Steel is forged by fire - So it will be for us all

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew the story of the disciples being tossed about in a boat on rough seas…Jesus walks on water and approaches the boat…”When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”……While we are not fishermen and never experienced a violent storm at sea - We surely have experienced “turbulence” in life….The death of a parent - The loss of a job - Financial difficulty…It is in these moments that we too, like the disciples today in this story become afraid….Its very easy in these moments of life to ask - “Where is God?” - “Why is this happening"?.......And Jesus tells us as he did to the disciples….“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”….God’s ways are not our ways….As human beings, we all want to live comfortable lives - We want to thrive here on earth…This is a normal desire…However, God did not create us to be comfortable - He created us to be holy…And the process of sanctification is a “rocky road” indeed for us all…..Many times the trials we experience, which God permits in our life, are the periods of life in which we grow the closest to God - And in God’s eyes, that is more important then our comfort……Mother Teresa put it this way..….”‘If we pray, it will be easy to accept suffering. In all our lives, suffering has to come. Suffering is sharing in the passion of Christ. Suffering is the kiss of Jesus, a sign that you have come so close to Jesus on the cross that he can kiss you”…….Easier said then done!….But the closer we get to God, the more we “see” God working in and through our suffering - How he uses it to sanctify us….Only the Catholic faith gives meaning to suffering and as Mother Teresa rightful said - Every human being suffers!….And sadly, the secular world does not know how to cope with suffering - There is no internal mechanism, which assists a secular person in “dealing” with suffering…But as a Catholic, we know that nothing is wasted with God! - Not even our hardships…Because the “goal of life” is not an easy life - Its to get to heaven…And as a Catholics we know that we do not just “float” into heaven - We must be sanctified…And that takes time…Back to our story today from Mass…..Jesus eventually rescues the disciples who were terrified by the rough seas and the storm ended….So it is once again in our own life - ”Tough times” come and go…And with each passing trial is an opportunity to grow closer to God…..As a nun once told me…”Everything comes from the hand of God”….Even the “hard times” - God permits these “hard times” and if we pause and take the time, we will see in time just how God used a trial to help us to grow in faith…..The closer we get to God, the more we “see” God’s hand at work in our lives and in the world - Even in the worst of human tragedies and trials, God is present and working!

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Why do “good people” have to endure trials?…A great question and one that many people ask….The answer is….We are not ready to stand before God - Even when we “think” we are!!!!…..Before we stand before the Beatific Vision, we must be purified….God uses everything in our life to sanctify us - Both the good times and the bad”……..I remember when I came home from college - I was lost!…..One chapter of my life had ended and I did not know what to do….It was at that moment that I turned to God - I made a Sacramental Confession and committed to living as a Catholic for real…Because before that moment, I was Catholic only in name, I never really practiced my faith….This “change of heart” only happened because of the trial I endured at the age of twenty-two years old…And if it was not for that “tough period” of my life, I would not be who I am today…It was through “fire” that God formed me…..Its easy now to look back and see the “hand of God” in my life during that difficult period - But when you are enduring trials, many times we are like a “blind man” groping in the darkness not knowing where to turn…..When those times in life take place - And they will - Spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament….In the silence God will comfort your heart - He will give you his peace - And he will also give you his strength….God speaks to us in silence - He speaks to us in a “language” we will understand…..No human words can give comfort to certain trials we endure - Only God knows what to say - And we hear those words from God in silence when we sit before him……Eucharistic Adoration changes lives - It changed mine!

“After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed”

Today at Mass we heard the story of Jesus walking on water and calming a storm, which terrified his friends…Some of the “storms” in life can only be “calmed” by God….Sometimes we put to much faith in men and in ourself……Some “storms” in life can only be “fixed” by God….And God is our father and did not leave us orphans!!…Even in the darkest moments of life - God is there…And in time - God will use those dark moments for a greater good….We must learn to “trust the plan”…Not “our plan” but God’s plan….Ultimately, the only thing that really matters is if we arrive in heaven and for that to happen, we need to be sanctified - And that as we all know is a process….God wastes nothing! - Everything we experience in life is used by God for a greater good….All for the salvation of our soul….But we must cooperate with God - Learn to trust him…..This is how we are transformed…..Steel is forged by fire - So it will be for us all…………JMJ

Are you still “chasing after” what cannot satisfy?

