“So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows"

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew…We are told something that is repeated over and over again in Scripture…Be Not Afraid! - But here is the question - If Jesus says this so often - Why are see still so afraid?…..It’s very human to be afraid - “I get it” - But how do we overcome this fear we have to live out our Catholic faith in the public square?…The answer to that question is not one the reader may like to hear - We cannot overcome this fear on our own - Only grace can assist us in this battle - And it is a battle! - And that grace comes from a deep interior life, which allows God to work within our soul…..How did the martyrs face death serenely - How have countless saints over two thousand years boldly proclaimed the Truth in the face of overwhelming odds stack against them? - The answer once again is grace!……But grace does not come from us and if we do not “prepare the soil of our soul” for the “seed of grace” - We will always be afraid….."Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops”….After Jesus in St Matthew’s Gospel tells us what not to fear, he then tells us what to fear…..”And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna”……Many people today do not believe in hell - That there are negative consequences for our actions when we offend God - Today Jesus is telling us otherwise…God will judge us all and he will judge us on his terms - That means all mortal sin must be confessed to a Catholic Priest….To think otherwise is a self rationalization….The “opinions” of others, even our closest friends and family will not save us when we stand before God if we have committed mortal sin - So if all those “voices” mean very little, at arguably the most important moment of our life, our final judgement - Why are we so concerned with them now? - Why do we allow the “opinions” of the culture influence our actions and choices, especially when they take us away from God?……There is only one voice that matters - And its God’s voice - Live for an audience of one - And be not afraid!

“Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father"

One of the many great things about being Catholic is - Everything is written down! - All the dogmas, traditions and what we profess to believe is all written down….And now with the internet, we can so easily “look up” anything that we maybe unsure about…..With that said - How can so many within the Church be “confused”? - Debates rage on Catholic Social Media daily - But how and why? - Everything is written down!!!!! - Just read it and follow what the words say!!!!…But sadly, that is not how it works because of our fallen human nature - As St Paul has stated - “We hear what our itchy ears want to hear”…….But to live this way is a disaster!!!….So how do we learn to “ear” God’s voice objectively?….Let’s address this question - The first thing we must do is - We must purify our heart - But how do we do that? - By going to a Sacrament Confession once a month - This is what the saints tell us…If we frequently confess our sins Sacramentally - Slowly over time, God will purify our hearts and when that happens - Our “eyes will open” - So will our “ears”!….People assume that “raw intelligence” somehow will always allow us to “see and hear” the voice of God clearly - That if we are “smart” and educated, we will be able to “interpret” Catholic teaching properly…That too is a fallacy! - There are many brilliant minds in the Catholic Church, both past and present, that have made outrageous claims in the name of the Church teaching!…..What is needed to “see and hear” properly is a pure heart…What else is needed? - We need to create periods of silence in our life so we can “hear” the voice of God - Ideally, sitting in silence before the Blessed Sacrament….Its in the silence that God will address all our “issues” with Catholic teaching and because God knows us better then we even know ourself - Its in the silence before the Blessed Sacrament that Jesus will “speak a language only we can understand”…The goal of all this is to develop a “teachable” mentality towards God, his commandments and the teachings of the Catholic Church….Because “our opinions” really do not matter! - We have no authority - And we will ALL be judged by God’s terms not our own

“The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord; and you also will testify”

Today in the Gospel Jesus reassures us - Be Not Afraid……But the stark reality of the matter is - When it comes to living our Catholic faith in a world that rejects the Church, we will most definitely face fierce opposition - Expect it - But when we do and we feel afraid - Know this - That fear does not come from God!…The devil uses fear as one of his many “tools”…Fear limits our potential….The devil “whispers” into our ears and far too many times we “given in” to that fear…Discouragement and fear is not from God! - So when it comes to living out your Catholic faith and we face these very real emotions - Say a prayer to Our Lady - Say a prayer to St Joseph, who is the Terror of Demons!…..And most of all trust in God, who loves us…..What every Baptized Catholic must come to know is - God does not take from us - He only gives!….To live our Catholic faith fully is to be fully alive!!!! - Now the secular world will say otherwise - But in the end - “You tell a tree by the fruit is bears”…Jesus tell us that very clearly, that if we “adhere to the vine” our lives will “bear fruit” - And if we as Catholics do that - In time our life’s witness will “speak” loudly to the unbelieving world…..So do not be afraid! - Our Father in heaven is a King and we are ALL heirs to a Kingdom! - Remember that!…..”Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted………..So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows”……..JMJ