Transformed

In the very beginning of Jesus’ three-year ministry, he met Andrew and Peter and he said to them, “I will make you fishers of men”. And by following him they would be transformed into his likeness.

He told them, their hearts would blend into his heart longing for all people to hear and believe in the Gospel message.

He warns us as he warned the twelve that following him would have its many challenges and difficulties. Life was not going to be easy. And then, even with all those trials and tests with even your life on the line, do not fear.

 And you and I say, how can we not fear? We say that and feel that way because we see through human eyes, feel through a human heart.

But when we surrender ourselves to God by reflecting on his Words, we realize, we have nothing to fear if we are in God’s graces regardless as to what happens to our physical bodies.  It’s the soul we must protect. It is the soul that has eternal life. It is the soul we must defend from the evil one, the devil.

The body dies on this earth and the soul lives on and what state our soul is in when the body dies is where that soul will spend eternity. If we remain faithful to Jesus then Jesus will acknowledge us to His Father when out time comes.

That is why it is so important too never take a chance with your that has severe consequences, like eternal death. Keep God’s presence always within you and you too will be transformed into his likeness.

The killer frost, but the best is yet to come

To me one of the saddest days of the year is the first day of a killer frost. It brings with it not only the beginning of winter, but the death of many beautiful summery plants.

Every year we plant a bunch of begonias in planters around our back patio. And they are beautiful, full of life with many blossoms and flowers and color, until the first frost.

While the begonias are fresh, full of life today, tomorrow morning the beauty and color are gone, thanks to Jack Frost. The poor plants are draped over the planters, limp and lifeless. Here today and gone tomorrow and yes, life is over for the begonia.

I use the begonia as an analogy to life, our life. When the Angel of death approaches us, the killer Frost has arrived.  And just like the begonia, we don’t know when our frost will strike, or our angel of death will appear.

We are reminded in Scripture that life is fleeting, and we don’t know the day or the time when we will be called home, or when the second coming of Jesus will arrive, but be assured, they will come.  And from these readings we clearly see the warning of readiness, an invitation to keep ourselves prepared for the moment when we will be ushered in eternity.

Whether we meet Jesus when he calls us for our own personal judgment, or at His second coming, whichever comes first, we are praying and hoping for the mercy of Jesus. But our preparation begins every new day.

This vision in this beautiful reading of Daniel is a message of hope and also a challenge for those who are undergoing great sorrow. They are promised an enormous reward if they stay dedicated in their commitment to God.

We can only imagine, the struggles of this life at the end of the world culminating in a massive cosmic confrontation between the forces of Good and the forces of evil, a battle universal in scope.

In the beginning of time as we know it, was the encounter between chaos and God, with God bringing an orderly universe out of that darkness and chaos. And from that darkness God created the world. 

The entire universe will be involved, and at the end of time evil will be completely destroyed and the reign of God will endure unchallenged forever.

Today we struggle, but the struggle in this life is only temporary and the consequence for the faithful will be incredible.

For when this mysterious figure approaching on the clouds, the Son of Man comes in all his power and glory, he comes to gather us in, not to scatter us. 

Yes, we are living today, not reflecting that far into the future, but do we know when Jesus will appear?  Do we know when that killer frost will come?  Today needs to be a time of waiting and watching. We must live today as if the angel of death is approaching. We must live for the eternal banquet, for the meal where desserts are never ending.

A woman told her husband she wanted to be buried with her bible in her right hand and a fork in her left hand. Naturally, this extraordinary request puzzled her husband, so his wife exclaimed, she attended so many church functions and potluck dinners that after the main dishes were served someone would always instruct you to “keep your fork”. 

Those words were the signal that the best was yet to come – dessert.  So, she said “when people come up to you at the funeral and they ask, why does she have a fork in her left hand, and you can simply explain”, “The best is yet to come”. 

St. Paul tells us that “death does not have the final word”.  If we have lived a life pleasing to God, the best is yet to come.

Death Dealing

There are two words in Scripture that every one of us have already destroyed; “Be perfect”. Be perfect, how can we be perfect when first, we were all born with Original Sin, and second, we are human, prone to giving in to every kind of temptation?

And God knows how sinful we are. He knows we are human. He knows we are imperfect, sinful human beings. We not only sin but in some cases we sin frequently. And he also knows he has given us the most powerful, the most loving of all gifts, our free will. And with that free will, we make our choices.

God tells us in Scripture that, “He pardons all our iniquities, heals all our ills and redeems our life from destruction”. Our free will can make us or break us. It can bring us to holiness or it can be “death dealing” leading us to hell.

Use the gift of free will wisely for the rewards are worth it. Use that gift to bring ourselves to the path of perfection. Where there is a will there is a way, and that is God’s way.