Today at Holy Mass in the first readings from the Prophet Isaiah we are given a promise…”All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David”……….Do we believe this? - Most people believe there is a God but many people are “turned off” by what the Catholic Church teaches - Why? - Because they “think” their life will not be fulfilled if they live as the Catholic Church requires of us…..Now mere words can not convince people who hold this view to change their mind - They must see for themselves the joy and peace of those who live out their lives as Catholics - In time and if we are consistent, this witness will convince some…But in actuality, what also can be very convincing is the fact that all the things of this world, even the best of material things, after awhile fall short….They do not fully satisfy…Whether its chasing after beautiful women, driving fancy cars, living in a beautiful home, traveling the world to interesting and exotic locations…After awhile, even these things “fall short”, they fail to satisfy us deeply…This is reality!!!!….St Augustine tells us this and St Augustine was a very gifted man who experienced many of the “good things” of this world before he was fully converted to the faith by the prayers of his mother (St Monica)…....”The heart does not rest until it rests in thee” - This idea that Augustine tells us in his famous book Confessions is the same idea in a sense that the Prophet Isaiah is telling us today…That true peace and joy can only come from living in the state of grace…And only God can give us this - Not even the best things of this world…….Now again, these are mere words, which will be easily dismissed by many….The secular world MUST witness our joy!!!!…There is a deep longing in every human soul for God - The problem is mankind seeks to “fulfill” that longing with “material stuff” that can not satisfy….So our “job” as Catholics is to show them the way forward by the witness of our life….”Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”…..God never takes - He only knows how to give…That is what love is all about - It never takes - It only gives!

“The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing”

My father was a barber and while my family was not poor, we did not experience many extravagant things in our family home….We had what we needed but outside of that, we never experienced “the best” of what the material world had to offer…..So when I got out of college, I got a job in banking and my job required me to travel all over the United States and South America…..When I got this job I was so excited and I would stay at the very best hotels and eat at the best restaurants in amazing cities…I did this for thirteen years……In the beginning I was so impressed with these hotels, the great food and the interesting cities…..Chicago, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires…..After years of this, believe it or not, the novelty wore off….Going to San Francisco became “old hat”…Eating at the latest great restaurant was nothing that excited me any more…..I can remember one night after a late flight checking into the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, which is a five start hotel - Its beautiful by every human standard - And not caring…All I wanted was a bed because I was exhausted from my flight…..All these “experiences” in time got old!!!!….I lost appreciating for them…When I started traveling, I was so excited but as time went on, the experience grew tiresome….This is what the Prophet Isaiah today at Mass is trying to tell us….That only God can satisfy us deeply!!!….Now that does not mean we will not experience simple pleasures in this life - Because we will - But our deepest desires can only be satisfied by God….This is reality!!! - And if we do not accept reality - We become like a dog that chases his tail - Never to catch it - Never to be satisfied…..“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”

“The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth”

Our Lord assures us….”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid”…Sadly mankind does not believe Jesus when he said this - Most of us have to “figure it out” for ourselves!….And once we take a “big bite of the apple”, we soon learn that “not everything that glitters is gold”……And once we “figure this out” and ultimately “come to the end of our self” - The Lord stands waiting for us…Not to scold us but to welcome us…..This is ‘the story” of many of the saints - St Augustine - St Francis - St Paul……These man were sinners by every estimation, who were transformed by the Lord - They experienced what the world had to offer and after they did - They gave it all up and followed Christ radically…..What will it take for you to do the same?……Are you still “chasing after” what cannot satisfy?….JMJ

“He makes saints out of sinners”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Matthew how John the Baptist was murdered…What was his crime? - He fearlessly spoke the Truth……John the Baptist had allegiance to God alone - He lived for an audience of one……How did John become such a person?….Scripture tells us that he lived in the desert, fasted and prayed….During this time God prepared John, he was formed to live out what he was born to do - How about us?….Each of us was born with “something to do” - How are we preparing ourselves to fulfill this task?….This is why Jesus founded a Church - This is why we were given the Sacraments - This is why we pray daily - This is why we fast weekly….These spiritual activities “form” us - If we are consistent as John Baptist was while he lived in the desert, God will work miracles within our own lives - We will be transformed and fully equipped to live out the unique task God has prepared for us from the beginning of time….Saints are not made in one day - And each of us are called to be saints!….When we hear this reality, many today are “put off”…The idea of a saint seems foreign to us - But such an idea is not foreign to God…Each and every human being was created to live a holy life - But sadly, the pull of the world, the flesh and the devil “distract us” from the one and only purpose we were born for - To be a saint….This desire must be recovered and it is only recovered when mankind experiences witnesses…John the Baptist was “that kind of witness”….And this is what our world needs today - Witnesses….However, such a witness cannot be self manufactured, likened to building a resume, “ticking off boxes”….As Catholics we must allow God to form us - To experience like John the Baptist, a “desert experience” and in the process God will transform our ordinary lives into something extraordinary….This is how we change our families, our communities, our nation and the world

