A Catholic Man

Not too long ago, we would be in a get together at our workplace, hear an inappropriate joke or gossip of another and maybe just stand there and say hahaha…..Nowadays, we receive a soft porn meme or other inappropriate text and we may respond LOL! Many times we do that after starting our day with a prayer or having gone to Sunday Mass or even after daily Mass.

Is our faith one to be hidden within our prayers or within our church? The other day I received, as part of a group chat, a sexually inappropriate meme.  My issue is those participants of the group chat are purported Christian men.  I explained to the organizer I did not mean to be holier than thou, because I am not, but if we do not stand up and make a difference in this world then our faith is for naught.

It is no different than standing around the office with a stupid grin on our face while someone makes an offensive joke or responding LOL! on social media to an inappropriate post.  Political correctness is nothing else than a copout or excuse to have our faith trampled on. Those of us that choose to live by the Christian faith, because no one forced us to, are called to make a difference in this world. We are called to be a light. We are called to bring equilibrium to this upside-down society.

The other day I was online at a retailer and I noticed a curious disclaimer. The website said they had gender-specific bathrooms. It took me a while to figure out they were warning customers their bathrooms actually were specific for men or women!  During this pandemic it was “essential” for us to have access to liquor stores, home improvement stores, and yes, access for abortions. But churches were deemed non-essential.

Frankly I am beyond having to quietly take all this relativism and not being able to stand up for my faith. So to those brothers hamming it up with fake guffaws and LOLs regarding mindless and offensiveness posts and memes, grow a spine. You are either in or you are out. It is hypocritical to have it both ways. Our Lord clearly said He would spit out the lukewarm. (Revelation chapter 3, verse 16)

I have blogged many times before regarding being joyful about our faith. No one likes a dour Christian. A smile goes a lot further than a scowl! My friends know I love a good joke and laughter is the great elixir; we just need to learn when it is time to stand up for our faith. Peter, chapter 5, verse 8, states “Be watchful, your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

If we do not stand up and become leaders in our faith, who will?

Deacon Jorge

Today is the Feast day of St. Matthias, apostle. He was chosen by the 11 to replace Judas Iscariot, the traitor. One of the characteristics the 11 looked for in filling this role is someone that had walked with them during Jesus’ ministry and witnessed the resurrection. They wanted someone that would share the miracle of having met the Risen Lord.

Immediately after our Lord’s resurrection, His apostles and early followers would share the great news with others by exclaiming Jesus Christ has risen! And the believers would say He has risen indeed! This has become the slogan of all Emmaus brothers and sisters because this is what Cleophas and his companion heard from the others in Jerusalem when they went back to recount how they had met the Risen Lord on their way to the town of Emmaus.

This greeting of Jesus Christ has risen, was used by the early church since its’ first centuries, as a way of identifying themselves as followers of Christ. Even during the first 4 centuries of devastating persecutions, this was their greeting to everyone, not just known brothers or sisters.

Imagine, in this politically correct world, if we were to greet others that same way in our day to day life.  What would people’s response be? The other day I asked someone how are you? How many times a day to we get asked that? Maybe not so much now in quarantine but dozens of times in our regular day to day life.  The person responded I am blessed!  What a beautiful habit to create in our lives.  It is a simple response but breathing so much goodwill and I dare say creating wonderment in the other as to why we would respond this way.

You see my brothers and sisters we are called to lead a way of life that is different and sometimes jarring to others. In the early church, people knew who the Christians were because of the way they treated each other and how they treated others.

As we get ready to incorporate ourselves back into society, would it not be wonderful to practice a response to let the world know we are Christians?  How do we show others we too have experienced the Risen Christ? I strongly believe greeting everyone by saying Jesus Christ has risen!, is a wonderful and eye-opening way of spreading the Good News. But if that is too embarrassing for us to say, then how about a simple I am blessed!, to those that ask how we are?

During this difficult time, as we ease back into society, let us come up with a simple but powerful way of showing we are a blessed people because we met the Risen Lord. Of course, this has to be backed up by the way we live our lives but would it not be wonderful to share the Good News of our salvation with such a simple gesture?

Jesus Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! And because of this, we are blessed!

Were are hearts not on fire?

Our beloved Emmaus meeting room!

Deacon Jorge

In the seminary, there was a brilliant priest/professor who had the talent of reducing the most difficult concepts to simple terms. He said when we die, either of two things occurs. First, the lights go off.  One option is they stay off.  For those leading an exemplary, Christian life well, it may have been for naught. But the second option is….the light turns back on and we have our Lord standing there ready to greet us!

If, as we believe, the second option happens, then we will be judged on the life we lead.  I for one do not want to stand there and say oh, oh! Then start stuttering and trying to explain to the Lord why I did what I did……. What I want is to hear from Him, well done my good and faithful servant, come and enjoy everlasting life!

In the book of Revelation, John narrates this great contest between Good and evil. He paints a magnificent, surreal depiction of what will happen in the afterlife. He says in Revelation chapter 20:

“I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and ³ cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more. ¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

¹³  and they were judged, every man according to their works.

There is no sugar coating this my brothers and sisters in Christ. We will be judged according to the life we lead.

This brings up another issue involving judgment. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verses 1-6 he says: ” 7 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

So when judgment day comes, we will be judged as we judged others during our life…….. If that is not a sobering thought, I do not know what is!

John concludes the book of Revelation: Chapter 21, “⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.⁶ And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.”

We are called to live as we wish to be judged at the end of time.

Judgment day. Are we ready?!

Deacon Jorge

A life in Christ is an ever evolving and self-improving one. As Matthew Kelly says, we are constantly called to become a better version of ourselves.  Our Pastor, Father Manny, in yesterday’s homily, said he did not want to go back to the past normal. The new normal calls us to more than normalcy. We are called to serve the Lord even more than we ever did in the past.

There are many in our faith community stuck in comfortable roles in ministry. Yes, we are doing more than most, but staying in our comfort zone is not enough. During this pandemic, more people are attending daily Mass, albeit remotely. Many have taken up the beautiful discipline of daily devotion to the Rosary. Others have increased their participation in ministries. Yet others have become more giving financially or in serving the poor.

Once we return in some form or fashion to society, we must bring a new and better version of ourselves. We must never be complacent in our service to the Lord and consequently to others. There is always something else to do in the Lord’s vineyard. Luke Chapter 10 verse 2 tells us the harvest is bountiful but the laborers are few.  That means those of us that are laborers for the Lord need to step up our game.

We, as a faith-filled people, have done a wonderful job, with the help of our ministers, in keeping the flock together during this pandemic. Now we have to go and serve those who have not met the Risen Lord.  How do we evangelize during a pandemic?  How do we find ways to serve others not in the flock? How do we prepare ourselves spiritually so that others see joyful servants of the Lord?

Joyful servants…maybe that is the start we need to bring others to the Lord!