A kind smile and a welcoming word can work wonders - Leave the rest to God

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading from Micah we are told something important…Something our world desperately needs to believe…”Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins”…….Our world today reels from wounds due to sins…We all sin, its sadly apart of the human condition and the reality is, sin wounds us….The secular world has no answer for these wounds - Instead of bringing them to God Sacramentally, the wounds of sin fester and are rationalized away - Then the hurt as a result of sin is projected upon others…..Those who have eyes to “see” - “See” this all around us…There is only one cure and our Catholic faith provides it through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…..Intellectually one can tell themselves, even with the best of intentions - “Jesus forgave me of my sins” - We can tell ourselves this all day and everyday - But if we do not bring our sins to a Catholic priest and have them forgiven Sacramentally - Those sins remain….In our reading today from Micah, we are told something that should bring us great joy - That God delights in clemency - Why would we not take him up on it? - Its there for the taking!…..Time does not heal old wounds…..And sinful habits that are not broken are a form a slavery…..The answer to so many of our problems can be solved - Beginning with these words…”Bless me Father for I have sinned - Its been “x” amount of years since my last confession”…..Freedom is staring us in the face on the other side of one Sacramental Confession.

“I will get up and go to my father and shall say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you”

Social Media has its benefits….Its a good way to keep in touch with old friends…Recently a friend of mine from college, who I lived with for two years and currently lives many miles way asked me privately about going to confession…..I knew Sean all four years of my college career…I knew his brothers and also his father….They all were good people…..Sean was just like me, we came from good Catholic homes, went to a Catholic University…and sadly “forgot” everything that was taught and shown to us before we entered college…We both lived the life of the prodigal son and because of bad choices we both made - Life taught us hard lessons!…I “figured things out” sooner then Sean and returned to my Catholic roots but Sean, now in his fifties was beginning to “see the light”…..So Sean reached out to me and asked me about going to Confession…I told him I go to Confession every two weeks….And my first real “adult confession” was when I was twenty-two years old - After I returned home from college and my life was a mess!….I told Sean the devil tries to discourage us from going to Confession, even as we open the door to the Confessional, but once we “get it over with” we feel great!….Confessing our sins is a lot easier then we all think…..After I told Sean all this - Time went by - And he never brought the topic up again…Around one month later - Sean sent me a message - It was short and to the point - “I did it - I went to Confession”…..I responded with a “thumbs up”….."The Lord is good and his mercy endures forever"

“Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

The theme of today’s readings from Mass centers in on God’s mercy and forgiveness…The Gospel echoes the message from the Prophet Micah in the first reading…In the Gospel we heard the story of the Prodigal son…We all know this story and sadly most of us “lived” this story - At least I did….I shared in this reflection how my friend Sean came back to God, after squandering the many gifts given to him by his Catholic family - I can say that because I was no different…We are told so many “nice things” about God when we are children…Our parents warn us….Good teachers educate us and warn us too…But all that “good stuff” can so easily “go in one ear and out the other ear”…..Sometimes, like the young man in the story of the Prodigal son, we have to “feel the burn” of “hard times”………”When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any”…….God works in mysterious ways - He also works sometimes through the bad choices we make and through the many “crooked paths” of our life…But through it all - The “seeds” of Baptism are constantly “churning” and the “Hound of Heaven” is always on the “prowl” for lost souls……This is why we as Catholics, who practice our faith must live and work amongst the many who do not….We are told in the Gospel reading today from St Luke that the pharisees took offense that Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them”……How else can the “sick” get better? - If we do not reach a hand to “the sick” and show them a path forward by the witness of our life…..The late Pope Francis made a statement that has and always will stick with me….”The Catholic Church is not a museum for saints - But a hospital for sinners”…….We as Catholics are all sinners! - And when we “think” we are somehow “better” then others - Who simply do not sin like we do - If we “think” this way - Something is very wrong!….Now, don’t get me wrong - This does not mean we condone sin nor does it mean we can distribute the Blessed Sacrament to those who live in objective mortal sin - But it does mean we should never “shut people out” of our life….Open the doors wide to Christ - The doors of the Church must always be open! - And we as Catholics must always be at those Church doors with a smile on our face and a hand extended to every and any soul who approaches us!….“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners”…….The minute we “think” we are somehow better then others - We become worse!…..A kind smile and a welcoming word can work wonders - Leave the rest to God…………JMJ

