Never forget - One YES changed the world

Today the universal church commemorates the Assumption, the day Our Lady assumed body and soul into heaven…..Our Lady in many ways is humanities hope…She was born of two human beings (Saint Joachim and Saint Anne)…And she was perfectly pure….She is what we one day aspire to be…But to become who we were ALL born to be - We need Our Lady - And she is more then willing to help us in our journey to her son……The life of Mary was not easy….But she trusted God’s plan for her life and God used her to accomplish great things…While we clearly were not born immaculate as Our Lady was - Why do we “think” that God has not planned great things for us to do?….Each person is born to be a saint….And the only thing holding you back - IS YOU!…..Is our first priority in life is to strive for holiness? - Because that is how we make the biggest impact in this world….If we give God permission to work in our life - He surely will…..When Mary was a young girl, the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and asked her if she would be the Mother of God…Mary did not know all the “details” - But she trusted in the goodness of God and said YES…..Once again - How are we any different?…Allow me to explain - Our task is clearly different from Mary’s task - Don’t misunderstand me - But God requests us to do exactly as Mary did - To give our “fiat”…….“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of the Almighty’s servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name. God’s mercy is for those who fear God from generation to generation. God has shown strength with God’s arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. God has helped servant Israel, in remembrance of God’s mercy, according to the promise God made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever”…What is standing in the way of us giving our fiat?……Once we are convinced that God can do more with our life then we ever can - Then we begin the adventure of a life time….And the path towards holiness begins…..Never forget - One YES changed the world

“Blessed are they who hear the word of God and observe it”

Are we fully committed Catholics? - Do we believe everything the Church teaches?….Do we live to the best of our abilities, aspiring to live out everything the Church teaches?….To do all this, one must consciously commit to live in a different manner then the rest of the world…..And when we do this, then our impact as Catholics will be felt in significant ways - And not before…..Does the secular world take Catholics seriously today in America?……I wish I thought they did…..Its only when we live the Gospel boldly without apologies that the secular unbelieving world will take us seriously…And if we radically committed our lives to God…The unbelieving world may not “like us” but one thing is for sure - They will respect us - And some may even be transformed by us…..Our Lady radically followed her son….And today Mary assumed into heaven…Body and Soul….For us, this is our hope - That one day we too will arrive at our eternal home - Body and Soul….But that will not happen “magically”….We must fully commit our life to God now!…Our YES must be bold and unwavering.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”

Today is a great day - Mary arrives safely home!…..Think for a moment what Our Lady had to endure before she was assumed into heaven?…..Even though she was the Mother of God - Her life was far from easy….But Mary persevered….And so must we…..Its so important to emphasize that Mary did not have all the answers when she gave her consent to give birth to Jesus….She was a simple person….We have stop trying to control every aspect of our life and trust God….We must “turn over” the “wheel” of our life to God and let him “drive”…..This is how we too will arrive safely in heaven...Once again - Never forget - One YES changed the world…..JMJ

Grace perfects nature - That is why marriage is a Sacrament - And because of grace - Sacramental marriage work

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus giving us the teaching about marriage….”He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate”……Marriage is a vocation - When it is lived as a vocation it leads us to God…And when it is not - It does not work!…..God created marriage to be a Sacrament - Have you ever given any thought as to why?…..The reason is - It was not meant to be lived any other way!…Anyone who is married knows that to have a good marriage takes work…Nothing good happens without effort……When a couple lives Sacramentally, God gives them grace and that grace sustains them in their marriage….Without that grace - Selfishness sets in - And it creeps in slowly….This is how marriages fail…..Do we even know what marriage is today?….Do we even know what love is?……The Catholic Churches perennial teaching on marriage WORKS….Faithful - Fruitful - Forever….And guess what? - The secular version of marriage our culture has self created DOES NOT work……How much more heart ache and suffering does our society have to endure to realize what I just noted - The Truth of the matter is staring YOU in the face!!!!- Just look out your window - On your street…In your family….Across the nation.

“Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but, as it truly is, the word of God”

Why is contraception fatal in marriage?….Because when you use contraception, you say with your body that my love for you has limits - And when you do this - That “mindset” bleeds into other aspects of your marriage weakening it…….One of our vows, as a Catholic who enters marriage is to be open to life….By being open to life, the couple through their children “die to themself”…And that is what authentic love is - To give ones self to another completely….This is why marriage is a vocation - It leads two people to God…..My wife and I have been asked to give talks when young couples are about to get married during the Pre-Cana Courses in our diocese…When we gave these talks - I would always begin my presentation with the same question……What is the goal of your marriage?….When I asked these young men and women that question all I would see is blank faces…….The answer I was looking for from both the ladies and the men was this…..”The goal of my marriage is to get my wife and children to heaven” - “The goal of my marriage is to get my husband and children to heaven”……Everything else in final analysis DOES NOT MATTER!…..Is this the goal of our marriages today?

“God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation”

Today Jesus reinforces a teaching we all know deep in our hearts to be true…Marriage is between one man and one woman…Marriage is to be forever….No matter how our culture has attempted to manipulate this eternal truth - The foundation of every society, which is the family, remains the “cornerstone” of that society…..This Truth can never be manipulated….Pope John Paul II famously said….."As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live”…….Strong families produce healthy children - Healthy children are the leaders of tomorrow……If you want to “fix” America……..”Fix” the family….And we cannot “fix” the family without God….Why is that true?…..Because marriage was created to be a Sacrament and without Sacramental grace the likelihood that you will have a strong marriage is slim to none!…..Why is that true?…Because each of us have a fallen nature and without grace our own selfish wants and desires eat away at the bond we vowed before God could not be broken….Grace perfects nature - That is why marriage is a Sacrament - And because of grace - Sacramental marriage work….JMJ

“Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus teaches his friends about forgiveness……God is always ready to forgive us - Like any good father….But here is the “catch”…We must ask for that forgiveness….Do we take for granted that God will forgive us?…..Allow me to illustrate an example - If you were to take the money to pay the monthly rent and used it to go away with your friends for a weekend without your family…Don’t you think you owe your wife and children an apology?…And say you did not apologize - How would that impact your relationship with your wife?…..When we sin, we MUST reconcile with God…We do that through the Sacrament of Confession…But what about when someone continues to wrong you?….Or someone who is clearly doing what is wrong and impacting your community…How are we to treat such a person?….Clearly God did not create us to be “door-mates”, so one must keep a distance from a person who wants do them harm - But that does not mean we cannot pray for that person……How does a Catholic live learn to forgive the unforgivable?….In a word - GRACE!…..We CANNOT forgive as God forgives without grace….And when you can see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - You surely will be able to see him in your neighbor - Even in your enemy!……When a Catholic makes it a practice to go to Confession frequently, that person understands just how good God is - How he forgives us each time we ask him too…Once we experience this kind of forgiveness from God - Its much easier to forgive others….We cannot give away what we do not have!

“Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times”

Some people believe that “time heals old wounds”…Well, for some wounds, that is not the case…If we have a “moral wound” and do not get it addressed by a doctor, there is a strong likelihood that we will die!…..Let’s be honest - Life is not always fair and some people endure horrific tragedies in life…How can someone overcome these catastrophic events?….In a word - GRACE!….As human beings we are limited - Even the best of us is limited - But God is UNLIMITED!….Only by God’s grace can a person forgive another person who has severely harmed him…Do you believe in Grace? - Have you experienced Grace?……….My wife comes from a big family…She is one of twelve children…Sadly, her father was not a very good husband and father…He was married numerous times and had children out of wedlock…..With that said, I always marvel at how my wife gets along with her step-sisters…..She loves them just as if her Dad did not father these children outside of his marriage with my mother-in-law….I came from a very different family background…My parents were happily married for fifty-two years…..So I could NEVER fully grasp how my wife could love her step sisters the way she does….Like nothing happened!!!!…..Maybe I can not understand this because I did not “go through it” as my wife did…But maybe the “miracle” of my wife’s family is due to my wife surrendering her hurts to God because of the actions of her father……My wife found Christ in a deep and abiding way and because she found him - She learned to forgive and heal……God is good - His mercy is endless….What we cannot do - God can do in and through us!

“Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes”

Today we are told by Jesus that forgiving others is not an option…But how do we do it?……An old saying tells us….”To forgive is divine”……I believe the mistake people make when they attempt to forgive other is - They try to do it without God….For some “hurts” in life - That is impossible!……Sometimes we have to give to God our wounds caused by others….Its not within “our power” to heal from these wounds or for that matter forgive those who harmed us….Its only by and through grace that we can overcome such “hurts” and in turn forgive those who were responsible for hurting us….I shared in this reflection how my wife, who came from a very difficult childhood overcame bitterness and learned to forgive…..I do not want to speak for her - But if I was to ask her how she did it - My “bet” is - She would tell me it was by and through God’s grace…..For nothing is impossible for God!!!…To this day I admire my wife’s family - Why? - They overcame heart-ache and pain only because they all learned to forgive….Many times in life - Its through our “wounds” that the “light” enters…God knows that he is doing!…..“Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan”…..JMJ

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”….Do you really believe that?….Tell the Truth

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how Jesus instructs his first Bishops, the original twelve apostles, how to deal with disputes among people……”If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that  every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. 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”……The Church has authority! - Why? - Because Jesus who is God gave it authority…….Mankind from the very beginning indirectly tells God by his choices and actions that - “They know better”…We saw this with our first parents Adam and Eve…..God gave them everything - They were prohibited to do only one thing - To eat of the “Tree of Knowledge”…What did that “tree” symbolize?….That God is the author of all knowledge and the he decides what is right and wrong - Not man…So what does Adam and Eve do? - They tell God, by their actions, that they decide what is right and wrong - Not him….The rest is history and we all know how that choice worked out - Paradise Lost!….The same bad choice takes place today…Mankind does not recognize God’s authority in the one Church he founded…And as a result….The world is a mess!……As a  Catholic we must be “fully on board” with everything the Church teaches - It is not for us to “pick and choose” what to believe….While this is not easy - If we avail ourselves to God’s grace found in the Sacraments - God will help us and give us everything we need to be obedient - Now that is a “bad word” today - Obedient - “Get over it!”…Now does being obedient to what the Church teaches mean we will never fall? - Of course not, we are all sinners…But that is why we were given the Sacrament of Reconciliation…That is why we were given the Blessed Sacrament - That is why we were given Our Lady…And if we are consistent…Sins we struggle with will no longer trouble us in time and we will grow in holiness…In order for this to happen, we must fully acknowledge the authority of God and his Church….”Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”……God’s way works!….And if we adhere to “the vine” - We will “bear fruit”…And if we do not - We will not

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”

I came from a good home…My parents were hard working good people who loved my brother and I…Everything they did was for us…But when I went away to college…I took for granted everything I was given and fully embraced the “ways of the world”…..After four years of living a very bad life….I returned home heart broken and completely lost….This is when I decided to embrace my Catholic faith…..And after realizing that “MY WAY” does NOT work…I decided to try God’s way…Not everyone has to take this path to God but many sadly do…We have to “come to the end of ourself”…And for some people this takes many years and many trials and heart aches……When I made my first “adult” confession at the age of twenty two - My life began to change…..God uses everything to transform us - Even our bad choices…But transformation takes time - So be patient with yourself and with others…..But now after over thirty years living as a practicing Catholic…I can honestly say, the decision to live as a Catholic that I made at twenty two years old was BY FAR the BEST decision of my life…..And God is not done with me yet…..The secular world around us “thinks” God takes from us…That the Church “does not know what it is talking about”…How wrong that mindset is!!…Sadly, words will never convince others about the goodness of God….This is why the world needs saints…Only a saintly life can “speak” to those around us with hard hearts….People believe what they see not what they are told…..And when a person encounters a saint - They know it!…..For all the Catholics who are frustrated with the secular world around them - Look on social media - You will find them!….Channel your frustrations into striving with all your heart to become a saint…..Every time you see the sins of mankind and you want to condemn others and SCREAM - Fast and Pray!…..Channel all your frustrations…..The closer we get to God - The more God can uses us…And that is how the world is transformed - There is no other way

“Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever”

