“He makes saints out of sinners”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how John the Baptist was murdered…What was his crime? - He fearlessly spoke the Truth……John the Baptist had allegiance to God alone - He lived for an audience of one……How did John become such a person?….Scripture tells us that he lived in the desert, fasted and prayed….During this time God prepared John, he was formed to live out what he was born to do - How about us?….Each of us was born with “something to do” - How are we preparing ourselves to fulfill this task?….This is why Jesus founded a Church - This is why we were given the Sacraments - This is why we pray daily - This is why we fast weekly….These spiritual activities “form” us - If we are consistent as John Baptist was while he lived in the desert, God will work miracles within our own lives - We will be transformed and fully equipped to live out the unique task God has prepared for us from the beginning of time….Saints are not made in one day - And each of us are called to be saints!….When we hear this reality, many today are “put off”…The idea of a saint seems foreign to us - But such an idea is not foreign to God…Each and every human being was created to live a holy life - But sadly, the pull of the world, the flesh and the devil “distract us” from the one and only purpose we were born for - To be a saint….This desire must be recovered and it is only recovered when mankind experiences witnesses…John the Baptist was “that kind of witness”….And this is what our world needs today - Witnesses….However, such a witness cannot be self manufactured, likened to building a resume, “ticking off boxes”….As Catholics we must allow God to form us - To experience like John the Baptist, a “desert experience” and in the process God will transform our ordinary lives into something extraordinary….This is how we change our families, our communities, our nation and the world

“This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him”

Recently I was asked to give a presentation with a former Navy Seal at a Catholic fundraiser in Darien Connecticut for the radio station I contribute too…The Navy Seal who joined me in this presentation was Samuel Blair, a devout Catholic and successful business man in Louisiana….The room was filled with many affluent people….During the presentation, we challenged the crowd - Do you pray the Rosary every day as our Lady asked at Fatima?…There was an uncomfortable silence in the room….Do you go to Confession regularly?…..More uncomfortable silence….Are you open to life in your marriage, welcoming children and refraining from the use of contraception?…..More uncomfortable silence - You could hear a pin drop in the room!!!!!…….The Truth can make us uncomfortable - But are we willing to speak it anyway?….This is what John the Baptist did - This is what we as Catholics MUST do as well….The Catholic Church possess the fullness of Truth - How in the world are people going to take us seriously unless we speak, teach and LIVE the Truth boldly?!?…..The secular world may never see “eye to eye” with us - But I will tell you this - If we “practice what we preach” - The secular world living around us will stop and take notice - Some may even question bad choices made - And some many even change as a result of our witness…The world around us needs saints!….Mere words fall short and will NEVER produce the expected outcomes that our Lord asks for from each of us!…….Are you willing to be like John the Baptist?…..The world needs more men like John - Be that man!….Jesus reassures us…..”Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna”…In order to do what Jesus said…We too must be transformed - And how does that happen?…..Daily Prayer - Weekly Fasting - Monthly Confession, Weekly reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace……”And I will make you toward this people a fortified wall of bronze. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to save and rescue you”……Grace is not self manufactured - It is a gift and when we give God permission to act in our life - Great things happen!

“Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink! May I be rescued from my foes, and from the watery depths. Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me, nor the abyss swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me”

Today we hear about how “the crowd” thought that they silenced John the Baptist….John as we all know was murdered but his message carried on well after his death….Repent - The Kingdom of God is at Hand!!!……Funny thing about the Truth - It cannot be silenced and it ALWAYS wins out in the the end…….Do you realize that one man can stand up against the entire world, if that man fully embraces the Truth - And as Catholics, we posses the fullness of Truth - So what is missing here? The answer -  COURAGE…..And how do we get this courage? - The answer - By living Sacramentally and sacrificially…….We were not born to live mediocre lives!!!!….“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth”…..Its time to live what we claim to believe - That is how we “set the world on fire”…..Our world needs saints because only saints change the world - Do not miss the opportunity - “Go big” or go home!……..“God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.”…..JMJ

”Going along to get along” is NOT the narrow road to heaven - There is nothing “catholic” about that

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, we are told that Jesus is rejected in his hometown….“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him”……..How is this possible?!?…..People say today they are interested in the Truth - But are they?….The Truth is very demanding  - It requires great sacrifice…When this is explained to “the crowd” - All of a sudden, the Truth does not sound to good…..In the first reading today the Prophet Jeremiah experiences a similar reaction from his people when he speaks the Truth….”When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people, the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying, “You must be put to death!”…At the root of this outrage is the fact that people do not want to change…They much rather “deal” with their problems then fix them - Why? - Because change requires sacrifice…..Remember when Jesus cured a man, who was suffering from evil spirits and was terrorizing a village? - The townspeople instead of thanking Jesus for curing the man asked him to leave town….Do you also remember that “the crowd” choose Barabbas to be set free instead of Jesus at the request of Pontius Pilate - Barabbas was a known murderer!!! - And still “the crowd” preferred him to go free instead of Jesus, who did nothing wrong!!!…I will tell you what Jesus did - He had the audacity to speak the Truth!!! - And to some, especially the powerful - That is capital crime!……Has anything changed today?…The greatest thing a Catholic can do right now is to speak and live the Truth - To do so is a revolutionary act….We conveniently forget - Jesus Christ was probably the greatest revolutionary the world has ever known…..And has his followers today (i.e. Catholics), we too must be revolutionaries…..Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And when required - Suffer for the Truth

“Since for your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, Because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me”

St Oscar Romero, who was the archbishop in El Salvador during a civil war said the following….Keep in mind, this man was murdered presiding over the Mass…..”Each one of you has to be God’s microphone. Each one of you has to be a messenger, a prophet. The church will always exist as long as there is someone who has been baptized…Where is your baptism? You are baptized in your professions, in the fields of workers, in the market. Wherever there is someone who has been baptized, that is where the church is. There is a prophet there. Let us not hide the talent that God gave us on the day of our baptism and let us truly live the beauty and responsibility of being a prophetic people”……..Catholics must be FEARLESS…..If the Church does not speak the Truth boldly - Who will?…..Our biggest obstacle - We are far too comfortable!…Comfort is the enemy of a holy life…..St Oscar Romero opined on this idea further….“The church must suffer for speaking the truth, for pointing out sin, for uprooting sin. No one wants to have a sore spot touched, and therefore a society with so many sores twitches when someone has the courage to touch it and say: “You have to treat that. You have to get rid of that. Believe in Christ. Be converted”….If we are not willing to suffer for the Truth - Frankly, we are not following Christ…Jesus was a man of suffering - How can we say we are following the Lord if we do not feel the weight of “The Cross”?……This is not just the “job” of Priests and Bishops...It’s the “job” of every Baptized Catholic!!…..We must be “God’s microphone” this very day and we cannot do that when all we seek is comfort.

