Choices have consequence - Choose well

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of John that the mob is forming around Jesus!….Jesus has threatened the power base of his society and they are not having it!….And because of the elite of Jesus’ day focused their life choices on power and status, they are unable to “hear” the words of Jesus…God is standing right in front of them and they cannot “see” and “hear” him!…..We see similar events like this play out today….Truth is spoken and when it challenges those who refuse to put down the idols of power and status, they lash-out….We see this in our communities, in our work places and in our politics……..”Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But others said, "The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?" The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man." So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed." Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,  "Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?" They answered and said to him, "You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee”…………Human beings have not changed too much since the time of Jesus Christ……Mankind would rather live a lie then embrace life giving Truth…..We cannot claim to “believe” in God if we do not embrace the Truth in all it fullness - This is a great disconnect, which plays out in our American society……”I believe in abortion - But I also believe in God”…”I believe in same sex marriage - But I also believe in God”……I believe in euthanasia - But I also believe in God”……To make such statements and to convince yourself that somehow you are on the side of God while you actively work against God is not only a delusion but a recipe for disaster…..Jesus Christ said he was the Truth - Not the custom….And while the Truth will set you free - The Truth also divides…It separates the “sheep from the goats”………“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”…As it is today and how it was in the days that Christ walked the earth - The Truth divides!….We must make a choice and our life speaks of this choice….Are you a “sheep” or a “goat”? - One will live, the other will die - That is the way it is…Choose well - Choose life!

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

Both inside and outside the walls of the Church, the battle for Truth rages on to this very day!……The Catholic Church is an extension of Jesus Christ and contains the fullness of Truth…In addition, everything the Church claims to be true is written down - So how can there be so much confusion?….Its all written down!!!…..Interestingly enough, when the Truth in all its fullness is proclaimed from the pulpit or for that matter spoken in the public squares of America - Many Catholics and Non-Catholics reject it, sometimes even violently……Why?…Because to embrace the Truth requires sacrifice…And people refuse to sacrifice anything…Jesus was very clear…..“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. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”……When I got married to my wife, I was full committed to being open to life…The Catholic Church, as many know, does not permit the use of contraception and part of our wedding vows as Catholics is to be fully open to life….How many Catholic married couples embrace this teaching?…..When I got married, my wife and I were all in!…And as a result my wife gave birth to five children in ten years - We also lost three children as a result of miscarriages in those ten years…Its easy to say with words that we did this as a Catholic married couple but clearly there was a “price to pay”….My wife suffered physically, the financial burden involved in caring for five children…The daily sacrifices of time….The sleepless nights…….To live out what the Church requires of married couples costs!…..So here is the question - Are we willing to “pay the cost”?…….The Truth is so easy to repeat - So easy to read from a book - Its something all together different to live the Truth in real time….But reading about the Truth does not make a person a follower of Christ - To follow Christ we must live the Truth….All our daily choices - In everything we say and do should “scream” to the world around us that we are Catholic….If our life does not communicate that message - Then maybe we need to stop and think - Are we really following Jesus Christ?……Are we willing to “pay the price” of discipleship?

“O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, Lest I become like the lion's prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me”

Today at Mass we hear in the Gospel that many of the power-brokers of Jesus’ day outright rejected him…..Keep in mind…Many of these men claimed to be “religious” - Yet God stood right before them and they could not “see” or “hear” him….This reality should serve as a warning to us today…..The Catholic Church proclaims the fullness of Truth….And God does not force us to believe in him - God simply proposes the Truth to us - Its up to us to accept the Truth…And if we fully accept the Truth - Our life will look differently from the crowd…Are we willing to “look differently” from the crowd?……Far too many Catholics “go along to get along” in our society…We look like everyone else and live like the pagan culture that is all around us - This needs to end!….Catholics must be willing to “pay the price” of living as a Catholic in the public square - Come “hell or high-water”….If we are not willing to “pick up our cross” - How can we possibly think we will spend eternal life with Christ in heaven?……..”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven”……Choices have consequence - Choose well…….JMJ

”I must decrease and He must increase”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading something from the Book of Wisdom that gives us a window into human nature…..Those who seek power at all costs in this world to this very day ”think” exactly as they did in the time of Christ….The Church and those who are faithful to her should always remember that we live in a hostile world….Jesus tells us this very clearly….“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues”…When we are working and living in this chaotic reality, which is the world, its easy to forget the power of God - That Jesus defeated death and that Christ will one day come again…..The reading today reminds us all that the world is a dangerous place but take heart - Christ has conquered death and the darkness of the world will not have the last word…….”The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright: "Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the LORD. To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, Because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways. He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him." These were their thoughts but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”.……….Notice the end of this passage…..”but they erred”……Just when evil “thinks” it has the last word, it fails……History proves this to be true time and time again…..God is at work and we must work with him…..The Catholic Church has outlasted the Roman Empire, The French Revolution, The Nazi Third Reich & the Soviet Union - To name just a few of the enemies of the Church…Think about that!!!!!…The world and the devil has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at the Catholic Church - And it is still standing….For those who are objective - That should tell you something…Think long and hard - Jesus Christ is King!