“This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him”

Recently I was asked to give a presentation with a former Navy Seal at a Catholic fundraiser in Darien Connecticut for the radio station I contribute too…The Navy Seal who joined me in this presentation was Samuel Blair, a devout Catholic and successful business man in Louisiana….The room was filled with many affluent people….During the presentation, we challenged the crowd - Do you pray the Rosary every day as our Lady asked at Fatima?…There was an uncomfortable silence in the room….Do you go to Confession regularly?…..More uncomfortable silence….Are you open to life in your marriage, welcoming children and refraining from the use of contraception?…..More uncomfortable silence - You could hear a pin drop in the room!!!!!…….The Truth can make us uncomfortable - But are we willing to speak it anyway?….This is what John the Baptist did - This is what we as Catholics MUST do as well….The Catholic Church possess the fullness of Truth - How in the world are people going to take us seriously unless we speak, teach and LIVE the Truth boldly?!?…..The secular world may never see “eye to eye” with us - But I will tell you this - If we “practice what we preach” - The secular world living around us will stop and take notice - Some may even question bad choices made - And some many even change as a result of our witness…The world around us needs saints!….Mere words fall short and will NEVER produce the expected outcomes that our Lord asks for from each of us!…….Are you willing to be like John the Baptist?…..The world needs more men like John - Be that man!….Jesus reassures us…..”Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna”…In order to do what Jesus said…We too must be transformed - And how does that happen?…..Daily Prayer - Weekly Fasting - Monthly Confession, Weekly reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the state of grace……”And I will make you toward this people a fortified wall of bronze. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to save and rescue you”……Grace is not self manufactured - It is a gift and when we give God permission to act in our life - Great things happen!

“Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink! May I be rescued from my foes, and from the watery depths. Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me, nor the abyss swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me”

Today we hear about how “the crowd” thought that they silenced John the Baptist….John as we all know was murdered but his message carried on well after his death….Repent - The Kingdom of God is at Hand!!!……Funny thing about the Truth - It cannot be silenced and it ALWAYS wins out in the the end…….Do you realize that one man can stand up against the entire world, if that man fully embraces the Truth - And as Catholics, we posses the fullness of Truth - So what is missing here? The answer -  COURAGE…..And how do we get this courage? - The answer - By living Sacramentally and sacrificially…….We were not born to live mediocre lives!!!!….“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”…..Its time to live what we claim to believe - That is how we “set the world on fire”…..Our world needs saints because only saints change the world - Do not miss the opportunity - “Go big” or go home!……..“God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.”…..JMJ

”Going along to get along” is NOT the narrow road to heaven - There is nothing “catholic” about that

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew, we are told that Jesus is rejected in his hometown….“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him”……..How is this possible?!?…..People say today they are interested in the Truth - But are they?….The Truth is very demanding  - It requires great sacrifice…When this is explained to “the crowd” - All of a sudden, the Truth does not sound to good…..In the first reading today the Prophet Jeremiah experiences a similar reaction from his people when he speaks the Truth….”When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD bade him speak to all the people, the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying, “You must be put to death!”…At the root of this outrage is the fact that people do not want to change…They much rather “deal” with their problems then fix them - Why? - Because change requires sacrifice…..Remember when Jesus cured a man, who was suffering from evil spirits and was terrorizing a village? - The townspeople instead of thanking Jesus for curing the man asked him to leave town….Do you also remember that “the crowd” choose Barabbas to be set free instead of Jesus at the request of Pontius Pilate - Barabbas was a known murderer!!! - And still “the crowd” preferred him to go free instead of Jesus, who did nothing wrong!!!…I will tell you what Jesus did - He had the audacity to speak the Truth!!! - And to some, especially the powerful - That is capital crime!……Has anything changed today?…The greatest thing a Catholic can do right now is to speak and live the Truth - To do so is a revolutionary act….We conveniently forget - Jesus Christ was probably the greatest revolutionary the world has ever known…..And has his followers today (i.e. Catholics), we too must be revolutionaries…..Know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And when required - Suffer for the Truth

