three decades….I am now a completely different person….I go to Mass just about every day….I go to confession every other week….I pray the Rosary daily with my wife and children…I have five children, all under the age of twelve years old….If you told me this is the person I would become, say at the age of twenty while in college - I would have laughed in your face - And so would my friends at the time…..Recently one of my college roommates passed away and I attended a memorial service for him…At the service I saw many of my old friends…Many of them I had not seen in awhile, but they had heard about my Catholic transformation…To say it was strange to see these people after all those years is an understatement….These were people I knew at one time in my life very well but now they looked at me as a complete stranger - And I looked at them the same…..Interestingly enough, if I were honest, I am still not where I need to be - I am far from being a saint!….Our conversion to God takes place everyday - God is STILL working on me….And I must cooperate…How?…I will say it again…..Daily Prayer - Weekly Fasting - Monthly Sacramental Confession - Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace…..The Basics!……And God will take care of the rest……“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna; I shall also give a white amulet upon which is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it”…….All this and more…..Comes from a “small seed”…..JMJ

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; You have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom”