That is how you tell and that is how you “see”

Today at Holy Mass In St Luke’s Gospel we are told something rather interesting…"Can a blind person guide a blind person?”……People “see” what they want to see…The same thing goes with hearing…Facts mean nothing to a person who is “dug in” to a lifestyle choice…Facing such a “fact” would mean changing, or worse, facing the reality that they made a horrible mistake or choice…And pride will NEVER allow that to happen for far too many…So they deflect, ignore and self rationalize their life away…This is what makes people “blind”….Reality is going on all around them and they live in this self-created lie….As a measure of self preservation…..This is what we see with many woman who are rabid supports of abortion…I would bet all I have that most of those women had abortions themselves…And they cannot admit what they did was wrong…So “their wound” becomes a means of “lashing out” to all those who are pro-life…Now lets look at the over side of this….Now you have the Pro-Life side….Many sadly “lash back out” at these women….Do you actually “think” you are helping the situation?….That your words are going to change the minds of these pro-choice women?…..Or…Are you just “blind” too to their wounds and to what will help them?……This is why what Jesus tells us today is so interesting….What we “see” and what we do not “see” has everything to do with how clean our heart is…And how do we have a clean heart?….By confessing our sins regularly, living Sacramentally, fasting, and daily prayer…..By living this way…We see….Because we see through the lens of God….And this kind of “sight” has NOTHING to do with how smart you are…Or the university degrees on your wall…..It has everything to do with the purity of your heart……Jesus goes on to say in the Gospel today that before we “take offense” with our neighbor, we address our own “issues”….Interesting…Does that mean we ignore issues that need to be addressed in society? - Of course not…But it does mean we do not attack others - Knowing we are ALL flawed and are in need of God’s grace and mercy….”How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,'when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye”…….When we attack others because of their sins - What is at the root of this attack?….Do we want to help this person who has made a bad choice?…or…Do we want to “feel better” about ourself?….or….Feel superior to this person?…..Jesus walked among sinners - That did not mean he condoned “bad behavior” - He walked among sinner because he had concerns for them….He wanted to help them…Do we?

“Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth”

By the grace of God go I….Ever think how your life would be if God did not give you the family you had - The education you have - The opportunities allotted to you….You may be shocked at “just how bad” you would have turned out if those things were not given to you! - Notice the word “given”!……How can a person “see”, as he heard in the Gospel today, if they were never shown how to live?…Notice I used the word “shown” - Why - Because people DO NOT CARE what you have to say - They watch what you do!….Trust me - Any person who “puts themselves out there” as a Catholic is “watched” very closely by family, neighbors and friends….Its what you DO that tells these people what you are all about…..So how do we give “sight” to a world that is blind if our words are ignored?….The ONLY way is to live a holy life - Which means we have to life sacrificially….So many people, many of them Catholic, say they “see”…or…They say they want to “see”…But are NOT willing to make the choices so they CAN “see”….And ALL those choices require DEEP sacrifices…..To have a many children and provide for them….To share your wealth with others….To live a chaste life….To live simply….To give of your time to the poor…..To not “cut corners” in business - To live Sacramentally - To not use contraception…..For every one of “these choices” that we refuse to make - This affects what we “see” and what we do not “see”….When Jesus walked this earth, so many did not “see” him for who he was…Jesus to this very day walks among us - Do you "see" him?…He is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament…How do we as Catholics get the world to “see” Christ?…..I got some news for you - ”Posting” on social media is notho we do it……...”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”…Are you willing to “lose your life”? - By giving it away to others?……That is the ONLY way we make the world “see”….The witness of a life lived sacrificially stops traffic!…..Our world needs witness - Not social media warriors…..”Can a blind person guide a blind person? - Will not both fall into a pit?"

“The LORD withholds no good thing from those who walk in sincerity”

Today at Mass the theme of “sight” is brought up again by Jesus…This theme trends throughout the New Testament…..Many claim to “see” in this world….But do they?….Jesus tells us in St Luke’s Gospel…..”Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from”…..Only those who “walk the narrow road” can “see” God - Why is this the case?….Because Jesus walked this road - Its the only “road” he knew!…He still walks it to this today….Are we on that “road” with him? - And how do you know that you are on it or not?…..Those who “give their life way” - They are on that “narrow road” - And those who do not - Are NOT…That is how you tell and that is how you “see”….JMJ

Are those just “words” too?

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the gospel of St Luke what it means to really love….Do we know what love is?…”Love is Love” - Right? - WRONG!!!!…For love to be real it must cost us!…..Jesus tells us today to love our enemies…Hmmmmm! - Interesting - Is this what we see in the “mob” on Catholic Social Media?…….or…….Are the words of Christ just that - Words - Meaningless words?!?….St Paul in the first reading adds to this idea in his letter to the Corinthians……”Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him"…….Again…Is this what we see on “Catholic” Social Media?….Brothers “building up” Brothers…….The words of Jesus Christ must be taken seriously if we expect the world to take us seriously as Catholics…This requires grace….It does not matter how “smart” you think you are! - Without grace - We fail…What are you doing to acquire this needed grace?…Do you fast weekly? - Do you pray daily?…..How about going to frequent confession, which holds us accountable when we fail? - It also gives us grace to overcome our weaknesses……Grace is not self manufactured and your “degrees on the wall” mean very little when it comes to living the Gospel…And its in the living out of the Gospel that we are measured in the end…..“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?”……The “idea” here is that we “win over” our enemy…Not “get the last word in” on a social media thread…or…Win some meaningless debate, which makes us “feel” superior….Jesus does not tell us things in the Gospel to “hear himself talk”!…..How about us?…..Do we “post” on Social Media to hear ourselves talk?…..or……Do we us social media as a means to communicate the Gospel? - As it was written - Not our “version” of it……As Mother Teresa would tell her sisters…”I take Jesus at his word”…..Speaking personally - So do I….I am sure you do as well….This is why we need grace…What are you doing each day to acquire this needed grace?