“The word of the Lord remains forever; this is the word that has been proclaimed to you”

Today we are reminded, both in the first reading at Mass as well as in the Gospel - Those who speak the Truth will be persecuted….And this reality continues on to this very day….And will continue until Jesus returns again…..Conformity to the ways of the world is not the path to heaven…As Catholics we are called to live amongst the world but not be “of the world”….And that means we will at times make enemies - This is why Jesus Christ was killed - He challenged the powerful who were not willing to change…Do we somehow “think” we are not called to do the same?….During the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus presented the Beatitudes to his disciples, he was instructing them as to how they are to live and what would happen to them because of the way they lived - Keep in mind - The Beatitudes are the “road map to heaven”……………”Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”…….What is our response to that teaching? - “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink” ……”Going along to get along” is NOT the narrow road to heaven - There is nothing “catholic” about that….JMJ

Our Lord has just the right “hammer and chisel” for the job!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading the Prophet Jeremiah addresses the nation of Israel, which was currently in ruin….He equates Israel to clay in a potters hand - Describing how the potter is able to “form” the clay into whatever shape he wants…..”Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased. Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the LORD. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel”……Each of us is like this “clay” that Jeremiah describes today - We need to be formed by God - To have a “teachable spirit”…..If we have such an open disposition to the Natural Law, the Ten Commandments and to the teachings of the Catholics Church - God will form us…But if we are rigid in our ways - Full of Pride - Refuse to admit our mistakes - Double down on bad choice….We in turn prolong the process of our formation…..Clay as a substance is easy to form - It is soft and in the hands of a skilled craftsmen can be formed into something very beautiful….Marble on the other hand is hard - It requires a hammer and a chisel to chip away rough edges for it to be formed….This example can be applied to mankind….We can choose to be like clay or we can choose to be like marble…God can work with both - But clay is much easier to form…Marble requires a hammer and chisel, which is a more violent process of forming the marble into something beautiful…So it is in the life of mankind and of nations……..We MUST strive to have a teachable spirit - Strive to be “clay” in the “hands of the master potter”…And he will form us into something beautiful.

“Put not your trust in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. When his spirit departs he returns to his earth; on that day his plans perish”

As a Father of five children, I tell my kids that making mistakes is apart of life - However, those who succeed in life - Learn from their mistakes…I tell my children this constantly!…..All of us make mistakes and sadly some of those mistakes carry with them serious consequences…But if we “own” the mistakes - Ask God to forgive us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation…We can improve as a person and grow in virtue…..Sometimes we need God’s grace to “overcome” our faults - More reason to ask God to Sacramentally forgive us…Its through the Sacraments that we are given grace to overcome our shortcomings and become the people we were born to be!….If you go to Confession with a Priest every month, as the saints recommend, you will find over time the weakness that plague you will slowly disappear….This is how we “change” - Through God’s grace!!!….This is also how God sanctifies us and prepares us to stand before him after we die…..This is why Jesus founded a Church - We ALL need Sacramental grace!!…We are ALL mere “clay” in the “hands of the potter”…And if we do not allow the “potter” to form us - The world, the flesh and the devil will form us…This is why we are called “practicing” Catholics - Because “practice” makes perfect!….Its far better to be “clay” than “marble”….”Clay” is so much easier to “work with”

“Open our heart, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son”

Today the Prophet Jeremiah addresses the nation of Israel, which was in ruin…He instructs them that God can “fix” what is broken…The same is true today for America….Our nation and people have turned away from God and America is in ruin!….And there are no political solutions in sight…Only God can “fix” America…Here is the “good news” - God will fix America!!!!…Its just a matter of whether we choose to be “clay” or “marble” in the “hands of the Master Craftsman”…As we illustrated above in this reflection…Clay is easy to mold and form - Marble is hard and requires a hammer and chisel….The sooner our people realize that its better to be “clay” then “marble” - The sooner America will return to greatness…..The Prophet Ezekiel offers us hope……”I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”…..It currently seems that America has chosen to be “marble” as opposed to being “clay” - God however is no stranger to working with “marble” - Our Lord has just the right “hammer and chisel” for the job!……..JMJ

The Truth is like a Lion, just let it loose and it will defend itself!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading how Jeremiah was persecuted because he proclaimed the Truth…Has anything changed?…..People do not want to hear it!!!!…Think about when St Stephen was martyred - All he did was speak the Truth…And this was the response of the people………….”When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him” - How can that be a person’s response when someone speaks the Truth!?!……St John gives us our answer……”And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God”…….The word of God is deeply offensive to a person who lives a “worldly life”….To embrace the fullness of our Catholic faith means you will live in deep opposition to the “rulers of this world”…That is reality! - And that will never change until Jesus returns…..Does this reality stop you for speaking the Truth?…Today Jeremiah in the first reading from Mass complains to God - He is suffering and God addresses his complaints…..”If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece. Then it shall be they who turn to you, and you shall not turn to them; And I will make you toward this people a solid wall of brass. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD. I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent”……The Servant of God, Fr John Hardon would always say…….”A Catholic must know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And be willing to suffer for the Truth”….This is reality once again!!! - Are you willing to do this?…..While trials and suffering come with being a practicing Catholic, if we live in the state of grace we too will become…”A solid wall of brass”….as God promised Jeremiah would become…….One man can stand against the entire world if that man is armed with the Truth - How do I know this? - Because this is exactly what Jesus Christ did….One man “stood up” against the enter world - And “that man” is still standing to this very day!

“Rescue me from my enemies, O my God; from my adversaries defend me. Rescue me from evildoers; from bloodthirsty men save me”

The Truth suffers but the Truth ALWAYS prevails in the end…Sometimes we forget this because we do not want to suffer….But suffering is apart of every human life and if we “offer up” our sufferings for the salvation of the world - Our suffering takes on meaning and purpose…..As Catholics we MUST be willing to suffer for living the Truth - Our witness will speak to the unbelieving world….My wife gave birth to five children by means of surgery…For those who do not know, a cesarean birth is a surgical delivery of a baby through incisions in the abdomen and uterus…….It is medically recommend in America that a woman only has three such surgeries because there is a very real threat that the uterus can rupture and cause serious harm to the woman - My wife had five of those surgeries, giving life to our children!!!!…These five surgeries were not easy and my wife suffered greatly but the last one was especially concerning…The hospital made us sign legal documents stating if something goes wrong during the fifth surgery, we can not seek a legal remedy…..And interestingly enough, our fifth child was born with no complications and my wife was perfectly fine - Thanks be to God!…..However, many people thought my wife and I were CRAZY to have a fifth child under the conditions I just described….Since when is having children CRAZY?!? - But this is “the world” we live in and to live as a Catholic, we must be willing to live differently - Even when “the world” “thinks” we are CRAZY!

