Mt 7:7-12 Everyone Who Asks, Receives!

Mt 7:7-12 Everyone Who Asks, Receives!

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Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.

Bear with me for a moment. Is Christ the solution to all our problems or is Christ the cause of all our problems? He allows his children to go off and play and scrape their knees. He allows them to wander alone in the forest and get lost. Christ is not the solution to our problems; he is the cause of our problems! Our problems are his making and our opportunities; His teaching and our education.

A while back an 11-year-old autistic girl, Nadia Bloom, wandered off into the gator infested swamps of Florida and got lost. She had been missing for five days until a Church pastor discovered her, covered in mosquito bites. It was a miracle. We know it was a miracle because the pastor, part of the rescue team, had decided to go out early in the morning and search for the little girl on his own. He said he kept hearing a voice inside him telling him which direction to turn and where to go. The voice must have come from above because he found her! Why does the Lord allow us to get lost? Why does the Lord allow us to suffer pain and misery? Is he not the cause of all our problems? Yes, he is. But he is also the solution to our biggest problems: Sin, death and Hell.

Jesus tells us that we have a direct line to him. Whether we see it or not, we don’t really struggle with our problems, our fears, our lives, our friends, or our families. The struggle is really with Him! There is something more profound with this Gospel passage than meets the eye. “Ask and you shall receive”. Christ is much more than a means to an end. “Seek and you shall find.” He is more than a map maker. “Knock and the door shall be opened.” Jesus is more than a secret knock that unlocks a mysterious door. Christ is more than all these things. He is more than a means to an end. He is the end of my life. He is the rope at the end of my life, and when he yanks on it, I move – regardless of if I like it or not.

Allow Christ to be at the end of your rope. Allow him to yank it towards Him. Otherwise, you will look for something less sturdy like a tree and end up swinging like Judas! Christ will always lift you up! Judas had to be pulled down.

The Lord gives us problems so that we will ask, seek and knock. Let us ask the Lord to give us the strength and courage to give what He wants and to take what He gives.

Only Jesus can take a problem and turn it into a blessing.

Only Jesus can take the cross, a symbol of hatred, evil, torture and death and turn it into the symbol of faith, hope, perseverance, dedication, sacrifice and love.

Only Christ can take my life and have it be loved by another.

Only Christ can turn night into day, mourning into morning, and sin into grace.

Only Christ can take a horrible Friday and make it “Good” Friday.

Lk 11:29-32 Someone Greater Here

Lk 11:29-32 Someone Greater Here

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We have reduced ourselves to the lowest common denominator. We have become so practical that we are in danger of becoming mathematical. In many ways we are surrounded by a reductionist mentality. Art is reduced to scandal; music to trends; fashion is skimpiness; beauty to bones. Man is seen as just another animal. We can continue: School has been reduced to grades; graduation to rewards and awards. Success is income; family is 1.2 children and a child has been reduced to “a choice”. Now Man has become less than an animal! Life has been reduced to a job; health to living longer; happiness to feelings; love to sex; man (woman) to particular organs. Man is less than whole!

The same goes for God. God has been reduced to “a power” or “Mother Nature” or “Greenness”. God is the color green. Christ, throughout the centuries, has been constantly reduced to a “reformer”, a motivational speaker, a wise-man, a good man, a decent man, a man. But He can never be the God-Man!

We reduce things in life so that we can ignore what we cannot understand or let go from what we cannot grasp. We have a hard time understanding Christ, so we reduce him to another Buddha. We have a hard time praying, so we reduce praying to yoga or even simple exercise.

Today, the Lord presents us with the brutal facts. Jesus, the Lord, is greater than all the prophets, all the patriarchs, all the Laws! In fact, he is above the law because he leads by example. He lives what he preaches. He gives it all, unconditionally. In fact, Christ is alone in all humanity because he can forgive unconditionally and give unconditionally. No human being has ever lived as he lives. No one ever will for Christ is something greater than we could ever imagine: Jesus alone is God. When he walks it is forever. When he speaks it is forever. When he raises his right hand it is forever! Life should not be reduced to the "now." Life is forever, eternal.