“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.”

Many of the “asks” of the Gospel are impossible if left to our nature gifts and abilities - “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”…Loving our enemies is one of those “asks”….Without Sacramental grace - THERE IS NO WAY that is going to happen!!!….There are many aspects of the Gospel that are like this...This is why everything we do as Catholics (what I call the daily “blocking and tackling”) must be to “tend to the soil” of our soul, building up of our interior life, making room for God to give us this needed grace......Stop trying to “self manufacture” what cannot be manufactured!…..Many “high achieving people” forget this…They rely on their nature gifts and abilities way too much….God can use the simplest of people and many times that is exactly who he uses - Why? - Because humble people are convinced of they are “nothing” without God…..And when we are “empty of self” - God then fills us with Himself…This is the only way we can love our enemies - If we are “full of ourself” - THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN……Years ago I was laid off from my job at Morgan Stanley….I worked four out of the seven years at Morgan Stanley for my boss Larry - I thought we were good friends…The day I got laid off…Larry did not show up for work - Interesting?!?…And when they laid me off abruptly, he never even reached out to me at home….I was deeply bothered by that…Years later…I was working at another Investment Bank and I heard Larry got laid off…And believe it or not, he reached out to me asking for help to get him a job at my current employer…A part of me wanted to “laugh in his face” and tell him “tough luck”….But instead I saw this an an opportunity to show Larry what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ…So I went out of my way to help him get a job at my bank…Larry did not get the job but he was extremely grateful for all my efforts….And our friendship was restored as a result……”Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same”…..Words matter - Especially Jesus’ words - Do we take them seriously?..And if we do, the only way we can “live those words out” is by God’s grace…Because “without me, you can do nothing” - Right?!?….Are those just “words” too?……..JMJ

“Rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful”

So how are you doing?

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St Luke provides us with the measure by which we can evaluate if we are an true follower of the Gospel…The Beatitudes……This is the “Blue Print” to heaven…How do you “measure up”?…..“Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man”…..Jesus then goes on to tell us what it means to fail in our duties to God and neighbor…”But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false  prophets in this way”…….How many of us view “success” in these terms!?!…..We must choose what “kingdom” we live for - The Kingdom of this earth is diametrically opposed to the Kingdom of heaven…..And there is no sitting on the fence!…..”Polite society” crucified Jesus Christ and we look to “political society” for approval? - WHY?…..As Catholics “our job” is to live in the world but not be of the world….God did not come down from heaven to “accommodate” people…Jesus walked among us to show us a better way - And “the crowd” killed him because they were not “willing to go there” - How about you? - Are you willing to “go there”?….Have people of today changed since the days of Jesus Christ?…What do you think that means for us? - That somehow we can have an easy life and still have God…and get to heaven?….Does not work that way!…..The life of an authentic follower of Jesus Christ is a life of sacrifice…Beware of those who do not live sacrificially - Who do not share - Who have an easy life…..The road to heaven is narrow and the Beatitudes tell us how to walk that road…So how are you doing?

“Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way”

Is money evil?…..The short answer is no….But if you have been blessed by God to have it - Do you share?….That is what makes money evil - When we have it and do not share it…..If you ever want to see what a person cares the most about - Look at his checkbook…Does he spend his money on himself?…or…Does he spend his money on others?…..If we take the time to read the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, many American Catholics just might be shocked…..If you want to do some “homework”…Read Rerum Novarum or Caritas in Veritate…Again, these documents may shock you too…..In my life before I was married, I have traveled extensively throughout the “third world”…I have been to Haiti, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia and India…There are more…You get the point!…I have seen how the majority of the world lives…..Do you somehow think God does not love these people?…..That we in America, who have been blessed, “somehow” are exempt from helping?…..No one ever became poor by sharing….The way I “see it”….As a father of five children…It is my job to provide for my children - Not necessarily giving them what they WANT but providing what they NEED…I must educate them, provide a roof over their head and clothes on their back, feed them….But if I then have extra money, it is my DUTY to help others…Catholics should be detached from material wealth and live simply - Is this what you see? - I ask that because the world is watching?!!?……..And if you do not see it that way…WOE TO YOU!…..Again, do some reading….The Church is very clear in what it teaches about how we are to be good stewards of our wealth….And if you see other Catholics not doing what they are supposed too…Even if those Catholics are among the clergy…THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE…..WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF….”The last will be first and the first will be last”

“Rejoice and leap for joy! Your reward will be great in heaven”

Today we heard at Mass Jesus teach us abut the Beatitudes…Whenever I hear this Gospel - I always think to myself - How am I doing?….The one Beatitude I have the most trouble with is…”Blessed are the meek”…I am not meek sadly - I have a big loud mouth!…And that needs to change!!!!! - St Joseph (the saint I was named after) did not say one word throughout the entire Bible and he is arguably the Church’s greatest saint…..I need grace and beg God for that grace - So pray for me!….The life of a Catholic must be a life of contradiction…..And if your life is “like everyone else” - Stop and think long and hard….Those who have been given much - Much will be expected……And as Baptized Catholics, we have been given the Fullness of Truth - That means we have “full knowledge” as to what is right and wrong……”But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more”……So how are you doing?…..JMJ

God is not found in noise and “all that glitters is not gold”

