More times then not, those who show mercy to others were in need of mercy at one time in their life and given it …..This is how God teaches us to “see” our neighbor as our self…..Then its up to us…..”For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of Luke Jesus tell his friends the need to be merciful…What keeps us from being merciful?…At the root of our lack of mercy could very well be the fact that we never truly needed mercy ourselves…Often times, people who have experienced “their backs up against the wall” are quick to help others who experience the same thing….And if we have been fortunate enough to never have been in need of mercy…Make no mistake about it - One day we will…All of us will get old and need assistance…All of us will stand before God - Where our money and comfort means nothing….Its then that we will ask for mercy……Jesus today tells us how to prepare for that moment….”For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you”…How we treat people matters!…..If we ignore those in need now, the Lord will ignore us when we are in need…..”Whatever you do to the least, you did for me”

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life”

It is very easy to take for granted our gifts…Our family, Our intelligence, Our wealth…..Many times its not until everything has been taken from us do we finally have “eyes to see” those around us who suffer - Who have not been given what we have been given…..Gifted people who have gone through unexpected hardship in life usually change radically I have found…..People who have survived cancer…People who have had to declare bankruptcy due to a failed business….People who have lost a child or a spouse at a young age….Its not until we feel our humanity…Its not until many times we are brought to our knees……That we are taught by the Lord to “see” others…..I have read extensively about the lives of the saints…And there are many common themes to be found in their lives…One of those themes is the fact that many of the saints lost a parent or both of their parents when they were young…This event I believe drove them to cling to God in a radical way…..Mother Teresa was one of those saints…Many people many not know that Mother Teresa as a young girl in Albania was very rich….She had a very comfortable life…At the age of nine, her father was murdered…And her family went from being very rich, to being very poor…..I believe the impact of her father’s murder and the experience of going from being very rich to becoming poor shaped Mother Teresa and drove her to allow God to use her in the way he did…..God works in mysterious ways!….This is why we must learn to “trust the process”…..Even if the events in our life can at times be very painful and hard…..My father came from a large extended family…He always would say that the poor are the only ones who have many children…..You would think it would be the opposite…You would think rich people, who could afford children would have them…Sadly that is not the case many times…When we grow accustom to a comfortable life, never having to make sacrifices, we are reluctant to sacrifice by having children…The poor however are used to making sacrifices, they live and breath this kind of life…So having children does not phase them….Years ago the fence in my backyard was in need of repair…I hired a construction company to repair it…They sent this man who was from Central America to take care of the job…As he was working, I was talking to him…This man had five children…..Clearly he was not rich, yet he had a big family….How many American families can afford to have large families and do not?…Again, more times then not, we need to experience what it “feels like” to need mercy before we give mercy to others….God shapes us in mysterious ways…This is why we must learn to trust him - God knows what he is doing!

“Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.”

Today in the gospel, we are told that if we expect God to be merciful to us, we must show others mercy….Each of us one day will be in need of mercy - Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that somehow you are exempt from this reality…..”The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you”…..We many not be in need of mercy right now - But one day, we all will…..Mother Teresa always would tell her sisters…”When I die, the poor will defend me when I stand before Christ”…..This is so very true, if we are good to the poor in the here and now…..And if by chance you are experiencing a hard time at present moment, know that God is forming you…God wastes nothing!….And when you “come out the other side” of your hard time…My bet is you will look at others with more compassion and be more willing to “extend a hand” in giving assistance…..The saints were not born saints…They lived through the fire of this life, only to be transformed by the fire….More times then not, those who show mercy to others were in need of mercy at one time in their life and given it …..This is how God teaches us to “see” our neighbor as our self…..Then its up to us…..”For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you”

Lord, help me to see myself as you see me….Warts and all….From that point, we can then see others with clear eyes and a pure heart