He can take the worst day of our lives and call it a blessing. He alone can fall three times and rise up for all eternity. With his simple words he has changed the course of human history and inspired countless generations of men and women to follow him to the remotest corners of the world.

The Lord continues to surprise us to this day! In England we are witnessing a miracle. With the on-going decline of priestly ordinations, the reductionists were licking their chops and pointing fingers to Rome asking when the Holy Father would wake up to the signs of the times! We need to solve this problem! We need women priests! We need an end to celibacy and poverty. We need an end to these archaic principles routed in our poor and misguided Lord and Bride.

Well, on Ash Wednesday, over sixty Anglican priests were officially welcomed as catechumens and candidates for reception in the Catholic Church. They will be ordained priests by Pentacost. Four thousand and seven hundred people will be received into the Roman Catholic Church on Easter Sunday, a record. Who would have imagined. No one, unless you think in terms of milleniums rather than in the "today." The Church thinks long term, longer than a lifetime. It thinks eternal.

Why don't we think the same way? Because we tend to forget that there is someone greater than you or me.

Mt 6:7-15 When You Pray

Mt 6:7-15 When You Pray

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The Lord asked his disciples, “Can you not stay awake with me for one hour?” Almost a year ago, I decided that I would. One of the greatest lights I ever received in my life was to start this daily blog – my daily meditations. The people who read it unknowingly hold me accountable to a promise I made to the Lord: “Yes, I can stay with you for an hour.”

The best time to pray is in the morning, and this is the best for me. Lately, I have had to do them later during the day and this is not the best for me. But I will not end the day without dedicating an hour a day in meditation.

I was worried that once I left the religious discipline, structure and order I was involved in for over seventeen years I would fall into the great temptation of abandoning this welcomed guest. Today, I can honestly say that I cannot function without praying upon the Gospel and doing my daily meditation. This is what we should all strive for: to feel as if there is something missing if I do not pray; to feel a great sense of loss when I do not spend time alone with the Lord. Most people cannot function during the day if they do not shower. This is how we should all feel when it comes to prayer.

When should we pray? Always, in words and in deeds. Why should we pray? Because we need to breathe, and prayer is to the soul what oxygen is to the brain and heart - essential. Breathing reminds us that we cannot escape from reality of the world. Prayer reminds us that we cannot escape the need for God. How should we pray? With honesty, humility and hard work.

Lord, teach us how to pray.

Reflection is needed in life and prayer produces reflection. Prayer yields the fruit of new ideas, higher living standards and greater ministries. It allows us to penetrate deeper into the life of Christ and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.

If I feel as if I am not loved, it is because I do not pray. If my plans are falling apart and I along with them, then it is because I do not pray. If I give up too quickly and abandon the soul seeking desire for intimacy with the Lord, it is because I do not pray. If I am suffering from heartache, frustration, loneliness, despair, isolation and confusion, it is because I do not pray. If I am struggling with addictions, it is because I do not pray. If I feel the world is too much of a burden for me to carry upon my shoulders, it is because I do not pray.

Have no doubts, prayer is essential. The question is not really how do you pray but when do you pray?

When the Lord teaches his disciples to pray, he is teaching them to detach themselves from this world and attach themselves to the Father. If you think that prayer is a waste of time; that it does you no good, then it is because you do not pray!

I know the power of prayer because I have seen it with my own eyes. I also know what the lack of prayer can do to me and to others, because I have seen it with my own eyes.