“But I will sing of your strength and revel at dawn in your mercy; You have been my stronghold, my refuge in the day of distress”

A prophet is someone who speaks the Truth and we are told today that the Prophet Jeremiah was experiencing trouble because he was proclaiming the eternal Truth about God…There is some misconception amongst people today around what a “prophet” actually is - I state that because each and every Baptized Catholic is called to be a prophet…Our “job” as Catholics is to speak the Truth, no matter what the consequences are - Good or Bad - “In Season or Out of Season” - That makes you a Prophet!!!!…And when we do that, we surely will experience trouble as Jeremiah did…..Jesus warns us of this reality but do we take his warning to heart? - More importantly - Do we avoid speaking and living the Truth because we KNOW it will bring trials into our life?…Fr John Hardon was 100% correct!…..”A Catholic must know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And be willing to suffer for the Truth”…And just as God comforted and defended Jeremiah, he will comfort and defend us!…The Truth is like a Lion, just let it loose and it will defend itself!……..JMJ

Rejecting the doctrine of the Church does not somehow “absolve” us of reality

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus explains the Parable of the wheat and the weeds to his disciples…..In the description Jesus mentions two concepts which are completely over looked today….The devil and hell…..Do you believe that the devil exists?…Do you believe that there is a hell and people go there?…..If you ask people today, most do not give these two realities a second thought - That goes for many Catholics as well…..Think about this for a moment - If Jesus came to save mankind - What is he saving us from?….The driving reason people today do not think about the reality of the devil and the possibility of going to hell is, there is no longer a concept of sin, which is commonly accept among the American people…Today we hear people say - “You do You” - That “idea” is a recipe for disaster!!!!…..Objective mortal sin is a reality and WE do not get to define it - God does…The Natural Law is written on every human heart and when we turn from the Natural Law, whether we chose to ignore it or not - There are severe consequences…..Jesus today in the Gospel very clearly tells his disciples that there will come a time when the “weeds” will be separated from the “wheat”……And by what standard will this “separation” be determined? - The answer to that question is - Not by human standards…..There is a steep cost to pay when a person ignores reality…..And to ignore the reality that there is a devil - And that the devil seeks to “trick” us into thinking that he does not exist - That the devil is trying to “trick” us into thinking there is no such thing as sin - That the devil is trying to convince us that everyone goes to heaven and there is no one in hell…..Every single one of those “tricks” is a lie!!!…How do I know this? - Jesus tells us so today in the Gospel of St Matthew….."He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear”……We do not get to define reality - God is the creator of heaven and earth and God makes the “rules” - Its for us to abide by them!

“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever”

Recently I attended a Catholic funeral for a friend’s father….My childhood friend stated that his father, “Lived his life on his terms”…..How can a person live and die as a practicing Catholic and - “Live on their terms”…Please keep in mind, my friend is a highly educated man, which leads me to conclude that the large majority of American Catholics simply do not know their faith - They have no clue what the Church teaches or they simply are deluding themselves though self rationalizations…..The Church is VERY clear as far as what it teaches - Are we aware of it? - Have we been taught it in school? - Do we teach what the Church proclaims to be true to our children?……How can a people live as Catholics when they have “no clue” what the Church actually teaches?……This is a very serious problem that MUST be addressed directly…People do not “magically” have a good life just as people do not “magically” float into heaven…Jesus is VERY clear and so is the Catholic Church as to what we must do and how we must live in order to enter into eternal life…..And “living on our own terms” is NOT the way to heaven!…..”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”…..How can we possibly be “confused” by that statement?!?

“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 Jesus addresses a concept that is often not spoken about - The possibility that some will not enter into eternal life…Recently I read a book about the existence of Hell by Monsignor Charles Pope…In the book Msgr. Charles tells the reader that twenty-one of the thirty-eight parables taught by Jesus Christ deal this this theme of heaven and hell - Yet - We “seem” put this idea out of our mind…..In the book of Proverbs we are told that - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”…..To ignore reality does not change it…..God respects our freedom but in choosing the things of the world over the things of God does not somehow “give us a free pass”…..God is our loving Father and he has given us everything we need to walk the narrow road to heaven - Are we utilizing those gifts?…..Make no mistake about it - Just as heaven exists, so does hell and people go to hell, just as people go to heaven….Rejecting the doctrine of the Church does not somehow “absolve” us of reality….JMJ

Give your consent - Realize your potential - And set the world on fire!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed that is sown in a field…..”It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches”….Within each Baptized Catholic is this “seed”….But like all seeds, we must nurture it for it to grow - And if we do not, it will bear no fruit……If one was to step back and objectively ponder the life of Jesus Christ and what he accomplished - It literally will blow your mind…An uneducated carpenter, who lived in a far corner of the Middle East two thousand years ago - This man preached for just three years and was then brutally murdered….After his death, he made such a deep impression upon twelve other uneducated men that they formed a global Church…Now again, step back and think about this - How could that have possibly happened if Jesus was not God….If that historic reality does not point to God - I do not know what does….Think about how global corporations are founded - Think about how many highly educated men and women are involved in establishing this corporations…And most of them, even the most successful of the companies - They do not even last one hundred years….And in the case of Jesus - A man who had no formal education - Who surrounded himself with other uneducated men - He forms a Church that has lasted two thousand years and has spread all over the world….If that does not “blow your mind” - I do not know what will……The parable of the mustard seed is also the story of the Catholic Church - The “seed” was Jesus…..How does this apply to us today? - Well, we were grafted into the life of Christ when we were Baptized…That means if we give God permission and “make room” for the Holy Spirit to animate our life - We too will shake the foundations of the world…What prevents us for this reality? - FEAR!!!….We are afraid, so we “settle” for mediocrity…..Think for a moment about the lives of the saints…The only difference between us and them is - They radically trusted the words of Christ - They took Jesus at his word and lived their lives through those words......The saints radically abandoned their dreams…And look at what happened…Look at the impact of the life St Francis - St Dominic - Mother Teresa…..All these people were in essence “mustard seeds”….And look what happened as a result of their radical trust in the words of Jesus Christ…..I believe when we stand before God, he will show us what we could have done if we trusted him more….Each of us, due to our Baptism has so much potential - Its about time we “tap” into that potential - And shake the foundations of the world!

“The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures”

When I returned home from college at twenty-two years old, I decided to live my life as a practicing Catholic - To take my faith seriously….And that decision proceeded over the years to guide every decision I made since….And because I said YES to God…Many good things happened…For one I met my wife, who also shared in my Catholic faith….Once we were married we had five children in ten years because we were both open to life and fully believe what the Catholic Church teaches about not using contraception…If I did not make that decision at twenty-two years old - I surely would not be married to my wife nor would I have five beautiful children today….I could go on and on….I am now fifty-six years old…And all the “good things” in my life grew from that one decision I made over thirty years ago - To live as a practicing Catholic…That decision was the “mustard seed”….which “is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches”……”My story” is not finished either!….God continues to form and sanctify my life….The greatest “adventure” one can have is to radically commit one’s life to God….God has taken me all over the world and now I find myself on the radio co-hosting a Catholic radio show…What is next? - Only God knows - But in the meantime I have placed my complete trust in him…..He has taken the “smallest of seeds” and grown it into “the largest of plants” once again!…That “seed” was me!!!!