“Since for your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, Because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me”

St Oscar Romero, who was the archbishop in El Salvador during a civil war said the following….Keep in mind, this man was murdered presiding over the Mass…..”Each one of you has to be God’s microphone. Each one of you has to be a messenger, a prophet. The church will always exist as long as there is someone who has been baptized…Where is your baptism? You are baptized in your professions, in the fields of workers, in the market. Wherever there is someone who has been baptized, that is where the church is. There is a prophet there. Let us not hide the talent that God gave us on the day of our baptism and let us truly live the beauty and responsibility of being a prophetic people”……..Catholics must be FEARLESS…..If the Church does not speak the Truth boldly - Who will?…..Our biggest obstacle - We are far too comfortable!…Comfort is the enemy of a holy life…..St Oscar Romero opined on this idea further….“The church must suffer for speaking the truth, for pointing out sin, for uprooting sin. No one wants to have a sore spot touched, and therefore a society with so many sores twitches when someone has the courage to touch it and say: “You have to treat that. You have to get rid of that. Believe in Christ. Be converted”….If we are not willing to suffer for the Truth - Frankly, we are not following Christ…Jesus was a man of suffering - How can we say we are following the Lord if we do not feel the weight of “The Cross”?……This is not just the “job” of Priests and Bishops...It’s the “job” of every Baptized Catholic!!…..We must be “God’s microphone” this very day and we cannot do that when all we seek is comfort.

“The word of the Lord remains forever; this is the word that has been proclaimed to you”

Today we are reminded, both in the first reading at Mass as well as in the Gospel - Those who speak the Truth will be persecuted….And this reality continues on to this very day….And will continue until Jesus returns again…..Conformity to the ways of the world is not the path to heaven…As Catholics we are called to live amongst the world but not be “of the world”….And that means we will at times make enemies - This is why Jesus Christ was killed - He challenged the powerful who were not willing to change…Do we somehow “think” we are not called to do the same?….During the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus presented the Beatitudes to his disciples, he was instructing them as to how they are to live and what would happen to them because of the way they lived - Keep in mind - The Beatitudes are the “road map to heaven”……………”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”…….What is our response to that teaching? - “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink” ……”Going along to get along” is NOT the narrow road to heaven - There is nothing “catholic” about that….JMJ

Our Lord has just the right “hammer and chisel” for the job!

Today at Holy Mass in the first reading the Prophet Jeremiah addresses the nation of Israel, which was currently in ruin….He equates Israel to clay in a potters hand - Describing how the potter is able to “form” the clay into whatever shape he wants…..”Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased. Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the LORD. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel”……Each of us is like this “clay” that Jeremiah describes today - We need to be formed by God - To have a “teachable spirit”…..If we have such an open disposition to the Natural Law, the Ten Commandments and to the teachings of the Catholics Church - God will form us…But if we are rigid in our ways - Full of Pride - Refuse to admit our mistakes - Double down on bad choice….We in turn prolong the process of our formation…..Clay as a substance is easy to form - It is soft and in the hands of a skilled craftsmen can be formed into something very beautiful….Marble on the other hand is hard - It requires a hammer and a chisel to chip away rough edges for it to be formed….This example can be applied to mankind….We can choose to be like clay or we can choose to be like marble…God can work with both - But clay is much easier to form…Marble requires a hammer and chisel, which is a more violent process of forming the marble into something beautiful…So it is in the life of mankind and of nations……..We MUST strive to have a teachable spirit - Strive to be “clay” in the “hands of the master potter”…And he will form us into something beautiful.