They said yes!

Happy veterans Day Weekend to all those in, or who served in our military. And thank you

A little quiz for everyone on this very early chilly morning.  What do St. Stephen, St. Philip, St. Lawrence of Rome, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ephraim, all have in common? Well, they were all deacons who became saints. They were not priests, they were not bishops, no they were deacons. They were the deacons of deacons.

As a deacon, I am so blessed to have said yes to God’s call. In just these few short years, this ministry has opened my eyes to so many of God’s wonderful people. I have personally been so spiritually fed by all the beautiful people of our parish.

I urge all men, if there is an ounce, an iota of a sensation, a tingling in your heart, about becoming a deacon, pursue it. If there is doubt, erase it and let God be the judge.

But, my focus today is on another group of saints such as, St. John Vianney, St. John Bosco, St. Dominic, St. John of the Cross, and St. Thomas Aquinas, just to name a few. These saints also have something very much in common.  They are all priests.

They are not bishops, nor are they cardinals or popes. They are priests, who listened to and answered God’s call, devoting their entire lives preaching his almighty Word.

These were the men waiting at midnight who upon hearing the Master coming, went out to meet him. Yes, they are the ones who watched for and waited for Wisdom at dawn and were not disappointed.

There was a vocation for those special men, and there is that same calling today for many young men in our parish, a feeling, a sensation in the heart. To those saints, the Holy Spirit graced them, opening their eyes and their own spirit to a new light that shone brightly in their hearts.

That same Holy Spirit is begging today for a response from young men across the world, and right here in our parish. But, not all are answering.

Some ignore it, others are warned against pursuing such a call.  They are told, sometimes for selfish reasons, it’s not for you. But, for others it is a time for serious reflection. Hours and hours, praying to our Lord, listening in the heart, kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

It is finding the right answer through prayer and spiritual direction. It is faith working through the love of Jesus, culminating in a decision. And, many say yes, as priests before them have said their yes.

It is that yes that enables all of us to hear these glorifying words at every Mass, “Do this in remembrance of me”. Without that miracle, that God giving gift of the Holy Spirit working through our priests, there would be no healing power of the Eucharist. No priest, no Eucharist.

“Feed my sheep” Jesus says to every priest, as he said to Peter. And, it was with heart felt love, that Peter, proclaimed, “yes, Lord, you know that I love you”. And with that yes, every priest with the courage of Peter, says, “yes, Lord, you know that I love you”

St. Dominic made a difference, St. John Bosco, made a difference and every priest at every Church is called to make a difference in the spiritual lives of their flock.  Our priests in our diocese, in our parish make a difference.

For every one of us, God has a mission. Every priest is on a mission, a mission from God.

We read in the Book of Jerimiah, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, plans for your welfare, plans to give you future full of hope”

They are chosen among men. God calls his priests from different backgrounds, diverse environments, the poor, the wealthy and even professionals and from these group of men, the priest is sent as a witness, for the service of Christ’s Gospel. A vocation married to the bride of Christ.

From the very words of Jesus, “For the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has appointed me to preach the good news”. Yes, preach to the poor, the sinners, those who are lost.

For the Spirit of the Lord is upon our priests.  And, it is that image, that very icon of Jesus himself, our priests are repeating his acts of forgiveness, especially in penance and the Eucharist.

I say to our young men is God calling you? “Come and see”, Jesus said. Yes, come and see the meaning of this wonderful vocation. Because, through Jesus, He calls those whom he desires, and to those who listen he says, “Follow me”.

In our families, and in our parish, there are young men who may have had that twinge, that impulse of discernment.  Parents, you may very well be God’s voice, God’s instrument, in calling that young man to serious discernment. Scripture tells us, “We cannot impede God’s word”.

When there is a calling and the calling is answered, man and God unite, and discernment begins for the preparation to ordination. How beautiful the process.

The fruit of this union of God and man’s journey together, becomes God’s gift to his people. Fr. Mazz is that gift to us.

Like Elijah, God’s calling may not be in the wind, it’s not in the earthquake. No, God’s calling is that tiny whisper at the at the entrance of a young man’s heart.

Our prayers from this very parish have rewarded us with many men for our seminary, but we need so many more and that can only happen through your encouragement and prayer. God will do the rest.

The House that God Built

The house that God built is you, but we don't always maintain the appearance of his original beauty of the heart. God knows very well we sin and in some cases we sin frequently. And his most powerful, the most loving of all gifts, our free will can sometimes be the weapon that destroys the very beauty of our heart .

And with that free will, we make our choices. God's choice is holiness, which protects our heart from the elements of sin, maintaining its spiritual beauty .

And, we might ask, why is it so important to be holy? God tells us, “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy".