Today the Universal Church commemorates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary…..This moment in time marks the beginning, in many ways, of God’s plan to save mankind….Mary was born without the smallest hint of original sin….Her heart mirrors PERFECTLY the heart of her son…..And Mary’s fiat - Her YES - To give birth to Jesus Christ echoes to this vey day……As the world was blinded by material pursuits, God choose a simple girl, someone no one even looked twice at, to be the Mother of God…..This all happened in plain sight of the rich and powerful - And they did not even think to look twice at Mary - They still don’t….Yet God through this common girl brought his son into the world…..In many ways this is how the Kingdom of heaven “operates”…It operates quietly, in plain sight, but sadly not noticed by most….The Kingdom of God does not shout - It does not have too…In the first reading today at Mass, the Prophet Micah, who pre-dates the birth of Mary tells us….”You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace”……Our world today is “searching” for God…Consciously or unconsciously - But searching none the less…..God is not found in the “shouts” - Or in the “noise” of we all surround ourselves with….God is found in the small and in the simple….In the women in the last pew of a church at Daily Mass….In the smile of a child…..In the family enjoying a Sunday afternoon in the park….We are looking for God in the wrong places!…..God choose Mary and for the most part - No one noticed….To this day, nothing has changed…..If we are to find God, we must make time for silence…To listen to the ever-small voice in our hearts….Its there we find Him….And if we want to keep Him - We must follow a “different path” from those who embrace “the noise”…..To this very day, Jesus comes to us under the guise of simple bread…He is very vulnerable in that humble state - Yet he comes to us anyway….This happens in plan sight and “the world” still does not notice….As the plan of salvation progresses forward!…..The purity of our heart determines what we “see” and don’t “see”…..Intellectually knowing something and seeing something are two very different things!

“Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God”

For those who work in “Corporate America”, we know how the powerful of this world “operate”….Only those with the “best” resumes get hired…”Money moves the dial” - And the “big show” of material wealth is the measure of a person's value…God however “operates” completely in a different way!….God choose Mary and Joseph to raise the Son of God…..They were “nobodies” in the eyes of the world!…Yet this is who God chose…All this happened in plain sight and for the most part - No one noticed!……Years ago I used to get my shirts for work dry cleaned professionally….On Saturday I would drop off and pick up my shirts…..In the window of the dry cleaner I would always see this Hispanic woman working quietly…She probably took the bus into town because clearly she could not afford to live where the dry cleaner was located…This is the woman who did all the work and no one gave her a second look!….Sometimes when I saw this woman, who clearly was very poor I would think to myself of Mary….Our Lady too was invisible - She was always in the “background”…Yet Mary - This ”invisible woman” changed the world with her YES!!!!….Do we “notice” those who society disregards?….Do we evaluate people based upon the standards of the materialistic world?……Mary and Joseph as the world frantically “raged” - Very quietly raised the Son of God!….”The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us” - And again - No one noticed….To this very day, Jesus Christ is not found and WILL NOT be found in NOISE…..If you ever go into a chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed…Something my wife and I do regularly, you will find that many of the people who are sitting in that chapel too are “nobodies”….People the world could “care less about”….But these are “God’s people”…And these are the people God works through - Quietly

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins"

Today the world rages on!……People will “chase after money”…..Argue over non-sense!…Concern themselves with superficial ideologies that will amount to nothing!….As all this happens, the Catholic Church commemorates the birthday of the most significant woman who ever was born - And most people have no clue!…..How ironic……”Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. 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”……God stands before us to this very day - We find Him in the Blessed Sacrament - But if our hearts are not clean - We will not see him there….How many people take for granted the gift of the Blessed Sacrament? - How many people walk by a Catholic Church in big cites all over the world and do not even give the Church a “second glance”?…..Years ago, I was helping two nuns set up for a Holy Hour in a Church in New York City…..When the Blessed Sacrament was exposed on the altar and the doors of the Church were opened….I looked at all the people walk by on the street - Only three of us were in the Church - me and the two nuns…I thought to myself….The Savior of the world is in this Church and all these people are “blind” to Him - They could care less!…..So it was on the day Mary was born - And so it is to this day….”Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God”…..God is not found in noise and “all that glitters is not gold”…….JMJ

Worry about yourself! - That is a “full time job”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke we hear about how the “scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely”…..Jesus taught before their eyes and clearly, at the minimum, they understood what this man said and did “cut people to the heart”…That did not matter!….They wanted to trap him!…..Do we give people “credit when credit is due” them?……..Social Media is filled with “short clips”….That includes Catholics Social Media…Many make a “living” out of “tearing down” Bishops and the Pope…”Sound bites” are extracted, without giving any context and agendas are broadcasted to the world….Why do we want to teardown?……The answer can only be found in our own hearts - Search for the answer - WHY!?!….Today in the Gospel Jesus knew he was being “watched”…He knew that if he helped this poor man on the Sabbath, that he would be criticized….And he helped him anyway!….Think for a moment of our Pope…He is no “dummy”…He knows that every single word he says is going to be dissected all over the world…Yet, he still gives of himself to the press and the throngs of people who hang on his every word…Speaking personally, I would not be as gracious!……Maybe that is why I am not the Pope!…..Upon reflection on the Gospel reading today - I thought to myself - Do I do what the scribes and the Pharisees do?….Do I “watch people closely” on social media - Looking for them to “slip up”?….And if they do - Do I pray for them? - Or - Do I criticize them? - Or, worse yet - Do I criticize them for money!…..We are all apart of the Body of Christ and if one of our members sins, this affects the entire body….How can we help each other?…First off, by not “jumping on top of the pile” in the social media “scrum” - By attacking others…Secondly, when we see this behavior - Do we pray for those who do “pile on”? - They may "think" they are “doing good” - May the Lord “open their eyes”!….Because healthy people do not behave in this manner…Listen, I am far from perfect - “I get it” - But to obsess about the sins of others 24/7…Something is wrong there - Look deep within your heart and address what is wrong - Take it to Jesus Sacramentally…..In this Gospel story today…Are we like Jesus? - Who helps a man, even when he knows he is going to be attacked?…Or…Are we like the scribes and the Pharisees, who find fault because Jesus did not do his “good deed” the way they wanted him too?……As I tell my children when they fight with one another and then tell me “who did what” and who should be blamed and who should get in trouble….I tell them this - Worry about yourself! - That is a “full time job”!

