Have you had enough yet?…The “good life” awaits……."Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew that God is our father and he is constantly waiting for us to respond to him - Like all good father do!…."Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”…You would think that at such an invitation a person would respond - But the world does not and people seem to “think” the invitation is not so good….Either we do not believe what “God is selling us”…Or….We think “our way” is better - It comes down to those to outcomes……However, as we get older and see how the actions and personal choices of people play out in real time, we should be able to see clearer with each passing year that “God’s way” works and that those who embrace God’s way “bear fruit that will last”…..Even if we “see that”…That is one thing…But to admit that to ourself is another…And then to pursue God’s will in real time takes the “obvious” to a completely different level - Something most people are hesitant to do sadly….But here is the good news - God gives us every opportunity to “step” towards him each and everyday - But he will never force his will upon us - Love does not work that way…..…We must accept the invitation on face value...…”It is what it is” - And cooperate with God…....This is how we progress to our heavenly home but this is also how we become the people we were all born to be in the here and now….The only thing that prevents you from become “that person” is you...Jesus in the gospel today challenges us…He tells us, “All you have to do is ask and I will come into your life”…..Yet we hesitate to ask - Or don’t ask at all…….If we do not want God in our life in the here and now on his terms…What makes us think we will want him in heaven?…The “terms” of the “offer” never change…Its for us to change to meet the "terms" as they are now……All we have to do is ask and it’s a done deal!

“A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation”

God plays the long game….He offers his hand to us our entire life but for the most part, people have to “try it their way” before they figure out that “their way” may not be the “best way”…Then there are the people who do “figure out” that their way was not the best way - And pride keeps them from “turning around” and accepting God on his terms….The older you get, the more this human drama becomes clear in the people you have known your entire life…..But God is patient…He waits at the door for us to “knock”…All we have to do is “knock”…And the door will open!

”Arthur Flegenheimer, a German-Jew was born in New York City in 1901. By the time he was 27 he was known as Dutch Scultz and was quickly becoming one of the most feared mob bosses in New York. When Dutch Schultz was acquitted on tax-evasion charges he converted to Catholicism believe it or not. But the story did not end there……When Dutch was shot, he did not die right away. He was taken to the hospital for surgery and he immediately asked for a priest. He was 34 years old and his last thought while he was dying was to ask Jesus for forgiveness and mercy. He went to Confession, received absolution and was administered the Last Rites of the Church by a priest. Then he died.”

Arthur Flegenheimer, the Jewish kid from New York finally figured it out!…But look what it took for him to “figure it out”……Life is all about “figuring it out”…We run away from God sometimes our entire life……A childhood friend of mine told me something I will never forget on the way to work one day, this guy was not even overtly religious but what he told me I find to be incredible insightful…He said…”Joe - Life is the greatest teacher of all”…So true…Allow me to add to what my friend said…God works through the events of our life…These events, both good and bad are to help us to not only “see” God but to help us to respond to God…Why is that? - Because we don’t listen! - And God knows that about our human nature - So we all need “to be convinced” - And the events of our life are meant to do the “convincing”….But time does run out…..Like everything in life, when “opportunity knocks”, we have to respond or we “miss it”……We can not count on converting to Christ and His Church on our deathbed like Dutch Schultz did …..And the reality of death is very real for all of us - The “party ends” no matter who you are…..Its for us to take stock of our life…Evaluate the choices we have made…And if the outcomes are not what we “thought” they would be…Maybe its time to try something else…That something is God - He waits for us at the door…All we have to do is knock…And the door will open!

The LORD will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands”

Jesus today tells us point blank…All you have to do is ask and I will be there for you!…..But here is the deal…We have to do the asking, God is not going to force himself upon us…..Life is all about “figuring things out”….Some “figure it out” earlier than others…The important part is - You figure it out!…If you were fortunate, like I was, you had people early on in your life who not only told you the right things, but demonstrated the right things by the way they lived their life…I saw the outcomes of “good choices” made in real time…The "fruit" of those choices in the lives of people around me convinced me that maybe being a faithful Catholic is the way to go…But then it came time for me to make a decision as an adult..To live those same good choices out too…..And the same goes for you and “no choice” is a choice…..We can pretend all we want that God does not exist…We can “bad mouth” the Catholic Church all day long…But when all that is said and done…The outcomes of our choices speak for themselves……Time waits for no one…….And God has “all the cards”…And God plays the “long game” with us….But ultimately, we have to take a "step"…We have to “open the door” that stands in front of us…The door that was always in front of us our entire life!…Behind that door is God…Its all up to you!….Have you had enough yet?…The “good life” awaits……."Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”