Today at Holy Mass we read in the Gospel of St Luke about the Transfiguration….Where Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain and these three handpicked men saw a glimpse of who Jesus truly was…God in all his glory…..”While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white”…On this side of heaven…Commonly referred too as being “behind the veil”…We too only get a glimpse of who Jesus is…And what is to come…Even the best of us…Those closest to Christ…Only get a small glimpse…..This passage read to us at Mass is mediated upon when we pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary on Thursday……I have often thought deeply about his aspect of this mystery….”As they were about to part from him, 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”…A couple of things jump out at me here…For one - Peter our first Pope is clueless!….He wants to build a tent? - Jesus is like -“Just stop Peter! - Just sit here and watch what is going on - Just stop with all your “ideas”…..Secondly, this event shows us that Peter was frightened……No matter how “good” we think we are…When we stand before God and see clearly who God is…As Peter, James and John did at the Transfiguration…We will see as God sees and in turn we will see ourself as who we really are….And when I think about that, I know why Peter was frightened…Because God is perfect and all of us are sinners - I get frightened just thinking about it!….Through this event, Jesus revealed his glory to three men who had a herculean task ahead of them….At the time, they did not “get it”…But I am sure after Jesus was crucified and “times got tough” for Peter, James and John…They reflected back to the Transfiguration….Where they saw Jesus glorified…And this gave them strength…What should this teach us?…Like Peter - We don’t always “get it”….But even when we “don’t get it”…God is showing himself to us….We need to learn to trust the process and keep “journeying up the mountain”

“I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.”

The theme of sight is a pervasive theme across the enter scripture….Many mystics have written about what is commonly refer to as the "Illumination of Conscience”……..St Faustina, a Polish saint in the 20th century wrote about this saying people will see their souls clearly in the light of God’s Truth, including their sins….This is why today I believe St Peter was terrified when he stood before the Lord in all his glory…The mystics tell us that before Jesus returns, the human race will be given an Illumination of Conscience, where we then can make a clear choice…To choose God…Or to choose the world…This will be Jesus’s last act of mercy…His last "extension of his hand" to the world before he returns….If you have any friends or family who have “lost their way” and you are praying for them….A good prayer to say is…”Lord, help them to see themselves as God sees them”…..Because if we were to see our lives as God saw them….Maybe then we would all - Myself at the front of the line fully convert to Christ - Conversion is not a one time event…Its on going…So please pray for my conversion and I will pray for yours

“Your presence, O LORD, I seek. Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant. You are my helper: cast me not off”

Today at Mass we hear once again how Peter “does not get it”…However, in time Peter does “figure it out”…This story gives me great hope…It shows us how God is patient with us…That he has a plan…And that we are to follow him “up the mountain” so we can one day “see him” as he truly is..…..Interestingly enough…At end of the reading today at Mass…After Jesus revealed himself to Peter, James and John…Jesus’s three friends hear a voice from heaven…”Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen”……..The Transfiguration of the Lord can teach us many things…..When we pray our Rosary on Thursday we mediate upon this event….For me, I think the most significant thing we can take away from the Transfiguration is…We don’t have to “get it” completely, just as St Peter did not “get it”…However, we do have to listen…..Because if we listen.....Our sight will become clearer and we too will “see”…..Lord, help me to see myself as you see me….Warts and all….From that point, we can then see others with clear eyes and a pure heart

There are no enemies if you turn your enemies into friends

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus telling his friends something revolutionary….Before Christ no one has ever stated something like this or since for that matter….."You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?”…..To a worldly person this statement is completely crazy…And to be very honest with you, even to a deeply religious person, this statement seems impossible…But remember, with God nothing is impossible! - Nothing!…..Let’s first examine why Jesus said this…..The goal of life is to get to heaven - The only goal…..The reason why what Jesus said seems impossible is we do not view our life through the goal of getting to heaven…Because if we do view life in this way…We realize that this life we are given is so very short…And when we are confronted by people who “do us wrong”, ultimately, the perceived victory they seem to gain over us not only will be addressed by God, but could lead them to eternal separation from God - A fate worse then death itself….And because God loves all people, he knows that only love can change a person’s heart - Even the worst of people…When we are faced with someone who does us wrong, when we do not respond in kind, a “confusing message” is communicated to that person…Many times such a person almost wants us to respond in a hateful manner and when we do not, this creates turmoil within their heart - It causes them to question their actions internally…..In order to live like this, we must rely on God’s grace…We must live our lives through a different lens then the rest of the world, seeing all things as willed by God to produce one outcome, which is union with God - This is how God works and this is how we are sanctified in the process….Jesus today asks us to cooperate with him in the sanctification process of both the “good and the bad”…Because that is what a Father does…He loves all his children, both the good and the bad and wants what is best for them all - Heaven

