Forgiveness is a gift and once we experience this gift, we are then able to give it away

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew about a conversation that took lace between Jesus and St Peter……The conversation was started as a result of a question that St Peter asked Jesus….“Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?”…..Jesus then proceeds to address the question with a parable…..In the parable Jesus says the following….”That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount”…For the purposes of this reflection, let’s focus on that statement……Only God can forgive our sins…and frankly that is the only thing God wants from us - Our sins - Jesus is God, he does not need anything from us - Not our money, not our service, not our time…While we should give to God freely of what was given to us out of love - God surely does not need what we have….But he does want our sins and we have the ability to give them to him in and through the Sacrament of Reconciliation……Jesus also stated in his parable that a “huge amount” of “debt” was owed to the king…..Let’s think about that for a moment….God the Father offered up is beloved son, who was flawless for the sins of the world…..Step back and think about that for a second…..Jesus was the perfect sacrifice and God in his love gave him up for sins of mankind…Now think about all the sins of mankind, the horrible injustices, the unspeakable acts, the crimes against humanity that scream for vengeance!…God, who is a Father gave up his flawless son for all of it…That is the “huge debt” spoken about in this parable and there is no way it could ever be payed back!……This is why God asks of us to forgive others….Jesus teaches us this by example from the Cross….“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”….Because of the “huge debt” humanity owes to God, a debt that can never be paid back - We must learn to forgive “our brother from your heart”….And this can only be accomplished with God’s grace….Some crimes committed against us are beyond our human strength to forgive…..But with God all things are possible and when we forgive our brother, most especially when the crimes committed against us were unjust and in the eyes of the world unforgivable - When we do what the unbelieving world deems “foolish”…We proclaim the message of the Gospel in a way words never can or could - And in turn we just may “win over” our brother, who will see something in you that was for a time unseen - That “something” is the life of Christ himself….To forgive is divine and the world finds the divine through those who find it in their heart to forgive

“Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior”

Our world today does not know how to forgive because it has not experienced forgiveness in a personal way…Let’s face it, working and earning a living is a not easy…The “world” does not give anything away - To forgive others is a “foreign idea” to the power brokers of this world…This is why many find it impossible to believe that God can forgive us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…But for those who lived lives outside of the Church and then came to their senses like the Prodigal son and returned “home”…These “prodigal people”, of which I am one, understand what it means to be forgiven - And the experience is life changing!…..When a person confesses their sins to a Catholic priest, this is a very real and tangible encounter with the living God…The unbelieving world does not and frankly cannot understand this until they experience it for themselves….So many people in our world today are carrying around huge burdens…Sins committed and sinful lifestyles take there toll on people - We can rationalize sin away all we want - It does not go away! - Until it is confessed Sacramentally…And unconfessed sin in many ways deforms people…..This is why people “change” from the people we once knew when we were young - Bad choices made and sins committed in adulthood steal from us - Only God can return us back to childlike innocence………Years ago I was flying for business to the California and ran into a good friend of mine from high school…Paul was always a great guy and I heard through mutual friends that he was discerning to become a Catholic Deacon…When I saw Paul at the airport, he was exactly the same guy I knew in high school…The same big smile - The same light in his eyes…..Paul had not changed one bit….At the time I was a practicing Catholic and I had seen many of my “old friends” make bad choices in adulthood and as a result, the joy of our youth was taken from them in a very real and tangible way…But not Paul….Paul was the same - Why? - Because Paul lived sacramentally - The life of Jesus Christ shined through him - It was obvious when I saw him after all those years….Only God can gives us this joy and only God can return us to the innocence of our youth…Do not let the world rob us of what is rightfully ours - Take back what is yours - Go to Confession and be made new!

“Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful”

Today in the Gospel at Mass, Jesus teaches St Peter about what it means to forgive….Forgiving someone is not easy, let’s face it…But when we live a life of grace, and God animates our life - What seems impossible can become possible……And when we regularly confess our own sins Sacramentally and feel the deep peace given to us by God himself as a result - This experience makes it easier to forgive others…..We can not learn how to forgive others by reading a book - We must first experience it for ourself….And when we do, we can then give what was given to us……”His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began”….All of humanity has fallen and that means all of us need to be forgiven…..Only God through the one Church he founded can give the world what it desperately needs…..”I absolve you of your sins - In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” - “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven”…..You can’t “fake it” nor can you self manufacture God’s forgiveness….Forgiveness is a gift and once we experience this gift, we are then able to give it away………………………….JMJ

You worry about you

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke about Jesus talking to a group of people from his home town of Nazareth…You would think the people who knew him best would accept what he had to say….But they did not…..He told them something rather interesting…The Jewish people were set apart by God….Yet, Jesus demonstrated to the crowd through concrete examples given to them from Scripture that while God set the Jewish people apart as the chosen people….God did not come to them many times in their need - Instead he came to the aide of foreigners…..”Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian”……As Catholics we are taught in the catechism that salvation is only found through the Catholic Church - We are saved through our Baptism and the Church…Yet, the next sentence of the Catechism is often over looked….“Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men” (CCC 847-848)…In addition, contained in the documents of Vatican II (Lumen Gentium) a similar statement is made - “Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or his Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with his grace strive to live a good life. Whatever good or truth is found amongst them is looked upon by the Church as a preparation for the gospel (16).”……..We only “know what we know” and God is the judge of that - Not us….God is perfectly merciful and perfectly just…That means he is the one and only judge, as far as what a person knew to be true and what they honestly did not……This is why we have no right to judge others…As I tell my five children when they fight with each other and find fault with one another…I tell them repeatedly - “You worry about you”…..God tells you and I the same thing - You worry about you!

“I hope in the LORD, I trust in his word; with him there is kindness and plenteous redemption”

If you ever go to a funeral in America, you will find that everyone believes that the person who died is in heaven, regardless of the life they lead…This is a very human reaction to death but it also is not in line with perennial Catholic teaching….The Catholic Church is very clear regarding how one goes to heaven, so was Jesus Christ…..We as human beings have no authority to change what cannot be changed…However, we cannot read the hearts of men - Only God can...With that said, the Natural Law is written on the human heart….And Jesus tells us very clearly…..”So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them”…….He then goes on to say in the Gospel of John…”I have other sheep* that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd”…..As a Catholic, we must pray and give witness to the Truth, which is Jesus Christ…We are also saved through the teachings of the Church - Some may say why is that true?…For one, Jesus founded the Church and gave it authority…Secondly, we are all sinners and when we sin we must reconcile our sins to God, which can only be done Sacramentally….We are also fed by the Body and Blood of Christ, which gives us spiritual nourishment to carry our cross and live a holy life…Now if for some reason a person is not Catholic and lives according to the Natural Law, which is written on their heart - God will judge them accordingly….Our job is not to judge - Our job is to give a witness, which will make the unbelieving world question why they too are not Catholic when they see our peace and joy……This is why only saints change the world…The witness of a holy life is the “spark” that causes people to question bad choices….I have seen this first hand when I was the driver for Mother Teresa’s sisters in New York City before I was married…..People from every walk of life, some who lived very bad lives, when they encountered the Missionaries of Charity and saw how they lived and what they did for the poorest of the poor…Many of these people changed - Some even requested to be baptized…Again, I have seen this with my own two eyes..In fact, my time serving the poor closely with Mother Teresa’s sister changed me forever….Words can never do this - Only an authentic Catholic witness can…This is our task - As Catholics our first priority in life should be to strive to become a holy person…This is how God can use us - This is how we change the world - Person to Person - One person at a time!

“Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on And bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place”

Today at Mass in the Gospel we hear about Naaman the Syrian and a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon…These two individuals were not Jews, which means they were not part of God’s chosen people - Yet, God came to their aide…This should tell us something…We as Catholics must view all people as children of God - Why? - Because they are!….Our Catholic faith is a gift and because we have been given such a gift, its for us to share it with the world….For those who do not accept what the Catholic faith teaches, that is for God to judge….Our “job” is to give the best example possible of what it means to be Catholic to the world around us…And we accomplish that only by God’s grace…..Again, our “job” is to allow God’s grace to animate our life…God then takes care of the rest……The words of Christ tell us very clearly…..”I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd”……Let God be the judge of who the “other sheep” are, who “do not belong to the fold” - In the mean time as I tell my children - You worry about you…..JMJ

So put down your “umbrella” and feel the rain on your face!

Today at Holy Mass we heard from the Gospel of St John the story of the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well…As many of us know who are very familiar with this story, this woman was public sinner….And Jesus had no issues engaging her in conversation even though she was known to be who she was - An adulterous woman…This is the first point I want to highlight in this narrative by St John…..As Catholics we should offer a hand of friendship to all people, even those who live outside the walls of the Church…Its through the vehicle of friendship that the world gets to “see” in real time what it means to “have life and have it abundantly”…And the only way one has “life within them” is to feed off the very Body and Blood of Christ in the state of grace….With that said, lets get to the part of the Gospel today that I want to highlight….After engaging this Samaritan woman in conversation, she began to understand that Jesus was “someone special” and asked him an interesting question….“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water”…Clearly, this woman could tell that Jesus was not like everyone else and she wanted what he had…..But before Jesus addressed her “ask” for “life giving water” - He masterfully draws out of her the very thing that kept her from the grace of God - Her sin….”Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come back.” The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.” Jesus answered her, “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands,  and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet”……And after Jesus tells this woman what he already knew - That she was living an adulterous life - The Samaritan woman admits her sin - And this confession changes the dynamic of the conversation - It also changes the Samaritan woman!….This is the aspect of this story told to us by St John that we must focus on….We will never be fulfilled in our relationship with God until we “come clean” with him by and through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…Our eyes will remain “closed” - We will never “hear” the Gospel as it truly is meant to be heard - Until we confess our sins……Many will hear this Gospel today at Masses across the entire world…But how many will “hear” the message - That in order to possess “the life giving water” of Christ, we must first repent - As this adulterous woman at the well did…..John the Baptist showed the world the way to God…Notice in the message that John the Baptist proclaimed to the world - “Repent - The Kingdom of God is at hand”……Again - notice the order of his message - First we must repent and then the Kingdom of God will be at hand to us…Then and only then we will “see” and “hear” God as He is.

“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

There are some in the Catholic Church, that believe that the Blessed Sacrament can be received no matter what state a person is in, meaning we can receive it “as we are” and on “our terms”……This is fundamentally incorrect - The Church is very clear  and always has been clear in its teaching authority - In order to receive the Blessed Sacrament, a Catholic must be in full communion with the Church and be in the state of grace - Meaning free from objective moral sin….No Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Priest of Lay person can change this teaching…….For this very reason, we must instruct our people that they must frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation before fully participating at Mass… And if a person finds themself in a irregular situation where they can not receive the Blessed Sacrament for whatever reason, that person is of course welcome to attend Mass - Everyone is welcome to attend Mass! - They just can not receive the Blessed Sacrament…And during that time away from the Eucharist, such a person must pray…And if they pray - God will address what is keeping that person away from living a Sacramental life - And in time, God will address what needs to be addressed…..Why is this so important? - Because the Church very clearly teaches that to receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of mortal sin is a grave offense against God….As a lifelong Catholic - Have you ever heard people say? - “I have been going to Mass every Sunday for forty years and get nothing out of it”….If a person who says that only would go to Confession with a priest…If they did, they never would say such a statement again….The grace of God is always falling upon us like rain - Sadly we sometimes put up an “umbrella” and “the rain” does not touch our face…We must put down the “umbrella” so God’s life giving grace can fall upon us…..The story of the Samaritan woman told to us at Mass illustrates this point…The woman did not receive the “life giving water” Jesus spoke about, until she was open and honest about her sins with Christ….This woman’s example points the way forward…..Repent - The Kingdom of God is at hand!

“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Today at Mass a very important message was communicated to us…First of of which is that as Catholics we must be a welcoming people - No matter who God puts in front of us, we must be encouraging and friendly….However at the same time, this Gospel also tells us that in order to build a fruitful relationship with the Lord, we have to be honest with God and our self - We must admit where we have sinned, repent of our sin and ask God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation for not only forgiveness but the grace to overcome our sin….This is the key!….Catholics must return to the practice of frequent Confession - The saints recommend going once every month…….Notice in the Gospel, the Samaritan woman who Jesus spoke with at the well, she perceived immediately that Jesus was “someone special”….The same will go for us as practicing Catholic when we encounter the unbelieving world around us - If we live a Sacramental life, if we pray daily and fast weekly - The secular world will notice the life of God in us…And that will encourage them to inquire about possessing the same grace we have been given….Grace falls upon the world like rain - It is always pouring down upon the earth - Maybe its time to “put down our umbrella”…..This is the “life giving water” that we all “thirst” for - So put down your “umbrella” and feel the rain on your face!…..JMJ

A kind smile and a welcoming word can work wonders - Leave the rest to God

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading from Micah we are told something important…Something our world desperately needs to believe…”Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins”…….Our world today reels from wounds due to sins…We all sin, its sadly apart of the human condition and the reality is, sin wounds us….The secular world has no answer for these wounds - Instead of bringing them to God Sacramentally, the wounds of sin fester and are rationalized away - Then the hurt as a result of sin is projected upon others…..Those who have eyes to “see” - “See” this all around us…There is only one cure and our Catholic faith provides it through the Sacrament of Reconciliation…..Intellectually one can tell themselves, even with the best of intentions - “Jesus forgave me of my sins” - We can tell ourselves this all day and everyday - But if we do not bring our sins to a Catholic priest and have them forgiven Sacramentally - Those sins remain….In our reading today from Micah, we are told something that should bring us great joy - That God delights in clemency - Why would we not take him up on it? - Its there for the taking!…..Time does not heal old wounds…..And sinful habits that are not broken are a form a slavery…..The answer to so many of our problems can be solved - Beginning with these words…”Bless me Father for I have sinned - Its been “x” amount of years since my last confession”…..Freedom is staring us in the face on the other side of one Sacramental Confession.

“I will get up and go to my father and shall say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you”

Social Media has its benefits….Its a good way to keep in touch with old friends…Recently a friend of mine from college, who I lived with for two years and currently lives many miles way asked me privately about going to confession…..I knew Sean all four years of my college career…I knew his brothers and also his father….They all were good people…..Sean was just like me, we came from good Catholic homes, went to a Catholic University…and sadly “forgot” everything that was taught and shown to us before we entered college…We both lived the life of the prodigal son and because of bad choices we both made - Life taught us hard lessons!…I “figured things out” sooner then Sean and returned to my Catholic roots but Sean, now in his fifties was beginning to “see the light”…..So Sean reached out to me and asked me about going to Confession…I told him I go to Confession every two weeks….And my first real “adult confession” was when I was twenty-two years old - After I returned home from college and my life was a mess!….I told Sean the devil tries to discourage us from going to Confession, even as we open the door to the Confessional, but once we “get it over with” we feel great!….Confessing our sins is a lot easier then we all think…..After I told Sean all this - Time went by - And he never brought the topic up again…Around one month later - Sean sent me a message - It was short and to the point - “I did it - I went to Confession”…..I responded with a “thumbs up”….."The Lord is good and his mercy endures forever"

“Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

The theme of today’s readings from Mass centers in on God’s mercy and forgiveness…The Gospel echoes the message from the Prophet Micah in the first reading…In the Gospel we heard the story of the Prodigal son…We all know this story and sadly most of us “lived” this story - At least I did….I shared in this reflection how my friend Sean came back to God, after squandering the many gifts given to him by his Catholic family - I can say that because I was no different…We are told so many “nice things” about God when we are children…Our parents warn us….Good teachers educate us and warn us too…But all that “good stuff” can so easily “go in one ear and out the other ear”…..Sometimes, like the young man in the story of the Prodigal son, we have to “feel the burn” of “hard times”………”When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any”…….God works in mysterious ways - He also works sometimes through the bad choices we make and through the many “crooked paths” of our life…But through it all - The “seeds” of Baptism are constantly “churning” and the “Hound of Heaven” is always on the “prowl” for lost souls……This is why we as Catholics, who practice our faith must live and work amongst the many who do not….We are told in the Gospel reading today from St Luke that the pharisees took offense that Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them”……How else can the “sick” get better? - If we do not reach a hand to “the sick” and show them a path forward by the witness of our life…..The late Pope Francis made a statement that has and always will stick with me….”The Catholic Church is not a museum for saints - But a hospital for sinners”…….We as Catholics are all sinners! - And when we “think” we are somehow “better” then others - Who simply do not sin like we do - If we “think” this way - Something is very wrong!….Now, don’t get me wrong - This does not mean we condone sin nor does it mean we can distribute the Blessed Sacrament to those who live in objective mortal sin - But it does mean we should never “shut people out” of our life….Open the doors wide to Christ - The doors of the Church must always be open! - And we as Catholics must always be at those Church doors with a smile on our face and a hand extended to every and any soul who approaches us!….“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners”…….The minute we “think” we are somehow better then others - We become worse!…..A kind smile and a welcoming word can work wonders - Leave the rest to God…………JMJ

God is not “selling anything”

Today at Holy Mass he hear in the Gospel from St Matthew the story of a landowner who planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants….When reading the Gospel of St Matthew one must keep in mind that Matthew’s primary audience were the Jewish people…In this story, Matthew is telling the Jewish people something very directly - That they are God’s chosen people and they were given the “vineyard” but in the time of God’s absence, they rejected their stewardship of the land, so God punished them…And in a later parable told to us by St Matthew - A great Wedding Feast was given and the guests who were first invited were not not interested in attending, they had “other things to do”, so we hear that God “invited other guests” to the banquet - Those “other guests” were the gentiles……These stories were meant to shock the Jewish audience of St Matthew’s time - But they are also meant to shock us today…..God “offers” us salvation, which is found in the Catholic Church, but in order to “cash in” on that offer, we must cooperate with God….If we choose not to - What was given to us will be taken away…Did you hear that!?!……This message is for real!

“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son; so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life”

Throughout the bible, there are many stories and isolate statements that deeply impact me…I want to share with you one of them that I believe relates to the Gospel from Mass today about a people who are offered something great and in turn reject the offer……This passage is taken from the Gospel of John - I reflect on it often - Its message is very clear, its also very Catholic:

“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. The Words of Eternal Life. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh* is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

In this passage Jesus is very clear that his “flesh is true food and his blood is true drink” and that a Sacramental faith, which we practice to this very day in the Catholic Church was given to the Jewish people…He also says that food he gave the Jewish people to eat in the desert (i.e. Manna) for their survival does not compare to what is being given now…Something new has happened and because of that a “change needs to be made”….So when Jesus says this, some people leave the group - Notice how Jesus reacts to the twelve disciples when people leave - “Do you also want to leave?”…..Jesus is not “selling anything”…He is basically saying to those who remain…”It is what it is! - You either accept what I say as I say it…or…”There is the door” - “You can leave too”…..A strong message indeed!………The offer of salvation is for everyone and it first was given to the Jewish people - Jesus was a Jew and so were his first disciples…But as we hear in the Gospel today from St Matthew…The Jewish people “reject the offer”…So what does Jesus do? - Does he change the offer in any way? - Not a chance! - He just makes the other to “other people” - And guess who those “other people” became? - The Catholic Church!……God is not “selling anything”…And God does not force us to follow him…God never imposes himself on us - God proposes - He makes us “an offer” and that “offer” is made through his son and the one Church his son created…How do I know this? - Here is the answer - “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”……..The one Church Jesus founded was Eucharistic!…..Seems pretty clear to me - How about you?

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?”

The Gospel read to us at Mass today addresses a question that is debated to this very day….Are the Jewish people still the chosen people?…..While God did say in Scripture that the Jewish people were indeed the chosen people, we hear in St Matthew’s Gospel that the Jewish people rejected the offer of salvation by God - So what does God do in response? - He makes “the offer” to other people…Seems pretty clear to me….So how must we respond to our Jewish brothers and sisters today? - We must pray for them - That they may “open their eyes”!…..Jesus was a Jew and Jesus took the Jewish faith in a “different direction”….The temple was destroyed in Jerusalem, literally!…And a “new temple” took its place - And that “temple” is Jesus’ body and blood, offered once for the sins of mankind…..The “offer of salvation” made by God is the same today as it was two thousand years ago during the time Christ walked the earth….And we cannot change “the offer”, though may try too…………God is not “selling anything”…..JMJ

Talk is cheap

Today at Holy Mass we hear from the Gospel of St Luke the story of a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man…..This story should haunt us! - Speaking personally it haunts me!…The rich man had a good life - Was given everything but Lazarus was not as fortunate…And the rich man took for granted everything that was given to him….Never giving a second thought to how Lazarus suffered…..The world today should think long and hard about this story because one day we all will stand before God and be judged….Its very easy to criticize the rich man in this story but in many ways, we all are like him….While we cannot help everyone, do we have “eyes to see” the poor around us?….Keeping in mind, before we can give assistance to the poor, we must “see” them……..If we were to look at the wealth of this world objectively today, there is no reason why anyone should be poor….What we have forgotten is, that everything we have is a gift from God and in a “New York minute”, everything can be taken away - Even from the most gifted and powerful people - “Think” of how natural disasters effect the rich and poor alike - “Think” of how the COVID Virus resulted in the deaths of millions globally - Nothing could be done to stop it!…..Yet we somehow “think” we are immune from death - That our “gifts and wealth” insulate us……Notice in the story today told to us at Mass - St Luke states the following….”When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried” - Both the rich and the poor die alike and both will stand before God…All the “things” we chase after in this life at that point mean nothing - Yet we “conveniently forget” that reality……Something else jumped out at me as I read this passage from St Luke today…..The rich man asks God to warn people about his fate….God says something rather interesting……”Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead”………Each and every day as Catholics we hear the words of Jesus Christ read to us at Mass - But do we really “hear” the words spoken from the pulpit?…..God instructs us - God warns us repeatedly - God tries his best to form us - But do we “hear him? - More importantly, if we do “hear” him - Do we respond? - Where we spend eternity rest in the balance of these very important questions…..What we say we believe means very little - Its what we do that counts - Its the daily choices we make that count…..”I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the LORD swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them”……Choose life! - Because it is a choice, its not a guarantee!

