Do not get distracted!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear from St Paul’s mouth how he changed from a man who was convinced that he must persecute Christians to a man on fire for Christ and the Catholic faith…..”And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” So they glorified God because of me”……What made Paul change? - Well, as we all know God radically reached a hand to Paul as he traveled to Damascus and he “fell off his horse” - This is the important part! - So pay attention! - Then Paul RESPONDED to God - HE RESPONDED!!…Does God not do the same to us?…..Every single person on this earth was made by God for a greater purpose! - Not one person is excluded….And instead, most people get distracted from that purpose - That is what the devil does - He distracts us from our purpose and he does this masterfully!…..The difference between St Paul and most of the people in the world is - St Paul did not get distracted - And nor should we - But how? - How do we not get distracted!?! - Because frankly the “best of us do” - Don’t think because you have university degrees - A high paying job - And “brains in your head” that the devil cannot distract YOU - Because if I were honest - “That group” of people are the easiest to get distracted!…..So how do we stay focused and not get distracted? - Live Sacramentally - Its not rocket science!!…Pray the Rosary daily - Its not rocket science!!…..Grace perfects human nature and when we live by grace - We “see” the world clearly - AS IT IS!…But we are also given fortitude - The human will is easily weakened - We get distracted!….Grace fortifies the human will…Our problem - Most especially people who are "high achieving" and have a lot of “stuff” - We are way too confident in our own abilities - This mindset MUST be discarded - No matter who you are or what gifts you possess…When we are too over confident in our own abilities - The devil KNOWS and he has us right where he wants us!….We must look to God as a helpless child….In need of everything! - And when we do this - God will sustain us and in turn we will not get distracted…God will show us our purpose and give us the grace to fulfill it…This is how we become saints…And each and every person was born to become a saint…This “luxury” is not just for people like St Paul……The great French novelist Leon Bloy famously said……“The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint”…..Each of us were born for this…Do not miss the opportunity….And do not get distracted!

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Recently the American Catholic Church celebrated the Beatification of Fulton Sheen…Fulton Sheen was born with amazing gifts - He was brilliant - A great communicator - A Bishop of the Catholic Church…But frankly there are many people who are equally as gifted - What set Fulton Sheen apart? - The answer was - He was a man of deep prayer - Again - Its not Rocket Science!!…Each morning, Fulton Sheen would sit for one hour before the Blessed Sacrament….Sheen called this his “Hour of Power”…..And as the saying goes…”We know them by their fruits”…..If this worked for Sheen - Why would it not work for us?….Being a married man with five children - It would be very hard to spend one hour each day before the Blessed Sacrament…My wife and I have to take care of our home, work and care for our children…But on the weekend….We do spend an hour in Eucharist Adoration….My wife and I go 30 minutes both on Saturday and Sunday - We make the time!…..Why? - Because it’s important!……..A reporter once asked Mother Teresa what was her secret - She responded very simply - “I pray”……Many years ago a friend of mine from New York asked me to deliver a few things to one of the original sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, who was living in Kolkata at the time - Sister Ancy was one of the first 50 nuns to join the order and she knew Mother Teresa personally…When I met Sister Ancy in 2009, she was the Superior General of the Contemplative wing of the Missionaries of Charity….Sister Ancy had seen a lot in her many years in religious life and speaking with her was a privilege in my ways as I see it…When I met her she told me something I will never forget….”Joe - Prayer is the answer to EVERYTHING”…..To the secular mind - That statement is utterly ridiculous!…But I have found that Sister Ancy was RIGHT…She understood what Fulton Sheen understood….Siting before the Blessed Sacrament is in deed an “HOUR OF POWER”….Prayerful people do not get distracted and prayerful people ultimately fulfill God’s purpose - They get transformed in time - They become saints…Maybe not canonized saints - But saints none the less…..Do not get distracted!…..JMJ

O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
My soul also you knew full well; nor was my frame unknown to you When I was made in secret, when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

For your reward will be great in heaven

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke a story we all know - The story of the Good Samaritan……In order to fully appreciate the brilliance of this story - One must understand a bit of history…..Samaritans were the enemy!….They were viewed as “unclean” by the Jewish people…They were pagan and did not respect or acknowledge the God of Abraham…Now, we have in this Gospel today a “scholar of the law” testing Jesus….So Jesus addresses the test head on!….With a thought provoking story, that only a Jew would truly understand….He tells of two very “righteous people” (A priest and a Levite) who see a man beaten on the side of the road and do nothing to help him….And then he tells about a Samaritan - The enemy!!! - The worst of the worst - This is the guy that helps the man half dead…..Not by his words - But with his very hands and at a monetary cost to him….Why would the Samaritan do this? - Helping a Jew, a person who hates him!?!…The answer is - The Samaritan knows what it means to suffer….He can empathize with the man beat on the side of the road - That is why he helped him…His care for his fellow man was not some “academic concept”…or….even a religious requirement…He felt compelled to help this man because he KNEW what it meant to suffer!!!! - And the Priest and the Levite did not…They read the Jewish Law…They “knew” what the Law of Moses required of them “on paper”…But they lacked a “lived experience” - Maybe because they led too comfortable of a life……This is a great lesson for us……As Catholics, we can never understand what the Church teaches us merely by “reading the books” - We have to live it…And to live the Gospel means YOU WILL SUFFER in this life - There is no way around that reality…And it is through that suffering, that we will empathize with others who suffer…Not because our religion tells us too but because we have “been there” ourselves!!!…Maybe this is why God the Father allowed his only begotten son to walk among us as a “regular man”? - And suffer the death he did - You think?……”Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him”……Jesus “gets it” - Not just because he is God - But because he “lived it”….And so must we - We must “live it” - That means we too will suffer

“I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you”