“Put not your trust in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. When his spirit departs he returns to his earth; on that day his plans perish”

As a Father of five children, I tell my kids that making mistakes is apart of life - However, those who succeed in life - Learn from their mistakes…I tell my children this constantly!…..All of us make mistakes and sadly some of those mistakes carry with them serious consequences…But if we “own” the mistakes - Ask God to forgive us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation…We can improve as a person and grow in virtue…..Sometimes we need God’s grace to “overcome” our faults - More reason to ask God to Sacramentally forgive us…Its through the Sacraments that we are given grace to overcome our shortcomings and become the people we were born to be!….If you go to Confession with a Priest every month, as the saints recommend, you will find over time the weakness that plague you will slowly disappear….This is how we “change” - Through God’s grace!!!….This is also how God sanctifies us and prepares us to stand before him after we die…..This is why Jesus founded a Church - We ALL need Sacramental grace!!…We are ALL mere “clay” in the “hands of the potter”…And if we do not allow the “potter” to form us - The world, the flesh and the devil will form us…This is why we are called “practicing” Catholics - Because “practice” makes perfect!….Its far better to be “clay” than “marble”….”Clay” is so much easier to “work with”

“Open our heart, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son”

Today the Prophet Jeremiah addresses the nation of Israel, which was in ruin…He instructs them that God can “fix” what is broken…The same is true today for America….Our nation and people have turned away from God and America is in ruin!….And there are no political solutions in sight…Only God can “fix” America…Here is the “good news” - God will fix America!!!!…Its just a matter of whether we choose to be “clay” or “marble” in the “hands of the Master Craftsman”…As we illustrated above in this reflection…Clay is easy to mold and form - Marble is hard and requires a hammer and chisel….The sooner our people realize that its better to be “clay” then “marble” - The sooner America will return to greatness…..The Prophet Ezekiel offers us hope……”I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”…..It currently seems that America has chosen to be “marble” as opposed to being “clay” - God however is no stranger to working with “marble” - Our Lord has just the right “hammer and chisel” for the job!……..JMJ

The Truth is like a Lion, just let it loose and it will defend itself!

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading how Jeremiah was persecuted because he proclaimed the Truth…Has anything changed?…..People do not want to hear it!!!!…Think about when St Stephen was martyred - All he did was speak the Truth…And this was the response of the people………….”When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him” - How can that be a person’s response when someone speaks the Truth!?!……St John gives us our answer……”And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God”…….The word of God is deeply offensive to a person who lives a “worldly life”….To embrace the fullness of our Catholic faith means you will live in deep opposition to the “rulers of this world”…That is reality! - And that will never change until Jesus returns…..Does this reality stop you for speaking the Truth?…Today Jeremiah in the first reading from Mass complains to God - He is suffering and God addresses his complaints…..”If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece. Then it shall be they who turn to you, and you shall not turn to them; And I will make you toward this people a solid wall of brass. Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, For I am with you, to deliver and rescue you, says the LORD. I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent”……The Servant of God, Fr John Hardon would always say…….”A Catholic must know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And be willing to suffer for the Truth”….This is reality once again!!! - Are you willing to do this?…..While trials and suffering come with being a practicing Catholic, if we live in the state of grace we too will become…”A solid wall of brass”….as God promised Jeremiah would become…….One man can stand against the entire world if that man is armed with the Truth - How do I know this? - Because this is exactly what Jesus Christ did….One man “stood up” against the enter world - And “that man” is still standing to this very day!

“Rescue me from my enemies, O my God; from my adversaries defend me. Rescue me from evildoers; from bloodthirsty men save me”

The Truth suffers but the Truth ALWAYS prevails in the end…Sometimes we forget this because we do not want to suffer….But suffering is apart of every human life and if we “offer up” our sufferings for the salvation of the world - Our suffering takes on meaning and purpose…..As Catholics we MUST be willing to suffer for living the Truth - Our witness will speak to the unbelieving world….My wife gave birth to five children by means of surgery…For those who do not know, a cesarean birth is a surgical delivery of a baby through incisions in the abdomen and uterus…….It is medically recommend in America that a woman only has three such surgeries because there is a very real threat that the uterus can rupture and cause serious harm to the woman - My wife had five of those surgeries, giving life to our children!!!!…These five surgeries were not easy and my wife suffered greatly but the last one was especially concerning…The hospital made us sign legal documents stating if something goes wrong during the fifth surgery, we can not seek a legal remedy…..And interestingly enough, our fifth child was born with no complications and my wife was perfectly fine - Thanks be to God!…..However, many people thought my wife and I were CRAZY to have a fifth child under the conditions I just described….Since when is having children CRAZY?!? - But this is “the world” we live in and to live as a Catholic, we must be willing to live differently - Even when “the world” “thinks” we are CRAZY!