And, to go deeper, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you”. If we want God to be with us, to hear our prayers, to help us, then we must have a temple that is pure, a place for the Holy Spirit to call his tabernacle, his home. That is our heart.

The purest of any tabernacle that Jesus ever lived was the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, born without any blemish of sin. And that’s what Jesus is telling us, to become perfect just as he is perfect. To become like Mary, improve in our holiness every day.

Clean your hands before you eat

Wash your hands before you eat!  How many times as a child did you hear those words?  Or, as a parent, how many times did you shout them to your own children.  “Wash your hands before you eat”.

 And of course, they would look and examine their hands and say, “why, they’re not dirty”. To them, they probably didn’t look dirty on the outside, but we all know the germs, the hidden bacteria that makes a home on our hands. So, we wash our hands before we eat so we don’t get sick.

In Jesus’ time the washing of the hands was not so much in the interests of hygiene, but it was a ceremonial cleanliness that was at stake; hands washed and washed in a certain way.  The water for the washing was actually kept in a special jug, not just any water that they found in a nearby well.

This ceremony had to be so exact to the Jewish people that one time a rabbi who once omitted to the washing was buried in excommunication.

When Jesus was talking to the Jewish leaders, he was trying to make a point.  It’s not the ritual that makes us clean, but what’s in our hearts. Yes, clean and examine your hands before you eat, but more importantly than anything else, examine your heart. It is your heart that will condemn you, not how clean your hands are. Look deep into your heart.

And one of the most difficult things to do is to figure out ourselves, to get deep into our own turmoil and confusion; our own interior pain and see the things that others don’t. A true examination of conscience reveals our inner most thoughts and that takes courage. But, knowing ourselves can be the radar needed to avoid the near temptations to sin.

So, cleanse your heart with prayers every day, bring God into a pure heart and then you can feast.

Tortured

As Christians we know there is a life, a wonderful life after our pilgrimage journey on this earth for those who believe wholeheartedly, in the Son of God. St. Paul tells us “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1Cor 2:9).

We don’t need to be tortured as martyrs to become saints, but we do have to die. And the first death is death to sin.   We must die to sin and the near occasions to that sin. We must die to the tremendous pressures of this world, because when we die to this world we begin to live a life most pleasing to God.

It is a renewal, a renewed strength and courage that leads us to heaven. That is a spiritual martyr’s death, freeing us from the holds of eternal death that traps us forever in hell.   Martyrs of all kinds are welcomed by God in heaven; martyrs of physical death and martyrs that die to sin waiting for God’s mercy.

Every day brings hope, every day can bring us closer to our Lord, every day brings us closer to the resurrection of the Kingdom of God. Persevere, the reward is worth it.  

Medicine

There was etched into the wall of a concentration camp these words from a prisoner:

I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.

I believe in love even when I feel it not

I believe in God even when he is silent.

Yes, a little faith is medicine for the soul. A little faith has a tendency, with the grace of God to blossom, and has it grows it acquires the desire for us to do more than is expected. And all for the love and a desire to please God. That is a great way to serve God.

When no one understands

Life can be sometimes be over whelming. Pain and loneliness came make our spirits want to give up.  Turmoil and confusion of everyday living can weigh heavily on how we approach the day. We can sometimes feel that people don’t understand what is going on inside our heart, our mind and our soul.

And yet for all our worries, all our hurts and afflictions, all of our despair, there is one person who is by our side every step of the way, and that is God.  He is with you today and every day. He tells us, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself, but I am with you until the end of time.  Yes, turn to the Lord in you need, and you will live, for the Lord hears the poor, the Lord hears you.

So, when you feel the need to talk and no one is willing to listen, when the pain you suffer is sometimes unbearable, when you just feel like crying, let God be part of your feelings. He wants to be not only a part of your life, he wants to be your life. For when that happens, God becomes our sanctuary, our strength and helps carry our burdens for us.

Are You Talented

The purpose of the parable of the talents.  God gave these servants talents. Yes, we think of money that God gave them, but talents are also gifts. God has given all us talents, special gifts.  They are not ours, they are given to us by God to be used for his glory; to return these gifts in ways that bring others closer to God. 

These gifts are not to be used by us to hide, or to turn them to selfish ends.  No, these gifts are to be used to spread and advance the kingdom of god.

Sadly, many of those God has gifted have sold their gifts to "the world" for fame and fortune. 

This is a trap that many of God's most gifted people fall into. In the end, they sadly realize that they sold their soul to the devil himself for a little fame  and a few dollars which have little meaning in the big picture of life.

Great people don't just wake up someday and become great, they discover something they can do and then put it to work with lots of practice. Some can sing, some can write, some have courage, others can speak, others have an ear to listen and to console, others can move mountains and roadblocks for others.