Today we are told by Jesus that he gave his authority to the Catholic Church - Do you fully recognize that authority?….Let’s be honest - People do not like to be told what to do and some people REALLY do not want to be told what to do…..That mindset must change!….There is one path to heaven and God determines that path…Jesus said he was the Truth….That means Jesus determines the Truth - Not us!…..God is not a slave-driver, as the secular world believes and once we realize that God only gives, he never takes - That the teachings of the Church are to help us live a good life - That the “wages of sin” is death - Once we realize all that - Life begins!…Living a life of sin “costs” us in the here and now - Like it or not!!! - Life is so much BETTER living as God requests of us…..But people need to “figure that out” for themself…We can help them by our example - We can pray for them - And Fast for them - But even a good example will never be able to force someone to change….God never imposes himself on us - We must choose him freely…In the mean time…God waits “on the side of the road” for us…..“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”….Do you really believe that?….Tell the Truth……JMJ

What do you “see” when you “look” at the one who went astray?

Today at Holy Mass we get a small insight into the way God the Father thinks - And acts!…In the Gospel of St Matthew we are told about God’s love for us - Even for the “one” who does not do what he is asked….”If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost”…Would you do this? - Risk the safety of the ninety-nine for one “screw up”?…Most people would not…It does not make sense to us - But it makes perfect sense to God…Because God’s love for us is beyond our understanding…..If a man has twelve sons and eleven of his sons are successful and well educated…But one of his sons has a drug dependency and is in and out of jail…How would that father react?…A good father would seek out the one son who was the drug addict - And on his death bed, his last request would be to the other eleven sons - “Make sure you take care of your brother!”……I have three sons and that would be my response on my death bed if I had such a “lost son”…..As a father of five, you always see your children in your mind as innocent - Then the world comes sweeping in!…But in your eyes you always remember your children as they were as babies - Sitting on your lap - Innocent as the driven snow….This is how God sees us all - As his beloved children!…God’s love for us is beyond our understanding…And when we make the wrong choices, he permits hardships to take place in our life - Not to punish us - But to allow us to “see” what we are doing and change….The only thing God desires for us is that we arrive safely back to him in heaven!…But the unbelieving secular world does not see it that way!…We sadly more times then we realize look to find heaven on earth - Something which we never will find…And this is why we “write off” the “screw ups” - Those we consider “hopeless” - To us “such people” just “get in the way”…God does not think or respond in that way!…And frankly, if we are Catholic, we should not think or respond in that way either…..It takes courage to “leave the ninety-nine for the one who is lost” - The “ninety-nine” many times gets angry when one does this - They “do not understand”….But God understands - Because his love is beyond human understanding….The “calculus” of God is different from that of man - But if we want to enter into God’s Kingdom - The “mathematics” of mankind must change

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

Every time I hear this Gospel, I think of Pope Francis….He was willing to “leave the ninety-nine in search for the one”…..Allow me to explain….Many “conservative Catholics” would get unset when Pope Francis would speak at the Vatican to a public sinner…There was a famous Italian journalist who would constantly get audiences with the Pope…And the “Catholic mob” on social media would go CRAZY…..Why did Pope Francis speaks to this man?….Why? - Because he loved him and was hoping he would “return to God”….Currently, Pope Leo asked a controversial nun to sit on this Vatican committee…And the same “Catholic mob” on social media is going "berserk”!!!…Pope Leo “sees” the same thing that the “mob” sees - The errors of that nun - But the difference is - The Pope loves her and is “trying” to help her…And the “mob” is looking to cast her off into the wilderness….A good father is patient and a good father loves all his children….Love never gives up on anyone!!!!…..And as Catholics we must be patient with each other - Something I personally need to work on - Big time!…..St Paul instructs us in this mindset…..”Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do”…….We are also told by Jesus in the parable of the wheat and the weeds…..”He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up? He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest”……As Catholics our hearts of stone must be transformed into hearts of flesh….God sees everything!…He knows what the one “screw up” did….Let God “deal” with him…But in the mean time…It is for us to be patient with “our brother” and never give up on anyone - Always reaching out for the “one” who is lost.

“Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me”

God’s ways are not our ways - That is very true! - But that does not mean we stop trying to love like God!….Seeing the world through the eyes of God is impossible, however, the closer we get to God, the more we will “see”…..This is why the secular world does not understand the Catholic world view….Materialism, Power & Status - These things have no place in God’s eyes…And if we see the world through the lens of “the worldly” - We will NEVER understand anything Jesus Christ ever said or taught…..This is why in order to “believe” - We first must REPENT…..One Sacramental Confession “opens our eyes” to “see”……”Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength”…How we live determines what we “see” and what we “see” determines how live……”I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost”……What do you “see” when you “look” at the one who went astray?…….JMJ

”Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel, St John tells us (arguably) one of the most radical requests made by Jesus Christ to every person who has ever claimed to be a Christian - How does this idea “sit” with us? - “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me”…Do we take these words serious? - And if we do - How are we living them out?…..Most people live these words out in the married state - They have children and they “pour their life” into their children…In doing so, God pours his life into them…Because its in giving that we receive!….What St John presents to us today is the path to eternal life - Love gives, it never takes…This is the example that Jesus Christ gave to the world…And this is the path each of the baptized must walk…However, due to our fallen human nature, we all (to some degree or another) resist this selfless way of life - And because Jesus understood human nature very well - He gave us the Sacraments, which helps us to embrace a selfless way of living…Without the Sacraments - There is NO WAY a person can live in this manner….Only through God’s grace can a person be transformed into a selfless person - To the degree that St John speaks about today…….In the first reading at Mass, St Paul echoes this same concept...….”Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work”….The happiest people in this world are those who give of themself to others - This is a hard-cold fact!….To be a “giver” is woven into our human DNA - It is written on our hearts…And when we live this way, God pours his Holy Spirit into us, which brings with it peace and joy…..The most miserable people in this world are those who refuse to share - Who deny their very nature - To give of themself to others…..This is what true poverty looks like!

“Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life, says the Lord”

If you asked a group of ten year old children a question - “When you grow up - Do you want to be happy?”…My bet is - Everyone of those children would answer YES….But when we all grow up into adults - We still all want to be happy - But sadly we “chase” after “things” that CANNOT make us happy….Whether we realize it or not…..The path to true, lasting and authentic happiness is told to us today in St John Gospel - By the “giving of your life” to others….To the secular unbelieving world - This idea is pure madness…But for those who have witnessed people who have lived these words - As I have - The reality of authentic joy can not be denied…..For seven years before I was married I was a Lay Co-Worker for the Missionaries of Charity…I served mostly in New York City but also in India, San Francisco and Haiti…In that time I have witnessed the happiest people I have ever met….Keep in mind, I work in banking and have worked with over the years some VERY wealthy people….But the people I served with over the course of those seven years were BY FAR the most happy….Why? - Because giving of our self is “built in” to our DNA and when we live according to the Natural Law, we live in harmony with God who created us……The Missionaries of Charity take a vow of poverty and they live out that vow radically…I state that because they have nothing!…Yet they are BY FAR the happiest people I have ever met….This reality defies everything the secular world tells us - That we must become rich to be happy - To have a lot of “stuff” - This idea is “beaten” into our heads in America…The reality of the matter is - True and lasting happiness is found in “giving your self away” to others….Again, most people do this in the married state - But sadly because of contraception, we “hedge our bets”….This is why marriages that are open to life - That do not use contraception last…Why? - Because the couples that live this way “give themselves away” - And in doing so - They are fulfilled and happy…..What St John tells us today in the Gospel is not only the path to heaven but it is the only way we will find fulfillment here on earth….The secular world disagrees - But the secular world is unhappy - Don’t believe me? - Take a good look around! - Secular people “chase” after “something” they will never find…….Authentic joy is a by-product of a life given away to others…Joy can not be bought - Its not a destination…Joy is a gift from God and we receive that gift when we give our life away.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit”

Today St John tells one of the most radical ideas ever to be communicated to the world…That we must give our life away in order to have a fulfilled life here on earth…Is St John CRAZY?!?….The answer to that question is NO……As Catholics living amongst a secular society, we must demonstrate this radical idea by the way we live…This is how the “sheep” are separated from the “goats” - Not by what Mass you attend (Latin or Novus Ordo) - But I digress - Back to the subject at hand…We can tell people all day and everyday about the Gospel of Jesus Christ  - But if the world around us does not “see” for itself the witness of self giving that St John speaks about today - No one will believe a word you say!….”I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” - This statement says EVERYTHING we need to know about what it means to be Catholic….Are you a “sheep” or are you a “goat”? - No need to answer - Our life’s witness gives the answer…..”Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be”….JMJ