“But I will sing of your strength and revel at dawn in your mercy; You have been my stronghold, my refuge in the day of distress”

A prophet is someone who speaks the Truth and we are told today that the Prophet Jeremiah was experiencing trouble because he was proclaiming the eternal Truth about God…There is some misconception amongst people today around what a “prophet” actually is - I state that because each and every Baptized Catholic is called to be a prophet…Our “job” as Catholics is to speak the Truth, no matter what the consequences are - Good or Bad - “In Season or Out of Season” - That makes you a Prophet!!!!…And when we do that, we surely will experience trouble as Jeremiah did…..Jesus warns us of this reality but do we take his warning to heart? - More importantly - Do we avoid speaking and living the Truth because we KNOW it will bring trials into our life?…Fr John Hardon was 100% correct!…..”A Catholic must know the Truth - Speak the Truth - Live the Truth - And be willing to suffer for the Truth”…And just as God comforted and defended Jeremiah, he will comfort and defend us!…The Truth is like a Lion, just let it loose and it will defend itself!……..JMJ

Rejecting the doctrine of the Church does not somehow “absolve” us of reality

Today at Holy Mass in the Gospel of St Matthew Jesus explains the Parable of the wheat and the weeds to his disciples…..In the description Jesus mentions two concepts which are completely over looked today….The devil and hell…..Do you believe that the devil exists?…Do you believe that there is a hell and people go there?…..If you ask people today, most do not give these two realities a second thought - That goes for many Catholics as well…..Think about this for a moment - If Jesus came to save mankind - What is he saving us from?….The driving reason people today do not think about the reality of the devil and the possibility of going to hell is, there is no longer a concept of sin, which is commonly accept among the American people…Today we hear people say - “You do You” - That “idea” is a recipe for disaster!!!!…..Objective mortal sin is a reality and WE do not get to define it - God does…The Natural Law is written on every human heart and when we turn from the Natural Law, whether we chose to ignore it or not - There are severe consequences…..Jesus today in the Gospel very clearly tells his disciples that there will come a time when the “weeds” will be separated from the “wheat”……And by what standard will this “separation” be determined? - The answer to that question is - Not by human standards…..There is a steep cost to pay when a person ignores reality…..And to ignore the reality that there is a devil - And that the devil seeks to “trick” us into thinking that he does not exist - That the devil is trying to “trick” us into thinking there is no such thing as sin - That the devil is trying to convince us that everyone goes to heaven and there is no one in hell…..Every single one of those “tricks” is a lie!!!…How do I know this? - Jesus tells us so today in the Gospel of St Matthew….."He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear”……We do not get to define reality - God is the creator of heaven and earth and God makes the “rules” - Its for us to abide by them!

“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever”

Recently I attended a Catholic funeral for a friend’s father….My childhood friend stated that his father, “Lived his life on his terms”…..How can a person live and die as a practicing Catholic and - “Live on their terms”…Please keep in mind, my friend is a highly educated man, which leads me to conclude that the large majority of American Catholics simply do not know their faith - They have no clue what the Church teaches or they simply are deluding themselves though self rationalizations…..The Church is VERY clear as far as what it teaches - Are we aware of it? - Have we been taught it in school? - Do we teach what the Church proclaims to be true to our children?……How can a people live as Catholics when they have “no clue” what the Church actually teaches?……This is a very serious problem that MUST be addressed directly…People do not “magically” have a good life just as people do not “magically” float into heaven…Jesus is VERY clear and so is the Catholic Church as to what we must do and how we must live in order to enter into eternal life…..And “living on our own terms” is NOT the way to heaven!…..”Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”…..How can we possibly be “confused” by that statement?!?

“Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name's sake”

Today Jesus addresses a concept that is often not spoken about - The possibility that some will not enter into eternal life…Recently I read a book about the existence of Hell by Monsignor Charles Pope…In the book Msgr. Charles tells the reader that twenty-one of the thirty-eight parables taught by Jesus Christ deal this this theme of heaven and hell - Yet - We “seem” put this idea out of our mind…..In the book of Proverbs we are told that - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”…..To ignore reality does not change it…..God respects our freedom but in choosing the things of the world over the things of God does not somehow “give us a free pass”…..God is our loving Father and he has given us everything we need to walk the narrow road to heaven - Are we utilizing those gifts?…..Make no mistake about it - Just as heaven exists, so does hell and people go to hell, just as people go to heaven….Rejecting the doctrine of the Church does not somehow “absolve” us of reality….JMJ