We all have choices in this life. We all come to a crossroad at times when we can choose the Lord or this world. Take an inventory of your gifts and then decide how to use them for the glory of God. 

The Pruning Process

What is pruning? Pruning, removal of parts of woody plants, usually branches or branch tips, to relieve the burden on the remaining parts of the plant, to cut out diseased or broken parts, to increase the quantity and quality of flowers or fruits, to train individual parts to positions structurally favorable to the health of the plant, or to shape the plant into some artificial form.

And you know what?  Pruning hurts! But the pruning of our own vine, of us, means we can bear good fruit. And what is good fruit to us? It means our soul becomes a spiritual heirloom and not a hybrid fruit. Fruits that are hybrids loaded with genetically manufactured organisms usually have seeds that cannot bear additional fruit, or if they do, it’s a fruit of less quality.

But when Jesus works in someone’s life, that person becomes the shining vine bearing the precious spiritual fruit that lights up a darkened world, your world, regardless of where that soul may be.

Our hearts need to change. Our soul must be placed in the hands of the gardener.

We are faced with many trials and difficulties in our lives.  Mistakes, we have all made.  But when we allow Jesus to take those mistakes that are on our vine and prune them, cutting off the parts of our life that cause spiritual disease, hardness of heart; parts that keep us in the material world and away from the mercy of God, then we reconnect to the branch of Jesus and receive the grace to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

But it hurts, because pruning hurts. But it strengthens because pruning strengthens. Yes, pruning hurts, but the pruners touch is gentle.

The Grave Yard

Our imagination can be very rewarding on our spiritual journey. We must know, visualize and sometimes it takes our imagination to understand that God is with us every step of our journey.

Imagine our Lord saying to you, “Oh my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them”.

I remember, when I was young, and passing through a cemetery at night.  I’ve taken this path many times before, but this was shortly after listening to this exact reading, “I will open your graves and have you rise from them”. Naturally, my imagination began to wander. It was pitch dark and the only sound was that of an owl hooting. I’m sure that owl hooted every time I walked through that cemetery, but tonight I heard it.

 And, as I walked further and further passed the graves, I swore I heard all kind of noises coming from those very grave sites. Then the the old black and white version of the movie the “Zombies’ came to my mind. And I began to imagine these creatures, one arm at a time, bone by bone, pushing through the earth and watching me. Wasn’t sure if they had appetites, or what zombies ate. I just told God that now was not a good time to open up those graves.

I prayed and the words of Jesus came to me, “I am with you always” and I pictured Jesus walking next to me, side by side, yet leading and comforting me.

Yes, that was some imagination, but in that imagination there was faith. Faith in the fact that I pictured and believed that Jesus was walking this journey with me.

Many recent readings are concerned with death and the resurrection to newness of life.

And there are grave yard scenes, we see a tomb, the ultimate place of death and decay. We see prayers, extreme faith, a miracle and joy.

We have Lazarus.  Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus. But before Jesus arrived, his illness became fatal and sadness and hurt and even anger, overcame the two sisters. But if we look closely at the reading there was also hope, there was crucial and critical faith, for Martha says to Jesus when he arrived, “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you”. That was a prayer of faith.

And there was weeping and Jesus became troubled and he was extremely upset and Jesus wept.  Yes, Jesus wept, tears of sorrow, tears no different than ours for the loose of someone close.

They remove the stone and Jesus prays. Jesus prays for the glory of God, not his glory. He prays with the faith that we all must have. And then he shouts.

 “Lazarus, come out”. Imagine Lazarus, laying in a prepared burial fashion, hands and feet tied and his face wrapped in a cloth. 

He manages to stagger to the entrance of the tomb and people are in awe – the dead man came out. There is no conversation between Jesus and Lazarus, but I can imagine there was much said between the hearts of these two friends, their souls joined as they stood there both reflecting on that moment. And I can imagine that every time Lazarus went into his inner room to pray, he placed himself in that loving image of Jesus, talking to him again from his heart.

We are called to be always in the Spirit, and that requires prayer, yes, unceasing prayer and talking to God, it is having Jesus by our side.

 No one is spared death and the grave swallows up the righteous and the sinner alike.

 But how we choose to live this life will decide where we spend eternity. Our weapon to heaven is prayer.

Our journey with Jesus begins at Baptism and we need to remember there will be hardships, temptation and our weaknesses will be become our crosses, but Jesus said, “I am with you always. Yes, believe and visually imagine Jesus with you every moment -allow him to guide your steps to heaven.

