”Joy is the net that will catch many souls”

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus in the Gospel of St John mention something that many times gets disassociated with Catholicism by our secular society - The idea of Joy…Do we even know what Joy is? - Joy is not some fleeting moment - Authentic Joy lasts - Its deep - And this “kind of Joy” can only be found in God! - A very controversial statement to make but a true one none-the-less……Think for a moment of the person you know who is the farthest away from God - On that person’s heart - All over their heart - Is God!!! - They just have not given God permission to be who he is to them yet….This is why Catholics must be a light to the nations - We must walk among “the people” and show them what authentic joy is….Joy found in everyday living…..The world thirsts for this joy and sadly is looking in all the wrong places to find it…….Mother Teresa would tell her sisters - “Joy is the net that will catch many souls”……Secular people are not going to pay attention to theological arguments - Even if your arguments are perfectly articulated - But those same secular people will see your joy - And wish they had it deep down!…..This is how we evangelize the world - By our joy!…Jesus today tells his disciples - “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete”…….The world simply does not believe this!…..The secular world sincerely thinks being Catholic is the most repressive thing one can be - Nothing could be further from the truth! - But telling someone this will not change their mind - We must show them….There are no saints with sour dispositions! - The saints radiate joy! - And only saints change the world

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

I grow up culturally Catholic - My parents took me to Mass and I attended Catholic high school and college….During that time I met a lot of very “nice people” but really never met anyone sadly that radiated Christ’s joy….Simply by what I experienced as a Catholic in that environment - Nothing about it moved me in a significant way to want to really live as a authentic Catholic - I am just being honest…..Until I met in my twenties the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal - For those who do not know - This religious order began in New York City - And the men who joined it were intelligent, gifted by all messages of the secular world, lived sacrificially and sincerely were joyful people….My encounter with these men in many ways changed my life…Then I met the Sisters of Life - An order of nuns who were also founded in New York City to help women who were experiencing troubled pregnancy - Same thing! - One could say the joy these nuns possessed was almost not of this world - It stopped traffic!…Then I met the Missionaries of Charity - Same thing! - Their joy was so sincere and tangible it could not be questioned…..After “seeing” for myself these men and women, who were living authentic Catholic lives and appeared not only fully content in their vocation but exponentially more joyful then any person I ever met outside the Catholic Church - And that is no exaggeration! - I began to “re-think” my position about the faith - And do you know what else? - I said to myself - Why can’t I have the joy they have too?….And that is the same reaction the world will have if YOU fully embrace YOUR Catholic faith and live it out loud - Because here is “the deal” - People do not care what you know - People care about what they see!……And when secular people, who deep down know they are “missing something” in their life SEE in you authentic joy - They will gravitate to you and in time the Holy Spirit will work in them……A person can not “fake” real joy and the world knows when they see it.

“After this I shall return and rebuild the fallen hut of David; from its ruins I shall rebuild it and raise it up again, so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked. Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things, known from of old”

Today we live in a Post - Christian society…Not only is institutional religion rejected but so is God himself….And because of this, our people are unmoored and searching for “something” to fill the vacuum created by willfully turning from God……In 1969, a German priest made this prophetic statement about the world and the Church….Now some fifty-seven years later, we are beginning to see the start of “something” this Priest predict would happen….In the last few years, people in Europe and America are getting Baptized in record numbers - Why? - This German Priest, who many years later become Pope Benedict XVI told us the answer…….”But when the trial of this sifting is past, a great power will flow from a more spiritualized and simplified Church. Men in a totally planned world will find themselves unspeakably lonely. If they have completely lost sight of God, they will feel the whole horror of their poverty. Then they will discover the little flock of believers as something wholly new. They will discover it as a hope that is meant for them, an answer for which they have always been searching in secret”……No matter who you are - We all want to be happy! - And authentic happiness that lasts CAN NOT be found outside of God…..The world can deny this reality all it wants - But the statistics do not lie - Our world today is more depressed then ever before….And only when the unbelieving world “sees” for itself what Pope Benedict XVI describes as “the little flock of believers” - Those who are fully animated by the living God and rooted in Truth - Only then will the world consider making a change….It all comes down to our joy - Joy is not some esoteric concept - Its something everyone can understand and everyone wishes they had……”Joy is the net that will catch many souls”…….JMJ

”Without me you can do nothing” - Get the Hint?