Sometimes people surprise you….Its not always the person you “think” is going to “come through” that in the end does…That is the story we heard today about the Good Samaritan….The Samaritan man was supposed to be the “villain” but in the end - He is the hero…And the two men who were supposed to “come through”, the Priest and the Levite, they become the villain……..Sometimes that is the way it goes - So maybe we should not be so quick to “write people off”…….What is the characteristic that will make us be the “hero” and not the “villain” when we are faced with a similar situation that the Good Samaritan faced today?….Its our willingness to suffer - To be uncomfortable for the sake of the Gospel….This is an important aspect of “carrying our cross” that needs to be highlighted - Because if we are not willing to suffer for others - Frankly, we do not live as we ought and therefore do not love God like we say….."If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen”…….How do we tell when someone is the “real deal”?…..Do not listen to what they say - Watch what they do!…Pay particular attention to how they spend their money…And what they do with their time…..This is where the “rubber meets the road”….Its easy to “say things” but when those “things” you say “cost you” - That is the measure we should pay attention too…And when you see that quality in a person - That person is worth listening too…..Fr Donald Haggerty is a priest who serves at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan…He is a very learned man, a moral theologian educated in Rome, and the author of many books….Why do I mention Fr Don in this refection? - Not because of his “credentials” - But because of the “little things he does” to serve the poor….In his “spare time” outside of his responsibilities as a Parish priest in the biggest and most well known Cathedral in America - Fr Don serves the poor of New York City relentlessly…I know this not because he told me - But because I have seen him do it with my own two eyes!!!…Before I was married on Wednesdays I would assist Mother Teresa’s sisters give out meals to the poor who lived in tenements above storefronts in Chinatown in New York City…It was an eye opening experience to see with my own two eyes how some people live in one of the wealthiest cities in America - In roach infested closets!!!!….And guess who would also help on those Wednesday missions? - Fr Don Haggerty…What Fr Don has done to assist the poor of New York City above and beyond his duties as a priest could fill volumes and volumes of books - And not a single soul knows about it - Its not mentioned in the Parish bulletin St Patricks…..Not mentioned on social media nor in the newspaper….All done on Fr Don’s personal time at “no cost”….

“A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

In order to “see” God in our neighbor, especially our neighbor who is suffering - We must strive to purify our hearts - That is only accomplished when we live Sacramentally - Why? - Because only God thorough his Church can forgive our sins and “feed” us with the very “Body and Blood” of His Son in the Blessed Sacrament…But there is more too it….When we suffer because of our faith - Because we are willing to “do the right thing” at a personal cost - When we live this way…We are quick to help others - Why? - Because we have “been there” - We know how it feels to suffer - We accept this as being apart of being Catholic!…..“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”……Be willing to “pay the price” and never “count the cost” - For your reward will be great in heaven…..JMJ

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

“Faith without works is dead”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we are told that the measure by which we will be judged will not be what we believe - Our eternal salvation will be evaluated by what we DO……..”Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit”…What we DO for the Kingdom of God is a “fruit” of our interior life…If we have a deep interior life, what we DO for God’s Kingdom will come very naturally…..It will feel as natural as breathing!……As a Catholic, EVERYTHING depends upon our interior life….And really that is our only job - To develop our interior life…The fruit will then just happen!…..St Matthew tells us in very clear terms today…Those who do not “bear fruit” will not enter God’s Kingdom…..To be very honest - How can the human mind possibly “gloss over” these words?….It could not be any clearer!!!……Have we created our “own God” and our own “idea” of heaven?...Over and over again, Jesus tells us…”Faith without works is dead”…Focus on your interior life - If you do - The “fruit” will come without you even realizing it…..”He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come”…Notice the “seed” grows and “he knows not how”?…..If your interior life is deep - “The seed” will grow and bear fruit - And if it is not - It won’t……Staying “connected to the vine” is how we bear fruit!

“I have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, to go and bear fruit that will remain”

If you look at the various Catholic religious orders on the internet - Each one posts their daily schedule…And if you look at the schedule of these men and women - You will notice that a good deal of their time is spent in prayer and at Mass each day….Why?…..Because if they are not praying - If they are not fasting - If they are not receiving the Blessed Sacrament at Mass…..Their religious order will NOT “bear fruit”….The same goes for a Diocesan Priest - A Diocesan Priest prays daily the Liturgy of the Hours and presides over the Mass….This keeps him “bearing fruit”…..How about us? - Married and Lay Catholics - The Church at the bear minimum requires us to go to Mass on Sunday and to receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace - The Church also requires Lay Catholics to go to confession with a Priest once a year - And that is the bear minimum!!!!…..How are we too “bear fruit” for God if we do not do the “bear minimum”? - The answer is - We are not…..Jesus today at Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew is very clear…He tells us what is required of us to get into heaven….That we must “bear fruit”…..And the Church is fully aware of this “requirement” - So the Church, in her wisdom, provides us with the “tools” we need……Daily Mass - The Rosary - Sacramental Confession - Eucharistic Adoration - Weekly Fasting…Reading Holy Scripture….These practices develop our interior life and if we make these practices apart of our life - We will UNDOUBTEDLY bear fruit for the Kingdom of God…And if we don’t - WELL - We won’t!…..And if we don’t - Jesus tells us today that the story does not end well for us….

"Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.  Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.  But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned.  Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way.  Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.  What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times."  Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

Staying “connected to the vine” is how we bear fruit!….And its vital that we “bear fruit”…Because - “Faith without works is dead”….JMJ

“I have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, to go and bear fruit that will remain”