“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened”

Today Jesus teaches us about just how much potential each and every Baptized Catholic has….When we study the lives of the saints, we learn that they were all very different…Some were brilliant - Some were simple minded - Some were rich - Some were poor…But even with all their differences, they all shared one thing in common - Radical Trust in God…..People today do not take Jesus at his word!!!!…If we only did - We would set the world on fire!…..Every Baptized Catholic is in essence a “mustard seed” waiting to grow into a massive tree!!! - What stops us from growing into that “tree”?….Maybe we are not convinced that God can do more with our life then we can - So we “settle” for mediocrity…….DO NOT SETTLE…….We were not born to be comfortable - We were born for greatness…There are no “mediocre” people in heaven and each person who is admitted into heaven was at one time a “small seed”, which over time grew into the “largest of plants”…..This “growth” begins with a commitment - Giving God consent to work in our life…..Never forget - One YES changed the entire world……”Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”…..Don’t think for one second that your YES will not have an impact…Give your consent - Realize your potential - And set the world on fire!…..JMJ

You have no life within you unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Book of Kings how Solomon asked God for wisdom as opposed to having a long life or acquiring wealth….."Because you have asked for this— not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right—I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you”…….If God asked you to wish for something - What would it be?……When a person lives in the State of Grace, the Holy Spirit animates their life….When a person lives in that reality, we are given by God seven gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord…….These gifts make for a good life - Now that does not mean you will be rich but it does mean you will make good choices, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out those good choices - And that makes for a good and fruitful life!….How many people today make poor choices? - Even highly intelligent people - They marry the wrong people - They spend their money on ridiculous things - They acquire vices…..All because they are not animated by the Holy Spirit…….We are warned by St Matthew, what we see in “real time” today, right before our very eyes - “If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit”…Look at our politicians? - Look at the ruling class in our society? - Look at the heads of industry? - Look at far too many familles?….Are their choices animated by the Holy Spirit? - That is why what they “build” does not last

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it”

There is what I call - “An art to living”….This “art” is NOT what is advertised by Hollywood and Corporate America either….I was fortunate to have witnessed this “art” by my parents, who were simple people that built a 50 year stable and fruitful marriage……This “art” today is completely lost and needs desperately to be recovered!…..In America we no longer know how to live!!!!….We chase after material things we cannot afford and acquire them by going into debt - Living in debt is slavery!!!!…..We project an image of our self on social media that has nothing to do with God…..We evaluate ourself based upon the shifting standards of a Godless world, which leaves us empty……We no longer value marriage, children or anything which requires sacrifice…..These reasons and more have left far too many Americans lost and alone - Clinical depression, suicide, and substance abuse are the result…..Why? - Because we no longer know how to live!…..This “art of living”, which I am describing can only be found by a life lived in and through the Holy Spirit…This requires living Sacramentally…..How many Baptized Catholics go to confession regularly?…How many Baptized Catholics receive the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday in the state of grace?…If the majority of Baptized Catholics are not living in the state of grace - How can they possibly live a good life and make good decisions? - Again, the words of St Matthew come to mind - “If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit”…..America needs to stop “chasing” lies and start focusing on the fundaments - What I call “First Principals”…When we put God first, everything else in our life falls into place….We are assured of this by Jesus…”Seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides”…Its because we no long prioritize the “things of heaven” that America and Americans are lost.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it"

Today we are told about the importance of wisdom - How King Solomon asked God for wisdom so he could rule his people well….Is this what you see in our ruling class today in America? - When we build our life upon God, our life bears lasting fruit…Conversely, when we build our life on the “shifting sands” of this world - Eventually, everything collapses…..America must re-learn what it means to “live well”…..And that will NEVER happen unless we “invite” God back into our society…..St John in his Gospel tells us very clearly what Jesus told him and the first disciples - “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”…..How can we as a people possibly “live well” when we no long live Sacramentally?!?….Notice again what St John wrote…..”You do not have life within you”……Every human being was meant to live Sacramentally - How do I know that? - Because Jesus said so - You have no life within you unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man!…….JMJ

"Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians warns them….”We hold this treasure in earthen vessels”……Paul knows who he is - A sinner!…..He also knows who God is and just how powerful God is….Why is it important to KNOW that we are ALL sinners? - Because when we forget this reality…The devil creeps into our life - The devil can convince us that all the good we do came from ourselves - God was not the primary driver of that good - When this happens - God slowly is put in the “back seat” - This can happen to ANYONE - And St Paul knows it - Yes - The Great St Paul is telling us this - Are we listening?!?……”Brothers and sisters: We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh”……The devil does not come into the “front door” of our life announcing who he is - The devil finds “the cracks” in our life and “slides” in when no one even realizes it…..This is why we must ALWAYS live in the state of grace as a Catholic…Any person who is NOT in the state of grace - Its does not matter who you are - How “smart” you “think” you are - How “holy” you “think” you are - The devil is real and can take you out!…..St Paul tells us how we fight this battle, which is in reality the battle for our eternal soul……”For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”…….How do we put on this “armor” St Paul speaks of?……Pray the Rosary everyday - Go to a Sacramental Confession once every month - Go to Mass and consume the Blessed Sacrament every Sunday….This is something EVERY person can do no matter what state in life you are called to…These three practices cost nothing - They are FREE OF CHARGE…And they will save your soul…..Any person who “thinks” they can self-manufacture a holy life and travel the narrow road to eternal life without those three practices I just noted - In my humble opinion is making a HUGE mistake…Why would I make such a bold claim? - Because “the spirit is willing and the flesh is WEAK”…..Those who have ears - Let them hear!

“I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord”

How does a person “fall from grace”? - A good question - This happens gradually but it happens….This is why we MUST remain vigilant and NEVER trust solely in “earthen vessels” but put our trust in God…..As Catholics we all know what happened in the 20th century with regard to the crisis of the priesthood, where priests sexually violated young boys in many countries around the world….If we were to step back and think about this objectively - One would say - How could this happen?!?…..One thing I can say with certainty - I would bet those predator priests stopped going to confession - I bet those predator priests were not praying the Rosary daily…..That is what happened!!! - And then the devil gradually crept in!…..Bishop Hugh Doyle famously said, “No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary. Either he will give up sin or he will give up the holy Rosary”……Any adult, who has lived in this world and has seen how the world “operates” - Who has seen and experienced the limits to their own strength and are honest about those limits knows deep within their heart - God is God and we are not! - All human beings have limits!…Because of this reality - Jesus gave us a Church - He gave us Our Lady - He gave us the Sacraments!!!!!….To not utilizes these gifts is simply FOOLISH!…..The world, the flesh and the devil will grind you into the dust without “the armor” of God….Those who have ears - Let them hear!

“Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing”

Today the Great St Paul, an extremely gifted and capable man warns us - So don’t think for one second YOU alone can “bear fruit” that lasts in this life without God…..How many people forget this reality, if not outright ignore this warning?!? - The pages of history are full of these people, so are the newspapers we read….Because of this, today at Mass, we are warned……So here is the question - Do we take this warning seriously? - And if we do - What are we doing about it?….Pray the Rosary everyday - Go to a Sacramental Confession once every month - Go to Mass and consume the Blessed Sacrament every Sunday……Put on the “armor of God”…Because the devil prowls the earth like a lion seeking the ruin of souls……..”Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more”…JMJ

Then “Blessed are you!” - “For your reward will be great in heaven”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew the parable of the Sower and the Seed…..We are assured that if we “adhere to the vine - we will bear fruit” - Jesus himself tells us this….So what stops us from doing what Jesus tells us?…St Matthew in this parable today tells us the answer to that question…..”When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit”……….The road to Jesus Christ is narrow!!!! - And to walk it means we will “walk against the tide” in this world - Are you willing to walk this path?….This is what St Matthew is attempting to articulate to us…Its easy to accept the word of God when everything is going smoothly - But what happens when we are rejected, even persecuted because of being a Catholic? - What then?…American Christianity tells us we can have both - God and the world - This is a self delusion and a lie!….Jesus himself 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”…And this is why people “fall away” for God….Jesus again is VERY clear…“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”…However, after making this statement, Jesus follows up with this - “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”….Catholics MUST be willing to “lose their life” for God - Now that does not mean we will die a martyrs death but it does mean we give Jesus all our hopes and dreams - That we bend our will until it breaks - That we surrender our entire life and put it at the service of God - Sadly, when we do this - The secular world will in many ways reject you but here is the “good news” - God will embrace you!…There are only two options - Pick one!…….This is the path to heaven - The “narrow road” - Are we willing to walk it?…..St Matthew today tells us what happens if we chose to walk this “narrow road” - “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold”……Those who have ears - Let them hear!