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St John, in my humble opinion one of the MOST important messages you will hear in the entire Bible……If the Catholic world fully embraced this message, the world would be set ablaze…..But sadly we do not fully embrace it due to our pride…”I know better” - We hear this statement all the time from so many……To address that claim very sharply - NO YOU DO NOT!……Jesus said “I am the vine” - He did NOT say -  “You are the vine”

“Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned”

I have been a practicing Catholic for over thirty years and over the course of that time I have learned a “few things”….One of those “things” that I learned, because I have seen this with my own two eyes, is that when religious orders adhere strictly to the teachings of the Church, as they are written - If they live lives of sacrifice - If they develop deep interior lives through hours of daily prayer…When they do all that - They bear a tremendous amount of fruit for the Kingdom of God…The formula works without exception!!!!….I have seen this with many religious orders - To name three: The Missionaries of Charity; The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal & The Sisters of Life……Conversely, religious order that have “relaxed” lifestyles, I will be charitable, their orders get no vocations and die out…Why is that? - Jesus tells us why in the Gospel of St John today….So here is the question - If that “formula” works for religious orders - Why would it not work for Lay Catholics; Bishops and Diocesan priests?…The “problem” is not with Church teaching - The problem is segments of Baptized Catholics do not fully embrace Church teaching - We lack courage! - We do not fully bend our will to God….And because of that - We do not bear the fruit that Jesus promises we would bear…This needs to change!!!!…..Being Catholic is “painting by numbers” - All the teachings of the Church are written down - All we have to do is follow them!!!….Just read what is on the paper - Easy RIGHT?!?……What needs to stop is all our “excuses”……No one has a “better idea” than Jesus Christ and the fullness of Truth contained in the teachings of the Catholic Church.....It’s not “pastoral” to alter doctrine…..Its not “merciful” to conveniently “leave out” segments of doctrine….All we have to do as Catholics is “paint by the numbers”…..And if we do - We will bear fruit - Simple? - RIGHT?….Let’s make it happen!

“Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord”

As a married man for twelve years my wife and I have never used contraception…..As a result we have five children - We also lost three as a result of miscarriages…..Our marriage is stronger today than it was on the day we were married!…I love my wife more today then the day I met her….Why is that? - Because our marriage is Sacramental - Which means God animates it because we allow him into our marriage - God is the center of our marriage and of our individual lives - This is the “secret” to a good marriage……God gave mankind marriage and made it a Sacrament - To view marriage any other way is a HUGE mistake…Why is that? - Because to have a good marriage takes work - It also takes God’s grace…And when we “think” we “know better” than God and do things “our way” - Marriages full apart - Why? - Because to have a strong marriage, one needs grace in that marriage and without that grace, selfishness creeps in and in turn the marital bond slowly is destroyed….That is why marriage is one of the seven Sacraments instituted by the Church…Marriage is a vocation, which leads a man and a woman to God by the death of themself through the service of each other and their children…To understand the institution of marriage any other way is a HUGE MISTAKE - Don’t take my word for it - Look at the divorce numbers for couples involved in secular marriages - What does that tell you?…I will tell you what it tells me - God’s way works!

“Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD”

Today at Mass St John tells us something that Jesus said that is SO IMPORTANT!!!!…Clearly everything that Jesus says is important but today we hear something that all Catholics must strive to execute on each and every day……”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” - Did you just hear that! - This is the “key” to everything we do as Catholics, no matter what state of life we are called to - Whether a Bishop, a Priest, married or single…..We are NOT “the vine”, which means we do NOT make the rules!….Catholics who fully digest this teaching today set the world on fire and those who do not - Sadly “spin their wheels”……Its time to stop “spinning our wheels”….Being Catholics is easy - Its like when we were children - All we have to do is “paint by the numbers” - And we will bear fruit……Conversely, if we choose to “do it our way” - Jesus tells us the outcome before we make that choice…………….”Without me you can do nothing” - Get the Hint?…………JMJ