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance”

No one ever became poor by sharing…..As a married man with five children, my wife and I have been given a great responsibility by God…We must raise and educate five human beings and that costs money - There is no way around that reality….With that said, how we put our money to use tells the world around us a lot….God gives us what we need - Not necessarily what we want - Do we give to our children in the same manner?…..Do we as Catholics live simply and humbly? - Because if we do, we may find that not only can we provide for our family, but we can also share with those around us, especially those who are in need…This is a choice to live like this and a married couple must make this choice in the beginning of their marriage…..When one lives a life of giving - Giving not only to our immediate family but to others around us - Such a person is filled with great joy and deep peace…..Each of us were born to live this way - Its in our DNA to share and when we do - The Holy Spirit floods into our soul……As Catholics, if you take the time to read the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church - How we are to live is documented very clearly for us…After you read this document, ask yourself - ”Is this what you see in America, even among many Catholics?…..When I entered college at eighteen years old, I was not a practicing Catholic sadly…I did however go to a Catholic College and the religious order that ran the university took a vow of poverty…I can remember very vividly one of the first days on campus and I was told that the president’s home on the campus was referred to by the faculty as “the mansion”….I thought to myself - “How can a priest who took a vow of poverty live in a mansion?”…Now I am not “point fingers” here - Just raising an important point - Why you may ask? - Because this is how the secular world looks at us Catholics…..When we have been give many things - Do we share them? - Do we have large families open to life? - Do we share with the poor? - Do we live simply?….Again, why do I say this? - Because the world is watching! - And so is God…At the same university where I attended, there was a sign above the library - The sign read…”Those who have been given much - Much will be expected” - We either believe that or we do not - And the Gospel today from Mass about Lazarus and the rich man illustrates this for us very clearly…..”I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life”

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit”

The Gospel today from Mass I believe is something we as Catholics should take very seriously…..It all comes down to how we view our lives - If we are building our “castle” here on earth - We will not share and hoard all the “good things” we have acquired - But if we are looking to heaven and know that we are simply pilgrims “passing through” this world - Then we will share of our resources with others and not count the cost…..We all “heard” the message today from St Luke - How we live matters! - If we share matters!….Once we authentically encounter the Lord - Once we truly “see” him in the Blessed Sacrament - Then and only then will we “see” him in others, most especially the poor….And when we “see” Our Lord in others, it only then makes sense that we will respond…It all comes down to “what we see”….Because before we can help others and share of our resources - We first have to “see” those around us - Do we “see”?….”Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God”….If we “see” then our actions will follow….And our actions will “speak” to the world around us…This is how we “convince” the unbelieving world that God is real - That the Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth…”For I was hungry and you fed me…I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…I was naked and you clothed me…..Talk is cheap…….JMJ

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we hear how the mother of James and John asked Jesus to place her sons on thrones…..Jesus addresses her request telling her as followers of God, earthly status means very little…So the question for us to ponder today is - Do we thirst for earthly status? - Even as we serve God?……."You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”…….When we contemplate the example of Jesus Christ we will quickly see how he lived a simple and humble life…..As St Paul tells us….”For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich”…For the first thirty years of Jesus life, we know very little about him…The Holy Family lived quietly, no one even looked at them twice!…..While Scripture does not document what their life was all about in Nazareth, I would guess that they lived upstanding lives, yet their example was given no fanfare……This is the life that Catholics around the world should aspire to live - But do we?….Living humbly - Living Simply - “Speaking” by our example……Is this the life you live?……The example of the Holy Family for the first thirty years in the life of Jesus Christ should be our model…..What we do for God and the Church does not have to bring us awards and accolades…And if it does, use the opportunity to point to God…..St Matthew warns us of the trap set for us by the devil himself - Even in our service for the Lord and to the Church - ”All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers”…….As servants of God, we must be mindful of why we do what we do - We should work for an audience of one - And that audience is God alone…Mother Teresa reminds us - “We are not called to be successful - We are called to be faithful…And if our work for the Lord “bears fruit”, let us know that our success is due to God’s grace…..In order to embrace such a mindset, a Catholic must deeply understand the creature - creator paradigm….We were created by God and without God “we can do nothing” - When we lose sight of this reality, we start to think more of ourself and less of God and in doing, we get “lost” - Even in our service for God and the Church!……..“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you”…The devil is shrewd, he can turn even our religious devotions into prideful displays….Be mindful and Be humble - Know who you truly are - A sinner in need of mercy - And give thanks - For God is merciful

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life”

It was not until I started to work with Mother Teresa’s sisters in 2007 that I began to understand what it means to live a “hidden life”…What I mean by a “hidden life” is to serve the Lord without fanfare…This was the life of the Holy family, St Joseph and Our Lady are the best examples of witnessing this lifestyle for us….The Missionaries of Charity do so many amazing things…They serve the poorest of the poor tirelessly, in every corner of the world and for the most part, no one even realizes it - And they do not care that the world does not “see” what they do - Because everything they do is done for God alone…This is how we must model our life as Catholics….I can remember the years I was the driver for the Missionaries of Charity in New York City…How many times people on the street wanted to take their picture and how the sisters would always politely decline…In this era of “selfies” and social media, the Missionaries of Charity live counter-culturally - They live this away because they know who they are at their core - Children of God - The sisters do not need to be the center of attention - God must be the center - And their witness “screams” this message without using words…..Because of their witness and influence, I am a better Catholic today…The world needs witnesses - Because people believe what they see!…..Aspire to live the “hidden life” as a Catholic….Work tirelessly and quietly to build the Kingdom of God and your Father in heaven who sees all things will one day reward you with the an eternal crown of life.

“Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”……They said to him, "We can."

Today at Mass St Matthew tells us a story of an over ambitious mother….Before we “point fingers” and criticize the Mother of James and John - Let us look at our own life….Do we work quietly in the vineyard of the Lord? - Do we aspire to live a hidden life in the service for God and His Church?……Looking at social media today, a very different picture is projected, even within the walls of the Church at times……The Holy Family should be our example, St Joseph and Our Lady put Jesus first - They were in the background, working day and night - They lived this way because they understood first who Jesus was and secondly, they understand who they were in relation to Jesus - The question is - Do we?……In the beginning of Lent when the priest places ashes on our forehead, these words are said to us….."Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”……These words are to reminder us about our own mortality…..Its very easily to lose sight of the fact that one day we will die, most especially if we have been gifted with many things - And if we have been gifted by God - We can start to “think” we are something we are not - And that is the trap set for us by the devil….So be humble and remain that way! - But how? - Is humility just a word Catholics like to “throw around”?……In order to authentically live a humble life,  we must feel the effects of a humble life - That comes down to our daily choices and the sacrifices we make for others that cost us deeply - You do not learn how to be humble by reading a book!….A person who lives in this manner stays grounded and focused knowing that true greatness rests in God alone and at the end of the day, we are simply sinners in need of mercy….Do we recognize that reality? - Regardless of all the “great things” we do?……………"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”……..JMJ

”If you are willing, and obey” - There is the key to it all - The rest is up to us

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear from the Prophet Isaiah…In this passage Isaiah is addressing the sins of mankind in a very direct manner…..Can we disagree with him?….We are all sinners - This is the driving reason why Jesus came to us - To forgive our sins……”Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow”…Do we take for granted the driving purpose of Jesus Christ’s mission on earth? - Do we assume that if we profess a belief in Christ with our words that we are automatically forgive our sins?……The Church has taught perennially that Catholics must at the minimum participate in at least one Sacramental Confession each year……Are we as the Body of Christ doing this?…And if we are, is going to Confession once a year enough to grow in virtue and become the people we were born to be?…..The Catholic Church in America has in many ways minimized the need for frequent confession…..The saints tell us (Pope John Paul II; Padre Pio & Fulton Sheen) that going to confession once a month is a very efficacious practice to develop….So why are we reluctant to listen to the saints?…..The Prophet Isaiah goes on in today’s reading……”Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!”…….We are given a chance to ask God for mercy and forgiveness while we still have life here on earth - But time does run out!……Notice the words Isaiah uses in this passage - “ If you are willing, and obey” - This is a conditional statement…Do we again take for granted that we are entitled to eat the “good things of the land” without meeting the established condition, which is to repent Sacramentally?…..The human mind many times deludes itself of the Truth - But the teaching of the Church is clear and so are the words of the prophets and the saints…The rest is up to us.

"Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?"

Protestantism has made its way into Catholic thinking in America - Far too many people “think” we just float into heaven based upon the “I’m a good guy” approach….The Church has not, nor never will teach such an idea, but sadly this mindset has made its way into Catholic thinking in America……What the Church has taught perennially is that we need to be sanctified over the course of our life in order to “be ready” to stand before the Lord - This takes time and grace - We must also live and grow in virtue…Frequent Sacramental Confession helps us with this process….For one, frequent confession holds us accountable….A person who makes this a practice knows that if he or she commits a sin, they will soon have to confess it…Secondly, frequent confession, opens a Catholic up to grace, which helps us to overcome even our venial sins…..This is vital and this allows God to “work” in our life, opening “the door” to divine grace….Remember, becoming a holy people is not an automatic - We must give God permission to act in our life…..Both clergy and lay leadership in the Catholic Church needs to promote the practice of frequent confession….Our people need to hear more about this spiritual practice from both the pulpit and the pews alike!…”And I say: Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people’s way”……Good habits are developed over time….But leaders must lead by example….Our people need to “see” the benefits of living a vibrant sacramental life in real time….Holiness is attractive and it can’t be self manufactured nor can you become holy by reading a book - It requires God’s grace and in order to receiving that grace we must “make room” for God in our life….We have everything we need to make this happen as a Catholic - Maybe its time to “shout the path forward” from the roof tops? - People do not “know what they do not know”, remember that, they must be told and more importantly shown by a living example. - That is what a leader does - He leads by example.

“Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit”

Today the Prophet Isaiah has some strong words for the people…..You can summarize the entire first reading from Mass into one word - Repent!….When was the last time you heard this word spoken to you?……Jesus Christ himself said that the greatest man ever born of a woman was John the Baptist and John really had one message for the world to hear….”Repent and Believe the Gospel”…….Think about that message for a moment - Notice John did not say “believe the Gospel” first - In fact, if we try to understand what the Gospel is trying to teach us without first repenting of our sins Sacramental, we will never understand its intended meaning…Jesus Christ walked this earth to “take away the sins of the world”…Its for us to allow him to do just that - But before that happens - We must give Jesus permission to free us of our sins….This begins with us saying these words to a Catholic priest…”Bless me Father for I have sinned”…..One Sacramental Confession can erase a lifetime of sin and the practice of frequent Sacramental Confession transform us into a holy people…......”If you are willing, and obey” - There is the key to it all - The rest is up to us………………..JMJ

Forgive and you will be forgiven

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke, that if we call ourselves Christian - We must forgive - At all costs…Easier said then done - But that does not change the directive one bit…..”Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you”…….How do we do this? - The answer - Divine Grace…..To forgive in this radical manner is humanly impossible…..How do we receive this divine grace?….We must radically surrender to God and empty our selves of our selves, so God can fill us with his Holy Spirit…….Catholics pray the Lord’s Prayer daily and when we do, we say the words….”Forgive us our trespass as we forgive those who trespass against us” - Do we realize what we say when those words come out of our mouth?…..If a person is to carry out this radical concept of forgiveness, which Jesus himself taught us….There must be a certain level of detachment from secular world views…One can not be “worldly” in word and deed and forgive radically…..The “world” looks to “even the score”…The “world” looks to “get ahead”…One can not forgive and do those things….For a person to carry out the words of Christ, when it comes to mercy and forgiveness - One must be focused on heaven as their one and only goal…………...”Winning Out” or “Settling a Score” can not be of a concern….And again, this implies sacrifice on the part of anyone who attempts to live in this manner - Are you willing to live in this manner? - To live sacrificially? - To live for heaven?….Many say they do - But when it comes time to forgive a grevious wrong committed against them - Their words fade way and “old habits” settle back in……This is why to racially forgive as Jesus asks of us to requires divine grace and detachment….And we cannot self manufacture this grace - We are only given it if we cooperate with Jesus so he can fully animate our life…..This is how we enter into enteral life and this is how we “forgive those who trespass against us.”
 

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life”

When you look at the news one sees just how cruel mankind can be - How can a person forgive such atrocities?……Again, it all boils down to how you see the world and what your ultimate goal is…..Is you “end game” heaven”…or…Is your “end game” to thrive on this earth…..As Scripture tells us…“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon”…To radically forgive in the manner that Jesus asks of us may require you to seem weak to the world at times….To maybe not get the job you were working for….To take “a back seat”…Are you willing to go there? - At the request of Jesus? - To live for heaven and not to “thrive” here on earth……..These three words said from the heart - “I am sorry” - Carry with them so much power…Saying those words from the heart can de-escalate some of the most heated conflicts mankind can face….Yet we are unwilling to say them - Because of our pride…..Each of us are sinners and every practicing Catholic knows when he or she goes to a Sacramental Confession with a priest that we are forgiven by God….So how can we then not forgive others their trespasses against us?…..Time does not heal our wounds - Time makes our wounds fester - Only Sacramental Grace and the Holy Spirit can accomplish within us this radical request by Jesus Christ - To forgive…..This is why Jesus and his message is the answer to many, if not all of our words problems….And in order to convince the world of this solution - The world has to “see” the Gospel radically lived out……One act of racial forgiveness can open the “eyes of the blind”…And talking about such an act does not make it happen….We must live as we say we believe - And that requires divine grace.

“Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name's sake”

Today at Mass we are reminded of our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness - And as we know, all we have to do is ask for it in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and God will forgive us - Great!…But there is a condition - And that condition is, we too must forgive others who have wronged us…Each time we sin, we trespass against Jesus Christ himself, who gave everything he had for us, even his own blood!…Do you ever ponder that reality?…..Therefore we too must forgive - But we don’t….Why? - Could it be we are looking to “get ahead” here on earth? - To settle a score? - To win at all costs?……..This secular mindset must be banished from our soul…..To forgive radically requires us to live racially….We will never be able to forgive as Jesus asks of us, if we do not realign our priorities - Loving God above all things and Loving our neighbor as our self - If these are our priorities, we can and will forgive with the help of God’s grace…If not - We simply will not……And if we refuse to forgive others - God will not forgive us…..”For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” - Stop and think about that for a minute!…..As Catholics, we are quick to say a “bunch of words” when we pray…But do we mean them? - More importantly - Do we live those words?……”If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions”…..God seems to mean what he is telling us here - Do we take Jesus at his word?…..Forgive and you will be forgiven…………JMJ

Listen to Him!

Today at Holy Mass in the second reading from St Paul, we are told that its not our works that make us holy, but its the grace of God that does….Our works are a fruit of the Holy Spirit that animates us when we make room for it…When we clear away all the “things” and aspects of our life that “get in the way” of God’s will…..”He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”……I find this statement interesting because the world looks at “good works” and does not understand where they come from - Everything we do as Catholics come from our interior life, that should imply that if we do not develop our interior life, there will be no good works…..

Today the Universal church commemorates the Transfiguration of Jesus…..Peter, James and John witnessed this miracle…And at the time did not understand it at all………”Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. 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”……Peter, James and John were the “inner circle” of the original disciples and even they did not understand what they saw when Jesus transfigured before their eyes…This should tell us something today……That as Catholics, even though we possess the fullness of the Truth and have two thousand years of tradition and teaching to read and comprehend…There is still so much more about God that is still a mystery…..Even Our Lady appeared to not fully understand everything as it occurred in real time…For example - Remember, we were told in the pages of Scripture that when Our Lady found Jesus in the Temple, after he was lost, speaking with the high priests - Scripture tells us - ”And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart”…….We too must “reflect” on the life and teachings of our Lord daily…..God is a mystery in so many ways and we must fully realize that we as human beings are very limited…Knowing this should help us to embrace humility all the more, which in turn will lead us closer to Our Lord.

“Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you”

God is the master builder…..There is an old saying - “Man plans and God laughs”…The minute we “think” we figured out what God is going to do - He throws a “curve ball” at us - Because of this reality, we need to be open and flexible to the workings of the Holy Spirit and discern in prayer how God is not only sanctifying us individually by events we sometimes do not fully understand but is moving his Church in the world today…..We only see so much as human beings and what is to come has not been fully revealed…To have this mindset we must learn to trust like a child - Trusting that God is working!…….A good example of this is when a Pope is chosen…Every time this happens, the media prints story after story about who they “think” will be the next Pope…In my adult lifetime…Every time this happens - The media gets it completely wrong and the man that appears on the balcony at the Vatican to be the next Pope is someone most of the world never heard of…This is how the Holy Spirit works…And we must be open to it - And accept it…None of us - No matter who we are - Knows better then God!….And God’s ways are not our ways…..This is why we must trust beyond what we see and in some cases trust belong what we even “think” - Too much “thinking” can be no good - What is needed is prayer!…The secular world will read this and concluded Catholics who think and believe in this manner are simply “sheep”….I disagree - Catholics who think in this manner trust explicitly….We do not have to understand everything about our faith to believe it - This idea is a “sticking point” for the people today who consider themselves to be too “sophisticated”….When moments of confusion and trial happen in the life of the Church….I personally recall the words of Jesus to Peter, the first Pope…..”And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”….The Pope, no matter who he is, was given authority by the only one with authority - Jesus Christ…Therefore we must trust and obey - Even if we do not understand fully…..…God will never abandon his Church!…The Catholic Church, while run by men is not simply a human institution - There is a very real element of the divine at work in it always - So when we do not understand something, as Peter, James and John did not understand in real time when Jesus was transfigured before their eyes - Its at those moment that we must trust…Trusting God’s hand - The hand of God is more reliable then anything we may “think” we “understand”….This is hard for some - And in many cases, only the simple and child-like can do this…Maybe this is why Jesus told us……“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me” 

“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.”

Today in St Matthew’s Gospel we heard the story of the Transfiguration…..Peter, James and John were not only afraid when they saw Jesus transfigured before their eyes, but they seemed to not understand what was being communicated to them by the event….”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”…Clearly Jesus did not bring these three men with him for Peter to build a few tents! - Once again, Peter missed the point!…..But notice what happened next - A voice was heard by Peter, James and John and the voice said the following….“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” - And ultimately that is exactly what they did - Peter, James and John did not understand fully what they saw in real time - But God the Father told them something very important - “Listen to him” - And that is exactly what they did…..And this is what we too must do today - Listen to him!…We do not always have to understand everything - But we do have to believe everything……….“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the LORD’s command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen, better than the fat of rams”………Our Lady shows us the way - So does St Joseph….Be Obedient - Be Humble - And if we are - God will come close to us and we will be his people……….Listen to Him!…………………JMJ

”Pick up your Cross and follow me!”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy….God addresses his people and tells them that they are obliged to obey his commandments…There is a “bad word” today - Obey - Far too many people can’t seem to understand that its in our best interest to obey God - God is not an ogre - He loves us!….”And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised”….Notice the language used….”You are to be a people peculiarly his own” - Now comes the conditional word - “provided” - Ready for it?!?…….While each of us is far from perfect, if we do not accept ALL the teachings of Christ ands the one Church he founded - The Catholic Church - And do our very best to follow them - And when we fall short, ask God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation for forgiveness - And have a firm purpose of amendment for our sins - If we do not act and think in this manner - How can we possibly “think” we are “a people peculiarly his own”? - How?….I will tell you how - The human mind has a way to twist and convince itself of many things - Its called “self preservation”….We rationalize away our salvation for comfort - When the Scriptures are crystal clear!……”But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother”….It does not get any clearer then that - Right?!?……So “strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough”……..Without God’s grace - Without the aide of the Sacraments - Without daily prayer - Without weekly fasting…The likelihood of “being perfect” is slim to none as we say in New Jersey….Jesus gave us a Church and Our Lady for a reason….To help us “carry our cross” and enter through the “narrow gate” which leads the salvation…..To “think” otherwise is foolish…Left to our own devices, we will fail - But with God all things are possible…Those who have ears - Let them hear!

“Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation”

American Christianity has a false belief that we can simple say - “We believe in Jesus Christ” and with that claim - “We are “saved” - Really? - Jesus did not say that………How can anyone come to that conclusion after reading the words of Jesus Christ himself in Scripture……There is no getting around it……We must “pick up our cross and follow” the one and only man that can save us and we do that by the way we live our life and by the choices we make…Again, the human mind can “play tricks” on us - But reality is reality….And heaven and hell is reality!…………..Years ago I got into a discussion with a man who left the Catholic Church who believed the Protestant rationalization of “once saved always saved” - That once you proclaim Jesus to be you savior, you are guaranteed eternal salvation…I told this man that such a belief is not biblical…Now keep in mind, Protestants say they “believe everything in the bible”…Ok - So do Catholics - And the words of Christ do not validate the “once saved always saved” Protestant delusion…..So I told this man that I would take the very bible in his hand and find verse after verse that refutes this self rationalization…..So that is what I did - I filled a single piece of paper, front and back, of verses from the bible that refute the “once saved always saved” Protestant doctrine…And when I tried to give this man the paper filled with Biblical verses - He refused to read it…..”I thought you believed everything in the Bible?” - I guess not…..As St Paul tells us…”We hear what our itchy ears want to hear”…..Bottom line - We do not get into heaven on “our owns terms”…..Jesus Christ told us - He is “the Way” - He did not say he was the custom……..”Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”…Does it get any clearer than that? - And the words I just cited come from Jesus’ mouth - And they are in the Bible - They are not my words - I did not make them up - Go figure?

“You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping your statutes!”

Today we hear at Mass in the Gospel Jesus say to his disciples…..”So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect”….We also hear in the first reading at Mass that we as Catholics are obliged to keep the commandments…..How can we possibly “think” we are exempt from this?……Catholic teaching is very clear - All we have to do is read it…The words of Scripture are very clear as well……Being that we are all sinners and are far from perfect, should give us all the more reason why we need to rely of grace and take the words of Christ and his Church seriously…..There is no way we can do what God asks of us without grace!….This is why Jesus did not write a book - The bible was written roughly 400 years after the death of Christ - Jesus however did give us a Church - And he gave it to us for a reason…And here is the reason……”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”…..Can it be stated any clearer than that?!?…….As we say in New Jersey - “It is what it is”….”Pick up your Cross and follow me!”……………….JMJ

God makes saints out of sinners

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus tells us something that is rather shocking……"I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven”…As we all know, Jesus was constantly addressing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees but here he seems to be complimenting them……..Interesting……The Pharisees took the law seriously and for the most part, lived good lives…Their problem was, the law became a idol in and of itself…In essence, the law replaced God…..What Jesus is telling us here is, we are not to disregard to commands of God, they are to be used as a tool to lead is to God and keep us safe…….And Jesus goes on to say, we must respond to the commands of God, even the “little things” that many seem insignificant…."You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,  will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift”…….But how do we follow Jesus and the laws of God to the degree we are asked to today in the Gospel?…Seems impossible right?……Well, if we do not cooperate with God’s grace - It is impossible…But with God all things are possible!…..A good priest told me many years ago…”Joe - We do not just float into heaven”….We must allow God to transform us….And that takes time…..Everything we do and everything we are as Catholics comes down to GRACE!….But if we do not avail ourselves to the grace, we will fail…..The “cup of our life” must be “emptied” in order for God to fill it….This is our task - “To empty the cup”…….God will take care of the rest.


“Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, And make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit”

The famous American President Abraham Lincoln had a saying….."Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”…..This statement applies directly to our interior life….Most Catholics do the exact opposite of what Lincoln is telling us…They do not spend enough time “sharpening the axe” before they attempt to “chop down the tree”…..What do I mean by that?….They do not prioritize their interior life and attempt to do God’s work before they are ready….A huge mistake…We can not give what we do not have…..Everything we do comes from our interior life…..A Catholic that prays daily, fast weekly, and lives a Sacramental life is prepared to successfully complete whatever task the Lord gives to them…And it is the Lord that chooses the task….However, when we rely upon ourself, when we choose the task and when we attempt to accomplish this self appointed task, odds on we will fail……In the Gospel today - Jesus is telling us that we must follow the commands of God very careful, as did the Pharisees…Far too many Catholics disregard this very direct request from Christ….And the only way we are able to accomplish this “ask” from Jesus is to live in the state of grace……St Paul reminds us….”Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more”….There is nothing we cannot over come, no temptation we cannot resist and no bad habit we cannot defeat if we radically surrender our will to God and allow his grace to animate our soul…..Again, the mistake made by far too many, they attempt to do this on their own…And that is why they fail.

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication”

Today Jesus in St Matthew’s Gospel tells us we can not disregard to commands of God….I have heard this time and time again - Especially from our Protestant brothers and sisters - “God freed us from the law”…That is incorrect!….Jesus tells us rather clearly…..“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place”…….And once again today at Mass, Jesus “doubles down”…."I tell you,  unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven”…..These directives by Christ implies we must be completely transformed - That the road to heaven is a road of sanctification, which requires us to cooperate with God’s grace……This concept is completely missed by the vast majority of the Christian world, even many Catholics miss it - Falsely thinking that we just “float into heaven” - Because “I’m a good guy”…….What Jesus tells us today should not discourage us - In fact it should motivate us…..There is nothing that God and his Church asks of us that cannot be done - However, we cannot do it without God’s grace!……This is why Jesus gave us a Church, the Catholic Church, where we can receive the Sacraments…..This is why Jesus gave us his Mother…And if we utilize these “gifts” given to us - We surely will do what is asked of us, no matter what vocation we have been called too and in doing so, we shall be transformed - And as a result of our transformation, we as Catholics will transform the world!…....”So be perfect as your heaven father is perfect”…Sounds impossible right?!? - Well it is - If we attempt to be “perfect” without God’s grace - But with God all things are possible...................God makes saints out of sinners……JMJ

Its really that simply - Just “knock on the door” and “the door” will open

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew something that should give us hope…All we have to do is ask God to come into our life - And he will - Its as simple as that……..“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”…St Matthew in this Gospel commentary portrays God as a father who gives freely to his children….A being a father myself of five children I can relate…..God loves us so why would he not come to us if we only ask him……As Americans a deep streak of individualism runs through our veins….We want to do things our way - We do not nee any help - We “get it” and no one else does…..I have heard it all before!……Yet, within each of us, in every cell of our body, is a longing for God…A life lived without God is incomplete, no matter who you are…..How do we rectify this longing? - First, we must acknowledge it!…..Human pride masks our deep desire for God - We do this by chasing after “stuff”….We try to fill the void with “something” else only to come up short each and every time - So first, before we ask God to come into our life - We have to first acknowledge our need for God….What else must we do?….Well - St Matthew tells us today in the Gospel - We have to simply ask God to enter our life…This required humility - May people will never do this because of their pride and as we say in New Jersey - By not asking God to come into our life - “We cut off our nose in spite of our face” - The only loser in that proposition is you sadly……The world today asks the question - Where is God? - To address this question directly - God is everywhere - God is in YOU!…….All we have to do is “knock” and the “door will be open” - Its really that simple

“Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me”

I have heard secular people say…How am I to pray?…..The answer to that question is simple - Speak to God as you would a good friend…Praying does not have to be complicated…And the best prayer outside of going to Mass is to simply sit in silence before the Blessed Sacrament…Anyone can do this - Which means you do not have to be Catholic…And if you are Catholic and are not practicing your faith for “whatever reason” or you are Catholic and not living in the state of grace - Sitting in silence before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is a good place to start!……Jesus knows each of us better then anyone else does - In fact - Jesus knows us better than we know our very self…And if you make it a practice to sit before Christ in silence infront of the Blessed Sacrament - God will speak to you in a way only you can understand…..This practice of making a weekly Holy Hour needs to be made more pervasive across the Universal Church…..Not everyone has the time to make a Holy Hour everyday, especially married couples with children - But I believe everyone can make a Holy Hour once a week…My wife and I do it and have five children under eleven years old - If we can do it - So can you - Make the time!…….This is what Mother Teresa said about making a Holy Hour…….”Perpetual adoration is the most beautiful thing you could ever think of doing. People are hungry for God. Imagine for a moment that we are living in Jesus’ time and He has invited us to visit with Him and spend some quiet time getting to know Him better. Being aware who He was, we would be humbled and honored by such an invitation. The good news is that Jesus is here with us TODAY – body, blood, soul and divinity – in the Holy Eucharist”………I am of the opinion that Eucharistic Adoration is the answer to the many problems in the Universal Church today…..Both the clergy and the laity alike will “find” the answers to these problems by sitting in silence before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament…Again, circling back to Mother Teresa - A journalist once asked her - “What is your secret?”….Mother Teresa responded - “I pray”…Its really that simple…….“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”….Why do we make what is simple so complicated?

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

Today at Mass St Matthew tells us - Finding God is easy…All we have to do is ask and approach God just as we are - And he will respond…Now as far as Catholics are concerned - Let’s face it - We all need help to become transformed, to become the people we were born to be - None of us are perfect - Right?!? - All the more reason we should approach God….Remember, Jesus did not come for the righteous, he came for sinners……And if you are in an “irregular situation” - If you are “caught up” in lifestyle that took you away from God - A good start to “get back on the road” to God is to simply sit before the Blessed Sacrament in silence - Do this each week and watch what happens…..The answer to so many of the problems we face are not as complicated as we make them out to be…..Stick to “First Principals” - Learn to walk before you attempt to run…..Make time each week to spend an hour with Jesus in silence - If you do, you will feel his peace in the very room when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar - And before you know it - The peace only God can give us, which the world can not take away will enter you!……”Invest in yourself” - Commit to a weekly Holy Hour…….Its really that simply - Just “knock on the door” and “the door” will open……………..JMJ

Because nothing is impossible with God!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear about the story of Jonah…He was given a daunting task…Go into an evil city (Nineveh) and tell the people of that city to repent…And when Jonah heard what was asked of him…He ran away!…But God did not give up on Jonah - He knew he had the right guy for the job…So God “convinced” Jonah and as a result - Jonah put aside his fear and went about his task - Preaching repentance to Nineveh…Imagine if that was you?!?…Picture this - God asks you to go into the worst prison in the United States - That you are to be found guilty of a crime you did not commit by a corrupt court in America and your task is to preach repentance in the most violent prison in the United States of America and you would be successful doing it….What would you say to God if he told you that?…..Would you think it was possible that the inmates in the worst prison in the United States would be capable of seeing the error of their ways and repent?…Would you run away as Jonah did?…….Now lets think of the task given to Jesus - Jesus was God  - I “get it” - But think of what God the Father asked of him…….Jesus suffered and died violently for sinners….And the majority of the people during Jesus’ time rejected him….Now think about the millions of people that have rejected him over the last two thousand years since his death - YET - Jesus still did what was asked of him!!!……What should we take away from those examples as Catholics today? - What is God asking of you?……Far too often we look to the results of our actions - All the “things” we do for the Church - And think to ourself - Did it work out? - Did it bear fruit? - Was “my time” put to good use?…..Mother Teresa addresses this mind set - “God did not call us to be successful - He called us to be faithful”…..Jesus tells us that if we stay connected to the vine, we will bear fruit - This is absolutely true - However, “the fruit” we bear many not happen in our life time - We may never see it…..So the question(s) is - Are you still interested in working in God’s vineyard? - Are you still interested in attempting the impossible for God?…..As Catholics today, we need to work to build the Kingdom of God and each of us has “something to do” - Do we forget that our God is a God of the impossible?….And like Jonah - Sometimes we are given tasks that seem impossible - When this happens, we must not dwell on the task but on the person who gave us the task - God himself - Our God rose from the dead! - Right!…That should be all the “convincing” we need….That is why in the Gospel of St Luke read to us at Mass today we are told…..”At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here”…That “something” is Jesus Christ - Who rose from the dead…We do not need a sign - Stop looking for one! - We have everything we need - So get to work!
 

“Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful”

How do the saints do what they do?…..If we read the lives of the saints we will hear stories of men and woman, who had no money, no education, no help from others….and yet they accomplished things that the most elite Business Schools in the world would marvel at…..How did these saints do it?…..For starters, they took Jesus at his word, radically surrendered their will to God, lived Sacramentally, prayed daily, and fasted weekly…While the many saints are different, the “formula” these men and woman followed is basically the same…So here is the question - What is stopping us from following their example?…A Catholic saint is nothing more then an example - They point to Jesus and they teach us how we are to follow Christ in very real and tangible ways…Again the question comes up - Why don’t we follow the “formula” they gave to us?…….Before I was married I would travel to Kolkata India to serve the poor with Mother Teresa’s sisters during Advent …I did that for six years…….During that time I got an inspiration to ask my pastor in New Jersey to sponsor a poor parish in Kolkata and establish a “sister parish” there…And when I asked Fr Stanley (my pastor) this “crazy” inspiration of mine - I was kind of shocked that he agreed…..Over the years and even after I stopped going to India, Fr Stanley and the priest in the poor parish in Kolkata kept in touch…Fr Stanley sent close to fifty thousand dollars to that parish, which was a huge amount of money for an Indian parish - Keep in mind, the parish in Kolkata only collected around ten US dollars each week at Sunday Mass……Due to Fr Stanley’s generosity, the parish in India began to thrive…So much so…They renamed the church after Fr Stanley’s Church in New Jersey - St Michael the Archangel Parish in the Diocese of Kolkata - To this very day - That name has remained…..Why bring this story up?…..If you told me that I was going to be “the bridge” between a Church in New Jersey and a Church in Kolkata India and tens of thousands of dollars would be raised - I would have told you that you were crazy…But that is what happened…God did the impossible once again…..And he used the son of a simple barber from New Jersey to do this - That son of a barber was me!…"God does not call the equipped, He equips the called”…..If God can use me - He surely can use you!

“For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn”

Today at Mass St Luke tells us point-blank…..”There is something greater than Jonah here”……He also tells us that - “No sign will be given to this generation”…Why do you think that is the case?…..Because Jesus already told us, as well as gave us everything we need…The questions then become - Do we believe him?…and….Are we using what he gave us?………Mother Angelica founded the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in America - She was contemplative nun living in Alabama, with no media experience what-so-ever…Yet she founded a media empire that would revival any secular corporate media company anywhere in the world……How did that happen?…How could that happen?……..Mother Angelica put it best - ”Unless you are willing to do the ridiculous, God will not do the miraculous. When you have God, you don’t have to know everything about it; you just do it.”……..Sounds to me Mother Angelica heard what St Luke told us today at Mass - ”There is something greater than Jonah here”……Maybe it’s time we stop saying and thinking what God asks of us as Catholics is “impossible”……….Because nothing is impossible with God!………….JMJ

God is at work…..So don’t get lost in the “fog”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah that the word of God will not only be carried out here on earth but it will bear fruit….How easy we forget this in the midst of the chaos we see and live through in this world!……”Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it”……God is at work! - But his work takes place “under the radar” of the secular world…Just as when Jesus was born in a remote village to poor parents - God today is at work right under “the nose” of the world……As the secular world chases after “stuff”, which ultimately turns to dust and means nothing in the end - God is building his Kingdom, Transforming souls, feeding his people on his very flesh!…..Its up to us to acquire “eyes to see” God at work in the here and now…..Jesus tells us in the pages of Scripture that “the last will be first and the first will be last”…..When Jesus returns, the power structures of the world will flip!…..The Catholic faith and the works of the Gospel are currently disregarded by the secular world - When Jesus returns - What is disregarded will be front and center!…….St Luke tells us - “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand”….Again, how easy we forget this reality…….And because we forget this, Jesus warns us…..”I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”…Trust in the one to come - He said he would return and because he said it - It will happen!- In the mean time - “Put your shoulder to the plow” and don’t look back! - The Kingdom of God is at hand!

“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God”

I have worked on Wall Street at an International Global Bank for nearly thirty years….Working in this environment in New York City makes it very easy to “lose sight” of the Kingdom of God….This is why I make a deliberate effort to use my free time wisely and place myself in situations where are can “see” God at work…..As a Lay volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity I would see first hand the “underbelly” of New York City…While the wealthy bankers of Wall Street go home to beautiful homes, eat good food and experience the best America has to offer…So many in New York City struggle and barely survive…..On Wednesdays when I was serving with Mother Teresa’s sisters in Manhattan, we would go to Chinatown and bring hot meals to people who lived in boarding house above the restaurants…These apartments were the size of closets and in some cases filthy!…..The secular world would not believe how some people live in New York City and frankly even if they did see what I saw, the question then becomes - Would they care?….But as the unbelieving world goes about its “business” - The Missionaries of Charity are building God’s Kingdom here on earth…And very few people notice!…..The work of Mother Teresa’s nuns is done quietly and in many respects, this is how God works in our life - Quietly! -  Feeding our soul as we cooperate with him through daily prayer, weekly fasting and Sacramental living…”There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound”…..The works of God are performed in silence but make no mistake - God is at work and his Kingdom is being built in the here and now! - Again right “under the nose” of the world……The culture says to us in word and deed - Where is your God?!?…..This attitude is nothing knew - And Jesus’ response to it is the same as it was two-thousand years ago - “Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you”…..So what should that tell us? - Repent and believe the Gospel - The Kingdom of God is at hand!

“Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him”

Today at Mass we are reminded that God’s word will bear fruit - Do we believe that? - As we see our world today struggle and fall into temptation and sin…..St Paul reminds us - “ Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”…As Catholics we must acquire “eyes to see” - And if we do - We will “see” through “the fog” of the chaos and strife in this world…Just as Good Friday came before Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days later - We too will be redeemed and everything we see around us will be made new!….But in the mean time - We must not lose sight of the reality, which is - That we are an Easter people! - The victory has already been won two thousand years ago!…..Therefore we must keep focused on that victory……Do you remember in the pages of Scripture when Jesus was sleeping on a boat with his disciples and a storm raged on the water? - And the disciples were afraid - So what did they do? - They woke of Jesus, who in turn rebuked the storm…..Jesus was with these men for three years and they seemed to forget who he was - The living God!….. Ask yourself this honestly - Are we any different today?….When the “storms of life” rage around us - How quickly we forget that Christ is close to us and that he is God - How quickly we look to worldly solutions when the answer to our problems is Jesus himself…..We must keep our eyes fixed on Christ and not on the “storm”………God is at work…..So don’t get lost in the “fog”………JMJ