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

Most people will tell you, who live their lives through a Catholic lens, that many of the people who once “knew them” before they made this life altering decision think they are crazy! - Some outright reject you…..When a person makes the choice to follow God seriously, sadly, they lose friends - Even members of their family can distance themselves from a serious Catholic….Jesus tells us this in the pages of Scripture…..”Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved”…..So why should we be surprised when this happens?……..When I returned home from college, I went to a Sacramental Confession and began my life as a practicing Catholic at twenty-two years old - That was over thirty years ago….Before that time I lived a very worldly life and my friends were just like me - Drinking too much alcohol and doing everything that goes along with such a depraved lifestyle….But after my decision to live as a Catholic - Many people, who I was friends with for many years, no longer wanted to be in my company - Some even thought I was crazy…..So when I talk about being rejected because of our Catholic faith - I am speaking from experience!…Everything Jesus warned us about is true!!! - Because it happened to me….But like St Matthew tells us…….”But whoever endures to the end will be saved”……Only by living a life of daily prayer, fasting and frequent reception of the Sacraments will you persevere when “times get tough” - And guess what? - They will get tough!

“Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock”

Today at Mass we hear a parable many of us have heard time and time again since we were children - And because we know this story - Ask yourself the question - Which “seed” are you?…The one that “bears fruit” or the one that “dies”?…..A good priest once told me - “No one just floats into heaven” - What does that mean? - It means that we ALL must make a deliberate choice to live our Catholic faith seriously….And when we do, we must cling too Christ because the secular world will “attack us” in many ways…..This is why Jesus tells us - The road to heaven is “narrow” - And he was not lying!!!!…..To live as a Catholic boldly in this world in the public square is not an easy thing to do….In fact, when Jesus gave his first disciples the teaching of the Beatitudes, he addressed this idea, which I am attempting to articulate in this reflection…..”Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.  Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”…..Are you willing to be persecuted? - Are you willing to be insulted? - Are you willing to be slandered falsely?….If you are - Then “Blessed are you!” - “For your reward will be great in heaven”…..JMJ

Rinse - Wash - Repeat!

Today in the first reading from Holy Mass the Prophet Jeremiah tells the story of how God gave the Israelites everything and they squandered it…Never under estimate your human nature!!!……..The devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls - YOUR SOUL…The devil is smarter then you and knows ALL your weakness…….Why bring this up?…Because no matter who you are - We MUST stay close to Christ and the Sacraments……If we rely on our own gifts and strength, the devil will eventually “find a way” to unsettle us…..This is why Jesus founded a Church - So we can feed on his body and blood - So we can reconcile our sins to God…..Again, we can not self manufacture sanctity….Jeremiah tells us today that the Israelites - ”Dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water”…This is what we see today across the once Christian West - The secular world putting its trust in men - In politics - In material wealth…All these “things” will fail us!!! - They have failed us!!!!….…History proves this reality time and time again however, human beings never learn the lesson….Only a life grounded in God lasts - Only a life grounded in God bears fruit that will last……The secular world refuses to acknowledge this reality and in doing so, costly mistakes repeat themselves over and over again

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom”

One of the most prophetic statements, for anyone who pays attention to politics in America, comes from the Old Testament and the Book of Samuel….The Jewish people at one time did not have a King - God was their King - They had judges to settle disputes and God’s law was the guiding principal everyone followed - And as a result - The Jewish people thrived…Sadly, as time went on, outside influences corrupted the Israelites and because of this - They drifted from God - And wanted to be like other nations and have a King…The Prophet Samuel tried to warn them - But they did not listen………Today the Catholic warns America of the same forms of corruption….But we as a people do not listen…We vote for abortion on demand - Same Sex Marriage is legal from coast to coast - Forever wars take place no matter who the President is - No fault divorce is common place and memorialized in our laws - Usury is the primary source of American wealth……..How can God bless this nation when we have turned our backs to him? - All the while, the Catholic Church, like the Prophet Samuel, has warned the American people for years!!!…So how will this all end? - The same way it ended for the Israelites…God will cast us out into the “desert” - And through our period of suffering a “remnant” will emerge…..Once again - History repeats itself

“Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full to those who were asking him for a king. He told them: “The governance of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. He will appoint from among them his commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He will make them do his plowing and harvesting and produce his weapons of war and chariotry. He will use your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will tithe your crops and grape harvests to give to his officials and his servants. He will take your male and female slaves, as well as your best oxen and donkeys, and use them to do his work. He will also tithe your flocks. As for you, you will become his slaves. On that day you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”

Rinse - Wash - Repeat!…………JMJ

Our life “begins” on the “other side” of this change - When we touch “lightning”

Today the Universal Church commemorates the life of Mary Magdalene, who Catholic tradition calls the apostle to the apostles……The life of Mary Magdalene should serve as an example of how Christ can transform a person into a new creation…Scripture tells us that Mary Magdalene was a woman possessed by seven demons…But somehow she was able to change - What about us?…..Nothing is impossible for God and even the worst person we have ever encountered in life can change…But how?….Only God can change people - We “think” we can people and sadly we try to change people all the time - This is a waste of time!…All we as Catholics can do is give a grace filled witness to the world - That witness must be consistent - Day in and Day out - And if we do this - In time - The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of the people close to us - And some of those people, by God’s grace will change, as a result of the Holy Spirit, not us…If you look closely at Catholic social media today, which I do because of my role as a co-host of a Catholic radio show in New York - People are constantly trying to “change others” - I know this because I was one of those people!…But I have learned that changing others is impossible - Our “job” is to change ourself…With that said - The closer we get to Christ, the more others will be attracted to us - And the more we witness a life of holiness - The world around us will be transformed….Mary Magdalene was truly transformed - And as a result her life’s witness shook the foundations of the world….This is the impact of a saint….And each baptized Catholic is called to be saint - Why do we “sell ourselves short”? - Aspiring for material things and achievements that in the end will mean nothing…..Inside of each of us is a saint - It should be our number one priority to become who we were ALL born to be - A saint!