Mt 25:31-46 Serving Is Hard To Do

Mt 25:31-46 Serving Is Hard To Do

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Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

It’s not often that it happens. But sometimes I just do not feel like making a hospital visit. I know this sounds horrible, but it is true. A few weeks ago I was so upset at my favorite Pro-Life center called Birth Choice. The receptionist had called me non-stop, three times in less than an hour, while I was on a retreat. They wanted me to visit a woman who had lost her baby. The child was premature and only survived an hour. I won’t get into the details but I basically told them to stop bothering me. After all, it’s a Saturday and didn’t they know that priests are extremely busy on Saturdays? Little did I know how holy this woman was and with her prayers and the Holy Spirit, they both managed to get me to visit her. In less than a half-hour, I left the retreat center, drove over an hour to get to Parkland and was able to see her that day.

Then, it happened again. I was doing some exercise and I received a phone call on the Emergency line. Again, all I could think was, “Tough! I need my time too!” But then I felt so guilty I called immediately and went straight to the hospital.

Serving is hard to do. But what I have realized in my life is that when it is the most difficult, then it is the most important. When I don’t feel like visiting a patient, I now know it is the patient I need to visit the most. When I don’t feel like hearing another confession, it is the confession that I most need to hear. The devil is at work, but so is the Holy Spirit!

Today, I had a minor medical procedure done. It was my first time to be on the other side, to be the lonely patient. It was routine for the doctor and nurses, but it was the first for me! Of course I thought the worst, that I would not wake up from the anesthesia or that the doctor would mess up or that I would have some sort of complication. Everything went very well, thanks be to God! While I was waiting in the pre-op room, I struck up a conversation with the nurse and I asked her to pray for me. I told her I was a Catholic priest. She told me that she was Catholic too and that she would not allow anything bad to happen to me. She said, “Don’t worry. We cannot afford to lose any priests. We need more of you guys!”

While they were wheeling me in, I saw the doctor and he was very pleasant, striking up a conversation and helping me to feel more at peace. I asked him if he knew what he was doing. He smiled. He asked me if I knew what he was about to do. I smiled and said, “I really don’t want to know. Whatever it is, do it quickly.” I always use passages from the Gospel when I’m a little nervous.

I don’t remember a thing after that. I woke up and saw a nurse and my good friend, Deacon Randy, next to me. Immediately I felt like a million dollars! I didn’t get much sleep the night before and asked the nurse if anesthesia gives you a good night sleep. He said, “Yes, but that’s what got Michael Jackson in trouble. The poor guy would fall asleep with anesthesia. Abusing it or using it too often will kill you. The doctor should have known better, much better.” The team of doctors and nurses did a fabulous job serving me and others. Unbeknown to them, they had learned this lesson from the Lord.

It seems as though the Gospel of the day always relates to my life. Serving others always means helping others overcome their fears and anxieties, regardless of what type of suffering is experienced. The medical staff did a great job. The Church does too, better than others. After all, what do you think would happen if you worked for an organization and broke every single rule they had? They would immediately fire you, ask you to never come back and impolitely invite you to not show your face around there again. Clearly, the Church is not of human origin for we welcome back the sinner; answer the call from the 30 plus years fallen away cradle Catholic; and we go out of our way to anoint and forgive the frightened heretic! It’s not an easy thing to do, but it is what the Church (Christ) did best. It is essential to who we are (the Body of Christ).

The Church started the first hospitals and universities and for good reason. Know the truth and once you know it, show compassion towards your stricken brother. That's what it is all about. Sin, like all illnesses, does not go away by just wishing it away or pretending it’s not there. Sin is real and so must compassion and mercy be real.

The Lord invites all Christians to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the ill and those in prison. The Lord invites us to do what he did for us: help those who suffer. But don’t they deserve what they get? Don’t they deserve to suffer for their lack of responsible behavior? We all know the answer, but do we understand it? The Lord reminds us that his father lets the rain fall on the good and bad.” There is plenty of grace to go around and those who have dug their grave the deepest tend to be the seeds that produce the greatest and most beautiful fruits for Christ. The Lord wants us to go and share the Good News to all, especially with our fallen brothers and sisters for they will become witnesses to us!

