Miracles Are All Around Us!

First reading	Acts 9:31-42 ©

The churches grew and were filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit

The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee, and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

  Peter visited one place after another and eventually came to the saints living down in Lydda. There he found a man called Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and fold up your sleeping mat.’ Aeneas got up immediately; everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were all converted to the Lord.

  At Jaffa, there was a woman disciple called Tabitha, or Dorcas in Greek, who never tired of doing good or giving in charity. But the time came when she got ill and died, and they washed her and laid her out in a room upstairs. Lydda is not far from Jaffa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men with an urgent message for him, ‘Come and visit us as soon as possible.’

  Peter went back with them straight away, and on his arrival they took him to the upstairs room, where all the widows stood around him in tears, showing him tunics and other clothes Dorcas had made when she was with them. Peter sent them all out of the room and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the dead woman and said, ‘Tabitha, stand up.’ She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter helped her to her feet, then he called in the saints and widows and showed them she was alive. The whole of Jaffa heard about it and many believed in the Lord.

Whenever there is an abundance of something we tend to take it for granted.  For example, we want to go somewhere in our car.  We get in and see that the gas gauge shows almost empty so we go to the gas station and fill up with gas.  We don't think about it, we just go and get it.  Go back a few years now to when the Arabs were angry because the U.S. was supporting Israel and they slowed down the amount of oil that they were sending us which meant that we could not make as much gasoline and that caused lines at the gas pumps.  We realized at that moment that we were being held hostage by OPEC.  Gasoline was now rationed.  Depending on your license number you could buy gasoline on even or odd numbered days.  On Sunday, all stations, nationwide, were closed. On the days you could drive you were mandated to save gasoline on the highway, we were limited to 55 miles per hour maximum.  This limit, which was pretty much ignored, was supposed to save gasoline.  So, you see that an abundance led to indifference and a shortage led to concern and conservation. 

Every day we can, if we look, see miracles around us. The issue is not the lack of miracles which requires much study and interpretation to see one but rather recognizing them as abundant and as gifts from our Father in heaven.  The very fact that you are drawing breath and able to see things around you is a miracle.  Life itself in all of its forms is a miracle.  The food we eat, the water we drink all came from the hand of God to sustain us. 

Our ancestors understood that their world was filled with miracles and they watched for them and thanked God for them daily.  A miracle is usually described as something that happened that did not have an explanation in nature.  Do you realize that using this definition we can consider electricity a miracle?  Sure, we know how to generate it, to distribute it, and to use it but scientists have never been able to define just what it is.  Electricity is, therefore, a miracle.  That would mean that everything that we use electric for is a miracle too!  Our smartphone could not exist without the humble electron so perhaps the smartphone is a miracle too.  

I hope you see my point. God has provided us with a wonderful world, full of miracles to help us live our lives in a better and more comfortable fashion.  It follows that when we take advantage of the miracles we find in the world that we should use them not only to enrich our lives but we should make it point to be a miracle for those in less fortunate circumstances than we are. 

You and I are walking miracles.  Inside of us is a soul that will never ever die.  We, humans, have the capacity to feel the joys and sorrows of other people.  We can empathize, which means we can share in the feelings of others.  When we do this we can reach into our resources and be of help to others.  Other occupants of this planet such as animal life normally cannot do this.

So today, think of yourself as a miracle, as the beloved of God the Father who has been so very generous to you in so many ways.  Before you eat or drink, think and thank God for what you are about to do, it is a miracle.  Before you start your labor for the day, think and thank God for you are about to do is a miracle.  And today resolve that you, an ambulating, talking miracle will not keep the joy of God's love to yourself.  Distribute miracles as you walk through life, it is why you are here! 

Lent - Day Thirty - Making A Big Splash

John  Chapter 7 Verses 40 to 52 

The Law does not allow us to pass judgment on a man without hearing him

Several people, who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him.

  The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgment on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this, they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’

As I walked along today, the heat was just as hot as always but I did not seem to mind it so much.  Uriah says we are getting closer to our destination and the mountains are finally in what appears to be in walking distance.  He says before we can get to the mountains we have to go through territory that once was a large salt lake.  He says if you like sand, you will love salt.  He also cautions us to stay away from plants that appear to be succulent and ripe with water as they will lay you low if not kill you outright.  He says once we get through this purgatory the way will become easier and cooler.  There will be streams of cold water flowing and the heat of the desert will become a distant memory.  So, I spent the day thinking about my childhood.  I lived in the country and worked on the family farm.  But my Dad wanted me to have free time as well so he did not make me a slave of the land.  I helped out, of course, but he let me be a boy and I was able to hang out with my friends.  As the sun was poaching my noodle and the prospect of spending several days walking through salt, my mind wandered to the old swimming hole at St. Francis' Creek.  It was more than a creek, it was almost as wide and deep to be called a river.  We used to fish there and there were times when I was the one that provided the dinner for the household by bringing in a bunch of catfish.  Mom took care of all of the cleaning and cooking and I swear that when it was put before us along with cornbread and greens, it was a little bit of heaven!  But we guys used the creek for swimming.  You can imagine that our swimming attire was lacking but our birthday suits never went out of style during those carefree summer days so we didn't care.  I felt the breeze hit me as I swung out on the rope trying to get as close to the center of the creek as possible and then I let go of the rope and felt weightless for a second and then relished the feeling the of icy cold water pulling me down as I splashed down like a space capsule sending water high into the sky!  It was time that I will always remember with great fondness.   

When the Master spoke today He spoke on how Jesus made a big splash Himself when He was on earth.  He brought attention to Himself and the Pharisees and the Temple management was running scared.  Considering the procurator, Pilate, was not very fond of the Jews and in fact had killed some of them on the Temple grounds, well, they just did not need a messiah coming on the scene to stir things up.  So they sent temple militia to arrest him and haul him before the Sanhedrin.  Off they went, but then they heard Him speak and they were amazed as was the large crowd.  The prudence of a soldier was woven into the temple guards and they returned to the high priest and his cronies without the so-called messiah.  But it was not just the presence of all of the people that would have protested his arrest and have caused a riot which Pilate would be only too glad to quell.  No, it was what was said, the words were powerful and unlike other messiahs that cropped up from time to time, this Jesus did not advocate violence.  How they would get rid of the cursed Romans without bloodshed was beyond their way of thinking.  But He did not even advocate war against Rome of the emperor. So, the guards came back empty-handed.  In the council, Jesus had few friends.  But He had Nicodemus, the man who had visited Him in the night, you know when it was safe.  It was he who said that before a man could be condemned there had to be an opportunity for the man to state what his teachings and there must be witnesses to an infraction.  This annoyed the powers in the Temple who just wanted to rid themselves of this Jesus.  He was making a splash with the people and large gatherings were hearing His message.  He was making a big splash but the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes all wondered if the splash would come at the cost of Jewish blood.  They made note the sentiments and loyalties of Nicodemus, he would not be summoned when the time came for the Sanhedrin to deal with this charlatan.  They began to plot in earnest against Jesus and a gaggle of Pharisees followed Him wherever He went.  The sun began to set for the man called Jesus.  Once the temple management wanted you gone, it was only a matter of time before you were stoned (mercifully) or crucified (unmercifully).  The followers of Jesus would take note that the Pharisees had sent a team of their best goaders who would do their utmost to trip Jesus up.  They never failed, never.  But this Jesus would be the one to spoil their record and even when they were rejoicing at the sight of Jesus dying in public view on the cross, they would later come to understand that in spite of their wishes that the mission of Jesus, the Messiah foretold of old, had been accomplished in spite and not because of them.  One interesting thing, one of the Apostles, Judas Iscariot by name was more worldly than the others and he could see the writing on the wall.  Far be it from him to be on a losing team.  He began to ponder ways to profit from betraying The Christ. 

Lent - Day Fourteen - Lost and Found

Alternative Gospel	Luke 2:41-51a ©

Mary stored up all these things in her heart

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.

  Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have, you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’

  ‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.

  He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.

Lost

It was one of those days where the work seemed lighter than usual. It was the same thing that we had been doing for the last couple of weeks, that is walking in the desert dragging stinking ornery camels behind us only to end up in a place that looked like the place we were in twelve hours ago.  But today the sun, although brutally hot seemed to step back a bit and did not weigh so heavily on our backs and the camels, except for Goliath, seemed cheerful in their own way.  Goliath, of course, was not happy with his load and I had to help my brother adjust it to Goliath's liking before the spit would stop flying.  Our walk was easier and the brothers were all in a good mood.  We stopped for the night in yet another nameless, featureless place where we set up camp and the cook got busy preparing the daily dinner.  It was about this time that I found that I had a problem.  It pulled my canteen out of its place in my belt and found that the cap, which had been held on by a stout chain, was nowhere to be seen.  A canteen without a cap is useless and in a race would be beaten by useless by less than half a step.  I could not imagine what had happened to it.  Perhaps it was a manufacturing defect coupled with a bit of carelessness on my part that has placed me in a dilemma.  If I had lost it outside, well, there would be no hope because the desert is a vast place with no point of reference to guide one to follow his path back.  Besides, the sand eventually swallowed everything and it would not have remained uncovered long.  I was beside myself.  I did not have a spare canteen so while I could fill it in the morning, walking would cause it to empty by our noon break.  I went to my space and tore through my belongings without luck.  I went mournfully to my cushion and sat down.  I jumped right back up because I sat down upon something and in the desert that something would deliver a powerful and potentially deadly sting.  I jumped up ready to stomp on the desert creature that dared to invade my bed.  What I saw was the dark black cap to my canteen sans the chain which somehow had fallen off.  I was relieved that I had found it. 

The Master told the story about the Boy Jesus who when twelve years old, went up to the Temple with His parents.  They all worshipped in accordance with The Law and as was custom the caravan reformed with the men in one group and women and children in another and they began the journey back to their home.  Joseph thought Jesus was with Mary and Mary thought Jesus was with Joseph.  They discovered he was not with either and not among their friends and acquaintances.  The two of them broke camp and spent the next three days searching for Jesus.  They finally decided to go to the Temple and pray to God for the return of their son.   They entered the courtyard and what did they see?  A group of elders engaged in lively discussion with their boy.  This should have been a proud moment for the Holy Family but they had just spent three days searching for Him and they fretted over the penalties that they would merit had the lost the very Messiah over whom they had been placed in charge. Mary asked the Boy why He had done this.  Jesus gave what sounds like a "smart" reply to His parents and said that didn't they realize that He had work to do for His Father?  Then without further delay, he left the elders and went with Joseph and Mary and lived under their authority.

It is good to live under authority.  People who live by themselves and have no one to answer to can develop squirrelly tendencies.  They have to answer to nobody except themselves so that they develop a misguided sense of importance.  That is why it is not good for man to live alone.  We all benefit when we place ourselves under authority of some kind.  We are meant to be a social animal and without the hints that being among our kind provides we lose our way. Sometimes it is not possible for a person to live with others and be comfortable.  It is rare, but it happens.  These people are the most vulnerable to become dislodged from the corporate behavior pattern.  This too, is why it is important for us to come together to worship so that we can see our fellow Christians and talk with them, be with them and refresh our spirits by engaging in social congress with them.  It is why the Eucharist binds us together into one local church that extends ever outward until we are united to all Christians who receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ in the Eucharist.   This unity brings us strength and reminds us that as good at is to have an "It's just Jesus and me relationship" that such a relationship is only one part of the Christian experience. 

So as the campfire dwindles and sleep invades my eyes I thank God for helping me find what I had lost and I thank Him too for restoring the cap to my canteen. 

Lent - Day Seven - It Was So Important That He Said It Twice!

Gospel	Matthew 6:7-15 ©

How to pray

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test,

but save us from the evil one.

‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’

We saw something strange in the desert today, dark rain clouds passed overhead, lightning sounded but the hot air from the desert floor ascending consumed the water before it could hit the ground. I am not even sure how this storm made it over the mountains,  On our side of the mountains, there is nothing but sun and sand like a never-ending beach but no water to sully the dry, lifeless, and hot sand. 

The day had been long and except for the ten or fifteen minutes of the "storm", the sun beat mercilessly down on us.  Every step was harder than the step before.  Everyone, except the Master, was on edge when we stopped to eat lunch. The meal was over and we were checking the camels, making sure that none of the bindings were chaffing and that the load remained balanced.   Two of my companions were checking Hercules who as usual was in a sour mood when it happened.  One of the men checked a strap by pulling on it and thus loosened it and immediately the whole load became unbalanced.  The Hercules, not a camel to suffer fools easily started to walk away and the whole load fell off the camel's back into the grit of the desert floor.  The man who had charge of the camel called the other a bloody fool and as men do he followed that up with curses, threats, and saber rattling and a description of the culprit's home life that was hard to believe.  The two began to fight. The Master came and after a moment He demanded that they stop.  Reluctantly, they separated.  One of the men had what looked to be a black eye and the other was bleeding from his nose and his upper lip. Hercules for his part was standing and peering at his masters and if a camel could chuckle, that is what he would be doing at this moment.  

The Master was not happy.  He told everyone to unload and set up the camp because we would go no further this day.  The Master walked off to be alone while what He commanded was completed.  When the camp was set, the Master came to where the fire would be built and summoned us and had us sit around as we would at night.  Except that doing this during the day was almost worse than walking through the sun.  We sat with the vain hope that our hats would protect us from the sun.  Once we were all assembled, with the two combatants separated on opposite ends of the circle, the Master joined us.  He stood near the center of the group and He looked at us with eyes that, for once, did not reveal the inner peace that dominated Him.  Rather, the eyes seemed to register concern for someone or something.  This look was as rare as a rainstorm in the desert. He stooped and picked up a handful of sand and examined it intently for a moment and then He addressed us. 

"Every man here volunteered to follow me on this journey.  Every one of you took on the responsibility for taking care of one another, looking out for the good and pushing away the bad.  What happened to us today is a symptom.  There is tension between us and that may interfere with our journey.  We are on our way to Jerusalem for reasons that have been explained to you already.  You need to keep the goal in mind and it seems we have lost that because of petty squabbling and now even fisticuffs.  The two who were fighting, arise and face one another. Now approach and each of you apologize to the other."

 One of the culprits refused.  The Master took it in stride, almost as if he expected this to happen.  He told them to sit down. He began walking around the circle and continued his talk.

"We pray a common prayer. We say "Our Father" which means that we are all brothers.  We are not strangers who pass each other in the night.  Look at the people around you.  When you get to heaven these faces and those of a million trillion others will be ones you see.  When you go to Church on Sunday, look at the people in the pews.  Among them are your companions in heaven.  Yes. the lady with the squealing baby, and yes, the man who is constantly playing with his smartphone, and even the family that arrives late to mass and leaves right after communion every week.  Besides your friends, besides the people you know and love, there will uncounted millions of people that will be brothers and sister to you.  But once again, let us look at our common prayer, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  There! There it is!  Take heed of this sentence as you learn which is the hardest part of being one of my servants!  You must learn to forgive.  I was not kidding or exaggerating the need for you to forgive.  If you carry hate or bitterness in your heart for even one of your brothers or sisters, your entrance into heaven will be delayed or if your hate has hardened your heart so greatly, it may send you to be with the goats into everlasting torment. This fight that occurred today was minor and I know that it was caused by feelings of frustration and the uncomfortable heat we are dealing with during our journey.  But one bad word between friends can change the destiny of one or both of the brothers unless it is followed by an apology and a deeply felt need to right the wrong.  The devil looks for weakness. Imagine the dam at Aswan.  It is a marvel of human engineering.  But, all it takes is a small crack that is ignored by those whose job it is to tend the dam, and sooner or later, the dam will break and the loss of life will be great.  When you hate somebody, imagine if you will, that God's grace is in your soul protecting you and your brother insults you.  That is the crack in your dam and sooner or later the dam will burst, you will learn hate and your fate will be like that of the rich man who refused to feed Lazurus.   I say again, you must forgive those who hurt you.  In order to enter heaven, you must be a person of peace.  Now the two that were fighting, approach one another and settle this score at once." 

The two men walked towards one another.  One with his black eye showing beautifully against his tan skin and the other with a lip that seemed to be swollen twice as large as normal came together, embraced and when they dropped the embrace, each looked at the other, one pointing to a black eye and the other pointing to a split lip and they burst out laughing and took places next to one another in the circle.  The Master was pleased and he showed it with his warmest of smiles.  He left the circle and went to His tent. 

Do Nor Be Deceived About The End of the World ! ! !

Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen?  And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"
He answered,

"See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.'  Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."  Then he said to them,

"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

In this last week of the church year, we are reminded that one day all of the things that we are familiar with, all of the things of this world will end. Jesus tells us that there are those out in the world that do not have our best interests at heart and who will attempt to tear us away from Him.  They will spend their lives proving that the time set for the end by God is now and many of them will say that they know this to be true because they are God or that they are Jesus in the flesh. Do not believe them even if the display signs and wonders. We must not allow them to drive us out of our flock for what awaits those that leave the side of the Good Shepherd is spiritual death. 

But how will we know what is true?  How will we know who to follow?  How can we keep ourselves safe from being drawn away from Jesus by a false prophet who seems to be mighty in words and deeds?  We have been given our anchor, our solid rock.  We have the Catholic Church. The Church operates under the protection of the Holy Spirit. She holds the keys to the kingdom of God and where Peter is, there is the Church.  But doesn't the Bible say that the Church will be the home of the antichrist?  No, it doesn't.  As a matter of fact, it says the exact opposite, Jesus Himself founded the Church and said that the gates of hell will never prevail against her.  But how do we know where the "real Church" is?  Where there is Peter, there you will find the Church. Listen to what she says, listen to her through the Pope and the Magisterium. It is through Rome you will get the truth about the end times and nowhere else. 

The Poor Souls have the assurance of heaven and that fills them with a joy that is greater than anything we can experience here on earth.  But they still have to make amends and purify themselves before they can see God face to face. They cannot do a thing to help themselves and they depend on us to pray and sacrifice for them. Please, pray for the mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers who are in this place. They will be forever grateful.  Rember too, that as they are now you may one day be. 

Thanks...For Nothing!

Brothers and sisters:                                                                 Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, and by him, you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all!  Today is the day many families will gather and continue the traditions that make our families what they are.  Typical disasters will befall us.  Turkeys will tumble on the floor. ovens will burn rolls, bread will fail to rise, and at least one of the children will be in a bad mood.  Some turkeys will be cooked with the plastic bags of giblets and "gravy" still inside the bird.  In man caves, nationwide men will gather and speak knowledgeably about college teams they know nothing about as their eyes and spirits feast on multiple games of football displayed on huge television screens, while they consume nacho chips, cheese, and beer at near world record rates while waiting to be called to dinner.  Then, finally, dinner is served and everyone comes to the table as the perfectly roasted turkey is brought to the table and everyone is served their preferred meat, white, dark, or drumstick.  Before a bite is taken, the founder of the feast leads the assembled in a short prayer of thanksgiving to God for the warmth, food, and companionship of this day. All too soon, the meal ends and the last piece of pumpkin pie finds its way into Uncle George's ample belly and everyone adjourns to the living room as their spirits enter the world of the turkey food coma. 

Today, in the United States we take a moment to look at ourselves and what we have been given by our Almighty Father in heaven.  No matter who we are, no matter how humble of a dwelling we have, God has given us an abundance. Today we take time to thank Him for all he has given to us.  I recommend we also thank God for the things He has NOT given us.  There are gifts we truly would love to have in addition to what we have already. Sometimes these gifts do not seem to come our way no matter how hard we try to acquire them.  If this is the case then we must include on this day of thanksgiving, thanks for the things that God in His wisdom has withheld from us.  God our Father knows us better than we know ourselves.  He loves us more than we could love ourselves in a million years. He truly knows what is best for us.  If we are truly thankful on this day,  then we should thank God for everything.  We should thank Him for what we have, those we love, for our country, for our faith, and for His sending His Son to save us from our sins.  We should also say, "Thank you, Father, for the things that in your wisdom you have withheld from me.  I know you do this out of love for me and your wisdom will assure me of a happy life here on earth and eternity with you in heaven." 

God bless and keep you on this Thanksgiving Day! 

Please do not forget the poor souls in Purgatory on this Thanksgiving day.  Please spend a moment or two in prayer for them.  Pray for your family and friends that might be there, even if they are not, they prayers are not wasted.  Pray especially for the forgotten soul who has been there the longest and has no one to pray for him or her.  Please remember: As they are one day you might be. 

The Importance of a Good Foundation

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? 

I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.


That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."

In the past two weeks, hurricane Harvey and hurricane Irma have destroyed both people and buildings in the lands that they visited more efficiently than any modern army could using conventional weapons.  Buildings on some islands were reduced to unrecognizable piles of rubble and many of those that dwelled in these buildings lost their lives.  On the other hand, I watched reporters standing in the midst of the raging rain and wind reporting on the storms.  One of the reporters had a sturdy rope around a concrete pillar that he could hold on to when the winds got too intense.  The pillar was attached to a concrete structure, built on higher ground, with the foundation sunk deeply to bedrock.  This building was not moved when the rains came and the winds sang their loud songs of destruction. 

We are like buildings.  We can build our foundation on the things of this world and watch as the storms of life take apart what we had worked so hard to build.  We can trust in electronics, and money, and glitter and glitz and when the floods of disaster touch our life we will be left with nothing but ourselves. 

On the other hand, we can build our lives based on the truth that has been given to us by Jesus. Our lives can be built on pillars sunk down to the bedrock of truth and when the winds come and floods of evil times touch our lives we will be safe and secure because Jesus is our foundation and we shall not be moved. 

Purgatory is a place of hope and those that are there are secure in the fact that they will, someday be with God in heaven. They are in Purgatory to cleanse the effects of sin from themselves and to lose attachment to sin. They need our prayers. Please remember them in your daily prayers, they will remember those that helped them.  Thank you. 

Something New

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:

the old things have passed away;

behold, new things have come.

Well it was battered and scared,
And the auctioneer felt it was hardly worth his while,
To waste much time on the old violin but he held it up with a smile,
Well it sure ain't much but it's all we got left I guess we ought to sell it too,
Oh, now who'll start the bid on this old violin?
Just one more and we'll be through.

And then he cried one give me one dollar,
Who'll make it two only two dollars who'll make it three,
Three dollars twice now that's a good price,
Now, who's gonna bid for me?
Raise up your hand now don't wait any longer the auctions about to end,
Who's got four Just one dollar more to bid on this old violin?

Well the air was hot and the people stood around as the sun was setting low,
From the back of the crowd a gray haired man,
Came forward and picked up the bow,
He wiped the dust from the old violin then he tightened up the strings,
Then he played out a melody pure and sweet, sweeter than the Angels sing, 
And then the music stopped and the auctioneer, 
With a voice that was quiet and low, he said now what am I bid,
For this old violin and he held it up with a bow.

And then he cried out one give me one thousand,
Who'll make it two only two thousand who'll make it three,
Three thousand twice you know that's a good price,
Come on who's gonna to bid for me?
And the people cried out what made the change we don't understand,
Then the auctioneer stopped and he said with a smile,
It was the touch of the Masters' hand.

Sometimes when I am feeling low, I turn to music to turn myself back around so that I am not looking so much at me at a pity party but me as a person beloved by God.  The song I've reprinted above is called, "Touch of the Master's Hand" and it is sung by Wayne Watson. The words are absolutely on point and true. I love the beginning of the song where the auctioneer says, "Well it sure ain't much but it's all we got left..."  When I hear that I think of myself before Christ came into my life and how He tuned me up and it is because of Him that I am who I am today.  Friend, if today the gloomy sky matches your mood, or if you know you just aren't right, then surrender to the Master and let him fix what is broken, all you need to do is cooperate with His grace and the sun will shine in your soul.    God Bless.

YES, I AM SHOUTING!  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REMEMBER THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY IN YOUR PRAYERS TODAY. AN OUR FATHER, HAIL MARY, AND A GLORY BE TAKES BUT A MINUTE FOR US AND MEANS SO MUCH FOR THEM! 

Rocking Around The Clock

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. 
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  I send my prayerful congratulations out to both of these important men and I know that Paul won't mind if I concentrate on Peter today.

You have to hand it to Jesus, He hired quite a crew when He chose those who would carry on for Him once His mission was completed and He returned to the Father.  What people, particularly Protestants seem to forget is that Jesus did not proclaim a democracy, He proclaimed a Kingdom.  A kingdom, of course, is ruled over by the king.  The king decides policy and he appoints ministers to enforce the policies that he makes up.  The king cannot be everywhere at once so he normally has a chief or prime minister to handle things for him.  This minister is given authority far above the other run of the mill ministers that help run the kingdom.  As a matter of fact, all other ministers report to the prime minister.  An ordinary minister has the power of his office.  For example, he can collect taxes.  But this ordinary minister does not decide how much and from whom the taxes will be collected.  This is done through the king and through his proxy, the prime minister. The prime minister, on the other hand, can make decisions that affect the other ministers the king has placed under him.  The prime minister has been given the keys to the kingdom.  Doors that he opens, others do not have the authority to close and ones that he closes, no other may open.  The prime minister's decisions have the effect of law.

In today's reading, we see that Peter has been appointed as the rock upon which Jesus will build His Church.  Notice that the Church is not Peter's church, it is the Church of Jesus.  Jesus is the King and Peter has been appointed as his prime minister being given the keys to the kingdom.  More than that, Jesus declares that the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against His Church and decisions made by Peter on earth will be honored in heaven.  Peter is given the authority of the prime minister, he can bind and loose. 

Peter is arguably a curious choice for this post of being the first in a long unbroken line of popes.  Yes, I know Jesus did not say the word "pope."  The word simply means father or better yet, papa. As we follow the story, not too far down the line Peter fails the first time and Jesus tells him, "Get thee behind me Satan."  Later on, Peter, the prime minister bravely denies his master while warming himself at the fire in the courtyard of the high priest.  But in the early Church, controversies came up and were discussed at length.  But when Peter spoke, the discussion ended and the matter was settled. 

So we salute Peter, the first Pope and see in him a human being who went back to fishing until  Jesus called him back. We see a man who made decisions that helped the young Church grow.  And he was a man that proved his love of Jesus in the end because he requested to be crucified upside down when the time for his martyrdom came because he felt unworthy to die as his Master did.  So, thank you Peter, the first Pope, the first servant of the servants of God. 

Knowledge Ain't Enuf

I often have to remind myself that knowledge about God is not the same as a relationship with God.  I have a good knowledge about the things my church teaches about God.  I was involved in RCIA, that is the training of people looking to join the Church after they have become adults so I have had to study and learn about my religion.  This is certainly okay as far as it goes.  This knowledge was hard won and certainly useful for the people I imparted it to.  Take for example the simple Bible verse, "God is love."  To teach that to someone coming into the Church is a great good.  If I leave this nugget of truth about God in someone else's heart and do not take it into my own, then it does me no good. 

Paul tells us this in 1 Cor. 1 -3.  He says that no matter what if we do not have love in our heart, we are nothing more than a noisy gong or a cymbal making a senseless racket.  In other words, without taking the scriptures to heart, they do us no good at all.  We can memorize the whole Bible but if we do not put the knowledge into practice, it is useless to us.  So it is with God.  We can know all about Him, we can preach His wonders but if we do not have an intimate relationship with Him, well, then, so what?

For us Catholics, we have so many opportunities to unite ourselves with Christ.  Think about what you do every week at mass.  You worship God publicly and you receive God Himself into your body in the Holy Eucharist.  Is it just bread you eat?  If so, I can tell you where you can get better tasting bread and in a larger slice.  No, it is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ Himself that you receive.  Do you take the host, return to your place and read the church bulletin or talk to your spouse?  Don't waste the chance to pour out your heart to the One who loves you. 

We Catholics can also meet Christ in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Christ wants us to trust Him and He also wants us to come to Him and relate to Him where we have failed so he can cure us of our spiritual ills and make us stronger in the faith.  This sacrament scares many people because they think that the priest who is acting in persona Christi will remember what they confess and hold it against them somehow.  We also think that our sins are somehow unique, that father has never heard someone confess what we did before.  Do you want to bet?  Reconciliation is an opportunity to begin a relationship with Christ even before you enter the confessional because you can prayerfully examine your conscience after asking the Lord to help you recall your sins.

There are so many ways in the Catholic Church to meet Christ.  There is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, there are ministries that need your particular talent.  Just seek and you shall find.  Getting to know about Christ is a good first step.  Getting to know Jesus as a personal friend should be your goal because this friendship will last an eternity.  

Please Explain Yourself !

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.

Always be ready to give an explanation

to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,

but do it with gentleness and reverence,

keeping your conscience clear,

so that, when you are maligned,

those who defame your good conduct in Christ

may themselves be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good,

if that be the will of God than for doing evil.

Yesterday, I wrote about the world and how if the Church is doing a good job the world will hate us. Today, we are asked to always be ready to explain why we are a Christian.  We are told to do so gently and reverently.  So, what do you say if someone asks you why you are a Catholic Christian?   How do you respond? 

First, how would someone determine if you were a Christian? Could they tell just by looking at you?  Could they tell by a close examination of your conduct that you were different than someone who does not profess to be a friend of Jesus?  If we go back to our roots in the first century we can see that Christians of that era were known because they loved each other so much. Do we exude the aura of love in what we do and say?  Or, are we just another regular Joe (or Jane) that works nine to five and collects a paycheck to pay the bills and maybe, just maybe, have a little bit of transient joy by engaging in the things of this world.  If we could not be convicted in a court of law of being a Catholic Christian than it is unlikely anyone would bother asking why we seem different because we aren't.  If we practice our religion on Sunday and that carefully pack it away for the rest of the week, then it makes no difference in our lives.  We in effect become an undercover Catholic.  We keep our pious lives safe and secure and  no one is the wiser. 

But, if you get asked, what do you respond?  Do you break out your Bible and thump it and scream that they had better accept Jesus as their savior or suffer the pains of hell forever more?  There is nothing like going for the jugular vein.  The direct approach wastes no one's time and unfortunately discourages the person because the yelling and screaming gets lost in the noise generated by the world itself.  There will be nodding and agreement and once you walk self-righteously away, everything you have said will be filed away in the same place that the person files the information attained in late night infomercials.  

It is important to have a reason for your belief that is both honest and true.  And this reason should be self-evident in the way you conduct yourself and your words should simply confirm that what you have shown them on the outside is matched by what comes from inside. What could the reason be?  Can you put it into words?  I think our hope comes from the fact that in the Church we are united by one Bread and one Body.  I think that we are united in a spirit of love and honest and responsible conduct and gentle treatment of all we meet. We are that way because we know and believe that we are special.  We are not just ordinary Joes or Janes.  We are adopted children of the Father who loves us with a love that is impossible for us to fully understand.  It is this love, that we have in our hearts that we just have to share with those around us.  This sharing of love, this kindness in a world where a smile might be met with a fist, is what we have that the world does not have and what it longs for. 

Words can be powerful things.  Writers are skilled at arranging words to make a point.  Orators are skilled at swaying emotions through the use of vocabulary, inflection, and gesture.  But what if you are a person who cannot write and you are too shy to stand before a group of people and to try to sway them with pearls of wisdom dropping from your vocal chords?  It is very simple.  You live your life giving love and patience to all, accepting the good and the bad with equal joy and people will notice that there is something different about you.  This will attract them to you and eventually they will see that you are you because of Christ within you.  Our Church is not built on great orators or writers, both of which are needed. Our Church is built by those that use their life to make a difference to each person that they meet. 

Finally, do not be too concerned if your good attitude and mode of living brings to you rejection.  It will come.  Do not be concerned if you are the victim of persecution for that goes hand in hand with being a Christian from the beginning.  Your hope and your strength are not centered in this world, they are centered in heaven.  Your victory has already been won and that is why you can hope while the world dwells in hopelessness.  Let the brightness of your soul shine forth with the radiance of a thousand billion suns and let the world come and see why you shine so brightly.

I Want You !

They strengthened the spirits of the disciples

and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,  

"It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships

to enter the Kingdom of God."

The 21st Century has brought to the Church more martyrs for the faith than were created in the early years of Christianity.  What is it about the name of Jesus that fills the pagans with such fear?  Is it that they know, instinctively that the victory of Jesus against His enemies is a done deal and they want to try and change that?  Is it that the power of Love that Jesus represents is too powerful for them to overcome so that they have to resort to violence?

On July 26, 2016, Father Jacques was peacefully saying Mass for his congregation when two Muslim men entered the church and murdered him by slitting his throat. Jacques was reported to have said, "Satan go" when he was confronted by his killers. Both of these Muslims pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic state. 

Jacques is but one of many modern martyrs that have been killed by followers of a perverted version of Islam. What distinguishes a Christian martyr from an ordinary believer?  Well, of course, there is the fact that the martyr is dead. But it is before death that the martyr distinguishes him or herself. This type of person has given their all to Christ and they have held nothing back.  Their life is one of service and of love. Well, many good Christians live that way and are they any less holy than a martyr?  No, because holiness does not come to us because of our actions, it comes to us because of the attitudes we hold inside.  To be holy, one does not have to stand on the street corner shouting scripture but one must hold that scripture in their heart and act on it.  A martyr goes one step further in that they will act on scripture even in the face of death.  Their commitment to Christ and His Church is total.  Their whole life is a testimony to the love of God and their loyalties are forever united with the precepts of Christ.  They are in effect, whole people, or holy. Of course, you can be holy without being a martyr, or can you? 

Each of us has a decision to make. Do we follow the world or do we follow Christ?  Do we acknowledge Jesus as Lord of All, including Lord of us?  If we do, then the stuff of martyrs is within is. A blood martyr has given their all and sacrificed life for Jesus and has given us an example of total commitment.  On the other hand, there are modern day people that give their all in an unbloody way by caring for the poor, the homeless.  There are those who sacrifice comfort and safety to help those that cannot help themselves. These people are the bloodless martyrs and they, like those who sacrificed their physical life, are shining examples of what we should be like. 

In America, it is becoming more and more likely that we may see our fellow Christians, Catholics, and Protestants alike may be called to the ultimate sacrifice for Jesus.  The craziness of radical Islam is not unknown in America.  Each of us has to be ready to step forward when our name is called.  We must be proud and loud and ready to serve our Master.