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

God plays the “long game”…And because God thinks in those terms, so must we…But if we look at our life, for those who have been around from some time as I have been, you will observe how good behavior in time always wins the day and how bad behavior in time destroys those who prescribe to it….I have life-long friends and outside of going away to college, I returned to my hometown and live to this day amongst many of the people I grew up with…I have watched people I have known my entire life - From grammar school to them being grandparents…Of these people that I see around town, people I have known for decades, there have been many surprises……One stark observation I can make is…….Many of the “bad guys” I grow up with have long fallen away….Their bad behavior caught up with them and when I see them as men in some cases, now in their sixties - They are a shell of who they once were - Some are even dead…….Historically speaking, mankind has not “figured out” what was read to us in the first reading from Mass today…..”These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”………God always has the last word!…..I have five children and I always tell my kids, as my father always told me - “There are no short cuts in this world”….That also goes for entering into eternal life……Jesus is very clear about this reality….We are instructed as Catholics to “Pick up our Cross”…..That the “road that leads to heaven is narrow”….That Jesus is the only “gatekeeper”….This is told to us by the Church and read to us at Mass - But do we “hear” the words?……How do we stay on the road to heaven?…How do we endure the trials and temptations of life?…..How do we not “get lost” along the way?……Again, for those of us who have lived in this world for many years as I have, we have watched many “good” people we know and love “fall away” - They “get lost” - And in turn pay a huge price!…..So how do we “stay the course”?……The answer comes from Jesus and we have heard it before - But did we really “hear” the words?…….“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”…….To be a Christian means to live and worship as a Catholic…A bold statement for sure but a true one…….While there are many well intentioned Christians in the world who are not Catholic, the words of Jesus contained in the Gospel of John, which I just noted refutes any claim of Christian authority outside the Catholic Church……And if we are not living Sacramentally, which means going to frequent confession and receiving the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace - If we live outside of the realm of Sacramental grace - To “think” we can “walk the narrow road” laid before us is in my view a fools errand…..Again, circling back to the first reading from the Book of Wisdom proclaimed at Mass today…..”But they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, and they knew not the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense of holiness nor discern the innocent souls' reward”…….The unbelieving world does not “get it” sadly……For those who have “eyes to see” - What I just noted is very clear - Again - For those who have eyes to see.

“The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them”

As Catholics, we go to Mass every Sunday and the words of Christ are read to us…This goes on for years and years - But do we “hear” those words? - I mean really “hear” them!…..Mother Teresa would always say - “I take Jesus at his word”……That is coming from a  canonized saint…So the question today is - Do we take Jesus at his word?……Because if we did - Maybe we would live differently - Maybe we would live Sacramentally - Maybe we too would become saints…Isn’t that the goal?  - To become a saint……Jesus walked among men “to take away the sins of the world” - To establish a Church - To show us by his example how to reach eternal life….He could not have done anymore to make is “point” any clearer - So what is the problem? - Where is the confusion?….The problem rests within each of us - This is the greatest enemy we face - Our own will - And this is the enemy we must defeat - Our will must bend until it breaks!….As John the Baptist tells us…”I must decrease and He must increase”….There it is - The answer to the problems that plague mankind…….”I must decrease and He must increase”……..JMJ

When we “fix” the man - We will “fix” society

Today the Universal Church honors St Joseph…..A man of silence, obedience and humility……In a world where everyone seems to have “something to say” on social media, St Joseph is a contradiction…..In the entire New Testament there is not one single word recorded from the mouth of St Joseph…Yet the Universal Church honors him as one of the greatest saints…..Our world today needs more men like St Joseph…..He spoke by his example…..And ultimately the only lasting statement anyone ever makes, is their example…..Words are easily said but forgotten quickly…..However, the lasting power of a good example is what makes the deepest imprint on those around us….But how are we able to give such an example?….The only way is to be rooted in daily prayer, fasting and Sacramental grace……Our human condition is so easily distracted….And we are all susceptible to temptations and sin….The answer to human weakness is divine grace and Joseph opened himself up to that grace….Joseph emptied himself and God in turn filled him with the Holy Spirit….Our world today is so convinced that we can make a lasting impact grounded upon words, accomplishments and achievements…St Joseph took an opposite approach….Joseph lived out his vocation as a married man and father…He did not regard himself to be important but made others the center of importance….And God honored him and two thousand years later so do we as Catholics…..Instead of focusing in on the “big things” - Maybe we all should concentrate on the “little things”….Like the virtues of obedience, humility and silence……We will never be able to do the “big things” if we do not first master the “little things”

“He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness”

Being a good father boils down to be consistent….Taking out the garbage every night - Going to work every day - Helping the kids with their homework - Mowing the lawn and shoveling snow - Helping your wife with shopping…..To name a few of the tasks of a father…These tasks seem of little value to the world but if they are not done, family life does not run properly…..I am a father of five children and I had a father who gave me a good example, so for me, being a father comes fairly naturally…But so many today in our world have no idea what it means to be a father…To some degree, its not their fault because they were not given a good example to follow….I recently heard a statement made that stuck with me deeply…”If we fix the man, we fix society”…This I believe is at the root of so many of our problems today in America….Men do not know how to be men….We have forgotten that mastering the “little things”, lead to us mastering “big things”…..St Joseph teaches us this and for the many men in America that did not have a good example to follow, St Joseph must be that example…..Our world today is hyper-focused on “achievements”…Building a solid resume - Getting a great education - Accumulating wealth…..But the purpose of manhood has little to do with those things….A man is born to be a husband and a father…To love his wife and children, dying to himself and in turn growing closer to God each day….All the other “stuff” is forgotten as quickly as the dirt is placed over our coffins…The impact of a good husband and a father - Not a perfect one but simply a good and consistent one - Such a witness lasts for generations!…..Our society has lost its focus in all the “noise”…..And only a father’s example, not a father’s words, but his example can be “heard” above all the “noise”…..When America “fixes the man” we will “fix” the nation

