Welcome to Saint Patrick Catholic community podcast. We're glad you're with us.

My friend, father Simon from England was here recently, and we decided to go see my friends in New Mexico. So the day we left, I was kinda concerned about the tires. I should have checked them a lot better and all. And on that day, one of the tires didn't seem to be holding the air very well. And so, of course, father Simon starts to freak out.

We won't be able to go. And I said, you know what? There's a tire place I've gone through for years, and they're the best. And let's go there because I bet you they're gonna take care of us. So we went to that place I've been going on for years there, and they took us in.

And within less than an hour, I had four new tires. And we were all set, ready to go. And father Simon couldn't believe it. I said, yeah. I've been dealing with this place for years.

Honest, good, always doing things, the littlest things, and they have the highest standard because there can be some other tire places that might have a good standard. Others are a tire center, but their standards are not really that high. I went to the one that I knew had the highest standards, and my experience was, yes, they came through. Today's gospel from Matthew chapter five is Jesus asking all his followers to double down on their standards, to go higher and not just following external laws. In today's gospel, he uses the word amen.

So whenever you hear that in the bible with Jesus' name, amen is something important. At that time, people would lie like nothing. They would say lie, and it was very common. You knew yet you were most likely lying, so everybody knew it. But when Jesus uses the word amen, he says, listen.

I am not lying. I am telling the truth. Us old people would call it the good housekeeping seal of approval. In other words, you knew it was true. The second thing is Jesus says, I say unto you.

This means he has authority, divine authority to state things. Who are you? You're a human. We know your family. We know you're just a simple carpenter.

Who are you to change the rules and make yourself authority? And that's why when Jesus uses the words, I say unto you, he is speaking truth and he is speaking with authority. And so today, he offers four in today's gospel out of six things that Matthew talks about about not just doing the minimum, not just saying, I'm following all the rules, but to go to a higher standard in being called his disciples. The first thing we hear is Jesus saying, you know the commandment, don't kill. Don't kill anyone, or else you'll be subject to judgment.

Okay. How many Christians say, well, let me look at my life and reflect on my sins. I haven't killed anyone, so I'm doing good. That's where they're at. No thought about what sin is in their life, what they're struggling with.

The only thing is as long as I do the external rules and don't break them, I have salvation. I'm in. And Jesus says, that is not what you need. I have come to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. So here's what Jesus says.

It's not about not killing anyone. Go deeper into what's your heart and in your relationship. And here's what he says, watch your words. If you call someone a fool, if you call another person an idiot, that's the gospel's term not mine, then you will be held responsible. Salvation is not part.

If your heart is so that way, Pope Leo in his message that I will share with you this week in our email connection, reminds all Christians to watch our language, to not use harsh words that are so freely given and dehumanize and devalue people. And so he's even inviting us to. But Jesus speaks with authority. Amen. I say to you, you call someone an idiot.

That is not keeping the commandment. The second one is this, that you shall not commit adultery. Well, I've been faithful to my spouse. I've come close, but I didn't give it in. So I must be doing okay because I'm faithful.

I'm there. I haven't done anything wrong. And Jesus goes deeper and says, lust. Lust can be in the heart of people in the way we objectify. Here's the most difficult thing that you and I struggle with.

Everyone is an object. Your advertisement, economically, politically, even in church, people are treated as objects for an end that justifies the means. In other words, the greater good is other people benefit, or we simply say for our pleasure because you're really a nobody. No one can escape this. And so when we lust, god is looking.

Jesus is challenging us in our hearts. Men, we are really challenged to be responsible and to take accountability. Jesus is saying he expects all men to practice discipline, self discipline, and self restraint. Here's what I see a lot of men do. They blame women.

If you didn't dress that way, if you didn't act that way, if you weren't that way, then I wouldn't have lust. My friends, this is my seventeenth season coaching football with men and the girls on the sidelines who are trainers. And I teach all of them to have accountability and not to blame. And then when I do it there, that's why I coach so that all men and all women don't go around blaming, taking responsibility. And so we don't blame other people.

You are making me lust. You are doing that. Jesus is saying, we are responsible. And so it is not a sin for men to look at women. Okay?

That's part of human nature. That's how sometimes people, you know, get married and all that. It's not a sin, but when lust and envy and wanting to covet becomes in our hearts for men and women. That is not being faithful to the commandments. Amen, I say to you.

And Jesus says that. The third one is a little difficult, and I don't wanna get caught in the weeds, but it is on divorce. Some people have gone through divorce, and it's very painful. And one of the things that clergy cannot do is do clergy malpractice in their preaching on divorce. One size does not fit all.