“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John tells his disciples that evil does exist and the devil is real…Do you believe in the existence of the devil?…..You should…..Because he is very real….”I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me”…Throughout the pages of Scripture there are numerous references to the devil…Jesus in this exchange with his disciples tells them bluntly…”the ruler of this world is coming”…..What does that tell you?….The biggest mistake people can make is to dismiss the impact the devil has and can have on the world - This is why we must stay close to Christ and his Church…If we live in the state of grace - We will be given “eyes to see”….Grace also strengthens our will to make the right choices…..Far too many people in this world “assume” they are “too smart” to fall….The devil plays the long game…He knows all our weakness and slowly he draws us away from God if we do not prioritize our Catholic faith….Our world today is “under the spell” of the lies of the devil….We have been fooled into thinking “we make the rules” - That God is “whoever we make him out to be”…….Nothing could be further from the Truth…….Jesus today acknowledges that life is hard but if we trust in God, we will be given what we need…….”Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I”…..Living your life outside of Sacramental grace is a huge mistake - No matter who you are or how gifted you may think you are - At the “end of the day” - Our lives run out - We all die! - And we can not save ourself…..The tangible peace that God gives is better than anything the world can give to us…Even the best material things of this world “get old” in time…But God’s peace endures….However, we must make a choice, we can not have it “both ways”……“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”……The devil has laid the world to waste - And only those who live in the state of grace will endure his wrath….So stay close to God and be not afraid.

“Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations”

Have you ever come across in your life an effective liar? - Someone who is so good at lying that most people don’t even realize that person is lying…If you have encountered such a person, imagine just how effect the devil is….The devil does not walk the earth with a “red tail and red horns” - The devil is deceptive - His lies are subtle and “go under the radar” of most people, even the smartest of people - And here is the worse part about it - The devil is effective!!!….This is why St Paul tells us…..”Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one”………Sacramental grace keep us out of harms way!!!…….If we live in the state of grace we have nothing to fear but without that grace, we will be devoured - The minute you think otherwise is the minute the devil has you right where he wants you!…..Some may read this reflection and laugh - They will “think” they are too smart to be “fooled” - That the devil is not real - That they are too strong… - That they will never fall for the lies of some “red-tailed myth” - If you are “that person” - I am here to tell you - Think twice!……Human beings are no match for the devil without the aide of Jesus Christ!….We are told today at Mass in St John’s Gospel….”Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” - “For the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me”……We are being warned - Heed the warning - Stay close to Christ - Stay in the State of Grace!

“May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD, and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever”

Many people today who enjoy music know who the Rolling Stones are - For those who do not, they are a musical group who have been very successful for many years……One of their most popular songs is entitled “Sympathy for the Devil”….This is one of the lyrics from that song….”Please allow me to introduce myself - I’m a man of wealth and taste - I’ve been around for a long, long year - Stole many a man's soul and faith”….Interesting? - Maybe the Rolling Stones read the Gospel of St John too?……..As far as Catholics should be concerned - Have no “Sympathy for the Devil” - Because the devil has no “sympathy” for you!….Stay vigilant and Stay in the state of grace…..”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”……JMJ

And without grace - Not going to happen!

Today at Holy Mass Jesus address his disciples in the Gospel of St John…He tells them its not enough to say that we love God - That our love for God is shown if we follow his commandments….“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me”…….Words are very easy to say - I tell my five children this all the time….If our actions do not mirror our words - Our words really mean very little….This is one of the complaints people say about many Catholics today - Their lives are just like the pagan world they live among - This must change!….But how do we live the Gospel? - Its impossible right? - WRONG!!! - With God all things are possible….And that is the point - This is why we must avail ourself to grace…Without God’s grace their is NO WAY we are going to live as God called each of us to live…I repeat this over and over again in these daily reflections because its the “missing link” which most people seem to “gloss over”…..Saying “fancy words” does not cut it!…You can memorize the entire Bible and still not live the message contained in the Bible….And it’s how we live that matters!!!….And to live as a Catholic you need grace, which comes from the Sacraments, daily prayer and weekly fasting…..Does our life mirror that of the Beatitudes? - Because that is the model given to us by Jesus - This is the path to heaven…….“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me”….Do we live in this way? - A better question - Do you think you could live in this way without God’s grace?……Words are cheap - We must live our words! - And that only happens if we avail ourselves to God’s grace - Those who have ears let them hear!