Lazarus is a symbol of all of us – dead to God and bound by sin. And, like Lazarus, each of is loved by Jesus.  Jesus weeps over our suffering and calls us by name to come out of our tombs of unbelief, self-centeredness, and ineffectiveness. 

In the face of death we are encouraged to choose life, and life can be found only in Christ, and his cross. 

Yes, we will rise from our graves on the last day, but even now we can rise with Jesus daily.  He promised it and we can experience it as we unite ourselves to him.

There is a story about a Catholic priest who stopped by to see a patient in a hospital room to say hello and asked how the elderly man was doing. "My doctors say I'm dying," replied the man, and I'm actually excited about it. I know I'm going to be with Jesus."

The priest asked how he could be so cheerful about death. The old man said, when I was younger I grew very discouraged about prayer. I tried to pray, but Jesus never seemed to be there and I never seemed to get an answer. So I just went through the motions. During a retreat a mission priest told me how common that was with prayer.

"The mission priest said, 'You'll have to become like a child. You know how little kids talk to their teddy bears? And get an answer? They use their imagination. Well, Jesus is really there when we pray, but we can't see him, unless we use our imagination.

Choose a room, the mission priest said, where you have some privacy. Put a chair in the room, and picture Jesus in the chair. See him in his robe and sandals, if you want. Then just talk to him in your own words. Tell him what you're upset about and what you're happy about.

 Do this every day, soon it will take less time to get comfortable with Jesus, and easier to talk with him.

Then try this: After you have had your say, just be quiet and listen. 'You'll hear Jesus speak to your heart. The God, who made you, can put ideas, memories, and images into your head, and that's how God talks to you and answers your prayers.'"

"So I tried it," the old man said, "and it worked! It wasn't long before Jesus would sit right there and talk with me, and we've become the best of friends.

 See this chair next to my bed? That's for Jesus. When the doctors told me I would die soon, I waited until they left the room. Then I invited Jesus
to come in and sit down, and I told him what the doctors said. 'I know, Jesus answered, 'I heard them. And I'm happy because we'll soon get to see each other face to face. That chair is special to me.

"That's why I'm excited about dying," the old man continued, "because I can't wait to be with my friend, Jesus." The priest was overwhelmed and, choking back tears, said he wanted to visit again.

But when he returned a few days later, he saw the man's daughter in the hall outside his room, crying. "He just died," she told the priest. "I left his room to get a bite to eat, and when I came back he was gone. I know he was ready, she said but what bothers me is how he must have suffered in his last moments.

 When I found him, he was halfway out of bed, and his head was on that
chair next to his bed."

The priest took her hand and smiled. "Let's take a minute to talk," he said. "There's a story I need to tell you about that chair."

Our Guardian Angel

God has provided us with a wonderful gift. And that gift is our Guardian Angel. You know Scripture has so many references to Angels, to our protectors, those heavenly spirits whose only job is to safeguard our journey to heaven.

Top of Form

Top of Form

In Psalm 91, which many of you recite on a daily basis, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

We find in Daniel, “My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me”.

In Exodus, “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.

In Hebrews, “Let all God's angels worship him.” And we just read in our Gospel that our angel, our Guardian Angel is always looking at the face of Jesus.

It dawned on me today, I am here because I want to adore Jesus. My Guardian Angel is by my side, and yours is by your side, adoring the same God, always worshiping. What is that like? If we had the ability to see our Guardian Angel, right here, right now, kneeling or prostrating themselves in front of Jesus how could it not but strengthen our desire to adore our Savior, or humble us to the point of great repentance.

We are never alone. We know from Scripture that Jesus tells us, “I am with you always, even to the end of time”. And through his love for us, sent us an angel to guard us on our way. And tonight we have all the heavenly angels surrounding our Jesus on his altar.

Together, with our Guardian Angel let us adore the greatest gift God could ever give us, His only Son. Blood of Christ inebriate us. Amen

Blazing Fire

“Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven”, words taking from Scripture, expressing God’s anger by coming like a blazing fire. Blazing fire! That was the nickname we gave a nun in grade school, blazing fire, I can tell you her left hand was a blazing weapon.  

She was my teacher in fourth grade in the days when we had those many air raid drills where we had to hide under our desks when the air raid sirens were heard. I remember it well, “Shades down and under the desk” preparing for the real thing.

Yes, only a drill, but they were important drills, preparing for the worse, hoping for the best, in case of some type of an enemy attack.  Drills preformed with perfection prevent the real thing from being unfamiliar to us. We’ll be ready.

Football teams participate in drills preparing for the big game. The military engages in maneuvers, preparing them for the real battle. The fire department, police and first responders perform drills preparing in case of a catastrophic event. We do the drills, to be prepared.

