”Repent and Believe the Gospel” - The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear something from Hosea, who is an 8th-century BC prophet in Israel….He tells his people that their leaders are not grounded in God and therefore will not last…And guess what happened? - Exactly what Hosea the prophet predicted……When we build our lives outside of God, they eventually collapse….This goes for individuals, communities and nations…Why is this reality? - Because each of us was made by God and when we turn from God something inside of the human person breaks!….The Natural Law and the commandments of God pertain to ALL human beings whether they acknowledge them or not….Its like gravity - You do not have to “believe” gravity exists but if you jump off the roof of a building, it does not matter what you “believe”, you are going to hit the cement…..Mankind for centuries refuses to acknowledge this reality and that is why history repeats itself over and over again…And that is why people who are close to God, like the Prophet Hosea can “see” what others can not “see”….Its not that Hosea had “special powers” to predict the future……He simply saw the world through the lens of God’s eyes….He understood the human need for God…So when his people turned their back on their Creator, the outcome was easy for him to see - But to the rest of society - They were blind to it…Jesus centuries later echoes this theme……”Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it”…As Catholics, the closer we get to God, the more we will “see” the world as it truly is….Sin, especially mortal sin, blinds humanity - This “lose of sight” is going on to this very day…What society has deemed “acceptable” is an abomination to God…..Abortion, Same sex marriage, Usury - To name just a few common practices of our American society, which many people do not even question anymore - All these things are an abomination to God - But many of our people do not “see” it that way……..“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”…..What we “see” as a society many times is indicative of how we live….Think about it….Because in the end when we stand before the Lord and are judged, what we “think” does not matter….Again - “think” about it.

“When Ephraim made many altars to expiate sin, his altars became occasions of sin. Though I write for him my many ordinances, they are considered as a stranger’s. Though they offer sacrifice, immolate flesh and eat it, the LORD is not pleased with them. He shall still remember their guilt and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt”

The United States Catholic Bishops have made statements about a number of practices that are intrinsically evil, which means they are wrong no matter what….These evils are the following: Abortion; Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide; Torture; Genocide and Murder; Same-Sex Marriage; Slavery and Human Trafficking…How lets look at how many Americans vote, that includes many Catholics…How can we support politicians that openly advocate for abortion, euthanasia and same sex marriage?….These practices are always wrong and are evil - Yet many Americas no longer consider then so…How should Catholics respond? - Can a Catholic in good conscience receive the Blessed Sacrament and still support such practices? - Should the Bishops make a statement about this, which in turn will help form the consciences of our people?…..Jesus gave his authority to the Church - That means what the Church says goes! - Whether we like it or not…We can ignore what Catholic Teaching has proclaimed for centuries all we want - It will be by the standards of God that we are judged when we stand before him after our death….Jesus gave the world one prayer - The Our Father - And in that prayer we say these words…”On earth as it is in heaven”…..That means we must live and structure society in the here and now (on earth) how life will be in heaven….Think about it - How can abortion, euthanasia and same sex marriage be apart of that “equation” - The answer is - It can not!

“Our God is in heaven; whatever he wills, he does. Their idols are silver and gold, the handiwork of men………The house of Israel trusts in the Lord”

Today we hear at Mass how the Prophet Hosea “calls out” the leaders of Israel for turning away from God…And as we know from history, every time the Jewish people turned from God, they were exiled from their land and great hardships were endured by the people….Does this sound familiar? - Because it should - It’s happening today before our very eyes!….America has turned from God…We have made legal what is intrinsically evil in the eyes of God….Do we “think” God does not see this?…..How can God bless the United States when we murder children in the womb right up until birth?….When many states have legalized euthanasia?…..When every state in America has legalized same sex marriage…….How can God “bless” such a country?!?…..Just as the people of Israel learned in the 8th century (which was predicted by the Prophet Hosea), America will learn and we will learn the hard way!….A nation which is not built on a solid foundation will crumble and eventually fall….To borrow the words of John the Baptist…”Repent and Believe the Gospel” - The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand…..JMJ

Stand firm and march forward

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how Jesus cures a girl who was presumed to be dead…..A crowd of people were gathering at the home of the young girl and when Jesus told them that the girl was not dead…They ridiculed him…..Yet after the miracle, news spread through out the land…..A few things to ponder….Why did the crowd ridicule him?…..To this day people with deep faith who live “against the tide” of society are ridiculed…..What happened to Jesus will happen to us!….Jesus tells us so…..”No slave is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me”……In our world today what is objectively good is viewed as bad - The Truth to many is a lie!…This is what the devil does - He inverts the Truth…And when this happens - What is our response?…Do we as Catholics allow the opinions of “the crowd” to dictate to us?…..What else can we vet from this story from St Matthew today?….After Jesus performed this miracle, St Matthew tells us…… “news of this spread throughout all that land”…..If people knew of Jesus’ many miracles, which many did - Why was he crucified?….The answer is - The people of Jesus day did not want to change…Jesus did not walk among us to be a “miracle worker” - He walked among us to inspire us to change our life….No miracle - No matter how great can force someone to change their life….That is why Jesus Christ was crucified - He point society in a direction it was not willing to go - And because of that - Society “got rid of him”…The same thing happens today….Those who live and speak the Truth are still ridiculed….Some are even murdered….And like in Jesus’ day, many people know all about the life of Jesus Christ - Yet they are unwilling to change their life - So they make excuse after excuse as to why they reject the Catholic faith…The problem is not with the Catholic Church - The problem is people are not willing to change!

“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel”

How does “polite society” view contraception?….As Catholics when we make our wedding vows, we promise to be “open to life” - Which means we are not to use contraception…But how many Catholic marriages live out this vow?…Let’s take it a step further - If you are open to life and do not use contraception and you tell people this fact say at a cocktail party in New York City - What will people say?….My bet is - Many will ridicule you - Many will think you are foolish….This is reality - But what is your response?….As Catholics when we live our faith boldly in the public square, we must expect this reaction…Does ridicule discourage you?…..Does ridicule prevent you from following Jesus? - This is the devil’s plan…..Don’t let the devil win!

“I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the LORD”

Today in the Gospel we are told that Jesus was ridiculed…..And even after he performed a miracle - Far too many people ignored the miracle as if it did not happen - Why? - Because they were not interested in changing their life as Jesus requested….Has anything changed today?…As Catholics we must expect resistance but that resistance should not discourage us - In fact it should drive us forward!…..St Paul tells us what we must do to combat this resistance...........…..”Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”…..When we live in the state of grace, when we fast regularly, when we pray daily, when we live Sacramentally - We surely will obtain this “armor” St Paul speaks of….To live as a Catholic today in the public square, this “armor” is not optional - Its a requirement! - Without it, we will allow the “crowd” to silence us…..No one ever said being a Catholic is easy…….But if we summon up the courage, surrender our will and entrust our life to the Holy Spirit - We will surely “fight the good fight” - The rewards in the here and now of being a practicing Catholic far out weigh the “price” that must be paid…So “pick up your cross and follow me”…..Stand firm and march forward….JMJ

We ALL need that “medicine” and without it - We die!