“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.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home”

The Universal Church in her wisdom honors St Joseph…..There was a time when family life thrived in America….Marriage was viewed traditionally…Mom’s stayed home and Dad’s worked….Families had many chidlren…..Sunday’s were special….Holiday’s were even more special……All this and more has been lost - Americans may “have more stuff” and are more educated but we lost something much more valuable….I was born to simple people…My father was a barber in a one man barber shop….He was the son of Italian immigrants….My family lived simply and both my parents sacrificed deeply for me and my brother….They did not have to talk about their sacrifices…We saw them and as a result to this day, I remember everything they did for us…..Americans must return to this “simpler time”….The answer to many of our problems today is because we know longer know how to live well….There is an “art to living” and that “art” is not taught to us in college…Its taught in the home….St Joseph teaches us that “art”….There is nothing more extraordinary then the witness of a simple man and a simple woman who raise many ordinary children against all odds…Such a witness challenges the world’s false ideologies in a way no words ever could or can……”The Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you……….Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt”……St Joseph’s witness two thousand years later is the path forward for America and the world…..Obedience, Humility and Silence…….Only a man of prayer can do what St Joseph did….But before we do the “big things” we must first master the “little things”….Grace builds upon grace….When we “fix” the man - We will “fix” society………….JMJ

“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St John Jesus addressing the religious leaders of his day……"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also”…Jesus Christ was God and he was perfectly obedient to the Father…What should that say to us in terms of the need to be obedient?…..Both inside and outside the Church - Far too many people believe to have “great” ideas” that conflict with Catholic teaching…This is the mistake of our first parents in the Garden of Eden….Our job is to be obedient - To listen to the word of God - To adhere to the timeless teachings of the Church - And if we do that - We surely will “bear fruit that will last” - How do I know this? - Because Jesus Christ said so!……“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 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”…….We see this passage from St John lived out in the lives of the saints - The saints take Christ at his word - That should tell us all something!….The collective “we” do not have “better ideas” that conflict with the Gospel and Church teaching….And if we as Catholics “stick with the program” - We too will become a holy people that impacts the world, just as the saints have done for two thousand years…..Jesus today in the Gospel from Mass goes on to tell the religious leaders who oppose him that if they do not “hear” his voice, they will not enter into eternal life……This very clear message holds true to this very day….Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation - There is “one door” that leads to eternal life - Jesus was very clear about this reality and so must we be clear…Catholics are not doing the world “any favors” when in the name of “ecumenicalism” do not make this message very clear - Just as Jesus did…..That the salvation of mankind comes only through Christ…..And for those, through “no fault of their own” who do not know Christ - God in his mercy will judge them…And God if perfectly merciful and perfectly just…In the mean time - Catholics must be crystal clear……..“Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”…The message is crystal clear

“I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die”

Over the past hundred or so years the Catholic Church has engaged in what is commonly referred to as ecumenicalism….We have seen this play out in many different forms, some effective and some not so effective…..Ecumenicalism practiced on the part of Catholics should never make concessions when it comes to Church teaching….A proper interpretation of ecumenicalism is simply developing a friendship with those who you do not agree with and when subjects come up in that friendship where there are deep disagreements - The two parties simply say to each our - “Let’s agree to disagree” - And continue to be friends and allow the Holy Spirit to work…..If Catholics took this approach  - Never “watering down Church teaching - Extending a hand of friendship to all people of different religions - Always giving a good example filed by Sacramental grace….In time, our witness will be “speak volumes”…This is how we are to evangelize the non-Catholic world…We are never going to argue people who are not Catholic into the doors of the Church - But our uncompromising witness of the Gospel and Church teaching will make the world “stop and think long and hard”…..I have watched this play out over the years of serving with Mother Teresa’s sisters….The Missionaries of Charity are uncompromisingly Catholic - But they never preach - The sisters do all “their talking” by their actions…..And the witness of a an uncompromising Catholic life “stops traffic” - Even in New York City!…And nothing stops traffic in New York City

“I will cut a road through all my mountains, and make my highways level”

St John’s Gospel is crystal clear and the message today from Mass instructs us to be crystal clear as well….So the question we must ask ourselves as Catholics should be…In the name of “Not offending” others - Of being “political correct” - Are we diluting the Gospel message and Church teaching?……It appears to me that Jesus never did this and in turn Jesus had enemies…We are also told in the Beatitudes that if we follow Christ as we are told to - We too will have enemies…This is reality!…..The doors of the Catholic Church are open too all - But the Church is not “ours” to manipulate and Church teaching is not ours to change…..Catholics, while well intentioned are not doing anyone any favors by not being clear when it comes to what the Church professes to be true and has taught for two thousand years….We need to tell it like it is!….We need to teach it like it is and like me mean it!………This is the only way forward - Be a friend to all but fear none!……..”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”…..Its all about clarity with charity….There is no mercy without Truth  - Catholics are not doing the world any “favors” by “watering down” Church teaching - Its all written down - Read it as it is and proclaim it from the roof tops!….. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’…..JMJ