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me”

I go to confession two times a month….There is a parish behind my office in Manhattan where I attend daily Mass and they offer confession three days a week during my lunch hour - Thanks be to God!…One of the sins I find myself confessing over and over again is the sin of the Pharisees….I find myself saying this phrase, both with my words but also in my heart very often…”Those People!”….I think to myself….”Those people are so stupid”…Or….”Those people need to stay away from me”…..What I am actually doing when I say that, whether I admit it or not is…”I am better then “those people”….And that my friends is a sin!….And that is why I confess this over and over again - Asking God to heal me……Before I enter the confessional and I examine my conscience…This passage from scripture often comes to my mind……”He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner. ’I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”…….Once I am finished with confession and the Priest absolves me, I realize I owe others the same mercy as I was just given…But sadly I fall back into the same “trap”…Over and over again…So I ask all those who read this reflection to pray for me!…..Intellectual, I know all the good we do is the result of God’s grace…Everything is a grace!….But being Catholic is not an “intellectual pursuit” - Its a way of life - Its an encounter with a person - Jesus Christ!…..”Knowing something” and “doing something” are two very different things - This is why we need to ask God for grace….And we get that grace by living Sacramentally, praying daily and fasting weekly……A little bit of mercy goes a long way….So….. “Be merciful just as your heaven Father is merciful”

“Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened”

Today in Luke’s Gospel from Mass we see another example of Jesus doing something good and the scribes and the Pharisees unfairly criticizing him…People love to criticize others…I do it to sadly - I too am in great need of God’s grace and mercy - So pray for me!…But do you ever notice?…That we mostly criticize people who “do not have their act together”….This makes us “feel good” about ourself - RIGHT?!?….Or…We we do this to “validate” OUR self - OUR agenda….Makes us “feel good” - RIGHT!?!…..This is an illness!!!! - And I speak for myself - I needed to be cured - Do you?…..God sees everything!!! - He knows how we “operate”….Ask God to help you see yourself as He sees you….No one is perfect!….Once again….I am the father of five children under twelve years old…..When they fight with one another and then tell me “who did what” and who should be blamed and who should get in trouble….I tell them this - Worry about yourself! - That is a “full time job”!……….JMJ

The best sermon is a sermon that is lived!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Ezekiel that a great responsibility has been placed upon our shoulders as Catholics…If we have been fully formed in our faith, we MUST live and educate others in the fullness of Truth….While the people who make up the Catholic Church are far from perfect (me being on the front of “that line”) the Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth - Which means the Church is PERFECT - In what it teaches….And if we have been formed in the Truth and do not proclaim it fully - WE WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE BEFORE GOD….This is not my “opinion”…We are told this today by the Prophet Ezekiel…. “You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. If I tell the wicked, "O wicked one, you shall surely die, "and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself”…The fullness of Truth must be proclaimed…We are NOT doing anyone any favors by “glossing over” the “hard parts” of what the Church teaches….Or even worse, being intentionally ambiguous when preaching what the Church teaches…At the end of the day…People know only what they know…And God will judge us accordingly…But God also knows what is in our hearts…That also goes for if we use the fullness of the Truth as a weapon to harm others…The Truth must be spoke with charity, said for the good of our neighbor…….Weaponizing the Truth is a sin and does no one any good……As Catholics we are called to…KNOW the Truth - SPEAK the Truth - LIVE the Truth - And if required, SUFFER for the Truth…..The Deposit of Faith does not belong to us - Our job is to simply “pass it on” - As it is - Doing so with love for our neighbor in our heart

 

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”

In America, as well as in the countries of Europe…Mortal sins have become mainstreamed….No fault divorce; usury, same sex marriage, abortion upon demand - to name a few…These sins are abominations to God - All capital sins!…And today our people do not even “blink” at them any more….Do we “think” God does not see what we are doing?….That God somehow “understands” and that everything is simply “ok” without the need for change?….Now, when was the last time you heard a homily from the pulpit addressing these capital sins?…How about a homily about the harm contraception has done to marriages and how contraception leads a society to abortion? - When was the last time you heard that?…..Now, I am not “picking” on the Catholic clergy - I am just stating a fact - I have eyes and ears - And what I just stated is sadly a fact…This is why we as Catholics must pray for our priests and bishops….Do you fast and pray for the Church?….Every Wednesday, my wife and I fast for the Church….If you are a Catholic and are frustrated by what you see going on in the Church - In the clergy and the laity - I state that because Catholic Social Media is full of such voices….My advice is to FAST aggressively for the Church one day a week…Remember the words from the Book of Leviticus before you “post” something on social media negative about the Catholic Church and its clergy…..“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him”…..Speaking the fullness of Truth is required of us as Catholics - Bishops, Priests, and Lay Catholics - NO ONE is exempt of this grave responsibility - But if the Truth is not spoken with charity - We not only bring sin upon our self - We also are not helping our neighbor, in fact, we probably making matters worse!…..”Clarity with Charity”….And leave the rest to God…..St Paul said it best…”If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing”

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law”