Today at Holy Mass in the second readings St Paul tells us the following….”For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”…….What does this mean? - All of mankind lives in the “flesh” - Right?……St Paul is telling us very clearly that due to the sinful nature of mankind, if we do not actively engage with the Holy Spirit - We will die - Meaning we will go to hell - Yes - Hell is real!….There is a distorted idea in the Christian world about heaven and hell….Many people falsely believe we can embrace all the “things” of the world - And embrace them on “our terms” and still go to heaven when our life comes to an end - This is a fallacy and a lie!…Jesus and the saints are very clear that the road to heaven is a narrow road - That we must “pick up our cross” daily and follow the ways of Christ - That is the ONLY way to heaven…But how do we do this? - St Paul tells us today - We must live by the Holy Spirit - But how do we do that?…….Mankind due to our sinful nature needs grace in order to live as Christ requires of us - Without God’s grace and due to our sinful nature, mankind destroys itself…..This is why Jesus walked the earth among us and this is why Jesus established a Church…The Catholic Church gives us the Sacraments, which are instruments of grace that elevate our fallen human nature…We CAN NOT simply read the Bible and live as Christ commanded…Why? - Because “the spirit is willing and the flesh is WEAK” - We need Sacramental grace and frankly without it, there is NO WAY we will live as Jesus commanded…This is why salvation is found through our Baptism, which wipes away original sin, as well living as a practicing Catholic utilizing the Sacraments regularly…We need to go to confession, especially if we sin mortally…We also need to receive the Eucharist, which is Christ himself (Body; Blood; Soul & Divinity)…The Blessed Sacrament is “food for the journey” back to God…..To “think” humanity can live as God commanded us without the Catholic Church is a fools errand! - Our human nature will not permit it.

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

All adults know that temptation is VERY real…How do we conquer our temptations? - How do we grow in virtue?…..The world gives us all kinds of answers to those questions - But ask yourself honestly - How has the secular world’s solutions worked? - You tell a “tree by the fruit it bears” and all you have to do is look out your window - Our world has turned its back on God and because of that - The world is a mess!……In America 55% of ALL marriages end in divorce - A startling statistic! - That is reality and that number should concern everyone…..Were you aware that if a married couple simply goes to Church together on Sunday, the divorce rate is only 25%…..Let’s go further….If Catholic couples do not use contraception and practice Natural Family Planning (NFP) - The divorce rate for those couples is only 3%….What do these statistics tell us? - That God’s way works!!!!…..Jesus tell us very clearly……”Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” - Our world today does not take Jesus at his word - Human beings still want to do it “their way” as opposed to God’s way - And that is why the world is a mess!…..The “solution” to many of humanity’s problems are very simple - Our Lady tells us the way forward and the solution - Remember at the Wedding Feast of Cana when the guests ran out of wine? - What did Our Lady tell them?…..“Do whatever he tells you.” - Well, she is telling us the same thing today - “Do whatever he tells you.” - It’s really as simple as that!

"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"

Today St Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds them - He also reminds us - That if we live in the “flesh” - We die!…..That is a very clear warning…But St Paul also gives us the solution to mankind’s “sin problem” - That we MUST live in the Holy Spirit in order to LIVE……We do that by utilizing the gifts given to us by the one and only Church founded by Christ himself - The Catholic Church…Many people will read this reflection and strongly disagree with what was written….Many people still want to do it “their way” - Again, a fools errand!…Human nature being what it is does not equip us to follow Christ to the degree he commands us to…We need “supernatural assistance” - And that supernatural assistance comes in the form of the Sacraments….For this who have ears - Let them hear!….”Self Help” books are no help!…..We can not self manufacture grace - We must avail ourselves to God’s grace…..The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are the “medicine” for a sick world…….We ALL need that “medicine” and without it - We die!…..JMJ

