“It is what it is” and the only thing that needs to change is us - But don’t worry, Jesus is in the “change” business - He gives us everything we need to make that change

Today at Holy Mass in the in the Gospel of St Matthew, Jesus asks his friends a very important question…In fact he asks us the same question today…..”Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”…….How we answer that question determines a lot!…..Do we “create” a Jesus that is palatable for us? - Someone after our own desires and ideas? - Or - Do we accept Jesus as he really is?……Its very easy to fall into the trap of “creating” our own Jesus…..This is something we have to be VERY careful about - So how do we avoid this trap?……Jesus gives us the answer today in the Gospel…..”Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”….Jesus created a Church…He did not write a book…Did you know that the Bible did not come on the scene until 400 years after Jesus’s death?…And guess who put the Bible together? - The Catholic Church!……It is through the Church and through the Pope that the Christian community have both unity and authority…..To deny this is to deny Christ himself…Now some do not know better - And God will judge them, not me - But more times than not, what you will find is, all people who seek the Truth both with an open heart and an open mind, putting aside all predetermined biases - Always end up in the same place - The Catholic Church………..Why did Jesus create a Church?….The answer - Because we ALL need Sacramental grace….The road to heaven is NOT smooth - Therefore we need grace to make it there - To not get distracted - To be healed when we fall - To be forgiven when we sin……People - This is reality!…..And the only person who suffers when reality is denied is the person that denies it!…..Our world today suffers because we refuse to face reality

“Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tested me; they tested me though they had seen my works”

The single best way to address critics is to demonstrate success…..Our world points to the faults of Catholics who fall prey to sin…..Forgetting that from the very beginning one of the first twelve disciples was a betrayer…….Sin is sadly apart of the human condition, all the more reason why we need the Catholic Church….But what society refuses to do is, to look at the “remaining eleven” disciples and admit to themselves all the good they did…The same goes for today…There will always be a few great sinners among the Catholic flock, but the overwhelming majority of priests and bishops are clearly not Judas Iscariot…So why does society fix its eyes on the "one Judas"?…Is it because maybe they do not want to “bend their knee” fully to God?…Is it because they do not want to change?…..Once again, this is something we all must be honest about - Why? - Because we ALL need Sacramental grace!…Our human nature is flawed…A person who does not take advantage of Sacramental grace is at a great disadvantage in life…So why not utilize what Jesus himself gave us? - Its frankly the smart thing to do…From my prospective - Its the only way to live!……If someone reads this reflection and disagrees with what I just wrote..I invite that person to do two things….The first, read the early Church fathers and if you do that, you will find that from the very beginning, you will discover that what they did mirrors the practices of the Catholic Church to this very day 2000 years later - The early Church was Catholic!…..Second, read the lives of the saints…If you do, you will find many men and women who before embracing Sacramental grace were not exactly what we would consider today holy people…And how after they embraced Sacramental living in a radical way, their lives changed for the better…..Once again, reality does not change because society does not want to accept it or chooses not to look at it because it challenges preconceived ideas or lifestyles that frankly are not working in real time!……As Scripture tells us…You tell a tree by the fruit it bears…If you look to healthy Catholics…And not focus on the few “bad apples”…You will CLEARLY find a Church that is thriving…A people who are thriving - Why is that?…Because of Sacramental grace - We ALL need this grace….Don’t sell yourself short!

“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it”

Today at Mass Jesus tells us very clearly that he established a Church and that Church is built upon Peter, who we all know was the first Pope….There are some that say, “I only believe what is in the Bible” - Well, today its very clear…..So are we “creating” our own Jesus?….Someone who “fits in nicely” to how we currently live?……St Peter today in the gospel even did that…..And this is how Jesus addressed him….”From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do”….St Paul warns his friend Timothy about this problem believe it or not 2000 years ago too….”For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry”……So the question remains to this very day - “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”…..How we subjectively answer that question does not change reality - Maybe it’s time to re-think our answer?……..The great English 20th century author GK Chesterton put it best: “For the modern world will accept no dogmas upon any authority; but it will accept any dogmas on no authority. Say that a thing is so, according to the Pope or the Bible, and it will be dismissed as a superstition without examination. But preface your remark merely with "they say" or "don't you know that?" or try (and fail) to remember the name of some professor mentioned in some newspaper; and the keen rationalism of the modern mind will accept every word you say”……As we say in New Jersey - “It is what it is”…Jesus was not some hippie and Jesus did not write a book, He established a Church - The door is open, come on in - But once again - “It is what it is” and the only thing that needs to change is us - But don’t worry, Jesus is in the “change” business - He gives us everything we need to make that change………………..JMJ

“Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible” - The “impossible” will never happen - Unless you GET OUT OF THE BOAT

Today the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration…The event where Jesus showed himself as he truly was - Divine - To his inner circle: Peter, James and John……”Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem”……Its interesting to me how even Jesus’ closest friends, who lived with him, did not really know him…..What does this reality also say about us?…..Is there “something” within each of us that is “known”….Something that is yet to be revealed?…Something that even we are not aware of?……When we were baptized we were grafted into the life of Christ…The “smallest of seeds” was planted within our soul…..Its for us to cooperate with God and his Church to allow that "seed" to grow…The great St Teresa of Avila, the 16th century Doctor of the Church would say that there are “caverns” within our soul…”Places” we do not even know exist….And to discover those "Places"…..We must as Jesus instructed his first disciples…Get out of the boat!…..Its there we realize our potential…Its there we grow in our faith…Its there we encounter the Living God and fulfill our purpose…..But getting back to the Transfiguration of Jesus…We all know about St Peter - The humble fisherman “called” to become the first Pope…..A herculean mission!….Peter when he sees Jesus transfigured has NO CLUE…..And “this guy” is going to lead the Church after Jesus is brutally murdered?!?…”Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud”…..Like Peter, we only “see” partially what is to be revealed…Peter allowed Jesus to “mold him”, he too was in a sense “transfigured” over time….But that process as we all know from the Bible was “not pretty”…Peter failed a lot - But here is the thing - St Peter never gave up even after he tried to run away!….”Quo vadis? Peter asks, to which Jesus replies: Romam vado iterum crucifigi. I am going to Rome to be crucified again”……..So Peter went back! - Again and Again! - And in the end, he became the ROCK, which he was born to be……………The same “process” will happen to us - If we cooperate with God - He will transform us - But only if we get out of the boat!

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to him”

Have you ever been terrified - Not just merely afraid - TERRIFIED!…..I have….And allow me to tell you about it…..The first time I flew to Kolkata India, I had all sorts of trouble arriving there - The journey took two whole days…My flight had 3 connections and when I arrived in New Delhi from London, after waiting all night in the airport alone, the airline told me my ticket was not valid….So as any good Italian American son of New Jersey would do - I made a “scene” in the airport that to this day the people of New Delhi could still very well be talking about!…After arguing like a maniac it became very clear they were not letting my on the plane…So I had to buy another ticket on the spot and take up my fight with the airline when I got back home - For the record - I won that battle!….But I digress……When I got on the connecting plane to Kolkata, I get to me seat and believe it or not, someone else was sitting on it…They double booked the seat….At this point I was rattled to the core…I had not slept in over 24 hours and clearly “something” or “someone” did not want me to get to Kolkata…That “someone” was the devil…I am convinced of that to this day but I digress again….So when the flight attendant got me into another seat I started talking to this family sitting next to me…So I told them that I was traveling to Kolkata, that I was alone and I was going to help Mother Teresa’s sisters serve the poor in the slums of the city….The daughter of this well-to-do Indian family looked at me like I was completely crazy!…And when she did - FEAR shot through my body maybe like it never has in my lifetime…I can’t even call it fear - I was becoming TERRIFIED!…..So literally, I sat in my seat trying to “talk myself off the ledge”…..Saying to myself…”Joe - You need to calm down - You have to survive these next three weeks”……This is how the devil works!….The devil uses FEAR to prevent us from growing closer to God…..Looking back, I know this was a direct encounter I had with the devil - I know that sounds weird - But I know it to be true to the core of my being…Why do I know that?…Because I persevered and went to Kolkata and not only did my faith grow as a result of that first trip, but many good things happened for many people…And the devil did not want that to happen!…..Why tell you all this?….In order to be grow…In order to allow God to “transform us”…We have to be uncomfortable…..This is VITAL in the spiritual life of a Catholic…No one likes to be uncomfortable but this is what we must do…..So I will say it again - GET OUT OF THE BOAT…And keep your eyes on Christ…..Allow God to reveal himself to you…And in so doing, you will be transformed!

