Pray for grace and trust that God will give it to you

Holy Saturday and the Church is silent - There are no Masses - The world waits…..Holy Saturday rests between two of the most significant days in the Church calendar…Good Friday & Easter Sunday…..And because of that, Holy Saturday often gets over looked….Think back to this time 2000 years ago…..Many people took a huge “chance” - They “bet” everything they had on a man who they were convinced was God only to watch him get ground into dust by the ruling class…….Even those with unshakable faith had to have been terrified….One can only imagine the fear - “I will be next” - “They did this to a man who performed miracles - What will they do to me?”……When you meditate on the First Holy Saturday, following the death of Christ, the fear of the first Christians must have been “off the charts!”…..Think of the few people who stood under the Cross of Jesus….”His mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala” and of course there was St John…..What made them stay when everyone else fled?…..As Catholics it’s very easy to “stay” faithful when everything is going well - But what happens when “life turns upside down?”…On the first Good Friday, not only did life “turn upside down”, but a real and present danger became a reality for every person who claimed to believe in Jesus Christ…Yet, a small group stood at the foot of the Cross…..Its very easy to say, you or I would have been among that “small group”, the “remnant”, to use a word often “thrown around” today referring to Catholics who remain faithful and authentic……But if we are honest, we can never say for sure if we would have been there at the foot of the Cross with Our Lady and St John…Fear has a way of “twisting people” and only Divine Grace can overcome “that kind of fear”, which in actuality is pure terror!…..Holy Saturday is a day in which we should contemplate just how reliant we are upon God - How weak our faith is or can be - How much we need to cling to Christ, the Sacraments, daily prayer and fasting - How we should never trust our own strengthen……Holy Saturday is special because it is a reminder - It should remind us to “never despair” - Never “count God out”…That from “nothing” God can create “something”….Its for us to wait and be patient….What we “see” is not the “whole picture”…God has a plan and each of us are apart of it…..This is what Holy Saturday is all about

“I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Good Friday has past…..Easter Sunday is not here yet…Today is Holy Saturday….Are we full of hope? - Have we become “blinded” by despair and disappointment?…….I can hear the words of St Thomas echo throughout this day…..“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”…………For those of us today, who know that tomorrow is Easter Sunday, let us take some time to pray…Pray for the grace to never give up hope - To believe when no one believes - To remain firm when everyone “heads for the hills”…..The question however remains - ”When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”…….Pray today that you are one of those people who remain firm - “The Remnant” - Pray for grace and trust that God will give it to you……JMJ

”Cock-a-doodle-doo”

Today is Good Friday…..Catholics around the world mid-day will gather to remember the death of our King….A man beaten and ground into dust by the powers of the world…Only to rise again…..Are we willing to “lose” in the eyes of the world in order to “win”?…A question one must ask themselves if they claim to follow Christ…..The answer to that question separates the “sheep from the “goats” when its all said and down…………”See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him--so marred was his look beyond human semblance and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man--so shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; for those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it”….During the three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he said and taught many things - Most of which went in one ear and out the other ear of the people that followed him…....”My Kingdom is not of this world” - A statement Jesus clearly proclaimed as he faced certain death as Pontius Pilate interrogated him…….Jesus made it perfectly clear to Pilate, an earthly King, that he was “not interested” in power as human beings perceive it……How about us?……Do we have “one foot in the world and one foot in heaven”? - Do we want to have it both ways? - Do we want the “crown of heaven” but forego the “crown of thorns”?.........There is no such thing as “cheap grace”……”He was spurned and avoided by people, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all”………..Jesus was very clear - “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” - The statement could not be any clearer! - How about the “statement” of our life’s witness?…….If we are serious about our commitment to Christ and his Church, we too must be willing to “give up our life”…..For most of us, that will not mean being “nailed to a cross” - However, know this and let it “settle in” - Every soul in heaven, died sacrificially - “White martyrdom” is death by “a thousand cuts”…Its a father who gets up early every day and works for his family - Its a mother who gives up her dreams to have many children - Its foregoing having a big house - Its foregoing having nice cars - Its giving up sleep….This is how most of us “die to ourself” and this is the only way into heaven!…..No one enters heaven, without dying sacrificially, no matter what state in life you were called too - Whether a priest, married or single…..”Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many”……The road to “Golgotha” must be walked by us all - There is no other way


“Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name”

Over the years I have been married, I have watched my wife and have marveled at how she cares for our five children at a deep personal cost…My wife is highly intelligent and earned a Master’s Degree in Business (MBA) from one of the most prestigious universities in America…..She could have taken a very different path and that path would have made her very rich!…Instead, she had five children in ten years…..My wife gave up so much and when I watch her, I am simply amazed!….If we as Catholics want to “convince” the world that our religion is “the way” to heaven…We must live sacrificially - No one will ever believe us if we do not witness a life of sacrifice….At the heart of the Catholic faith is sacrifice - And each of us as Catholics basically “make a bet”….We wager that this world means very little when compared to eternal life….But if we “make that bet” with our lips - We have to “back it up” with our life….The world will not even “blink” at Catholic teaching proclaimed from the pulpit or in the public square for that matter unless we as Catholics live sacrificially…And if we do live sacrificially - From the Pope down to the lady who cleans the Church…Catholics will set the world on fire! - The “power” of our Catholic witness rests in our personal sacrifice….As we say in New Jersey - “Don’t kid yourself”….No one will believe a word you say - Unless you live sacrificially!

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help”

Today the world watches and waits - Its Good Friday - Jesus hung on a Cross until the Hour of Mercy rung out…….“It is finished”…….What will be said when our last breath is taken? - Are we willing to “pour out our life” for others? - This is a fundamental question that needs to be pondered on this day…..The impact we leave behind rests in our sacrifice not in our words….Its what will separate the “sheep” from the “goats”…..We all remember the words of St Peter…..“Master, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you” - How did that turn out?………Words mean very little - Sacrifice means everything……….”Cock-a-doodle-doo”………….JMJ

If you dare to “knock” the door will open

Today is Holy Thursday…The day Jesus established the priesthood two thousand years ago and gave the world the Eucharist - His very Body and Blood to consume….Interestingly enough, the disciples did not “get it” as Jesus was doing this in real time - So don’t be so hard on yourself - God is patient…..That was not all…During this very important night, Jesus shows his friends by his example something very important…..He demonstrates to the apostles the importance of service - And Jesus does this by washing their feet……..”So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist”……….Words are easy to say…I tell this to my children all the time - But actions speak loudly!….This is how we as Catholics must communicate our faith to the world - Through our actions!…..But how do we live in this manner?….This is the key question…..In order to be a person for others, we must “see” God in others…Without this kind of “sight”, frankly we will never give of ourself in the manner we were all called to by our Baptism……We cannot read our way to this mindset…Our advanced University degrees will not open our hands and hearts to others - Only Divine Grace can make that happen…But how do we get this grace?…..Once again - Jesus tells us…..“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”……….On Holy Thursday Jesus give us the “key” to living as God called us too…For one, Jesus gave us the Eucharist and when we live Sacramentally, receiving the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday in the state of grace - Our eyes will open - And so will our hearts!…Secondly on this very important night - Jesus shows us how we can validate our faith to the world - Not by words - But by actions….Our life’s witness tells the world everything it needs to know…..That does not mean we will be perfect - No one is perfect - But it does mean that the way we live our life - What we do with our time - What we do with our talents and treasure will tell people everything thing need to know about us….Catholic tradition tells us that the Blessed Sacrament is “food for the journey”…This is why Jesus established the priesthood, for only though the hands of a priest can we receive this life giving “food”, which is necessary to propel us forward to eternal life……”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever”……The Bread of Life is not an “option” - Without it - “You do not have life within you” - These are not my words - So “don’t shoot the messenger”

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes”