Dare to be uncomfortable! - Dare to be Catholic!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Amos that God will “raise up the fallen hut of David; I will wall up its breaches, raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may conquer what is left of Edom and all the nations that shall bear my name, say I, the LORD, who will do this”……Today in the United States of America where I am writing this reflection we are celebrating 250 years as an independent nation….,Our nation was founded upon God and sadly, 250 years later, we have drift very far from the Lord…We exterminate children in the womb up until birth, we legalized same sex marriage coast to coast, our economy no longer works for the weak and vulnerable……Yet many people today will utter the words  - “God Bless America”…..If God is just, which we know he is, how can God “bless” America as we stand right now?…..Making this statement does not imply I do not love this country - In fact, I love so much I must state the obvious….America has turned its back on God and because of that our society is in ruin…But today in the first reading at Mass, we are reminded….God will “raise up the fallen hut of David; I will wall up its breaches, raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old”….Only God can fix America and our nation will not be “fixed” until we return to God - Sadly, many people strongly disagree with this statement  - They believe we can “vote our way” to better nation - That is not going to happen!……….Over and over again the pattern of “exodus and return” to God appears throughout the pages of history as well as throughout the pages of the Old Testament…God will use “hardship” to “open the eyes” of our nation…..Just as the Israelites forgot God over and over again…God remained faithful….He continued to pursue his people…And he will continue to pursue America….The time will come again when Americans will “hear and see” - But for now, we have become “blind and deaf” to the Lord - And because of that - God will reach his hand down and save us from our very self - That help will come in the form of hardship!….In what form will this “hardship” come upon America? - Only God knows the answer to that question - But make no mistake - Its coming…And through it - The “eyes of the blind will see again”

“I will plant them upon their own ground; never again shall they be plucked From the land I have given them, say I, the LORD, your God”

St Matthew tells us…..“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined”…This statement applies to nations, communities, marriages and individual people…..But here is the question - Do we believe it? - Our actions tell the world if we do believe it or not…….I firmly believe in Sacramental marriage - So much so, I do not believe “civil marriage” lived outside the Church should even exist - Why? - Because it does not work!…..And the divorce rates support my claim…..God made marriage a Sacrament because married couples need sanctifying grace to have a good marriage  - Why? - Because life is hard! - And no matter who you are, you need God’s grace to thrive - And God because he loves us is willing to give us this grace - But we must cooperate with him in order to receive it….Pope John Paul II made this statement about the importance of strong marriages and how they impact society……”As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live”…..A marriage built upon God sacramentally will thrive!…Healthy marriage produce healthy people…..And at the root of many of America’s problems is the reality that family life has been destroyed!….We must restore the family by returning to God….This is the ONLY way America will return to its former self….How can God bless a nation that murders its children in the womb?!!?….Think about it…Do you “think” God is blind to what we have done to the innocent?……”Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Lord; say to him, 'Take away all iniquity; accept that which is good.”…….When America “fixes” the family - We in turn will fix the nation - And not before!

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

Today at Mass the prophet Amos reassures us that God will restore the nation…..When and how will this happen?….I wish I could say for sure but I do know it will happen! - Why am I so confident? - Because God said so!…In the meantime, how should Catholics respond?….By living our faith boldly!…Pray the rosary everyday - Go to a Sacramental Confession once a month with a Priest - Go to Mass with your family every week…..This is how God changes us! - And this is how Catholics will change America……The time of ‘lukewarm” Catholicism is over!!!…..The Servant of God Fr John Harden tells us…"Ordinary bishops, ordinary priests, ordinary religious, ordinary fathers and mothers, ordinary Catholics will not even survive the massive revolution through which the Church is going in our day. We need heroic Catholics, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, to restore even sanity in the modern world.”….We were not created to be “ordinary”…..What keeps us from being the Catholics we need to be?…..Comfort! - Dare to be uncomfortable! - Dare to be Catholic!…..JMJ

We are saved by this grace because without it, we die

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus cleans a leper of his disease….But before he does this, the leper addresses Jesus with full faith and confidence - Remember, Leprosy, known today as Hansen's disease had no cure - It was in a sense a death sentence, not just physically but socially - A leper during Jesus’ day was banished from society and forced to live on the margins……”“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean”…..This statement made by the leper, in so many ways, “made no sense” - There is no hope for such a person - Right?…..Jesus saw it differently……“I will do it. Be made clean”……This exchange between Jesus and the leper can teach us something today….Each of us have sins, which we repeat over and over again…..These sins seem to have complete control of us….How can we “break the bonds” of these sins, which seem impossible to overcome?…..The answer - GRACE……When we establish the practice of going once a month, as the saints recommend, to a Priest for a Sacramental Confession - Not only are our sins forgiven, but we are given grace by God to overcome our sins - And in time, we will find that “those sins” will be overcome and no longer plague us….Do we fully understand the power of God’s grace? - He is the King of the Universe! - And he loves us personally…All we have to do is ask for help - And we ALL need help to overcome our faults because we all have them!….God is more than willing to help us!….Why do we hesitate to confess our sins? - As if God does not know what we have done!…..God is waiting for us…….Give God the permission to help you - Its not a “sin” to ask for help!