Today at Mass we are reminded of the responsibility we have been given by God as Catholics….How is the world going to know the Truth if we do not proclaim it?…..So many people today no long know how to live - Just look out your window!!!….How is society going to know how to live properly if we as Catholics first do not witness a “good life” by the way we live ourselves to others around us?…..Actions speak the loudest…If we are not living what the Church teaches - How are we supposed to “think” the secular world around us is going to embrace the Catholic faith?…..The best way to teach the faith is by example - And this requires Sacramental grace, daily prayer and fasting…..People believe what they see!!!….The best sermon is a sermon that is lived!……JMJ

“I must decrease and He must increase”

Today the Universal Church celebrates the Feast Day of St Teresa of Kolkata…..Known to the world as Mother Teresa…..The order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, is active to this day in 133 countries…..Mother Teresa took Jesus at his word…She radically “stepped out” into the “deep”…How about us?….Jesus Christ was a revolutionary - The most radical man who ever lived…As Catholics, we too are called to be radical - To love radically….Today at Holy Mass in the first reading St Paul tells his friends….”What do you possess that you have not received?……At our Baptism, we were grafted into the life of Christ - Do we realize the gift which was given to us?…Mother Teresa did - She radically abandoned her life to God…..When we die and stand before God…All the good we have done will be shone to us - Also all the bad….God will also show us the good we COULD have done - If only we trusted him more….Each of us were born to become saints - Mother Teresa understood this - What Vatican II calls “the universal call to holiness”…..Mother Teresa left her family at eighteen years old to become a nun….And in her late thirties she felt another call - To serve the poorest of the poor…At the time Mother Teresa was a high school principal at an affluent all girls school in Kolkata…She loved what she did…..Her life was very comfortable…But once again, she radically chose Christ, leaving everything behind - AGAIN!….Comfort is the enemy of a holy life - “Write that one down”….To live radically for Christ - To radically abandon our plans - Our dreams - And to pour out our life - This is the path to holiness!…..And that “path” will “steal our comfort”…..Are we willing to go there?…..This is how we become saints….Not by “reading”…Not by “speaking” - But by doing!…..Fueled by Sacramental grace, fasting, daily prayer…..Our world today needs witnesses…..The secular / unbelieving world is not interested in our Catholic Sermons - NO ONE CARES!!!! - However, the secular world will be “rocked” to the core by the witness of sacrificial love - This is what Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity did and do….Their witness unsettles a world blinded to God and his Church…..This “witness” only happens because the sisters are willing to give up their comfort and live radically…As St Paul reminds his friends today at Mass in the first reading….”For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and men alike. We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands. When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment”…If we want to “change the world” as Catholics - We can not be like “the world”….And to love radically is the only way that happens…..Sacrificial love witnessed “stops traffic” - It reflects Christ and it is that “reflection” that changes hearts of stone into hearts of flesh

“Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self. Mother Teresa”

Years ago before I was married I backpacked through Vietnam and Cambodia…It was Sunday and I was in Phnom Penh Cambodia…I was able to find the only Catholic Mass in the city…A French Missionary Priest presided over the Mass in an open room on the second floor of a building that looked more like a warehouse…There were no pews, everyone sat on the floor…I was one of three non-Cambodians in the room….As I sat on the floor, in walks the Missionaries of Charity Sisters and as Providence would have it, they sat on the floor right next to me…My experience in Cambodia was in many ways a beginning of a new chapter of my life and that encounter with the Missionaries of Charity was a “beginning” of what became a seven year odyssey that took my around the world….The sisters and I spoke and exchanged addresses and for a time we wrote letters back and forth…They convinced me to go to Kolkata - And the following year - That is what I did…..I served the poor at the Home for the Dying and Destitute in Kolkata for three weeks…And from those three weeks spent in Kolkata, I made my way to their home in Manhattan, where I was the Saturday driver for seven years….I also returned to Kolkata five more times…Each time God had something “new” to show me…..Catholics MUST put their faith into action…..And when we serve the poor - We serve Jesus……There are many ways to encounter Christ….One of those ways is to serve the poor…Jesus tells us in St Matthews Gospel….What you did to the least - You did to ME!……..As Americans we have NO IDEA how hard life is for billions of people around the world - NO IDEA!…..And its very easy to forget these poor souls….One thing is for certain - God does not forget them…And he sees what we do and what we do not do to help our fellow man….Put your Catholic faith into action!….Do not conform to this age - But transform it…Not by words - But by your actions!

“I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me”

Mother Teresa was declared a saint for many reasons…But under all that she did - What Mother Teresa did that most people will not do is - She radically and reckless trusted Christ…Even when the world did not understand her - Even when the Catholic Church did not understand her - And she did all this to the detriment of her own comfort….This is what we must be willing to do - Are you willing to go there?…..The first year I went to serve the poor with the Missionaries of Charity in India I got very sick…For two days I laid in bed in the apartment I rented in Kolkata….. I had a fever, the pollution of the city effected by respiratory system, I had dysentery….I remember laying in my bed thinking…”God - Did you call me here to kill me?”…I got no answer - But I knew deep in my heart that was not the “Plan”…Once I regained my strength and was about to return to America…I spoke to a French volunteer…He too was there to serve the poor…He was an older man, a watch maker by trade…I told him how sick I got and that I would never come back to Kolkata again…This man listened to me very closely and simply said….”You will return”…At the time I thought he was crazy to say that…But he was right…I went back to Kolkata five more times!…..As Mother Teresa famously said - “For love to be real - It must cost us - It must empty us of our self”…..Listen up!!!! - Because that was Mother Teresa secret!!!!…And that too is the “blue print” we as Catholics must follow, no matter what state in life we have been called too…..”I must decrease and He must increase”….JMJ

