Mt 19:23-30 Good Morning God!

Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Click here for readings)

Jesus said to his disciples:  "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven."  ...Then Peter said to him in reply, "We have given up everything and followed you.  What will there be for us?"

Not too long ago, I met a woman who would every morning say to God, "Good morning, Lord.  Please help me today to get closer to you and to heaven."  I asked her how it was going.  She shook her head and said, "Not so good.  It seems like the harder I try the harder God is trying to distance himself from me."  Surprised, I asked her to elaborate.  She said, "The nicer I am to people the more they try to take advantage of me.  I'm trying to take care of my Father but no one is helping me.  I don't know what I am doing wrong?"

I told her, "Nothing.  You're not doing anything wrong.  In fact, your prayer is being answered and you don't even realize it."

Nearer my God to thee.  If you wish to get closer to God, then you have to get closer to Christ; and if you wish to get closer to the Lord, then you must pick up your Cross and follow Him. 

When I decided to become a priest, it meant buying into a bitter three course meal:  poverty, chastity and obedience.  Only later on did I realize that this was just the appetizer.  I knew that becoming a priest meant making sacrifices.  What I didn't realize - until much later - was that these sacrifices actually brought me closer to the Lord and to others, and that they helped me to be a better man, better friend, better lover of all kinds of souls and better minister to souls.   

"Lord, we have given up everything and followed you.  What will there be for us?"  Peter was still a work in progress. 

If you believe the Catholic Church has too many rules, then you're still a work in progress.  It means you still haven't made the transition from outsider to insider. 

Jesus and sacrifice go hand-in-hand and for good reason.  Where there is sacrifice, there is love; and where there is love, there is God.  For God is love.

Tomorrow morning, wake up to the lover that is beside you, behind you, above you and below you.  Say good morning to God!