Trust the plan!

Today we hear at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St John that everything he said comes from the Father…That even Jesus did not speak on his own - And he was God - What does that example say to us?!?…..”The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works”……The Deposit of Faith does not belong to us - Its simply meant to be passed on by us to other as it is…..Even the Pope does not have the authority to alter the eternal teachings contained in the Deposit of Faith….Yet, human nature being what it is - People attempt to do what is impossible both inside and outside the walls of the Church…..If Jesus did not speak on his own - What makes us “think” we can?…..Human beings have a big problem accepting authority….We see this from the very beginning of creation in the story of our first parents Adam and Eve….But accepting authority is a vital aspect of being an authentic Catholic - So is being obedient to that legitimate authority….But again, obedience is a “dirty word” these days…..”Don’t tell me what to do” - “I will live my life on my terms”…These are statements made often in the times we live in and these statements do not lead to heaven - That I can say with certainty…..When we look at the lives of the three most esteemed people in our Catholic Tradition - Jesus, Mary and Joseph…One of the many virtues that all three shared in common was their obedience to God’s will….Each had a different role to play but each of them were obedient, even in the face of great adversity….Again, I will ask the question - How about us? - Are we obedient to the will of God?….When we come to the place in our faith journey when we are utterly convinced that God’s plan for our life is infinitely better then “our plan” - Its at that point that not only will we be given great peace, but we will advance in the spiritual life in ways we never thought possible!…..God can do more with our life than we can! - Don’t believe me? - Read about the lives of the saints - The powerful and wealthy of this life are long forgotten, yet the saints live on in the words and memories of millions of people for centuries…..Only because of their obedience to God did these timeless men and women become saints - Because they believed that God’s way was the best way…How about you?

"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. "Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

One of the aspects that make a Catholic marriage Sacramental is that the couple make a vow before God on their wedding day that they will be open to life…That means they will accept children as a fruit of their marriage but it also means that they will not use artificial contraception…..Is this what is happening in our Catholic marriages today? - Because if we use contraception in our marriage - Not only are we breaking one of our marriage vows but our marriage is not being lived out Sacramentally, which means God’d grace is not at the center of our marriage - And when that happens, slowly our relationship with our spouse deteriorates…..But people think they “know better” - So they persist in this secular model of living that has proven not to work - How can I say that with such certainty? - Look at the divorce rates!……An authentic Catholic marriage, which is lived out Sacramentally works! - But our world today is not convinced!……I got marriage at forty-three years old - My wife is ten years younger then I….In ten years we had five chidden - We also lost three children to miscarriages…….And each step of the way - God provided for us - My family has never “wanted” for anything….Again, this is something the secular world does not believe - That God will provide!…….”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they”…….The virtue of obedience is something that must be spoken about more in Catholic circles today….We as a Catholic people must re-learn what it means to “listen” to what God has to say as opposed to “listen” to all the voices in our culture that say the exact opposite to what our Catholic faith has professed to be true for centuries….All we have to do is look around - How are things working out in the world around us? - Maybe its time to “listen” to someone else? - That “someone” is God the Father, who loves us and wants what is best for us….Jesus said, “I am the Truth and the Way”……Whatever you may “think” - The fact is, you DO NOT know “the way” and your “way” is NOT better then God’s “way”……..Maybe its time for a change? - Maybe its time to listen? 

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father”

Today in the Gospel at Mass Jesus is telling the first disciples that the Truth spoken by him is the same Truth spoken by God the Father - But the disciples do not seem to “get it”….They question Jesus and sadly so do we two thousand years later……We are told by Jesus that unless our faith becomes like the faith of a child, we will not enter into the Kingdom of God…Why do you think Jesus said that? - Because a child trusts his Father - A child believes every word a Father says - And a child does what his Father tells him…..Why? - Because a child is utterly convinced that his Father will never tell him anything that will harm him….Is our faith like that of a child?…Do we view the teachings of the Catholic Church in that manner?…..It’s vital that we do!…….”Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides”……When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we say “Thy will be done”….Are these just mere words said?…It all comes down to the virtue of obedience…..”When they had departed, behold, the angel of 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. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son”……God has a plan - We may not understand “the plan” as it unfolds but if we trust “the plan” - One day we will “see” just how good of a “plan” it was…….Trust the plan!……JMJ