One day in fourth grade I was being disciplined by the Sister Elizabeth, blazing fire herself, for something I’m sure I didn’t do, at least on purpose, and then she punished me by walking me by the ear, into the cloakroom and closed the door. There I was all alone.

Suddenly, the air raid sirens started to blare and I could hear through the walls the scampering about of the kids sliding under their desks, pulling down the shades and Blazing fire herself, barking out her orders. But, they forgot about me.

But, in that closet they also kept the pretzel bag, full of freshly baked salted pretzels that would be sold that day at recess. And it smelled so good.

Temptation got the best of me and I pulled up a strip of ten pretzels from inside the bag and tried to break one off, just one little pretzel, but, it slipped and a strip of 10 pretzels fell on the dirty hardwood floor exactly right next to the closed door that led into the classroom.

Thank God, the siren muffled the sound, but I knew that plenty of loose salt fell all over the filthy floor and if I didn’t clean that up, big trouble, the wrath of a nun called blazing fire would be upon me.

I threw the pretzels back into the bag, but for the life of me I couldn’t think of anything to sweep up all that salt. So, I was on all fours, pushing the salt in every direction away from the door.

The air raid sirens stopped and the cloak room door opened and there, Blazing fire herself came in, and there I was on hands and knees almost kissing the floor, blowing away the remains of any salt. Talk about trembling fear. But, something strange happened.

She reached down and helped me up, and apologized for leaving me all alone in the closet, and then commented, “but how good and obedient you were, down on your hands and knees, during the air raid drill.

But she, said some powerful words, “Always be prepared, for some day when you least expect it, it will be the real deal”.

Those words are like the real meaning of life.  We don’t know when God will call us. And every day is a drill and someday a drill will be the real deal.  Thank you blazing fire.

But, the true meaning of “The blazing fire” or “blazing like an oven”, as Malachi claims is a metaphor. It is the image of a brushfire that burns the stubble left over after the grain has been harvested.  It is the short growth that wasn’t cut and had been dried by the heat of the sun, and it is useless except as a fire starter.

So, what is God telling us? This blazing fire destroys all possible growth, any hope of any regeneration as the roots and the branches are burned, no promise of any new fruit. Every aspect is consumed by fire.  This was God’s anger against the Israelite nations, the stubble, for being the stiff-necked people they were.

It is a metaphor, so remarkable in its brevity and yet filled with so much for our imagination. For us, it is the Day of the Lord, the day of the harvest and the day the stubble will be burned, the day when the good will be rewarded and the evil punished, it is the fulfillment of God’s promises and the realization of the destiny of the world.

It is looking ahead at the end of history, to the last things, distinguishing between the wicked, who are burned, and the righteous, who by being prepared, who knew that the preparation would remove all fear of dying. Leaving no doubt, there is a heaven and there is a hell.

But, before all of this, there will be persecutions.  We’re told, persecution will not merely be an occasional episode, rather, it will be an “indisputable reality” for the Church and for individual Christians.

Through the ages, Christians have been burned, beheaded, crushed and fed to wild animals because of their God.  This is the picture most of us imagine when we hear the word “persecution”. But persecutions can be experienced in a different reality. It can be experienced by you and me in everyday life.

You can be heckled at work because of your faith, for standing up for moral issues and principals, you can be cursed at when praying in front of an abortion clinic, or just being made fun of by friends and family, because your God comes first on Sundays. You are becoming the righteous with your daily drills, and they will become the stubble.

Jesus tells us, every generation as Christians who will always be persecuted, even by family members, because of our love for Jesus.

And then, there will be awesome sights and the mighty signs that will come from the sky. And, at the end of the world, when Jesus comes in all his glory, many will be afraid, many will hide, except those who are prepared, those who know the drill by practicing their faith every day. 

At the second coming, Christ will be a blazing fire, not out of anger, but to snatch up those who are righteous, who practice their faith by defending God’s Word.  

The rest, those who were ashamed of God, of defending God and obeying his commandments, will be the stubble, to be set on fire and thrown into eternal darkness. He said, if you are ashamed of me and my words in this faithless and sinful generation, then I will be ashamed of you.

There is that old expression that says, “You know the drill”.  Make every day a drill for Jesus’ coming, be prepared, because one day, when we least expect it, it will be the real deal.

Pilgrims to home

When we were young and doing our own thing, we never stopped to think what kind of soil we were. We didn’t care! Didn’t about God’s word. It meant nothing to us, We didn’t understand it, nor did we want to understand it.

But now as we look back over our lives we realize, we were probably just too stubborn, like the rocky ground, not much could penetrate our thinking.

Some of us may have had other interests that took us away from God, maybe it was the immediate pleasures of what we thought the world had to offer. And it choked us. But, that was then.