“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come”

When a man becomes the Pope, he takes a new name - There is great symbolism in that new name - The Pope is now beginning something completely new in his life….The same goes for Catholics when we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, we take a new name - Why? - Again, because something new is about to begin on our life…..Scripture tells us….”I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”…..This is a process that does not happen over night - Have we started this much needed process?…..Before we stand before God, our hearts must be purified…This happens as we live now but if we do not complete what needs to be completed, the remaining “work” is done in Purgatory……When I was a young man I was a very different person then who I am now…..The people I lived with in college and were at the time very close to me, seem to me a stranger now….One of my roommates from college recently passed away…I lived with Jude for three years and he was a big part of my young life….Because of his death, a number of people from my university got together to celebrate Jude’s life…..I attended this event with my youngest son Gerard….Seeing and speaking with the people I once knew at this event was a strange experience - We no longer had much in common and frankly I felt like a stranger among people I once knew very well…..This is what happens when we give our life to God - We change!……”So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come”……Our world today lives under a great misconception - We do not just “float” into heaven when we die - We must be transformed and in order to be transformed - We must cooperate with Sacramental grace….God will not force us to change - We must desire it and when we desire it, we must strive each and every day to “carry our cross”, allowing God to work in our life….Mary Magdalene is a great example of this…And if I were to be honest, so am I, while not a saint like Mary Magdalene…God took a “wild young man”, who was always the life of the party, caught up in nothing but himself and God transformed that man - That young man was me!

“I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them. You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your impurities. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful; I will not send famine against you. I will increase the fruit on your trees and the crops in your fields so that you no longer endure reproach from the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil behavior and your deeds that were not good; you will loathe yourselves for your sins and your abominations. Not for your sake do I act—oracle of the Lord GOD. Let this be known to you! Be ashamed and humbled because of your behavior, house of Israel. Thus says the Lord GOD: When I cleanse you of all your guilt, I will resettle the cities and the ruins will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be tilled—once a wasteland in the eyes of every passerby. They will say, “This once-desolate land has become like the garden of Eden. The cities once ruined, laid waste and destroyed, are now resettled and fortified.”

The life of Mary Magdalene should inspire us…..She is an example of the transforming power of God….If we read the lives of the saints, there are many examples similar to Mary Magdalene…The saints are people who encountered the “Living God” and because of that encounter - They radically changed…..If we are honest, that is something we all must experience, an encounter with the “Living God”….Until we know deep within our hearts that God is real - That Jesus is fully present in the Blessed Sacrament - Our Catholic faith in many ways is just about “ticking boxes” - We simply go through the motions…..But when we encounter the Lord - Everything changes….The great Boston College philosopher Peter Kreeft wrote a book entitled “Jesus Shock”, in it this is what he wrote….“If anyone claims to have met Him without being changed, he has not met Him at all. When you touch Him, you touch lightning”….Have you touched “lightning” yet? - That is the question! - Because if you have, you know it - And you are changed as a result…..Mary Magdalene experienced such an encounter with this so-called “lightning” Peter Kreeft wrote about in his book - Have you?…….If you have not changed your life know right now - Something is missing!……Our life “begins” on the “other side” of this change - When we touch “lightning”……..JMJ

Set the world on fire

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus asks a question to the crowd that followed him….“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”…..He asks the same question today to us…..Jesus established one Church - The Catholic Church…This is an undeniable fact…The Catholic Church existed 400 years before there was even a Bible and when the Bible was put together, it was the Catholic Church who complied it…..But sadly, even within the Catholic Church today people ask the same question that Jesus raised today in the Gospel - “Who are my brothers?”….While everything that the Catholic Church teaches is written down - Very clearly I might add - People within the Church argue and bicker about what is authentic….Funny how the human mind works!…..For purposes of this reflection - I will try to answer this question - “Who are my brothers?”……The Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth, which means as Catholics we MUST believe everything the Church teaches and live our life through the lens of those teachings…But that is not all - We must also strive to purify our hearts daily because a pure heart is a heart that is full of love of God and love of neighbor….That means if we profess to believe everything that the Church teaches to be the Truth but our hearts are not full of love - Sadly - We are NOT brothers of Jesus Christ…..The same goes if we distort the Truth taught by the Church in the name of “love” - Such an approach also falls short of the question asked by Jesus today - “Who are my brothers?”……..When the secular world witnesses authentic Catholicism - Trust me - Heads are turned and traffic stops!……How do I know this? - Because I have encountered holy people in my life - Specifically speaking, when I worked with Mother Teresa’s nuns actively for seven years in New York, Haiti and India - There I witnessed faith in action - A religious order who believes everything the Church teaches, lives those teachings with their lives and possess love in their heart for both God and neighbor….This is the witness the world needs and this witness addresses the questions asked by Jesus today - “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”....There is no Truth without love and so called  “love” falls short if it lacks the fullness of Truth.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him”

The Catholic Church teaches that in order to consume the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, we must be in the state of grace…This teaching is biblical as well as clearly documented in the Catechism…Yet - Somehow, this teaching has become unclear to some….Trying to “side-step” this teaching in the name of being “pastoral” or in the name of “accompaniment” falls short and does not bear fruit for the Kingdom of God - It is also objectively a sin…..We can not call such false practices, (even if they are well-intentioned) love either……If we love someone, we tell them the Truth…That does not mean we are mean-spirited when we tell them the Truth - But if we conveniently “leave parts of the Truth out” or we intentionally speak in ambiguous terms about the Truth - We can not honestly say we love that person….Jesus never did this and nor can we…The voice of the Catholic Church MUST be clear, but it also MUST come from a place of love…God sees the human heart - He knows our intentions…..When the secular world witnesses a Church that embraces the fullness of Truth in love - The world may not agree with us - But trust me - The world will take us seriously!….And in the process, many will experience a change of heart - Because authentic Catholicism sets the world on fire.

“As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt, show us wonderful signs. Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance”

Today Jesus challenges us….“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”…In our hearts I believe we all know the answer to those questions….The challenge comes more from living out the answers in real time….Such an authentic lifestyle requires grace, which produces courage….An authentic Catholic stands out from the crowd - No words are necessary to tell the world around us that we are Catholic when we are authentically living out our Catholic faith - The secular world knows this with one glance…This is the witness our world needs to see…Its not just a matter of “going to Church on Sunday” - Its what we do the rest of the week…Are all our choices, most especially how we spend our money and what we do in our bedroom - Are these choices guided by Church teaching?…Do we share our resources with the material poor? - Are we open to life from conception to natural death? - Do we use contraception in our marriages?……The answer to these questions tell us a lot - They also tell the world around us a lot…..Our world today will not be transformed by a form of “counterfeit Catholicism”…..People believe what they see….And when they see the “real deal” - They know it…….“Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother”…….These are the people who set the world on fire - And this is what we are called to do - Set the world on fire……..JMJ

No sign is necessary - What is necessary is repentance

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, people ask Jesus for a sign…Jesus tells them that no sign will be given - That they have the word of God and the prophets….Notice - This is the same response given by Father Abraham in the story of the rich man and Lazarus…..”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.’”……..This message applies to us to this very day as well…People today say they want a “sign” to prove that the Catholic faith is what it says it is……And no sign will be given! - Why? - Because no sign can change our heart…The Truth is the Truth - It stands on its own merit……We either accept it or we do not…. No sign can change us because sadly the secular world does not want to change….To accept Christ and the fullness of the Truth, which is contained in the Catholic Church requires us to have a teachable spirit and a wellness to bend our will to God’s will…No sign can make that happen!….A certain internal disposition must be in place and a willingness to conform our life to the life of Christ….In our Gospel story today, Jesus is asking the crowd to repent - He is asking the world today to do the same thing!…He tells the crowd that…”At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here”…What is this “something” that Jesus refers too?…..It’s his very presence!…..Today we too have his True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament….All we have to do is sit before him and listen in silence…Everything we need to know will be told to us in the silence as we sit before the Blessed Sacrament…..That is why no physical sign is necessary.

