Its time to “put up or shut up”….Go big or go home!

Today at Holy Mass Jesus instructs his friends about the importance of prayer, fasting and alms giving…As a Catholic when one hears these three practices, we immediately think of Lent…But prayer, fasting and alms giving are not just for Lent…If we maintain a disciplined regiment of these three “tools” given to us by the Church, God will grow very close to us……Just as an athlete works-out, runs, practices his skills each and every day - Catholics must do the same - This is how we become a Holy People and anyone can do this - This is not for the “select few” - And if we do these three things, we too will become holy and impact the world….It all comes down to this question - What your priorities are?…What is more important then becoming holy to you? - I for one cannot think of anything…Heaven is forever and we want as many people to enter heaven as possible….The world needs to “see” Catholics as a people set apart - This is how we make a difference - Nothing we can say will change people - Only the Holy Spirit acting through our witness can spark transformation…And today Jesus tells us how we become “that kind of person” - A Holy People!………..Pray daily, Fasting weekly and give alms continually……As Mother Teresa would always say…”If you cannot feed one hundred people - Feed one”!

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

God sees the “little things” - The “things” the world does not notice or even cares about…….Mother Teresa’s sisters work day in and day out doing those “little things” - I know this because I was their driver in New York City for seven years on Saturdays before I was married…The sisters feed the poorest of the poor in places the world has given up on or forgotten completely…But what about us? - We are not priests or nuns - What can we do?….This is what we can do - Care for your children - Be open to life in your marriage - Care for our elderly parents - Give of our time to serve our community…These are “small things” that “the world” pays very little attention too - But in the eyes of God - These “small things” are very important…And when we as Catholics do small acts of charity consistently - Believe it or not, many people in our immediate circle around us (family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers) will stop and take notice - Why? - Because these “small things” are signs that God is real and that he is acting through us!…..St James tells us in Scripture - “Faith without works is dead”….And if we build our interior life through daily prayer, weekly fasting and living a Sacramental life - The “works” of our faith will flow naturally from our deep interior life….Without those practices - We will have no works!…..And without “works of faith” - One can objectively question if we are just giving “lip-service” to God - God then becomes simply “a word” we take for granted - But as we ALL know because we are Catholic! - God is more then “a word” - God is a person and if we believe in him like we claim to believe in him - We will do the necessary practices (prayer, fasting and alms giving) to manifest God’s work in tangible ways in our daily life…Talk is cheap - But actions speak  - And they speak loudly!

“Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him, and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan. Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah, Elisha struck the water in his turn and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over”

Every year when Lent rolls around Catholics around the world start thinking about  - “What they are going to give up?” - The practices of prayer, fasting and alms giving are preached from pulpits around the world to prepare us for Easter…What I am proposing today is - Why should these three evangelical practices just be for Lent?…..We need to get serious as Catholics! - Is becoming holy a priority? - If not, it should be - The closer we get to God, the more God can use us and he will use us if we give him permission! - This is what the world “thirsts” for!……”Normal people” can do extraordinary things if we give God permission….So what is holding YOU back?…..Prayer, fasting and alms giving are not just for Lent….Catholics must take “the business” of becoming holy serious - If we do - The secular world will take what we say seriously and if we do not, frankly we will be ignored…Its time to “put up or shut up”….Go big or go home!……JMJ