Live for an audience of one…..Only one “Thumbs Up” matters

Today at Holy Mass St Paul once again addresses the Corinthians….He tells them to live for an “audience of one”….That no other opinion matters except God’s opinion - Is this how we live?….Social Media is all about “self affirmation”…..Finding people who “LIKE” us, agree with us and in turn make us feel important….The entire world can be against you and if God is for you - That is the ONLY thing that matters!….”Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God”…..Every word that comes out of our mouth - Every action performed….Everything we fail to do…God sees!….God also knows the intentions behind everything we do…Why do we contribute to Catholic Social Media?….God knows why and that is all the matters…The same goes for “assuming bad intentions” about others….That is not our job nor do we know the hearts of others…Our “job” is to worry about our intentions - Ensuring they are pure - Repenting when they are not - Persevering even when no one cares to listen…..And if everyone is listening - Not letting it “get to our head”…….Is this what we do? - Because this is what we should be doing…..And God knows our heart, even if others do not……Jesus was a man who was deeply misunderstood - Even by his closest friends…As Catholics, if we are following Christ the way we are all called too, we also will be misunderstood…..Are you willing to be misunderstood?……Live for an audience of one…..Only one “Thumbs Up” matters

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

Are you willing to leave the ninety-nine in search of the one?…..Jesus did this time and time again…..Mother Teresa established the first Hospice for men who had full blown HIV in the world in New York City…At the time, AIDS was a death sentence….No one wanted to go near these men…Gay men infected with AIDS were modern day lepers…Mother Teresa saw past the judgments of the world and took these men in - For years these men died under the care of the Missionaries of Charity…Many of them came to Christ as a result - Many were Baptized as well….While the world “judged”, the Missionaries of Charity “rolled up” their sleeves and simply loved these men - They did not affirm bad behavior - They simply cared for men who needed care - They let their actions do the talking!…..I served in this home for seven years and I have witnessed miracles (with a lower case “m”)…Hardened men - Public sinners - Outcasts - People the world ignored…I witnessed many of these men convert and request to be Baptized - In fact, I am the God-Father to one of them who read at my Wedding Mass…..How did this happen?…..In that Hospice run by Mother Teresa - There was no judgment…Only love put into action…People do not care what you know until they know how much you care….The best “sermon” is to go out of your way and feed a hungry family…An empty stomach has no “ears”!

“The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress. And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him”

Today St Paul, a great man by every measure, tells his friends not to judge him - That only God can judge him…..The same goes for us….God knows our intentions and what is in our heart…."There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops”…Before we hit the “send” button on our computer - Do we think of the words we are about to “post”?….St Paul reminds us today…Live for an audience of one - Only God’s opinion matters!……”It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord”…..When a person lives as St Paul instructs us today - There is great freedom - There is also great power found in living in this manner as well…..Catholics should not belong to “any camps”…..Do you “identify” as a Republican? - Do you “identify” as a conservative? - Do you “identify” as a nationalist - Do you “identify” as a “TRAD”? - Do you “identify” as a “Progressive Catholic”?……”Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God”…….Live for an audience of one…..Only one “Thumbs Up” matters….JMJ

”For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God”

Today at Holy Mass in the first readings St Paul in his letter to the Corinthian people tells them about true wisdom….Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit……It is very different from raw analytical intelligence…A person can be off the charts brilliant and lack wisdom…Wisdom is a gift……Paul tells the people of his day and also tells us……”Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: God catches the wise in their own ruses, and again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain”…….Have you ever spoken to a very worldly person about your Catholic faith? - The life decisions you make - Such a person thinks Catholics are completely crazy….We make absolutely no sense to them….Yet today, the great St Paul tells us that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness”…..Tell that to a Wall Street Banker!…..When Jesus Christ returns, and he will, the power structures of the world will be turned completely upside-down!!!….The very thought should terrify us in more ways than we even realize!…..Think for a moment of Jesus’ teaching in the Beatitudes….Blessed are the meek….Blessed are the poor in spirit…Is he crazy? - The answer is NO…And when Jesus returns, those who are not meek and those who are not “poor in spirit” and those who are not peace makers will be in BIG trouble…..As Catholics, we must aspire to live by the wisdom of God as opposed to the wisdom of the world…We must be willing to be a “fool for Christ”…Our life should be viewed as a contradiction to the secular world around us…People should look at you and your life and say…How do you do it! - Are you CRAZY?….And our answer to them should then be - I am a disciple of Jesus Christ - The man who conquered death….The very idea of conquering death is “foolish” - Right?!?…But it happened…..So much for being “foolish”

“Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men”

Growing up I knew a man by the name of Patrick Fahey…..Patrick had eight children…If you did not know Patrick, you probably would have thought he was crazy person…He rode his bike to the store, he never owned a car….He was always happy, in fact, I never saw him without a smile on his face…And Patrick’s life was far from easy…He was not a rich man, far from it, and for the most part his children were not “choir boys” - I know, I was friends with them!…But Patrick was always smiling….Over the years Patrick became very well known in our town….Everyone knew him because Patrick spoke with everyone..He worked as a crossing guard well into his eighties and rode his bike to work everyday (rain or shine)…When he died, many people came to his funeral, I being one of them…..This “fool for Christ” taught us all…Just being living and smiling

“He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob”

As many know, St Paul was a sophisticated man…Educated and a leader amongst the Jews…Once he encounter Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life changed…I am sure many of St Paul’s “old friends” thought him to be crazy…..In many ways, the measure of our life as Catholics should be the same…If we are just like the rest for the world, we surely are not following Jesus Christ…..Secular people should look at our life and think we are CRAZY….Because our choices contradict the “wisdom” of this world…Catholics do not use contraception - Catholics forgive - Catholics have many children - Catholics are faithful to their spouses….Catholics are kind to all….All these traits will make secular people think you are a fool….So be it - Be a fool for Christ….Do not seek to blend in - But instead “stand out”…..Our life as Catholics should make absolutely no sense to the secular world….No sense at all….If you find yourself in that “bucket” - Blessed are you - For the Kingdom of God is at hand……”For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God”….JMJ