How important is the Blessed Sacrament to you?…As a Catholic, we believe in the True Presence meaning, Jesus is fully present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Host when consecrated by a priest…..Many Catholics understand this intellectually - But do they really understand it? - Because if you did understand this - Your life would change - Mass would never be “boring” - And going to Mass would be something you would want to do daily if you could……It be Catholic means to live Sacramentally - Is this what we are doing?….And in order to live Sacramentally, we must not only receive the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday but we must confess our sins to a priest at the minimum once a year (this is a Church teaching - not my opinion)…If we are not doing this - In the words of Jesus…“You do not have life within you”…..In my view, the Church needs to make this reality abundantly clear to its people and the world at large…..We are not being “pastoral” to our people when we do not speak to them clearly…That does not mean “beating them over the head” - But it does mean, people “only know what they know” and if we as Catholics do not teach the Truth in its entirety and teach it clearly, how will our people know it, never mind live it?…I was born in 1970 and have been Catholic my entire life…I state this because during this “chapter” of Church history, it appears to me that the Church at times tries too hard to “be like everyone else”….Our job as Catholics is to “stand out” - Not to “go along to get along”….And to live in this manner means we have to speak the Truth clearly…Is this what is happening? - Do we teach and preach the Truth clearly? - In season and out of season?…Because if we do not - How will our people know what to believe?…….”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”…This my friends is the Truth!- Its a matter of life and death too…..So if we say we love others - Doesn’t that imply we tell them the Truth?

“I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you”

Today is a very special day in the Universal Church, its the day Jesus established the priesthood, because if we did not have priests, we would not have the Blessed Sacrament - Holy Thursday begins what we as Catholics know to be the Holy Triduum…..Holy Thursday, Good Friday & Easter Sunday Vigil Mass……Do you believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? - If you do not - Here is a great prayer to say….Take five minutes and stand in front of the Blessed Sacrament in a Catholic Church when no one is there…And say these words…”God - I do not believe you are in the Blessed Sacrament - But I want too - Please help me”…..Just say those words and stand in silence for five minutes…If you do that periodically - My bet is - God will “open” your eyes to a reality that you never thought existed or was ever possible…..How do I know this to be true?…..”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”…..If you dare to “knock” the door will open……JMJ

”Am I not here who am your Mother?…Is there anything else you need?”

Today in the Gospel of St Matthew we hear about the betrayal of Jesus by Judas…..How could a man who saw the many miracles of Jesus betray him? - How!!!!!…..That is the question we have to ask ourself….If I was to bet, Judas while he clearly understood that Jesus was “special” did not agree with the method in which Jesus was establishing his Kingdom…My bet is, Judas “figured it out” before the other eleven apostles did and convinced himself that there was a “better way”….So he sold Jesus out…..Are we any different than Judas?…How many in the Catholic church disagree with perennial Church teachings?…On contraception - On marriage - On decisions of the Pope….Every time we “think” our way is better than God’s way - We fall into the same trap as Judas did…..This is why obedience is so important - We must learn to be obedient - And through that process, we will learn to trust and never waver……No one has a “better plan” than God!…The problem is - God’s ways are not our ways and because of that, we must learn to accept God’s way of doing things even if God’s ways go against our “better judgment” - And Judas refused to do this - And many to this day refuse as well……The Catholic Church, while it is made up of men is also a Divine institution, which means God’s hand guides it…..Many people today, both inside and outside the Church seem to forget that……Circling back to Judas…..Jesus was expected to deliver the Jewish people from Roman occupation….Instead of coming into Jerusalem like a powerful military General, Jesus came in on a humble donkey….Judas was not having it! - And many people today feel the same way….If you don’t believe me - Just look at Catholic Social Media….Look at how political ideologies are “blended” into our Catholic faith by so called “influencers”…..Look and see how secular ideologies are self rationalized to comport with Catholic teaching…..Is this any different than the sin of Judas?  - Is this not a lack of trust - Is this not a betrayal?…..The story of salvation history is still being written….God steers the ship, not any one man and especially not me!…Its for us to stand firm - To Trust….Our Lady is the perfect model of this trust….Mary had the most “skin in the game” - It was her son that was killed and I am sure that was not a pleasant thing to accept - But she did accept it…And she stood at the foot of the Cross - Why? - Because she completely trusted in God’s plan - Not her own…We must do the same - Even if we do not understand - Even if we find God’s plan difficult - Even if we “personally disagree” and think we “know better”…Again why? - Because God sees what we do not see and his plan is perfect

Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

In the 20th century, Pope Paul VI issued the famous encyclical Humanae Vitae, which prohibited the use of contraception by Catholics…This encyclical was published in 1968,  during the time period commonly known in America as the Sexual Revolution…And when Humanae Vitae was published, the world went berserk! - Including many senior members of the clergy in America and around the world…But Pope Paul VI stood firm - In fact he “doubled down” - This is what he predicted about the pervasive use of contraception….….

