We live today in a world of comfort.  You may disagree…perhaps you will tell me of the number of people suffering from hunger, poverty, and the like.  And you are correct, a portion of the world suffers, but overall we are an ungrateful glutton bunch.  Look around, note the number of things people own…the amount of wasted food at any restaurant or house…the amount of apathy among men. 

Last night while in Adoration I read this:

And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?” But Satan answered the LORD and said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing? Have you not surrounded him and his family and all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock are spread over the land. But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has, and surely he will blaspheme you to your face.”  - Job 1:8-11

While Job had everything he praised the Lord who is worthy to be praised.  Satan argued that Job is of course an upright servant of the Lord, for God has allowed him to have many possessions and a wonderful family.  The Lord hath looked with favor on Job.

So the Lord, knowing the strength of Job’s faith allowed Satan to test him.  In the first trial all of Job’s livestock is stolen and all of his seven children are killed on the same day at the same time.  Job, being the upright and fitting servant of the Lord responds by saying this…

Then Job began to tear his cloak and cut off his hair. He cast himself prostrate upon the ground, and said, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” In all this Job did not sin, nor did he say anything disrespectful of God. – Job 1:20-22

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!  Are you kidding me!  Job praises God on the very day when his livelihood is taken from him!  And on the same day in which his children are killed!  Are you kidding me!!

See if you can follow me on this.  The U.S. is the richest country in the history of the world, we all have houses, cars, refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Guitar Center, Lehboner Children’s Hospital, St. Jude, and on and on and on.  People born in the U.S. are the luckiest people on the planet because no matter your race, in the U.S. you have more opportunity to survive then anywhere else. 

We have all of this, and yet we are not upright and worthy servants of the Lord.  You tell me how many people here truly, honestly, when attacked by Satin say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”  Rather people respond “God why have you forsaken me!” 

America…you are weak.  We call ourselves a Christian nation and then we live and act like pagans. 

Christ tells us in the Gospel of Matthew (7:21) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

I wish to be like Job.  I wish to honor the Lord with all of my being every day, despite the weather, or my house, my car, my groceries, my friends, my family.  I wish to be like Job more today than ever before in my life.  Bring it on Satan…you haven’t met a man more focused on Praising the Lord.  I will not be stopped because I do not walk under my own power but only by the Grace of God go I. 

Please don’t mistake this as a woe to us post.  I am writing this more as a join me, let’s change the world, let’s make Christians Christian again.  We know that Christ has the victory!  This time will pass and He shall reign again in the hearts of all men.  Let us answer God’s call to carry our crosses, not count the cost of our labor, accept a fair daily wage, and Love unceasingly.  That maybe we could answer the Lord as Job does…

Then Job answered the LORD and said: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know. I had heard of you by word of mouth, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes. – Job 42:1-6

 I wish not to understand what God calls me to, but to have the Grace to say Yes and do it.  I pray that we all have this Grace and that, like Mary, we respond “Let it be done to me according to THY word.”

God bless you today and deliver you from all evil…because Satan isn’t done working, so neither should we be.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about sacrifices and suffering. My wife has sacrificed a lot for sake of our family, and for me. She has sacrificed our time to allow me to be a youth minister; she has sacrificed her time and accessibility to her big ole Catholic family in order to move with me to TN. She sacrifices herself to bear our children. She home schools which I’m convinced is also known as “free pass in purgatory” (its not that bad for her, but for me….). At any rate, I’m impressed by her constantly.

If I broaden my thoughts on this I think of others who sacrifice so much to be good parents. Or those that answer the call to the priesthood and religious life and what they have sacrificed. It is amazing to me what people will willingly give up when they are called to do good things.

Why am I surprised then when I get upset at those who martyr themselves when asked to give up little?

Have you ever heard the saying: to whom much is given, much will be expected?

I remember when also hearing many times that big boys buy big toys.

And have you ever seen a bumper sticker that says, “In the end the one with the biggest toys wins”? What a joke.

I’ve come to a conclusion about the men in my life. This is not a judgment, simply a scientific approach to explain one’s willingness to be a man when it counts. I use the following simple equation to determine the strength of another’s resolve.

Big men, make big sacrifices.

First let me define what I mean by “big men”. By Big men I mean MEN who exemplify the word in their spirit and in their actions. Think about it, do you really respect those that are not willing to sacrifice? My wife has a friend whose husband is a wuss. He wouldn’t know sacrifice if it slapped him in the face. Now I respect him as a creation in God’s kingdom, but I don’t consider him a Man. He is a boy as he still makes childish sacrifices. I love my children and they are growing up too fast. And they have already taught me soo much. One thing I have learned is how our sacrifice must begin small as children. But also that it cannot remain there. The sharing of the favorite toy cannot be the extent of our suffering in life….or we remain boys.

Second let me add 2 clarifications to this.

1. Big men sacrifice big things……without complaint. The MAN doesn’t not cry when his blanket is taken away. He lets it go when needed and fights for it when appropriate.

2. Big men sacrifice the Right things. Many of us make sacrifices. But Big Men discern what is right to sacrifice. And what is most beneficial. In the end I think there is a Big Man in all of us waiting to be let out. Sometimes we are unwilling because of pride. That is, when we say My will be done. But when one says to God, Thy will be done, then he can make big sacrifices.

So the next time you are called upon to give up something, be a Big Man. Put away childish sacrifices and really discern what it is you are living for. Me or He.

And remember, God doesn’t always call on the phone, or by yelling. Read 1 Kings 19 to learn more about how God comes to us, sometimes in the form of a whisper.

Let’s pray. God thank you for the strength to sacrifice. We pray you increase in us the openness, willingness, and Grace to live this life as you call. Focused on your will. Accepting of your instruction. And guided by your Holy Spirit. Increase in us the gift of wisdom and faith to know your will and the courage to carry it out. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.

 My dad showed me how to honor his wife, even when he disagrees.

My father-in-law has been the greatest example of trust in the Lord and of how to love without judgment.

Father Ed. pointed me to Christ more times than I can remember however one time in particular he said (paraphrase), “If you aren’t seeking the gifts, then you are fighting the evil”.  He also says at the beginning of most Masses, "we are here because Jesus is here."  Amen.  That is all I need to know.

Monsignor said in a Homily; “Faith is personal but Religion is communal.” He is also an example to me of how to love without judgment.

Fr. Kenny told me, when I needed it most, that I didn’t have to be perfect and that we all go through seasons in life so don’t freak out when your prayer life is a little rocky, it’ll work out.

My friend Paul once told me that Sarah (my wife) is like his sister, and should I hurt her he’d have to kill me. That is the first time anyone held me accountable for how I treated a girl…which until that point wasn’t acceptable.

My friend Tom said to me while I was struggling with the decision for Sarah and I to have more children, “I get a glimpse of God every time we have another baby.”

My brother-in-law told me after I converted, got married, and had a son; “your sister and I are proud of you.” That has been a source of strength and confidence for me.

A Baptist preacher quoted Romans 1:17 at a youth camp I attended with my friend Josh Matthew. “The just shall live by faith…” That statement has carried me through some dark times in my life.

My friend Deacon Mick said to me once that believed I could have handled a situation better than I had, and felt as though I knew the right thing to do if I only just believed.

A mentor and former boss told me that whether or not I intended harm when saying things was irrelevant because the perception was already set….now I only had to pick up move forward and recover. Which I did because he believed I could and I would not let him down.

My friend Deacon Jeff once said in a homily that we have to “check yes” I believe in those Truths that are unchanging if we truly want to live a Catholic life.

My former spiritual director and friend Rick told me to pray the Psalms.  Simple as it sounds, it will change your life.

Whether he coined it or not my friend Bish lives the rule: “make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ,” and for that I am thankful.

My friend Father John told me once that no matter how much I felt pulled to do more ministry, work harder, or do more, if I neglected my vocation as a husband and father then I wasn’t being true to God.

And lastly, my sons all tell me that I am their hero, and that is more motivation to be a good Catholic man than anything I have ever heard.

Do not let the workers in the vineyard go hungry by not sharing your faith with them and showing them the fruit their labors have born. For too long we sit back and reflect on the nice things that happen to us. Rather we should not only be paying it back, we should be passing it on.

Be a Man today. Tell someone important to you what they really mean to you and your life by giving them a call or simply saying, thank you.

To my friends, mentors, fathers, parents, and those who have touched my heart, you are forever in my prayers and I thank you for the seeds you planted for the fruit of my life is a joy to me.

Going forward I'm going to post the little things and the big things people say to me that make me think of plant seeds.  Feel free to email me quotes from those that plant seeds in your life.  I'll include them and post them too.

God bless