“His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them”

There are no perfect people!….God knows this but do we?….Jesus walked among us for one reason - To forgive our sins - But if we do not allow him to do this - Frankly, everything we say we “believe” is in vain…..Before we can understand the Gospel - We must Repent of our sins and the ONLY way to do this is to confess our sins Sacramentally…..Jesus gave the Church authority to forgive sins and that authority rests with Catholic Priests to this day….."I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”…St James also tells us in the pages of Scripture that we must confess our sins - For those who claim there is no need to Sacramentally confess our sins…."Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed”…….Our sins wound us and time does not heal these wounds - Only God can heal us and if we do not give Jesus permission to heal us - Our wounds fester and if we “wound” ourself mortally, by committing a mortal sin - We die!……I work in New York City and for a time I would go to afternoon Mass on Friday’s at St Patrick’s Cathedral…..For those who have not been to St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, its a magnificent Church in the middle of the city where all walks of life attend Mass daily….Before I would go to Mass, I would usually go to confession and I would marvel at the line - It was usually very long and every type of person one could imagine was on that line - Rich and Poor alike!…As I would wait on the confession line, I would think to myself….This “line” to confess is a great sign of hope for the world! - If only every Catholic Church had a long line of people confessing their sins each day before Holy Mass - The world would change tomorrow! - Its really that simple! - Confess your sins regularly and receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace on Sunday - Simple! - That is how we change the world, beginning first with changing our self

“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases”

Today Jesus and a leper in the Gospel give us an example of why God the Father sent Jesus Christ to mankind - To save us from our very self! - To forgive our sins……Why do we hesitate to confess our sins to a Catholic Priest?…..This “hesitation” is used by the devil to keep us from living a life of joy and peace…Everyone in this world wants to be happy - RIGHT?!? - But here is the reality about being “happy” - We will NEVER have authentic happiness unless we confess our sins - Our sins “weigh us down” - Our sins wound us, whether we acknowledge those “wounds” or not - No matter - They exist!!!! - And the ONLY way the wounds caused by sin can be healed is through Sacramental grace - For those who have ears - Let them hear!……”Repent and Believe the Gospel” - The great John the Baptist showed us the way forward…..To find our joy and peace - We must confess your sins!……When we hold nothing back from God - God floods us with his grace………We are saved by this grace because without it, we die………JMJ

There is work to do and if we as Catholics do not do this work - Who will?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus once again shocks us…..“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers”…So what is it that makes for an authentic Catholic? - A valid question……I will argue that the Catholic Church possess the fullness of Truth - “On paper” - The teachings of the Church are perfect! - Now, lets look at the members of the Catholic Church, myself included - We are ALL far from perfect!….This is due to the stain of sin, which comes with being human - This is why Jesus came and walked the earth and gave us a Church, for the forgiveness of sins and to be used as a “vehicle” to dispense Sacramental grace, which we ALL need!…..As St Matthew tells us today…There are many who do and say in a superficial manner what Jesus told us to do - But will not taste eternal life - Again, what was missing?…..The missing “element” comes down to the intention of the human heart - Is our heart pure? - Are our intentions coming from a “place” of love?….Many people argue about the faith publicly only to “win arguments”….The argument is really about them being right over another person - Many do “good works” to be seen by others - As Scripture tell us - Those works will not be acknowledged by God because “you have received your reward”…..So basically, we can say “all the right things” and still be wrong - We can do “all the right things” and still be wrong…It all comes down to purity of heart…So the question then becomes - How do we purify our heart? - The answer - Frequent Sacramental Confess and Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace…No matter who we are - We can not self manufacture a holy life…Our life may “appear” holy to the world, but to God we are something far from holy…..Its from our interior life that we are first sanctified and from “that place” within us as Catholics we will sanctify the world around us…..Jesus very clearly tells us…..”Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean”……An authentic follower of Christ will look very differently from the world’s definition of what is “good” - So much so, authentic followers of Jesus Christ are many times outcasts and despised by the world….Jesus had some advice for us to address this reality…..”Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way”…..”Looks” may be deceiving - But God sees the human heart and what is in our heart is what matters!

