Father Mark Nolte - Sept 27

St. Philip Catholic Church: Good morning, church. Good morning, sir. It's a nice day, isn't it? How many of you, you're gonna hear me say this a thousand times as long as I'm here, so you're have to get over it. How many of you here want more out of your Catholic faith? I want more. You feel like there's something missing. Raise your hand real high. Not everybody, okay. The rest of you got everything you want. You're good. I'm good Father. I've heard people say no really Father more. I'm good. I'm good That's what I love about our Catholic faith. There's always more because With God he is the more God is the more there's always more so when I hear kids say Mass is boring Kids is Mass boring See he's the only honest Thank you. See, they're going to get somewhere in life. You know why? Because they're honest. I used to be one of you, bored to death, until I learned what the Mass was in seminary. had to wait until I was 35 years old to learn. If you knew what the Mass was and what's going on, if God took the veil off your eyes and let you see what's going on, every one of you would run out of this place. It would terrify you if you saw what's going on in here right now. There's nothing boring. In fact, if we could see it for what it is, this place couldn't hold everybody. There'd be standing room on people on the streets that come in here. Why? Because heaven comes to earth. Heaven comes there. Look at the Lord's Prayer. We pray, thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What are we saying? Lord, bring heaven to earth. And how does heaven come to earth? Through you and me, through our obedience and doing God's will. That's how heaven comes to earth. I went through a phase in my own life before, I'm a late vocation, so I didn't go into the seminary until I was 35. I lived in the world, worked in the world, made lots of money, had a lot of good times we won't go into, lots of confessions. And you know where that left me? Empty. This world will give you nothing, it will satisfy you. God created you for himself. God created you for love, for relationship with Him. And outside that, it's just emptiness. And God let me learn that the hard way. Because I was doing everything the world said. Make money, have a nice car, nice house, nice girlfriend, did all those things, still empty. And I was going to church. Yeah, I was going to church. Good little Catholic boy. Yeah, but one those good old weekends wasn't very good. Right? Some of you here, you know what I'm talking about. You got a headache right now, don't you? That's why you're... Let's just say it that way. We got kids here. Got a headache, you come into the late Mass, and then at five o'clock, the five o'clock people, those are, they stayed up really late. How does Father Mark know all that? From experience. I'm a new man, I'm a new creation now, though. So if you want them more, you gotta be willing to give him more. If you want God to give you more, if you give him a little thimble, a little shot glass, he's going to give you a shot glass. If you give him a five gallon bucket, he's going to give you a five gallon bucket. If you want more out of God, your relationship, you got to give him more. In other words, you've to surrender your whole life to Him. Jesus' whole life was all about one thing, doing the will of my Father. My bread, he says, is to do the will of my Father. Jesus had blinders on. Jesus knew who He was and the mission that the Father gave Him. And it was all about doing the will of my Father. giving my life for the world. His mission is now our mission. That's why he established the Catholic Church. So you and I can continue the mission of doing the Father's will. And what is doing the Father's will? Love. Love one another as I've loved you. And the greatest expression of love is obedience. So love is not just a feeling, that's a type of love, but it's not the highest form. The greatest expression of love is obedience. It says in the second reading today from Polyphians, Paul reminds us that Jesus emptied himself and was obedient, even unto death, death on a cross. You see, that's love. That's what love looks like. Jesus' whole life was like this. I'm all yours, Father. Not just on Sunday or Christmas and Easter. You see where I'm going with this? I'm all yours, Father. Look at Mary, God's greatest creation right there. What did she say in the Annunciation? 14-year-old girl. Time your hand made. Be it done to me according to thy word. I don't understand what's going on, but I'm all yours. Do with me what you will. So if you want the more, that's where it starts. Repenting and giving your life to Jesus. What's the first thing Jesus says when he comes into the world? When he first comes into his public ministry, what does he say? Repent and believe in the gospel. Repentance is more than saying, I'm sorry. That's a start, but it means I'm serious. I'm turning away from my sinful lifestyle. The best I can, it's not perfect. It took me a long time to get out of that life I was in. But God was patient with me, because that's who He is. And I'm still a work in progress, and I will be until I go to the grave and maybe beyond in purgatory, I don't know. I'm still working it, and we all are, right? So if you want the more, you have to first repent. You have to turn away from sin and turn back to God. Look what Jesus says in the gospel today. He's speaking to the religious leaders of his day. That would be like Jesus coming to our world and speaking to the bishops today. Imagine Jesus saying that. That's what I like about him. He's so courageous. Can you imagine? Most people are scared. Wouldn't it be like him going to the bishops and saying, hey, bishops. Prostitutes are getting into heaven before you! That's basically what he said. They're the religious leaders. Why was he saying that? Because they were just going through the motions. How many of y'all here, you're tired