“You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”

Today at Mass we hear how Jesus revealed his “true self” to his inner circle - And they “did not get it”…..But here is the good news - Peter, James and John did not give up and in time not only did they “get it” but they become great saints….The same thing can be said of us one day - If we “take a chance”…If we “bet” on the words of Christ….Do we take Jesus at his word?…Do we believe the words of Scripture when St Paul tells us - “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus”……For us to become the people we were born to be, we must allow divine grace to penetrate deep within our soul......We must live daily lives of sacrifice allowing “room” for the Holy Spirit to work…..We must live Sacramental lives…..We must pray daily and fast weekly….And then just watch what happens!…..We will set the world on fire - Why? - Because God will transform us!…..But before that all happens we need to - GET OUT OF THE BOAT.......St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible” - The “impossible” will never happen - Unless you GET OUT OF THE BOAT

The things that last are “rooted” in God - This is a time tested reality…Don’t believe me? - Just wait, you will get your answer - In time

Today at Holy Mass we hear Jesus say something in the Gospel of St Matthew that we can all bank on…..”He said in reply, Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit”…….We have all heard the phrase “time tested”….Well, Jesus is confirming that phrase today - Do we believe him is the question to ponder.....….EVERYTHING that is not of God will NOT LAST…This includes ideas, empires, businesses, and even people!…..Bank on that statement….For those of us who have “been around” long enough - We have seen that for ourselves…People we have known over the years - Bad behavior ALWAYS catches up to them - Its just a matter of time - I have witnessed this with my own two eyes both professionally and personally……Now conversely, the same goes with Godly behavior…Jesus affirms this reality as well…..”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”…….Again - Take that to the bank!……This is why we must build our life on a solid foundation….On something that is rock solid…There is nothing more solid than to build a life upon our Catholics faith….Why?…Because it is time tested - To deny that is to deny reality…..And if we care to look - You can see that for yourself.

“A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not off from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me”

When a couple gets married I think it’s fair to say no one ever thinks or wants to get divorced but as we all know divorce is a reality in America….Why is that the case?……Many factors contribute to this reality but one of the driving factors is - We no longer invite God into our marriages….This is a FACT and this is the driving reason why people get divorced….I can list for you sociological fact after fact…This is reality….God’s way works - Its been time tested and proven!…We can deny it all day and everyday - But that fact will not change…So here is the question - Why would we enter arguably the most important decision of our life and not build upon a time tested reality?……Do we “somehow think” we are so special that we will “beat the odds”?….I am only saying this because the statistics speak for themselves and we should ALL want what is not only best for our family but what is best for ourselves! - RIGHT!?!…….Our Church needs to do a MUCH better job preparing married couples to make the biggest decision of their life…We are not doing anyone any favors by not speaking the hard truths about what marriage REALLY is all about and what makes for a successful marriage…..What our society has accepted as “normal” both when it comes to “dating” as well as what makes for a healthy marriage has produced so much harm to America - So many people are wounded…So many children have “issues” because of this “norm”……The sexual revolution has done more harm to America then an atomic bomb could ever do!……Maybe it’s time to re-think what it means to “date”….Maybe it’s time to re-think what it means to get married?….Because if we do not - The statistics will not change……God’s way works!…And “holding your breath” in the corner does not change that reality……”Every one who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined”…For those who have ears - Let them hear…What our society calls a “right of passage” for our young adults is an invitation to failure…..Don’t let it happen to your children and that starts with modeling a God centered marriage to them. If you agree - Start today!

“For I acknowledge my offense; and my sin is before me always: Against you only have I sinned; and done what is evil in your sight”

Today we hear in the Gospel something that many people today call “karma”….There is not such thing as karma…However - I will tell you what I KNOW to be true - ”We reap what we sow” in life: Period - Full Stop!…….Sadly, this concept is usually learned the hard way and for most of us, this understanding comes later in life through experience…This idea for the most part is lost on the young…But what can we do to change that?…..Example is everything, while no one is perfect, our children need to witness Christ in us and this requires Sacramental grace….God MUST not only be the center of our marriage but also the center of our home…..Why?…Because God’s way works!…..And our children will not listen to what we say…They will however “listen” to what we do!…Actions speak!…..Do we pray the Rosary as a family?….Do we go to Confession on Saturdays with a Catholic priest as a family?…Do we go to Mass on Sunday as a family?…..Sadly our society has forgotten all of these pillars of life - We are “too sophisticated”….Well, maybe its time to take stock….Statistics do not lie, even when you choice to ignore them….And life does not “magically” get better….God loves us but we have to cooperate with him to “reap” the benefits of a good life…..The things that last are “rooted” in God - This is a time tested reality…Don’t believe me? - Just wait, you will get your answer - In time