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity” - Words to live by

Today at Holy Mass St Paul addresses the Corinthians…The Church is divided into factions - Sound familiar?…Paul attempts to reason with the various factions…..Today our Church in many ways is no different….Look at Catholic Social Media….How can this be?….Each of us should be on guard for this very real danger…..St Augustine addressed the same issue Paul addressed today… “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity”…..Is this what you see on Catholic social media?……The Sacraments should unite us all…Why? - Because we ALL need them…..When we go to Mass - Do we hear the words of the Creed, which we all recite before we receive the Blessed Sacrament?….”I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come”…..If you believe all the words of the Creed, and are in the state of grace - You are free to receive the Blessed Sacrament…But if you do not believe these words - You should not receive the Eucharist….And pray and reflect as to what your “issue” is……We do not get to personally define what the Church is…The Catholic Church belongs to Jesus Christ…We are just members…The Deposit of Faith is not to be “manipulated” like lawyers manipulate words in corporate board rooms…The Deposit of Faith is actually very simple and easy to understand - Sadly, we make what is simple complex…..Sadly, when I “scroll” through the many voices on Catholic Social Media, what I see is described today by St Paul to the letter!…..And St Paul gives us the answer to this current dilemma………”What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God’s co-workers;  you are God’s field, God’s building”……Pray for the Church - Pray and Fast for her…That we all may be one!

“The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives”

Before I was married, I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters in Manhattan for seven years…I was their driver on Saturday….The Missionaries of Charity are many things - One of those things, they are fiercely obedient - To the Church - To what the Church teaches in the Catechism - To their superiors…..Over the years I got to be good friends with many of the sisters…I remember what Sister Vineeth told me about the call to prayer..”When the bell rings for prayer - The bell is the voice of God - You drop everything”…..Is this how we approach what the Church teaches?….The Catechism of the Catholic Church, if you ever take the time to read it is very clear….For the life of me I do not know how there can be so much confusion in the Church - Yet there is - And I know why?….Because of our fallen human nature….This is why we must all fast regularly and pray daily…This is why we must go to confession monthly and receive the Blessed Sacrament often…..Simply reading the Catechism will not bring unity in the Church - Only Grace can do this…And we must avail ourselves to this Grace…So our “eyes can see” - And our “ears can hear”

“Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down; he sees all mankind”

Today at Mass we hear how St Paul tries to bring unity amongst the believers….Arguably one of the biggest scandals to ever rock the Christian faithful, are the many divisions that have been created…From the Protestant Reformation - To Martin Luther - To the many “camps” within the Catholic Church today….SCANDAL!!!…There is no such thing as “Conservative Catholics” - “Liberal Catholics” - “Progressive Catholics” - “Traditional Catholics”…….And any Christian denomination outside of the Catholic Church was created by “man” and has absolutely no authority - NONE!….Jesus Christ was one man - Who created one Church…"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”…..But knowing humanity as Jesus did and does to this day, he understands what happens to us….We make complicated what is so simple!…More reason why we need to pray and fast….And to live Sacramentally….Without grace - We fail….Its that simple!…….One of the last prayers Jesus prayed before he was killed addresses unity within the family of believers…."I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me”…..Is the division we see today in the Church - The Church’s problem? - Or is the problem within us?……“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity” - Words to live by….JMJ

If we fall short - Which I do - Maybe its time reflect - And Repent

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke we hear about Jesus healing a man in the synagogue who was possessed by “the spirit of an unclean demon”…..As Jesus was helping this man the demon cried out - What he said was interesting - So take note - “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”…How is it that the demon knows EXACTLY who Jesus was and even the twelve disciples were still unsure?…..This should make us pause - The reality of evil in the world is just that - Reality…The devil is REAL and is a highly intelligent being….Infinitely more intelligent then human beings….The devil knows all our weaknesses and we ALL have weakness….Its only when we humble ourselves before Christ and his Church that we are protected and out of satan’s reach…..St Paul warns us as well…..”Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil”….The older I get and the more I “see” just how significant St Paul’s warning is to all of humanity…..Sanctifying grace gives us “eyes to see”…..The secular world, in its hubris, is getting “eaten alive” by the traps and tricks of the devil….Most do not even realize what is happening as their life spirals out of control…..How many people in our nation are living in the state of grace?….Think about that for a moment…What does living in the state of grace mean?….Going to confession with a priest (at the minimum as required by the Church) once a calendar year and receiving the Blessed Sacrament once a week…How many Americans are actually doing this?….Why is this important? - Because if you are not living in the state of grace - The devil will eat you alive!!!!!……Your will to resist temptation - will not be fortified.....Your sight will be dulled - And when this happens - You become your worst enemy…………”Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”…..This is what we “see” all around us today……The “blind leading the blind”

“Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually”