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”

On October 13 1917, tens of thousands of people witnessed in Portugal the sun dancing in the sky…This miracle was attributed to Our Lady’s apparition to three peasant children at Fatima….When the sun appeared to moving erratically in the sky and was about the crash to the earth, secular newspapers reported on it - So look it up!….Yet, did the secular world change as a result of this sign?…..Sadly it did not….Let’s take it even further…One of the messages of Fatima was for the world to pray the Rosary daily for peace….Allow me to ask another question…After this “sign”, do all Baptized Catholics today heed the words of Our Lady and pray the Rosary daily?….Sadly they do not…..This is why Jesus in the Gospel told the crowd that “no sign will be given”…..Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John a similar encounter with those who did not believe his words….”So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense?  If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”……In order to “hear his voice”, we must first repent of our sins…..This is why John the Baptist proclaimed these famous words…”Repent - The kingdom of God is at hand”…The words of Christ will never make sense to us if we first do not repent of our sins - That also goes for the fullness of Truth taught by the Catholic Church….We need to confess our sins!!!!…If we do not, we will never understand the words of Christ…..And no sign can change that….Only a Sacramental Confession can!

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

Today in the Gospel people are looking for a sign from Jesus to prove he is who he says he is…And people today are looking for a sign as well - Thinking that somehow witnessing a miracle will change them - Not going to happen!…..Jesus tells us that he is - The Truth, The Life and The Way - Why do some people believe that and others do not? - It all comes down to acknowledging our sins and repenting before God….If we repent of our faults, weakness and sins…God will give us the grace to believe….Our hearts must be prepared to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit….Our world today refuses to repent - That is the obstacle - Our refusal to REPENT!….And this is why Jesus tells us today in the Gospel the same thing he told the crowds of his day…..“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here”….Repent and Believe the Gospel - In that order!…..No sign is necessary - What is necessary is repentance……JMJ

Trust the plan and be apart of the solution

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we hear the parable about the wheat and the weeds…How God allows the good and the bad to live side by side until the final judgement…..Is this how you or I would react - To allow the bad to live next to the good?…..From a human prospective, this seems unfair….Why? - Because bad people cause us harm and we all want to live comfortable lives…..God sees it another way - Those who choose bad things have free will - They can always change their mind and become good…Also, the “bad fruit” that results from the evil choices of people will be used to further sanctify the good…..God is our Father and will NEVER abandon us…Even as our world appears to have gone mad! - Our Lord stand with us…..In the midst of the darkness of this world, it is very easy to forget that Jesus Christ has already won the final victory….What we see currently is the devil’s last attempts before “the final whistle blows”……Two thousand years ago, when Jesus resurrected from the dead, the period referred to by many today as “the end times” began - We too easily lose sight of this reality….With that said, no one knows when God the Father will send his son back to us…In the meantime, its for us to be patient - To know that God is working to bring about the salvation of the world and each of us has a part to play in God’s plan….St Paul reminds us  - “Where sin abounds - Grace abounds all the more”!......So be patient….Endure what needs to be endured…Everything works towards the Greater Glory of God - Trust the plan!

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom”

No one wants to suffer but sadly suffering is apart of every human life…As we go through difficult moments in life, its very hard to see God’s hand at work…But when those tough times are over and we look back - We sometimes see just how God used those hard times to mold us into a different person….A person we were born to be…..The process of sanctification is not a smooth one, there are many “ups and downs” as we all know…..The secular world does not understand this….To many American Christians - All we have to do is “believe” in Jesus and heaven is a guarantee….This has never been a Catholic teaching and is a deception sown into the hearts of many by the evil one…..Before we enter into the beatific vision, we must be made pure….Most of the ‘heavy lifting” of that process should be going own now in our lives….As we live our lives as Catholics, in the state of life God called us too, we should be praying, fasting, and living a Sacramental life - And slowly as we live our faith actively, we die to our self and become a “new creation in Christ”….Again, this is a process , which for most will continue after we die in Purgatory…..Part of that “process” of sanctification is suffering……This is what Mother Teresa had to say about suffering….“Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus - a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you”…What does she mean by that statement?…..That even in our trials and sufferings, God’s hand is forming us….Using the suffering as a “tool” to mold us into something new…No one wants to suffer but when we realize that even in our trials, God is working within us - When we fully digest that reality, we can and will endure whatever we need to endure!….It comes down to trust - Do we trust God? - And know in this life, in time, the hard times will pass - And the good times will come….We just need to learn to trust more, which requires grace….The more we grow in holiness, the more grace fills our life…And the closer we get to God, the more we accept the hard times in life just as easily as we accept the good times - Because everything works for the Glory of God! - Easier said then done - Right?!?….In the meantime, open yourself up to God’s grace - He will help us to “see” his hand, even in the darkest of hours and move us forward to the light of day.

“Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.  And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will”

Today we hear a story many of us Catholics have heard before…The parable of the wheat and the weeds…..Life is full of surprises and sometimes “the weeds” in time change into “wheat”….God gives us all free will and we all choose the life we want to lead…But through it all God is continuously trying to “get our attention”….Reaching a hand to us, in the hope we change….For those of us who are “wheat” - Its our job to help the “weeds”….This is what Jesus did - He walked among mankind and did his very best to help us to “see” and to change….Is this what we are doing? - Trying to help our others to “see” that there is a better way to live…God’s plan of salvation is not finished and God asks us all to participate in that plan - We each have something to do to help bring about God’s Kingdom on the earth….Is this how you “see” it as you encounter “the weeds” on the news or even in your family?…..Do we love “the weeds” as Jesus loves them?…Are we actively trying to help “the weeds”?……Jesus very clearly today in the Gospel tells us - “Let them grow together until harvest”…..God is the final judge, not us! - In the meantime, strive to be “wheat” and help those who are “the weeds”…Because a day is coming when “the Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear”……Trust the plan and be apart of the solution….JMJ