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him”

We are warned on the pages of Scripture to - “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves”…..I am a co-host of a radio show that airs in the New York City Metropolitan Area….I am one of many “voices” “crying out into the wildness” in America……I do not receive money for my work and at the end of the day, that is a good thing!….I am not saying everyone who “gets paid” in Catholic Media is “influenced” but when we receive money, our employer surely has a “say” in what we do….And if our employer has an “agenda” - Well, our “voice” will not only be corrupted but influenced…..Jesus sees the human heart and that is how we will be judged in the end - By the purity of our heart…..Over the years of co-hosting my show, we have spoken with countless Catholic intellectuals, scholars, and clerics from around the world….Many of them have impressed me greatly - But to the secular world - Many of these men and women are completely “unknown” - Being a Catholic intellectual does not usually “pay well” - But these men and women write books and lecture not for money but for the love of God….And this is one of the ways we can tell who is the “real deal” and who is not…Are you willing to work for free for God? - Are you willing to serve God and be completely “hidden” from the world?……The Holy family is a great example of this “kind of Catholic”…For thirty years, Jesus; Mary and Joseph were completely “unknown” - In fact, Biblical scholars refer to this thirty year period as the “hidden years”…..The secular world took no notice of the Holy Family - But God the Father surely did!….And that is all that matters!….In serving God, regardless of how we do it - We must always ask ourselves this question - Why am I doing this “work”? - Is it for God or is it for me? - Are our intentions pure?……Vincent Van Gogh, one of the greatest artists the world has ever known, during his lifetime he sold very few works of art…It was only until after his death that the world came to appreciate his work….Yet, Van Gogh painted anyway, even when his work was not celebrated - As Catholics, we too must have this kind of mindset….We must look to appease only God….And if others appreciate our work too - GREAT - But if not, my must look to serve “an audience of one” - God alone!…Mother Teresa put it best…”God has not called me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful”…….There will come a time when faithful Catholics will “receive their reward” but for now - Its time to work! - Head down and shoulder to the plow!

“When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes”

Today in the Gospel, Jesus is telling us that we as Catholics must be authentic!…..”Ticking boxes” by simply going to Sunday Mass does not necessarily make us “authentic” either…….Life as a practicing Catholic is not easy - And was we live as Jesus asked of us, no matter who we are, we will be tested…..Hardships, trials, and disappointments happen and they will always happen….But how do we respond? - Its our response that will make our faith strong! - Iron is molded and shaped by fire - So it will be for us…But have no fear and be encouraged!……”The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little”……In all of Christendom, no one many have suffered more then St Paul - The man was ship wrecked, imprisoned, beaten numerous times - And he ALWAYS went back for more!…St Paul tells us today when we feel like giving up - “So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God”…..God will not give us anything we can not handle - So never give up - And little by little our faith will grow strong….And as for our “reward” - That one day will come as well - In the meantime - There is work to do and if we as Catholics do not do this work - Who will?………..JMJ