of going through the motions. Raise your hand. I know you're out there. Three people, okay. You know who you are, even though you didn't raise your hand. God's speaking to you right now, I know He is, because I used to be one of you. Just going through the motions, checking the boxes, went to church, did my rosary, did my devotions. And I'm going to out party this weekend. That was me. I did everything I was supposed to do. Now let's go party. Jesus says you cannot serve two masters. You can't. You'll live with a divided heart and you'll never be happy. That was me. Jesus is looking for men and women young and old to be all in. To buy into the culture. I love sports, you hear that a lot in sports. coach so and so, what is it that's turning this team around? Well, they've all bought in to the culture. And I thought, that's true about the Christian culture. We need to be bought in. Jesus was totally consumed in doing the Father's will. Is that your focus in life? getting up every morning and being intentional disciple of Jesus Christ. Getting up every morning and realizing who I am and that I'm on mission every day. That God is sending me out on mission. See, Jesus was a man of word and deed. That's in the scriptures. He was a man of word and deed. Why is that important? It means Jesus was not just all talk. He was a man of action. Everything Jesus asked you and I to do, he did it himself. If you want to follow me, take up your cross. Deny yourselves every day and follow me. And I'll lead you into the kingdom of life. I came into this world so that you might have life. That's why I came and gave my life. This life I give you is my life. And he gives it to us on his altars now. But to receive that divine life, to receive the fruits of that divine life, I have to turn away from those things of this world. And that takes time. And it's only by the grace of God. So if you want more, you're tired of just lip service, going to the motions, good. I'm glad you're tired of it. That's exactly where God wants you. He's tired of it. He's tired of a church just going to the motions. You see, it's more than just going to church. I hear this a lot, especially in marriage prep with young couples. They'll say, yeah, Father, we know. We need to get back to church. I said, that's a start. That's good. Good for you. But are you willing to be church? There's a difference between going to church and being to used to be, you you can go to church and still go out there and just be a horrible person. The gospel parable today, the Father tells his two sons, go out into the vineyard, go out and work in the vineyard. Isn't that what Jesus does at every Mass, at the end of every Mass? The priest or deacon says, the Mass is ended, stay. No, he says, go and glorify the Lord by your life. In other words, walk the talk. Be a man or woman of word and deed to the best you can. You're not perfect. And when you fall short, go to confession. See, that's what God's looking for. We need a church in the world. You were created and baptized to know Jesus, to love him, to serve him. That's the mission of this parish. to bring his love into the world, to be Christ in the world. Did you know you're another Christ? That's the catechism teaches that. How many of us even know that? You're another Christ because you're anointed by God. But I can't bring his love into the world unless I know that love. See, that's why he said, prostitutes and tax collectors are getting in before you. Why? They encountered the love of God in the person of Jesus and they realized, wow, there's a better alternative to the lifestyle I'm in as a prostitute. I just met real love in front of me in the person of Jesus. I want that love. How many of y'all want that love? Raise your hand. Everybody better raise their hand when I come out and go like that on top of your head. I want that love, don't you? Because I've learned a long time ago, this world, As great as it is, it will leave you high and dry. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy the deepest desires of your heart. And what's the deepest desire of your heart? To know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. That's what you want. You're just looking for love in all the wrong places. That used to be me. Looking for love in all the wrong places. Not a very good singer. So how many of y'all are ready for the more? How many of would like to get more out of your faith? Okay, I want to ask you to do something that if you want more, you got to get out of your comfort. Faith is an action. Faith calls you to get out of your comfort, so I'm gonna ask you to stand up. First time I did this at my last parish, I got five people, so I'm proud of you. Because I know what you're thinking. I'm not standing up unless she stands up. Well, they're all standing. I better stand. I look dumb. All right, put your hands out. This is where it starts. Repeat after me. Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus. Have mercy on me, a sinner. Have mercy on me, sinner. Forgive me. Forgive me. For just giving you lip service. Forgive me for just going through the motions. Lord Jesus, I want more. I want more of you. More of the Father. More of your Spirit. I give you permission, Lord Jesus. to be the Lord of my life, to be my Savior, to be everything for me. Give me the grace today of a truly repentant heart to turn away from sin the best I can and to give my life totally to you. Holy Spirit, come and fill me From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. Renew me in my baptism. Renew me in my anointing. Give me the grace to know your will and the courage to do it. To have the courage to share the love of Jesus Christ with those I meet this week. In Jesus' name. You can sit down. So that's a start. So now get ready. Things are going to change for you from this day forward. And he's going to move you from just lip service into action and your life will never be the same.