”In section 17 of his encyclical Pope Paul VI wrote that contraception would have the following consequences: 1. Open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards 2. The government might force contraceptives upon married couples 3. Loss of respect for women 4. A loss of humility regarding humanity’s role, we would begin to see ourselves as the ultimate masters of our nature”

Let’s fast forward 50 years later - Who was right? - Seems to me Pope Paul VI “nailed it”…….I have been married for almost 13 years…..My wife in that time has given birth to five children, we also lost three children as a result of miscarriages…..As a married couple we have never used contraception…..And do you know what? - Everything worked out!….We have a strong marriage - We have five beautiful children - And my wife and I live our marriage vows Sacramentally, which gives us the needed grace to meet all the daily challenges that having five children brings - In summary - God’s plan works!…..”Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my thoughts. See if there is a wicked path in me; lead me along an ancient path”…….Catholics need to “stick to the program”…God is the “master builder” and if we let him - He will build something very beautiful - But only if we let him

“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed”

Today we hear at Mass about Judas, who “got lost” in the “noise” of his day - How about us? - Do we listen to the “noise” or to God?…One of the beautiful things about being Catholic is - Everything is written down - All we have to do is read what the Church teaches - But that is the easy part - Because once we read what the Church teaches - Then we have to do it - But God has made that easy for us - Do you believe that? - How does God make it easy for us to carry out his will? - The answer - He gave us the Sacraments - He gave us Divine Grace - He gave us Our Lady…..In the 16th century St Juan Diego was given an impossible task - Our Lady told him to go to the Bishop (in what became Mexico City) and I have a church built…Juan Diego was a peasant, uneducated and poor - How could he ask the Bishop to do this and clearly the Bishop would not listen to him - Right?….So when Juan Diego expressed his doubts to Our Lady…This is what she said to him……”Know for certain that I am the perfect and ever Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God. … Here I will show and offer all my love, my compassion, my help and protection. I am your merciful Mother, the Mother of all who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me. I will hear their weeping and their sorrows … their necessities and misfortunes. ... Listen, and let it penetrate your heart. ... Do not fear any illness or vexation, anguish or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?”…So Juan Diego went forward and indeed a Church was built - God can do the impossible and God can also use the “small” of the world to do great things - And He will continue to do so……So trust the plan - Never waver - Straight Ahead!.............”Am I not here who am your Mother?…Is there anything else you need?”…………..JMJ

No more compromises and no more excuses - Our potential is there!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah that it is the Lord who forms us - Its not something we do…We as Catholics can not read our way to a holy life…Unlike worldly achievements - To become holy is not about “adding on” - Its actually about “subtracting from” - Its about emptying our self and making room for the Holy Spirit to indwell in us….This is a process and Isaiah tells us about it…..”The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory”…..Again - Notice the language used by Isaiah - “YOU made me”……God knows us better then we know ourselves - And God sees our potential - Within each soul there are deep caverns, which only God can see - In these “caverns” untapped potential is waiting to surface - And only God can bring this potential about - If only we cooperate with him….In the Gospel today, St John tells us about a conversation Jesus had with Peter - Jesus sees what Peter does not…He tells him how he will fail but he also tells Peter that he will recover from his failure and ultimately become what God called him to be…."Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later”…God sees everything - Our successes - Our failures - And our potential….God also uses everything, even our sins to guide us to become the people we were born to be…”He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me”…This should be the goal of every human being - To become the person God created us to be - To become a saint….While its important to keep “the goal” in front of us - We must be fully aware of our fallen nature - But this should not discourage us - God uses everything…Even “crooked roads” can be made straight!