Don’t make what is simple complicated!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Book of Ezekiel a story about how from the temple fresh water flows, which “empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live”….How true and so it is when we as Catholics live in the state of grace……Without grace we are in essence dead!…..Yet how many in the world make it a priority to live in a state of grace?…..Grace is given to us through the Sacraments of the Catholic Church…It involves going to confession frequently and receiving the Blessed Sacrament….The method by which we receive this grace is so simple and available to everyone…..As we hear in the first reading….”Fresh water makes the salt water livable”….In the Gospel of St John, the same message is repeated….”Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”…It could not be stated any clearer…..But do we believe this and take this message to heart? - Because if we did we would follow the “simple formula” - Frequent Sacramental Confession (once a month) and Frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament at Mass….This is the “fresh water” which comes from the side of the Temple…..”For wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh”….For those who have ears let them hear.

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

As a co-host of a Catholic Radio show in the New York Metropolitan Area, I keep up with many different voices in Catholic Social Media…And if you follow these rather prominent men and women, you will find a lot of differing opinions and debates about many different topics…..Sadly I feel many of these topics, while important, can become a distraction to what is most important….We as Catholics have a tendency to complicate our faith…Jesus was a carpenter, a simple man and the Church he founded is not something that only the elite of the world can understand - In fact, being Catholic is rather simple…..If we stick to the basics, what I call “First Principals” - Everything else will fall into place….Pray the Rosary every day - Go to a Sacramental Confession once a month - Receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of Grace on Sunday…These are “First Principals”……And if we are faithful to these “First Principals” we will undoubtedly make it to heaven…..So why all the debates?

“For they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary……Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine"

Today at Mass the first reading offers us a simple message…That without the “living waters” from the Temple - Life as we know it can not exist….A life of grace is vital for us to “see” the world as it truly is and thrive…And that is the problem - Our world today lives outside of this life-giving grace…Society “thinks” it can thrive without God - A fool’s errand for sure!…..This is why Catholics must give witness to how Sacramental grace impacts a human life…And our witness, we will show the world - By our joy and by our peace - By the way we conduct our family life - By the way we treat our neighbors…..Only through our witness, the by-product of grace, will the unbelieving world come to believe that the fullness of Truth is contained in the Catholic Church……We will never argue anyone into the doors of the Catholic Church, no matter how good the argument…And there is no such thing as “cheap grace”…Grace is a gift and Grace is given freely through the Sacraments of the Church…Its really that simple - Don’t make what is simple complicated!…….JMJ
 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading the Prophet Isaiah tells us something we should never forget…I say this because I forget it…..We are an Easter people - The victory has been won…But I forget this very important message as I work and live in the fog of sin and misery caused by sin in the world around us…This is why the message of Isaiah is important to hear….”Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime; He dies a mere youth who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a hundred shall be thought accursed. They shall live in the houses they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant”……We all need reminds of this message…Tangible signs that God is real and that sin does not have the last word…This is why as Catholics we go to confession frequently….This is why we receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass (every day if possible)…….This is why we pray the Rosary Daily…..This is why we sit before the Blessed Sacrament once a week for a Holy Hour….These are all “reminders”……And this is why we must make a conscience effort to “stay connected” to Christ each day…The world is constantly “pulling us away” from God and the devil if fully aware of this reality….We are only human, no matter who you are!….This is why Sacramental grace and daily prayer is vital….Without these practices, its easy to forget…Its easy to fall into despair….Its easy to a unconsciously create a  “gap” between us and God where the devil can get a “foothold” in your life.

“Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the LORD will be with you”

In my thirties after spending way too many years partying I made a very important decision…..I will not waste my time! - I will spend it with positive people and do positive things…And in making this decision, my life changed…..Every Saturday I would volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity in New York City…In doing so, my prayer life expanded…On my vacations from work I would spend three weeks each year in Kolkata India serving the poor…In doing so my spirits would always be lifted and I would meet the ‘best people” who always were a joy to be around….I also became involved with a Catholic Young Adult Group in New York City and it was there that I met my wife…..As Catholics who live in the world, we must realize that not everyone is going to be “nice”…Not everyone is going to “play by the rules”…This is why what you do on “your time” matters…..Do not waste your time with people and activities that “drain the life out of you”….Reorient your life and how you spend your time and your life will improve drastically…Its very easy to get “sucked into”   the “rat race” of a hectic life, which is focused on secular goals and ideologies…We as Catholics must make a conscience effort - To organize our time and surround ourself with positive people….We also must cooperate with God….In doing this, we open up new horizons that we thought were never there or possible…And in the process we become a people of hope for others….God helps those who help themselves!….Help yourself and get involved in the many “reminders” - God is not only very al but is at work in our world today……”The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”

“I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit”