“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev 19:18)

Serving is hard to do, and allowing others to serve you might be just as hard. Are you confident that you can do it? The Lord is. And it is important that we try. After all, he commands us to “Be holy, for I, your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:1). This is not only a command from the Lord; it is a guarantee that we can do it.

The only way to experience this is to allow it to happen. This has been my experience and this is the season for experimenting.

Behold, this is a very acceptable time.

Mt 4:1-11 Temptations

Mt 4:1-11 Temptations

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What are temptations? They are invitations or choices that we can make in our lives. They are what they do not appear to be. They are hand delivered invitations to walk in a wasteland towards the garden of Eden. That is, to follow a mirage in the desert.

Where do temptations come from? They come from the devil, our world and from our fallen nature. They do not come from God but are permitted by Him. And if they are allowed by our Lord, then they are for good reason. We can then turn to Him when we are tempted.

Temptations allow us to know ourselves better, what we truly love, what we are most attracted to. Temptations will never seduce me to do things I hate, like eat spinach! No, they know us better than that and know exactly when to hit, where to hit and how to hit!

So why does God allow temptations in the first place? Again, it’s so that we can truly know ourselves. The Lord can use temptations to get the best out of us. It is a very strong reminder of his words, “Without me, you can do nothing.”

The Saints that endured horrific trials and persecution are living reminders of God’s fidelity to those who seek him. If they can persevere, so can I. If they can remain faithful in times of trial, so can I. Temptations can actually make us stronger. Every time I destroy a temptation, step on it, crush its head, I become stronger! It is a mystery. Why does suffering bring out the best in us? Why do we grow light years in maturity when we have to undergo hardship? It is a truth, a reality but a mystery. Temptations provide us with opportunities for growth because character develops with choice. Humility and humiliation help us to grow “into” Christ. And when we grow into another Christ, we can begin to save.

How does the devil do it? He does it the same way over and over again. His way of dealing and wheeling started with Eve; his arrogance tempted Christ, and being unsuccessful with the Lord, he became very successful with us. First, he identifies the desire in us. He gets us to doubt (about sin), “Does God really care?” Then, he deceives us for he is the father of lies. He tries to get us to be like him: disobedient. As Peter Kreeft comments, the devil goes for the legs, our lower faculties: emotions, desires, lusts. Christ goes for the heart and brain, the higher faculties: the intellect and the will. The devil shoots for the 60 yard dash, immediate gratification. On the other hand, Christ participates in the Marathon - the end of life, the goal, Heaven.

How do we destroy temptations? There are many ways, but the most important way begins with the right attitude. I must want, desire to eliminate temptations from my life. Sometimes we like to play with them, like with a killer whale, but temptations have no love affair with us. It is all business for them: seek and destroy.

Prayer unites us with God. Vigilance means staying alert, knowing the enemy well. Prudence means learn from your mistakes. Be honest with yourself. Know what you can and cannot do. Run, there is always a way out. Refocus – recommit yourself on a daily basis. Confess your sins immediately. Trust in the Lord. God is the great “I AM WHO AM”. The devil is the great “I AM WHO AM NOT.” Progress might mean baby steps. But don’t ever forget, little by little means more and more.

Finally, never give up.

Luke 5:27-32 Calling All Sinners

Luke 5:27-32 Calling All Sinners

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I have said it before. If Christ’s antagonists got anything right, it was this: He is the friend of sinners. Thank God! Thank God is God and I am not him. I know I could never be so merciful, so compassionate, so understanding as the Lord is to those who oppose him. His love endures forever.

People often complain about themselves when they commit the same sins over and over again. They complain even more in private, saying that they are always confessing the same things month after month. I remind them of what the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, said in a general audience with children. When a child asked the Holy Father why he should go to confession, “after all, I always end up doing the same sins over and over again”, the Pope responded child-like: We know how easily our room can get messy. And although it is the same mess over and over again, you still clean your room because it will look nice. The same thing is true with confession. We go to confession so that our inner room may be clean and beautiful.

