Mt 11:25-27 You Have Revealed These Things To The Childlike

Matthew 11:25-27 You Have Revealed these things to the Childlike

There is a huge difference between being childlike and childish.

To be childlike means to be open (eyes wide open) to wonder and truth. To be childish means to be closed (eyes shut tight) and remain arrogant and obstinate. What a difference between Heaven and Hell. If there were a passage way from Hell to Heaven, from eyes shut to eyes wide open, it would be through the virtue of Humility. Humility breaks the barrier from childish to childlike. A great man once said, “It takes a great man to realize how small he is.” This type of humility is required to experience wonder and truth. The childlike will say, “I have so much to learn.” The childish will always say, “I know.” Socrates was the greatest man who ever lived - wise and innocent - full of wonder and truth, childlike. He would have made a great disciple of the Lord.

“Lord, return to me the joy of my childhood! Recreate in me a pure heart. Teach me your ways and protect my innocence.” It took Jesus, childlike, meek and humble of heart, innocent (not naïve) and wise, to reveal the mysteries of who we are and what we are here for. Who are we? A gift from God. What are we here for? To be Saints. What must I do? Be holy. How? By following the Will of God. And what is the Will of God for me? To love unconditionally. To love Him and to love one another. In other words, we are called into existence to be a love gift from above to another. The purpose of the Universe, the reason for man’s existence is, in a nut shell, to crank out saints. This is the “Big Bang Theory of Catholicism.” It all starts from one tiny explosion of love. I am a gift from God, freely given to the world for the world. I have only one purpose in life and in death: Sainthood. To be a Saint means to be united with the Lord, to stand by Him. Children may act up and rebel against their mother and father, but as soon as danger draws near, they run for protection. Jesus invites us all to run to Him, “Come to me…” It’s not childish! It is childlike!! It is wonderful and true. Sin has made us deaf and blind, but not the Lord. “Shall He who shaped the ear not hear? Or He who formed the eye not see” (Psalm 94).

It’s time to drop the dolls and action figures, drop all those things that we cling to, and hand ourselves over to the Lord. What “things” did Christ reveal to the childlike? The Rules of Engagement – the Rules of the Game: Love requires humility; humility requires eyes to be wide open; eyes wide open require a childlike heart.

Today, let us bow our heads and bend our knees to the one who is True and Wonderful, wise and innocent and whose image the redeemed (childlike) man is made in.

Mt 11:20-24 Will You Be Exulted To Heaven?

Matthew 11:20-24 Will you be exulted to heaven?

There comes a time in our life when we have to make some tough decisions. Today the Lord is inviting us to say “yes” to Him with all our heart, soul, mind and will. Will I or will I not say “yes” to a new life in Christ? Will I or will I not follow the Law of God? Our holiness begins with every new day; it should not end with the end of the day.

Think about this for a moment. All the miracles that Christ performed were simply not enough to change the hearts of the men of his time (and not even the men of our time). In my own life, I have preached at many Masses, heard many confessions, and witnessed many conversions. But it has not been enough to finally push someone over the edge towards Christ. What will do it? An open heart. In fact, open heart surgery. Even better, a heart transplant! It’s true, man cannot live by bread alone; nor can he live with his own heart. It’s simply not big enough for eternal life.

Our true quality of life does not depend upon income, but rather on our expenses, how much we gave; that is, how we loved. We must come out ahead every single day. Otherwise the day is a loss. A little love produces an abundance of gratitude and understanding. Love is paid in full only with love. We should always strive for positive earnings – to be loved. Are we faithful to our personal commitments with the Lord? Do I know what the Lord demands from me today? Have I put myself in my neighbor’s place and am I willing to give until it hurts? Life is all about grace, and what I do with what the Lord generously gives to me. How do I respond to the Lord’s voice? Listen carefully because “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

What to do with a heart of stone? Facts are useless – meaningless - to a hard heart. They do not penetrate. A hard heart is like a prison cell. The one who suffers the most is the one who cannot forgive or ask for forgiveness! “Repentance does not come from God - it is not forced upon anyone. Repentance comes from the heart, the center of all my decisions. Jesus invites us to his banquet, we need only to attend. God knows miracles will never be enough. Not even the resurrection was enough. Not even coming down from the cross would have been enough. We are stubborn. We talk about donkeys being stubborn, but nothing compares to a prideful man (or woman!). We learn from a very young age, that all we need to do is hold out for a certain amount of time. Well, time is up! Even Jesus “began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” Life is coming to an end. Eternal life is about to begin. Why waste another second with indecision or a “let’s wait and see” attitude? We have been given all that it takes to be a Saint or a scoundrel. “Will you be exulted to heaven? Or will you go down to the nether world?” A Saint lives it up - to the full. A scoundrel creates in his own misery, bathed by his own sins of fear and doubt, especially when he realizes, for the first time, that he is neither in charge of this world nor his own life. It kills him to experience turns of events. The prophet Isaiah is sent by the Lord to shore up the king. “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm.” The Lord sent his Son to firm up our faith. “Unless you die to yourself, you shall not rise with me.”