Our people “don’t what to hear it” - That is why they must “see it” - They must see it in you

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how huge crowds were following Jesus….What is it about the Truth that is so compelling?….Even when it comes from such a simple and humble man as a Carpenter from Nazareth…The crowds speak for themselves - They still do to this day…………”The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick”…….There are more than a few instances in Scripture where Jesus sees the crowd and “was moved with pity”…..Even on the cross as he was dying, one of the last things Christ said was….”“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”…To this day, that statement should hold true in the minds and hearts of every practicing Catholics…….Are we “moved with pity” for our world?….A world that in many ways has forgotten what it means to live properly - And it shows in so many ways…..Family life has broken down…So many people are wounded as a result of that reality….You see it everywhere you go….Our society is unmoored, grasping for purpose in all the wrong places….I will ask it again - For those who have God firmly in their hearts - Are we moved with pity for the world as Christ was?...Its easy to “throw stones” - But if you step back and think if you were not given your Catholic faith…If you were not given good parents…If you were not given a good example…If you were not given a solid Catholic education - Would you be any different?….So what do we do about it?….Do we “think” we are somehow better than others?….How do we help?……Our world needs to witness a better way to live…Its very clear that the “ways of this world” do not work - Outcomes do to lie!….As Catholics our words will fall on deaf ears if our life does not “speak” for itself….This is what Jesus did - He walked among men - His life pointed to something greater…This is what we must do as well.........”As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes”…….Its so easy to throw stones…..It’s another thing all together at the sight of the “vast crowd” to be “moved with pity for them”…And as a result, if and only if we give a Christ-like witness, we will “cure they’re sick”

“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God”

God is a reality….Each of us were made by God and when a person makes a conscious choice to break with God and his Church - There are consequences - “Something” breaks within that person - Its so apparent and tangibly witnessed……And in the “void” created by the absence of God - “Things” are placed in that void - And more times than not, those “things” are harmful to that person…When we see this in our everyday life - Are we moved with pity as the Gospel tells us that Jesus was?…….I work in New York City and once I get off my bus from New Jersey I walk roughly about a mile to my office building….The “things” I have see over the years on that walk are so disturbing - Each and everyone of those people I see, many of which are living such horrible lives is someone’s child!….If that were one of my children, I literally would be sick?…..So what can we do?…..Well for one, I made it a practice everyday to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet as I walk the streets for everyone I see….But outside of prayer, what can we as Catholics do for a world that in many so ways does not know any better or worse does and has rejected God outright?…..We must make it “our business” to give a good example…Trust me - The people in your orbit who know you are a practicing Catholic - They watch you very carefully…..Words or arguments will never convince the world that the Catholic Church is the answer to so many of our society’s problems - Only your example, fueled by Sacramental grace, prayer and fasting can do that…..The power of a consistent witness allows the Holy Spirit to “work” on those around you…People must see that there is a “better way” to live…..They must see it with their own two eyes!......Mere words will never make that happen - Only the witness of our life can help this wounded world “grasping at straws”…....Is this what we are aspiring to do? - To give a Christ-like witness?…….Because this is the ONLY way we can help outside of our prayers….Do we love others enough to do this?…Or would we rather “throw stones” and think we are better than them?

"If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, Quickly would I humble their enemies; against their foes I would turn my hand."

Today in the Gospel at Mass we see how Jesus had a heart for the everyday troubles of his people…Do we feel the same?…..As Catholics we are called to “walk among men”….To live side-by-side others….We are not called to isolate ourselves…..Why?…..Well, as always Jesus tells us why……”Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father”…Our world does not need another lecture - Our world needs witnesses…..Our words will be ignored but a Christ-like witness cannot be ignored….Such a witness cuts to the heart of society…This is what our world needs…And to give such a witness, we as Catholics need to get serious!…We have to make it our “business” to allow Christ to transform us….When you read about the lives of the saints, you will see very clearly how regular everyday people impacted vast numbers of a given population - Are we willing to empty ourselves to the degree that the saints did? - To allow the Holy Spirit to fill us in radical ways?…..Because this is the ONLY way we can help our world…..Our people “don’t what to hear it” - That is why they must “see it” - They must see it in you………………JMJ

What we do with our time, talent and treasure will define us…..So put your “shoulder to the plow”….And make it count