“I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”

God willing - When we enter into eternal life, we are told in the Book of Revelation, that we will be given a new name….”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”…..Only God knows this name because only God knows our full potential - Our one and only job needs to be - To give God permission to mold us into the person we were all born to be…..Is this your goal?…Is this the primary goal you have for your children?……The unbelieving world is not convinced that God can do more with our life then we can - When we read the lives of the saints - We get a glimpse into this reality……In 2026, the Universal Church celebrates the 800 year anniversary of the death of St Francis…..Before St Francis gave his life to God, he was a very rich young man…His life was very good by all the standards of the world and if he did not consent to give himself completely to the Lord - Francis would have had a very comfortable life - Instead, he gave everything he had away!….And frankly, as a result of his choice to follow the Lord’s call, his life was not easy…Francis died at the age of 44 years old - Tradition also tells us that he also lost his sight in his lifetime…However, in the short life he lead - St Francis renewed the Church and the religious order he founded is active to this day - 800 years after his death…..…Interestingly enough, upon his death bed, these were the prophetic words of St Francis…."Let us begin, brothers, to serve the Lord God, for up to now we have done little or nothing”………How true those words turned out to be! - Here we are 800 years later and the work of St Francis is still alive in the Franciscan community, which exists all over the world….God saw St Francis’s potential from the very beginning, just as he sees our potential - In the “caverns” of our soul….The difference is, St Francis gave God permission to turn his potential into reality….And look at the outcome!…..This needs to be our goal as well - To become the person God called us to be - The potential is there!…….Then like the Prophet Isaiah, we too will proclaim the words read to us at Mass……”The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory”

“For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. On you I depend from birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength”

What keeps us from becoming the people we were born to be?…..The only real and honest answer to that question is - Ourself - We have no one to blame but ourself and we consistently get in our own way!….…But do not be discouraged! - Why? - Because our potential is there - God sees it! - All we have to do is give our consent and cooperate with God…..When we read about the lives of the saints, we understand that God uses all kinds of people to do his work….Many of the saints too were great sinner at one time in their life, only to be transformed by God’s grace….To become a saint is the greatest thing a person can do!….Nothing we can accomplish on this earth can compare to becoming holy - Our greatness as human beings rests in this reality - And so does our lasting impact on those around us - Our YES to God must be unconditional for this to happen….No more compromises and no more excuses - Our potential is there!………….JMJ

Because all great things start small

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St John how Mary anointed Jesus feet with expensive perfume…..And Judas took offense to Mary’s kind gesture…..A person’s feet are the dirtiest part of their body….In the Middle East, where men wore sandals, their feet were exposed to the elements and to clean a person’s feet is an extreme gesture of humility and respect for that person…This is what Mary did and Judas took offense to it…..Judas refused to see the gesture for what it was…….As Catholics we are called to give of ourself to others…The more clearly we see the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, the more we will see the Lord in others and service them…..And in our service to others, what matters most to God is our intention and how much love we place into the gestures our faith produces…God does not measure and assess actions like the world does…..”A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood”…..The great and powerful of the world give of their excess and while all gifts are recognized by God - God is not interested in “gifts” - God is interested in us personally!…..What God wants most from us is our sins - Do we give your sins to him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation….The more we give God our sins, the closer we will gravitate to him - And the closer we are to God, the purity of our intentions behind all our gifts will grow….Its not what we do that counts - Its the love we put into what we do - This is what God sees and this is what God values…..God has everything - He does not need “stuff” - This is why giving just “two coins” when given from the heart can bear a tremendous amount of fruit in building the Kingdom of God….Remember - Twelve uneducated men upon witnessing the actions and teachings of an uneducated Carpenter for three years founded a Global Church….Once again - All it took is “two coins” - A small “mustard seed” - And the world has never been the same since….”Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil”…..Small humble gestures done with great amounts of love change the world - Always has and always will be

“I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness”

Today as in Jesus’ time, the world gets distracted by grand gestures…..As the unbelieving world is distracted, the Kingdom of God continues to move forward……As “sophisticated society” leaves God behind, the people of God march on…..For nearly twenty years I have been an active Co-Worker with the Missionaries of Charity….Mother Teresa’s sisters live in the world but are most definitely not of the world….The sisters do “small things” with great amounts of love…Most of what the Missionaries of Charity do, the secular world does not take notice of or even care to take notice - But in the mean time - Brick by Brick - The Kingdom of God is being constructed…As Catholics, this is how we must think….Stop trying to make a “big splash” with grand gestures but work tirelessly doing the “small things” consistently day in day out with great amounts of love….God will take those pure gestures and multiply them!……..Mother Teresa begin her global ministry by picking up one person from the gutter…That began a journey, she never could have imagined!…Do we somehow “think” that God does not have something for us to do?…..Each and every Baptized Catholic is called to be a great saint…But that journey towards sanctification begins with “small steps”…Sometimes the hardest part of any journey is beginning…To begin a great journey requires courage…….Its time for the Catholic faithful to “set out for the deep”….We must be willing to be uncomfortable - The desire to be “comfortable” is our “enemy”…Great things begin small and also begin with small steps…Its time to begin…….“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches’”……Great things start small!

