So how are you doing?

Today at Holy Mass Jesus in the Gospel of St Luke provides us with the measure by which we can evaluate if we are an true follower of the Gospel…The Beatitudes……This is the “Blue Print” to heaven…How do you “measure up”?…..“Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man”…..Jesus then goes on to tell us what it means to fail in our duties to God and neighbor…”But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false  prophets in this way”…….How many of us view “success” in these terms!?!…..We must choose what “kingdom” we live for - The Kingdom of this earth is diametrically opposed to the Kingdom of heaven…..And there is no sitting on the fence!…..”Polite society” crucified Jesus Christ and we look to “political society” for approval? - WHY?…..As Catholics “our job” is to live in the world but not be of the world….God did not come down from heaven to “accommodate” people…Jesus walked among us to show us a better way - And “the crowd” killed him because they were not “willing to go there” - How about you? - Are you willing to “go there”?….Have people of today changed since the days of Jesus Christ?…What do you think that means for us? - That somehow we can have an easy life and still have God…and get to heaven?….Does not work that way!…..The life of an authentic follower of Jesus Christ is a life of sacrifice…Beware of those who do not live sacrificially - Who do not share - Who have an easy life…..The road to heaven is narrow and the Beatitudes tell us how to walk that road…So how are you doing?

“Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way”

Is money evil?…..The short answer is no….But if you have been blessed by God to have it - Do you share?….That is what makes money evil - When we have it and do not share it…..If you ever want to see what a person cares the most about - Look at his checkbook…Does he spend his money on himself?…or…Does he spend his money on others?…..If we take the time to read the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, many American Catholics just might be shocked…..If you want to do some “homework”…Read Rerum Novarum or Caritas in Veritate…Again, these documents may shock you too…..In my life before I was married, I have traveled extensively throughout the “third world”…I have been to Haiti, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia and India…There are more…You get the point!…I have seen how the majority of the world lives…..Do you somehow think God does not love these people?…..That we in America, who have been blessed, “somehow” are exempt from helping?…..No one ever became poor by sharing….The way I “see it”….As a father of five children…It is my job to provide for my children - Not necessarily giving them what they WANT but providing what they NEED…I must educate them, provide a roof over their head and clothes on their back, feed them….But if I then have extra money, it is my DUTY to help others…Catholics should be detached from material wealth and live simply - Is this what you see? - I ask that because the world is watching?!!?……..And if you do not see it that way…WOE TO YOU!…..Again, do some reading….The Church is very clear in what it teaches about how we are to be good stewards of our wealth….And if you see other Catholics not doing what they are supposed too…Even if those Catholics are among the clergy…THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE…..WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF….”The last will be first and the first will be last”

“Rejoice and leap for joy! Your reward will be great in heaven”

Today we heard at Mass Jesus teach us abut the Beatitudes…Whenever I hear this Gospel - I always think to myself - How am I doing?….The one Beatitude I have the most trouble with is…”Blessed are the meek”…I am not meek sadly - I have a big loud mouth!…And that needs to change!!!!! - St Joseph (the saint I was named after) did not say one word throughout the entire Bible and he is arguably the Church’s greatest saint…..I need grace and beg God for that grace - So pray for me!….The life of a Catholic must be a life of contradiction…..And if your life is “like everyone else” - Stop and think long and hard….Those who have been given much - Much will be expected……And as Baptized Catholics, we have been given the Fullness of Truth - That means we have “full knowledge” as to what is right and wrong……”But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more”……So how are you doing?…..JMJ