Today at Mass the Prophet Isaiah tells us that God wins and if we stand with him - We win too….The road to heaven is in a way a small “taste of heaven”….The world looks at practicing Catholics and “thinks” we are crazy…..That we somehow have given up “something” to follow Christ as a Catholic…Nothing could be further from the truth…..God takes nothing from us - God only gives….I can say this will all honesty….The best decision I ever made in my life was at the age of twenty-two years old - When I decided to take my Catholic faith seriously - It was because of that decision that all the good things in my life have taken place….I have my wife because of that decision - I have five children because of that decision…I also have lasting peace and a deep sense of pervasive joy because of that decision….In the mean time - We as Catholics are a people on a pilgrimage - While living on this earth can at times be hard - God walks with us - He also gives us the “tools” we need to “stay the course”…..As my dear Father would always tell me - “Straight ahead”……”The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”………JMJ

”Not as man sees does God see”

 Today at Holy Mass in the first readings from the Prophet Samuel we hear that Samuel was asked to choose amongst the sons of Jesse who he should anoint…..It’s an interesting story…Because Jesse assumes that one of his eldest sons would be the one who would be chosen…But that was not the case….”As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,  “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel:  “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,  because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see,  because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,  but Samuel said to Jesse,  “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.” Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There—anoint him, for this is the one!”…As the old saying goes…”Never judge a book by its cover”…..Our world “sizes up people” and if we are honest so do we….We ask what they do for a living…Where they went to college…Where do they live….Based upon these factors, we assume that a person is successful, intelligent and worthy of our company…..This is the reality of the world we live in but this is not God’s reality!….God could care less about all those factors I just listed…God has a different “check list” when it comes to evaluating people….Think for a moment who Jesus hand picked to be his first twelve disciples….Keep in mind…These were the men who after Jesus was to be killed would establish a global church….Now - Stop and think who Jesus picked - A bunch a uneducated fishermen!….If you had the task of establishing a global church, would you pick these twelve men?……But Jesus saw something in them that the world did not…..Many times when you read about the lives of the saints, you will see a similar stories play out….The person the world never thought about is the one who rose to the occasion and was used by God to do the impossible…..So maybe we should not be too quick to “size up” people based upon the criteria of the unbelieving world….In addition, maybe there is more to a person then their education, good looks and societal status……”The last will be first and the first will be last” - “Not as man sees does God see”

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

When I was in high school I was for the most part a very good student but at the same time a trouble maker…..I was counted among the elite of my high school class but still would get in trouble for misbehaving often….I can recall my history class very vividly to this day and all the people who were in it with me…..Looking back over almost forty years now - The people who were in that class have achieved amazing things…They are leaders of industry, doctors, lawyers, etc - By all estimations, they are very successful and wealthy people….However, while we all attended a Catholic High School, very few of the people I just noted take their Catholic faith seriously today sadly….Over the years I have spoke to many of them and some of them even have outright rejected their Catholic faith….As for me, the one in the class who was the “trouble maker”, I am the one that has taken his faith the most seriously…I have traveled the world as a missionary, written a book of Advent Reflections, co-host a Catholic radio show…..To name a few things….Let’s just say - I am an outspoken Catholic in the public square…Looking back at the elite of my high school class…There were many among my history class that were better qualified to do all the things I have done for the Church…But God choose me!….When we focus too much on the standards of the world and forget that God does not use those standards when he evaluates who is “up to the task” to be a disciple - When we fall into this trap set for us by the devil, we can give up following the Lord before we start! - If that is how you feel - Discouraged because you are not at the “top of the class” remember these words - “God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called”……You just may be surprised if you look deep within yourself and find that God is calling you to a task that no one else can do but you!…..If God can use uneducated fishermen surely he can use us …………“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”

“The LORD said,“There—anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David”

Today at Mass we hear in the first reading something our society forgets…”Man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart”……We are way to quick to “write off people” whom we think can do nothing for God….We all do this sadly, both in the Church and outside the Church….But God knowing this usually surprises us and more times then not, God chooses the ones we reject to teach us something very important - “Not as man sees does God see”…To put a finer point on this reflection, I want to call to the readers attention the words of Mother Teresa…This is what she said on this subject….“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in”…..Maybe it’s time that we change how we “size up” people because in the end what the world deems important means very little to God….If we are fortunately enough to enter the Kingdom of God, I believe there will be many “surprises” when it comes to who enters into eternal life and who does not……So let’s make sure we are not to quick to “write people off”- Because the very person you “write off” may be at the front of the line in the only line that matters - The line into heaven………..As Mother Teresa also would say to her sisters….”The poor will defend me before God when I am about to be judged”…………..”Not as man sees does God see”…..JMJ