Mt 10:34-11:1 Whoever Loses His Life for My Sake will Find It

Matthew 10:34-11:1

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Whoever Loses His Life for My Sake will Find It

Here they are, finally! Some of the most controversial words our Lord ever spoke: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” In the Bible, the word “sword” is often used in reference to the Word of God. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb 4:12). The word of God cuts through the chase. It divides men. Either I am for the Lord or I am against Him. Either “Thy Will be done” or “My will be done.” The consequences will determine how I live eternity.

Christ came into the world to liberate it! He is the eminent fighter. He is not warm and fuzzy; always with a smile on his face. He is not a pussy cat. He is a Lion, an untamed lion, like Aslan. Whoever loves anything or anyone above the All-Powerful One is not worthy of anything! Christ came into the world to set us free from sin, and paid the ultimate price for our rebellion. This is no G-rated movie. This is rated R, or “Restricted”, for those not passionately in love with the Lord.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” According to Matthew, Jesus spoke these words only to his Apostles. What I admire most about the Lord is that he had no interest in sugarcoating the mission or making it more appealing. From the very beginning no weak men were allowed. Only the toughest were called to follow. You didn’t sign up. You were called. Christ did well, setting the bar high and expecting to lose a few on the way for he knew, from the very beginning, that the mission would be tough; the toll, costly, and yet, he predicted the yield would be abundant. He was right! No one can serve two masters. It’s either/or.

The greatest show on earth is a Christian on fire for the Lord - literally.

The Roman emperor Nero enjoyed crucifying Christians, dipping them in tar and lighting them on fire in front of enormous crowds of spectators. He would then yell at the Christians, mocking them, saying, “Now, you are truly the light of the world.” Little did he realize the impact these holy men and women would have on their audience. The spectators observed them more than the entertainment they had purchased. Their eyes were fixed on those who were willing to lose their lives but not the reward. This is the Way it all came to an end. This is the Truth on how Christians conquered and divided an evil empire. This is the Life we are all called to live.

Lk 10:25-37 And Who is My Neighbor?

Luke 10:25-37

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And Who Is My Neighbor?

Thank you! Thank you very much!! That was so kind of you! You really shouldn’t have. Really, thank you! These were, in my opinion, the exaggerated words of gratitude, from a Hindu, as I voluntarily pulled down his luggage from the overhead compartment above us on this morning’s flight back to Dallas.

The question, "Who is my neighbor?" is really the same as asking "Who is my friend?" I believe the answer is someone who does not measure the cost. "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." This is the philosophy of Christ and of the protagonist forever known as "The Good Samaritan."

A friend is someone who helps you when you just can't do it on your own. This parable revolutionizes the way we see each other and the way God wishes we help one another. We are to see one another not as an object but as a subject - another I. "Love your neighbor as yourself" or to be more specific, "Love one another has I have loved you." What exactly does this mean? The parable given to us by Christ highlights certain demands placed on the Christian. We are to love without compensation; to remain, if possible, anonymous in our love and care; to go beyond the immediate need of the other; and to consider the delays or "nuisances" along our journey as part of our "Journey" that ultimately creates our destiny. This kind of friendship (really, love) is impossible if we do not love God with all our mind, heart, soul, strength and will. For this reason, the first commandment is above the second!

Who is this "Good Samaritan?" It is unfortunate that the Lord cannot point to anyone among the crowd or among his followers. Instead, he must resort to a parable that points to a futuristic figure - himself.

We are Christ’s witnesses that it pays off to be a "Good Samaritan." After all, look at what he has done for me! We could never exaggerate our gratitude towards Him.



Once again Jesus leads the way because he places his love in the Father first. He is the one that forfeits his “savings” for our salvation; who insists on remaining anonymous; who appears as a foreigner in his own land; who saves those wounded by sin, wounded by evil beings, who cannot save themselves; and who demands nothing in return from us except to "love one another as I have loved you." In this life, we may not find a good friend or a good neighbor. Who cares! The Lord does not call his followers to find a good friend. He demands that we make good friends, regardless of who they are – Jew or Gentile, woman or man, sinner or saint. Jesus asks us to love our enemies - like me!

Mt 10:24-33 Here I Am Lord, Send Me

Matthew 10: 24-33

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Today, this morning, let us pray with all our hearts these words, "Here I am Lord, send me" (Isaiah 6:8) and allow the Lord of life to be the Master of my life - to do with me what he did for us; to be a grain of wheat and die so that others may have life. These words from Isaiah are his response to God's invitation. We know that Isaiah was given the toughest job on earth to the toughest people ever: the Jews. Do we expect any less of a challenge? Forget it! The Lord reminds his Apostles over and over again, "No slave is greater than his Master, no disciple greater than his teacher...if they persecuted me, they will persecute you.".

In other words, and in today's language, "if they call me crazy, they will do the same to you!" We should stop thinking of ourselves as more privileged than our Lord. Whoever speaks the Gospel will be labeled a fanatic, a lunatic an idiot. But the world is on a collision course with Truth.