We teach our children not by what we say - But by what we do

Today at Holy Mass we are told in the Gospel of St Luke that the first disciples were given power…But is it the kind of “power” the secular world craves?...or….Even perceives?…..”Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven”…..When a Catholic lives in the state of grace….When they are living as the Church says - Confessing their sins regularly - And receiving the Blessed Sacrament every Sunday….Such a person receives power!…There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit…And a person living in the state of grace receives those gifts - This is a promise made by God!…Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of God…..These gifts are a “fruit” of living in the state of grace…..Why is this so important?…Because without this “power”…or…Maybe a better word for it is GRACE….A person CANNOT live as Jesus Christ request us to live….This is where our Protestant brothers and sisters get it WRONG!!!….You can read the Bible all day long - Memorize it for that matter! - That is all well and good - But the “trick” is to LIVE what is in the Bible…And without this “power” St Luke talks about today - THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!…Why?…Because the human will is weakened by original sin….This is why it is VITAL that we live in the state of grace…..When a person lives their life without this grace…(i.e. Does not live Sacramentally) - Their life is impacted in every way….It effects their marriage - It effects all their choices…It effects the habits they develop…It effects how they spend their money and their time…..Without this Sacramental grace - Frankly - The devil bulldozes people! - Does not matter “how smart” you are - Does not matter how much money you have….YOU become your worst enemy!…All because you do not have this “power” St Luke tells us about today in his Gospel….As Americans - We prioritize many things for our children - We want them to get a good education - Play sports - Get a good job…But do we value that they live in the state of grace? - That our children live Sacramentally?….I got news for you - There is NOTHING more important to teach your children then that - And they learn it from watching us - Their parents!…Don’t think for a moment your children will live Sacramentally, if we as their parents do not - Not going to happen…And that will effect them - Effect every decision they make - Who they marry - How they live their life - And ultimately where they “end up” after this life ends…You cannot live as Jesus asks of us without Sacramental grace - IMPOSSIBLE! - That is where the “power” comes from - From the SACRAMENTS!.......God is not concerned with what you know - He is however concerned with what you DO and whether or not we live the Gospel - And you need “power” to live the Gospel

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom”

The secular world today is fixated on sex…And because of that, secular people can not imagine a Catholic Priest really lives a celibate life…If you have this conversation, which I have, with worldly people - They absolutely do not “buy it”….What these people to not realize it…Grace is real and grace gives a priest the “power” to live a celibate life - Without that grace  - Not going to happen!….Jesus today in the Gospel talks about giving his disciples power….”Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you”……Have you in your life experienced this power from living Sacramentally?…..If you are married and live your marriage vows as the Church requests that you do - Then you know what I am writing about…..Marriage is NOT meant to be lived outside of Sacramental grace and the current America divorce statistics back up what I am stating…..To have a good and lasting marriage - A couple MUST rely on Sacramental grace…This is VITAL….And sadly very few people do this….How can I make this claim?….Do you use contraception in your marriage?…If you do - You are breaking your vow to God on your wedding day to be “fruitful”…Do you confess your sins to a Catholic Priest at the minimum once a year? - If you do not - You are not living in the state of grace - Do you go to Mass weekly with your family? - If you do not you are not living in the state of grace - In fact, you are living in objective mortal sin…..These factors effect the kind of marriage you will have….And many (too many) Catholic Americans ignore everything I just stated…But ignoring the Truth does not change the outcome of choices made…Jesus founded a Church and gave us the Sacraments because we NEED them…And to live without Sacramental grace is a HUGE mistake….If you love your children - And I am sure you do!!!! - Teach them what I just reflected upon…..And…. We teach our children not by what we say - But by what we do…..JMJ

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

God knows what he is doing…..Do we?

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading we hear God address Job….Job was complaining to God…As if God “does not know what he is doing”…Everybody is an expert - Right? - Sounds familiar?!?…….God sets Job “straight”…….

”The LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said: Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place. For taking hold of the ends of the earth, till the wicked are shaken from its surface? The earth is changed as is clay by the seal, and dyed as though it were a garment; But from the wicked the light is withheld, and the arm of pride is shattered. Have you entered into the sources of the sea, or walked about in the depths of the abyss? Have the gates of death been shown to you, or have you seen the gates of darkness? Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell me, if you know all: Which is the way to the dwelling place of light, and where is the abode of darkness, That you may take them to their boundaries and set them on their homeward paths? 

God has a plan and he sees what we do not…Yet - The “collective we”…You and I - Question God constantly!!!!…We complain….We are critical…We rebel….Now just imagine when you stand before the Lord…Because one day each of us will - And challenge him on…. The use of contraception in marriage…or….The need to live Sacramentally…or...The right of a woman to abort their child…or…On the “legal” use of the death penalty by the state….How do you think God is going to react?….Before you respond - ”Think” long and hard!……..God created the Pacific Ocean!….God created the Himalayan Mountains!…..God created Great Barrier Reef in Australia!…And “we” are going to have a debate with him!…..The very notion of such a conversation is utterly ridiculous!!!!!!…But that is EXACTLY what we do (in essence) when we rebel against the Natural law, the Ten Commandments and the perennial teachings of the Catholic Church - which are written on every human heart….And sadly, we pay a deep price for doing it in the here and now!….Yet, human beings keep rebelling! - And keep suffering the consequences!….Job in our story today from Mass suffered a lot and complains to God…But Job finally “gets it”……”Then Job answered the LORD and said: Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more”…How about us?…Life is so much easier when we listen to God...But here is the hard part…We have to also learn to accept the “hard things” in life…Even the tragedies….To do that takes grace!!!….And we must pray, fast and live Sacramentally to receive that grace…But when we come to “that place” in our spiritual life, when we accept "all things" as if they come from the Hand of God (because they do - the bad things happen through God’s permissive will)…..Its then we really advance (at light speed) in sanctity…God uses everything for our greater good…The goal is not to “be comfortable” here on earth (The mistake of most people) - The goal is sanctification - To be holy - To be fully conformed to the will of God…That is how we get into heaven!…..Most people have no idea about that reality - And it is reality! - We do not just “float” into heaven on “our terms” when we die - Because we were “a good guy” - Whatever that means?!?….And both the good and the difficult experiences of life get us to “that place” - Making us a holy people - Setting us about for God!……..God knows what he is doing…Do we?