“I will give you thanks with an upright heart, when I have learned your just ordinances. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me”

Years ago, I was working as an internal auditor for an International Bank…The driving reason why they hired me was addressed and now the bank was trying to “push me out”….This is how Corporate America works for those who have never experienced it - Its not “pretty”…Any way, the Managing Director gave orders to a Vice President who I reported to and was told to “do his dirty work” - And get ride of me….As this individual was “making my life difficult”, we both knew very clearly what was going on…So I confronted him and said, “I know you are trying to do - I will look to leave on my own”….And thanks be to God I did find another role in the bank, which gave me four more years of gainful employment…However, my old boss who was the “hatchet man” for the Managing Director was not so lucky…In about a years time, the Managing Director turned on him and fired him…..Since that time, I maintained a relationship with this man who was trying to get me fired…He was Catholic and so was I, I also knew him to be a good person deep down…..So as he was in the process of getting “pushed out” himself, he called me for advice and we spoke over coffee….He was about to lose his job and he had a wife and three children, he was very concerned…And I did my best to help him…Remember, this was the same man who tried to get me fired and now he was asking me for help - The "tables had turned" - The same thing was about to happen to him - He was being "pushed out"…I could have laughed in his face…But instead I did not…I saw this as an opportunity, to communicate our shared Catholic faith to him without even using words, by just being kind to him…..As God would have it, my old boss was in fact fired but soon there after found another job and everything worked out for him and his family…But a great lesson was learned by all…….To this day, my old boss, who tried to fire me - An “enemy” was turned into my friend…..We still maintain a good relationship to this day…In fact, he reads my daily reflections and so does his wife….Looking back at this event, I can see God’s hand very clearly, working not only on me but on my old boss who tried to get ride of me….God has a plan and today at Mass in the Gospel Jesus asks us to cooperate with him in his plan of salvation for all - “The good and the bad alike”…We may be very surprised if we cooperate with God’s plan and grow to see very clearly just how shrewd Jesus was in telling us today in the Gospel to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”…Because the goal is to “win over” your enemy and make your "enemy" a friend…And that believe it or not is possible….If we trust God - And if we dare to become what we profess with our mouth - That Jesus Christ is Lord!

"You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept. Oh, that I might be firm in the ways of keeping your statutes!"

Today at Mass, Jesus tells us to do something that most people think is impossible - To love your enemies…Well, it is impossible if we view our life through the “eyes of the world” and do not rely on God’s grace, trusting in our own strengthen…But if we try to accomplish this task with and through God’s grace, not only can it be done but we will see as I did when the man who tired to fire me not only became my friend but also learned a valuable lesson himself…....God plays the long game!…We need to learn to live our life through that lens too -And plan the “long game” as well……The name of the “game” is to get to heaven and to bring as many people with us there as possible - Even our “enemies”…We do that by “winning over our enemies”…And it can be done!…..When Jesus was about to get arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter did what any good friend would do, he defended Jesus…..”Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”……………I will bet everyone was impacted by this event in real time, Peter, the slave who had his ear wounded and the soldiers who watched this happen…Scripture tells us that Jesus, repaired the ear of Malchus and then was arrested…..”And one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, “Stop, no more of this!” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him”….I would bet again that many people were “healed” that day by what Jesus did…And if we do the same, many will be healed through us today…If we attempt to do the “impossible”…Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”….There are no enemies if you turn your enemies into friends

The law cannot save you however, you can not say you love God if you disregard his law…..God sees the human heart, and it is in and through God’s “view” of our heart and actions that we all will be judged…..So continuously examine your heart - And never cease to “act” upon what you “see”

Today at Holy Mass Jesus addresses some misconceptions about the Pharisees….Many people today in the Christian world like to point to the law of God as something that Jesus had no concern about…And how the Pharisees who incorrectly and singularly focused on the law, missed the intent of the law….Which is to love God and love our neighbor ….This can and is true…However…Jesus tells his friends that it was not what the Pharisees taught that was the problem, the problem was they did not have the love of God in their hearts as they taught the law…..“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven”…Jesus tells us very clearly in Scripture…“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill”……What does that say to me?….We can get “everything right” and still be “wrong” in the eyes of God if our hearts are not geared properly towards love….What else does that say to me?…We can disregard the laws of God and use the “Pharisees” and their application of the law as an excuse - Many Christians do this……God gave us his law to keep us safe…Just as a Father has “rules” in his house…To keep his children safe…However, we can not “worship the rules”…We must worship God, who gave us “rules” because he loves us

“If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.”