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid?

Today we heard at Mass the story of a woman who gave everything she had to Jesus - This is what Jesus is interested in - He is not interested in our “gifts” - He is interested in us giving ourselves completely to him…..So few are willing to do this…This is why Catholics must be different…We must examine every part of our lives and ask the question - What are we holding back from God?….And if we are hold something back - Why? - Are we afraid?…..God always meets us, when through our faith, we make ourselves vulnerable and give up control….Trusting beyond what we think “makes sense”…Think of Our Lady - She was asked by God to become the Mother of Jesus - She knew in her society that accepting such a request - A single woman having a child out of wedlock could bring death by stoning - But because God asked it of her - She said YES…..Ask yourself this - Did Mary’s response “make sense”? - Say that was your daughter - What would you have said to her?…In many ways to this very day - God asks the “impossible” - And when he asks the “impossible” from us - If we too say YES - The “impossible” will become possible!…This all starts with one simple small word - YES - How do I know that? - Because all great things start small…………JMJ

"Truly, this was the Son of God!”

Today at Holy Mass the Universal Church commemorates Palm Sunday…The day Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem…..When we read the Gospel today, the many flaws and weaknesses of mankind are on full display……Such behaviors have not changed to this very day…..These behaviors are apart of our fallen human nature and this is why Jesus walked the earth….This is why Jesus founded a Church…And this is why Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing full well he was to be killed…..Only love can propel one to do this…..”For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us”…….While the drama of Jesus’ entry played out - The people who witnessed his entry into the city seemed the “miss” the significance of the moment at hand…How much do we miss at Mass? - How much do we miss when we sit before the Blessed Sacrament? - How much do we miss in the many opportunities given to us daily to love our family and neighbors more deeply?……Catholics today all over the world will go to Mass - We will sit through the long Gospel narrative, hear the words spoken, words we have heard so many times, year after year, Holy Week after Holy Week - But ask yourself this today - What are we missing?……The veil that separates heaven from earth prevents even the best of us from seeing clearly…….Who is this man from Nazareth? - Can anyone say we know the mind and heart of God? - What we know and “see” is but a shadow of what will one day be revealed………….Now think from a moment what Jesus saw as he entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday…..What he saw in the many faces of the people, who both cheered him and also probably cursed him…..Jesus saw these people clearly - He knew them better than they knew themselves - And he went through with his Passion regardless of what he saw in them - The thought makes me shudder!….….”Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”

“I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you”

As Jesus was dying on the Cross, the crowd looked on…They did not know what they were going to “see”…Keeping in mind the many miracles that Jesus performed and the many things that he said - Jesus was clearly a mysterious figure to the people of his day….And as he died, some were expecting the unexpected……."Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him”………But Elijah did not come….And what the crowd expected to happen did not happen………To this day the salvation narrative continues…The Church that Jesus founded moves forward into history and we as Catholics move with it….I believe its very important to keep in mind that we do not “see” as we ought - Even the best of us - Those closest to God still are behind the veil that separates heaven from earth…Just like the people of Jesus’ day, who watched him enter Jerusalem and watched him die - They saw but a “shadow” of who Jesus really was…And because today we are still “behind the veil”, we must trust the Church explicitly, which is an extension of Jesus’s body…….Where the Church goes, we must go - Trusting!…..”Christ Jesus, 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 the point of death, even death on a cross”…….St Paul tells us that the greatest among us “took the form of a slave”….That he “emptied himself”…..If we are to follow Christ as we are called to as Catholics - What is read to us in the second reading from St Paul at Mass should give us the needed direction to propel us forward…”I must decrease while he must increase”….This is how we shall one day “see” God as he truly is - When the veil between heaven and earth is no more………….”And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!”…….JMJ