Today at Holy Mass in the second reading St Paul is attempting to instruct people to put “things” in prospective….”If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”…….What is your highest priority?…..Before you speak and address that question because as we all know, words are easy to say…There is a very accurate test of our priorities……Look at a person’s check book - “Ouch”!……How we spend our money should tell us everything we need to know….We are told by Christ himself that the number one commandment is - Love God Above All Things…The second - Love Your Neighbor As Your Self…..So before we say that - God is our number one priority - What does your checkbook say?……Years ago I had an interesting conversation with my local doctor on one of my yearly visits…We were talking politics…He told me how his father would measure the worth of a politician…I will share with you what he said……”If a politician can’t tell me himself what the price of a gallon of milk is and how much money he gives out of his own pocket to charity - I will not vote for him”….An interesting measure indeed - But I believe it to be a good one……How about us? - What does our checkbook say about our priorities?

“Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry”

There is an old saying…”If you put God first, everything else will fall into place”…....This is so true - From how we choose our spouse……To the way we manage our household…..To the profession we choose…..To what we do with our time….I can go on and on….This is why making God our number one priority is the MOST important decision of our life because that decision will govern every other decision and if we choose to put God first - Our life will not only be ordered but we will thrive here on earth - That is a stone cold fact!……Have you ever thought to yourself - Why was I born here in America?…..Why did God give me good parents?…..Why was I given a solid education?…..Think about that for a minute because it’s very easy to lose sight of the fact that so many, even people around us were not given that....…Where would we be if those things were not given to us?……I have had a very unique life…I say that because I have traveled extensively, all over the world in fact…I have seen the beautiful places and also in my service to the Church, I have also seen the “not so beautiful places”….Over the course of my travels, it became abundantly clear to me just how blessed I am….Why bring this up?…..Do you think God gave me my many gifts to just keep them for myself?…..I want everyone to think long and hard about what I just wrote….Jesus is VERY CLEAR about what he expects from those who have been blessed…So much so, he “bakes” this idea into how we will be judged….And YES - We all will be judged by God……..I will hear (and so will you) something along these lines one day - “Joseph - What did you do with everything I gave you?”…..I cannot speak for you but this question drives me each and every day!…..To make my life worthy of the gifts given to me…..Because this is what I want to hear after I am judged by “the man up stairs”……‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy”…….How do we make God our number one priority?……It’s an important question, one that we all need to consider….Ultimately, we must realize that we were created out of love for a purpose much greater than ourselves…. The measure of our life does not end with the “stuff” we collect along the way in the is life - That is for the social media picture and the “game of make-believe” most people play sadly……The measure of our life will be how we impacted others…..The example we gave to our children…And yes - How we grow the Kingdom of God here on earth - Because that is the only Kingdom that will last…..The “rest of the stuff” all turns to dust and is forgotten in time

“Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator”

Today’s readings at Mass attempt to awaken us to the most important decision of a person’s life - Do I make God my number one priority?…..Everything “rides” on how we address that question!……After reading this reflection, you may think I am “way off”….If so, I want you to ask yourself this question….Have you ever met an 80 year old man who showed you a picture of his house?…….I can only speak for myself - I have not….Most men who are fortunate enough to live to 80 because I got news for you - Most do not!….But if you are fortunate enough to make it to 80, that crowd is always quick to show you pictures of their grandchildren with a huge smile on their face……That reality should “clue” us into how we should be living now….What we do with our time, talent and treasure will define us…..So put your “shoulder to the plow”….And make it count

I have seen that “look” before and it speaks volumes!…..This is the only way we can “conquer the world” and when Catholics live like this - “The Herods” of the world do not stand a chance!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how one of the villains of the New Testament recognizes the “buzz” going on around the life of Jesus…And to justify that “buzz” in his head, Herod has to rationalize it away - In order to make sense of his own life and choices…..”Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him”….If you study people, simply by observing human behavior…You will notice that in the face of overwhelming evidence of something that contradicts very personal life choices, the human mind has a way to compartmentalize and rationalize away tangible realities…..The impact of Jesus Christ on the people of his day was tangible…And here we have Herod, grasping on to his position and power in an attempt to minimize Jesus’ impact…Sound familiar?…..Human beings have not changed one bit…That is why if you study historic trends, you can almost predict future outcomes…….Why? - Because people have not changed and history repeats itself over and over again!….But that was the very reason why Christ came and walked the earth…To be a catalyst for change…..To demonstrate in word and deed that there is better way to live…..But Herod wanted nothing to do with it…And many today are no different….Notice the choice of words used by St Matthew in his Gospel today……”Mighty powers are at work in him”……The “dynamite” of our Catholic faith is seen in real time in and through the life of the faithfully - In those who take Chirst at his word…..Literally - A holy life lived in full display is more powerful than dynamite!…I have seen this with my own two eyes…..One can not simply walk away from an authentic encounter with Christ - Its to shocking!…..This is what Herod is referring to here…....”Mighty powers are at work in him”………As Catholics today living in the 21st century, we too must live in and through the Holy Spirit….Those same “mighty powers” are available to us…..If only we “put down the cup and reach for the jug”…….Don’t be like Herod and “rationalize” away the tangible reality of God.