“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke a message I must listen too very carefully! - Why? - Because I find myself saying far too often...…”Those people”…..This is the statement made by the Pharisee today who is convinced of his own righteousness - And “everyone else is a mess” except for him….I find myself sadly making similar claims…This gospel for me is very convicting - How about for you?…..”Jesus 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”…….As practicing Catholics who take their faith seriously, its very easily to fall into this trap set for us by the devil….We evaluate the sins of others against the good choices we have made and get angry - At least I do - “Why” do these people not “get it!”…..”Your bad choices are effecting me and my family!”…..I cannot speak for the reader of this reflection but these are the statements I think as well as come out of my mouth often….While we may have made good choices in life, we often forget that we are still sinners….And that all the good choices we made was the result of God’s grace…..Where would we be without God’s grace?….Where would we be without the love of our families?….Where would we be without the help and support of our parents?……To be very honest and I can only speak for myself - I would probably be much worse than the people I have issues with and rail against…Jesus tells us very clearly in Scripture….”For he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust”……At the root of “my problem” with others - I forget the the goal is heaven….I say all the time that I “know the goal” - But do I really?……..Our life is a journey back to God and part of that journey will be uncomfortable - God allows it to be that way at times - Difficult times and difficult people are opportunities to grasp a firmer grip on the true goal - Heaven…..But we want heaven on earth - Even practicing Catholics! - We say otherwise but when hard times come because of bad choices of “those people” - How quickly we lose of charity!……Today in the Gospel from Mass Jesus juxtaposes the bad attitude of the Pharisee with a public sinner who knows he is doing wrong but is sincere in asking for God’s mercy…..”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.”……Jesus clearly was not impressed by all the “things” the Pharisee did in the name of God….Why was Jesus not impressed? - Because the Pharisee exalted himself and not God as a result of his religious practices…The Pharisee forget that he was a sinner too….Ultimately, as practicing Catholics, who try very hard to do right by God and his Church - We too must not fall into this trap that the Pharisee fell into today in the Gospel….We must learn to be patient with others…To lead by example….To bear with the faults of others…To be kind in the face of difficulties and difficult people…..All these actions require grace! - And everything we do - All the good and everything in between is because of grace - Never forget that!

“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me”

Many years ago after my father retired he took a part time job as a security guard at a college…At the time my brother was attending that college….I remember hearing my Dad telling us after dinner that my brother got a parking ticket on the campus and did not pay it and then gave the security officers a hard time, which in turn made my father look very bad at his job…When I heard this I was furious!…I can remember ranting and railing about what my brother did to my parents…..And as I was screaming in my family home, my father just listened to me and when I was done, this is what he said - “Joe, so you are right about all you just said about your brother - But soon you too will be wrong”….There is great wisdom in my father’s statement - He was telling me indirectly  - That I was not perfect and don’t think just because I was right now about what I saying about my brother’s faults does not mean, sooner then later, I too will do something wrong…..God the Father tells us a similar story today in the Gospel about the tax collector and the Pharisee in the temple….”For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn”……St Paul puts a finer point on it…..”Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love”……As practicing Catholics - Do we love in this manner?……Do we bear with one another’s faults?…..Most especially, do we love and bear wrongs patiently from “those people”,  as I like to say?…..As my father told me many years ago…..”So now you’re right now - But soon you too will be wrong!”

“Be bountiful, O LORD, to Zion in your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts”

When we go to Mass as Catholics we hear the word of God read to us and many times the words of Jesus are very challenging - Today for me, this message was very challenging….When this happens - How do we respond - How do I respond?…..As Catholics, no matter who you are or how “good” you think you are - There will be moments when Jesus’s words convict us - When this happens - What is your response?….For me today, the Gospel of St Luke read at Mass convicted me…I must stop saying and thinking about all the faults of others and start thinkings more about my own faults - Because believe me, I have them - Ask my wife and children!….I must learn to bear patiently with the short comings of others as Jesus has to bear with all my short comings when I confess them Sacramentally…..This is how I will grow and in order to grow, I must be honest with myself - How about you?…..”For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”…..Humility is truth and the reality is - We all fall short - But thanks be to God that Our Lord is merciful………….. Are we merciful?……….”The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you”………..“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former”………JMJ

”Make room” and open the doors wide for Christ

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Mark Jesus tell a man the entire Gospel message boils down to two requests…..…..Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,  with all your mind,  and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these”…….So simple - Right? - So what is the problem?…….When we read these two commandments from Jesus, at first glance we say to ourself - How easy - But then “life” presents itself….What makes these two easy commandments so hard?…..Well, let’s start with the first - Love God above all things - We can “say” we do this but the devil is not only real but very “slick” in how he fools us into thinking we are “ticking this box” when in fact we are not….”Idols” that take the place of God can be things that on the surface many appear good…But just when we are not paying attention…..These harmless activities or mindsets become something they were not intended to be - And in turn can become “bigger” and more important then God…Our need for control - Our desire to succeed - To name two such idols….When we “get lost” in these pursuits, we can stop hearing the voice of God…..Now for the second commandment that Jesus presents to us today in the Gospel - Loving your neighbor as yourself…Why can’t we do this?…The answer comes down to we do not “see” God in our neighbor….If we do not “see” God in our neighbor - Because let’s be honest - Our neighbor can be very unlikable at times - We surely will not  “Love our neighbor as our self…However, if through grace we can “see” God in our neighbor, we surely will make great strides in loving our neighbor as God intended us too….So how do we make that happen?….This begins and ends with the Sacraments….When we “clear away our sins” through making a good confession, we then can receive the Eucharist worthily, which in turn will “open our eyes”….Here is also something very important to keep in mind - When we have been given “eyes to see” through God’s grace…We will see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament…When we can see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, a simple piece of bread transformed by the hands of a priest, we then will be able to see God in our neighbor - And in turn, we will fulfill the commandment - To love our neighbor as ourself. - Simple Right?!?

"If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, I would feed them with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them."

The greatest witness I have ever been given of the first two and most important commandments was given to me Mother Teresa’s sisters…For seven years before I was married I was their driver in New York City on Saturdays…The Missionaries of Charity love the most unloveable among us….How do they do it….In two words - They pray!….To see God in our neighbor requires grace - And God avails us to this needed grace through the Sacraments and also through prayer…Mother Teresa’s sisters sit before the Blessed Sacrament everyday for one hour…In doing this, God speaks to their heart - And God also transform their vision in the process….This is the only reason why the Missionaries of Charity can do what they can do…Because their hearts have been transformed, their vision is  transformed as well …….”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 “new heart”, which is required for us to “see” properly can not be self manufactured…It also cannot be acquired from reading a book…To acquire this “new heart” we must again, clear away our sins Sacramentally, receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace and make time to pray, especially before the Blessed Sacrament…And when we make these practices apart of our everyday life….Our vision not only changes but so does our priorities…And before we know it…We love God above all things and we love our neighbor as our self - Bingo!……That is how the Missionaries of Charity do it - And that is how we must do it as well

"You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions”

Today Jesus in the Gospel from Mass tells a man the foundational belief and practices of Catholic faith - In two short sentences!…Its very easy to read something and think we can accomplish it all by ourself - Even when we as Catholics have the best of intentions, we all fall short of these two commandments….But just because we fall short does not mean we can not get better!…..Like with all things in life, we must put in effort and time to improve…The same goes for becoming a better Catholic!….In this reflection, I gave the example on Mother Teresa’s sisters….They live the first two commandments better then anyone I have ever seen…But that does not happen “magically”…..The Missionaries of Charity “make room” for God to enter into their life….They pray, they live sacrificially, and they live Sacramentally…And they do this day after day - “Rain or Shine” - This is exactly what each of us must do…To love God above all things  and to love your neighbor as yourself will not happen “magically”…For this to happen - We need grace and that grace is made available to us all - If only we “make room” for it in our life……..John the Baptist put it best….”I must decrease and he must increase”…..This is how we love God above all things and love our neighbor as ourself…..”Make room” and open the doors wide for Christ…..JMJ

Our world tries to “fix itself” - When the only “fix” is grace

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah how the Jewish people “did not want to hear it”…They hardened their hearts to God and his words…..How could that be possible after everything they went through?…..How God rescued them time and time again…..And as soon as things settled down - And they got a little comfortable - They forgot everything they learned…..Sound familiar!?!…..This is the condensed story of man kind…Its the story of “Exodus and Return” - “Exodus and Return” - Rinse - Wash - Repeat!…..The Old Testament is filled with similar stories of the Jewish people following God and then forgetting God, and as a result, everything would fall apart…These stories are to remind us today…Has modern man learned anything?…..It does not appear he has….For as sophisticated as we are, for as educated and intelligent….This reality has not penetrated our hearts - And what is that reality? - That we were made by a loving God and when we turn from God the Father, something within mankind breaks…And that something can only be “filled” with the very thing we reject - God himself……”Thus says the LORD:  This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers. When you speak all these words to them, they will not listen to you either; when you call to them, they will not answer you. Say to them: This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the LORD, its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech”…….How many times does this passage from Jeremiah have to repeat itself?…..What will make mankind “see” and “hear”?……..God must become a reality - Each of us must “position ourselves” to encounter the Living God - God has to become real to us and simply reading about him will not make this encounter happen….But how do we encounter God?…..The answer is - We encounter God Sacramentally…And its the grace of living a sacramental life that keeps us grafted to God….Without that grace - We drift slowly away and repeat what Jeremiah tells us today…Exodus and Return - Exodus and Return…Jesus gave us the “tools” to break this destructive cycle - The “tools” are the Sacraments and they are only found in the one and only church Christ founded - The Catholic Church…So stay grafted to God - Live Sacramentally!

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

If you ever went to a book store, you would see that there is an entire section of “self-help books”….In addition to these “self help” books, an entire profession was created to address the human need to improve - “Life Coaches” in big cities across America charge the rich and the elite in our society huge amounts of money to “give advice” on how to manage day to day life…..Why is there a need for “self help” books and an entire profession to give common sense advice to others?……Is it because human beings are all flawed in some way?…But will reading a book or getting advice “fix” the fallen nature of mankind? - The answer is sadly - NO!……All of us are born with a fallen nature, which means we sin….The only solution to this “sin problem” we all deal with is Jesus Christ and the Sacraments of the Catholic Church…The secular world scoffs at this reality….And as a result, they spend their money on high priced “life coaches” and psychologists to “fix” their problems - When the “missing link” is grace…And God can only give us grace if we “make room for it” in our life….This is why Jesus very clearly in St John’s Gospel speaks about his flesh being “real food” and his blood being “real drink”…..If we prepare the vessel of our soul by going to Confession with a Catholic priest once a month and receive the true Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist - We will not need “self help books” or “life coaches”….Does this mean living Sacramentally will “fix” all our “issues” - No!…But it does mean living in the state of grace will give us “eyes to see”, to avoid many of the potholes of life - It will give us “ears to hear” when we hear the word of God and understand what Scripture is telling us - It will give us grace to strengthen our will to resist many of the temptations that the unbelieving world fall prey too and ultimately destroy their lives and their families….This is what Jesus gives us through his Church…The “missing link” today that the world ignores is grace and only living a Sacramental life can give us this grace…The Sacraments are the “medicine” for the world’s “sickness” - That “sickness” is sin…..”Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him”…….Do we take advantage of this gift? - The gift of being Catholic and living Sacramentaly…Because it truly is a gift….We can not “fix” ourself and with God we are made whole…We are sanctified…And in the end, we are transformed into the people we were born to be - God’s people

“Oh, that today you would hear his voice: "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works."