In order to hear “a whisper” - There must be silence

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Book of Kings how God works - In silence!…God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts and all the “noise” we experience around us is nothing more than a distraction….One of the many cunning “traps” set before us by the devil…To keep us “preoccupied” with nonsense……”Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by……..A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire.  After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound”…..In order to hear the voice of God, we must cooperate - We must “carve out” time to listen in silence - When we do this, most especially when we sit before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament in silence, not only will we hear the Lord speak to us in our hearts, but we slowly become transformed….The Eucharist can change the world! - That means it can change us!!!!……All the “noise” we experience today - On Social Media - In Politics - In the main stream news…All the “promises” of proposed “change”…If these activities and voices do not have God at their center - They will amount to NOTHING….It is very easy to get “caught up” in these distractions - And that is why the devil puts them in front of us!….As Catholics we must “put on the armor of God” - We do that by living in the state of grace….We also must pray daily and make time to sit in silence…This is how we “navigate” through the “noise” of this corrupt world…..Without grace, we will not see and hear God - And without God’s grace, we will surely “fall into the traps” set before us by the devil…And the devil is MUCH smarter than YOU are!…He knows all your weaknesses….And the more YOU “think” you cannot be fooled - The easier it is to be fooled…..“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”…All over the world and all over the mainstream news we see this occurring - “The blind leading the blind” - Where does it all lead and when will this end?….It ends when we take the time and sit in silence - And “listen” to the voice of God….God will NEVER be found in “nose” - The devil knows this and that is why there is so much “noise” all around us

“I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD — for he proclaims peace”

Each baptized Catholic is called to live in the state of grace…How do we do this?…The saints tell us - By going to a Sacramental Confession frequently (once a month) and by receiving the Blessed Sacrament once a week at Holy Mass…Easy right!……Everything we do requires grace and only God can give us this grace….This is why Jesus established a Church…..If we study the lives of the saints…Certain patterns can be observed…One of those patterns is how many saints would sit before the Blessed Sacrament each day for one hour in silence…This is what Mother Teresa had to say about making a Holy Hour each day…"When the Sisters are exhausted, up to their eyes in work; when all seems to go awry, they spend an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. This practice has never failed to bear fruit: they experience peace and strength”…While most of us cannot make a Holy Hour each day….We can find the time to make one each week…This is what my wife and I do - And we are VERY busy people - We have five children under twelve years old and we still “find the time” to make a Holy Hour each week….Each Saturday and Sunday, in the morning before the day gets moving, we both sit before the Blessed Sacrament for thirty minutes each…My wife goes first and I watch the children and when she comes home, I go and sit for thirty minutes…Over time, my youngest son Gerard has requested to go with me - How I am certain when Jesus sees Gerard, who is six years old in the Adoration Chapel - How happy Jesus must be in heaven!!!…..The practice of spending time before the Blessed Sacrament is what I call a “saint maker” because many of the saints utilized this practice in their life - And look at what God accomplished through these men and women!!!!……When we sit before Our Lord, when He is exposed in the Blessed Sacrament before our very eyes, God radiates his goodness upon us….We feel his peace - The peace in an Adoration Chapel is tangible!….Take the time - Make the time

“Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven”

Today at Mass we are told that God is not found in “noise” but in silence….What are you going to do with this information imparted to you?…..If we “pay attention” to the readings at Mass - We will grow in wisdom and in holiness….God is constantly instructing us - Do we hear him?….And in order to “hear” God requires silence…But as we all know - To create silent time takes effort….God does not “magically” come into our life - We must “make room” for him…And if we take some time each week and sit before the Blessed Sacrament - God will “speak” to you in the silence, in a “language” that only you can understand….Once again, this is what Mother Teresa had to say about the practice of Eucharist Adoration….”Be careful of all that can block that personal contact with the living Jesus. The Devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes—to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you. This is a danger for all of us. And so sad, because it is completely opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more—He longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes—He is the one who always accepts you. My children, you don’t have to be different for Jesus to love you. Only believe—you are precious to Him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest”……In order to hear “a whisper” - There must be silence….JMJ