”I must decrease - And He must increase”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in St Matthew Gospel how Jesus withdraw from sight of the Pharisees, due to the fact that they wanted to do him harm…And as he moved to the margins of the city, the people followed him….And St Matthew tells us….”And he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known”……..Jesus was not “in it” for fame….Everything he did was for the Father….But his compassion for those who suffer was once again brought before our eyes….”He cured them all”……To love someone means you are willing to suffer for them - You see their need and you put upon yourself what ever needs to be done to alleviate that need…..The words of the  Prophet Isaiah come to mind when pondering this idea….”Yet it was our pain that he bore, our sufferings he endured. We thought of him as stricken, struck down by God and afflicted, But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, all following our own way; But the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though harshly treated, he submitted and did not open his mouth; Like a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before shearers, he did not open his mouth”…..Our world today rejects suffering - Something that is apart of every human life - Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church give meaning to suffering….Our world today says “Love is Love” - But does our world even know what love is? - Love is to suffer for another…To give of yourself at a great cost…This is what Jesus did for all of humanity…But this is also what married love is all about…A man and a woman suffer for each other and their children…They give of their self…This is why marriage needs to be lived Sacramentally…Because without Sacramental grace - That needed “giving of self” does not take place - And selfishness creeps in destroying the love that once was there……..Jesus cured those in the crowd noted today in St Matthew’s gospel because he authentically loved them - And because Jesus loved his people - He payed a deep cost as we all know - He gave his life…..As Catholics today, we may not be asked to literally give our physical life for the faith - But each of us is called to love authentically - And to do that, we must endure suffering for those we say we love…..”Love” is nothing but a mere word unless we are willing to endure suffering for those we “say” we love….This is why “Love is NOT Love” - To contradict the popular saying often repeated in mainstream society…..Love gives of itself completely for the other and in that witness, the world is changed forever, both individually and universally.

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope”

My wife and I have been married for thirteen years…We have five children born and we lost three to miscarriages…..Our days are very long…Why do we do it?…The answer - Because we love God and love each other!……And because God love us, he shows us through the Sacrament of Marriage how to love authentically…In doing so and living this vocation out, we die to our self, are filled with the Holy Spirit and are sanctified in the process….All part of God’s plan - To prepare us for heaven……..When my youngest daughter Maria was three years old, she had an to have her appendix taken out, which required emergency surgery…She spent five days and nights in the hospital…During that time my wife and I had to stay in the hospital with her…My wife would stay all day and I would take care of the other four children…And at night, I would stay with Maria…This was a very difficult week…Life kept moving along at a hectic pace, and in the meantime, we had to take care of our little Maria…This is just one example of what married life is all about - Making deep sacrifices for others - This is what authentic love is all about too…Its not some “Hollywood movie”, which portrays “love” as some “fairytale”….Love is demanding! - But when we give ourselves to it - We “find out” who we truly are - And we are transformed….The question then becomes - Are we willing to love in this manner?…..Our world today, believe it or not, “thirsts” for sacrificial love - It just does not realize it….When the secular world witnesses “this kind love” - Its stunned!!!! - And many are (and will be) transformed by that witness…This is the task of every Baptized Catholic - To witness sacrificial love….No words necessary - Just action grounded in Sacramental grace….And watch how the world changes!

“You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow, taking them in your hands. On you the unfortunate man depends; of the fatherless you are the helper”

Today we hear in the Gospel how Jesus took the time to cure those who were suffering….His eyes were open to the need of others…..How about us - Do we “see” this need?…..Sometimes it’s easier to “see” the need to help others who are not close to us…Mother Teresa would always say….”Find your own Kolkata - Serve the “poor” in your family”…..As Catholics the closer we get to God, the more our eyes will “see” this great need….First for our spouse and children and then for our neighbors around us….And in order to address this “need”, we must be willing to sacrifice, which entails suffering…This is what the world refuses to do - Suffer for another…But this is the path to eternal life….Some questions to consider - Do we share a portion of our money consistently with the materially poor?….Are we open to life in our marriage, refusing to use contraception, and providing for those children by living simply?…These are just two examples of deep sacrifices we as Catholics are called to make….And when we live in this manner - What do we get in return? - The answer is - We get Jesus Christ!!!!!…..If we want to receive Christ authentically, we must first empty ourselves and God gives us plenty of opportunities to do that each day no matter who we are - Its then up to us to take advantage of those opportunities….”Therefore I will give him his portion among the many, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because he surrendered himself to death, was counted among the transgressors, Bore the sins of many, and interceded for the transgressors”….As the great John the Baptist said so eloquently….”I must decrease - And He must increase”…….JMJ

”Small things” add up!

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus addresses the “perfect people”….The Pharisees did everything right outwardly but their hearts were cold and hardened…….God sees us as we truly are and when we stand before him after we die, that is exactly how we will all be judged - As we truly are!……Being Catholic is simple not about “ticking boxes”…While we have obligations to meet - Going to Mass on Sunday - Following the Commandments - Going to Confession, etc….If our lives are not full of charity, which simply is another word for love - Everything we do is in vain…St Paul addresses this so well in his Letter to the Corinthians……”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”….Ask yourself this question - Is there love in your heart when you speak the Eternal Truths of the Catholic Church?….The Truth should never be used as a weapon or as a means to simply prove how “smart” you are when debating another person…The Truth must always be spoken in love - But it MUST be spoken…..Within the Catholic Church spanning across the world, some of the greatest minds debate, write books, and lecture on all sorts of Theological topics to this very day - And in the right context, there is nothing wrong with that….However, never forget that our Lord was a simple man…He worked with his hands….He was a carpenter…He came from a humble family…He surrounded himself with simple and uneducated people…..One does not have to be a scholar to be Catholic - What is important is our interior disposition - The purity of our hearts…..Everything we do must come from a place of charity….Because without charity we simply are wasting our time……God sees the human heart as it is, not as the world sees it…And its what God sees that matters

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”

Over the years I have done many things in service of the Church…..I have traveled the world serving the poor before I was married…I have written a book…I currently am a co-host of a Catholic radio program in the New York City Metropolitan Area….I write this blog each day - And while all that is good, I do not want to trivialize these actions…What is most important is how my wife and children view me as a husband and father….Many people may think I am a “holy person” because of the many things I have done and do…But what does my wife think?….How about my children?…..Recently I went to confession and confessed to the priest that when we pray our Family Rosary each night, I can be harsh with my children when they misbehave…….(I have five children under 12 years old)….As I confessed this to the priest he listened quietly and when I was finished he said something that hit me like a tons of bricks!….He said:  “Jesus never yelled at children” - OUCH!!!!……….While its important to pray the Rosary each night as a family and its also important for my children to behave while we pray it - If as their Father I am not being kind and merciful when I address my children - The question then becomes - Is our family Rosary being prayed as Jesus would like us to pray it?……The priest’s words cut me to the bone!…..So does Jesus word’s today in the Gospel……“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”

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

Today in the Gospel Jesus teaches his disciples something very important…Outward acts of piety mean very little to God if those actions are not grounded in charity……God is love, he is not a lawyer!…While the Catholic Church possess the fullness of Truth, everything the Church has taught and still teaches must be said in love of God and neighbor…If we as Catholics find ourselves “arguing for the sake of arguing” - Ask yourself this question - Have we become what St Paul warns us about?….”If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal”…..The Truth must ALWAYS be spoken - More importantly - The Truth must be lived out - But its how we speak it and live it that matters most….God sees our hearts…This is why before we “do things” for God, we must first purify our hearts….We do that by living Sacramentally and by praying daily….These “tools” draw us closer to the Lord and in turn we will love more…Then “what we do” will be pleasing to God….”Quantity” is not always Quality…Focus on doing small things with great amounts of love….....”Small things” add up!…JMJ