“The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you”

How does a Catholic Priest remain chaste? - HOW?!?….How does a married couple remain faithful to each other for fifty + years  - HOW?!?…How does a single person not engage in casual sex before marriage - HOW?!?…..The answer to all those questions comes down to one word - GRACE!…..Grace elevates our fallen human nature….Grace also can not be self-manufactured….Its for us to open ourself up to it and then God “rains down” grace unto our soul….How does this process begin? - The answer - With a Sacramental Confession….Sin “gets in the way” of God’s grace…Even if we go to Mass and receive the Blessed Sacrament…If we are in a state of mortal sin - The grace contained in the Eucharist will not penetrate our soul…….This is why you hear this statement from some Catholics: “I have been going to Mass all my life - I get nothing out of it”……Maybe if such a person saying that statement went to Confession monthly and then received the Blessed Sacrament at Holy Mass their “mind would change” and they would “get something out” of Mass on Sunday - My bet is - They would see a change if they took my advice…….If we are struggling with a sin and can’t seem to over come it - Don’t give up!!!….Fasting is a good tool to open our soul up to God’s grace….In time, when we utilize all the “tools” given to us by the Catholic Church - We surely will not be perfect - But we will find that everything the Lord commanded us is possible - And many of the sins we struggle with in time will be overcome - But this requires effort on our part - We do not become the people God called us to be over night….Is being sanctified your number one priority? - If it is not - It should be…That is what life is all about - To grow closer to God….And if we are not growing closer to God each day - Sadly then, we are growing away from him…..”Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough” - Notice what Jesus told us in that statement…Some will “not be strong enough” - Why do you think Jesus said that? - Because without God’s grace - NONE OF US are strong enough!!!!!….This is why we must live Sacramentally - Strive to enter through the narrow door!!!!!!

“The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus tells us something that St James also reminds us of…..”Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves”….Let’s be honest - To live a Catholic life can be challenging - And that is why many people abandon even trying to live as a Catholic…What needs to be emphasized when we teach the Catholic faith to others is - All things are possible with God - But without God - Nothing is possible!….It does not matter how “gifted” you “think” you are…If you “think” you are going to live the Beatitudes, as well as all the commandments of God relying on your own strength and will - You are going to be greatly disappointed - And in the end you may even give up…The “key” to it all is grace….If we live a Sacramental life, pray each day and fast weekly…God will show you just how possible it is to live as a Catholic!….But we have to do our part…Its easy to say words - We hear them all the time - But its hard to live out those words and that is what the unbelieving world needs to see - People need to see a Catholic life lived out in real time - Telling the secular world about what it means to be Catholic will never convince anyone - They need to see it for themself - And without grace - Not going to happen!……..JMJ

Trust the plan!

Today we hear at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John that everything he said comes from the Father…That even Jesus did not speak on his own - And he was God - What does that example say to us?!?…..”The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works”……The Deposit of Faith does not belong to us - Its simply meant to be passed on by us to other as it is…..Even the Pope does not have the authority to alter the eternal teachings contained in the Deposit of Faith….Yet, human nature being what it is - People attempt to do what is impossible both inside and outside the walls of the Church…..If Jesus did not speak on his own - What makes us “think” we can?…..Human beings have a big problem accepting authority….We see this from the very beginning of creation in the story of our first parents Adam and Eve….But accepting authority is a vital aspect of being an authentic Catholic - So is being obedient to that legitimate authority….But again, obedience is a “dirty word” these days…..”Don’t tell me what to do” - “I will live my life on my terms”…These are statements made often in the times we live in and these statements do not lead to heaven - That I can say with certainty…..When we look at the lives of the three most esteemed people in our Catholic Tradition - Jesus, Mary and Joseph…One of the many virtues that all three shared in common was their obedience to God’s will….Each had a different role to play but each of them were obedient, even in the face of great adversity….Again, I will ask the question - How about us? - Are we obedient to the will of God?….When we come to the place in our faith journey when we are utterly convinced that God’s plan for our life is infinitely better then “our plan” - Its at that point that not only will we be given great peace, but we will advance in the spiritual life in ways we never thought possible!…..God can do more with our life than we can! - Don’t believe me? - Read about the lives of the saints - The powerful and wealthy of this life are long forgotten, yet the saints live on in the words and memories of millions of people for centuries…..Only because of their obedience to God did these timeless men and women become saints - Because they believed that God’s way was the best way…How about you?