Sacramental grace elevates our human nature - It perfects it…..Without Sacramental grace, human beings do “stupid things” - Why? - Because of our fallen nature…This is why Jesus established a Church and this is why EVERYONE needs to live Sacramentally…The Sacraments are the “medicine” for the world……At most parishes in America, confession is available for one hour each week on Saturday….And if you go to some of these parishes that keep this schedule, you will find that very few go to confession regularly…How can we as Catholics not be regularly going to confession!!!!!…..Being Catholic is not rocket science….Go to confession once a month - Go to Mass once a week - Pray the Rosary every day…Is this so hard?!?….This costs you NOTHING - Its FREE….And if you do this - You surely are on the road to heaven….I am involved in Catholic social media…I co-host a radio show in the New York Metropolitan area….Being that I am involved in social media, I talk to many different people - I also see what others comment and post on social media….To be very honest with you - Some of the comments I read and and hear lack so much charity I can’t even believe a person can even “think” that God would approve of the content - Never mind “think” the comments are even remotely “Catholic”….Why bring this up?…Do we examine our conscience every night before we go to bed? - As the Church recommends…..Do we go to confession regularly (at least once a month) with a good priest?….Trust me - I am far from perfect and I have said some very uncharitable things in my day - Publicly I might add - But I do strive to improve - How about you?….I have confessed my comments more than a few times to a priest - How about you?……”Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?”…..Only by living an active Sacramental life does one “see” - And more importantly live as Jesus requires us to live as Catholics….Because without that grace, we do not even realize just how “off” we actually are.

“Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God”

Today Jesus addresses a man who is spiritually ill…..If you think about it - We are ALL spiritually ill…We are ALL sinners….And because of that we must “work on ourselves” in order to grow in sanctification…..How do we do that? - Daily prayer; Weekly fasting, Monthly Confession and reception of the Blessed Sacrament…..Getting back to the man in the Gospel today…..This man that Jesus helped was possessed by a demon….And the demon knew exactly who Jesus was…How about the rest of the people in the synagogue?…..They clearly had NO CLUE who Jesus was…..Eyes to see and hears to hear only come to us when we live in the state of grace….Without the grace of God - The human condition frankly is lost….You cannot “read” your way to Divine grace…And its not “rocket science” to obtain it…It requires a humble and teachable spirit…..”Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”…..How do you “measure up” to the Beatitudes?…Jesus taught “blessed are the meek”…Is this what we see on social media?…..If we fall short - Which I do - Maybe its time reflect - And Repent…..JMJ

”Because without me you can do nothing!”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke how Jesus returns to his home town and the people reject him….In his return, he reads a prophetic statement in the synagogue, written by the Prophet Isaiah…Keep this in mind, these were pious Jewish, they were fully versed in the law of Moses and what the Prophet Isaiah had taught…Yet they did not “see” what was standing right before their very eyes!…..”The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord”…….Who do you think Jesus was referring too when he mentions “bringing glad tidings to the poor”?….Was it the material poor of his day?…..”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”……..”The poor” he is addressing is YOU and ME - Its all of humanity!!!….And to live without God makes us “poor” - No matter who you are or how many “gifts” you “think” you possess!….Humanity is not convinced of its own poverty - That without the grace of God we can do nothing!…This is why God the Father sent his son to the human race - To restore what was broken - What is broken? - YOU and ME!….The minute you think you have “everything together” is the minute the devil will strike!….Mankind was made to live Sacramentally - Why? - Because humanity is “poor” - We are all “sick”…And the Sacraments are “the medicine” for the world…This is why it is ESSENTIAL to live Sacramentally - This is why Jesus established a Church, which is the “field hospital” for the entire world…Sadly, the secular world does not believe itself to be “sick” and in need of “this divine medicine”….Understand something right now - There is no way you can live as Jesus Christ asks us to live without Sacramental grace!!!! - NO WAY - NOT A CHANCE - EVEN ON YOUR BEST DAY!……Do you view yourself as “poor”?….Jesus tells us in St John’s Gospel…"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing”…..This one sentence is arguably one of the most important sentences in the entire Bible…..”Because without me you can do nothing!”

“I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified”

Our world has an “authority” problem…We do not like to be told what to do….Not even by God….Jesus Christ gave authority to Peter, who was the first Pope and that same authority rests in the Church and the Pope today……And when we do things “God’s way”, we bear fruit….Jesus was a carpenter and one day he literally told Peter how to fish….Peter could have said to his friend, “Listen, you are a carpenter and I am a fisherman - I know what I am doing!”…But that is not what happened…..”Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”….Peter did not “understand” how he caught all those fish, in many ways, catching all those fish “made no sense” - But it happened….I often reflect on this story….We do not have to “understand” everything - That is our “problem” - We “think we know everything”….Our role is to obey!…You say “lower your nets” - That is exactly what I am going to do - Lower the nets!….Live your Catholic faith knowing that you are a poor sinner….Let’s not “pretend” that we “see” - Because we do not….Allow God to sanctify you through obedience….Speaking personally - When things do not go the way “I planned” and I get frustrated - I am learning to say - “OK God”……We do not know the mind of God - And we have no authority!!!!….Maybe its time to simply do as St Peter did…..“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets”…..Why? - ”Because without me you can do nothing!”

“I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God”

Today in the Gospel, Jesus addresses his people - Keeping in mind - These were very “religious” people…Yet they did not “see” God, who was standing right in front of them….So many today claim to “see”….”They know everything!”….The reality of the matter is - We are all poor sinners….We are all in need of grace….How do we get this grace?…..Frequent Confession (once a month) - Pray the Rosary Daily - Receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace as often as one can…..Stop “thinking” that you know the mind of God - Because YOU do not…Are you open to the Holy Spirit? - Throughout the two thousand year history of the Church, God has “surprised” the faithful many times…We see this in the life of the many saints, who did not always “conform” to what people wanted to see and hear….Yet, these saints changed the world and impacted the Church…..In St Luke’s Gospel today, Jesus addresses the people of his home town - And they reject him….”They knew it all”….Do we do the same thing?……“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. 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.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong”….I got some “news” for you - You do not know the mind of God…..”Because without me you can do nothing!”……..JMJ