Faith and Fire Teams

Luke 17:5-10 The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you. ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’ We need an increase of faith; we are expected to be good servants, good soldiers The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ Faith is misunderstood. All people have a built-in desire for God because we were created for union with him and nothing less will satisfy. God takes the initiative in this relationship – He reveals himself to man and offers a total unconditional gift of himself, through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the full revelation of God. Jesus reveals all that we need to know to live in relationship with God and Jesus offers Himself to us in Baptism and the Eucharist so that we can achieve the purpose of life – union with God. All that is left is our response; our response to God is what we mean by Faith: By his Revelation, "the invisible God, from the fullness of his love, addresses men as his friends, and moves among them, in order to invite and receive them into his own company." The adequate response to this invitation is faith. (CCC 142) So, God reveals and offers himself to us through Jesus. Faith is my response to God by my total gift of self to him and believing the whole truth of what Jesus teaches. Faith is a response to all God has done and revealed. My good friend Terry Sexton, a former Marine taught me the Key to Battle – And make no mistake, we are in a ferocious Spiritual War. Archbishop is our General. The Priests are the Commanders. You are supposed to be the Marines. The Marines Equip their soldiers at the lowest level with sound tactics – because as soon as the battle begins, no plan survives the 1st contact with the enemy. The Most Basic Unit in the Marines is a Fire Team consisting of 4 Marines. Every Marine is equipped to lead a Fire Team of 3 others. They are given basic tools to take care of one another. You have be a Fire Team leader. You must determine Who your Unit is – who are the 3 people you will take care of in this Spiritual Battle? Family, grand kids, close friends, those who have been entrusted to you. Ask the Holy Spirit and determine now who your Unit is that you commit to be responsible for. You must Equip your Fire Team – your Unit with Tactics -Friendship, meaningful conversation and prayer. Create a time and a place, and an atmosphere in which you do the things you like to do that does not involve a screen and invite others to do it with you. Have coffee, or a meal, or drinks or desert, go for a walk, play cards…whatever you like and have a good conversation while you are doing it. Learn the Art of Meaningful Conversation. Don’t begin by telling people stuff; instead, Seek to know, understand, love and care for them. Validate their existence by being genuinely interested in their lives, learn the art of asking good questions. Then, lead your fire team in praying the Rosary daily.  I want you to help me Build an army for Our Lady of 10,000 people who live this movement of families and friends who live this way of life of Friendship, meaningful conversation and praying the Rosary together by 8/22/2020 the Feast of the Queenship of Mary.