Superior Priest

Family life is difficult, but so is charity. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

 We learn lots in Family. We learn about how to persevere, love, and our faith. But family is really hard because “Familiarity breeds contempt” and it is in that difficulty that we learn the greatest charity. Family is so important for the Church because it is the Domestic Church. It is also important for our society because “Families are the building blocks of society” and also “The way of the family is the way of the world”

How does that change our life knowing that God is not some clock maker who made us and is disinterested, but intimately concerned with us and even dwells with us in all things of our life?

 Today Matthew links the prophesy of Isaiah to Jesus that they will call him Emmanuel, but His name is Jesus not Emmanuel. So what gives? Jesus means “God redeems” and Emmanuel means “God is with us”. Jesus by being Fully Man and Fully God takes on the name of Emmanuel just in virtue of his existence because he is God and he became man. How does that change our life knowing that God is not some clock maker who made us and is disinterested, but intimately concerned with us and even dwells with us in all things of our life? 12/24/18

Does God forget us? Experiences of abandonment stick with us for a long time. We might feel abandoned by God in his seemingly delay of promises, but we learn through scripture that God is always faithful.

 Does God forget us? Experiences of abandonment stick with us for a long time. We might feel abandoned by God in his seemingly delay of promises, but we learn through scripture that God is always faithful. The Israelites wait for a long time to have God’s promises fulfilled. God’s time is not our time and His patience is ordered to our salvation, fulfilling at the proper time.

Where is our Happiness and Joy anchored? Is it in ourselves and pleasure which is fickle and passing, or rooted in hope of Jesus Christ and his salvation?

 Rejoice always!!! Joy is not a faked happiness in difficult situations. Joy is rooted in hope whereas Happiness is rooted in present moment of pleasure. Happiness is passing and fickle. Joy is able to live out happiness every day no matter the circumstances, because there is eternal hope anchored in God’s salvation and continued faithfulness.

We live in a tension in the Christian life of already, but not yet. Just like chocolate chip cookies and World War II the war is already decided, but the battle is not yet over.

 It can be easy to become impatient in our convenience centered life. We become impatient with God as we want the perfection of the Kingdom of Heaven to be fully here. But God’s time is not our time. We live in the in between time of the war being over, yet the battle continues. It is just like chocolate chip cookies and World War II the war is already decided, but the battle is not yet over. Jesus came 2000 years ago and comes once again at every Mass and will come again at the second coming. Let us not give up hope.

Jesus Christ is King of the Universe! But do we sometimes forget to live that reality? Is it that big of a deal?

 What kind of things do we omit knowledgeably or not that might come and hit us on the head? The Son of Man does not judge the goats on what they new, but on the charity they omitted to do. We omit charity all the time by failing to act as God calls us in charity to him in prayer and service to one another. What actions can you take now to not be complacent and make sure that your laxity and omission will not come back to hit you in the head?

We are thankful for the material blessings, but we should be even more thankful to God for the more important spiritual blessings of redemption and the Eucharist.

 Everything is a gift from God. But there are some gifts that are more important than others. Let us be properly ordered and focus our Thanksgiving on the greatest gifts of God that will last for eternity in the spiritual life. In response to sin, we need God’s gift of redemption like the leper today may we return to God giving thanks to Him for our salvation. Eucharist means thanksgiving. There is no better way to give thanks to God then at the highest form of prayer, the Mass.

Conversations with my brother a biker. This week we discuss purgatory because it is the month of November which is a special month to remember all those who have gone before us and pray for them because they need our prayers. If you would like to read more and know some specific scripture verses and connections please consult this article https://www.catholic.com/tract/purgatory

Why don’t the Virgins share their oil? Because they can’t. We need to prepare with our own oil of charity that God desires to lead us to.

 God gives us a path to sanctity and direction toward the coming of the Bridegroom through the Bride of Christ the Catholic Church. We don’t make God in our own image, but God reaches out to us in the incarnation and through the teachings of the Catholic Church to prepare our flasks to meet our maker.

Is religion the thing that Jesus attacks today? Should we just be spiritual and not religious? No, God is calling us in a religious context to a vocation of holiness in love.

 We often think we can write off any hypocrites, but Jesus tells us, “Do and observe whatsoever they [scribes & Pharisees] tell you”. He affirms the religious leaders even as he criticizes their failures and limitations. God is working through human people who are not perfect. Every person has a vocation to be holy and become saints. The Church gives us four vocations of Religious life, Priesthood, Holy Marriages, Consecrated Single life. What do you want to be when you grow up? Or rather what does God want you to be when you grow up?