Now you know the “secret formula” - Time to live it out

Today the Universal Church at Holy Mass commemorates the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist…In the first reading from the Book of Isaiah, we are told something that applies to EVERY Baptized Catholic…..”I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”……..If we only realized our potential - No matter what natural gifts we have been given - God can magnify our impact on the world, if we only surrender our life to his Divine Providence…..Our Lady said it best….”He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly”…..We are not convinced! - That God can do more with your life than you can - So instead, we hold onto to and chase after “dust and straw” in this world, which only fades away in time….The reality of the matter is - The more we empty ourself, the more God will fill us with his Holy Spirit - This is how the world is set ablaze….Being that the Church today commemorates the birth of John the Baptist - Let’s echo the words of John…”I must decrease and he must increase”…..John understood - Do we?….What holds us back?…..The “calculus” of God is very different from that of the secular world…..When we live a sacrificial life, no matter if we are a priest, married or single….When we “give our life away” in service to others…..Commit to a daily prayer life and fast….When we live Sacramentally…..In time and if we are consistent, God’s Holy Spirit will animate us….There is great power in living in this manner and this is how Catholics impact the world……But this “kind of witness” cannot be self manufactured, no matter how “smart we are” or what natural gifts we possess - This is the “mistake of many” - Relying on our self instead of abandoning “self” and rely solely on God….When the unbelieving secular world encounters such a person, they are stunned!…Such a person stops traffic!….And this is what John the Baptist did…And this is what we can do as well….Why do we “sell” our life short?….Our “greatness” is found in God - Claim what is yours!

“You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way”

The English writer and philosopher G.K. Chesterton once noted - “The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children” - This is so true!….A Catholic family that is open to life, does not use contraception and has many children stops traffic when they enter a room…I have experienced this with my family and have seen this with other families like my own….My wife is Haitian-American and I am Italian-American…We have five inter-racial children all under the age of twelve years old….When we walk into Mass on Sunday as a family - Every eye in the Church is upon us…Our family, because my wife and I chose to live according to the teachings of the Church, is a witness - No words necessary!…We are a witness not because we are special - But because God is special!…..The same goes for a priest, who preaches and teaches the fullness of a Truth boldly and clearly - When such a man speaks, the room goes quiet - Also, when such a priest lives a life a voluntary poverty, sharing his material wealth with the poor, living simply and humbly in his rectory….”That kind of priest” shakes the foundations of the world!!!!….Being Catholics is really very simple - Its so simple most “miss it”….We get “caught up” with the “ways of the world” - We conform ourselves to a pagan culture - And in doing so our impact as Catholics is diminished…..Everything we have to do as a Catholic is written down!!!! - Just read the catechism and pay attention to the readings at Mass….God’s grace is real - So is the power of the Holy Spirit!…All we have to do is “harness this power”…And we do that by following the words of John the Baptist….”I must decrease and He must increase”…..That is the “secret” to greatness!

“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent”

Today the Universal Church calls our attention to the birth of John the Baptist…John was a force of nature!…But what made John the way he was?….John lived a life of prayer and fasting in the desert - I am not a biblical scholar but I would bet that John lived in the desert for many years before God called him forth to preach of his coming…..God does the same with us - We are “formed” over time - So be patient!…….A modern day example of how God prepares a person for a great work was Mother Teresa…..For twenty years Mother Teresa was a school teacher in India before God called her to form a new religious order…And once she founded the Missionaries of Charity, for seventeen years she labored night and day at a home she established for people the sisters picked up off the streets of Kolkata…I have served in that home and the work is hard!!!!…Mother Teresa did that for seventeen years!!!! - And no one knew it….Until one given day a journalist from Life Magazine, Malcolm Muggeridge, an English atheist came to Kolkata to do a story about her and her work…This is how the world found out about this woman - God used an atheist to bring her life’s witness to the world….And interestingly enough, because of the witness of Mother Teresa, the hardened atheist Malcolm Muggeridge became Catholic…God works in myserteous ways but make no mistake - God is at work!….Allow him to work on YOU…..If we surrender our life to God in a radical way - If we live for others sacrificially - If we pray and fast - If we live Sacramentally…We too will set the world on fire!!!!!!….Remember the “secret” of John the Baptist - ”I must decrease and He must increase”……..Now you know the “secret formula” - Time to live it out……………JMJ