“Bless the LORD, all you angels, you ministers, who do his will”

In 2020 I watched my father slowly die from Parkinson Disease…For two years it was a slow and painful process - To watch and most of all for my father, who had to endure it…We took care of Dad in our home…As the COVID crisis raged across the world - For almost two full years, my father was bed ridden….And my mother and an aide we hired took care of him….My parents were married for 52 years…The witness of their marriage and how my mother cared for my father for those two years was possibly the greatest act of love I have ever witnessed - It taught me what sacrifice means - What marriage is - What authentic love looks like….My dad lived a very good life - He had 82 good years before Parkinson got the best of him!….He also had a deep Catholic faith - And was a sincerely joyful person his entire life, who made a deep impact on the lives of many people (including me and my brother)…..And Dad suffered like a dog for two whole years before he died at 84 years old….The interesting thing was - He accepted it - No joke - He really did - For the most part, he rarely complained…He simply accepted his suffering…And he died in his own home, next to his wife of 52 years!…..Like Job today, who also suffered…He too accepted it…After God had to “set him straight”….”Then Job answered the LORD and said: Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more”……As Catholics, when we come to the point and truly understand (not just intellectually) - That everything that happens to us - Both the good and the bad - Work towards our sanctification…When we “get to that place” - Which is a grace - You cannot “self manufacture this “mindset”…When we fully grasp this concept….Its then we grow close to God very rapidly….God knows what he is doing…..Do we?…….JMJ

“O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar”

Are we ready?

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus say in the Gospel of St Luke…….”The Kingdom of God is at hand”……Does that mean God is going to snap his fingers and “fix” everything right NOW?…..That God is going to “snatch us all up” to heaven NOW?….Does not seem to be the case - So what does that mean?…It means that the victory has been won - Jesus rose from the dead - He conquered death….The devil is on “his last legs”….As far as when Jesus returns to the earth in glory - Not our business - No one knows the day or the hour - “Our job” is to live the Gospel because we will die and face judgement - Believe it!…..I think people, including Catholics take our individual judgement way to lightly…Jesus’s words (not my words) are very exacting….He very clearly lays out what is expected of us….Now we all fall short - I “get it” - But when we do - Do we confess our sins?…..The Church is VERY clear on that point…..And we will not be judged on “our terms” - The “I’m a good guy” standard like many think is not going to "cut it"…..Jesus goes on in Luke’s Gospel today at Mass… - “Addressing those who do not listen to the Gospel…..Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you,  it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town”…..Do you “think” Jesus was speaking “figuratively” here? - Does not appear so to me…..Our world only knows what it knows - I say that because - If we are a formed Catholic - Then we KNOW! - That means we have been given a GREAT responsibility…..The standard in which we will be judged will be MUCH HIGHER then those who do not know or are not formed…..

“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"

We have two choices here….Ignore what Jesus says…or…Take what he says serious….Ultimately, if we believe that Jesus rose from the dead, which most people do believe…Then we have to believe everything he says - RIGHT?!?…..Today Jesus tells us……”The Kingdom of God is at hand”……One day we will stand before God - Each and everyone of us!….And God is not interested in your resume…..That is a “big day” - And its coming sooner then you realize….The “party ends” when we take our last breath

“The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel”

People always “think” they have time to “get right” with God…..But in most cases…We die as we live….Very few people have “St Paul style conversions”…..And when we die - We do not die on our terms - With that said - We will not be judged on “our terms” either…..On the morning of September 11th, I took the train to New York City very early…My train let me off at the stop under the World Trade Center Towers around 7:00am in the morning…I got to my office and one hour later, a plane hit the buildings….The difference of one hour could have meant my life!….Now think about all the men who went to work that day…It was a beautiful September morning in New York City - I remember it like it was yesterday…Many of the men who died were EXTREMELY wealthy!…Bankers, lawyers, Stock Traders…These men had wonderful lives - Their families lived BIG….All that came to an end in a matter of minutes!….For the people who died that day - No one saw it coming either - It was just another day living the “good life”….And for everyone that died - Each of them stood before the Lord - And they were judged…As we will be judged - As I will be judged!…This idea that “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” presented to us today in the Gospel is REAL…Why? - Because the “party” ends…You will die and you will be judged - Like it or not….We never know the day or the hour - Are we ready?……JMJ

“The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel”

"What is good for the master is good for the servant”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke we hear the disciples once again…”Doing a lot of talking”……"I will follow you wherever you go” - Really guys!!!!…I got a few words for you - Words St Peter heard loud and clear soon enough - ”Cock-a-doodle-doo”…….Jesus replies to this statement with a “Truth Bomb”…."Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head. "And to another he said, "Follow me”…Are we prepared to “follow Christ”? - Before you answer - Think long and hard about what you are about to “sign up for”!…..I can hear all the “talking” now on Catholic social media already!……Jesus was a radical man - Are you radical as well?…Are you willing to forego your comfort? - Your fortune? - Your social status?…Because that is what Jesus did….Our “comfortable” words - Our “comfortable” lives - Trying to appeasing society!!!!!….I can hear it now - ”Don’t get the people too upset!”!…Is this what Jesus did?………As Catholics we have to stop being afraid….We have to stop trying to “go along to get along”…We are supposed to be a people set apart - Is this what we see?…..It seems in the Gospel today, some of the people following Jesus started to get the idea that Jesus was not “playing around”…And here comes the excuses….And like always - Jesus does not mince words - How about us?……."Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God”…….Jesus is very clear - St John is also very clear in the Book of Revelation……“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne. “Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches”…..Lukewarm Catholicism does not bear fruit!…..Not only does it not bear fruit - The secular world laughs at it…..Maybe it’s time to take Jesus at his word?…..Maybe it’s time to shed our “comfortable” life?….As we say in New Jersey…”Let’s stop kidding ourself”……."Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head”…Jesus was “all in” - How about us?

