Look to the East - The Kingdom of God is at hand

Today at Holy Mass the universal Church commemorates the Transfiguration of our Lord…Jesus was soon going to endure his passion and in the time that remained, he had to strengthen his men…..So he took Peter, James and John up a mountain and they saw with their own eyes as he truly was….In all his glory….Jesus did this to give his inner circle something to hold on to when times got hard - And they soon would get very hard! - Jesus was about to be brutally murdered….This vision of the Lord transfigured was to “drive” Peter, James and John - To help them to endure - To persevere - And to embrace the herculean task of spreading the gospel to the four corners of the world…..In the second reading today, Peter addresses the crowd telling them about what he saw and heard…..“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased” - We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”……..Christ will return!……Until that day, we must hold fast to the fullness of Truth……Notice how Jesus did not come to conquer the world, like a military general…He permitted the “weeds and the wheat” to grow together….St Peter acknowledges this reality by telling the crowd to be “attentive” to the “light” - That the world is a “dark place” and will remain a dark place - Only until Jesus returns will the world be fully renewed…That means we cannot “fix” the problems we see around us politically, with violence, or with science…The problems sadly will remain until Jesus returns…Its for us in the mean time to hold fast to the Truth!….To persevere - And to endure…..The world around us today is changing once again - Geopolitical forces are manipulating borders and attempting to manipulate cultures….These things have taken place for centuries and will continue to take place…Its for us to hold on to what we know is true!!!!…..“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him”….There is only one answer - And that answer is Jesus Christ!….There is only one Church - The Catholic Church….And for those who remain - The Remnant - We must feed on the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood in the state of grace….This is what will sustain us….The only way we will endure and remain until the end.

“Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone

There are moments in life that a person holds on to - That drives them - That motivates them to carry on….But moments like the ones I am describing are just that - Moments - They are not to last - We are to move on from them and use the memory of them to live our lives well……..The seven years I spent serving with Mother Teresa’s sisters primarily in New York and India formed me….Those years in essence were my “Transfiguration” moments…..In many ways those years formed me to be who God called me to be….A husband - A father of five children - And a Catechist of the Catholic Church….Over those years I saw many things, too many to note in this reflection, that almost “haunt me” to this very day….I was not called by God to stay permanently serving with the Missionaries of Charity - That was not my vocation - I was there to be formed - “To go forth” and take what I learned and apply it in the world around me……Allow me to share one of “those moments”……..During one of my visits to Kolkata, I served at a home for severely handicapped children….On that visit to India I was assisting a young boy named Bernard….Bernard was severely handicapped, both mentally and physically…Bernard and I got to become good friends…He had the biggest smile you could ever imagine and I would always make him laugh - His laugh was infectious!!!!…And when he would laugh - It brought me a tremendous amount of joy….I think of Bernard often - How truly innocent he was!!! -  His memory and his smile almost haunts me!!!!…..One day when I stand before the Lord after my death - I will see Bernard again, I am sure of this…And on that day, Bernard will help me - And our friendship will continue for all eternity…But for now - The memory of Bernard and many memories like it - Drive me forward!!!

“As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Transfiguration is an important event during the three year ministry of Jesus Christ….Everything Jesus did had a purpose - To teach - To lead - And to give an example……Peter, James and John while Jesus was transfigured did not “get it”…..”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”……Just as Jesus inner circle did not “get it” - There are many moments in our own life that we do not fully understand from the prospective and intent of God and how those moments were meant to sanctify us……God is constantly at work!….Salvation history is still playing out and each of us have a role in God’s plan….We must learn to trust God implicitly!!! - More so then we trust ourself….Just as St Peter instructed the crowd, the readings from Mass today instruct us....…”We possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”……..Look to the East - The Kingdom of God is at hand……..JMJ