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”

Our world thirsts for God - But in many ways does not know it and looks for God in all the wrong places….Maybe because the world around us has not encountered holiness….For all those who want to convince people that Catholicism is the one true religion…The only way that will happen is if people see for themselves Christ in YOU - A tall order for sure - But that is the goal and that is within the grasp of every single Baptized Catholic…….The question we must ask ourselves is - How far will you take it!?!…..When I worked with Mother Teresa’s sisters before I was married, I have seen what I would call “Jesus Shock” on the faces of people on the streets of New York when the sisters served the poor in practical and radical ways….”Shock” is a good word to describe what I consistently saw….This kind of witness is what will “Shock” our world back into the pews of the Catholic Church in ways mere words can never accomplish…………..A few years ago it was Thanksgiving and I bought my family to the soup kitchen run by Mother Teresa's sisters in Newark New Jersey….Many people do not know but six days a week, the sisters feed probably close to 150 people a day there…But I digress….If you ever went to one of Mother Teresa’s soup kitchens, as I have in San Francisco, Harlem and Newark New Jersey…You will find that the people showing up to eat are lets just say “a little rough”….That is being kind…Sometimes the people showing up are down right scary…Now on this given Thanksgiving weekend day, the crowd on line to eat was no different….And the reason why I exposed my family to that crowd is, especially my children, they must learn that being Catholic is about DOING - We must live our faith….Anyway, here I am…My wife and I are an interracial couple and we have five young biracial children in tow all under 9 years old in the heart of “the hood”…And we are approaching the food line with some very “rough customers” on it….And when the hungry people on the line see us…What I saw in their faces was what I referred to above in this refection - “Jesus Shock” - So much so, my family parted the crowd as we walked through them like a “hot knife through butter” and everyone just stared at us with the same look on their face…Finally this poor street lady called out to my wife from across the street, the mother of five young children married to this Italian guy - “You go girl”!…..Our world needs to see for itself the radical witness of Jesus Christ lived out loud boldly and without comprise!…..Then let the “Herods” of the world think long and hard about their life choices….Because God is real - Our job as Catholics is to make him real…..And then watch what happens!

“May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation”

Today St Matthew at Mass tells us about King Herod, the man who murdered John the Baptist and now is second guessing his actions because of the witness of Jesus…..Today our world is filled with many people just like King Herod and we as Catholics come “right up against” them each and everyday…..How do we “get our point” across?…How do we get people to understand?….How do we proclaim our Catholic faith in the public square effectively?…..Because arguments will not do it, nor will preaching…How do we do it?……There is only one way - Radically surrender to God allowing Sacramental grace to penetrate deeply within our soul…And by doing that - What you will see on the faces of those you encounter is “Jesus Shock”….I have seen that “look” before and it speaks volumes!…..This is the only way we can “conquer the world” and when Catholics live like this - “The Herods” of the world do not stand a chance!

Are you offended by what I just said?

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew we hear from the people who grew up with Jesus…The people of his hometown could not believe this “simple person” could be saying and doing such things......…”Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said: Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?……Is he not the carpenter's son?……Where did this man get all this?…..And they took offense at him”……How very sad……Just as God stood in their midst - Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament stands before us today….Do we, like the people of Jesus’ hometown - “Take offense with him too”…….In order to receive the graces of the Blessed Sacrament…In order to “see”….In order to open your mind to the words of God…We need to “clear away” all the things that prevent grace from penetrating our soul…..This requires humility and courage......This requires us to put away our pride…..This requires us to say these simple words….”Bless me Father for I have sinned”….This is why the people of Jesus’s hometown “took offense” to him…..They could not put away their pride…How about us?……For God to become real - We need to “get real”…......That begins with giving to God really the only thing he wants from us - Our sins…..Are you offended by what I just said?

"If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts"