Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.” Mk 9:41-50

Today’s Gospel should lead us to reflect on what leads us to sin and to avoid the near occasion of sin. What part of our life do we need to become poor? Why? We are baptized and called by God to a very high expectation, sanctity, holiness, a saint. I fall short of this expectation every day. It is God’s grace that will help us reach our goal, heaven. Today, Jesus gives us a great lesson for any time in our lives we are struggling with sin. God gave us the spiritual powers of intellect and will. We can choose after we reflect to change our habits. St. Teresa of Avila wisely said, “Don’t let your sins become habits”.

Every time we turn on the TV, Internet, radio or read the newspaper, a magazine, or book we are being lied to and this information is forming what we believe. Only Jesus is the Truth. There are good things on these media outlets, but with a fallen human nature we go to the good, then fall into temptation and go to the bad. Many of these things can become addictive.  The Good News is God gave us a great power, self-control.  A conscience and intellect to learn the good and avoid the bad.  A free will to choose the good.  Everything we allow into our eyes and ears forms who we are and what we think. This is powerful! We must protect ourselves and keep our eyes on heaven. What a difficult task in this technological age! We are not called to fit in with the culture, we are called to be saints.

Today’s challenge: What are you looking for? What is the true intention of your heart? What area of your life do you need to become poor in so you can be rich in God’s blessings? You control you, nothing is too hard to stop with God’s grace.  Lent is coming, reflect on what is leading you to sin.  It is usually some underlying factor you are missing.

Be a servant, become a saint!
​#Christian YOLO