”A light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah that although Israel was in ruins, a remnant will survive and carry on…And from that remnant, the people of God will thrive again…”The people that escaped the sword have found favor in the desert. As Israel comes forward to be given his rest, the LORD appears to him from afar: With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers. Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits. Yes, a day will come when the watchmen will call out on Mount Ephraim: “Rise up, let us go to Zion, to the LORD, our God.” For thus says the LORD: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The LORD has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel”……Due to our sinful nature, mankind drifts from God in waves….The Old Testament is filled with stories of how Israel abandoned God, their society falls apart, a person is risen up by God and the people follow that chosen person and society begins anew once again…While this trend repeats itself in the Old Testament over and over again, it also repeats itself to this very day across the world….Even in the Catholic Church….God always rises up saints and it is through saints that the Church is renewed…….This is why there is nothing more important - No personal goal more pressing - No material achievement more impressive - Then to strive and to become a saint….God created each and every person to live a holy life and we all have everything we need to make that happen……St John tells us…..”A light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it”…..Society is not renewed by science, politics, or business…Its renewed by saints……God did not leave his people orphans!!…From the wreckage of every society - A “remnant” carries “God’s light” forward!……Pope Benedict XVI spoke about this in 1969……”From the crisis of today the Church of tomorrow will emerge -- a Church that has lost much. She will become small and will have to start afresh more or less from the beginning. She will no longer be able to inhabit many of the edifices she built in prosperity. As the number of her adherents diminishes, so it will lose many of her social privileges. In contrast to an earlier age, it will be seen much more as a voluntary society, entered only by free decision……The real crisis has scarcely begun. We will have to count on terrific upheavals. But I am equally certain about what will remain at the end: not the Church of the political cult, which is dead already, but the Church of faith. It may well no longer be the dominant social power to the extent that she was until recently; but it will enjoy a fresh blossoming and be seen as man's home, where he will find life and hope beyond death”…Once again, a Prophet is risen up by God to address the wreckage of society (Pope Benedict XVI) and a remnant will emerge from the ashes of that wreckage……"Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth”….From every broken promise and wrong turn mankind makes - God gathers up the shattered pieces and builds again.

“Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock”

My great grandmother came from Southern Italy and raised a family in Newark, New Jersey….This woman was a devout Catholic and gave birth to seventeen children, of which twelve lived…..My mother told me she was constantly in church, a woman of GREAT faith - At the end of her life, she went blind but even that did not discourage her!….Her life clearly was not easy but my mother told me she had a wonderful sense of humor and was always joyful…..I never met my great grandmother but I and thankful I have her blood in my veins…..Why do I bring this story up?…..Because even after living a devout Catholic life, giving a tremendous witness, raising twelve children and even more grand-children! - Most of my mother’s family are no longer practicing Catholics…And the family has scattered and fragmented across New Jersey sadly……While most of my mother’s family are “catholic” in name - They clearly “lost something” and do not have the faith of my great grandmother, who gave birth to seventeen children raising them in poverty with a smile on her face!….The only one who has carried on the Catholic faith - To the best of my knowledge is me and my family - I am the “remnant”, which rose up from the ashes on my mother’s family….Now I have five children and a “new story” begins…..God is faithful, even when human beings are not - From the ashes of every ruined society - God renews what was lost…..”I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them. You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God”……..Never for a minute doubt God’s fidelity to his people…We are his people and will carry on!

“The LORD shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings”

Today we are reminded in the first reading from Mass that God is faithful….Israel was in ruin but God spared a small group of people, the remnant, to carry on the faith and to rebuild the nation…The same thing will happen to America….America is destroying itself….We have turned our backs to God and the consequences of that decision should be clear to all who have “eyes to see”….But from the wreckage of what America used to be will come a remnant, which will rebuild society again…..Count on that!…..This is how God works and history often repeats itself…..America will not be “fixed” by political means - Nor will technology be the answer to our problems - Saints will rise up and show “the people” a way forward…And something new will begin again……There is nothing so “broken” that can not be “fixed” by God - God has done it before and he will do it again…..”A light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it”…..JMJ

Ignoring reality does not change it

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees and scribes……They criticize him…..”Then his disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He said in reply,“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit”……..God created the world and that means the world operates under the Natural Law…A person can deny the Natural Law all they want - Their denial does not and can not change it….And when we choose to ignore the Natural Law - There are consequences…..Jesus seems not to be bothered by the criticism of the Pharisees and scribes….Why? - First and foremost he loves them - But he also knows that their choice to reject God will be “uprooted”…..There is an old saying…”Rotten fruit falls from the tree on its own”……In time, bad choices catch up to us!….This again is the result of the Natural Law written on the hearts of every man….There is no need to seek revenge!…..Bad choices intimately result in bad consequences…This is why we MUST build a life on the one and only solid foundation there is - God - Who is the ”cornerstone”…..St Matthew educates us in this reality….“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 is why every marriage MUST be build upon God…This why when Catholic religious orders adhere to “the vine” - They “bear fruit” and get tons of vocations…This is why the Catholic Church has endured the Roman Empire, the Nazi Regime, Communism, and will endure what it currently is being persecuted by in America - Secularism……The Natural Law ALWAYS wins the day - It cannot be defeated - Even if it is ignored, it still applies and the consequences of ignoring the Natural Law are VERY real….In time - “The rotten fruit falls from the tree on its own”

“Let this be written for the generation to come, and let his future creatures praise the LORD: “The LORD looked down from his holy height, from heaven he beheld the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.”

In America since abortion was made legal in 1973, it is estimated that roughly 64 million children were murdered…Think about that number for a moment!!!!….Do we somehow think God does not “see” this?…..This reality, no matter what “we” think about it, is an abomination in the eyes of God…..The Sexual Revolution in America has done more harm than an atomic bomb!…..Family life has been fractured - Children grow up without fathers - Men and Women no longer even know how to have healthy relationships…..God gave human beings free will and we freely chose this “mess” we are living in right now…..Many people many read this and disagree…They may believe the Sexual Revolution was a good thing - That abortion is a woman’s right to “choose”…Again - We are free and God does not impose his will upon us - But the Natural Law applies to us whether we acknowledge it or not - And that is what is happening in America - Because of our “choices” - America is breaking apart from within…..When human beings ignore reality - There are consequences…This is what we see today in America - We have deluded ourselves into thinking we are “free” - When in fact we have become slaves to our own passions…Ignoring reality does not change it

The children of your servants shall abide, and their posterity shall continue in your presence, That the name of the LORD may be declared on Zion; and his praise, in Jerusalem, When the peoples gather together and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

Today in the Gospel when Jesus is verbally attacked by the Pharisees and scribes he does not seem to be concerned…..Why? - Because Jesus knows that “rotten fruit falls from the tree on its own in time”….How about us? - Do we react the same way when people criticize us harshly because our Catholic faith?…..Sometimes the best way to address mean-spirited criticism is to say nothing…..“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” - This is a stone cold fact!…..This is why we MUST build our life upon the only foundation that lasts - God - And when we build our life upon our Catholic faith, we are thinking “long-term”….This does not mean life will be perfect or even easy - But it does mean we will endure “the storm” - We are building something that will stand the test of time…..Ask yourself this question  - How has the Catholic Church for two thousand years outlasted every single one of its enemies who actively attempted to destroy the Church? - In many of these conflicts, violence was used - And yet, the Catholic Church is still standing today…Where is the Roman Empire? - Where is the Nazi Regime? - Where is Stalin?…….Think long and hard about trying to defeat what can not be defeated…You may find yourself fighting against God - And that is a battle you cannot win!!!!…….“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”……Ignoring reality does not change it….JMJ

Steel is forged by fire - So it will be for us all

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew the story of the disciples being tossed about in a boat on rough seas…Jesus walks on water and approaches the boat…”When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”……While we are not fishermen and never experienced a violent storm at sea - We surely have experienced “turbulence” in life….The death of a parent - The loss of a job - Financial difficulty…It is in these moments that we too, like the disciples today in this story become afraid….Its very easy in these moments of life to ask - “Where is God?” - “Why is this happening"?.......And Jesus tells us as he did to the disciples….“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”….God’s ways are not our ways….As human beings, we all want to live comfortable lives - We want to thrive here on earth…This is a normal desire…However, God did not create us to be comfortable - He created us to be holy…And the process of sanctification is a “rocky road” indeed for us all…..Many times the trials we experience, which God permits in our life, are the periods of life in which we grow the closest to God - And in God’s eyes, that is more important then our comfort……Mother Teresa put it this way..….”‘If we pray, it will be easy to accept suffering. In all our lives, suffering has to come. Suffering is sharing in the passion of Christ. Suffering is the kiss of Jesus, a sign that you have come so close to Jesus on the cross that he can kiss you”…….Easier said then done!….But the closer we get to God, the more we “see” God working in and through our suffering - How he uses it to sanctify us….Only the Catholic faith gives meaning to suffering and as Mother Teresa rightful said - Every human being suffers!….And sadly, the secular world does not know how to cope with suffering - There is no internal mechanism, which assists a secular person in “dealing” with suffering…But as a Catholic, we know that nothing is wasted with God! - Not even our hardships…Because the “goal of life” is not an easy life - Its to get to heaven…And as a Catholics we know that we do not just “float” into heaven - We must be sanctified…And that takes time…Back to our story today from Mass…..Jesus eventually rescues the disciples who were terrified by the rough seas and the storm ended….So it is once again in our own life - ”Tough times” come and go…And with each passing trial is an opportunity to grow closer to God…..As a nun once told me…”Everything comes from the hand of God”….Even the “hard times” - God permits these “hard times” and if we pause and take the time, we will see in time just how God used a trial to help us to grow in faith…..The closer we get to God, the more we “see” God’s hand at work in our lives and in the world - Even in the worst of human tragedies and trials, God is present and working!

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Why do “good people” have to endure trials?…A great question and one that many people ask….The answer is….We are not ready to stand before God - Even when we “think” we are!!!!…..Before we stand before the Beatific Vision, we must be purified….God uses everything in our life to sanctify us - Both the good times and the bad”……..I remember when I came home from college - I was lost!…..One chapter of my life had ended and I did not know what to do….It was at that moment that I turned to God - I made a Sacramental Confession and committed to living as a Catholic for real…Because before that moment, I was Catholic only in name, I never really practiced my faith….This “change of heart” only happened because of the trial I endured at the age of twenty-two years old…And if it was not for that “tough period” of my life, I would not be who I am today…It was through “fire” that God formed me…..Its easy now to look back and see the “hand of God” in my life during that difficult period - But when you are enduring trials, many times we are like a “blind man” groping in the darkness not knowing where to turn…..When those times in life take place - And they will - Spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament….In the silence God will comfort your heart - He will give you his peace - And he will also give you his strength….God speaks to us in silence - He speaks to us in a “language” we will understand…..No human words can give comfort to certain trials we endure - Only God knows what to say - And we hear those words from God in silence when we sit before him……Eucharistic Adoration changes lives - It changed mine!

“After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed”

Today at Mass we heard the story of Jesus walking on water and calming a storm, which terrified his friends…Some of the “storms” in life can only be “calmed” by God….Sometimes we put to much faith in men and in ourself……Some “storms” in life can only be “fixed” by God….And God is our father and did not leave us orphans!!…Even in the darkest moments of life - God is there…And in time - God will use those dark moments for a greater good….We must learn to “trust the plan”…Not “our plan” but God’s plan….Ultimately, the only thing that really matters is if we arrive in heaven and for that to happen, we need to be sanctified - And that as we all know is a process….God wastes nothing! - Everything we experience in life is used by God for a greater good….All for the salvation of our soul….But we must cooperate with God - Learn to trust him…..This is how we are transformed…..Steel is forged by fire - So it will be for us all…………JMJ

Are you still “chasing after” what cannot satisfy?