Today the Prophet Jeremiah tells us about human nature, how we “screw everything up”….Its in our nature! - We are all sinners - We fall - We stray - And we do it again!…..It’s sadly the “story of mankind” from the very beginning….How do we remedy this reality?….We must cooperate with God and allow him to work in our life…We must “make room for God”…As John the Baptist told us…”I must decrease and he must increase”…..We also must “feed” on the very flesh and blood of Christ - In the Blessed Sacrament - This is vital…The Eucharist received at Mass in the state of grace  is “food for the journey”, without it we will not make it!….What else must we do? - Pray and learn at the feet of Our Lady….Mary is our Mother and she will lead us to her son…Our Lady is also “Full of Grace” and she is more then happy to give us the grace we need - Why? - Because we are her children!…..It all comes down to grace - Jesus tells us…”Without me you can do nothing”….That is why there are so many “self help books” out there today - Our world tries to “fix itself” - When the only “fix” is grace….JMJ

That is what a disciple is - A follower

Today at Holy Mass we are told in the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy that God specifically instructed the Jewish people…Not only did he give them land to dwell on after freeing them from bondage - He gave them the law, which was for their benefit……Did you “catch that” - For their benefit!……God is not an ogre - He gives us commandments because he loves us…….."Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.  Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees as the LORD, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy. Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.' For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?”….The laws of God are written on every human heart…And because of that reality, they apply to us whether we acknowledge them or not - Just as gravity applies to us, whether we “believe in it or not”….If someone was to say…”I do not believe in gravity”….Their sincere belief would not matter if that person was to jump off the roof of their house….Their lack of belief in gravity would not prevent them from crashing to the ground!…The same goes for us when it comes to the laws of God - They apply to us whether we “believe” in them or not - Why? - Because God is a reality - As is gravity!……When someone turns from God, something “breaks” within that person…..Jesus tells us this in the Gospel of St John…..“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”….What should this tell us? - That mankind was made to live Sacramentally…Jesus created a Church and gave it authority for our benefit…Without the grace provided through the Sacraments, the likelihood that we will live as God commanded us to is “slim to none” - Not going to happen!……The secular world for the last two thousand years has not learned this and in some circles refuses to learn it! - And sadly it shows - The consequence of sin are very real and they are everywhere we look today!…..God is fully aware of how human beings fall into sin…This is why in the first reading today, God warns the Jewish people….”Take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children”……How do we as Catholics  - “Be earnestly on your guard not to forget”? - This is how - Pray the Rosary everyday; Go to Confession with a Catholic Priest once a month & receive the Blessed Sacrament at Sunday Mass in the state of grace…That is how we do not “forget” and if we do these three things and make them apart of our life and the life of our family - We will surely not “forget”!

“Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place”

There is something about a person who lives in the state of grace that is very tangible…You can see evidence of this in the tone of their voice, the outward signs of joy they possess and oddly enough, their is even a light in their eyes…Conversely, when a person is not in the state of grace, there are also tangible signs…..This reality circles back to what we were told in the Gospel of St John…..“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”…But it also ties into the first reading from Mass today….That we must listen to and be obedient to the laws of God - There is no getting around this reality….When we adhere to the laws of God, we are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit - In addition, we are given peace - A peace the world can never give….Each person makes choices in life to either allow God to animate their life or not….We can not have it both ways - Meaning, we do not live a Godly life on “our terms” - Many American Christians believe this (some Catholic too) and this belief is fundamentally flawed…..Jesus is not looking for “believers” - He is looking for followers and to follow Jesus we must be obedient to him and to the teachings of the one Church he founded….Again, the benefits of living a life of discipleship far out way the difficulties that come along with it…How can I make such a statement?…Let’s circle back to the words of Jesus  - “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light”….The “yoke” of sin far out weighs the Cross each of us must carry as followers of Jesus Christ - That is reality and we can not have it “both ways”…….Pick up your cross and follow me!

“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Today we are told something in the readings of Mass that will make many people very uncomfortable - The message is clear - We are called to not only believe all the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church but to be obedient to the laws of God as well….”Believing” and being obedient are two very different things!……..As Catholics we can not “make it up as we go along”…..One of the many good things about being Catholic is, everything is written down - All we have to do is read it!……And if we live a Sacramental life, God will give us the Holy Spirit to live out his commands - But to “think” we can do what God asks of us without the Holy Spirit is a fools errand…Never forget and never be discouraged - With God all things are possible!…..Jesus Christ was one man, who founded one Church….We are all God’s children and because of that, the laws of God are written on our hearts.....Being true to your self and following God is one in the same thing…..All of humanity was made by God to love him, to serve him and to be with him for all eternity - Our daily choices determine this reality not our words…..Jesus is not looking for “believers” - He is looking for followers - That is what a disciple is - A follower…..JMJ

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

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

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

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

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

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

You worry about you

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is not “selling anything”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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