The cup must be “emptied and then filled again”…You are that cup - Its time to “fill up”……That is the “big secret” my friends….And when you come right down to it…. Its really no secret

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St Luke….In the text we hear about Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth who needed help…Elizabeth was older than Mary and pregnant - So Mary “went in haste” to assist her….This is the entire gospel summarized in a nut-shell….When Catholics are filled with the Holy Spirit - They “go out” and give the Holy Spirit away….”Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give”….When people hear the word “give” they immediately think of money….That is not what I am talking about………And that is not what Mary gave away - She gave away “herself”…Nothing is more powerful than a self sacrificing witness….This is the clarion call of every Baptized Catholic….To “give yourself away”….What do we get in return?…..True Joy & Deep Peace…Pay attention, this is the important part…..When we “die to our self” and “give ourself away”, we “make room for God” in our heart…And in turn, God fills us with his very self……This is the secret my friends…”It is in giving that we receive”…And I am not talking about money…Its far too easy to “write a check”…..I am talking about something far more valuable - The “gift of self” - I am talking about YOU and ME

“He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals”

Today’s gospel from Mass ended with this statement from Elizabeth to her cousin Mary..............….”Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled”……Mary took the word of God to heart - She actually believe it…Its so easy to read what Jesus said and take it for granted - Thinking the words do not apply to “me”…..Mary did not do that, and nor should we…We need to take Christ at his word….There is great power in the words of Jesus especially when his words are put into action………Jesus tells us many things in the gospel and far too many people in the world, when they read the words of Christ say to themselves…”This can’t be done” - “This is not realistic”…..And to a degree they are right…If we try to do what Jesus told us relying upon our own strengthen and natural gifts, we will surely fail…But if we rely upon grace, we can do it…..”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”……….When the world witnesses self sacrificial love…The world has no response except to stand in awe…There is no argument against it….Self sacrificial love witnessed penetrates even the hardest of hearts…It speaks to people and communicates what words will never communicate…”I care about you”….......”You mean something to me”…........This is how the gospel spreads…The only way it spreads - One person at a time - From me to you……Every Christmas Season Mother Teresa’s sisters would have a Christmas party in Lower Manhattan for all the people who lived in the Elliott-Chelsea Housing Projects…..And the sisters would spare no expense…They would cook for days, give gifts, provide a bus for the families and even have us volunteers pick up the elderly….No expense was spared….They welcomed these people as they would welcome Christ himself…..Actions like that speak to the heart….There is an old saying…”People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care”…….The words in the gospel are life giving but just saying the “words” will mean nothing to people unless they “see” the words fleshed out in real time…..This requires self sacrificial love….This is where the "rubber meets the road"…Mary today in the gospel from Mass shows us how to do this….....First - Mary said YES to the angel and as a result she was filled with the Holy Spirit….What happened next?…..She “went out” to help her cousin and in doing so, she “gave away” the Holy Spirit……Here is the take away…We can not give what we do not have…First - We have to be “filled with God”….We do that by daily prayer, fasting and living a Sacramental life…..Only then does the second part happen - The “giving of self” away to others…..This is the “One-Two Punch”…This is the "dynamite" of the Catholic Church…This is what we are all called to do as Catholics…Words don’t cut it

“Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The LORD, your God, is in your midst”

Mary today in the Gospel understood..To be a follower of Christ means we must live for others…..Love gives, it never takes…..However, this type of living witness can not be accomplished on our own……Jesus tells us point blank…..”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”……Before this happens, the cup must be “emptied and then filled again”…You are that cup - Its time to “fill up”……That is the “big secret” my friends….And when you come right down to it…. Its really no secret