People do not like to be told what to do…The word “rules” make some people instantly “turn away”…..The way I see it, its all about how you view “the rules”…If you view them as a means to an end…It makes following them much easier……Years ago, I was leaving Mass on a Sunday morning and a childhood friend of mine was drunk out of his mind and came staggering into the Church…He must have been out all night….As providence would have it…I was at the door of the Church as he walked in…I immediately knew he was drunk and was afraid he would get arrested…So I walked him into the back of the Church and sat him down……Clearly, a person in his condition should not be in Church….One could even say, and many probably would have called the police if such a person walked into Church on a Sunday morning…However, I thought it was better to “take another route”…My friend clearly “had something on his mind” otherwise he would not have walked into Church on that Sunday morning….So I thought it best to sit him down in the back…..When we view “the laws” of God…And view them rigidly…We can de-humanize our faith……What is the intent of the law?…To love - Period Full Stop!….If we uphold the law and do not love our fellow man….We accomplish nothing…As I wrote this, I think of what St Paul said in Scripture…”If I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.”……Sadly, there are “two camps” at present within the Catholic Church…You can view them in plain sight on social media…One is very libertine in its view of our Catholic faith…The other camp is so focused on the rules, that it seems to forget human weakness and at times loses sight of God himself - Allowing “the rules” to almost become God…..Both camps miss the mark in my view…Jesus addresses this today in the Gospel…He tells us…Don’t be like the Pharisees, but at the same time, don’t disregard either what the Pharisees teach and say…Its not necessarily what you say, its the intent by which you say it…..Jesus is asking us to examine our heart….The laws of God are important…Why?…Because they lead us to God…The laws of God keep us safe…Therefore they can not be disregarded…However, if the law becomes the de-facto God….You lose your sense of humanity…..And in the process you lose your relationship with Jesus Christ

For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; And he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities”

Jesus today in the Gospel tells his friends to not be so quick to disregard the Pharisees but at the same time, he tells them to not be like them…..It all comes down to your heart……What is in your heart?….In the first reading from Mass we hear this exchange….”You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?”…….Jesus is constantly “putting a mirror” in front of his friends….He does the same thing to us as well…He asks us today….What is in your heart?…..”Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift”……Sometimes you can do “everything right” and still be wrong.....It all comes down to our intent….To love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself…..In doing this, we fulfill the law but don’t worship the law….The law cannot save you however, you can not say you love God if you disregard his law…..God sees the human heart, and it is in and through God’s “view” of our heart and actions that we all will be judged…...So continuously examine your heart - And never cease to “act” upon what you “see”

Have you had enough yet?…The “good life” awaits……."Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew that God is our father and he is constantly waiting for us to respond to him - Like all good father do!…."Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”…You would think that at such an invitation a person would respond - But the world does not and people seem to “think” the invitation is not so good….Either we do not believe what “God is selling us”…Or….We think “our way” is better - It comes down to those to outcomes……However, as we get older and see how the actions and personal choices of people play out in real time, we should be able to see clearer with each passing year that “God’s way” works and that those who embrace God’s way “bear fruit that will last”…..Even if we “see that”…That is one thing…But to admit that to ourself is another…And then to pursue God’s will in real time takes the “obvious” to a completely different level - Something most people are hesitant to do sadly….But here is the good news - God gives us every opportunity to “step” towards him each and everyday - But he will never force his will upon us - Love does not work that way…..…We must accept the invitation on face value...…”It is what it is” - And cooperate with God…....This is how we progress to our heavenly home but this is also how we become the people we were all born to be in the here and now….The only thing that prevents you from become “that person” is you...Jesus in the gospel today challenges us…He tells us, “All you have to do is ask and I will come into your life”…..Yet we hesitate to ask - Or don’t ask at all…….If we do not want God in our life in the here and now on his terms…What makes us think we will want him in heaven?…The “terms” of the “offer” never change…Its for us to change to meet the "terms" as they are now……All we have to do is ask and it’s a done deal!

