Sunday Catholic Mass Today | Daily TV Mass, Sunday October 18, 2026

I’M SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO GO TO CHURCH TODAY!

Michael Franzese is a former high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family in New York who became one of the most significant figures to publicly quit the Mafia and live to tell the tale. Once a powerful caporegime, he is now a motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur. Born May 27, 1951, he is the son of legendary Colombo underboss John "Sonny" Franzese. Originally a pre-med student at Hofstra University, Michael joined "the life" in the early 1970s after his father was sentenced to 50 years in prison, aiming to help his family and free his father. Known as the "Yuppie Don," he masterminded a massive multi-billion dollar gasoline tax fraud scheme in the 1980s. Although many other people have claimed, he didn’t come up with the details of how to pull it off. The recently discovered fraud in Minnesota by primarily the Somoli community makes the gas tax scheme look like stealing lunch money. At his peak, he reportedly earned between $5 million and $10 million per week, leading Fortune Magazine to rank him #18 on its list of the most wealthy and powerful Mafia bosses in 1986. While producing a film in 1984, he met Camille Garcia, a devout Christian dancer. Her influence and faith, combined with his own growing disillusionment and legal troubles, led him to decide to leave the mob. In 1987, he pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges, served roughly 10 years in prison, and officially "quit" the Mafia—an act usually punishable by death. He notably did not enter the Witness Protection Program. He survived a contract on his life, which his father reportedly approved. He credits his survival to his refusal to testify against his former associates. He is a prominent motivational speaker sharing lessons on leadership and redemption. He also hosts a popular YouTube channel with over 1.9 million subscribers where he analyzes mob history and popular culture. He has authored several books, including his autobiography Blood Covenant, and launched his own wine label, Franzese Wine.

I will send you out to fish for people. Matthew 4:19

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭68‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Help is Near We weren’t created to go through life carrying heavy burdens that weigh us down. Thankfully, we don’t have to. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV When Jesus came to earth, He took our burdens onto Himself. Even though we were far from God, Jesus carried the punishment for our wrongdoing and bore our suffering. And because of that, we have a Savior who understands and has compassion on us. This Savior meets us in our mess, and invites us to find rest in Him. This Savior is God with us. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalms 68:19 NIV King David wrote that Psalm hundreds of years before Jesus’ arrival. But even then, God was illustrating to people that His character was constant, and He was trustworthy. God watched over Noah when the earth was flooded (Genesis 8:1), and He made a covenant with Abraham to bless, protect, and multiply his descendants (Genesis 17:4-7). He took care of the Israelites when they wandered through the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:7), and He comforted David when people were trying to kill him. God has never stopped being true to who He is. He is our ever-present help in time of need. He is our constant source of strength. He is our comforter and our provider. The God that David praises in Psalm 68 is our God. He is the One who continually takes care of us, stooping down to meet us in our mess and carry us out of brokenness. He daily bears our burdens. Will we still endure hard times? Yes. But we will never have to go through them alone. The Savior of the world is near. God is with us.