Today at Holy Mass in the first readings from the Prophet Isaiah we are given a promise…”All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David”……….Do we believe this? - Most people believe there is a God but many people are “turned off” by what the Catholic Church teaches - Why? - Because they “think” their life will not be fulfilled if they live as the Catholic Church requires of us…..Now mere words can not convince people who hold this view to change their mind - They must see for themselves the joy and peace of those who live out their lives as Catholics - In time and if we are consistent, this witness will convince some…But in actuality, what also can be very convincing is the fact that all the things of this world, even the best of material things, after awhile fall short….They do not fully satisfy…Whether its chasing after beautiful women, driving fancy cars, living in a beautiful home, traveling the world to interesting and exotic locations…After awhile, even these things “fall short”, they fail to satisfy us deeply…This is reality!!!!….St Augustine tells us this and St Augustine was a very gifted man who experienced many of the “good things” of this world before he was fully converted to the faith by the prayers of his mother (St Monica)…....”The heart does not rest until it rests in thee” - This idea that Augustine tells us in his famous book Confessions is the same idea in a sense that the Prophet Isaiah is telling us today…That true peace and joy can only come from living in the state of grace…And only God can give us this - Not even the best things of this world…….Now again, these are mere words, which will be easily dismissed by many….The secular world MUST witness our joy!!!!…There is a deep longing in every human soul for God - The problem is mankind seeks to “fulfill” that longing with “material stuff” that can not satisfy….So our “job” as Catholics is to show them the way forward by the witness of our life….”Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”…..God never takes - He only knows how to give…That is what love is all about - It never takes - It only gives!

“The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing”

My father was a barber and while my family was not poor, we did not experience many extravagant things in our family home….We had what we needed but outside of that, we never experienced “the best” of what the material world had to offer…..So when I got out of college, I got a job in banking and my job required me to travel all over the United States and South America…..When I got this job I was so excited and I would stay at the very best hotels and eat at the best restaurants in amazing cities…I did this for thirteen years……In the beginning I was so impressed with these hotels, the great food and the interesting cities…..Chicago, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires…..After years of this, believe it or not, the novelty wore off….Going to San Francisco became “old hat”…Eating at the latest great restaurant was nothing that excited me any more…..I can remember one night after a late flight checking into the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, which is a five start hotel - Its beautiful by every human standard - And not caring…All I wanted was a bed because I was exhausted from my flight…..All these “experiences” in time got old!!!!….I lost appreciating for them…When I started traveling, I was so excited but as time went on, the experience grew tiresome….This is what the Prophet Isaiah today at Mass is trying to tell us….That only God can satisfy us deeply!!!….Now that does not mean we will not experience simple pleasures in this life - Because we will - But our deepest desires can only be satisfied by God….This is reality!!! - And if we do not accept reality - We become like a dog that chases his tail - Never to catch it - Never to be satisfied…..“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”

“The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth”

Our Lord assures us….”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”…Sadly mankind does not believe Jesus when he said this - Most of us have to “figure it out” for ourselves!….And once we take a “big bite of the apple”, we soon learn that “not everything that glitters is gold”……And once we “figure this out” and ultimately “come to the end of our self” - The Lord stands waiting for us…Not to scold us but to welcome us…..This is ‘the story” of many of the saints - St Augustine - St Francis - St Paul……These man were sinners by every estimation, who were transformed by the Lord - They experienced what the world had to offer and after they did - They gave it all up and followed Christ radically…..What will it take for you to do the same?……Are you still “chasing after” what cannot satisfy?….JMJ

“He makes saints out of sinners”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how John the Baptist was murdered…What was his crime? - He fearlessly spoke the Truth……John the Baptist had allegiance to God alone - He lived for an audience of one……How did John become such a person?….Scripture tells us that he lived in the desert, fasted and prayed….During this time God prepared John, he was formed to live out what he was born to do - How about us?….Each of us was born with “something to do” - How are we preparing ourselves to fulfill this task?….This is why Jesus founded a Church - This is why we were given the Sacraments - This is why we pray daily - This is why we fast weekly….These spiritual activities “form” us - If we are consistent as John Baptist was while he lived in the desert, God will work miracles within our own lives - We will be transformed and fully equipped to live out the unique task God has prepared for us from the beginning of time….Saints are not made in one day - And each of us are called to be saints!….When we hear this reality, many today are “put off”…The idea of a saint seems foreign to us - But such an idea is not foreign to God…Each and every human being was created to live a holy life - But sadly, the pull of the world, the flesh and the devil “distract us” from the one and only purpose we were born for - To be a saint….This desire must be recovered and it is only recovered when mankind experiences witnesses…John the Baptist was “that kind of witness”….And this is what our world needs today - Witnesses….However, such a witness cannot be self manufactured, likened to building a resume, “ticking off boxes”….As Catholics we must allow God to form us - To experience like John the Baptist, a “desert experience” and in the process God will transform our ordinary lives into something extraordinary….This is how we change our families, our communities, our nation and the world

“This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him”

Recently I was asked to give a presentation with a former Navy Seal at a Catholic fundraiser in Darien Connecticut for the radio station I contribute too…The Navy Seal who joined me in this presentation was Samuel Blair, a devout Catholic and successful business man in Louisiana….The room was filled with many affluent people….During the presentation, we challenged the crowd - Do you pray the Rosary every day as our Lady asked at Fatima?…There was an uncomfortable silence in the room….Do you go to Confession regularly?…..More uncomfortable silence….Are you open to life in your marriage, welcoming children and refraining from the use of contraception?…..More uncomfortable silence - You could hear a pin drop in the room!!!!!…….The Truth can make us uncomfortable - But are we willing to speak it anyway?….This is what John the Baptist did - This is what we as Catholics MUST do as well….The Catholic Church possess the fullness of Truth - How in the world are people going to take us seriously unless we speak, teach and LIVE the Truth boldly?!?…..The secular world may never see “eye to eye” with us - But I will tell you this - If we “practice what we preach” - The secular world living around us will stop and take notice - Some may even question bad choices made - And some many even change as a result of our witness…The world around us needs saints!….Mere words fall short and will NEVER produce the expected outcomes that our Lord asks for from each of us!…….Are you willing to be like John the Baptist?…..The world needs more men like John - Be that man!….Jesus reassures us…..”Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna”…In order to do what Jesus said…We too must be transformed - And how does that happen?…..Daily Prayer - Weekly Fasting - Monthly Confession, Weekly reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace……”And I will make you toward this people a fortified wall of bronze. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to save and rescue you”……Grace is not self manufactured - It is a gift and when we give God permission to act in our life - Great things happen!

“Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink! May I be rescued from my foes, and from the watery depths. Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me, nor the abyss swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me”

Today we hear about how “the crowd” thought that they silenced John the Baptist….John as we all know was murdered but his message carried on well after his death….Repent - The Kingdom of God is at Hand!!!……Funny thing about the Truth - It cannot be silenced and it ALWAYS wins out in the the end…….Do you realize that one man can stand up against the entire world, if that man fully embraces the Truth - And as Catholics, we posses the fullness of Truth - So what is missing here? The answer -  COURAGE…..And how do we get this courage? - The answer - By living Sacramentally and sacrificially…….We were not born to live mediocre lives!!!!….“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth”…..Its time to live what we claim to believe - That is how we “set the world on fire”…..Our world needs saints because only saints change the world - Do not miss the opportunity - “Go big” or go home!……..“God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.”…..JMJ