“A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation”

God plays the long game….He offers his hand to us our entire life but for the most part, people have to “try it their way” before they figure out that “their way” may not be the “best way”…Then there are the people who do “figure out” that their way was not the best way - And pride keeps them from “turning around” and accepting God on his terms….The older you get, the more this human drama becomes clear in the people you have known your entire life…..But God is patient…He waits at the door for us to “knock”…All we have to do is “knock”…And the door will open!

”Arthur Flegenheimer, a German-Jew was born in New York City in 1901. By the time he was 27 he was known as Dutch Scultz and was quickly becoming one of the most feared mob bosses in New York. When Dutch Schultz was acquitted on tax-evasion charges he converted to Catholicism believe it or not. But the story did not end there……When Dutch was shot, he did not die right away. He was taken to the hospital for surgery and he immediately asked for a priest. He was 34 years old and his last thought while he was dying was to ask Jesus for forgiveness and mercy. He went to Confession, received absolution and was administered the Last Rites of the Church by a priest. Then he died.”

Arthur Flegenheimer, the Jewish kid from New York finally figured it out!…But look what it took for him to “figure it out”……Life is all about “figuring it out”…We run away from God sometimes our entire life……A childhood friend of mine told me something I will never forget on the way to work one day, this guy was not even overtly religious but what he told me I find to be incredible insightful…He said…”Joe - Life is the greatest teacher of all”…So true…Allow me to add to what my friend said…God works through the events of our life…These events, both good and bad are to help us to not only “see” God but to help us to respond to God…Why is that? - Because we don’t listen! - And God knows that about our human nature - So we all need “to be convinced” - And the events of our life are meant to do the “convincing”….But time does run out…..Like everything in life, when “opportunity knocks”, we have to respond or we “miss it”……We can not count on converting to Christ and His Church on our deathbed like Dutch Schultz did …..And the reality of death is very real for all of us - The “party ends” no matter who you are…..Its for us to take stock of our life…Evaluate the choices we have made…And if the outcomes are not what we “thought” they would be…Maybe its time to try something else…That something is God - He waits for us at the door…All we have to do is knock…And the door will open!

The LORD will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands”

Jesus today tells us point blank…All you have to do is ask and I will be there for you!…..But here is the deal…We have to do the asking, God is not going to force himself upon us…..Life is all about “figuring things out”….Some “figure it out” earlier than others…The important part is - You figure it out!…If you were fortunate, like I was, you had people early on in your life who not only told you the right things, but demonstrated the right things by the way they lived their life…I saw the outcomes of “good choices” made in real time…The "fruit" of those choices in the lives of people around me convinced me that maybe being a faithful Catholic is the way to go…But then it came time for me to make a decision as an adult..To live those same good choices out too…..And the same goes for you and “no choice” is a choice…..We can pretend all we want that God does not exist…We can “bad mouth” the Catholic Church all day long…But when all that is said and done…The outcomes of our choices speak for themselves……Time waits for no one…….And God has “all the cards”…And God plays the “long game” with us….But ultimately, we have to take a "step"…We have to “open the door” that stands in front of us…The door that was always in front of us our entire life!…Behind that door is God…Its all up to you!….Have you had enough yet?…The “good life” awaits……."Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”

People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care….Sometimes mopping the floor “says more” then the most eloquent of words spoken from the most brilliant of people

Today at Holy Mass in the first readings we hear about the Prophet Jonah…God tells Jonah to go to the “great city of Nineveh” and tell the people to repent…Scripture also tells us that Nineveh was a massive place and we can infer that is was a “state of the art city”, with all the best of things the world had to offer….But Jonah, who was a chosen man, hand picked by God did not want to go…So God had to “convince” him!…As the story goes, Jonah was swallowed whole by a whale and for three days was inside the whale’s belly….As we say in New Jersey - God gave Jonah some time to “think”! - As he does with us, but let me not digress and get back to the story…So Jonah after the whale incident changes his mind and does what God asks….He enters Nineveh and tells the people to repent…And amazingly enough, they listen to him….So here is the question - Why would people listen to Jonah?….We have all been “around the block”…People don’t just “change”…So what made Jonah effective? - That is the question we need to explore today…My guess is, Jonah did not just “talk the talk”…Jonah “walked the walk”….This is why people listened to him…And this should be a message to all the “social media warriors”; social activists; and most importantly committed Catholics reading this reflection today - Let the message sink in!…If our life does not mirror the words we profess as Catholics, no one will listen - Not a single soul!…..Now that does not mean we have to be perfect - No one is - However, the witness of a holy life stops traffic - Trust me when I tell you this - I have seen it in action with Mother Teresa’s sisters in many places around the world……In order to give this kind of witness, we can not rely on our own gifts and talents - The mistake of many!…We must empty our self and be filled with God’s grace…..When a person is filled with God’s grace and he speaks, the world is silent - You can hear a pin drop when they speak….Why?….Because such a person speaks with the authority of God…My bet is - That is why Jonah today was successful in convincing the “great city of Nineveh” to repent…This is our task as well…..It is from your interior life that the words of eternal life spring forth - And when that happens, the world will stop and listen

“Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful”

People do not listen!…They simply do not….You can give the best of advice with the best of intentions and still, people do not listen….So what can change that?….Only the witness of a holy life - Then trust me - Then you have their attention…..I have seen this in action many times…Allow me to share with you a story about one of those times….I was in Montreal and working at a soup kitchen that Mother Teresa’s sisters ran in a rough part of town…The men that came in as you would imagine were not exactly “altar boys” - A rough crowd indeed….The line was so long to get in to the soup kitchen that it queued around the building….As we were serving food, we all heard at the door a violent banging…There was a man at the door, out of his mind on drugs, no shirt on with his pants bearly covering his body…He was banging on the door and shouting like a wild animal to let him in and he would not stop….To say the image of this guy was terrifying, is an understatement, words do not give the situation justice……So after some time of this, the Superior of the house goes to the door and opens it…She is a small nun (Sister Rose) and she gets into the face of the violent man….And believe it or not…This guy, completely settles down…To be honest with you, I could not believe my eyes…The guy went from “100 miles an hour to zero miles an hour” at the sight of Sister Rose…..If I were to have done what the Sister Rose did, in getting in the guy’s face, there is no doubt in my mind a different outcome would have resulted and I would probably not be writing this reflection, if you know what I am getting at - I would be dead…But at the words of this nun, this crazy man stopped being crazy…As I watched the two of them talk…I wish I had a camera…The sight was surreal!……To see this small and holy nun talking to this shirtless crazy man on the sidewalk was a sight to behold! - Sister Rose “tamed the wild beast”…But ask your self - Why did the man listen to Sister Rose?….Sister “walked the walk” and my bet is the man knew it from the neighborhood - She did not just talk to talk…The poor people in the neighborhood of Montreal and the people on the street know what the Missionaries of Charity are all about - They had their respect…Why?….Because not only do Mother Teresa’s nuns help the people’s material needs…..The nuns also live like the poor they serve…..I have not served with the Missionaries of Charity in the slums of Brazil…But I have been to Brazil for work…If you are not from the favelas (the slums), you cannot go into those neighborhoods…There is a 100% chance you will be robbed or maybe even killed - Not the Missionaries of Charity…The Sisters not only go into the favelas, they live there too…..How is that possible? - Because they “walk the walk - And do not just “talk the talk”…….As Catholics, we should pay attention to this example…If we want people to listen to us…We need to develop an interior life…Everything we say and do will come from that interior life - Our actions simply are “the fruit” of our interior life, nothing more…The closer a person is to God, the more God’s presence will be tangibly perceived by the world…Such a person is given authority and that authority is not their own…It comes from the Holy Spirit….This is the ONLY way the world will listen to us as Catholics - Get that through your head!….This is why today Jonah was successful in convincing the people of Nineveh to repent - That is my bet!….My guess is, the example of Jonah’s life spoke volumes!…And the people listened

“Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation”

Today at Mass we heard about Jonah…God asked Jonah to do something he did not want to do….And at first Jonah refused…But God knew Jonah was the “right guy for the job”…So God had to “convince him”…And in the end, Jonah does do what God requests of him…And he was successful…..Each of us has something to do in this life to build up the Kingdom of God…..But if we want people to listen to us…Even if those people are the members of your family in your own home…We have to “walk the walk”….And in order to give this kind of witness, that makes people listen, we must develop an interior life…..Never underestimate the power of a holy life - Trust me - I have seen it in action and have been in awe of the sight!……If we want the Gospel Truth to be proclaimed to the world and many sincerely do….First we must be transformed by that Truth…..This is why Jonah was successful….Take note…..People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care….Sometimes mopping the floor “says more” then the most eloquent of words spoken from the most brilliant of people

”Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life”…..One pure drop of water can do more than a tide wave of noise…Stop making “noise” and start working for the “food that endures forever”…..There lies your legacy and their begins your impact, which will only grow in time

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew about how we are to pray….Jesus only gave us in Scripture one prayer….The Our Father…But clearly there are many ways to pray…The question we should address today is - Do we pray?…And if we do, do we pray daily?….Daily Prayer is food for the soul…Just as food gives the physical body strengthen, so does daily prayer fortify the soul…Without daily prayer, we can easily lose our connection with God…When you have a friend, you speak to that friend regularly….What happens if you stop calling your friend on the phone?…The friendship grows weak…The same goes with our friendship with God….When we sit before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, God speaks to us in the silence…..One can not overemphasize the importance of this form of contemplative prayer……People who do not pray, may “think” spending a hour siting in silence before the Blessed Sacrament is a waste of time…Nothing could be further from the truth…..The language of God is silence….And our world today is far too noisy…It is noisy for a reason too - The devil knows that “noise” is a distraction from the ever small but consistent voice of God, which is found in silence….When we clear away the “noise” and make time to sit before the Lord….. We gain our footing in this life…We are strengthened……We obtain peace of heart and mind…..We learn to “see” and “hear” clearly….And we are guided along the path of life…This all comes from prayer

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

When one goes to Business School, the student has to read case studies…Case studies teach a person patterns of success…In the case studies found in Business School, the student reads about how successful businesses, both small and big, became successful….As Catholics we have our own form of “case studies”….We have the lives of countless saints, all of whom point to Christ by their life’s example…Why bring this up?…A common theme one can find in many of the lives of the saints is daily prayer…For one, most of the saints, if not all of them had a devotion to our Lady and prayed the Rosary daily….Secondly, many of the saints, prescribed to making a Holy Hour each day…They sat before the Blessed Sacrament and allowed God to speak to them in the silence of their heart….Now, being a practical man….Isn’t it the mark of an intelligent person to not only study the way successful people succeed, but to imitate what they did, so you can succeed as well?……Let’s change directions and look at another “modern day case study”……In many ways, I view social media as a study of human nature….It can tell you a great deal about how people operate…..One of the themes one can vet from viewing social media is to see how people want to put bring forth change in the world…Be it political change, personal change, or social change…This theme of change can be found all over social media…What most people do not understand is, if you want to spark change…..Nothing can accomplish that in a more effective way then if you pursue a holy life…People who grow very close to God shake the foundations of the world!…That is why they are called saints!……This should be our number one priority in life…And in order to achieve it, we must pray daily….Our world does not pursue holiness for a number of reasons…And that frankly is a shame…..But for those who do really want to “make a difference” and many sincerely do…..If you make time each day to pray….You will slowly begin to be transformed by your prayer….And in time you will be a source of transformation to others, beginning with your family…This is how the saints make it happen…..This is why the lives of the saints are the greatest “case study” for those who want to change this world for the better - Saints are "earth shakers!"....What we must come to grips with is - We are all limited….No matter how gifted you may be…We are limited…But God is not limited…The closer we get to God, the more he can use us…And the more we permit him to use us…The more we will impact the world…..This is what 2000 years of Catholic history shows us……This is what the lives of the saints show us…..Only saints change the world….Strive to be one…And you too will be an "earth shaker!"

“So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it”

Today Jesus in the Gospel teaches his friends about praying…Praying daily is important…Even Jesus prayed and he was God, just think, if Jesus prayed how much more must we pray?……There is power found in prayer…Especially contemplative prayer - Time spent in front of the Blessed Sacrament…..There is an old saying…."Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are"…..If Jesus becomes your friend and you spend time with him daily in prayer, you will slowly grow to be like him…This is why we must make time for daily prayer in our life……The saints show us how this is done…To live a holy life is the greatest of all achievements and saints are the very definition of high-achievers…”Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life”…..One pure drop of water can do more than a tide wave of noise…Stop making “noise” and start working for the “food that endures forever”…..There lies your legacy and their begins your impact, which will only grow in time