“I consider all things so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him”

When we read the Gospel, its very clear that Jesus did not live the most comfortable life…He was born in a stable - He lived for thirty years in obedience with a working class family…….And during his three year ministry - We are told today at Mass….”Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head”….Keeping all this in mind - Jesus was GOD!…..And he lived simply and lived amongst the poor (for the most part)…..Now for the million dollar question - How do we live?……If we have been blessed with money - How do we use it?….I can hear it now - “This guy is a communist”…..”No - I AM A CATHOLIC!”…..Before you call me a communist - Read the Social Compendium of the Catholic Church - Read Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum…After you read these documents - Still think I am a “communist”?……..Are we open to life in our marriages, that means no contraception - And if we are not - Is it because we like our “stuff” - Children cost too much money!!…..Do we share our wealth with the poor?…..Do we live in luxury as BILLIONS of people on this earth die in poverty each and every day?……Clearly we can only do what we can do - But are we doing SOMETHING!………Today in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus makes it very clear to his first disciples - “I am not messy around here”….How about us?….Do we “like” our “comfortable little lives”? - Post our “catholic blurb” on social media - And go eat a fancy meal? - Get in our over priced car - And ignore the words today read to us at Mass…WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!!!!! - Don’t think for a minute that we will not!!!!!……In 2006, I was backpacking through Vietnam and Cambodia - This was the first time I saw third world poverty staring me in the face - And it was a wake up call….I was in that region of the world right before Christmas and myself and this couple from Wales (UK) I met on the bus traveling from Vietnam to Cambodia decided to bring some cloths and gifts to an orphanage in Phnom Penh (For those who do not know - Phnom Penh is the capital and the largest city Cambodia)…Let me stop right there for a moment - Where are all the orphans in America? - Oh - Those children have been aborted…Allow me to continue….When we got the orphanage in Phnom Penh, which was run by a ex-buddhist monk - There I saw children so poor I could not believe my eyes!!!…The monk did not have enough cloths for all the children, so the smallest children literally were walking around naked!!!!!….When we arrived in this orphanage and we brought all these gifts…The shouts of joy from the children pierced me!!!….The only way I could accurately describe it was - To hear their voices cheer - Was like hearing an exploding of PURE JOY! - I did not know whether to cry or cheer myself!!!!…….Jesus while he walked this earth lived simply - He served others - He spoke radical Truth and most importantly - He LIVED radical Truth!!!!…Maybe it’s time we do the same?….Now I am not saying we have to live like a homeless person…But what I am saying is…”Going along to get along” should not be an option for Catholics….Maybe its time to shed our “comfort”? - There was nothing “comfortable” about the life of Christ when he walked this earth - Why should we be any different?…."What is good for the master is good for the servant”…..JMJ

"I saw you under the fig tree”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of John how a man by the name of Nathanael approached Jesus…..What made this man want to hear what Jesus had to say?….Jesus spoke in front of many people - And if we are honest - Most people wanted nothing to do with what Jesus was saying - So much so - They supported and cheered on his murder!…So what made Nathanael interested in the words of Christ?….St John gives us the answer…..”There is no duplicity in him”…..We are told again by St John……”My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me”…..If a person sincerely is interested in the Truth and searchers it out with an objective and honest heart - There is only ONE destination - The Catholic Church!….Jesus is the Truth - He said so!…And people who seek Objective Truth - Always find it….Nathanael did not know everything - He was not some scholar! - But what Nathanael did have was an honest and pure heart - He did not have an agenda!….How many people like that do you know!?!……Sadly our “agendas” get in the way of “finding Christ”…..And some of our “agendas” are not so “out in the open”- But don’t think for a moment that they are not there!…..Why do you “post” messages on social media? - Why do you broadcast your Catholic faith to the world? - Ask yourself that constantly!!!!!….Is it to get “clicks”? - Is it to get rich? - Is it to be famous? - Would you do what you do for the Church - If you never made a cent? - Not one thin dime?…God knows the human heart - And today in the Gospel - That is why he called Nathanael - And frankly, that is why Nathanael responded…He was single minded in his purpose - And he “found what he was looking for” - He found the Truth - He found Christ…..Are we really interested in the Truth?…What if the Truth cost you everything? - Your MONEY! - Your social standing - Your friends…What if following the Truth made you an outcast?…..Basically what I am trying to articulate - What if following the Truth objectively cost you EVERYTHING!…..Would you still be interested in it?…..Well, today we hear about a man who was "all in" - His name was Nathanael …And Jesus tells Nathanael - Because you are “all in” - This will be the end result…….”You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”……God sees the human heart - And as Catholics in the world today, “our job” simply should be to “work on” purifying our heart - You do not have to be a scholar to do that!……We do that by frequent Sacramental confessions and frequent reception of the Blessed Sacrament at Mass - Its not rocket science!….This is how all of our “duplicity” is removed….And when that happens - We will hear and see Jesus and not before.

"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?”


Its very easy to follow Jesus when you are surrounded by friends - When your bank account is fat - When the crowd is cheering…What happens when you are all alone? - When the “crowd” calls for your head!…When following Christ costs you MONEY!!!!……There is a cost to being a Catholic…Anyone who tells you different is LYING TO YOU!….And if you have not “felt” the weight of this “cross”, which I just described - Maybe you are not “who you think you are” - Not yet that is………..In 2007 I met a man volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity in New York City…This man’s name was Michael Grogan…..Michael at the time was discerning for the priesthood…..Michael is legally blind….He also does not have a college education….Before he started the discernment process - He worked as a janitor….What Michael did have that most people do not is this - Michael knew how to suffer!….He was blind and very limited in life - He experienced this state of being his ENTIRE life - And frankly he was at peace with that…As time went on Michael did not enter a religious order or become a priest….But his heart was still “in the game”….He felt called to help the poor and serve Christ radically….So Michael moved into a tenement building in the Bronx - Lived off of Divine Providence and believe it or not - Started evangelizing gang members! - Yes - An Irish “white guy”, who was legally bind would speak about praying the Rosary to gang members…And do you know what? - They listened to him!….In the building he lived in - Thirty people were Baptized Catholic because of Michael’s witness…Why do you think that happened? - Outside of God’s grace? - Like Nathanael  today in the Gospel from Mass - There was no duplicity in Michael - None what-so-ever!…Michael was completely vulnerable as a blind man…His only “credential” was his sincere and honest Catholic faith…That is what those gang members saw - Michael was the real deal! - And because of that - They listened to him!!!…How about us? - Are we the “real deal”?…As time when on Michael felt called to leave the Bronx…But that is not the end of the story…Michael now lives in a section of Philadelphia called Kensington…..Kensington is the fentanyl and heroin capital of America…Michael is doing the same thing he did in the Bronx…Teaching gang members the Rosary - Believe it or not! - And serving the poor….Michael still lives off Divine Providence and because “God has plenty of money” - Michael just purchased his second home in Kensington where his ministry serves the people of that city…..Michael Grogan is the real deal…There is not one ounce of “duplicity” in him - Not one!….How about us?….

”Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree”….JMJ

Suffering is apart of that process

Today at Holy Mass we heard in the first reading the story of Job……Job had everything - He was rich - He had a good family - He had a deep faith……How easy it is to have faith when “things are going right”…..But - As we saw in the story of Job today - Things can go from good to bad very fast!….Everything was taken from Job - His family - His money - His security…And amazingly, Job did not raise his fist against God….How would you respond?…..Its hard to say….But one of the take-aways from this story is - How easy it is for one to take the things we have in life for granted!….That everything we have is a gift - Given to us from God…Do we see our life and all our possessions that way?….And if the things we have are gifts - Which they are - Why would we then not share them?….No one ever went poor by sharing - Just so you know……In fact, when we share, we find deep and lasting joy - A joy the world can never give…..Yet - This is not how the world “operates” - We see what we have as “solely” our own - Humanity “hoards its goods" - Refuses to have children…All for what?…..“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God”……….Each of us has a limited time to walk this earth - We all die!…Do we ever consider this reality - That we die! - That our life will be measured by God - On God’s terms - Not our own!…….As far as what we do with the gifts God gave to us - Do we ignore this reality!?! - That God DOES expect something from us!!!!……….Job understood his “role” - That he was a mere creation and God is the creator….And when Job’s material wealth was taken from him - He took it in stride….Now if I was Job - I wish I can say I would be so “clear-minded” about such a catastrophic lose - (Keeping in mind that I am Italian and we Italians can get a little “crazy”)…..But seriously - What I can say is this - In time…Just maybe - By God’s grace - He would sustain me and a new chapter would begin…..All things work towards our sanctification - Its one thing to know this intellectually - It another thing to “live it”…..But God is merciful and he only gives us what we can bear…..But never lose sight of the fact that we are NOT in union with God YET - That we all have a way to go! - And suffering plays a big part in the sanctification process….Being too comfortable on this earth is not good - More times then not, too much comfort results in us losing sight of God - And in the end - Its only God that matters - All your “stuff” will be taken from you - Like it or not!

"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!"

Years ago, I helped facilitate a Bible Study in my hometown parish…A women Elizabeth would faithfully attend each week…I mention Elizabeth today because she came to my mind as I read the first reading from Mass - The story of Job - How he had everything - And then everything was taken from him - Yet Job did not lose faith….Elizabeth was married to a lawyer - His name was Michael - They were faithful Catholics and also very rich…..They belonged to the Opus Dei movement, founded by the Spanish priest and Saint (Josemaría Escrivá)…Michael and Elizabeth wanted to have children and when they found out they were medically unable - They adapted - Not one - But four children!!!!….What a wonderful gesture!!!….Here you have a wealthy Catholic couple, using their gifts to provide a home for not one, but four children the world discarded!…..And then - Just when life seemed to be “perfect” - Michael dies of a sudden heart attack, leaving Elizabeth with four young children to raise on her own…..All the money is now GONE!!!! - And Elizabeth has no husband to help her raise these four children!!!!…..Elizabeth still attended Mass and when she was at our Bible Study, some days she seemed like she was about to have a nervous breakdown - No joke!…But she never lost her faith - She did her very best - And she raised those four children……Only God knows why this tragedy happen….A HORRIBLE event - For such a good person like Elizabeth to endure…..But God in his permissive will knows why - Because all things work for the greater glory of God…..And Elizabeth allowed this hardship, which lasted for YEARS to “wash over her”……….St John tell us…..”So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything”…”No offense” to St John - We can intellectualize our suffering only so far - But that does not “cut it” - We have to live through suffering - And in that “lived experience” -  God forms us and makes us who we were born to be - And that is a process….To become holy is a process - One in which we must experience by living - And - Suffering is apart of that process………..JMJ

“In all this Job did not sin, nor did he say anything disrespectful of God”

Repent and Believe in the Gospel - Not “your gospel” - But THE GOSPEL…..There is a big difference between the two

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus paints an interesting picture…He tells us about two brothers….The first says he will do not do what is asked - At least he is honest - Then changes his mind and does what was asked….The second says immediately he is “all in” - But does not do what he is called to….Jesus then asks - “Which of the two did his father's will?”….The answer to the question is clear - The first brother - Who hesitated and then came through in the end….In our world today, these “two brothers” are represented in plain sight all around us…..There are some people who are not interested in organized religion but live “better lives” then those who go to Mass everyday as they give “lip serve” to the fact that they are “Catholic”….Now, this reflection is not a commentary about “who goes to heaven and who does not - That is not my intent nor is it my right to make such claims…However, what these “two brothers” in this parable should tell us is….”What we “say” does not really matter” - Its what we do that counts……Also, sometimes people have to “taste” the “bitter cup” of life to understand their need for God…Such people know they are sinners - They know they are flawed…..And when such a person comes to the “end of themself” - They turn to God completely, not in half measure…This is why St Matthew tells us…."Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you”…..The message of the Gospel is not about “being perfect” - In fact its just the opposite - Its about knowing you are NOT perfect - And not “pretending” that you are…That you need Sacramental grace in order for God to perfect your fallen human nature - And God will perfect our fallen human nature if we cooperate with him and His Church - These are the people who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven…..Now for the “perfect people” who give “lip-service” - Who can recite every dogma - Recite every papal encyclical - Recite every Church Canaan ever written…And then turn around and act in a way that even pagans would agree does not reflect, even remotely, the teachings of Christ….”I got some news for you” (as we say in New Jersey) God is not impressed with “lips-service”…..I have a general rule I live by… - I watch what people do before I listen to what they say…..And to be honest with you - I believe that is also the standard God follows as well……..“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them”….Catholic Social Media is FULL of these “false prophets” - They have created their “own form of Catholicism” - Based upon personal preference and political identity - Their words are cruel and nothing about their on-line persona they have created, in many cases is driven by “clicks” and money, even remotely resembles the life and message of Jesus Christ - Not even remotely!!!! - While they “wield” dogmas and rant about problems within the Church….I have seen “pagans” live and act more Christ-like in my life!……This is why St Matthew reminds us today….."When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him”……Repent and Believe in the Gospel - Not “your gospel” - But THE GOSPEL…..There is a big difference between the two……JMJ