A great teacher of mine once asked our class "How many legs does a dog have?" We all smiled because it was the easiest question he had ever asked. All of us answered, "Four!" Then he proceeded, "Now, if we call the tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?" We all answered with just as much confidence as before, "Five!" He told us that we were all relativists - a bad word in Philosophy. He explained to us that a tail will never be a leg regardless of what we call it - because it isn't by its very nature. The same is true for same sex marriage. It doesn't matter what you call it, it will never be a marriage by the very nature of what marriage is.

Words have meaning because of the truth that nature reveals to man. God exists; the 10 Commandments are here to stay; Christians will be persecuted and hated regardless of whether or not you agree or disagree. Christians will be persecuted because by their very definition they are a sign of contradiction. They are also by definition "to be another Christ.". So don't sweat it, enjoy it.

The Lord tells us to reveal what is concealed - that is, to reveal His Love for us; to let it be known to all the world the greatest secret ever known - that Christ died for us and rose from the dead for us; to proclaim from the housetops, street corners and neighborhood windows that we should be afraid of the one who can kill both the body and the soul!!! But that the darkness did not overcome the light. "So do not be afraid...whoever acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Heavenly Father." With an introduction like that, who would be worried?

Let us ask the Lord for his grace upon us, to speak his word faithfully, to share his word convincingly and to die to his word lovingly.

Mt 10:16-23 I Am Sending You Like Sheep Among Wolves

Matthew 10: 16 -23

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I Am Sending You Like Sheep Among Wolves

“I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves… they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you… Brother will hand over brother to death…Children will hand parents over and put them to death…You will be hated by all because of my name.” Well, no one can say that the Apostles weren’t warned. Who in their right mind would ever agree to something like this? The Apostles were not, excuse the expression, ”LOSERS.” On the contrary, Matthew ran a very successful and lucrative business extorting money from his countrymen. Peter was a fisherman, who was hardly starving to death. Paul was a genius with a bright future due to being so energetic, enthusiastic and zealous. Luke was a medical doctor. Do I have to say any more? These men had made more than their contemporaries. Why then would they ever agree to follow the Lord knowing perfectly well their lives would be cut short because of Him? Because their lives were boring. Their life had no meaning. Life for them was incomplete. Every single convert to the faith knows perfectly well what I’m talking about, and they can testify to this most humbling truth. Life has no meaning outside of Christ. “All things I consider them rubbish”…Rubbish!! “that I may gain Christ.” (Phil 3:8)

Christ is gain. Christ will never be loss. The greatest “losers” are they who never knew Christ. To live a life devoid of Christ is to live a life devoid of a heart-Impossible!! The Apostles tried too. Matthew struggled; Peter backed away on numerous occasions; Paul stumbled and fell. All those who follow Jesus understand what loss is. It means never turning back, and to be labeled a traitor by your countrymen, hunted down like an animal by your occupiers; to be hated like a criminal and rejected by family and friends. But our loss is rubbish compared to gaining Christ my savior. Fitting into the world means to settle for less. The Lord knows well the cross we must bear because he carried it first and the furthest. “Whoever endures to the end, will be saved.” Life on high in Christ Jesus. This is what brings back our joy. “Lord, give me back the joy of your salvation.”(Psalm 51) Today I refuse to be mastered by sin. I wish to accompany my Lord and my God as he sends his 12 Apostles like sheep among wolves. I will not be afraid. I will not cower in fear. Why should I? For I was once a wolf myself!

Mt 10:7-10 Without Cost You Are to Give

Matthew 10:7-10

Without Cost You Are To Give

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Someone once told me that the Sacrament of Confession must truly come from God; otherwise, the Church would ask for a donation!

There is a sense of urgency in the matter of evangelization. Jesus tells his Apostles to go and proclaim, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Now is the time for redemption. Now is the time to approach the Lord as my Savior and not my Judge. Now is the time to seek first the Kingdom of God.

Without cost you have received

What did the Apostles receive? Jesus Christ. The Lord gave himself to them, freely and without reserve. It was the Lord who chose them and prepared them for the daunting task of spreading The Word throughout the world. And they were to do it freely, without cost, because they had received the Word freely and without cost. As an American, this might appear to be bad advice. After all, don’t we value items that are more expensive than others? Don’t we compare price tags and assume that the more expensive brand is the better in quality? And yet, the Lord puts no price tag on our salvation. THANK GOD! For life-everlasting is priceless. Eternal life is the greatest pearl, the greatest treasure that man could receive. The Apostles left everything for it, suffered horribly at the hands of pagans because of it, but died singing as they headed towards it. Their commitment and dedication would make them authentic witnesses of the life-to-come. The Apostles, and all those who dedicate their lives to spreading the Word of God, inherit the Kingdom of heaven. But in doing so, they forfeit their lives in imitation of their Master and live a life similar to He who died for me! The Christian is called to be another Christ.

Without cost you are to give

What did the Apostles give to the world that was so priceless? What they had received: Jesus Christ – God, true love and friendship, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. Every father and mother on earth has a model to look up to; every son and daughter has the perfect image to kneel to. Today, the Lord calls us to be faithful and generous in our vocation as a Christian and as a family member because in both cases we have received much, freely, from heaven.

Since the cost is priceless and the reward, everlasting. Then our commitment must be unconditional.