Do you believe that? - I not only do - I KNOW IT - Because “without me you can do nothing”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke how Jesus cures a man on the Sabbath in front of the Pharisees….He was trying to teach the Pharisees something - And us too!…And if one is an objective reader of this passage, one can safely claim that the point Jesus made was irrefutable….And if the Pharisees were objective and open, they would have seen just how correct Jesus was in is interpretation of the Law…But sadly, the Pharisees were not objective…Their hearts were closed….And because of that - They “missed” it! - God was literally standing right in front of them - And they missed him!…….”Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?” But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him. Then he said to them “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” But they were unable to answer his question”……Notice how St Luke addresses the hardness of heart of the Pharisees…He says they - “Were unable to answer his question” - Is it that they were “unable” to answer the question or they WOULD NOT answer the question? - Because they were convicted in their error…So they REFUSED to answer the question…Before we condemn the Pharisees, which is very easy to do, how about we examine our own hearts….Do we have a teachable spirit?…..Sadly, when you look on social media, it does not appear like many people do….What happens when someone presents rock solid Church teaching from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to you? - Do you dismiss it? - Ignore it? - Rationalize it away?…..Many on Catholic Social Media do this….As Catholics, we must allow the Church to form our conscience….Like a good mother, who forms her children…If we “do not agree” with something the Church teaches - Say its the teaching on being open to life in marriage or abortion or the need to be in the state of grace before we receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, these are just a few examples, that are VERY CLEARLY addressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church - If we do not believe what the Church teaches on these topic - We need to pray…I will also take it a step further…Because we are not in “communion” with the Church, when we disagree with fundamental Church teachings - We should still attend Sunday Mass, but should not receive the Blessed Sacrament…Again, because we are not in “communion” with the Church…By the way, that is why we recite the Nicene Creed before we receive the Blessed Sacrament at Mass…In doing so, we are professing that “WE BELIEVE” everything the Church teaches BEFORE we receive the Eucharist…If we do not believe EVERYTHING - Its time to pray, fast and discern…And if we do that with an honest and objective heart - The Holy Spirit will guide us to the Truth….The Pharisees in St Luke Gospel read to us today at Mass in essence “created” a God of their own choosing - How about us?….Have we “created a Church” of our own choosing?….One of the beautiful things about being Catholic is - EVERYTHING we need to KNOW and BELIEVE is written down in the Catechism!…. St Paul instructs us on this point perfectly - "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect." ……The minute you realize that God is smarter then you - And the Church has been around for 2000 years for a reason - Is the minute you advance in your relationship with Christ…..So the question then remains - Do you have a teachable spirit? - Its “kind of required” that you do!

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me”

How is it that there are so many people who are Catholic that disagree? - Everything the Church professes to be true is written down!!!!! - Yet here we are…Have you ever thought the problem is not the Church - But the “problem” is YOU!…..One of the pivotal moments in my personal walk as a committed Catholic, which by the way as spanned over 30 years - Is this - I came to realize that - “My way does not work!!!”…I learned that very young - At the age of 22 years old - I came to know deep within my heart - “My way does not work”…How did I receive that grace? - Well, I tried it “MY WAY” - And that led to DISASTER…I went away to college and “bought in” to everything the American culture was “selling” - And I was left broken, my joy was gone and I was empty!……When I returned home to my parents - I knew deep down I needed to start “listening” to God…I remember the day like it was yesterday…I went into the Catholic Church my parents raised me in on a Saturday afternoon and just sat in front of the Tabernacle - For those who do not know, the Tabernacle is where the Blessed Sacrament is kept…At the time I did not believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, but as Divine Providence would have it - I sat in front of it that given day….As I sat there - A tidal wave a grief came over me…I can not explain it any other way - But it was a tidal wave!!!! - I have never felt that much grief in MY LIFE…And I wept bitterly, like I never have before or since….That was the beginning of my walk with God - From that point forward - And on that very day - I made my first “adult confession” - And life started over….To this day and I am now 56 years old - I KNOW - “My way does not work!” - And God’s way does work….In my humble opinion - This is one of the most important things Jesus ever taught mankind - “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing”….....Do you believe that? - I not only do - I KNOW IT - Because “without me you can do nothing”……JMJ

“He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant. He has made known to his people the power of his works, giving them the inheritance of the nations”