"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. "Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

One of the aspects that make a Catholic marriage Sacramental is that the couple make a vow before God on their wedding day that they will be open to life…That means they will accept children as a fruit of their marriage but it also means that they will not use artificial contraception…..Is this what is happening in our Catholic marriages today? - Because if we use contraception in our marriage - Not only are we breaking one of our marriage vows but our marriage is not being lived out Sacramentally, which means God’d grace is not at the center of our marriage - And when that happens, slowly our relationship with our spouse deteriorates…..But people think they “know better” - So they persist in this secular model of living that has proven not to work - How can I say that with such certainty? - Look at the divorce rates!……An authentic Catholic marriage, which is lived out Sacramentally works! - But our world today is not convinced!……I got marriage at forty-three years old - My wife is ten years younger then I….In ten years we had five chidden - We also lost three children to miscarriages…….And each step of the way - God provided for us - My family has never “wanted” for anything….Again, this is something the secular world does not believe - That God will provide!…….”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they”…….The virtue of obedience is something that must be spoken about more in Catholic circles today….We as a Catholic people must re-learn what it means to “listen” to what God has to say as opposed to “listen” to all the voices in our culture that say the exact opposite to what our Catholic faith has professed to be true for centuries….All we have to do is look around - How are things working out in the world around us? - Maybe its time to “listen” to someone else? - That “someone” is God the Father, who loves us and wants what is best for us….Jesus said, “I am the Truth and the Way”……Whatever you may “think” - The fact is, you DO NOT know “the way” and your “way” is NOT better then God’s “way”……..Maybe its time for a change? - Maybe its time to listen? 

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus is telling the first disciples that the Truth spoken by him is the same Truth spoken by God the Father - But the disciples do not seem to “get it”….They question Jesus and sadly so do we two thousand years later……We are told by Jesus that unless our faith becomes like the faith of a child, we will not enter into the Kingdom of God…Why do you think Jesus said that? - Because a child trusts his Father - A child believes every word a Father says - And a child does what his Father tells him…..Why? - Because a child is utterly convinced that his Father will never tell him anything that will harm him….Is our faith like that of a child?…Do we view the teachings of the Catholic Church in that manner?…..It’s vital that we do!…….”Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides”……When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we say “Thy will be done”….Are these just mere words said?…It all comes down to the virtue of obedience…..”When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son”……God has a plan - We may not understand “the plan” as it unfolds but if we trust “the plan” - One day we will “see” just how good of a “plan” it was…….Trust the plan!……JMJ

Be not afraid - God goes before us - And God never abandons his own!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the book of Acts how Paul and Barnabus confront the Jewish population who oppose Christ…..Even in the face of great opposition, St Paul did not back down - He was bold and clear…Is this what we see today in the Church?….”On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles”……..Jesus Christ provided us a path forward - Its the only path forward…”Watering-down” teaching - Compromising our faith in the name of being “politically correct” - Not teaching the Truth in its entry and calling it “pastoral” - All these practices do not help anyone nor do they represent what Catholicism is about…The Truth does not belong to us - Its for us to “pass on” as it is…..And in this reading today, Paul and Barnabus did just that, even in the face of violence….They did not back down, in fact, they doubled down!…..Our people must hear the Truth - How can we live our Catholic faith if we do not know it? - And to know the perennial teachings of the Church, they must be communicated to us clearly and fully…..Our world today needs to be “Baptized” in Truth - And in performing this “Baptism”,  we will sadly make enemies - There is no way around that reality - Can you accept that?………Jesus had enemies - St Paul had enemies - What makes us think we can live our Catholic faith fully and not have enemies!?!………It’s our reluctance to suffer and our desire to be comfortable which holds us back!

For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.”

In America same sex marriage has been completely normalized…Not only does the Catholic Church reject this notion of “marriage” but the Church has perennially taught to engage in the homosexual acts is a grave sin…Yet, our culture has embraced this as “norm”…..As Catholics there is no way we can accept same sex marriage as “normal”….Or trivialize homosexual behavior as just another form of affection…How about sex before heterosexual marriage? - This too has been completely normalized - In the eye of God, another mortal sin……How can we as a society “think” that God does not see this?…Do we “think” he is blind to it?…..What is acceptable in the eyes of mankind is in some cases an abomination to God…..And it will be God who judges us when we die and stand before him, not the opinions of mankind or the culture in which we live in…..To be authentically Catholic in many ways is to live counter-culturally - Is this how we live? - Or do you look to “fit-in”?……We as Catholics are to be a guiding light to the nations and if we are “like everyone else” - That light goes out!….In order to live our faith in the public square in a bold and unambiguous manner, one must develop a deep interior life…Prayer, fasting and the Sacraments strengthen our will and resolve…To “think” we are going to “stand down” the world relying solely on our own strength is a fools errand……St Paul instructs us in how we are to live our faith in a hostile world…….”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”………One man grounded in a Sacramental life can stand down the entire world!…The Truth is like a lion, let it loose, it will defend itself!