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth” (Ps 86:11ab). There are very few evil people in the world. In all my life I have never met a truly evil person. I will not say that they do not exist. I know they do. But in my seventeen years as a priest I have not met someone who wished to harm another for no reason. Of course, I may be wrong, but so far I have not had that experience. The Lord had to deal with many people who wished him ill, and they all had their reasons. One of them was his love for sinners.

Imagine for a moment if someone asked you to stop what you were doing because it was bothersome. Most of us would do so. But for Jesus, it was impossible. There was no stopping the Lord in calling all sinners for this was his mission: “I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” But the tremendous irony of the whole thing is that it was not tax collectors or prostitutes or sinners that nailed the Lord to the Cross. It was the so-called “righteous.”

Who are the righteous? Are they not those who considered themselves more than they are? Those who are above the law and above God? Now it makes perfect sense when the Lord says, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” In the end it is the prideful, the vain and the luxurious who put the Lord to death. Of course the Lord was put to death because of sinners – even the tax collectors and prostitutes – this is the reason he had to come from Heaven to earth, to call them to repentance. But the shame that once held the sinners in fear has now been placed on the righteous that chained the Lord in fear.

What a mess!

Like Levi, let us leave everything behind and follow the Lord. Let us have the courage and the strength to clean our inner room: to throw away what is wrong and useless, to put back what is beautiful and good and to give away what is helpful to others.

Only then will we have enough space to throw a big party in celebration.

Mt 9:14-15 Mourning vs. Morning

Mt 9:14-15 Mourning vs. Morning

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To mourn is to realize a loss. What is there to mourn about if it is not that close relationship, love affair, I once had with God? Somewhere, somehow the flame of faith that once burned bright has been extinguished in my heart. I have allowed the world, with all its glitter and glamour, to consume my thoughts and actions in a way I once let the Lord do for me.

This is what material possessions and earthly thoughts have done to me. They have made me dull. Lent is a time to sharpen the sword, to not let the Word of God die in vain.

The prophets of old were essential in reigniting the faith of God’s chosen people. They opened old wounds so that they would be properly healed. They gave a God-given explanation for the woes they were enduring. The prophets of old communicated God’s words to their brothers and sisters and in turn, the prophets communicated to God the broken hearts of His people.

Why is it so hard for me? Why is it so difficult for me to communicate with the Lord? It wasn’t always this way. Yes. And it was never meant to be this way. If I reflect for a moment, I can honestly say that the Lord has never walked away from me. I did it to him and for this reason I can feel so lonely at times.

It wasn’t like this before... The walks in the cool evening that our ancestor Adam enjoyed with the Lord and his beloved wife have been lost to all. So too, the peace and unity that only God could give and only man could lose was sold so cheap. And we cannot forget our conversations, once so easy, face to face, heart to heart are known today as prayer and are a constant battle for all of us.

“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?”

No. They cannot. They have it good, very good.

Where there was once unity, there is so much division. Where peace once reined, now only strife and confusion is within me and surrounding me. Can the guest mourn with the Lord at their side? No! There is too much love in the air, too much wonder that fill the Apostles day. There is so much peace and happiness in getting questions answered. How I would love to be in their sandals! How I wish I could walk in their midst. The world finally has a hot spot and that spot is where Christ is. How best to explain this unity, this coming together of all creatures, than to call it a wedding, a feast, a love affair! Is it not the closest unity, intimacy that can be achieved by man on earth?

The Lord allows his disciples to enjoy his company but it will all end one day and all too soon. That day is soon approaching for me too. Forget about 2012.

“I will be with you till the end of time.” Lent is the time of year to go back to where I went wrong; when I blew out the flame of faith or when I went my separate way. Now is the time to return home where the Lord prepares a room in His Father’s house. Prayer, reflection and meditation are the perfect means to enter my inner room and see the Lord face to Face, heart to Heart, spouse with Groom, love with Love. The sun is rising. Darkness is ending.

Lent, like life, is a personal invitation from the Lord to a different type of mourning; the morning of a new day.