What are you holding back and why are you afraid?

Today at Holy Mass St Paul in the first reading tells us that he knows the end is near….Paul was bold and opened himself up completely to Christ - And look at the outcome!…Do you think that if we did the same we would not experience a different outcome?….We may not be viewed in history as “another St Paul” - But God would surely use us in miraculous ways!….What holds us back? - Why are we so afraid?…..Our life is but a breath - Even if we were to live one hundred years - What is one hundred years compared to eternity?…..The words of St Paul today should be our words……”And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”……We only know what we know but the question is - Is it our primary priority to find the Truth? - Are we searching the truth out relentlessly?…..And when we find it - Do we share it with reckless abandon?…..As a Father of five children - My primary job is to get my wife and children to heaven - To be “the priest” in my household - To pass on the faith to my children - Nothing is more important then that - There is not even a close-second!…And in my efforts, if I do my very best - No matter what the outcome - I too can say the same words that St Paul said…..”For I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”….That is my job in my home as a father and a husband…Its frankly the job of every Baptized Catholic - So the question then becomes - Are we doing our job?

“I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always”

The Church teaches that in order to receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, one must be in the state of grace…This is not my “opinion” - Its a perennial teaching of the Church, which can not be changed…..One of my sons recently received his First Holy Communion and at the Mass the Priest stated to the congregation that if they were not Catholic or were not properly disposed to receive the Blessed Sacrament to approach the altar and receive a Blessing instead….That is all a Priest can do - Speak the Truth - Then its up to us!…We as Catholics cannot be afraid to speak the Truth - To communicate the fullness of of the Truth, which is contained in the Catholic Church to our people - How are people going to know how to live according to God’s will if they are not instructed properly?…..There is nothing “pastoral” about not proclaiming the Truth in all its fullness….Some people may be “put off” when they hear the Truth - But that is not our problem….Our job is simply to “pass on” the Deposit of Faith - We are not hear to “re-define” it or make it more “palatable” by twisting it….No one is serviced when that occurs!…..As St Paul told us today in the Acts of the Apostles at Mass…..”For I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God”….Paul went to his death with a clear conscience and that should be our goal as well….As a Father, my job is to make sure my children are raised Catholic, that they know their faith by my example in the home as well as the education I provide for them….A Priest or Bishop has a different role but a similar task - To preach and teach the faith in all its fullness to their congregations - In season and out of season - Come what may!…..Is this happening? - In some cases yes - However, in some cases we lack courage!…..We must listen carefully to the words read to us in the Acts of the Apostles once again - And notice how even in the face of violent opposition, the early Church did not hesitate to be bold…..So take courage! - “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood”……When our earthly life comes to an end let us have no regrets!!! - Let us “run the race” - Let us “fight the good fight” - Let us “keep the faith”

"Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him”

Today once again the saints show us the way…St Paul in the first reading at Mass knew that soon his life would be demanded of him - But that did not slow Paul down! - “I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus. But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me” - St Paul was all in!!!!  - How about us?……What parts of your life have not been “given over” to the Lord?….What are we holding back?…….Another saint points the way forward - St Francis of Assisi once said to his brothers….."Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally”…..This is how we shake the foundations of the world! - That is how St Paul did it as well as St Francis - How about us?…..What are you holding back and why are you afraid?……..JMJ