“The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit”

Today at Mass we heard how St Paul boldly professed his faith publicly - He was not afraid to be authentically Catholic in the public square - How about us?….Are we too concerned with the opinion of others?…..The great Jesuit, Fr John Hardon SJ (1914 – 2000), who was declared a Servant of God by the Church made this statement about the state of Catholicism in the 20th century….."Ordinary Catholics will not survive this age, only heroic Catholics will survive!”……Catholics today need to get serious! - The world, the flesh and the devil have “breached the walls” of polite society….If we are not living Sacramentally, praying daily and fasting weekly - There is little to no chance we will “stand tall” in a world, which is so antagonist to us and the Catholic Church….But if we are grounded in grace and stand with God and Our Lady - We have nothing to fear!…….Our witness to the world as Catholics does not rest in our natural gifts - We are each limited as human beings no matter how “gifted” we many “think” we are - Our witness to the world must be rooted firmly in the Holy Spirit…….“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”………Be not afraid - God goes before us - And God never abandons his own!…..JMJ

Time to start living like we believe it

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus in the Gospel of St John instructing his apostles…..“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be”….How easy it is to forget that Jesus will return for us!…In the midst of the craziness of life…The trials - The battles - The struggle….We forget!!!…..NEVER FORGET - Jesus will return and come back for us - He never forgets his own!….This makes all the trials - The battles & The struggles worth it!…….During this exchange between Jesus and his apostles, St Thomas makes an interesting claim…Keeping in mind that Thomas has seen the miracles with his own eyes - Yet he still makes the following statement…“Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”……In response to this question - Jesus tells Thomas - “Where I am going you know the way”………“I am the way and the truth and the life”……..Its appears that St Thomas “got lost” in all the “madness” going on around him - But Jesus, who is ever patient reminds him - And he also reminds us today…”Keep your eyes on me” - Straight ahead!……The line in this Gospel passage that jumped off the page for me is this one - “Where I am going you know the way” - How true this is…..The laws of God are written on every human heart - If we only take the time to turned off all the “noise” around us and listen - If we commit to regular periods of silent prayer each week, we too would hear the ever-present voice of God - And that voice is very clear - “Where I am going you know the way!”……And when we hear God’s voice - It then comes down to executing in our daily life what we hear!…..”Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves”…..Its not enough to just “hear” God’s voice….The path to hell is paved with good intentions….Once we hear God’s voice - Then its up to us to act upon it…..There is only one way forward - How do I know this? - Because “No one comes to the Father except through me”

“Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish”

I have actually heard Catholics ask this question - What is the will of God?…How can we ask such a question?!?…Everything the Catholic Church professes to be true is written down in the Catechism - Its perfectly clear…..So where does the confusion come from? - The answer - In our hearts….This is why we must work at purifying our hearts….A pure heart will not only “see” God, but receive the word of God as it is…….Many years ago I attended a retreat the Missionaries of Charity gave for their Lay Co-Workers in New York City…At this retreat were some life-long volunteers and dare I say very holy men and women in attendance, who gave their lives in the serve of the poor….To this day I can not recall what was said at that retreat but I do recall one person…..There was a very simple minded man invited by Mother Teresa’s sisters to attend the retreat - And he was so happy to be there, you could tell - I watched him as we all took a break for lunch - He was so attentive to what was being spoken to him - You could see it in his face!….There was this one conversation where a woman was telling this simple man something about what was said by the priest conducting the retreat - And all this man kept saying repeatedly was…. YES - YES - YES…..The expression on his face I will never forget - He meant every bit of his YES….That was my “take away” from that retreat…The man who was by far the “simplest” - One could even say simple minded - He taught me the most….There was no ambiguity around what he believed…He was not like St Thomas in today’s Gospel saying - “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” - This man knew EXACTLY where he was going…..And this is how we must be - United in one purpose - Anchored in Truth and moving in one direction!…..There is no reason for us to doubt!!! - Jesus is “The Way”

“And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus reassures his friends - He also reassures us….He tells them - “Don’t worry..Just follow me”….This same message must resonate with us today - Does it?….Its easy to “get lost in the fog” of doubts…To focus on the “storms” in life….But as Catholics we must always remember - We are an Easter People!….The battle has already been won on Calvary……”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”…We must live this statement and never forget it……Death has been conquered - We have nothing to fear………”But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself”……We know exactly where we are to go - There is nothing “unclear” about it…..Time to start living like we believe it…..JMJ