God is not “selling anything”

Today at Holy Mass he hear in the Gospel from St Matthew the story of a landowner who planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants….When reading the Gospel of St Matthew one must keep in mind that Matthew’s primary audience were the Jewish people…In this story, Matthew is telling the Jewish people something very directly - That they are God’s chosen people and they were given the “vineyard” but in the time of God’s absence, they rejected their stewardship of the land, so God punished them…And in a later parable told to us by St Matthew - A great Wedding Feast was given and the guests who were first invited were not not interested in attending, they had “other things to do”, so we hear that God “invited other guests” to the banquet - Those “other guests” were the gentiles……These stories were meant to shock the Jewish audience of St Matthew’s time - But they are also meant to shock us today…..God “offers” us salvation, which is found in the Catholic Church, but in order to “cash in” on that offer, we must cooperate with God….If we choose not to - What was given to us will be taken away…Did you hear that!?!……This message is for real!

“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son; so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life”

Throughout the bible, there are many stories and isolate statements that deeply impact me…I want to share with you one of them that I believe relates to the Gospel from Mass today about a people who are offered something great and in turn reject the offer……This passage is taken from the Gospel of John - I reflect on it often - Its message is very clear, its also very Catholic:

“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.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. The Words of Eternal Life. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh* is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

In this passage Jesus is very clear that his “flesh is true food and his blood is true drink” and that a Sacramental faith, which we practice to this very day in the Catholic Church was given to the Jewish people…He also says that food he gave the Jewish people to eat in the desert (i.e. Manna) for their survival does not compare to what is being given now…Something new has happened and because of that a “change needs to be made”….So when Jesus says this, some people leave the group - Notice how Jesus reacts to the twelve disciples when people leave - “Do you also want to leave?”…..Jesus is not “selling anything”…He is basically saying to those who remain…”It is what it is! - You either accept what I say as I say it…or…”There is the door” - “You can leave too”…..A strong message indeed!………The offer of salvation is for everyone and it first was given to the Jewish people - Jesus was a Jew and so were his first disciples…But as we hear in the Gospel today from St Matthew…The Jewish people “reject the offer”…So what does Jesus do? - Does he change the offer in any way? - Not a chance! - He just makes the other to “other people” - And guess who those “other people” became? - The Catholic Church!……God is not “selling anything”…And God does not force us to follow him…God never imposes himself on us - God proposes - He makes us “an offer” and that “offer” is made through his son and the one Church his son created…How do I know this? - Here is the answer - “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”……..The one Church Jesus founded was Eucharistic!…..Seems pretty clear to me - How about you?

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?”

The Gospel read to us at Mass today addresses a question that is debated to this very day….Are the Jewish people still the chosen people?…..While God did say in Scripture that the Jewish people were indeed the chosen people, we hear in St Matthew’s Gospel that the Jewish people rejected the offer of salvation by God - So what does God do in response? - He makes “the offer” to other people…Seems pretty clear to me….So how must we respond to our Jewish brothers and sisters today? - We must pray for them - That they may “open their eyes”!…..Jesus was a Jew and Jesus took the Jewish faith in a “different direction”….The temple was destroyed in Jerusalem, literally!…And a “new temple” took its place - And that “temple” is Jesus’ body and blood, offered once for the sins of mankind…..The “offer of salvation” made by God is the same today as it was two thousand years ago during the time Christ walked the earth….And we cannot change “the offer”, though may try too…………God is not “selling anything”…..JMJ

Talk is cheap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forgive and you will be forgiven

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

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

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

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

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

Listen to Him!

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

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

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

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

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

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