”I must decrease - And He must increase”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in St Matthew Gospel how Jesus withdraw from sight of the Pharisees, due to the fact that they wanted to do him harm…And as he moved to the margins of the city, the people followed him….And St Matthew tells us….”And he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known”……..Jesus was not “in it” for fame….Everything he did was for the Father….But his compassion for those who suffer was once again brought before our eyes….”He cured them all”……To love someone means you are willing to suffer for them - You see their need and you put upon yourself what ever needs to be done to alleviate that need…..The words of the  Prophet Isaiah come to mind when pondering this idea….”Yet it was our pain that he bore, our sufferings he endured. We thought of him as stricken, struck down by God and afflicted, But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, all following our own way; But the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though harshly treated, he submitted and did not open his mouth; Like a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before shearers, he did not open his mouth”…..Our world today rejects suffering - Something that is apart of every human life - Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church give meaning to suffering….Our world today says “Love is Love” - But does our world even know what love is? - Love is to suffer for another…To give of yourself at a great cost…This is what Jesus did for all of humanity…But this is also what married love is all about…A man and a woman suffer for each other and their children…They give of their self…This is why marriage needs to be lived Sacramentally…Because without Sacramental grace - That needed “giving of self” does not take place - And selfishness creeps in destroying the love that once was there……..Jesus cured those in the crowd noted today in St Matthew’s gospel because he authentically loved them - And because Jesus loved his people - He payed a deep cost as we all know - He gave his life…..As Catholics today, we may not be asked to literally give our physical life for the faith - But each of us is called to love authentically - And to do that, we must endure suffering for those we say we love…..”Love” is nothing but a mere word unless we are willing to endure suffering for those we “say” we love….This is why “Love is NOT Love” - To contradict the popular saying often repeated in mainstream society…..Love gives of itself completely for the other and in that witness, the world is changed forever, both individually and universally.

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope”

My wife and I have been married for thirteen years…We have five children born and we lost three to miscarriages…..Our days are very long…Why do we do it?…The answer - Because we love God and love each other!……And because God love us, he shows us through the Sacrament of Marriage how to love authentically…In doing so and living this vocation out, we die to our self, are filled with the Holy Spirit and are sanctified in the process….All part of God’s plan - To prepare us for heaven……..When my youngest daughter Maria was three years old, she had an to have her appendix taken out, which required emergency surgery…She spent five days and nights in the hospital…During that time my wife and I had to stay in the hospital with her…My wife would stay all day and I would take care of the other four children…And at night, I would stay with Maria…This was a very difficult week…Life kept moving along at a hectic pace, and in the meantime, we had to take care of our little Maria…This is just one example of what married life is all about - Making deep sacrifices for others - This is what authentic love is all about too…Its not some “Hollywood movie”, which portrays “love” as some “fairytale”….Love is demanding! - But when we give ourselves to it - We “find out” who we truly are - And we are transformed….The question then becomes - Are we willing to love in this manner?…..Our world today, believe it or not, “thirsts” for sacrificial love - It just does not realize it….When the secular world witnesses “this kind love” - Its stunned!!!! - And many are (and will be) transformed by that witness…This is the task of every Baptized Catholic - To witness sacrificial love….No words necessary - Just action grounded in Sacramental grace….And watch how the world changes!

“You do see, for you behold misery and sorrow, taking them in your hands. On you the unfortunate man depends; of the fatherless you are the helper”

Today we hear in the Gospel how Jesus took the time to cure those who were suffering….His eyes were open to the need of others…..How about us - Do we “see” this need?…..Sometimes it’s easier to “see” the need to help others who are not close to us…Mother Teresa would always say….”Find your own Kolkata - Serve the “poor” in your family”…..As Catholics the closer we get to God, the more our eyes will “see” this great need….First for our spouse and children and then for our neighbors around us….And in order to address this “need”, we must be willing to sacrifice, which entails suffering…This is what the world refuses to do - Suffer for another…But this is the path to eternal life….Some questions to consider - Do we share a portion of our money consistently with the materially poor?….Are we open to life in our marriage, refusing to use contraception, and providing for those children by living simply?…These are just two examples of deep sacrifices we as Catholics are called to make….And when we live in this manner - What do we get in return? - The answer is - We get Jesus Christ!!!!!…..If we want to receive Christ authentically, we must first empty ourselves and God gives us plenty of opportunities to do that each day no matter who we are - Its then up to us to take advantage of those opportunities….”Therefore I will give him his portion among the many, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because he surrendered himself to death, was counted among the transgressors, Bore the sins of many, and interceded for the transgressors”….As the great John the Baptist said so eloquently….”I must decrease - And He must increase”…….JMJ