"Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more" - Place your “bet”!

In Holy Mass today we hear from St Matthew…St Matthew was a tax collector, a man of “means” and when confronted by Christ he dropped everything and became one of his most fervent disciples…St Matthew was a “changed man”…..The things of this world no longer meant anything to him…….In the gospel today from Mass Jesus makes a promise to us……..”Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life”……The daily choices we make and the “things” we value define who we are….In essence we all make “a bet”…We either “take stock” in the promises of Christ…Or we dismiss them….Our words do not define the outcome of that “bet”…Our life’s choices say it all

Its hard to understand someone who has been given tremendous gifts (intelligence, status, power, etc) to only “give their life” over to the words of Jesus and his Church…But that is exactly what many of the saints have done and do to this very day…..They found the “pearl of great price” and they traded “everything” to get it…..To the world and to those who value “the things” of the world…This is pure madness!….But to the person who encountered the living God…This “trade off” not only makes sense but is not even considered a sacrifice

We get far more from God then what we give to him…..That is in the here and now!……..God can NEVER be outdone in generosity!

One of the years I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters in Kolkata I hung out with this French volunteer from Marseille (a city in the south of France). Erik at the time had a very pretty girl friend and was getting his Masters in Business. He came from a wealthy French family. His father was a diplomat and for a time believe it or not Erik and his family lived in Northern Bergen County New Jersey. Erik had everything going for him…He was brilliant…A very good looking young man…He was rich and his future was bright…..Erik and I kept in touch after India and he told me he took a job after graduation as a currency trader for HSBC (The Bank of Hong Kong) in London…Erik was on his way!!…Following in the footsteps of his family…..He would be rich…Marry a beautiful woman and live a wonderful life…He had all the gifts!!!….As time went on…I lost touch with Erik...Last year however, I got an email from him…He was inviting me to his ordination…He was being ordained in France as a Dominican priest!….Believe it or not!…..Because I could not believe it!……..The good-looking French son of a rich diplomat gave everything up!…..How or why would such a person who was given so much in this world do such a thing?….In one word - GOD!…Erik had a powerful encounter with God…..That changes everything…Why? - Because God is real!…Don’t think for a moment God is not real…Let's be honest here - People like Erik, who had EVERYTHING do not give up what most people in this world would literally KILL to have for some fantasy!…..God is very REAL!

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it”

All of us have been given gifts and not everyone is called to be a priest……..However…....Everything we have been given has a purpose!…And that purpose is…To serve God and serve our neighbor!…….And to the one given much - Much will be expected!….Jesus addresses those who ignore this message today in the gospel…This is what he said……”Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first”……This is not a threat…This is a promise!…….Mother Teresa would say…”I take Jesus at his word”…And so should we!……No one has ever become poor by helping others!….Everything we have is a gift….And when we look at our gifts in that way…It is very easy to share our life with others!

So back to my French buddy Erik who now is a Dominican priest….Erik just emailed me a month ago…His younger sister is getting married in New York City and he will be in town for the wedding at the end of August. We will be meeting up after 14 years….A lot has changed since the time we were both walking the streets of Kolkata in flip-flops…I am now a married man and the father of five children. Erik is now a priest…..God works in mysterious ways…But make no mistake…God is REAL and God is at work!

"Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more" - Place your “bet”!