Some will be posted as manuscripts, some as videos, some as a mixture of both. Ya’ never know what ya’ gonna get.
First Sunday of Lent.
Lent has begun.
Jesus begins this journey by heading into the desert. It's not a pleasant experience.
He's tempted. He's hungry. He's exhausted. He's alone. And yet, he resists his tempter.
For 40 days, Jesus experiences the extremes of what it means to be human and overcomes the discomfort by relying on God.
How can we use this example to come to Jesus and let go of the world?
For the World’s Sake, Be Holy!
This week, I had permission from the Archbishop to offer the Mass for Times of War in place of the Mass for the 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is why I am vested in purple. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Pray for Ukraine. St Michael the Archangel, defend them.
What are YOU going to do?
The Churches are being emptied, what are you going to do about it?
When I said no to God.
Simon, after receiving the fish God gives him from putting out into the deep, reacts to God’s Goodness with Humility. When they arrive back to shore, Simon says to the Lord, “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful Man.” It is not guilt that causing Simon to say this, rather it is gratitude. When Simon recognizes that God gave him more than he got get on his own, he says these words because he cannot hold what God gives him. With every sin that I have committed my boat because less able to float. With every occasion I say no to the Lord’s invitation my boat becomes smaller, I drill another hole into my boat, and it sinks more.
Give me that Good Wine.
God stands there, offering us the Gospel. The Lord is offering us His instructions. What God offers is a superabundance, more than we could ever need. There in Cana, Jesus gives the people at the wedding feast 180 gallons, or 900 bottles, or 4,500 glasses of wine. Jesus gives them wine that blows away all expectations, all concept of what a good wine is. He offers something that is greater than anything we can ever produce. The problem is, we are too drunk on the inferior wines of the world to realize what incredible wine God is setting before us.
Don’t Look Up.
We are absent from the culture, because we have not shown to the world the value of Faith. We are absent from culture because we have not engaged with culture. The world does not know God because we do not teach the world who He is. We need to be priestly, offering prayer and fasting for the good of the world around us. We need to be prophetic, offering God’s word and leading people to the joy and hope of the Gospel. We need to be kingly, subduing our passions and becoming Holy Saints. We need to live out our Baptismal identities. We need to be Holy.