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

Clearly there are problems within the Church - By the way - There have been problems with the Church since Jesus founded it…Remember Judas?…..But the Church marches on…..I have been a Catechist for three decades - I am not new to this rodeo as some are on Catholic Social Media…I state that because I have seen a lot! - But I have also changed how I view the problems within the church…..For one - Most of the issues we see in the Church cannot be addressed in a manner that we would address, say a problem in a secular institution - These problems stem from the human heart not being fully converted - And we have NO CONTROL over that.....By the way - My heart is not fully converted to God - And neither is YOUR HEART - Don't kid yourself!…..I simply do not focus on the problems…I focus on my personal sanctification each and every day…..The take away - Keep your eyes on Christ - Not the storm!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood”

Every Wednesday - My wife and I vigorously fast for the Church and the clergy…YOU have a problem with “THE CHURCH”…Maybe it’s time to FAST for her?!?….What else can we do when we are fixated on all the problems within the Church and in the world around us?….Make it your one and only priority to become holy!….Only saints change the world….”Smart people” come and go - And frankly, most of what they say is ignored…However, the witness of a holy life CANNOT be ignored - Even the worst of pagans CANNOT ignore the likes of Mother Teresa; Padre Pio or Pope John Paul II…..No one cares what you know until they SEE how much you care - Remember that - When we TELL THE WORLD we are Catholic - When we have massive social media platforms - And frankly - Our words and how we articulate them sound more like the words of an angry, nasty “Little League father” ranting and screaming in the bleachers watching his son trying his best - Guess what? - Your NOT speaking for Jesus Christ - Trust me - God is absent in your message - Even if your words are “text book perfect”….God weighs the human heart - This is the only thing he sees - And if your heart is not in “the right place” - Your words will not resonant in the manner that they should or could…..

“A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, 'but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."


Repent and Believe in the Gospel - Not “your gospel” - But THE GOSPEL…..There is a big difference between the two……JMJ

Are you “blind”? - Or worse - Have you “fallen into the pit”?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus instructs his disciples of the fact that he will be killed…And they are completely clueless! - They simply did not understand what he was telling them….Was it that they did not understand?…or…They did not want to understand?…Only God knows…But the fact is…Jesus was a mystery to them……These men failed him numerous times, in word and deed - Yet Jesus saw “something” within them - Something they did not even know existed…Jesus never gave up on them…And in the end - The disciples came through!…..So it is with us - We hope!…..Each of us, we were created by God for a purpose….God sees our potential more clearly then we do….How do we begin to see what God sees in us? - “To unlock” the very “thing” we were created for, which is at the present moment hidden from our eyes?…Its only and until we purity our hearts and that can only be done Sacramentally - You cannot “read” your way to a pure heart…Our “sight” is restored through daily prayer, fasting and Sacramental living…Do we take our spiritual life serious?….This is the greatest mistake of mankind - We shower each day to stay clean - Take care of our bodies endlessly - Go to the gym for hours each week - Eat good food three times a day…Yet we starve our soul - The only thing that lastly eternally - Is our soul…If we make it our priority to pray and fast - To go to confession frequently - To receive the Blessed Sacrament as often as possible - We will discover who we truly are and what we were born to do - And not before…I believe, when we stand before God and are judged - God will show us all the good and all the bad we have done in our life…Think about that!!!!…But I also believe, God will show us what we COULD have done if we TRUSTED him more - What we could have become!….And we will never meet our full potential if we do not make purifying our hearts a priority - If we get distracted from that priority - We will chase after nonsense of all "sorts, kinds and shapes"! - Like a dog chasing after its tail…..Just as the disciples found Jesus to be a mystery today in the Gospel at Holy Mass and were confused about what he was telling them…Don’t think for a moment that you are somehow any different!…Because only those with a pure heart “see” and become who they were born to be…That is why Jesus told us…..”Blessed are the pure of heart - For they will SEE God”…What do you “see”?

“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying”

In the two thousand years the Catholic Church has been around, the Popes have only proclaimed thirty-eight people “Doctors of the Church”….Think about that - All the people that have come and gone in two thousand years, and only thirty-eight are being held up by the Church as “Doctors”….What made these people so special?…Well - Most of them had brilliant minds and wrote or taught something that was in many ways revolutionary, impacting millions upon millions of people….St Augustine; St Jerome, St Alphonsus Liguoiri,  St John Henry Newman…To name a few…These men were brilliant and what they wrote and taught is studied to this very day…But in this illustrious list of thirty-eight people is a young French nun, who had no formal education and dies at the age of twenty-four years old…That young woman was St Therese of Lisieux…….Now St Therese only wrote one book, and it was her diary and in it, she taught the world how to love God in the simplest of terms….To find God in all things and to see him in all things - The simplest of things!…Sounds almost ridiculous?…But in reality it was far from ridiculous - It was and is pure brilliance!!!….One can argue that of the thirty-eight Doctors of the Church - St Therese of Lisieux may be the MOST brilliant…..This reality should teach us something….That within each of us - There is greatness!! - Waiting to be “unpacked”….Our job simply is to “unpack it”….And we do that by simply working on purifying our hearts - From that purity - As we “peal away” layer upon layer - The mystery of God is revealed…The same mystery that the disciples could not comprehend in today’s Gospel at Mass….That Jesus had to die in order for the world to be saved….God is only a “great mystery” to those who complicate things - The more we “complicate God” - The more we will lose sight of him - That we too must “die” to ourself, in union with Christ, for us to be saved….So keep it simple!!! - And be simple! - Do not worry yourself about matters that are beyond your control….Stick to the basics!!!…..Pray the Rosary every day - Go to a Sacramental Confession once a month - Go to Mass every Sunday and receive the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace - Simple - Right?!?….By doing that - God will not seem like a mystery to us - His will for our life will be revealed and in turn, we will discover our purpose - To become a saint - The way God intended you to be from the beginning of time! - Not some “self manufactured” purpose YOU created for yourself…..Wasting time - Chasing after nonsense!…..So keep it simple!……..”Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?"………Are you “blind”? - Or worse - Have you “fallen into the pit”?…..JMJ

