Today at Holy Mass we hear again in the the first reading from the book of Genesis…..Adam and Eve had to “face the music”…They screwed up and the Paradise that God created for them was lost…But God’s love and mercy was not lost…While they had to “pay a price” for what they did…And what was that price?……..”To the woman he said: "I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall be your master. " To the man he said: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, "Cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return." …….Some many read this and think God is very harsh - Let us never forget - Mercy is always tempered with Justice…..We should never take the mercy, which God makes available to us for granted….And when we experience the justice of God due to our sins, God uses that time to form us…Nothing is wasted!….We can lose sight of that reality as it is happening in real time…..The driving purpose of every human life is to be purified and return to the original state in which we were created……This is why when a child is born, he / she is baptized and their original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve is washed away….However, then the journey begins!…And as we all know…Life has many ups and downs…We learn as we go.......All the while the “seeds of our baptism” are germinating…..Grace builds upon grace….And more times then not…Its the “wrong turns” in life that “wake us up” to the “narrow way” that lead to life eternal
Saturday, February 15, 2025
”I will go before you and level the mountains; Bronze doors I will shatter, iron bars I will snap……I will lead the blind on a way they do not know; by paths they do not know I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. These are my promises: I made them, I will not forsake them”
Friday, February 14, 2025
For there are many who “hear” but do not “listen”…There are many who “see” but have no “sight”….“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)……And immediately the man’s ears were opened”
Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark about a man who was deaf and begged Jesus to help him….”He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And immediately the man’s ears were opened”….In his public ministry Jesus performed many healing miracles….But there is also something deeper here…This particular man could not hear…How many people today, even within the Catholic Church “do not hear” what the Church teaches….Sure they “hear it” or can read it for themselves but what they “hear” does not register……How can this be addressed?…..In order to “hear” the Truth in its fullness we must work at purifying our heart…And to do that takes supernatural grace….Supernatural grace you say??? - What is that? - Supernatural grace comes from the Sacraments, which were given to the world by Christ himself….When we go regularly (once a month) to a Sacramental Confession and then receive the Eucharist in the state of grace - We are empowered with supernatural grace, which enables us to “see” and “hear”…..Without this grace, our own individual biases, agendas and ideologies “get in the way”!
Thursday, February 13, 2025
All roads lead to God in the end…Even “dead ends”
Today at Holy Mass in the first reading the creation narrative in the Book of Genesis continues….."It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him”….And from the man’s rib God created that partner for him and called her “woman”….”For out of 'her man' this one has been taken”……And to this very day this partnership continues and will always continue…..Marriage is between one man and one woman…Any other variation of this union, which was defined by God himself is a misnomer…..”That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh”……There are many reasons as to why society prescribes to defining marriage as something it is not and can never be…..At the root of all the “variations of marriage” we see today, even in non Sacramental marriages between a man and a woman, under it all are wounds…..And sadly, our society does not take those wounds to the “Divine Physician”, instead humanity falsely believes they can “create” as God created…And whenever mankind convinces himself into believing this lie - In the end, humanity hits “a wall” and we are greatly disappointed when we hit this "wall"……Many times God works in our life when we come to the end of our self….This means when we wholeheartedly pursue a behavior or an ideology that is “not of God” and after time we realize that it does not and can not satisfy what we intended it to satisfy…Its at that point that God meets us right where we are as we are…And its at that moment that we must make a decision - To continue down a “rabbit hole” that has no end, or reverse course and start something new.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
”Do what he tells you”…..When we listen to her….We get a small taste of paradise here on earth….. And the best is yet to come
Today at Holy Mass, in the first reading we hear the creation narrative from the Book of Genesis….”The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being”…….God made us and gave us everything we need…However he warned us about something that to this day effects each and every one of us….."You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die”….Why did God do this?…Is there something about the “apple tree”?…….What God was telling us here is that he determines what is good and evil - We do not…This very clear statement made by God (our creator) blows a hole in the statement we hear today by so many….”This is my truth?”……..There is only one truth and God determines it - That is what this narrative read to us at Mass today is all about……We only fool ourselves when we “think’ we determine the Truth…Why is that?….Because we die - Our life here on earth is very short….We do not and cannot change reality - We can try to fool ourselves and others in thinking we can…But in the end, as they saying in New Jersey goes…”It is what it is”…..God is the author of life and he is also the author of the Truth…..Mankind from the time of Adam and Eve to the present day has tried to alter what can not be altered….And the outcome is always the same…..Sorrow, strife and death…..God came to give us life and give it to us in abundance in the here and now!…He created Adam and Eve and gave them everything they needed…He also told them in order to “keep what you have” and maintain this beautiful garden I created for you - Listen to me……The same message is echoed today by God and sadly the same refusal is also still embraced by far too many……”This is my truth”……..Jesus said very clearly the very opposite message…He said - ”I am the Way…The Truth…And the Life…Jesus did not say I am the custom……Our Lady did not say too much recorded in the pages of Scripture but one of the things she did say could be one of the most important messages we ever hear in our life time….”Do what he tells you”