Regardless of what kind of soil we were in the past, God, in his great love for us kept on sowing good seed, day after day came God’s word upon us.

And with his great love we finally allowed the seed take root, to be fed and nurtured and that seed is who we are today; God’s good soil. Today, at this very moment, we are being fed by listening and absorbing the richness of God’s word.

We are a different person today, a better person in the eyes of God and that’s how we have to live our lives, not by what other people may think of us, but what God thinks of us. He is our judge

We need to live in this world with courage, For God tells us, “Do not fear, I am with you”.

So, as we move forward on our pilgrimage to the next life, we carry God’s word in the good soil we have become. Challenges, yes! But strengthened, for, “Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are with me at my side”.

There is hope

Today, we need reminders of hope. We live in a depressed world, a material world, a world dominated by the devil.

But, we still hope, thanks to our closest friend and Brother, Jesus. Not, because He died, but because He rose from that death to a new life for us. A deed beyond all good deeds he did to save us. There is hope that we can make it to that same resurrected life, just by living a life of compiling our own good deeds, storing our treasures in heaven. There is hope beyond the walls of this world.

St. Peter emphasizes that hope, that eternal inheritance, that bliss, that joy for those who are serious about their journey on this earth.

St. Paul tells it so well, when he says “To offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God”. That is being serious, because it means living this small speck of space on our eternal time line completely with God in mind, loving our neighbor and dying to our self.

Today reflect on our Savior, reflect on our life. Reflect so much where we have been, but most importantly, with hope as to what lies ahead. Yes, with that hope steering our ship with the help of Jesus, the co-pilot of our live.

I like to think that when we die we are brought to a suspended room tilted to one side.  And, on the closed door of that room is our name. Together, with Jesus, our door is opened and inside we see all of our deeds that we’ve compiled on our earthly journey, the good on one side and the bad on the other.

Yes, Love and happiness is on one side and the rodents are on the opposite, with the room tilted towards which side holds the most. And as we enter into that room, we have already judged ourselves and remain eternally on the tilted side. Even with purgatory there is eternal hope of love.

Each day begins a new leg of our journey. May each day inspire you through hope, to tilt your eternal room with your good deeds.

What a God

Life is a journey. A journey, we hope will bring us to that table of plenty. Every day we live on this earth is a return journey to God. A feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. But the real Banquet is a true gift from God, and God is inviting us in the Eucharist to His table, to share in the banquet He prepared for his Son.

 This is your personal encounter with Jesus. A personal devotional to the one who has emptied himself for us. And what a gift, what a God. But how will we respond, how will we prepare for this invitation to the altar of God today? When we walk up to receive the Blessed Sacrament, will we be too preoccupied with all kinds of distractions, walking up for a piece of bread? Or will we respond with our hearts overflowing with love and gratitude for the Lord’s gift of spiritual refreshment – his real Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

 The Father gives his last and best; he has nothing better. The only thing God does not know, is how to give a gift greater than himself. What an amazing God. And today, God is calling us as his guests to this same feast, to the banquet for his son, to His altar. Why don’t many people come? God will not ask us how entertaining was the movie we saw or the sporting event we attended or even how successful we were in life. But, He will ask, “Did you accept my invitation? Then enter to my heavenly banquet”.

 For us, receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament can and should bring joy, joy so deep it is indescribable. Receiving Jesus with a heart dressed in the white garment for a wedding feast, with righteousness and holiness, can bring tears, real tears of joy for a gift we can’t explain from an amazing God. On death beds or after serious repentance, many times brings to a person the true meaning of receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus? But why? Why does it sometimes take a severe affliction to our lives to understand how much Jesus loves us?

Marie, who recently passed away was in a nursing home. For weeks she couldn’t receive the Blessed Sacrament because of physical reasons, but when we visited her, she would whisper and pray so hard and beg us to allow her to receive Jesus, her closest friend. She cried for Jesus. Once we walked into her room and Marie was asleep and as we walked over to the other resident in the room we began to recite the Our Father with that woman, Charlie tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to Marie who with eyes closed, had her hands folded in prayer, lip-syncing the Our Father, squeezing so hard her knuckles were white. Tears of joy and yet, tears of loss, flowing down her cheeks. She couldn’t physically receive the Blessed Sacrament, but she prepared and brought herself to the table of the Lord. Her heart was dressed in the white garment for this feast.

 There was Jose, a patient in the hospital who didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Spanish, a farm hand recovering from an accident. I thought he would understand when I said “do you want to receive Communion, Jesus. I could tell he didn’t know what I was saying. I showed him my pyx, but still I wasn’t getting through. I opened the pyx and held up the host, the blessed Sacrament in front of him. He knew, his eyes filled up and he cried and said sobbing, si, si.