”Going along to get along” is NOT the narrow road to heaven - There is nothing “catholic” about that

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, we are told that Jesus is rejected in his hometown….“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him”……..How is this possible?!?…..People say today they are interested in the Truth - But are they?….The Truth is very demanding  - It requires great sacrifice…When this is explained to “the crowd” - All of a sudden, the Truth does not sound to good…..In the first reading today the Prophet Jeremiah experiences a similar reaction from his people when he speaks the Truth….”When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people, the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying, “You must be put to death!”…At the root of this outrage is the fact that people do not want to change…They much rather “deal” with their problems then fix them - Why? - Because change requires sacrifice…..Remember when Jesus cured a man, who was suffering from evil spirits and was terrorizing a village? - The townspeople instead of thanking Jesus for curing the man asked him to leave town….Do you also remember that “the crowd” choose Barabbas to be set free instead of Jesus at the request of Pontius Pilate - Barabbas was a known murderer!!! - And still “the crowd” preferred him to go free instead of Jesus, who did nothing wrong!!!…I will tell you what Jesus did - He had the audacity to speak the Truth!!! - And to some, especially the powerful - That is capital crime!……Has anything changed today?…The greatest thing a Catholic can do right now is to speak and live the Truth - To do so is a revolutionary act….We conveniently forget - Jesus Christ was probably the greatest revolutionary the world has ever known…..And has his followers today (i.e. Catholics), we too must be revolutionaries…..Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And when required - Suffer for the Truth

“Since for your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, Because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me”

St Oscar Romero, who was the archbishop in El Salvador during a civil war said the following….Keep in mind, this man was murdered presiding over the Mass…..”Each one of you has to be God’s microphone. Each one of you has to be a messenger, a prophet. The church will always exist as long as there is someone who has been baptized…Where is your baptism? You are baptized in your professions, in the fields of workers, in the market. Wherever there is someone who has been baptized, that is where the church is. There is a prophet there. Let us not hide the talent that God gave us on the day of our baptism and let us truly live the beauty and responsibility of being a prophetic people”……..Catholics must be FEARLESS…..If the Church does not speak the Truth boldly - Who will?…..Our biggest obstacle - We are far too comfortable!…Comfort is the enemy of a holy life…..St Oscar Romero opined on this idea further….“The church must suffer for speaking the truth, for pointing out sin, for uprooting sin. No one wants to have a sore spot touched, and therefore a society with so many sores twitches when someone has the courage to touch it and say: “You have to treat that. You have to get rid of that. Believe in Christ. Be converted”….If we are not willing to suffer for the Truth - Frankly, we are not following Christ…Jesus was a man of suffering - How can we say we are following the Lord if we do not feel the weight of “The Cross”?……This is not just the “job” of Priests and Bishops...It’s the “job” of every Baptized Catholic!!…..We must be “God’s microphone” this very day and we cannot do that when all we seek is comfort.

“The word of the Lord remains forever; this is the word that has been proclaimed to you”

Today we are reminded, both in the first reading at Mass as well as in the Gospel - Those who speak the Truth will be persecuted….And this reality continues on to this very day….And will continue until Jesus returns again…..Conformity to the ways of the world is not the path to heaven…As Catholics we are called to live amongst the world but not be “of the world”….And that means we will at times make enemies - This is why Jesus Christ was killed - He challenged the powerful who were not willing to change…Do we somehow “think” we are not called to do the same?….During the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus presented the Beatitudes to his disciples, he was instructing them as to how they are to live and what would happen to them because of the way they lived - Keep in mind - The Beatitudes are the “road map to heaven”……………”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. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”…….What is our response to that teaching? - “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink” ……”Going along to get along” is NOT the narrow road to heaven - There is nothing “catholic” about that….JMJ