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!”

“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of Luke Jesus tells Peter something he does not understand - Not only does he not understand it - He does not accept it…And guess what?…Nor do we!……“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed”……So what is the problem here? - Bottom line - If Jesus who is God suffered - SO WILL WE - And we adamantly reject this notion - We run from suffering - We avoid suffering - We push suffering away….But this is not what Jesus did - And we must learn to accept whatever suffering comes our way as being part a God’s permissive will for us, in order for us to grow in sanctity and become a holy people….Learning to say “OK God” when things do not go our way is a grace - One I pray and fast for….The saints accepted everything and we too must strive to do the same….Suffering touches every human soul and ONLY the Catholic faith can adequately address it - Why Is that the case? - You can not “think” your way out of suffering - You cannot “argue” your way out of suffering….You can only pray your way out of suffering and by and through God’s grace - You can accept that suffering and endure it until it “passes”…This is how we grow in holiness…..As Catholics we are told by Jesus himself that we must “pick up our cross daily” - We give “lip service” to this “idea” and “think” we understand this request - Until we actually see and feel just how heavy “that cross”   is….Then comes the “excuses” - The complaints - The avoidance - The self rationalizations…..Jesus knows us better then we know ourself and he knows EXACTLY what we need to become holy - And that MUST be the goal - To become holy….And because God loves us - He allows suffering to enter our life through his permissive will - A “particular suffering” perfectly suited for each soul…To mold us - To form us - To sanctify us….I have prayed to Our Lady and have asked her to make me a saint - So my life can bring her son the glory…Not the way “I” want to become a saint - The way her son wants me to become a saint…And my “bet” is - Those two “ideas” are very different…Maybe God’s idea of me becoming a saint is simply to be a good husband and father….To do the simple tasks each day with joy and great amounts of love - To enjoy every moment with my wife and children…Not too “glamorous” - Right?!? - But that does not matter!!! - God knows what we need and he provides what we need so we can become WHO we were born to be….St Luke’s Gospel today began with Jesus asking St Peter a question…..“Who do the crowds say that I am?”……Take a moment today and ask God that question about yourself…..WHO am I Lord and WHO am I supposed to become?…..The answer may be very different from “your version” of who you “think” you are and who you are to become…Either way - One thing I know for certain - YOU are to become a saint - WE are all called to become saints…Be who you were born to be!

“The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”

For seven years I served with Mother Teresa’s sisters in an AIDS hospice in New York City every Saturday…I primarily was the Saturday driver but the convent I would visit every Saturday took care of men with AIDS - In fact, this home was the first of its kind in all of America founded by Mother Teresa herself - This is where I was given my “education”…In this home I have seen men transformed - And their suffering played a big part of the transformation…Allow me to share one story….One Saturday in 2008 I got to the convent and the sisters told me that Bishop Manny Cruz, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark (my diocese) personally carried in a man (he literally carried him in with his own hands), who was dying in a city hospital in New Jersey of AIDS….This man was from El Salvador and his name was Manuel - Manuel spoke no English, he was blind and had AIDS - No joke!….When I saw Manuel in a bed in the hospice, I thought to myself - He will be dead soon - Manual was emaciated and looked like his time was short for this life……For two straight weeks he did not get out of bed…But slowly, due to the good care the sisters provided…..Manual slowly got better…It took one entire year from him to come down the stairs by himself to the chapel to pray a Holy Hour with us and go to daily Mass….Think about that for a moment - ONE WHOLE YEAR he was basically bedridden!!!….Manual not only got better with time - But began to thrive….He would pray everyday and became a daily communicant…He lived in the Hospice for seven years! - And frankly, he was a very pleasant man, considering he was blind and had AIDS…Well one day, the sisters told me Manual was moving out…They found him an assisted living facility in New York City suited for the blind….When I heard this I called Bishop Manny’s office in Newark…I told his secretary that Bishop Manny carried a man, half dead, to a AIDS Hospice in Manhattan seven years ago run by Mother Teresa’s sisters…..That he is now leaving and going to live on his own - I asked Bishop Manny’s secretary if he would come to the convent and preside over a Mass of thanksgiving….His secretary said she would “pass on the message”…Guess what? - Bishop Manny showed up!….And when Manual, the man he saved heard his voice, he weep like a child…..Think about the ordeal Manuel went through to get him to “this state” - A prayerful man - A daily communicant…He was on death’s door!!!! - He was bedridden for one entire year - He was blind - He had AIDS…And now - After all that - He was restored back to being able to live independently and was actively practicing his Catholic faith…..What does that tell you?…I can only conclude - God has a plan…And his ways are NOT our ways…..Everything happens for a reason - All suffering is meant to sanctify us…And there is one goal - The only goal that matters!!!! - That we arrive safely in heaven……

“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed”

Learn to say - “OK God”….Pray and fast for this grace….God “knows what he is doing”….”I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”…..JMJ