One can't say this applies to every relationship. God doesn't want divorce. But even the church understands that when that decision is made or needs to be made, the church understands with compassion that it would say to be together is worse and not healthy. But you know what? That's why you need to make an appointment with someone spiritual who can guide you because everyone's different.

But let's remember, Jesus uses the word divorce, a word at that time that meant to loosen. To loosen. A man could ask a woman or tell a woman, you're getting divorced, and come up with what's called a writ of divorce. He could do that for any reason at any time, and the woman had no value, treated like property. And so when the divorce is given, the woman then has no economic background, no credit rating, and many times, they had to live a life of prostitution because there was no means to get together.

And so here's the thing. This building has been here since 2002. And in this spot right here, every couple that's been married here has given vows. The vows last forever. The vows last forever.

The thing is, sometimes the vows change because no longer are they able to be together. But giving dignity, even through divorce and separation, is not optional. The forever vow is I will treat you with dignity and respect. And sometimes people are not very good through divorce. Very painful.

Sometimes people use that to get back at others, and it's a long, long journey. But the vows that we have forever is the way we treat former spouses and children and other family members. And we should honor that and not get involved to pick sides. And so God is saying, watch. Be careful.

And so one size doesn't fit all. But if you ever need to talk that through, because there are things that the church is able to do compassionately for those who have are in divorce or going through divorce. And last, do not take an oath. Here's what happened in Jesus' time. I'm gonna sell you some furniture, and I wanna tell you, God, I swear to God, this furniture is not broken.

I swear to God that God likes this furniture. I swear to God, Moses laid on this couch. I want you to know. And people did that freely. They would take that and they would use God to lie.

That's why when you guys and all when you and I say, I did not you I used the Lord's name in vain, all you think is just don't say g d. That's it. Well, anybody can do that. What is is we don't use God's name to lie. How many times God is used to lie?

That's the sin. Anybody can say, well, I'm never gonna say GD. That's not the intent. The intent is you honor God's name by not using his name to lie and to deceive. Imagine if Christians really live this.

Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. There really isn't much different, unfortunately, with Christians and other people. Because I think we do struggle with lies. And no one can go up and say, you're a Christian, that means you have the standard of not lying. We gotta really look at that.

Let your yes mean yes, and your no means no. And so fellow Christians, are you a center with good standards? Are you a tire center that people can go to and say, you have the highest standards? Or are we a tire center Christian that does the minimum and doesn't break any rules? This season of Lent starts, and Jesus is inviting us to raise the standard.

So when you come up this Wednesday to receive ashes, you will be asked that question, will you turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel? We can't say, I don't have any sins. We cannot say, I haven't killed anybody this week. I want to, but I haven't. No.

The standard has to be higher. After mass, I'm glad to tell you, the tire center that has the highest standards. A lot of people came out of the masses. But you know what? I'm glad I went there because they met the standard.

How about you, fellow Christian? Where's your standard? What does God want from us to raise the standard and be a Christian, a tire center that meets the standard? Last week, thank you for listening for the Charity and Development Appeal, A follow-up quickly here for a couple of minutes by Sharon Favionik, who will come in and just help wrap it up, and then we'll continue with mass. Thank you, Sharon.

Thank you, father Eric. Last week we watched a video from our wonderful Bishop John Dolan talking a little bit about the Catholic Charity and Development Appeal. This is our sacred invitation to be a part of some of the important work going on around our diocese. I don't know about you but sometimes when I watch the news or I hear about what's going on in the world I can feel overwhelmed with the weight of it. How can I make a difference?

How can I be a part of the good in the world? And this appeal is one of those ways. Last week we heard some powerful stories. We heard a story of a young man who found himself at a crossroads in his life. He needed some job training, he needed a path, and he went to St.

Joseph the worker and found that. He trained as an electrician, got job training, and now he owns his own business. We heard about our seminarians, the future of the sacramental life of our church and their formation here in our diocese. We heard this and there's so many other powerful stories that we could share about the good that goes on not just in our churches and our schools but in so many other Catholic organizations. So I just ask each of you if you've given in the past you've probably received this at home already or it's in the pew for you there's an envelope and there's also a card.

On the card is a QR code and also a website where you can give at the level of generosity that you're able and you can give in the way that you would like to whether that's a recurring gift a one time donation but this is an avenue for you to do so or if you prefer you could fill out your envelope and you can put it in the office tory baskets at any time. Thank you so much for being a part of this sacred invitation to just be hope and to light the way.

This has been a Saint Patrick Catholic community podcast. For more of our shows, go to our website and click Saint Patrick's Studio.