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
”I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice”…..A little bit of understanding goes a long way…And when that fails…Pray and Fast
Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus addresses empty actions of worship…He calls out the Pharisees and beats them at their own game….The Pharisees say they prescribe to all of the traditions of the Jewish people and Jesus points out areas in those same traditions in which they fall short too…Yet they point fingers and are critical of others…So much here to take note of…First…Do we know why we do what we do as Catholics?…Do we perform our religious rituals without thinking about why we do them?….Everything we do as Catholics should point to Christ…If we fast, its to grow closer to God, its not a “personal contest of our strengthen and discipline”…If we pray daily, do we consider the words we say and or do we say the words just to get them over with?…..Second reflection to consider from the Gospel today….The Pharisees were good Jews and that should be something to be proud of…However, like everything one else, they were not perfect…They were sinners…Knowing that, they should have had mercy on others when they failed or fell from grace, just as they sometimes do……..And so must we…..Why?…..Because no one is perfect…That does not mean we condone “bad behavior”…But what it does mean is we do not condemn others who fail because we too fail….Everything we do as Catholics should point our lives towards God and when we see others “not measure up”…What do we do to help them?…Do we pray for them at the very least?…Do we offer a good example to them?…Do we fast for the Church?…..Each and every day we should look at our own actions and examine our thoughts….We can not control other people, but we can control ourself…..And a good example goes a long way…So does prayer and fasting - In fact, daily prayer and fasting helps us to be that “example”
Monday, February 10, 2025
“So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice”………And so it is to this very day…..What are we looking for?
Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St Mark…Great crowds were coming to Jesus…These people were physically ill and were looking for a cure…And Jesus cared for them…..In reading this passage this morning I thought to myself…How things changed quickly! - In short order these same people were screaming “Crucify him” when Jesus entered Jerusalem……Upon reflecting on this historic reality, I thought to my self…What is it do we “want” from Christ?…Is it a short term fix?…Jesus came to give us life…He came to show us a different way to live…..He came to forgive our sins……..Is the world today interested in that?…Or - Does the world still want a “short term fix”……The parable about the seeds tell us everything we need to know about how we are to follow the Lord and lead a Catholic life…..Jesus was willing to suffer and die for the Truth…He spoke the Truth in good times and in bad……He was obedient until death….This is the faith we must aspire to cultivate
Sunday, February 9, 2025
Jesus Christ rose from the dead….It does not get any more “impossible then that”….And a man who rose from the dead can do all things…So can we if we learn to trust him
Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke how Jesus friends went fishing…They did not catch anything and they worked hard all night…Jesus, who was not a fisherman asks them to do something that a man in the fishing profession would not do….Remember Jesus was a carpenter by trade not a fisherman…Peter could have given Jesus a lecture as to why what he was asking of him “did not make sense”…But that is not what he did…."Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”…….Peter out of obedience did what was asked of him…Even as it did not seem practical or make any sense at the time…And as a result, he caught more fish then he ever thought possible….This parable stands out for me personally and I reflect on it often…Living life as a practicing Catholic in the world today in many ways and to many people “will not make sense”…However, we must trust in the one who asks us to live “differently”…Jesus promised Peter that he would catch fish if he “did it his way”….Jesus asks the same from us…And the outcome of our obedience to God and his Church will result in the same outcome as it did for St Peter
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Our modern world today gets in backwards…It not about “adding on” its all about “stripping away”.....One layer at a time
Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus walked among the people….This is the sign of a true leader…Jesus did not lead from the back - He lead from the front - He rolled up his sleeves - He was one of us!…He did not look down on anyone!……………St Mark tells us today…….”When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things”……..What made people drawn to Christ?….My guess is, it was his transparency…..There was no duplicity in Jesus Christ…I would imagine looking at him was like looking into a clear stream…We all yearn to be like that…Something deep down, whether we realize it or not wants transparency of heart and soul…But we are afraid - Don’t be afraid!….Jesus showed the world another way…It is by emptying ourself that we gain that “transparency of the soul”……When we empty ourselves - God fills us with his very life
Friday, February 7, 2025
”If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart”….The “sign posts” are everywhere - All we have to do is “follow the sign”
Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark about how King Herod kills John the Baptist…..Herod was a bad man, his heart was far from God yet scripture tells us….”When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him”…This should tell us something…The Truth is written on every human heart, even the hardest of hearts can hear it….This reality should be a "sign" of hope for us….John the Baptist was the precursor of Jesus Christ, he prepared the way for him…When it came to King Herod, John was a “sign” and what does a sign do?…It informs us…It warns us of something…It tries to get our attention…That is what John the Baptist was for King Herod…His life was a "sign"…”Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand”….How does this apply to us?….God is constantly showing us “signs” in our life…Because the Truth is written on every heart, many times we see these “signs” in our daily life - However, it is for us to respond to them - God will not do that for us......As long as there is breath inside the body of a person, there is hope….But time does run out…King Herod “liked to listen” to John the Baptist…But listening to the word of God is not enough…We must respond
Thursday, February 6, 2025
We don’t “set the world on fire” by being comfortable…..…..”A church that suffers no persecution but enjoys the privileges and support of the things of the earth - beware!”
Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark how Jesus sent his friends out two but two into a hostile world…..The gospel today tells us something interesting that many people may have glossed over…..”And gave them authority over unclean spirits”…There is that “dirty” word again….”Authority”…That means the first followers of Jesus, who were the first priests had the very authority of Jesus Christ himself….He gave them that authority…Not my opinion, just read the text….The Gospel today also says something interesting, which gets at the heart of what John the Baptist preached and what was the driving purpose as to why Jesus walked this earth….”So they went off and preached repentance”……At the heart of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ is a clarion call for us all to repent!…Any message, coming from within the Church or outside of it that does not fully embrace this call to repentance is simply wasting its time…Before we can “believe” we first have to repent…..Our hearts will not be open to the message of the Gospel if we firmly grasp our sins…And yes we ALL SIN…This is why Jesus today sent his friends out two but two and “gave them authority over unclean spirits”…..This authority rest with the Catholic Church to this day by means of apostolic succession …Only God can forgive sins…I may “talk a good game” but I am a sinner…And so are you…And we ALL need a means by which to be forgiven…When we embrace this gift given to us by Jesus and His Church we become free
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
More times then not, its through the “cracks” that the “light” enters…Nothing is wasted…God is the “master builder” - So take heart and trust the process - God will finish what he started
Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading taken from a Letter to the Hebrews how Catholics are to view trials, as opposed to how the secular world views them….The difference in world view makes all the difference!…..”My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges. Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as his sons. For what "son” is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it”………..No matter who you are….No matter how rich you are….No matter how intelligent you are…..There will be a certain amount of suffering that accompanies your life…Its built into what it means to be human…And the secular world has no answer for this!……This is why a life that is not centered on Jesus Christ ultimately leads one into a dead end…Why?…Because when you suffer - And you will - There is no answer for it…However, as Catholics when times of sorrow, hardship and suffering come…We view those times as periods of sanctification…God uses those times to make us more like himself because in those periods of suffering, more times then not….We change…We modify our behavior….We view the world differently….We grow…..Nothing is wasted in life and God uses all the events of our life to bring us closer to himself…This way of looking at hardships only comes to us when we ground our life in our Catholic faith….Because our Catholic faith teaches us that we are all a “work in progress”…That God is the “master builder” and he is forming us with his own hands
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
That is why we are called “Practicing Catholics”…That implies we not perfect therefore we need to “practice”
Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from a Letter to the Hebrews…..We are reminded of what Jesus had to endure and that we too will have to endure…..”Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood”……….There is no such thing as “cheap grace”…..We must be active participates in our journey back to God….You do not just float into heaven…This is why we must fortify ourselves with Sacramental grace and daily prayer
“We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”
Monday, February 3, 2025
How did Adam and Eve get tricked?……Why did Judas betray Christ?….As Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones rightfully sang it….”Pleased to meet you, Hope you guess my name - But what's puzzlin' you Is the nature of my game”
Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel according to St Mark….Jesus encounters a man with an unclean spirit…The exchange between Jesus and the man is telling…..“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory”…..Jesus knew exactly what he was up against but the people did not “see” the force of evil which stood right before their eyes…Interestingly enough too….The evil spirit (Legion) also knew what stood against him - The very power of God…….In our world this battle between good and evil still exists to this very day and is very real….Scripture tells us that the devil “roams the earth like a lion” - And you know what? - It’s true!….Evil most times wears a “mask”….And sadly people do not recognize it…..There are many things that exist in our “mainstream culture” that are an abomination to God…Only with the “eyes of faith” can we "see" properly….Back to our story from Scripture…After Jesus confronts this unclean spirit…You would think the people would be happy…Just the opposite…They ask Jesus to leave their town….”Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district”………The people were fooled - Their own eyes betrayed them - Not many things have changed to this very day……When bad is called good - The “lights” go out and darkness falls upon the earth…And only when and until we “see” with the eyes of faith will we recognize what stands before us…“Legion is my name - There are many of us”