Yes, He understood, he understood that this was a feast, God the Father’s gift, and he was prepared to join Jesus at his table. He needed Jesus. When we receive God’s Gift of Jesus today, we may not shed the tears of joy like Marie and Jose. But, it’s OK if we do. But in your heart welcome Jesus as a friend, a helper, a brother, the Son of our amazing God. Receive Jesus, knowing that it is Jesus and the greatest Gift the world has ever known, a gift from God the Father to those who are prepared to receive Him. Yes, the rich foods and choice wines are on the table.

We pray God someday will call us to that table. And, what a wonderful celebration it would be like Marie, like Jose in the hospital, if we put on our spiritual white garment, prepared and come to the feast to receive Jesus today. Make it special today. With joy and thanksgiving receive Jesus with a heart full of love. And, yes, tears may flow, for He has emptied himself just for you. He has nothing more to give. What a gift – What a God.

Follow Me

“Follow Me”! Gentle, yet powerful words from Jesus. Gentle, but so strong are these two words that maybe they were even a command. At the very least, an invitation, “Follow Me”, and Matthew got up and followed. 

 When I was in the service in Ft. Benning Ga, there was a very moving and inspiring statue on the grounds of Ft. Benning simply known as the “Follow Me” statue, a Memorial, depicting an infantry soldier charging forward and gesturing for others to follow. “I am the Infantry! Follow me”, it says. A motto instilled in the mind of every soldier. 

 And to follow takes courage, and those who have ever been in or prepared for combat have an appreciation of the meaning of courage. To follow into the unknown, into any battle takes courage, and our journey to heaven places us in a battlefield every day of our lives. The physical pain and suffering we experience in life, the mental anguish, and the spiritual combat of fighting for our life against satan and temptation. 

These are our crosses, these are our battles, and, in spite of this chaos, Jesus tells us to “take up your cross and follow me.” Follow Me is not a suggestion, no, it is a command to follow Jesus into life’s battles and there we will find our strength, for he assures us, “I am with you always, even to the end of time”. Yes, it takes courage to follow, soldiers have lost their lives on the battlefields; shed their blood for you and me. 

And, Matthew and every other Apostle, every martyr, help purchase our salvation by shedding their blood for Christ. Follow me, a motto for every Christian, is our key to heaven. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. By following our Leader, we can enter into the Kingdom of heaven With determination and courage, and through the power and grace of God, we become like that statue, charging forward, reaching out and gesturing for others to follow.

 Our world may be in turmoil, and our lives being tossed on the rough seas of life. But, there is an invitation to leave that world behind and to come to the shore. It is then, at that shoreline we become his Disciples. And when they brought their boats to shore, they left everything and they followed him.

On a mission

Jesus is sending us on a mission, knocking on doors, no less. And we know that when we knock on the door of Jesus, his door will be opened, yes. And when he answers he welcomes us with open arms. It is that same love, that same hospitality, we want to share with everyone we meet.

 So, we take that great love of Jesus and with the courage that comes with that love, we accept, as his disciples, this mission to knock on the doors of others. We are brothers and sisters of Jesus journeying on this earth to bring ourselves and lost souls into Jesus’ fold. One of my favorite pictures, or holy cards is that of Jesus knocking on someone’s door.

You just stare and reflect and hope, that the person on the other side will open and let Jesus into their lives. St. Teresa puts it so well, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours”. That is now our mission. We are his feet walking from door to door. We are his hands, knocking on each door that we stop. That is what God wants from us, to be that person knocking on the heart of every lost soul.

That not only takes courage, but it places all our trust in God. Courage, too, to wipe off the dust from our feet, when the door is slammed closed in our face. We are his instrument. And if a soul of the door we are knocking is ready, the door will open and Jesus will enter. Like a great salesperson, at every doorstep, there is hope, but what a consolation when a heart welcomes that gentle voice. A heart that was dead to God.

 Our knock doesn’t have to mean a physical knock at a home, or a conversation, although it can. But, it is how we live our lives that knocks at the heart of a person. How we speak, the places we frequent, our humility, our compassion and forgiveness. And the answer to the knock isn’t a physical opening of a door, although it could be, but it is a heartfelt yes to God’s invitation of how another person lives.

 For, they see, they reflect, and God does the rest. Don’t tap lightly, for, God has given us the courage to pound on the door of a soul and pray God has prepared and blessed them to answer. There is someone out there ready and waiting for the sound of your knock. Sometimes, the day ahead is difficult to face; problems and concerns have mounted, possibly even affecting our sleep.

But, if we look up and give God a chance, he will walk with us through this day’s journey. “ You will not find our Lord in your heart unless you seek him, and those who find him don’t ever want to lose him but want to share him.