As 21^st Century Americans, we pride ourselves on our rugged individualism.  We can take care of ourselves.  We can get the job done.  And we don’t need anybody’s help.  Especially as guys, man, we have taken the Marlboro man and G.I. Joe to heart.  It may be killing us.  But we’re going to do what we need to, on our own.  The comedian Jeff Foxworthy does a hilarious bit on this very point, when he imitates a man cutting wood, who accidentally cuts off his leg.  Have you seen that?  He hops around on stage on one leg, saying “I’m alright!  I’m alright!  Somebody get me a beer!”.  Sometimes we can all be like that.  The truth is that “rugged individualism” is more aptly described as “stubborn independence”.   And stubborn independence will not only send you to the grave quicker, but taken to a prideful extreme, it will also get you sent to hell.  There are those who say that one of the good things coming out of our current economic problems, is that people are relying on God and each other, more and more, for help, and support, and encouragement.  And maybe that really is a good thing.

        Today in our Gospel, Jesus reminds us how important it is to stay connected to Him.  As Christians, most especially as Catholic Christians, a real quick way to become a dead branch, good for nothing but to be thrown into the fire, is to cut ourselves off from Jesus.  And we have brothers and sisters in Christ doing this all the time!  Any time that you hear any Christian say that they have quit praying, you can just count the days until they quit being a Christian.  Prayer keeps us connected.  Prayer hooks us up with the grace, the help, the love of God that we need to follow Jesus.  We quit praying, and we’re dead.  It’s that essential!   Prayer is NOT an option for Christians.  It’s what we need to do to stay connected.  So many times we as Christian like to talk about prayer.  We can talk about prayer all we want, but until we actually get around to doing it, we’re still going to be missing out.  It’s the same way with reading the Bible.   As followers of Jesus, to keep following Him, we’ve got to know what we are doing.  And the best way for us to know how to follow Him is to read the instructions book.  When’s the last time that you read your Bible?  Like prayer, it keeps us connected.  The Sacraments, most especially the Mass, are the same way.  Show me a Catholic that starts to quit coming to Mass every week, and I’ll show you a person who isn’t going to stay Catholic very long.  You can’t do on your own.  None of us can.  We need to pray.  We need to read the Bible.  We need to come to Mass and Adoration.  To not do any of these basic things that keep us connected to Christ, is to cut ourselves off from God, and then we’re just waiting to die.  Jesus is the true life-source, giving all of us exactly what we need to live.  If you’re holding on, or staying more connected to your things, or your money, or your popularity, or your prestige, thinking that any of them will give you life, let me assure you that you’ve got it wrong.  Jesus is the vine, we are the branches.  Let’s get it right.  We all need Him.  If you don’t have God in your life every, single day, you’ve got it wrong.  And now is the time to do something about it.

         As we stay connected to Christ, it is also important that we stay connected to each other.  Our Faith unites us.  We are not alone.  Not only do we have an incredible God who wants to be an active part of our lives, but we have true brothers and sisters in the Church.  In the Church, we as Catholic Christians have an accountability to each other.  For us, we are our brother’s and our sister’s keeper.  We have a responsibility to help to get as many of us as possible home to Heaven.  And to do that, we’ve got to stay connected to each other.  The divisions in Christianity have made this very difficult.  That’s why we’ve all got to work together to heal the old divisions and even more, to stop new ones from developing.  We’re not rugged individualists, we’re God’s people, the Church!  We’re in this together through our connection in Him.  Isn’t it time that we started acting that way?

        Stay connected.  Let Him give you real life.  Let Him take you places that you can’t even begin to imagine.  Like a green branch, may you hang on with all your might.

May God bless us today, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…AMEN  !!!

St. Maria Goretti…Pray for us !!!